At dawn, the people on the street noticed that the funeral decorations at the Zhang family estate had vanished overnight. They also noticed that the Zhang family’s relatives and friends were entering and leaving quickly, without pausing or participating in any mourning rites.
“Was it the third or the fifth day?”
“Already buried? How could it happen so quickly? It’s only the third day!”
The townspeople couldn’t help but speculate and discuss the situation.
Compared to the lively activity outside, the inner courtyard of the Zhang family was very quiet. Old Mrs. Zhang sat alone, her expression grave, with her son standing beside her, appearing somewhat dazed. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and two maids rushed in, looking somewhat flustered.
“Madam, the young mistress and her family have arrived,” they announced.
Young Master Zhang’s face immediately turned pale.
“Mother!” he exclaimed.
Old Madam Zhang’s expression was grim.
If her daughter-in-law had truly died, the Han family would never let it go. Now that her daughter-in-law was alive and the cause was clarified, the Han family definitely would not let it rest.
What a calamity! Old Mrs. Zhang tightened her grip on her cane.
Footsteps echoed as the Han family members arrived.
The maids felt a sense of strangeness as they watched the young mistress, who had once been in the coffin, now carefully supported by a maid as she walked in.
The person who had been lying in the coffin was truly alive!
Old Mrs. Zhang stayed still, while Young Master Zhang, eyeing the Han family, especially Master Han, couldn’t help but timidly step behind his mother.
“Mother,” the young mistress entered and immediately knelt down, sobbing, “I have sinned.”
Both Old Mrs. Zhang and her son were taken aback by her words.
“I’ve been disrespectful to you, Mother, and then I fainted, causing you distress,” the young mistress continued tearfully.
This was truly perplexing!
Old Mrs. Zhang and her son appeared astonished.
As Han Yun-niang continued to explain herself, Old Mrs. Zhang and her son finally began to feel relieved.
The Han family members seemed to have reached a prior agreement. Despite their unpleasing expressions, they refrained from questioning anything. Master Han half-heartedly scolded his sister for a few words.
Seeing that the Han family wasn’t pretending, Old Mrs. Zhang felt relieved. Tearfully, she supported her daughter-in-law and offered a heartfelt apology, acknowledging her overstepping in their marital matters. Eventually, both the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were tearfully embracing each other.
After all, they were still a family that had to live together. With both sides able to step back like this, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
Han Yun-niang settled back onto the bed, leisurely sipping on a few mouthfuls of ginseng soup before using a handkerchief to dab at her mouth.
“Aunt, your illness really frightened us,” remarked one of the younger relatives seated in the room.
Han Yun-niang nodded quietly as she wiped her mouth.
Upon awakening, Han Yun-niang knew that Old Mrs. Zhang’s previous excuses wouldn’t hold up against Master Han’s scrutiny. However, upon further consideration, the Zhang family was also innocent in this matter. Since they still had to maintain family harmony, they couldn’t risk the family’s reputation being tarnished publicly. Therefore, except for a few close relatives, they had to maintain the facade of a serious illness to outsiders.
“If it weren’t for that divine doctor, I might have really died,” she said, lifting her head with a smile.
Everyone nodded in agreement, beginning to discuss how unheard of it was for such a doctor to cure illnesses like this.
“Madam,” a maid entered the room with a troubled expression, “There’s no one in Lady Cheng’s house.”
Although Old Mrs. Zhang had already paid the medical fees, Han Yun-niang still sent someone to deliver some gifts. Additionally, she wanted to personally express her thanks.
No one? Han Yun-niang was surprised.
“Yes, they’ve left,” the maid replied.
“Why did they leave?” Han Yun-niang asked.
However, the maid was unable to provide an explanation.
“Lady Cheng?” one of the nephews suddenly asked. “Is she the one living next door?”
Everyone turned to look at him.
“Yes, that’s her,” Han Yun-niang replied, gazing at the young man. “Yuan Chao, you’re acquainted with her?”
Han Yuan-chao smiled.
“As it turns out, I unwittingly returned a kindness on your behalf yesterday,” he said, while recounting the events of the previous day. As he finished speaking, Han Yun-niang’s expression hardened.
“In that case, Lady Cheng must have left to avoid trouble,” she said, gripping her handkerchief tightly, anger evident in her eyes. “Go, bring A-lang here.”
The news of Lady Cheng’s departure quickly spread to other interested parties.
“She left in the middle of the night?” exclaimed the man in the cyan robe from the Cao family.
They had only been negligent for one night, and she was gone!
Someone rushed in from outside.
“Master, we couldn’t find her. Five carriages left the city from here last night, all heading in different directions,” the person reported, kneeling on the ground.
The man in the cyan robe was even more astonished, picking up a teacup from the table and smashing it down.
“This woman is quite cunning!” he said bitterly.
The reputation of the divine doctor was gradually gaining prominence. For anyone else, they would never simply leave like this. Yet, surprisingly, Lady Cheng chose to leave without hesitation.
“The likes of rodents, unable to bear the weighty matters, truly squandered such valuable medical skills!” The man in the cyan robe exclaimed angrily, urging his servants, “Go investigate! It’s just five carriages, track them down!”
Before his words could settle, another person rushed in from outside.
“Father, father, something terrible has happened!” This time, it was his son, looking panicked. “The authorities have shut down our pharmacy!”
The man in the cyan robe was greatly alarmed.
“Why?” he demanded.
“I don’t know, they didn’t say anything, they just sealed it off!” his son exclaimed.
The county magistrate who forcefully enters premises, the prefect who wipes out entire families – why would they abruptly decide to seal off one’s shop?
He must have offended someone!
The man in the cyan robe couldn’t help but turn pale.
Having the county magistrate sealing off his shop meant serious trouble! Who could he have offended? Why so suddenly?
Two days later, word spread of Mrs. Zhang’s miraculous recovery from illness, along with the revelation that the remedy was attributed to Lady Cheng. It was only then that the man in the cyan robe realized whom he had offended, though by that time, it was too late.
In May of the fifth year of the Qianyuan era in the Great Zhou Dynasty, Tongjiang County was abuzz with two events: the alleged death and subsequent revival of Mrs. Zhang, and the closure of Cao’s Pharmacy, the largest in the county, due to the discovery of substandard medicines. However, few saw a connection between these incidents.
These events dominated conversations in the town, overshadowing Lady Cheng’s reputation for treating challenging ailments. With Lady Cheng’s departure, her presence was on the brink of being forgotten, as transient as passing gods.
Yet, someone remembered.
“Madam,” a maid presented a property deed, “that house has been purchased.”
Han Yun-niang reached out to take it.
“But this isn’t her house. If you want to thank her, there are other ways. Why buy an unrelated property?” Young Master Zhang remarked from the side.
“She saved my life. Unfortunately, I don’t even know what she looks like. She once lived in this house. I’ll buy it and give it to her when she returns,” Han Yun-niang explained.
Young Master Zhang shook his head. He couldn’t understand her.
“No clue about her origins, nor any idea where she’s going. She really is a peculiar person,” he remarked before rising and moving to the side to read a book.
Unaware of her origins and her destination, unfamiliar with her appearance and her name; she traverses the night, a figure of mystery. Nowadays, discussions about her have ceased in the streets and alleys. Without her own direct experience, she might question whether this person has ever truly set foot in Tongjiang.
Han Yun-niang examined the property deed in her hand. Her name wasn’t inscribed on it; instead, it remained blank. She pondered whether there would be an opportunity to inscribe Lady Cheng’s name on it.
(The End of Volume 1)
