Liu Hong, seeing his distracted state, asked Rong Zhi, "Miss Lin, Miss Zhang's condition... is it very serious?"
Rong Zhi replied, "Barring any unforeseen complications, her life can be saved, but her health will certainly not be the same. Miss Zhang was already ill, and she will likely become even weaker. She needs careful recuperation for any possibility of full recovery."
For her, curing Zhang Yajing was not a difficult task; she was more concerned about whether Zhang Yajing herself had the will to live.
Gu Xinlan asked, "What exactly is Miss Zhang's illness?"
Liu Hong casually answered, "Miss Zhang is not sick; she was poisoned. An ordinary person would have died long ago, but Miss Lin is capable of saving her."
At this point, Liu Hong's tone carried a hint of admiration.
Rong Zhi smiled at them and suddenly recalled what Zhang Yajing had said on the hillside the previous night.
"Miss Zhang feels guilty for disrupting your wedding and said she would personally come to apologize if she had the chance."
"An apology is not necessary," Liu Hong waved his hand. "Once Miss Zhang wakes up, it would be best for her to leave here quickly. Otherwise, I don't know what trouble the villagers might stir up. They're already unhappy with me and Xinlan because we've stopped them from bothering Miss Zhang."
"Mm," mentioning this, Gu Xinlan remembered the little brat from earlier. "On the road, a child even threw stones at me."
Lu Yuanxiu only then understood. No wonder that child called Gu Xinlan an ungrateful wretch; it was because of this.
He had remained silent until now, but at this moment, he couldn't help but speak up for Gu Xinlan.
"Hmph, these people are all dullards and unreasonable. Anyone who doesn't suit their fancy, they'll viciously attack. It's one thing for them to blame Miss Zhang for Zhang Chu's actions, but what does it have to do with Xinlan?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's gaze fell upon him.
Rong Zhi was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected him to defend Gu Xinlan in front of so many people. Coupled with his behavior after getting drunk yesterday, Rong Zhi couldn't quite tell if this was guilt or some other emotion.
Liu Hong's expression was complicated. First, he admired Lu Yuanxiu for being reasonable. After all, most villagers were unhappy with Gu Xinlan now, and it was rare for him to speak in her defense at such a time. However, his overly eager defense made him feel uneasy. He glanced back at Gu Xinlan, who lowered her head.
Only Xia Yunting briefly swept his gaze over him before looking away.
Feeling their scrutiny, Lu Yuanxiu became a bit awkward. "Well, I just can't stand to see it. I don't mean anything else, so don't overthink it."
Rong Zhi said nothing and picked up a piece of food. Gu Xinlan began to quietly drink her soup.
The atmosphere became even more awkward. Only Liu Hong frowned and added, "How many people are as reasonable as you? If the village chief hadn't intervened last night, some hot-tempered uncles and elders would have already started fighting. And just now, Xinlan was hit with stones by a child and called an ungrateful wretch. Although they are just child's words, aren't child's words taught by adults? I think it's fortunate that the village chief is on our side, otherwise, after a while longer, we won't be able to stay in this village."
Could it be that serious? Lu Yuanxiu thought about it and still found it hard to believe. After all, most people in the village were honest folk; how could they make things difficult for their neighbors?
After the meal, it was already completely dark. Liu Hong saw Gu Xinlan yawning and said, "Xinlan, let's go home."
Rong Zhi stopped him. "Don't go. It's late, and the road back is not easy. Just stay here!"
This was to avoid encountering any more unruly brats.
"That's fine too," Liu Hong didn't refuse. He turned and saw Lu Yuanxiu, who hadn't left yet, and suddenly remembered something. He said to him, "Come home with me. I have something to give you."
"Ah?" Lu Yuanxiu was confused. "What is it?"
"You'll know when you come home with me."
Lu Yuanxiu guessed it was probably related to Gu Xinlan, and that Liu Hong probably had something to say to him.
"Alright then, please."
The two left the courtyard, one after the other. Rong Zhi, seeing this, teased Gu Xinlan, "Your husband is going to have a talk with his first love. I didn't expect your hunter to be quite the jealous type."
A blush crept onto Gu Xinlan's face, and she lowered her head without speaking.
Rong Zhi, however, put her arm around her shoulder and asked, "What did Lu Yuanxiu say to you on the way?"
Gu Xinlan replied, "He didn't say much."
"Don't you feel he's acting a bit strange towards you?"
A hint of understanding flickered in Gu Xinlan's eyes, and she nodded. "I've already made it clear to him."
Seeing her innocent and naive tone, Rong Zhi felt it was better to explain things clearly.
"I think your letter of farewell must have stimulated him. Yesterday, he..."
Rong Zhi recounted Lu Yuanxiu's unusual behavior from the previous day.
"Ah? Then what should I do?" she regretted. "Should I not have written that letter?"
"You did nothing wrong," Rong Zhi patted her shoulder in comfort. "But when people are stimulated, they tend to do things that are out of character. Just maintain a distance from him."
"Oh..." Gu Xinlan nodded as if she understood, but not quite.
Meanwhile, Liu Hong brought Lu Yuanxiu to his home. Wu Guixiang saw them and her face immediately fell. "What are you doing at our house?"
After Gu Xinlan and Liu Hong got married, Wu Guixiang also moved into Liu Hong's house. She was currently tidying up their bedroom and was naturally furious to see Liu Hong bringing Lu Yuanxiu back.
Lu Yuanxiu knew that he had spoken excessively before and was in the wrong, so he remained silent.
Seeing this, Wu Guixiang wanted to drive him out. Liu Hong quickly explained, "Mother, I asked him to come. I have something to say to him."
"Oh, then speak quickly!"
She clearly didn't want to see Lu Yuanxiu any longer and retreated to another room.
Liu Hong then opened a cabinet in the corner of the room, took out a packet of silver fragments, and handed it to Lu Yuanxiu.
"Scholar Lu, thank you for saving Xinlan today. Although we had some unpleasantness before, consider this a clean slate."
Lu Yuanxiu didn't take the silver. Instead, he seemed annoyed. "Why are you giving me money? I just couldn't stand to see a child being attacked, so I stepped in to help. Even if it wasn't Xinlan, I would have helped. You don't need to rush to make me and Xinlan sever ties. We already have nothing between us. Although there was an engagement, it has long since been dissolved. Now that she is your wife, I naturally won't have any improper thoughts about a married woman."
Hearing this, Liu Hong breathed a sigh of relief. "You are a smart person; you understand what I mean after just one sentence."
"Ah? What do you mean?"
Now Lu Yuanxiu was completely bewildered.
Liu Hong directly stuffed the money into his hand. "This is my token of appreciation. Firstly, to thank you, and secondly, I hope you can maintain some distance from Xinlan in the future."
"What?"
Although it was expected, Lu Yuanxiu didn't anticipate Liu Hong being so blunt.
Liu Hong continued, his expression unchanged, "You have a good reputation in the village, and I believe you are a good person. But you were engaged before, and if you get too close, the villagers will gossip, which will be bad for Xinlan's reputation."
He paused and added, "You are a scholar and value your reputation more than us, I presume. So this suggestion is also for your own good."
Hearing this, Lu Yuanxiu inexplicably felt a surge of... anger. He felt extremely displeased, yet the other party was neither humble nor arrogant, and his reasoning was sound, leaving him with nothing to refute.
Coupled with what Tie Dan's mother had said today, Liu Hong's concerns were indeed valid. He could only nod.
"I understand."
"Thank you."
After Lu Yuanxiu left, Wu Guixiang came out from the other room. "Oh my, why did you give him money? It's not like we have money to waste like this."
Liu Hong explained, "Mother, this is just politeness. He saved Xinlan today, and it's proper to repay him."
"Really?" Wu Guixiang was a bit skeptical. She hadn't failed to see how much this scholar used to dislike her daughter; how had he suddenly changed his ways?
"Really." Liu Hong recounted everything Gu Xinlan had said. Wu Guixiang couldn't help but chant a Buddhist phrase; this person was truly strange.
"Mother, Xinlan is staying at Divine Doctor Lin's house tonight. I'll go keep her company. You sleep alone and lock the doors and windows tight, don't let any thieves sneak in."
"Alright, go ahead!"
Seeing her son-in-law so concerned about her daughter, Wu Guixiang was also very happy. She had chosen the right son-in-law.
At night, Rong Zhi tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Although she had spent a lot of effort treating Zhang Yajing during the day, expending some of her internal energy, she had already recuperated in time. Why did she feel even more exhausted lying in bed now? Her whole body felt as if it were filled with lead.
Xia Yunting lay beside her, witnessing all of this.
"Xiao Mo, are you feeling unwell?"
Rong Zhi had no choice but to get up and sit cross-legged, nodding. "I must have overexerted myself during the day and didn't rest well. I'll be fine after some recuperation."
She closed her eyes and began to circulate her internal energy with a calm mind. Xia Yunting, who had intended to ask more, stopped talking when he saw this and simply kept watch by her side, protecting her.
As her internal energy circulated within her body, Rong Zhi seemed to feel a resistance in her dantian, as if it were preventing the circulation of her internal energy. If she forced it forward, her meridians would ache.
Gradually, large beads of sweat appeared on Rong Zhi's forehead. She frowned, took a deep breath, and after adjusting, her internal energy circulated more smoothly. However, she was still unable to break through the barrier in her dantian.
Just as she was preparing to take a risk and force her way through, she suddenly felt a powerful yet gentle internal energy enter her body, beginning to push her. It was like a blocked river suddenly encountering a surge of water, instantly becoming much smoother, and even the obstruction in her dantian showed signs of loosening.
Xia Yunting, while channeling internal energy to Rong Zhi, asked, "Xiao Mo, how are you feeling?"
Rong Zhi nodded, and the sweat on her forehead lessened. Suddenly, her face changed, and she shouted, "Quick, stop!" Xia Yunting quickly withdrew his internal energy, but it was too late. Rong Zhi leaned forward and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Xiao Mo!"
Xia Yunting supported Rong Zhi. "How are you?"
"Much better."
Rong Zhi wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and gave him a smile. "Thank you."
"As long as you're alright," Xia Yunting breathed a sigh of relief. The two lay back down on the bed. Rong Zhi fell into a deep sleep not long after, but Xia Yunting did not. Earlier, when he channeled his internal energy, he had discovered that Rong Zhi's internal energy was already very powerful. Furthermore, it reminded him of the internal energy he had felt when Rong Zhi treated him for the Seven-Day Fiend Poison; it was very familiar.
The next day, as Rong Zhi was about to continue detoxifying Zhang Yajing, she got up early to wash. At this time, Liu Hong and Gu Xinlan had also woken up. Gu Xinlan was busy in the kitchen.
Having lived at Rong Zhi's house before, she was adept at cooking and soon prepared a table full of fragrant breakfast.
Just as she was about to call Rong Zhi and Xia Yunting for breakfast, a young stranger suddenly ran in from outside and asked, looking inside, "Where is Liu the hunter?"
Liu Hong came out from the kitchen. "I'm here. What's wrong?"
"Hurry home! Your mother was hit on the head last night!"