Chapter 280 Love me, love my dog; who are you anyway?

The love from her own daughter was so heavy that it made Ji Qingwu's breath catch in her throat.

Ji Qingwu cupped the little girl's bottom in his hands, hugged her tightly, and only then did he feel at ease.

Chiu Chiu's little face nestled against her neck.

She asked, "Mother, will we be living here from now on?"

Ji Qingwu sensed her dependence and said to the two maids, "You may leave now."

Then she said softly, "Doesn't Chiu Chiu like it here?"

The little girl looked at the unfamiliar room, and instead of saying she didn't like it, she said, "I miss my grandmother and Granny Li a little. Can they move in with us too?"

Ji Qingwu thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, Mother will take Qiuqiu home to see her maternal grandmother. Qiuqiu can ask them herself then."

The third day after the wedding, which is tomorrow, is the day for the bride to return to her parents' home.

Wei Ting went to the northern border overnight. When Qiao Shi learned of this news, she must have been worried about her situation in the Wei family. If she heard Qiu Qiu's childish words, she might be a little happier.

Chiu Chiu lifted her face from her arms and asked earnestly, "Mother, will Chiu Chiu get married someday?"

Ji Qingwu did not expect Qiuqiu to ask such a question.

Such an innocent and lovely little girl, who knows what she will face when she grows up.

Ji Qingwu replied seriously, "If Qiuqiu wants to get married, she can get married; if she doesn't want to get married, she doesn't have to. There's no need to care what outsiders say."

Chiu Chiu immediately shook her little head like a rattle drum, pouting her little mouth.

"I want to get married!"

Ji Qingwu tapped the little one's nose: "Who do you want to marry?"

Chiu Chiu said proudly, "I'll live in whichever family's big house I like, and if I find a house I like even more, I'll move to another place."

Ji Qingwu chuckled and shook her head, asking, "Does it mean you'll marry into the family whose house is more magnificent?"

Chirping said, "Mother, what I mean is 'love the house and its crows,' which means that if I like his house, I'll even like the crows on his roof."

The girl's logic is backwards: first she likes the house, then she might also like the person.

Ji Qingwu corrected, "When it comes to marriage, what's important isn't the house, but the person you live under the same roof with."

Chirp looked around the room, but there was no one else there.

The little girl asked, "Why isn't the man Mother married yesterday in the house? Did Mother find out she didn't like him after he came in and kick him out?"

Ji Qingwu was stumped by the little girl's question. Her relationship with Wei Ting was different from that of an ordinary couple, and she hesitated about how to answer her.

Suddenly, Chiu Chiu leaned close to her chin, her big, blinking eyes seeming to have discovered something.

"Mother, your room is not good, there are mosquitoes."

Pointing to the red mark on her neck with her little finger: "The mosquito is naughty!"

Previously, both Lanzhi and Xuemei felt guilty and did not dare to look closely at Ji Qingwu's appearance.

Ji Qingwu didn't notice the marks on her ear when she was doing her makeup. She just changed into a high-necked dress, thinking that it would cover up the hickeys on her chest and neck.

Chiu Chiu shook her little head from side to side, then looked at her chapped lips.

"Mother, were your lips bitten too?"

Ji Qingwu was thin-skinned, and the thought of what happened last night made her feel guilty, and her face burned.

She turned her face away and called out to the outside, "Is breakfast not ready yet?"

Xuemei came in from outside, looking hesitant to speak. Ji Qingwu asked, "What happened?"

Xuemei said, "There is no separate small kitchen in the general's courtyard. Breakfast has already been served to the old lady."

If Ji Qingwu had not had any dealings with Madam Wei, as a new bride, she might have tried to gain a good reputation among her elders on her first day.

But now, Ji Qingwu has no good impression in the eyes of the Wei family, and she doesn't need to make herself unhappy for a meal.

Especially now that Qiuqiu is by my side, I can't let the little girl suffer.

"Chirp chirp, Mommy will take you out to eat and drink delicious food."

The second day after the wedding.

Ji Qingwu then led the little girl to raid the entire morning market street in Lin'an. After eating until their bellies were round, the two of them went to the clinic.

Before even reaching the entrance of the clinic, from a distance, one could see a large crowd surrounding the entrance.

As Ji Qingwu approached, he could clearly hear the sounds of arguing.

At the very front was a well-dressed middle-aged man, clearly from a wealthy family, accompanied by many servants.

The man shouted, "This clinic is a terrible place! My wife got some medicine here to prevent miscarriage, but after taking it for only a few days..."

"Last night, the lady complained of abdominal pain and started bleeding in the middle of the night. I have come here to seek justice for the lady and the child who did not have the chance to come into this world!"

The middle-aged man was named Song Wei, and he was also an official in the imperial court.

The onlookers began to point and whisper, empathizing with Song Wei's words.

Manager Mi remained relatively calm: "Please provide concrete evidence, instead of just relying on words to claim it's the clinic's problem."

You want evidence? Fine!

Song Wei raised his hand, and a thin old man with a goatee stepped forward beside him.

“I am Huang Zhitang of Qingchuntang. I have seen their prescriptions and the leftover medicine residue, and I can testify that the medicine used by Madam Song is problematic.”

He stroked his sparse beard and twitched his eyebrows as he said, "The prescription originally did not include red hemp leaves, but the residue of this medicine was found in the medicinal liquid. The red hemp leaves and the ramie root in the prescription have incompatible medicinal properties, which is the real reason why Madam Song's fetus was lost."

The senior doctor from Qingchuntang came out to testify, but since they were from different professions, Manager Mi and Mo Lingling dared not assert that the prescription was without fault.

However, all the prescriptions issued by the clinic were sent out to Ji Qingwu for review.

Mo Lingling walked up to the old doctor and looked him over.

In a high-pitched voice, she said, "After our clinic opened, most of the noble ladies in Lin'an preferred to come here for treatment, and the number of patients going to your Qingchun Hall decreased significantly. Who knows if Qingchun Hall deliberately sent you to slander us?"

Doctor Huang, his beard bristling and eyes wide, said, "Lord Song, look! They're still trying to bluff. Why don't we go to the Jingzhao Prefecture? I'm willing to testify before the authorities."

Mo Lingling recognized Song Wei; she had seen him before at Liangxiang Pavilion and knew he had a special identity.

If they really go to court, they might not necessarily come out on top.

Just as the situation reached a stalemate, a clear and melodious female voice came from behind the crowd.

"If you ask me, going to the Jingzhao Prefecture is not enough. It is not enough to quell the grief of Lord Song and his wife over the loss of their son."

Song Wei turned around. He didn't recognize Ji Qingwu, but seeing that the woman had an extraordinary air about her, he nodded and said, "This clinic has ruined lives. The clinic is run by the Ji family. Logically speaking, I should discuss this matter in the court. However, asking the Prefect of the Capital to judge the case is already too lenient for them."

Ji Qingwu walked through the crowd to the entrance of the clinic.

Seeing Mo Lingling looking at her with surprise and excitement, she raised her eyebrows and gestured for her to be there.

Ji Qingwu turned to look at Song Wei and suggested in a friendly manner, "Sir, you should file a complaint with the Emperor."

Song Wei noticed that she looked young and was holding a child's hand.

He sneered, "You woman, who doesn't know that the current emperor is seriously injured? How am I supposed to go before the emperor to complain?"

Ji Qingwu said, "You don't even recognize me, how can you possibly get my case before the Emperor?"

Song Wei glared at him and said, "Who are you?"