Cheng Zhiwen was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile and drank the baijiu in his glass in one gulp.
He propped his elbows on the table, adjusted himself into a comfortable sitting position, looked down at his wine glass, and recalled, "Shen Qing and I were engaged when we were young. Two years ago, I broke off the engagement, and she married into Jiangzhou."
Qi Zhenheng suddenly realized: "So this Shen woman and you were once engaged!"
Cheng Zhiwen pursed her lips and lowered her head, remaining silent.
Qi Zhenheng poured him another drink: "Does the Shen family still have feelings for you now?"
"She's focused on business right now, trying to support the Gao family. How could she possibly have time to think about romance?"
After Cheng Zhiwen finished speaking, he tilted his head back and downed the glass of baijiu in one gulp.
Qi Zhenheng put down his wine cup and said, "The day Shen was arrested, before her apprentice tipped me off, Jiang Shen had already informed me at the prefectural government office. You really don't intend to tell Shen that you sent people to protect her every day?"
Cheng Zhiwen smiled wryly: "There's no need. If she finds out, she'll ask all sorts of questions. That girl is very clever; she can't possibly investigate everything about me."
Qi Zhenheng nodded knowingly and filled both of their glasses with baijiu.
The night is deep, and the cicadas are chirping incessantly.
After a comfortable medicinal bath, Shen Qing took the medicine that Chunju had prepared and drifted off to sleep.
Outside, two men in black attempted to scale the wall, but halfway up, they were both struck in the lower back by darts and collapsed back down the wall, whimpering.
...
"Knock knock knock... knock knock knock..."
A series of urgent knocks woke Chunju up.
She got out of bed, still half asleep, put on her coat, and went to open the door.
He was a gatekeeper.
"Sister Chunju, Old Xu, the coachman, asked me to ask you if the young mistress is feeling better?"
Chunju was startled and quickly closed the door again. She dressed, and without even combing her hair, rushed to the central courtyard.
After serving Shen Qing his medicine last night, she returned to her room at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM). She slept for less than two hours and completely forgot to get up and check on her master's condition.
Shen Qing quickly got up and opened the door.
Seeing that the rash on her face had worsened, Chunju was startled and quickly pulled her inside: "Young mistress, you can't be exposed to wind if you have rubella! You should rest in bed first, and I'll bring your breakfast into the room for you, and then you can take your medicine."
Shen Qing said "Oh" and lay back down in bed.
My head is spinning, and I can't get out of bed at all.
She suspected that the Chinese medicine also had a sedative effect.
He crossed his arm over his forehead, closed his eyes, and sighed, "I still have to prepare bleach to disinfect the duck feathers today. What am I going to do if I can't get up?"
The skin on her arm felt unusually rough, and she jumped out of bed and sat in front of the bronze mirror to examine her face.
The rash has grown larger and has formed brown scabs on it, which look rough and hard.
This ugly appearance startled her awake, instantly dispelling her sleepiness. She quickly pulled out the ointment and applied it to her face.
The ointment was green, and when applied to the brown scabs, it gave off an odd color.
Shen Qing shook her head at the mirror: "I'm disfigured, I'm disfigured."
The last time she used rayon, she was stabbed in the breast, which severely damaged her health.
This down jacket is what disfigured her.
Chunju brought breakfast into the room and placed it on the round table one by one.
"Old Xu just came by and asked me how you were, young mistress. I told him that the rash on your face had gotten worse, and he said he had to go back and report to Boss Cheng."
Shen Qing carefully examined each red rash on her face in front of the mirror, meticulously applying the ointment as she spoke, "It's just a skin allergy. It might itch or cause disfigurement, but it won't kill you. What's he so worried about..."
"Boss Cheng really cares about you."
Shen Qing stopped what she was doing, thought for a moment, and then applied the medicine in front of the mirror again: "He only sent Old Xu to deliver a message. If he really cared about me, he would have come to see me in person."
On the other side, the carriage was parked outside the Gao family's gate as usual.
The curtain behind the door was lifted, and Old Xu reported Shen Qing's situation to Cheng Zhiwen.
After listening quietly, Cheng Zhiwen instructed, "Later, take us to the factory. Then go to Huai County and report back to Boss Shen's condition, ask the doctor if the medication needs to be adjusted, and..."
Remembering what the doctor said yesterday that Shen Qing would suffer from a serious illness in the future, he felt a little uncomfortable and said in a low voice, "Ask that doctor again if Mr. Shen has any hidden illnesses that could affect his lifespan."
Old Xu said "Yes" and accepted the order.
The curtain fell, and Cheng Zhiwen sat back in the car, closing her eyes to rest.
Not long after, a clear voice called out from outside the car, "Good morning, Lao Xu."
He quickly sat up straight, keeping his eyes closed to rest.
"Thump, thump, thump," someone climbed the wooden steps and entered the carriage.
"What are you doing here?" Shen Qing leaned over and walked in, sitting down opposite him. "Are you coming to my place again today?"
"Didn't you need to repair the loom? I'll have someone come and take it to Shanghai. We'll leave for Germany tomorrow."
Shen Qing sat down, straightened her jacket and skirt, thought for a moment, and said, "Speaking of Germany, I'd like you to buy something for me."
"What?"
Shen Qing glanced at the curtain and, before Chunju and Sulan could get into the carriage, quickly sat down on Cheng Zhiwen's side.
He touched the gun holster on his lower back, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Buy me one of these. I need it for self-defense."
The woman's soft, fragrant scent rushed into his ears and went straight to his brain.
He held down her fidgeting little hands, closing his eyes with suppressed emotion: "If you carry this with you and someone finds out, it'll be a lot of trouble..."
"But I don't feel safe without something to defend myself. That old bitch said she'd catch me sooner or later..."
That old scoundrel is none other than Master Zhao.
She dared not utter that word in front of Qi Zhenheng, for he was a very strict man and would surely reprimand her.
But Cheng Zhiwen was different; he didn't care how much she cursed at him!
Shen Qing took the hairpin knife off and waved it in front of Cheng Zhiwen: "I only have this one, but it's too thin and not very useful. Yours is much better."
She pressed on a spot on his lower back.
Cheng Zhiwen: "..."
Remembering the two men in black that Jiang Shen brought back last night, his eyes darkened: "You don't need this for now, and you're safe. Just relax and live your life."
At this moment, the curtain was lifted, and Chunju led Sulan into the carriage.
Shen Qing quickly bounced back to her original position, but Chunju still saw that she had been lying on Cheng Zhiwen.
Chunju was startled and looked at Cheng Zhiwen and her master in astonishment.
Shen Qing pretended to be nonchalant and beckoned to Su Lan: "Su Lan, come to Master's side."
Su Lan obediently sat down beside her.
The carriage began to move, swaying and jolting.
Shen Qing pulled Su Lan into his arms and gently explained, "Master went to Huai County yesterday. After you and Sister Chunju came back from the factory, did anything unpleasant happen?"
Su Lan shook her head: "No, after I came back, Sister Chunju took me out for dinner. After I finished reviewing my books, I went to bed."
Did you sleep well?
"Sulan slept very well."
Shen Qing smiled and pinched her chubby cheek: "Master hopes you can have such a fulfilling and happy life every day!"
Su Lan smiled and hugged her waist tightly.
Across from her, Cheng Zhiwen watched their interaction, her eyes growing increasingly deep.
There's a hidden longing in his eyes.
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