Master Zhou was hastily called back. If the steward hadn’t reminded him to bring a doctor along, he certainly wouldn’t have left his seat.
Calling for a doctor meant that Madam Zhou was determined to have him return.
There was already a renowned divine doctor at home whom the entire capital envied, yet they still kept summoning doctors from outside all the time—how ridiculous.
“Brother Zhou, you must ask about this for me.” A colleague grabbed his hand, reluctant to let him leave, repeating his request over and over.
“Yes, yes, ask for us too,” a few others chimed in, their eagerness barely concealed. “As long as it works, no matter the price.”
“Could it possibly be more expensive than minerals?” someone added.
“Even if it costs as much as minerals, it’s surely better than them. Don’t forget, True Master Li is the Dao Ancestor,” another murmured with a quiet laugh.
The precious minerals and elixirs that scholar-officials and the wealthy now eagerly pursue for health, longevity, and vitality are precisely the products of Daoist alchemy. And who is the Dao Ancestor? True Master Li. The medical techniques he left behind must surely be the most authentic.
Their words were somewhat vague, but Master Zhou understood perfectly well what they were referring to.
Tong Neihan, who had nearly lost his life after consuming these so-called miraculous minerals, had now returned to social gatherings. As he reappeared before the public eye, people were not only astonished by his miraculous recovery but by another, even more incredible transformation.
His appearance.
The reason Tong Neihan had taken those minerals in the first place was due to poor health—weak legs and frailty. Yet after this brush with death, he seemed more vigorous than ever. His complexion was ruddy, his steps steady and strong. It was even said that his household—his wives and concubines—were especially pleased. But the most astonishing change? His once-gray hair had begun to darken.
Not only had he been brought back from the brink of death, but he seemed to be reversing aging itself!
Master Zhou laughed heartily, neither agreeing nor refusing. If not for the steward’s anxious expression—looking as if he wanted to drag him away himself—he would have gladly lingered a while longer, basking in the admiration.
“What exactly happened?” he asked with a displeased frown once he got into the carriage.
The steward hesitated, seeming as if he wanted to speak but held back.
“Madam had a bout of heart palpitations,” he finally muttered. “Master should hurry back and take a look.”
“What’s there to be afraid of? Isn’t Jiao Jiao at home?” Master Zhou said dismissively.
It was precisely because that Jiao Jiao was at home…
The steward muttered inwardly but kept his head down, not daring to say more. Instead, he urged the carriage forward, speeding the way home.
Master Zhou stepped into the hall. The doctor had already finished his examination and was in the outer room prescribing medicine. The household’s children sat outside, their expressions uneasy, their gazes frequently drifting toward Zhou Liu-lang.
Zhou Liu-lang knelt upright at the doorway, his face tense, silent.
On the bed, Madam Zhou was in tears, surrounded by three attentive maids.
“Madam, you mustn’t cry anymore. The doctor said you can’t afford to be agitated…”
“Yes, yes, please don’t get worked up…”
Master Zhou stepped into the room.
“What on earth happened?” he asked.
As soon as she saw him, Madam Zhou burst into tears, clutching her chest.
“Master, I can’t go on like this!” she sobbed.
“Why are you saying such things? What could be so unbearable?” Master Zhou frowned as he sat down.
“Go ask your dear niece!” Madam Zhou cried sharply, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she choked on her sobs.
Master Zhou frowned, but before he could ask, Zhou Liu-lang spoke from outside.
“It has nothing to do with her. I made the decision myself,” he said.
Madam Zhou immediately became agitated, leaning forward.
“Blinded by that vixen’s charms, and you still defend her!” she shouted sharply, before another bout of breathlessness overtook her, sending the maids into a flurry to calm her down.
Outside, the other children surrounded Zhou Liu-lang.
“Sixth Brother, just say less!”
“Sixth Brother, do you really want to drive Mother to her grave?”
Master Zhou grew even more confused by all the commotion inside and out. He slapped the table.
“Enough! Everyone, be quiet! What on earth is going on?” he demanded.
“Father, Sixth Brother wants to marry Cheng Jiao-niang,” his youngest daughter finally spoke up, unable to hold back any longer as she watched their mother struggle to breathe.
Master Zhou’s expression froze in shock.
“What?” He thought he had misheard and asked again.
“Father, I wish to take Cheng Jiao-niang as my wife,” Zhou Liu-lang stated himself.
Master Zhou stared blankly at his son, as if momentarily at a loss for words.
“Throw that vile girl out! Throw her out!” Madam Zhou shouted sharply, covering her face as she began to sob. “I knew she had ill intentions, trying to seduce my son!”
“It has nothing to do with her. This is my decision,” Zhou Liu-lang said again.
“Why do you want to marry her?” Master Zhou asked in a daze, his gaze scrutinizing his son.
Has his son reached the age where he’s blinded by women?
Women?
Does that lady even have any charm?
Zhou Liu-lang tightened his face, his hands clenched on his knees.
“Spending every day together, who knows how she bewitched Brother?” Lady Zhou said sharply.
“Shut up,” Zhou Liu-lang snapped, turning to glare at her.
Lady Zhou, however, wasn’t afraid of him and raised her brows defiantly.
“We can’t even talk about her now, and nothing has even happened yet? Brother, just a few days, and you’ve already lost your sense!” she shouted.
The sound of Madam Zhou’s crying inside, combined with the argument outside, made Master Zhou’s ears buzz.
“Enough!” he bellowed, slamming the table.
Immediately, everything went quiet.
With everyone silent, they all turned to look at Master Zhou, waiting for him to make a decision. Master Zhou, however, only felt his headache intensify.
“All of you leave. This matter concerns the family’s reputation. No more private discussions,” he said sternly.
The children outside bowed and replied in unison, then filed out one by one.
Zhou Liu-lang hesitated for a moment.
“Do you really want to drive Mother to her grave? Whatever you have to say, wait until later,” one of his older brothers whispered.
Zhou Liu-lang took a deep breath and finally followed them out.
The maids also withdrew, leaving only the couple in the room.
Madam Zhou lay on the couch, weeping into her handkerchief.
Master Zhou straightened his clothes, shifted his posture, and looked at his wife.
“Actually…” he hesitated before speaking.
As soon as he began, Madam Zhou suddenly sat up.
“Not a chance!” she screamed, cutting him off, and then burst into tears again. “My son is unfortunate! Unlike his elder brother, who enjoys peace thanks to your family’s support, he has to struggle for his own achievements! From a young age, he has been practicing hard under your tutelage, and in the future, he’ll have to serve in the military. Now, instead of helping him find a strong and capable family for his marriage, you’re thinking of marrying him off to that foolish girl! You, you, you might as well just strangle us both!”
Master Zhou felt embarrassed by her words.
“It’s not like I had the idea,” he muttered.
“Either way, she can’t stay here,” Madam Zhou said, wiping her tears. “I wanted to care for her for life, but instead, I get this ungratefulness. She’s plotting against my son! If you won’t say anything, then I’ll do it myself, even if it means appearing heartless. I’ll drive her out!”
She tried to stand up.
Master Zhou quickly stopped her.
“You’re still ill, what’s the rush? Think about what you’re going to say,” he said. “If you act so rashly and it gets out, Liu-lang’s reputation will be ruined too!”
Madam Zhou angrily sat back down, growing more upset as she thought about it. She covered her face and cried once more.
A strange, ominous cloud seemed to hang over the Zhou family.
The maid turned around and saw two other maids quickly avert their gaze and hurry away.
Frowning, the maid looked away as well.
“What’s going on? Why does everything seem so strange all of a sudden?” she muttered, then stepped into the room and saw Cheng Jiao-niang already standing in the hallway. “Miss, shall we go?”
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded in agreement.
As they made their way out, the maid couldn’t help but glance around again.
“Miss, don’t you think the people in the house seem a bit strange?” she asked, eyeing the two maids who had just passed by.
The two maids quickly averted their gazes, huddling together to laugh softly before hurrying off.
“Don’t mind them,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
At the second gate, two carriages arrived. A young lady from the Zhou family was getting into one of them. When she saw them, her face immediately hardened.
“What about our carriage?” the maid asked, smiling as she spoke to the maids. “Which coachman did we get this time? Is Sixth Master still driving for us?”
Before she even finished speaking, Lady Zhou’s anger flared up.
It wasn’t uncommon for Zhou Liu-lang to serve as Cheng Jiao-niang’s coachman at the house, and everyone understood why: Zhou Liu-lang feared that this fool might try to sneak off, and no one else could stop her, but he could keep her under control.
Had this been before, Lady Zhou wouldn’t have minded it, but after the incident with Zhou Liu-lang yesterday, hearing such words made her feel a surge of disgust.
Was this fool already trying to seduce her own brother back then?
Lady Zhou spat. “Shameless!”
The maid was startled but quickly furrowed her brows in anger.
“That’s right! Snatching someone into this household—that’s what’s truly shameless!” she retorted, stepping forward with her hands on her hips. “Well said, Young Miss!”
