Chapter 194: A Chance Encounter
It was Zhou Yanchao’s son, Zhou Cheng’an. He was around Xiao Fenghao’s age and radiated pure rebelliousness just like him.
Zhou Defeng was stunned before he got angry. "Nonsense, who teaches you to be so rude in front of your relatives?!"
However, Zhou Cheng’an held his stance. "Grandfather, I am calling a physician. A real one! I don’t want a quack to take care of my father!"
With that, he turned around and went to run toward the door quickly as though he was afraid his grandfather would catch him first.
Zhou Defeng was truly enraged. "Come back here you insolent brat!"
He chased after Zhou Cheng’an, but with his old bones, he couldn’t catch up with him at all.
Sighing, he turned to Zhou Wenzhi and others to apologize. "Wenzhi, I am sorry, he is really such a lawless child."
Zhou Wenzhi shook his head. "It’s fine. Jing’er is still young, after all. If there’s another physician, they might be able to work together to heal Yanchao better."
After that, Zhou Defeng turned to the men who had helped to deliver his son home. "Thank you for your help... what happened to my son?"
They glanced at each other.
One of them opened their mouths. "It’s like this, after Brother Cheng’an finished delivering the flowers to the market, he was suddenly ambushed on his way home."
Zhou Defeng frowned. "Who ambushed him?"
They glanced at each other. "Based on the people we see, they are the guards from some noble families."
He was shocked when he heard that. After they were reduced to commoners, they always tread their lives carefully around the Capital, even moving to the outskirts where there were less nobles there.
They had been doing well for years without problem. Even some ladies from noble households buy their potted plants. Now, what happened?
"Did my son do something to them?"
The men shook their heads. "We are not that clear about it, Mr. Zhou."
Zhou Defeng quickly thanked them, and they left afterward, refusing to stay for a meal.
At this moment, Zhou Wenzhi and Zhou Anran glanced at each other. They seemed to have figured out where the problem lay...
The nobles these men speak about must be related to Lan Yushen, that arrogant young man. Realizing that it was because of them, they felt incredibly guilty.
Zhou Yanchao’s head had a slight injury, and also some bruises on his skin.
When Xiao Jingran came out, he told Zhou Defeng and Zhou Yanchao’s wife about his condition before telling Xiao Fenghao to pick up some medicine from their carriage.
"I will grind the medicine for Uncle. May I use the kitchen, Auntie?" Xiao Jingran asked after Xiao Fenghao returned with his medicine box.
Lin Xiulan nodded. "Of course, of course, I will show you."
Her father-in-law sometimes told them about their relatives in Qingshan County. In the latest letter, Zhou Wenzhi had told them his eldest grandson was studying under a physician.
Originally, they didn’t hold much hope, because Xiao Jingran obviously appeared so young, and it didn’t seem that too much time had passed since he started learning.
However, they couldn’t refuse so blatantly like Zhou Cheng’an did.
Zhou Anran followed them. "I will help with the medicine."
Just as people were still worrying about Zhou Yanchao and waiting for Xiao Jingran to finish concocting his medicine, they heard a few footsteps approaching.
Zhou Cheng’an had returned with a smug look on his face, and he was leading an old physician behind him.
Zhou Wenzhi was surprised when he saw who it was. "Physician Bai?"
"Wenzhi?" Physician Bai was startled and then let out a chuckle. "It must have been fate. Since you are here, Jing’er is also here, right?"
Everyone was dumbfounded at the scene, especially Zhou Cheng’an who could feel his face burn.
He was extremely embarrassed. After all, he had previously called Xiao Jingran a quack before...
"I was about to search for you. It saves me a lot of time now," Physician Bai said.
It also didn’t take long for Xiao Jingran to emerge from the kitchen. In order to make his Zhou Yanchao’s recovery faster, Zhou Anran also added the spring water to the medicine.
He was quite surprised when he saw Physician Bai there chatting with Zhou Wenzhi and Zhou Defeng.
"Master," he greeted.
Physician Bai stroked his beard and smiled, looking satisfied. "You have prepared the medicine? Good, good, give it to the patient."
Xiao Jingran nodded, and he went to Zhou Yanchao’s room, accompanied by his uncle’s wife and also Zhou Cheng’an, who looked like he was still in doubt.
Zhou Cheng’an stared at Xiao Jingran like a hawk, watching as the latter poured the medicine down Zhou Yanchao’s throat.
Although it was impossible for Zhou Yanchao to heal instantly, he could see that his father’s complexion improved considerably, no longer as pale as before.
His expression became awkward, but luckily, Xiao Jingran didn’t pay any attention to him. The latter was eager to go back to his Master and discuss the possibility of asking for Mo Chen’s help.
It had been a while since Mo Chen met Xiao Qingya. He didn’t believe that he wouldn’t want to meet their lovable youngest sibling who was also his own disciple.
"Where did you meet this Physician Bai?" Lin Xiulan asked her son.
Zhou Cheng’an scratched the back of his head. "That famous clinic... I just wanted to try and didn’t expect that their main physician was there."
Upon thinking about it again, they were about to send a normal physician but that old man suddenly became interested when he heard his surname.
Lin Xiulan warned her son. "Don’t be rude to them again. They are your relatives."
He wilted. "I know, Mother."
In the other room, Xiao Jingran brought up the matter to Physician Bai directly. Zhou Defeng happened to walk into the room and heard the discussion.
He was shocked when he heard that. "One of your granddaughters got kidnapped, Wenzhi?"
Zhou Wenzhi nodded, admitting it.
"How did it happen?" Zhou Defeng was concerned, so Zhou Wenzhi told what had happened to him.
After listening to Zhou Wenzhi’s words, Zhou Defeng was also worried.
"So, you went to the Capital to find this granddaughter?" He asked rhetorically. "I know some people who often bought my potted plants. I can ask them."
Zhou Wenzhi thanked him profusely, and then the topic shifted to Mo Chen again. Physician Bai shook his head. "Mo Chen isn’t in the Capital at the moment. I will send a letter to him. He would like it to hear that his disciple has gone to the capital."
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuxi had led Xiao Qingya to see the potted plants. They didn’t want to have too many people at once in one room.
Xiao Qingya saw some rare orchids and secretly let Xiao Xue put some fertilizers in there. Her family members would certainly feel guilty about Zhou Yanchao getting injured, so she wanted to make it up in another way.
Ever since the family entered the Capital, she also had told the Ling siblings to search for the clues to find her second sister.
[System, the people kidnapped... what will happen to them?] She wondered.
The System took a while to reply.
[Little Ya, some people will pay to buy these people... as slaves.]
She pursed her lips, clearly unhappy with the answer. If her second sister will be sold as a slave... It means that she will suffer a lot.
[However, that’s also a good clue.]
Xiao Qingya perked up, so was her brother and sister. Xiao Fenghao was also around.
[What clue?] She asked urgently.
The System guided her way of thinking. [Little Ya, think about it. If your second sister is sold to a noble household...]
She thought about it and finally an idea popped up in her mind.
[It means that our scope of searching has become considerably more narrow. We just need to look at the noble households.] She concluded.
For the next few days, Zhou Yanchao’s condition improved. His wounds already started to scab over that Physician Bai was also surprised.
Next week, he should be able to do activities like usual.
The Zhou family’s house also received a few guests that day. Xiao Yuanwei’s people finally arrived. After they asked some details from Zhou Anran and Zhou Wenzhi, they left to do the task of investigation.
Xiao Qingya also had a plan to go around the Capital so that they could ask for more ghosts about Xiao Yuyan.
Currently, she was sitting on Xiao Jingran’s shoulder, communicating with the ghost as they visited the night market.
[Excuse me, Auntie Ghost, Uncle Ghost...]
Xiao Jingran was also listening. Unfortunately, he didn’t have telephatic ability like Xiao Qingya, so he couldn’t communicate openly with the ghosts.
Or else, people would think that he was crazy.
Just as she was about to ask another question, suddenly something was thrown her way.
Some melon seeds.
They instantly found the culprit.