What, what?
Zhùshēng stared blankly at the young doctor. "What did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly."
"Alright! Zhùshēng, give the doctor the silver! If she wakes up, let her leave on her own."
Zhùshēng looked at his young master's suddenly stern face. His slender body seemed eager to turn and leave, and he hadn't quite registered it yet.
The young doctor smacked his lips and asked gossipy, "Hey, isn't this your young master's woman? No wonder he's angry."
"What do you mean?"
"What do you mean, what? Your young master wasn't cuckolded? This woman is so beautiful, it's no wonder..."
"What did you just say about her? 'Excessive indulgence'?" Zhùshēng finally understood the previous statement, realizing it was this term.
Heavens, wasn't that a description for men? How could a woman also... that would require so much...
Did she come from a place like that?
"Aiya!" Zhùshēng slapped himself. He had wanted to find some amusement for his cold young master on the road, but look at what he had done!
He glared fiercely at Xuěniáng on the bed, spat, and said, "Disgusting!"
He threw the silver, as if he had touched something dirty, patted his clothes, and ran out.
"Young master, we must leave quickly. Master is already urging us."
"Wait."
Zhùshēng reined in his whip and turned back to ask, "What are you waiting for, young master?"
There was no response from inside for a long time.
Zhùshēng scratched his head in confusion. Just as he was about to ask again, the curtain behind him opened, and he saw his own refined young master dismount from the carriage and re-enter the medical hall.
"Young master, what are you doing?" Zhùshēng had a bad feeling.
As expected, a moment later, his young master emerged carrying the woman in his arms.
"Aiya! Young master, this woman is from the pleasure quarters! She might have some contagious disease! Don't touch her!"
"Shut up! Have you ever seen anyone from the pleasure quarters dressed like this?"
That was true. This woman was dressed quite properly. If she wasn't from the pleasure quarters, and not a pure maiden, how could she be qualified to serve the young master?
Oh no!
Had the young master taken a liking to her? Otherwise, why would the usually cold young master be carrying someone? Besides the young madam, he had never held another woman!
Inside the carriage, the man's pair of cold eyes looked at the silent woman. Her delicate features, her small nose, her skin as tender as a baby's, not even a pore could be seen.
She was so delicate, so obedient like a child, she didn't look like a woman from the world of romance at all.
Thinking of her collapsing by the roadside, her hair disheveled, her clothes soiled, had she been harmed by villains?
The man's brows moved slightly. He extended his pampered, fair fingers and gently placed them on her collar.
"Young master, we cannot take her with us. Master told you to return quickly. We cannot delay our journey because of her."
While driving the carriage, Zhùshēng persuaded him again.
The man's fingers retracted, his eyelids drooped, and he fell into thought.
Zhùshēng couldn't hear a reply and felt increasingly uneasy. How noble his young master was, and he absolutely couldn't have an impure person by his side!
As if on cue, a cold voice sounded from inside, "We will stop in Xīnyú for two days."
Zhùshēng secretly lamented.
Meanwhile, in Bōzi Village, in the evening, Yùtóu went to Xiāoshān's house but found the door locked tight. Xiāoshān had instructed him to check in daily before he left. However, he didn't see anyone and waited outside the door until dark, but no one returned.
Sister Xuě wouldn't normally not return by dark. He was terribly worried. He went to Granny Huā's house and Aunt Xiùlán's house to inquire, but neither had seen her. Yùtóu feared she might have gotten lost in the mountains, so he ran to find the village chief.
The village chief listened to Yùtóu's words and thought that he should pay attention to matters concerning Xiāoshān's family. He then found Zhùzi and a few other young men, and together they went up the mountain with torches.
After searching around and not finding her, they went from house to house asking if anyone had seen her. A villager said that he had seen a carriage enter and leave the village during the day while he was working in the fields, and he didn't know if it had gone to the city.
The village chief's mind raced. Thinking of Xiāoshān's relationship with the county yamen, he immediately decided to go to the county yamen.
Yuan Bùfēi was already asleep in the county yamen. Upon hearing it was about a matter concerning Xiāoshān's family from Bōzi Village, he immediately got up and called the village chief in to inquire about the situation.
Fortunately, Du Líng had no family and was a bachelor, living in the county yamen. Hearing the commotion, he came over and learned it was about Miss Xiāoshān.
The magistrate had returned late today, and he hadn't reported the day's events yet. Hearing this, he assumed Miss Xiāoshān was staying in Shēnshuǐ Lane and hadn't returned.
He immediately explained the situation to Yuan Bùfēi.
Yuan Bùfēi had always been serious about Xiāoshān's affairs and immediately instructed, "You go there now and check to confirm if she is there."
Du Líng accepted the order and left.
The village chief and Yùtóu waited for news at the county yamen.
After about half an hour, Du Líng returned with a grim expression. "My lord, Miss Xiāoshān is not there. They said she returned this afternoon!"
"She didn't return!" Yùtóu stood up anxiously. "Sister Xuě must have had an accident!"
"Yùtóu, don't speak nonsense!" the village chief stopped him.
Yuan Bùfēi's expression was solemn. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. His elder brother had only set his sights on this one woman for so many years; she absolutely could not have an accident.
"Search! Gather everyone and search quickly!"
The entire county yamen was brightly lit, and everyone was mobilized. The theaters, pleasure quarters, and unlicensed brothels of Dōnglín County were turned upside down, but unfortunately, Xuěniáng's trace was not found.
It wasn't until the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, that a citizen reported that Zhang Tūhù, the butcher, and his wife were dead in their home.
Du Líng led people to investigate. He found the deaths strange, as if a beam had broken and fallen on them. However, their clothes were disheveled, and his wife seemed to have died of fright.
The coroner's examination results indicated that both had experienced great fright and had indeed died of shock.
Du Líng hadn't expected anything suspicious about their deaths initially, but a torn corner of fabric was found at the scene. That pale green cloth was exactly what Xuěniáng had worn when she came to the county yamen.
He immediately reported it to Yuan Bùfēi, who then launched an investigation around the butcher shop.
Looking at the situation, it seemed his sister-in-law had indeed encountered a major incident. He couldn't imagine the immense fury his elder brother would unleash if he returned.
Xuěniáng had been unconscious for two days before she slowly woke up.
Her consciousness was still hazy. She vaguely saw a dark figure in front of her.
"Āshān..."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, but the figure sitting in front heard it and turned around.
Xuěniáng felt her eyelids were as heavy as a thousand pounds. She blinked hard before she could open them.
A pair of almond-shaped eyes, dreamlike and hazy, with flowing light, brought life to her already exquisite face.
The man held his breath.
Beautiful, unique.
Who was he? Where was Xiāoshān?
Xuěniáng couldn't quite grasp her situation. She struggled to sit up and saw the man reaching out as if to help her. She flinched slightly.
"Who are you?"
Although her voice was hoarse from not speaking for a long time, it was incredibly soft and charming.
Pleasant to hear.