Chapter 21 Chapter 21 [VIP]

Chapter 21

Wang Zhao personally went on board to search. As the fisherman of the Qian family said, the Qian family's boat was just an ordinary fishing boat. No trace of gunpowder or weapons could be found, and Qi Niangzi was not seen either.

Instead, they found a warehouse full of fish, shrimp and seafood.

So, ten of the Cui family's cargo ships were bombed last night, and the Qian family was busy fishing?

Seeing Wang Zhao's look of disbelief, Ah Zhu shyly shook her head. "This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. I'd rather seize it than not. After this trip, I have to get out. It would be a shame to let it rot in the sea..."

In the eyes of merchants, everything is money.

Wang Zhao didn't listen to him and returned to the official ship to meet Song Yunzhi. "Your Highness, I've looked everywhere. No one's on board. It doesn't look like they're hiding. There's no trace of gunpowder on board, but it's filled with seafood."

Seafood?

Even if there was gunpowder, it could not be smelled at this time, as it was completely covered by the fishy smell on the boat.

Song Yunzhi looked at the sea. Everything was wiped out in one night and there was no trace of anything. He would never believe that the eldest son of the Cui family would commit suicide for love.

But why were all ten of the Cui family's cargo ships suddenly blown up, and Master Cui himself was left with nothing left?

Song Yunzhi remembered the copper coin flare that streaked across the night sky.

A bright and cunning smile flashed through his mind. His eyes narrowed and he said, "Return immediately!"

She returned to the city early.

——

When the Cui family's cargo ship caught fire, Qian Tong took the eldest lady's body and boarded a prepared small boat.

After sailing on the dark sea all night, we arrived at Qian's house in the early morning.

The messenger boy rode his horse at full speed to deliver the bad news back to the Qian family. As soon as the carriage arrived at the Qian family's door, everyone was waiting in the alley.

Thick clouds and fog followed the family all the way, pressing down heavily on the Qian family's house. Qian Tong got out of the car first, his face pale, and his light pink dress stained with blood.

Although she had heard the bad news earlier, the Second Lady still held onto hope and asked her in a trembling voice, "Tongjie'er, your elder sister is okay, right..."

Qian Tong lowered his eyes, not daring to look at her face, and moved aside to make room.

Guard A Yin lifted the curtain.

The cloak Qian Tong had worn before setting off was now covering the eldest lady's face. The hand that was exposed on one side was already turning purple. The blood in the second lady's body was rapidly draining away. She collapsed to the ground and cried out in pain: "Ling girl."

Everyone rushed to help.

The head of the family quickly asked someone to find a stretcher. The lady had happily left the Qian family's gate in her wedding dress, but five years later, what was carried back was a corpse.

Qian Tong followed him to the courtyard of the Second Master and Second Madam.

She stopped outside the door and didn't go in. She knelt upright on the corridor, listening to the mournful cries from inside the house. "Ling girl, you are so heartbroken, you are so confused..."

"Mother told you to come home early, why can't you let it go? How can I live..."

Mrs. Qian was busy trying to comfort her: "My dear wife, please accept my condolences. Don't let anything hurt you."

"I am an old man, so if I die, I will die. Without Ling girl, what is the point of living..."

"You can't say that. We have a big family to support. Ming Jie'er just got married and will have to rely on you for the rest of her life..."

The Second Madam cried until her voice was hoarse. "If I hadn't cared about Sister Ming, I would have hit my head and died."

"Yes, Sister Ming should be back soon. Seeing Sister like this, I don't know how heartbroken she must be. She needs to be buried in peace. My wife and my second brother need to cheer up and send Sister Ling on her final journey..."

When Fu Yin rushed over, she saw Qian Tong kneeling alone in the corridor.

The water stains on her dress had not yet dried, and there were a few streaks of brown blood on the sides of her face.

Fu Yin's heart ached, knowing that this trip had cost her wife half her life. She hated herself for not staying with her. She walked over and knelt behind her, advising her, "Madam, please get up. It's not your fault. You've been tired all night. Let's go back and change clothes first."

Qian Tong didn't move or answer.

After kneeling for half an incense stick, Nanny Xing, who was serving the old lady, came and said, "The old lady, please send Miss Qi over."

Qian Tong nodded and stood up.

What good could come of the old lady summoning her at this time? Fu Yin followed Nanny Xing and pleaded, "Nanny, please persuade the old lady. The lady has done her best. It was I who went too late and failed to bring the eldest lady back. The lady is not at fault. She was tired all night and hasn't rested yet..."

"Fu Yin." Qian Tong interrupted her and handed her a divorce agreement that she had found on the eldest lady. "Go find Mr. Cui and place your handprints on it. Even if you die, you can no longer be a member of his family."

"My wife..."

Qian Tong: "Go quickly."

——

Jingyuexuan.

The old lady had been kneeling in front of the Buddha, chanting scriptures, and had been waiting for a while.

He did not get up, and waited for Nanny Xing to lead someone in before opening his eyes and asking the maid to hand Qian Tong a cushion.

Qian Tong took off his shoes, knelt behind her, took the scripture handed to him by the maid, and began to recite it silently.

She was restless.

The old lady did not force her, and asked slowly: "Money can support you, power can protect you, today I ask you, is..."

Coins and coppers droop their eyes,

"If your uncle's yard hadn't been cleaned by someone, the weeds would have been as tall as a man." The old lady made a move to stand up, and Nanny Xing hurried forward to support her. "A family's continued prosperity is not based on immediate wealth or temporary power, but on the wealth of every member of the family."

Qian Tong didn't say anything.

The old lady stood up straight and looked at the girl kneeling in front of the Buddha. Her expression gradually grew colder and colder as she asked, "As the head of the family, have you protected the people in this family?"

Qian Tong leaned forward and kowtowed, saying, "My granddaughter is ashamed."

"I warned you at the beginning that your eldest sister was in the main branch of the Cui family, so I left them a chance to survive." The old lady twirled the Buddhist beads in her hand. "But you were so eager to wipe out the Cui family, thinking you had won?" Her voice suddenly sharpened. "Arrogant!"

Qian Tong's forehead touched the ground without moving.

"Go and accept the punishment yourself." The old lady didn't look at her again and turned into the inner room.

After the old lady left, Nanny Xing stepped forward and called softly, "Seventh Lady..."

The real head of the Qian family has never been the Second Master, but the Seventh Lady who is only nineteen years old.

But she was only nineteen years old, as young as a flower. While other young ladies were busy pursuing their beauty and choosing their ideal husbands, she had to shoulder the responsibility of the entire Qian family. Sometimes even she, who had lived most of her life without children and had a cold heart, couldn't help but feel distressed. She said something to explain for her: "The old lady did this out of her good intentions for the Seventh Lady. The guilt in your heart must be vented somewhere."

Qian Tong nodded and smiled, "I know, it's okay, Ma'am, go ahead and hit me."

——

In the afternoon, Qian Tong came out of the old lady's yard. It was raining outside. She borrowed an umbrella from Nanny Xing and went out through the back door as usual.

The rain is not heavy, but it can still soak your clothes.

There were not many people on the road, so she walked along the familiar road.

She hadn't eaten for half a day and was a little hungry, so she went to a steamed bun shop on the street and bought two meat-filled buns. She didn't go in to find a seat, but just held them in her hand and ate them while walking. Someone didn't know who had eyes, but the umbrella blew over and a lot of rain fell on the buns in her hand.

Qian Tong: ...

He's finished.

She turned around and was about to curse when she saw a familiar figure. She was stunned for a moment and called out, "Yun Zhen?"

The short-sighted young man paused in his hurried steps, turned around and looked at her, with a look of surprise on his face.

She came back as expected.

Afraid that she would suspect his whereabouts first, he walked alone with an umbrella after getting off the official ship. Fortunately, it was raining in the city, which could cover up the damp smell of the sea on his body.

I didn't expect to meet her halfway.

Where is she going and what shameful things is she going to do?

She had known for a long time that the Cui family's ten cargo ships were smuggling tea. From her point of view, she should have seized the evidence of the Cui family's smuggling and used it as a threat to take possession of the goods. However, she blew them all up last night, leaving no evidence at all.

What exactly is her purpose?

"Why are you here?" Qian Tong thought he was seeing things, and with a familiar hint of playfulness in the corners of his eyes, he asked him, "What have you been doing these past two days while I've been away? Shopping?"

Song Yunzhi didn't answer. After she approached him, he asked, "What about you? Where have you been?"

He could easily ask Wang Zhao to take her back and interrogate her about where she was and what she did last night, but he also knew that with her cunningness, she would have countless evidence to exonerate herself.

Wang Zhao could not get anything out of the interrogation.

Now, he borrowed the identity of the seventh uncle of the Qian family to ask tentatively, wanting to see how she would lie, but she did not answer and asked him softly: "Care about me?"

During the two days she was not at Qian's house, Song Yunzhi was also not there. For him, worrying about her coming out to look for her was the only excuse he could use to fool her. He avoided her eyes and replied, "Yeah."

Qian Tong didn't pay attention to his evasive gaze, and also forgot that the man in front of her was controlled by her using a poisonous insect and would never be sincere to her.

She believed everything he said and explained to him in a low voice: "The Qian family has a big business, and I will go out more and more often in the future. But next time I will leave a letter so that you don't worry."

Song Yunzhi's gaze happened to fall on her feet, and his eyes froze.

"Come on, I'll treat you to tea."

She turned around and the umbrella leaned forward. The moment Song Yunzhi looked up, he saw her back and finally understood why there was something strange in the rain.

From her shoulders down, her entire back was blood red. The blood soaked her dress and dripped into the rain on the ground. The rain changed color only where she walked.

Song Yunzhi was stunned and stopped where he was. "You..."

"Bang!" The person in front of me fell to the ground without any warning, along with the umbrella in his hand, as if his energy had been exhausted and he was at the end of his strength. After falling down, there was no movement at all.

Song Yunzhi finally reacted, dropped his umbrella and went forward to help the man, "Qian Tong!"

Without an umbrella to shelter her, the rain poured all over her back, and blood rushed out, staining his body and hands. He picked up the umbrella to protect her and used his other hand to support her. He still couldn't understand why she was injured. Who would have the ability to harm such a treacherous person?

Noticing that she was alone today, where was her powerful maid?

The wounds on her back were probably whip wounds. Song Yunzhi didn't dare to touch them. He grabbed her arm and dragged her onto his back. He held an umbrella in one hand and supported her with the other hand as they walked towards the clinic.

In fact, he had no reason to save her, but it was a perfect opportunity.

Kill her to prevent future troubles.

He thought that if it were her, she would definitely not be soft-hearted, but he was the Prince of Song, and a gentleman would never take advantage of others in distress. Besides, there were still many things that had not been resolved.

The poison in his body has not been cured, and there has been no progress in the Cui family's smuggling case.

She can't die yet.

He walked quickly in the rain with the person on his back, and had to protect the umbrella in his hand to prevent her from getting wet. He had no energy to pay attention to his feet. His boots waded through the water, splashing water that wet the hem of his robe. In the end, he was covered in dirt, just like her.

"Don't go home." The person on his back woke up at some point and said weakly to him, "Let's go to Haitanglou...the teahouse where we first met."

If her injuries were not treated in time, she would die. Song Yunzhi asked, "Why not a clinic?"

"You don't understand."

He didn't understand and turned around to wait for her next words.

The person on his back said, "There's medicine there."

After hearing her words, Song Yunzhi hurried to the Begonia Teahouse.

Perhaps because of the rain, the teahouse was closed and the door was tightly shut. Song Yunzhi knocked twice, but no one showed up. He raised his foot and gave it a fierce kick. Just as he stepped over the threshold, a middle-aged man dressed like a shopkeeper emerged. He was about to yell at him, but when he noticed the person on his back, he froze and said in shock, "Seventh Lady, what's going on?"

Having been there once, Song Yunzhi was familiar with the place and carried the person to the nearest private room.

Her injury was on her back, so she couldn't lie down. Song Yunzhi put her on a chair, helped her sit up, and asked the shopkeeper behind him, "Bring the medicine over and find someone to take a look at her."

The shopkeeper was stunned and said hurriedly: "No, there is no medicine. This is a teahouse, where did the doctor come from? Why would Miss Qi come here if she is injured? Uncle, please send her to the clinic quickly..."

Song Yunzhi stared at the girl in front of her.

The girl lying in his arms, her face flushed, paused blankly, and said apologetically: "Oh, I forgot, it seems that there is no medicine."

Song Yunzhi took a deep breath and said coldly: "You said it yourself."

The girl didn't argue, just stared at him blankly.

Song Yunzhi noticed the redness on her face and reached out to touch her forehead, but she leaned over and pressed her head into his palm. He subconsciously tried to push it away, but her forehead was incredibly hot.

He couldn't make sense when trying to reason with a person who had a fever.

Song Yunzhi gritted his teeth, lifted the man onto his back again, and walked out of the teahouse.

The teahouse owner walked in front and led the way. They found a clinic. It was raining and there were not many patients. As soon as the owner entered, he waved to the doctor and said, "Hurry up and check on Miss Qi..."

The doctor was stunned. "It's been so many years, why is it..."

The shopkeeper said nothing more, and instructed, "She's seriously injured, be quick." He turned around and called Song Yunzhi, "Sir, quickly carry Miss Qi inside."

Song Yunzhi carried the person into the inner room and placed her on the bed. He was just thinking about how to arrange her when the doctor's voice came from outside through a curtain, "Seventh Uncle, cut open the clothes for Seventh Lady to expose the wound on her back, and then I will come in."

Song Yunzhi was stunned and looked at the girl.

She fainted again.

It's impossible for him to cut open a girl's clothes.

"It's raining today, and the female doctor in the clinic has gone home to nurse her child. Don't dawdle, son-in-law, and move quickly. Seventh Lady's wound got wet in the rain. If it gets infected, not only me, but even a god can't save her."

Before Song Yunzhi could evacuate, the doctor's words outside blocked his retreat.

The clinic is full of men.

Only his seventh uncle can do this.

He had carried the person all the way here with the intention of saving her. He couldn't bear to see her die. He had bandaged wounds during the march. Human life was at stake, regardless of gender. He closed his eyes, passed his arm through her chest, and tried his best to ignore the soft touch pressing on his arm. He turned the person over, made sure she was lying on the bed, and then opened his eyes.

The clothes behind her were soaked with blood, and the original color could no longer be seen.

The scissors were in the bamboo basket beside the bed.

Song Yunzhi took it and slowly cut the fabric...

——

Half a cup of tea later, Song Yunzhi came out, brushed aside the curtain, and said to the doctor outside, "It's done."

The doctor went in, but Song Yunzhi did not go in again and stood outside waiting.

The shopkeeper was also waiting outside. He had just delivered a letter to the Qian family and was pacing anxiously, waiting for someone to arrive. He was swaying back and forth until his eyes were dazzled. Suddenly, he heard a voice say, "Who hit you?"

The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then finally stopped and hurriedly advised, "Seventh Uncle, this vengeance cannot be avenged."

Song Yunzhi thought he was overthinking it, he was just asking out of curiosity.

"This is family law." There was no one else in the room, and since they were all family, there was no need for the boss to hide it. He whispered to him, "I've been punished many times since I was a child. I'm afraid this time I've done something serious..."

The news of the eldest lady's death had not yet been reported back, and the shopkeeper was not aware of it.

Song Yunzhi's eyes moved slightly.

Thinking of the faint old scars he had seen under the blood and flesh just now, he understood where they came from.

Isn't she very capable? She can't escape the family rules.

Half an hour later, Fu Yin rushed into the clinic in mourning clothes, and everyone knew that the eldest lady of the Qian family was gone.

It was exactly the same story that Qian's servant Azhu told Wang Zhao on the official ship. The eldest lady was forcibly taken away by Master Cui. She would rather die than surrender and committed suicide by taking poison. Master Cui was heartbroken and sacrificed the entire Cui family for her on the sea.

"That Cui guy is such a piece of shit, even after he's dead he still comes to cause trouble..."

Song Yunzhi only believed half of it. The eldest lady of the Qian family was really dead, but whether the eldest son Cui committed suicide for love remained to be investigated.

Was she beaten because of the death of the eldest lady?

Song Yunzhi was certain that she was on that ship last night. No one in the Cui family was left alive, and the dead could not speak. It was all fabricated by her Qian family.

The rain outside was pouring down, and a misty fog filled the air. The weather was terrible. The doctor came out and said, "I've already applied medicine. It's best not to move. Stay here for the night and come back after tonight..."

Fu Yin nodded, "Okay, thank you for troubling me, doctor. How is my wife?"

"I'll get the medicine, and you boil it."

The Qian family still had a funeral to attend, and the only person who came was Fu Yin. If she stayed by the bed, someone would need to boil the medicine. She knew very well how he became the seventh uncle.

She couldn't give him the medicine, fearing that he would return the favor and secretly poison him.

The shopkeeper was too hasty in his work and she was worried about him.

"Seventh uncle, please go in and look after the lady. I'll go and boil some medicine." This is a clinic, so he probably wouldn't dare to do anything to the lady openly.

As long as he is the seventh uncle, Song Yunzhi will never be able to refuse.

He was the one who cut all the clothes. When he went in to check on the person, there was nothing to avoid. The person on the bed was still asleep, lying on the cotton pillow with his side face, and the color of his face was even redder than before.

Especially the lips, which are as red as cinnabar.

Obviously having a fever.

Song Yunzhi looked at her wound. A thin layer of white gauze covered her entire back, but the whip marks underneath were clearly visible. They had been cleaned by the doctor and applied with an ointment that looked like a wound medicine.

The person who beat her showed no mercy and seemed to have forgotten that she was a girl.

If her younger sister had such an injury, she would have screamed to the sky, but she was still able to walk on the street as if nothing had happened.

So cruel.

Be cruel to others and be cruel to yourself.

Fu Yin quickly boiled the medicine and came in with the medicine bowl. Because the patient was in a semi-comatose state, the two of them worked together to help her up, one holding up her head while the other fed her the medicine.

The sleeping girl had a strong desire to survive. When the medicine was brought to her mouth, she swallowed it in big gulps without much effort.

——

The shopkeeper didn't go home tonight, but stayed outside. He had to talk about something during the long night. Seeing Fu Yin go to boil the medicine, he talked to Song Yunzhi inside about the death of the eldest lady. "Seventh uncle came late, and he didn't know about the marriage that year. The two families hadn't married for many years. It was the only one in the past twenty years. It caused a sensation in the whole of Yangzhou and attracted many people's envy. But in the end, it still couldn't escape the evil curse..."

The two rooms were separated by a curtain.

The girl on the couch was still asleep. Song Yunzhi asked in confusion, "What evil curse?"

The shopkeeper said, "If the people of the four families intermarry, there will be no good ending."

Before Song Yunzhi came, although he had investigated the relationship between the four major families, he did not know the secrets behind it. He asked, "Except for the Qian and Cui families, the other four families have never had any intermarriage?"

The shopkeeper sighed, "The so-called curse is nothing but a rumor fabricated by outsiders. The four merchants intermarry for profit, but profit can change at any time. When it comes to the future of a family, what can a marriage really change? After a few unhappy marriages, rumors of a curse gradually spread."

"Looking at the fate of the eldest lady now, it's not an exaggeration to say it was a curse. I am extremely grateful that Qi Niang..."

"Cough!" A cough suddenly sounded, the intention to interrupt was obvious. Fu Yin came in with a bowl of medicine, glanced at the shopkeeper who had just shut up, and said with a smile: "If Shopkeeper Qin is sleepy, can you find a room to rest for a while?"

Shopkeeper Qin knew that he had said too much, so he gathered his sleeves together in embarrassment, closed his eyes, and shut his mouth.

——

After drinking the medicine twice, Qian Tong broke out in a sweat in the middle of the night.

After the heat faded, her face turned pale again. The water droplets on her forehead were as bright and translucent as white porcelain stained with morning dew. Song Yunzhi stared at the drop of water that kept sliding down. The moment before it flowed into her eyes, he reached out and wiped it away for her with his fingertips.

Then the second drop.

Song Yunzhi took out the silk handkerchief.

Noticing the blood stains on his body, after wiping the sweat off her, he got up and went outside to get some water, took off his outer cloak, washed it clean, and then put it on the stove to dry.

Fu Yin was still decocting the medicine, and he continued to watch over her, with the cloak in his hand casually draped over the back of the rattan chair.

It's past midnight.

I don't know when I closed my eyes. When I woke up, it was dawn and the light outside the window was crab-shell blue. I was about to see if she was still feverish, but when I turned around, I met a pair of black and bright eyes.

Without making any sound, she looked at him calmly.

Qian Tong had been watching him for quite a while. When he finally opened his eyes, he immediately said, "I'm so hungry."

"I was busy for half the day before yesterday and didn't eat. Yesterday morning I bought two meat-filled steamed buns and was eating them on the road when you bumped into me with your umbrella. The steamed buns got soaked. I haven't eaten for two days. Go buy me two more steamed buns as compensation."

Song Yunzhi looked at her. She had survived last night, but the injury on her back would not heal in a short time. She did not cry out in pain, but only complained of hunger.

She could just ask him to go buy some food; there was no need to beat around the bush.

Song Yunzhi stood up.

Qian Tong added, "If possible, I'd also like to eat a roast chicken, or roast duck..." She grew hungrier and hungrier as she spoke. She turned her head and swallowed, urging, "I'm starving. Go quickly."

Seeing that she was so hungry, he suddenly felt a little happy. Her face was similar to that of her younger sister at home.

Call when you are hungry.

He opened the curtain and saw the shopkeeper and Fu Yin lying on either side of the table, sleeping soundly. He did not wake them up, but went to the street to buy steamed buns, roast chicken and roast duck for the patient.

It was too early and the pubs and teahouses were not open. I looked around but couldn't find it.

——

After lying down all night, Qian Tong's neck was sore. He dragged the pillow under his chest and used it as a cushion. He tilted his head back and twisted his neck for a while. Fu Yin woke up and hurried to find a doctor to change her medicine.

Qian Tong had received ten lashes before, but he didn't take it seriously.

With her body enduring it, she wanted to finish eating the steamed buns and then go to the clinic, but she didn't expect to meet Song Yunzhi on the way, and she didn't expect to suddenly collapse on the street.

I was careless.

It's also embarrassing.

I wonder if he smiled when he saw her fall.

He would save himself unexpectedly, but on second thought, he had to save her because the antidote to the poison was still with her.

Fu Yin kept crying. When the doctor started to change the dressing, she raised her sleeve to wipe her tears. After the change, she was still crying. Qian Tong teased her, "How much water did you drink? You can't stop crying?"

"I failed to protect my wife..."

Not wanting to see her drop her pearls, Qian Tong said, "I'm hungry. Your son-in-law spent half a day buying this roast chicken. I'm afraid he didn't bring any money. Can you find me something to eat?"

Last night, Fu Yin prepared rice porridge and hurried to serve it to her because she was worried that she would be hungry when she woke up.

After a day of coma, Qian Tong had no idea what was happening outside. While drinking his porridge, he asked Fu Yin, "Do you know who the people from the court are?"

When it came to business, Fu Yin didn't dare to be careless. She held back the tears that were about to fall and replied seriously, "Wang Zhao from the Dali Temple."

"What official?"

Ah Yin said, "The Dali Chancellor."

"He's the only one?" His official position was a bit low, so Qian Tong asked again, "Didn't the big Buddha from the Shen family in the Duke's Mansion come?"

Previously, the wife of the prefect had used the famous young master of the Shen family to come to her Qian family to intimidate Madam Qian. If that person didn't come this time, the prefect would have a hard time explaining himself.

"I went to get the news, and they said it would arrive a few days later."

Fu Yin recounted in detail what had happened during the two days she was away.

Two days ago, when the imperial court troops arrived, the prefect did not see the young master of the Shen family among them. He was more anxious than anyone else, fearing that a sixth-rank official like Wang Zhao could not defeat the Cui family.

As a result, Wang Zhao directly requisitioned the official ship and went out to sea overnight to block the eldest son of the Cui family.

At the Cui family's yard, dozens of cavalrymen surrounded it tightly and raided the Cui family that day. Their decisiveness and harshness exceeded everyone's expectations.

When Qian Tong came back from the deep sea the night before, he saw those official ships. It was clear from the formation that they were planning to capture both the Cui and Qian families in one fell swoop. It was a surprise that a small Dali chancellor had such courage.

She praised: "This Wang Zhao is a great man."

Fu Yin remembered and took out the divorce letter from her bosom. "I went to the prison to look for Madam Cui early yesterday morning, and I got the divorce letter from Madam Cui."

Fu Yin felt sick when she recalled Madam Cui's words. "Now that the eldest lady is dead, she's actually scared. She asked me to plead with you, saying that since the four families were once united, we should leave the Cui family a chance to live... She wants to live, so why not leave a chance for the eldest lady..."

When the eldest lady was mentioned, Qian Tong fell silent.

Fu Yin knew that she was upset, so she stopped talking. After giving her the divorce letter, she stood up and was about to add more porridge for her when someone suddenly came to the door.

She is the maidservant of Madam Qian and the Fourth Madam.

"Seventh Lady, why are people here..."

The second lady's maid was just like her master, with a loud temper. Qian Tong recognized her from her voice. Fu Yin had changed her underwear last night. To prevent the wound from being rubbed, her back was hollowed out. She took a cloak that was lying on a chair and asked Fu Yin to put it on her.

Mrs. Qian's maid, named Dongzhi, saw Qian Tong's haggard face after entering the house and cried out, "God is too blind. Why does he only want to catch our Qian family? Why is Miss Qi sick too..."

The reason why Qian Tong came to the clinic was to avoid these unnecessary troubles.

Dongzhi continued, "The passing of the eldest lady nearly killed the second lady. She's lost all energy. Yesterday, Madam was busy arranging the eldest lady's funeral. This morning, when she was looking for someone, she found out that the lady was in the clinic. She sent a servant to see her and ask if she was feeling better."

Qian Tong was dizzy from her noise, "That's about it."

"You look so pale, how can you say it's almost there?" Dongzhi glanced outside the door, then suddenly leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Mr. Park is here."

She finally said something important.

After saying this, she observed Qian Tong's expression, but after a while she saw no sign of change, so she asked tentatively, "If Miss Qi is not feeling well and cannot meet guests, I will refuse the invitation on your behalf."

"Go back." Qian Tong raised his head, completely extinguishing the little hope in her heart. "You are a guest from afar, so I have to see you."

Dongzhi's face changed, and she stopped pretending, "Madam said that my wife's health is important, so she needs to take good care of herself. It doesn't matter if she doesn't see me, the master will treat her well."

Two years had passed, and the two sides had finally calmed down, but he suddenly came back again, and no one knew why.

——

It was not until dawn that Song Yunzhi returned to the clinic, carrying a roasted chicken and a jar of freshly cooked fish porridge.

He didn't wait for the restaurant to open, but went to a small shop, knocked on the door and called the owner, added an extra tael of silver, and asked the owner to cook an extra pot of fish porridge in addition to the roast chicken.

People who are injured should not eat too much greasy food.

He had nothing to put the porridge in, so he brought the pot down with him and carried it all the way. As soon as he entered the house, he saw the doctor and several medicine boys cleaning the room.

The doctor was stunned when he saw him, and asked in confusion, "Why is Seventh Uncle still here?"

Song Yunzhi didn't know what he meant.

The doctor said, "Seventh Lady has left." There were too many people there, and the doctor was busy packing the medicine, so he didn't notice whether Seventh Lady was there.

"Has she had breakfast?"

The doctor nodded and said, "Yes, I have. Fu Yin made some porridge for me last night."

As soon as the voice fell, the seventh uncle's face changed. He stepped forward and put the things in his hand on the wooden table beside him, and said, "I just bought it. You can use it."

He walked into the house and saw that the rattan chair inside was empty. He turned around and asked the doctor, "Have you seen a green cloak?"

The doctor shook his head and said, "It's most likely that Seventh Lady took her away."

Song Yunzhi said nothing more and turned around and walked out.

The doctor realized that Lady Qi had forgotten her son-in-law.

Song Yunzhi didn't feel angry at all. People like her never lacked food, so it would be better to let others eat it.

All the people from the Cui family who were involved in the smuggling case died at sea and could not be verified, but Qian Tong knew that he had to continue to return to the Qian family and keep an eye on her as the seventh brother-in-law.

Song Yunzhi walked back to the Qian family. Now everyone in the Qian family knew that he was the seventh brother-in-law. There was no need to go through the back door anymore. He could just go in through the front door and everyone would recognize him.

——

When Qian Tong arrived home two quarters of an hour earlier, white lanterns had already been hung in the house. The eldest lady had been brought back to the Qian family and became a member of the Qian family. All the funeral procedures were carried out according to her status as the eldest lady of the Qian family.

The mourning hall was set up in the second master's yard, and not many people came.

Qian Tong didn't know where Mr. Park was at the moment. If he went to the eldest lady's funeral hall, he was afraid that in less than half an hour, the threshold of the Qian family would be trampled down by those small vendors.

Fortunately, Ah Jin ran out excitedly and secretly reported: "Madam, Master Park is here and is in the main house."

Dongzhi was too late to stop him.

Seeing that Qi Niangzi was about to meet the people from the Pu family again, his heart almost jumped out of his chest. Unexpectedly, when they arrived in front of the house, Qian Tong suddenly stopped and stood in the corridor without moving forward.

Intermittent voices could be heard from inside the house, mostly people asking about Mr. Qian's recent situation.

It's neither painful nor itchy, and none of it is useful.

Half an incense stick passed and the people inside could no longer find anything to say. Seeing that no one had come yet, they had no choice but to stand up and say goodbye to the second master.

Mr. Qian sent the person to the door.

"Master Qian, please stay." Young Master Park stepped out and turned back to politely say, "I'll come and bother you again next time."

Turning sideways again, he saw the girl in the corridor.

Mr. Park was stunned.

Then his gaze softened and fell quietly on her. It was sunny after the rain, and the girl was leaning lazily against a vermilion column. Her complexion was not very good, but her eyes were strong and lively. A look of relief gradually appeared on Master Park's face, and he nodded to her with a smile.

Qian Tong nodded in return.

Neither of them spoke, nor did they seem to want to chat and reminisce about the past, as if Mr. Park had come all the way here today just to make sure that she was safe and sound.

Mr. Qian Er didn't expect Qian Tong to be outside. Seeing that the momentum of the two was not right, he quickly interrupted Mr. Park's gaze and led the way to the right, "Mr. Park, please come this way."

When she turned around, she was almost startled, "Aunt, uncle? What happened..."

When Ah Jin said Qi Niangzi was here, Song Yunzhi came over. As expected, she had taken the cloak he had washed last night, and the clothes he was wearing were now bloodstained and wrinkled.

After Mr. Qian Erye said that, everyone turned around and looked at him, including the eldest son of the Park family.

Song Yunzhi didn't know whether he would recognize him, but he had already recognized him, Park Chengyu, the eldest son of the Park family, a famous figure in the world, a genius in medicine, a genius in business, and good at shipping.

Seeing is believing. The eldest son of the Park family is graceful and elegant, and indeed extraordinary.

Song Yunzhi didn't know that he would appear at the Qian family. He was not prepared for the sudden encounter and quickly calmed down. If his identity was exposed on the spot, then the two families of Park, Qian and Cui would be tried together.

After looking at each other for a moment, Mr. Park politely bowed and said, "Park greets the Seventh Uncle."

Song Yunzhi returned the greeting.

Seeing him passing by her, his expression was very calm, even a little indifferent, and she guessed that he didn't recognize her.

Everyone in the yard held their breath and was worried about this scene. Only Qian Tong looked at the disheveled young man not far away with a look of shame in his eyes.

Oops...

She forgot that he had gone to buy breakfast.

So, when the young man looked over, she looked guilty and fell weakly on Fu Yin's shoulder, "I, I feel dizzy..."

Before she could continue her act, he interrupted, "Seventh Lady, there's no need to apologize. The restaurant was closed, and I didn't buy anything."

——

After Song Yunzhi returned to the yard, he didn't see Qian Tong for five consecutive days.

Ajin said she was recovering from her injuries.

It just so happened that he took this opportunity to cooperate with Wang Zhao to start interrogating the Cui family. He did not think it was a coincidence that Mr. Park chose to come back at this time.

Since he has returned to Yangzhou, he doesn't have to make another trip.

The first person to be interrogated was Madam Cui. Ever since she learned of the death of Second Master Cui, she had gone mad. When Wang Zhao placed the pawnshop run by Second Master Cui in front of her and asked her if she knew about it, she just shook her head and muttered, "I want to see the prefect's wife. She promised me..."

When it was the Cui family's head's turn, he also insisted, "Lan Mingquan, you deceived me so badly!"

According to the confession of the Cui family, the reason why the Cui family opened a pawn shop and a black shop to harm the people was because they were instructed by the prefect. They were just a knife in Lan Mingquan's hand to make money.

The head of the Cui family changed his cowardice and said firmly, "We are just merchants, the lowest of the low. For a bite of food, we risk being struck by lightning and going to hell after death. We don't hesitate to commit sins. We deserve death, we accept it. Why are only merchants like us suffering retribution? If it weren't for you officials who threaten us everywhere, constantly demanding our shops, stakes, houses, and fertile land...how could we have been forced to this point? Since the court is investigating, let's start with you, with Lan Mingquan!"

Wang Zhao understood that this was an attempt to divert the conflict to corrupt officials.

The Cui family wanted to drag the prefecture into the water and completely cover up the smuggling.

The key point is that Lan Mingquan is really not clean. After finding Song Yunzhi, Wang Zhao asked: "Prince, what should we do next?"

"Don't worry, just wait."

Wang Zhao didn't understand.

Song Yunzhi said: "Someone will be more anxious than us." The salt permit has not been obtained yet, and someone will come to our door in two days.

Before the next day, Qian Tong came to see him that afternoon.

There was a person leading behind him.

The man's eyes reddened when he saw Song Yunzhi, and he said excitedly: "Song, brother, I thought I would never see you again in this life..."