Jiao Niang’s Medical Record Chapter 358

Voices drifted through the door, now near, now far, a chaotic hubbub. The noise had been unceasing ever since Cheng Qi-niang arrived, punctuated by the crowing of roosters and the unpleasant barks of dogs, not to mention the strange smells that aggressively assailed her nostrils.

Cheng Qi-niang felt tears welling up again. She hugged her knees and shrank further into the corner, but the rustling in her ears only grew clearer. She swallowed hard and slowly turned her head. A small bug was crawling across the pitch-black wall…

In all her years, Cheng Qi-niang had never encountered such a terrifying scene—it even surpassed the earlier fight between her mother and aunt. With a sharp cry, she scrambled toward the door.

“Qi-niang, what’s wrong?”

Second Madam Cheng hurriedly opened the door and rushed in, embracing Cheng Qi-niang as she threw herself into her arms, comforting her with gentle pats.

“Mother, Mother, I don’t want to stay here. This place is too terrifying,” Cheng Qi-niang cried, pointing behind her. “There’s a bug…”

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I will kill it,” Second Madam Cheng said soothingly. She stepped forward, swatted randomly at the wall a couple of times, and continued to console Cheng Qi-niang until she finally calmed down.

The mother and daughter sat down on the floor mat.

“Mother, let’s not live here. This place is too shabby…” Cheng Qi-niang nestled against her mother and complained tearfully.

Second Madam Cheng glanced around the room.

The house in this courtyard was poorly built with cheap materials and had clearly seen better days—dilapidated and worn. To make matters worse, they were staying in a room that had once belonged to that maid named Ban Qin. It was hard to tell what the room had originally been used for—perhaps a storage shed or something similar…

It was the first time Second Madam Cheng had ever seen such a wretched dwelling in her life.

“Even Sijin’s place is better than this,” Cheng Qi-niang said.

Sijin was the watchdog their family kept for protection.

Second Madam Cheng quickly covered her daughter’s mouth, a hint of panic in her eyes.

“Don’t say such things—be careful they might hear,” she whispered.

“What if they do hear?” Cheng Qi-niang retorted unhappily. “I’m not wrong!”

“They might drive us out,” Second Madam Cheng said.

“Then let them! Who would want to stay in such a dump anyway?” Cheng Qi-niang exclaimed.

Second Madam Cheng’s expression darkened.

Indeed, who would ever want to live in a place like this…

Seeing the look on her mother’s face, Cheng Qi-niang lowered her head and fell silent.

“Mother,” she said, lifting her head again with a trace of unease, “does Aunt not want us to go back?”

Second Madam Cheng immediately straightened up.

“Her?” she snorted. “She doesn’t get to decide for us. Don’t worry, everything will be fine. As long as we’re staying with your sister, no one dares to bully us.”

After saying this, Second Madam Cheng seemed to drift into a daze.

Just yesterday—no, even this morning—she would never have imagined that she would ever rely on this fool. Yet, in a moment of panic, she had fled here to seek refuge.

This was something Cheng Qi-niang had been unable to understand ever since she hurriedly followed her mother out of the house in confusion.

“Why?” she asked.

These matters were too complicated to explain to a child. Second Madam Cheng forced a faint smile to reassure her.

“There are some things happening at home. You’re still too young to understand. When you’re older, I’ll explain it to you,” she said. “Don’t worry, it won’t be long before we can go back.”

Although Cheng Qi-niang didn’t fully understand, the shock of witnessing her mother and aunt—the two closest figures she knew—fighting fiercely couldn’t be soothed with just a few words.

“Did you hear that earlier?” Second Madam Cheng said, pointing outside with a hint of pride. “Your aunt sent someone over.”

Tears welled up in Cheng Qi-niang’s eyes again. The image of her usually gentle aunt lunging viciously at her mother and hitting her replayed in her mind, leaving her small face pale with fear.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” Second Madam Cheng quickly embraced her daughter, her heart burning with resentment.

That wretched Wang Shi–niang—how dare she fight and curse without even bothering to hide it, frightening her daughter like this!

“But she didn’t come to bully me—she came to invite your sister,” Second Madam Cheng said, her expression brightening with triumph. “Your sister infuriated her half to death, but so what? She still has to come and invite your sister properly. So there’s nothing to fear. Just wait and see—they’ll be here soon to ask us back.”

With a mix of coaxing and reassurance, Second Madam Cheng gradually comforted Cheng Qi-niang. Exhausted from the fear and shock, the little girl soon fell asleep in her mother’s arms.

Second Madam Cheng let out a slight sigh of relief, rubbing her sore lower back before gingerly touching her face. The wounds stung at the contact, making her suck in a sharp breath.

That wretched Wang Shi–niang! Just you wait!

She cursed bitterly in her heart, as if doing so could somehow ease the pain.

Pushing the door open and stepping outside, she saw the maid walking into the courtyard.

“Ban Qin, Ban Qin,” she called out hurriedly, quickening her steps toward her.

Ban Qin stopped and looked at her.

“Second Madam, when are you planning to leave? It’s almost dark,” she said.

You little wench, how dare you try to drive us out! In the past, you would’ve begged for the chance to host us!

Second Madam Cheng forced a smile.

“Ban Qin, you see—because of Jiao-niang’s actions, First Master was nearly anger to death, and everything’s been thrown into chaos. Since we testified in the hall and almost got devoured by First Madam, how can we possibly go back now?” she said, lifting her hand to wipe away tears.

Ban Qin hesitated, her expression uncertain.

Well… that does make sense. But then… what should be done?

“Ban Qin, I noticed earlier that First Madam sent someone to invite your lady,” Second Madam Cheng said, raising an eyebrow meaningfully. “It seems the situation is about to blow over. They’ve admitted defeat. Hurry and ask your lady to come back—there’s no need to hide anymore. Everything is in her hands now. She can start negotiating terms.”

Ban Qin shot her a glance.

“Second Madam, what are you talking about?” she said. “My lady has gone out to clear her mind. What do you mean by ‘hiding’?”

Ugh, this wretched girl is still playing dumb…

After causing such a huge scene—nearly angering her uncle to death in the public hall and handing over the family estate to those government bloodsuckers—such an unfilial rebel could’ve been beaten to death on the spot by the clan.

If she isn’t hiding, then what is she doing?

Second Madam Cheng twitched the corner of her mouth into a stiff smile.

“Oh, I suppose you could call it hiding,” Ban Qin replied with a faint smile. She gestured toward the outside, then glanced up and down at Second Madam Cheng. “Hiding for some peace and quiet.”

Second Madam Cheng’s expression stiffened as she watched the maid walk past her.

“Steward Cao, please come in. Let’s discuss the matters our lady has entrusted to us,” Ban Qin said.

A man’s voice responded with affirmation from outside the gate, and footsteps followed as he entered.

Second Madam Cheng quickly turned aside, raising her sleeve to cover her face defensively. But Steward Cao walked right past without so much as a glance in her direction.

Hiding for peace and quiet?

Did she stir up all this trouble only to wash her hands of it and walk away? Then what was the point of causing such a scene in the first place!

In the Jiang-zhou Prefecture office, the aroma of tea wafted through the study.

After a period of hard work, enjoying a bowl of brewed tea was truly a refreshing way to unwind.

“Xiangkun, try this,” Prefect Song said as he poured the tea and handed it to Judicial Officer Li, who was seated across from him.

His face now radiated warmth and kindness, with no trace of his earlier displeasure.

Judicial Officer Li quickly rose to his feet, accepting the tea with both hands and bowing in gratitude before tilting his head back to drink it in one go.

“Excellent tea, truly excellent! Your tea-making skills have become even more refined, Sir,” he praised enthusiastically.

“Xiangkun, you have a taste for this, so you can appreciate fine tea. As for me, I just drink it to quench my thirst and relieve fatigue,” the Vice Prefect on the side remarked as he picked up his tea bowl.

Laughter filled the room, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere—a far cry from the tense, hostile, and sarcastic exchanges that had taken place in the court earlier.

Once the tea was finished, the three men set down their bowls.

“So, Sir, it seems this case must continue to be tried…” Judicial Officer Li remarked.

The Vice Prefect nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“Indeed—” he began instinctively, but cut himself short when he noticed Prefect Song lost in thought, remaining silent.

Two pairs of eyes fixed intently on Prefect Song, who seemed to hear their inner voices screaming in unison: Agree, agree, agree! We must, must, must continue the trial! It’s all about the money, money, money…

Prefect Song couldn’t help but smile slightly. He looked toward the door and called out for someone to enter. A retainer stepped into the room.

“What is the status of that matter?” Prefect Song asked.

The retainer shook his head.

“After the crowd dispersed, everyone left. There was no reaction, and no one has returned since,” he replied.

Prefect Song stroked his beard, frowning thoughtfully.

Although it hadn’t been explicitly stated in court, everyone understood the outcome—this case was set to proceed unless the plaintiff withdrew the lawsuit.

The Cheng family’s First Master had been so enraged he nearly died, meaning the Chengs had suffered a significant loss while the Zhous stood to gain. The Qin family’s women had left without returning to seek an audience or make any further statements. Could it be that this was the outcome they found acceptable and satisfactory?

Judicial Officer Li and the Vice Prefect exchanged a puzzled glance, confused by their conversation.

“Sir, is there still some unresolved issue?” the Vice Prefect ventured to ask.

From the looks of it, that seemed to be the case.

Prefect Song nodded and offered them a faint smile.

“No, nothing at all,” he said, gesturing with his hand. “Let the case proceed according to the rules. Just follow the regulations.”

This was his agreement—as expected, how could he possibly disagree? Both Judicial Officer Li and the Vice Prefect broke into smiles.

“Have some tea, have some tea.”

They warmly urged one another, and the study once again filled with a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.

In the Cheng residence, the atmosphere was heavy and tense. Those coming and going wore pale, anxious expressions, moving about noticeably faster than usual.

A maid hurried into the main hall carrying a medicine bowl and nearly collided with a maid exiting. The two exchanged a glance—neither had the energy to complain nor scold—and simply stepped aside to let each other pass.

Inside, First Master Cheng struggled to prop himself up, supported by First Madam Cheng, who tried to soothe him.

“What did you say? She went out?” First Master Cheng gasped, struggling for breath. “When did she leave? Where did she go?”

The maid shook her head.

“They said she left early in the morning. She didn’t say where she was going,” she replied uneasily.

“And I suppose she didn’t say when she’d be back either?” First Master Cheng asked, gripping the edge of the bed.

The maid lowered her head and nodded.

“But Ban Qin and Steward Cao are both still here. They said if there’s anything, we can discuss it with them,” she added, lifting her head as if remembering something.

First Master Cheng looked at her, the corner of his mouth twitching as if he were smiling.

“Discuss it with them…” he murmured.

As the legitimate daughter of a prominent family, she naturally wouldn’t appear in court herself for this case—leaving her servants to act on her behalf was sufficient.

But while servants could represent their lady in court proceedings, they certainly couldn’t make decisions in her place.

“Please forgive us, Master, but our lady has instructed…”

“We dare not make decisions—we must consult our lady first…”

First Master Cheng could already hear the responses that would come from the mouths of those two servants.

“Fine. Fine,” he said, his voice trembling. He laughed bitterly and slapped the edge of the bed. “Fine!”

First Madam Cheng and the others were startled, utterly confused about what could possibly be “fine” about any of this…

“She is determined to destroy our Cheng family!” First Master Cheng suddenly shouted, pointing toward the outside. His eyes bulged, his face flushed red and trembled with rage. “How ruthless! How vicious!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he collapsed once again. The room erupted into chaos—screams, cries, and panicked shouts filling the air.