Chapter 240 - 239: Belittlement (30+ Monthly Votes)
Zhen Wenqian did not sleep well.
In his dream, he saw Du Yunluo standing gracefully under the veranda, her every expression captivating. She was gently speaking to the maid beside her, and both in appearance and temperament, she had transformed completely from the little glutinous rice dumpling of her childhood.
He hurried forward, calling her "cousin," but Du Yunluo was cold and distant towards him, and even the maid watched him warily, not allowing him to come close.
Then, he saw Du Yunluo smile.
Her almond-shaped eyes arched, sparkling like a mesmerizing lake or a clear gem.
Such a smile filled Zhen Wenqian with excitement, and he reached out for her, only to realize that her smile was not for him.
He followed her gaze and saw the figure of Mu Lianxiao...
Zhen Wenqian woke with a start, sitting up and gasping for breath.
In the moonless, starless night, it was pitch dark all around. In the distance, he heard the sound of the watchman; it was the third watch of the night.
He lay back down dejectedly; this dream was utterly vexing!
In the past, Zhen Wenting had said he disliked Du Yunluo’s temperament, saying she had grown as beautiful as a fairy who held an imperial decree to enter the Marquis Mansion. That had made him restless then, but it was different now.
Today, he had met the Princely Heir of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.
Mu Lianxiao appeared at the door of Imperial Doctor Xing’s house, surprising everyone.
Zhen Wenqian secretly observed him and also noticed his interactions with Du Yunluo, seeing Mu Lianxiao comfort her and Du Yunluo smiling at him.
Even through the veil, he could see that radiant smile.
Just like the smile in his dream.
No need for Zhen Wenqian to feel ashamed; everyone could see that Mu Lianxiao was more outstanding than he was.
Even Old Mrs. Hou, who had been somewhat concerned before, showed visible satisfaction and joy upon seeing Mu Lianxiao. His father was no different; after Mu Lianxiao brought Imperial Doctor Xing back, Zhen Zishan thought the man was excellent in every way.
Zhen Wenqian heard from Zhen Wenyuan that even the second branch of the family liked this future son-in-law very much, believing Yunluo had found herself a good husband and a good family to marry into.
Even the household servants were talking about this heir with remarkable origins yet lacking any arrogance.
These words in Zhen Wenqian’s ears made him feel particularly awkward. When others praised Mu Lianxiao, it felt like they were belittling him; he was not a good husband, and the Zhen family was not a good family to marry into.
Zhen Wenqian felt it hard to breathe, grateful that Zhen Wenting had not seen Mu Lianxiao today; otherwise, who knows what she would have said about him...
He recalled last year’s events.
How could he, because of a few words from Zhen Wenting and some drinks, have done such a thing?
With such a stain on his record, he couldn’t hold his head high. No matter how Du Yunluo’s future might turn out, and no matter what became of him, Zhen Wenqian, this stain would always follow him, weighing on his back.
This feeling was truly awful.
In the front courtyard, Imperial Doctor Xing laboriously turned his wheelchair into the yard.
From the veranda, a man walked out slowly and greeted him; it was Yun Qi.
Imperial Doctor Xing said, "You are punctual."
Yun Qi smiled, "With the time set by you, old sir, how dare I delay."
Imperial Doctor Xing snorted, "I know your master, the heir, means well, but at my age, I’m content with the way things are. I see that the Zhen family is an honest one. If I cure their Old Master, they will not mistreat me or Ning."
"I called you here to ask your master for help. I’ve saved my whole life’s silver, and I don’t want it to fall into the hands of that wicked woman. I’ll tell you the place to retrieve it."
Yun Qi naturally agreed and then asked, "What about your leg..."
"Completely crippled, no need to bother anymore," Imperial Doctor Xing said with a bitter smile, "A pair of legs and a life; I lost the sesame but kept the watermelon."
Yun Qi inquired about Imperial Doctor Xing’s experiences, expecting him not to talk, but unexpectedly, he did.
Imperial Doctor Xing’s son had passed away two years ago, and Ning’s mother hadn’t mentioned remarrying, which satisfied Imperial Doctor Xing.
But gradually, he sensed something wasn’t right.
His daughter-in-law had been having an affair.
Half a month ago, Imperial Doctor Xing caught them in the act; the adulterer fled, and Imperial Doctor Xing broke his leg while chasing him.
Had he been able to recuperate properly, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but once the daughter-in-law’s misdeeds were exposed, she decided to leave nothing to chance, locking Imperial Doctor Xing in a rundown house, giving him just enough food while prying for the hidden silver’s whereabouts.
Imperial Doctor Xing knew she wouldn’t abandon Ning. She planned to remarry and take Ning along, needing to gather as much silver as possible to prevent Ning from suffering in the future.
Imperial Doctor Xing didn’t speak, and the daughter-in-law turned the house upside down yet couldn’t find anything, still forcing Ning to serve the old man, which nearly drove her insane with rage.
And Imperial Doctor Xing, after being injured, endured such hardship; his body didn’t completely give out because he managed to fool Ning into sneaking him some extra food.
He initially thought it was day by day survival until unexpectedly, a turn of fortune came, and he found himself out of danger.
"With such deplorable conduct, I will not let her raise Ning," Imperial Doctor Xing said angrily. The affair could have been excused as a momentary lapse, but attempting to kill him showed a thoroughly black heart.
Yun Qi listened and thought to himself, no wonder the woman had been stunned at the mere suggestion of reporting her to the government office; adultery alone was enough to sentence her.
"Rest assured, as long as the silver is still there, I will retrieve every coin of it for you," Yun Qi said.
Imperial Doctor Xing murmured his thanks.
Yun Qi returned to the inn to inform Mu Lianxiao, and as dawn broke, he rode to the village beneath Qinglian Temple.
Imperial Doctor Xing and Ning were taken away by a group of well-dressed people, seen by everyone in the village. The sight of Imperial Doctor Xing’s condition shocked them. The villagers pieced together most of the story from their discussions.
Ning’s mother could only hide at home, sneaking away with a bundle come nightfall.
She knew in her heart that neither Ning nor the silver would be hers. She would rather leave early than be drowned under a tide of village gossip.
Yun Qi arrived at the empty courtyard, found a small pouch as instructed by Imperial Doctor Xing, and upon opening, found a stack of silver notes. He quickly secured them and returned to Tong City.
The gatekeepers of the Zhen Mansion recognized Yun Qi, knowing he sought Imperial Doctor Xing, so they let him in.
Receiving the silver, Imperial Doctor Xing was extremely excited, keeping it close and saying, "I’ve saved this all my life."
Yun Qi smiled, "Aren’t you going to count it?"
"Count what?" Imperial Doctor Xing snorted, "Could a servant by the Princely Heir’s side crave my silver?"
Yun Qi chuckled heartily.
Imperial Doctor Xing said, "Tell your master, I’ve already given Old Master Zhen one acupuncture session today. As I expected, he should be able to speak within at most half a month."
Yun Qi was overjoyed, bowing repeatedly, "You truly are Hua Tuo reborn, with this, Miss Du can be at ease, and so can our master."