Silly Bride

Chapter 179

to fetch water from the well in the backyard before heading there with a bucket. He hasn’t returned yet. I thought maybe the well is far away.”“No. The well shouldn’t be that far. I tried calling him, but he didn’t pick it up. I don’t know what’s going on with him.”Throughout the years Louis had known Josiah, he had never heard about Josiah failing to answer the phone.Subconsciously, he knew something was wrong. “I’ll look for him with you.”Soon, the duo arrived in the backyard.The backyard of the Xander residence had many herbs, to the point that it almost seemed like it was part of nature. However, that didn’t mean wild grasses were growing everywhere, and there was also a green stone path in the backyard.As Winnie and Louis walked down the stone path, they soon saw someone next to a large honeysuckle bush.That person was lying down on the ground. Based on his attire, it seemed like he was Josiah.“It’s Dr. Houghton!” Louis exclaimed in shock before running toward the doctor.Winnie followed behind.“Wake up, Dr. Houghton! Can you hear me?” Since Louis had no idea what had happened to Josiah, he didn’t dare to move the latter’s body around carelessly. Instead, he gently slapped the doctor’s cheeks.As Josiah’s body had no blood, Winnie determined it wasn’t caused by an external injury.After swiftly examining his body, she realized the entirety of his left leg was swollen.Upon rolling up his pant leg, she saw two round, deep, and bloody circles on his calf. Clearly, he was bitten by a snake.Her reaction was fast. She immediately tore his pant leg away, pulled out her foldable knife, and swiftly drew a cross on the wound with the knife to squeeze out the venom.Then, she bandaged his calf to stop the venom from spreading further into his body. “Quick, carry him back to Old Mr. Xander! He must’ve been bitten by a venomous snake!”When Louis saw Josiah’s leg as well, he realized the snake that bit the doctor was definitely not an ordinary one.He hurriedly carried Josiah on his back and ran back to the building.Initially, Winnie was going to return with him. However, her attention was grabbed by a nearby plant.Without hesitation, she sprinted toward that wild flower.When she returned to the building, Sebastian had already fed Josiah an antidote. Upon seeing Winnie’s return, the old man praised, “You treated Dr. Houghton’s wound very well. There are indeed snakes in my backyard, and I was able to guess which one bit him. The antidote I gave him earlier is specially used to treat a wound from this kind of venomous snake. After a while, pinch his philtrum. He should wake up pretty soon. However, the external injury on his leg still needs to be treated with herbs from the backyard.”“You mean this one?” Just as the old man finished speaking, Winnie handed over the plastic bucket in her hand.The interior of the bucket was already covered with a shallow layer of herbs.Those herbs had oval, elongated leaves, thin stems, and faint pinkish-white petals that resembled half of a lotus flower.“If my memory serves me right, I believe this is called lobelia. When I was reading a book about the foundations of traditional medicine earlier, I saw a case mentioning this particular herb. It said that lobelia could be used to treat snake venom effectively, whether it was applied on the wound or consumed,” Winnie explained.“That’s right!” Sebastian was impressed. “It is remarkable how well you can apply your knowledge to practical use. Come, I’ll teach you how to treat the wound.”Following the old man’s instructions, she mashed the herbs and applied them to Josiah’s wound.Then, she pinched Josiah’s philtrum. As expected, he quickly woke up.When Josiah saw Winnie’s face the moment he opened his eyes, he thought he was dreaming.With that thought in mind, he dazedly stretched his hand toward her face.Just as his hand was about to touch her face, Winnie grabbed his wrist and furrowed her eyebrows. “What’s going on with you, Josiah?”Her voice instantly pulled him back into reality. Upon returning to his senses, he realized Sebastian and Louis were next to her.Thank goodness she stopped me in time. Otherwise, things are going to be awkward…When Josiah’s thoughts ended, he exclaimed, “A snake bit me on the leg! It had a red flower pattern on it! “However, for some reason, he felt as though it wasn’t everything that had happened. He tried to recall what was missing, to no avail.“What’s going on with you?” Seeing how he was spacing out, Winnie asked, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere else?”He frowned. “I went to fetch some water earlier, right?”She nodded. “Yes.”“Then I was bitten by a snake?”Her eyebrows furrowed. “How would I know? I wasn’t following you.”“Where did you guys find me?”“Under a bush of honeysuckle. What’s the matter?”Lowering his head, Josiah stared at his still swollen calf. “This feels so weird. Even though the snake bit me, I didn’t feel anything.”“Maybe the venom numbed your nerves?”“Is that so? Maybe.” He rubbed his head, unable