Everyone present was taken aback; what she said was truly…
“See, see, this lady is really strange!” thought Steward Cao, who was standing behind her.
The three men were also stunned, especially the one who spoke; his neck turned red.
“I, I, I don’t…” he stammered.
“You do,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
The people around them were once again left in a daze.
“You… you think having money means you can bully others…” This man rarely spoke to women, let alone argue with a young lady like her; he felt both angry and anxious, not knowing what to say.
“If you don’t have money, you can’t bully others either,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, still speaking in a dull tone.
The people around them looked up at the sky, wanting to sigh.
This childish and unreasonable behavior made Fourth Master Chen suddenly believe that this lady was once foolish, even though he still didn’t believe that such foolishness could be cured.
“Blockhead!” The leading man slapped the other man on the head, knocking him down.
The man bowed his head again to Cheng Jiao-niang.
“I cannot express my gratitude enough; I will remember this kindness and repay it in the future,” he said. “Please, my lady, leave your name.”
While he was speaking, another commotion arose as two men hurried over, carrying a door plank.
“Brother, brother,” they shouted.
This scene startled everyone present; could it be that the patient had collapsed again?
The three men quickly stood up.
“What’s going on?” they asked in unison.
The man rushed over, panting.
“Third brother insisted on coming to express his gratitude in person,” they said.
Only then did everyone notice that the man on the door plank had his eyes open. After being placed on the ground, he still tried to sit up with all his might but ultimately failed and fell back down, prompting several men to rush over.
“Saved my life, yet I don’t know the face of my benefactor; what a shame to be a human…” the man on the door board said in a hoarse and intermittent voice.
“I will kneel on behalf of my brother to thank you.” The man called in the lead immediately knelt down again and bowed his head three times to Cheng Jiao-niang.
Cheng Jiao-niang accepted his bow.
“You don’t have any money?” she then asked.
Still asking for money?
Everyone was stunned for a moment. Even Fourth Master Chen couldn’t bear to watch any longer and was about to speak, when Cheng Jiao-niang looked up and glanced around, as if searching for something.
“Where is the steward from the Zhou family?” she asked.
Everyone paused and hurriedly looked at Steward Cao.
Hiding behind others isn’t safe either; why are they looking for me again? Steward Cao hurried over, not daring to be negligent.
“My lady?” he asked. “If there’s no money, are you planning to make his injury worse again?”
With money exchanged for services, if there’s no money, then the goods naturally need to be taken back. If there’s no money, the healed injury will revert to its original state; this is only reasonable and fair, as passed down through the Zhou family.
Although Steward Cao spoke in a lowered voice, the people around still heard him. The faces of those men changed drastically, their expressions filled with anger.
So it’s true what they say: rich people will find all sorts of ways to bully others…
“Is this how the Zhou family educate their people?” Cheng Jiao-niang said, looking at Steward Cao with a blank expression.
Steward Cao raised his hand and slapped himself.
“Right, I spoke too much!”
“They don’t have money; you, give them some money,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
Everyone was taken aback, or rather, they were so stunned they couldn’t be more stunned.
Listening to the lady speak was truly a rollercoaster of ups and downs, full of emotions and drama.
Steward Cao didn’t say a word more; he took the money pouch from his waist and handed it to the man.
“W-what? This won’t do!” The man was also taken aback, waving his hands to refuse. “How can I take your money?”
“He has temporarily been saved, but how he’ll survive in the end still depends on nourishment,” Cheng Jiao-niang said. “He’ll need to eat meat to recover. Aren’t you the ones who have no money? Then how will you nourish him?”
It turned out her repeated questioning about the lack of money was for this reason.
The men felt a burning shame in their hearts, their faces turning red.
“Blockhead, kneel and bow to the lady.” The man raised his hand and fiercely slapped himself, then plopped down to his knees, banging his head on the ground.
He hit it so hard that those standing nearby felt the ground tremble, and soon his forehead was covered in bruises.
Cheng Jiao-niang didn’t pay any attention as she was helped into the carriage.
Steward Cao didn’t want to stay there any longer either; he hurriedly mounted his horse. Fourth Master Chen confirmed that this lady indeed had miraculous medical skills and was eager to return to the capital to save his father. Without further delay, the entire group set off at a gallop.
As the group departed, the inn quickly grew quiet. The men stood where they were, watching the convoy on the road gradually turn into a black dot in the distance.
The leading man lowered his head, looking at the money pouch in his hand, then handed it to the person next to him.
“Take it,” he said.
“I’ll go into town right now to buy beef, mutton, and fish,” the man replied, about to run off, but the leader grabbed him.
“Don’t buy that. Buy a carriage and horses,” the man said. “Get the best carriage and horses.”
Everyone was taken aback.
“Brother, there’s no rush to travel right now. What’s most important is for the third brother to recover,” they said.
“Exactly for his recovery, we need to hurry,” the man replied, looking at the road. “No food or drink is better than staying with that lady.”
That lady—the one who brought a dying man back to health overnight—being with her is the best medicine in the world.
Everyone suddenly understood and responded in agreement.
Another day of rushing, the night was deep, and on the narrow mountain path, only two horses could ride side by side. The raised torches cast winding shadows along the mountains.
“Steward Cao, we can’t go on. Let’s rest for a while, it’s too dark, and we’re moving slower and slower,” someone shouted from the front.
Steward Cao immediately ordered someone to ask Cheng Jiao-niang.
“Aren’t we going to ask Fourth Master Chen?” a servant asked.
“She’s our lady; he’s the one seeking treatment,” Steward Cao replied. “Who do you think we should ask?”
The servant smirked.
Your lady, yet you don’t even dare to go near her…
Cheng Jiao-niang quickly agreed to rest.
The Zhou family’s servants, having a military background, found setting up camp outdoors very easy. Soon, tents and a bonfire were set up. Despite the cool night breeze, Cheng Jiao-niang sat by the fire for a short rest.
By the fire, it was just her and her maid, as the others had naturally kept their distance. Fouth Master Chen approached to exchange a few pleasantries.
“Would you like a drink of wine?” Fourth Master Chen asked with a smile.
“Thank you,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied, “but no.”
As expected—how many women actually drink? Fourth Master Chen smiled and withdrew.
“How confident are you in curing my father’s illness?” He hesitated for a moment but couldn’t help asking.
“You’re quite lucky,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied, using a stick to poke at the fire. “If it had been half a month earlier, there would have been no hope.”
In other words, there was still hope now. Fourth Master Chen was overjoyed to hear this, and knowing the propriety between men and women, he exchanged a few polite words before walking away.
“Miss, what you said just now doesn’t seem right,” the maid said with some confusion. “This time, I can’t figure it out.”
Cheng Jiao-niang was always straightforward and didn’t speak much. Fortunately, the maid could usually understand her meaning from just a few words and didn’t ask too many questions, but this time, she truly didn’t understand.
“Shouldn’t you have said, ‘If you delay another half a month, there will be no hope’?” The maid knelt beside Cheng Jiao-niang, looking at her as she asked.
Cheng Jiao-niang twirled the fire poker in her hand, sending a few sparks into the air.
“Half a month ago, I could barely take a few steps on my own. Traveling this far by carriage? Before we even reached the capital, I would’ve died first,” she said. “How could I possibly save anyone else?”
The maid suddenly understood and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Miss, your thinking is so strange,” she said, the more she thought about it, the more amused she became, eventually laughing out loud.
It always seemed like Cheng Jiao-niang was answering a different question, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense—strange yet amusing.
She sat on the mat, looking at the lady’s silhouette by the firelight. The large hood covered most of her face, revealing only a chin.
The mistress and maid sat quietly on one side, while on the other, the servants who were drinking suddenly stood up.
“Someone’s approaching,” they said.
Travelers at this hour of the night? Could it be mountain bandits or thieves?
The atmosphere immediately grew tense as they gripped their spears and crossbows, ready for both attack and defense.
