What to do?
“What are you doing?” Ban Qin shouted. Although her expression was terrified, she still firmly blocked the door.
“Cure her!” the man shouted with a snort, glaring at her fiercely. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t treat anyone who wasn’t on the verge of death? Now this person is about to die, and you’re still not treating her? Do you want to let her die?”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone laughed.
“If this person is about to die, then go report it to the authorities,” said a male voice.
This area was the ancestral home of the prominent Zhang family from Tongjiang. There were virtually no other residents nearby. The few vacant houses had remained unoccupied for a long time due to the damp conditions, so even when there’s activity here, it didn’t attract onlookers. Additionally, since the Zhang family was currently holding a funeral, it’s even less likely for people to come close. How could there suddenly be people gathering to watch and even making mocking comments?
“Who is so blind…” Two men, angry and annoyed, turned around to see where the voice came from.
At some point, three people and a horse had approached the riverside. The rider was a young man, dressed in a long-sleeved summer robe and wearing a bamboo hat. He looked travel-worn, as if he had come a long way, and was now pulling his horse to a stop to look over.
“How dare you show disrespect to our lord!” Hearing the two men shout, the young man’s two attendants in blue immediately raised their eyebrows and shouted back.
A lord? Taking a closer look at the young man’s attire, it was evident that he wasn’t an ordinary commoner. The two men then showed signs of fear on their faces.
“Your lord doesn’t know the full story, so please don’t speak recklessly,” one of the men said.
“I’ve been watching the whole time,” the young lord replied, lifting his bamboo hat. “In broad daylight under the clear sky, how dare you falsely accuse someone? Xiao Liu, take my token and ask County Magistrate Qin of Tongjiang if he will handle this.”
Hearing that the young lord had been watching all along made the two men uneasy. When he mentioned the county magistrate, they panicked. Noticing that the young lord was heading toward the Zhang family, who were holding a funeral and had powerful and influential friends, they realized he must be someone of significant status as well.
“Fine, since you want to speak to the county magistrate, we’ll go report it first!” one of the men shouted angrily, quickly turning and running away.
“Just you wait!” The other man, reacting a bit slower, also threw out a harsh remark before following suit.
In no time, the only person left in front of the door was the woman lying on the ground.
Ban Qin came to her senses, looking at the woman on the ground with some unease.
“Miss, there’s a woman…” she called out inside, biting her lip. Just as she was about to describe the woman’s injuries, the young lord laughed again.
“Xiao Liu, there’s been a death. Quickly, carry her to the authorities and call the coroner…” he said loudly.
Before he could finish, the woman on the ground suddenly rolled over, got up, and ran away. Something clattered to the ground, but she didn’t stop to pick it up, disappearing in an instant.
The young lord and his two attendants burst into hearty laughter. Ban Qin, initially stunned, soon joined in the laughter. Curiously, she took a few steps forward to see what had fallen on the ground.
“Those are iron plates, and what the woman spat out must be chicken blood,” the young lord said.
Ban Qin looked at the young lord and quickly bowed in gratitude.
She said, “Thank you for your assistance.”
“No need for formalities. This is my aunt’s neighborhood. We can’t allow these riffraff to cause trouble and tarnish our reputation,” the young lord said, then without looking at Ban Qin again, he urged his horse to depart.
“Ban Qin.”
Cheng Jiao-niang’s voice called from within the house.
Ban Qin quickly turned her head, and before she could turn around, Cheng Jiao-niang’s next words were already spoken.
“Ask for his name. We’ll repay the favor in the future.”
Ban Qin immediately stopped turning and instead rushed after the young lord who was already urging his horse to leave.
Cheng Jiao-niang’s voice seemed unusually loud, enough for even the young lord to hear. He smiled as he watched Ban Qin hurrying towards him.
“It’s just a simple gesture, nothing worth being grateful for,” he chuckled, then without pausing, urged his horse onward and departed.
His attendants quickly caught up, while Ban Qin managed a few more steps, watching as the young lord reached the gate of the Zhang family and entered.
Worrying about her mistress, Ban Qin promptly turned back.
Cheng Jiao-niang remained seated behind the screen, looking dazed and slightly out of breath.
“Miss!” Ban Qin exclaimed, deeply startled, and knelt down.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at her, her eyes conveying that she was fine. Ban Qin’s heart settled slightly, relieved that her mistress hadn’t reverted to her previous state of confusion.
After a moment, Cheng Jiao-niang spoke slowly. “Speaking out loud just now… was tiring,” she said.
This was her way of explaining what had happened earlier. Ban Qin felt both happy and sad.
“Miss, you were frightened,” she said, wiping her tears and lowering her head.
“Not frightened,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “It’s to be expected.”
How could it be expected? Ban Qin was puzzled.
However, Cheng Jiao-niang didn’t say anything more. She had intended to explain further, but speaking was difficult, so she remained silent.
Ban Qin soon let go of her concerns. It’s good that her mistress wasn’t afraid.
“That young lord entered the gates of the Zhang family, referring to it as his aunt’s residence. He seemed to be about seventeen or eighteen years old,” she said.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded slightly, but this nod was subtle and might not have been noticeable to outsiders.
“Old Mrs. Zhang wouldn’t have such a young nephew; he must be a nephew from the Han family, Mrs. Zhang’s relatives,” she continued, looking at Ban Qin. “There are many simple tasks in this world that people could easily do, but not everyone is willing. Ban Qin, my memory is not good. Help me remember this.”
Ban Qin agreed and knelt down by a low table nearby, where there were basic writing materials. Taking up a brush, she carefully penned down a few words on a piece of silk.
“Miss, shall we leave now?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Since her mistress said there was no hurry, Ban Qin didn’t rush either. She turned back and continued to write with difficulty.
At the same time, in a courtyard in the eastern market of the city, two burly men and a woman all knelt with their heads bowed.
“It’s not entirely your fault,” said a man in a cyan robe, seated on a rattan bed in the room.
Upon hearing this, the three individuals outside the door breathed a collective sigh of relief and expressed their gratitude with bowed heads.
“Father,” a man rushed in, “that young lord is from the Han family of Suzhou. He came to pay respects for a funeral today and has no prior connection with Lady Cheng.”
Upon hearing this explanation, the man in the cyan robe nodded, also relieved.
As long as there’s no backing from the Zhang or Han families, it’s all right.
“I acted too hastily. Mrs. Zhang from the Han families’ funeral gatherings is bound to attract many people. I shouldn’t have rushed at this moment,” he said. “Given the circumstances, let’s proceed slowly.”
The three individuals responded and withdrew.
“Father, is Lady Cheng truly skilled in medicine? Surely she must have learned from a master. If we pressure her for her medical prescriptions, then…” the man said, with a hint of unease.
“She is definitely not exceptionally skilled in medicine. Judging from the few cases she has treated, the symptoms were completely different each time. Yet, the patients recovered shortly after being brought in, without needing any follow-up medication. This contradicts common medical principles. Therefore, it’s certain that she possesses a unique technique, capable of reviving the dead,” the man in the cyan robe said, his expression intense.
The man nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.
“If we can obtain such a technique, it would be an immense stoke of luck,” he said, his expression excited, as if the technique was already within their grasp.
“Are there only them two in the household?” the man in the cyan robe asked again.
The man nodded.
“Yes. However, the patients who saw Lady Cheng were all unconscious, and those permitted to enter were left in the courtyard. Lady Cheng herself hardly spoke. Hence, we have no idea about her appearance or age. Based on the shadows, she seems to be a woman in her twenties or thirties,” he explained.
“No matter, in a few more days, we will be able to see her in person,” the man in the cyan robe said with a hint of amusement.
The man removed his wooden clogs and stepped into the room wearing cloth socks, sitting on a cushion inside.
“Father, what if the Zhang or Han family steps in when the time comes?” he asked abruptly.
Dealing with the Zhang or Han families was beyond the capacity of small-time merchants like them.
“Why would outsiders interfere without cause?” the man in the cyan robe furrowed his brow. “However, considering it’s at the Zhang family’s doorstep, and they have always prided themselves on their elevated status and seclusion, it would be wise to exercise caution in our future actions.”
The man no longer felt concerned, gladly echoing his father’s advice.
