Chapter 181
Upon hearing this, Boss Tu's expression changed drastically, and he turned and rushed inside.
"Miaoling! Miaoling... how are you? Father is here."
Tao Tao watched his departing figure, then turned and walked away briskly. Behind her, Xi Quan, clutching her wound with blood flowing from between her fingers, followed pitifully.
As they walked back, they attracted frequent stares and surprised looks from many people.
Back at the Tao family home, she asked a servant to fetch a doctor.
Dr. He was an old acquaintance, and he couldn't help but chat with Tao Tao for a few minutes in front of the injured person. As a result, after a while, Xi Quan looked haggard and as if she couldn't hold on any longer, and she collapsed.
"Hey? You young man, how come you couldn't hold on for even a short while?!"
He stared at the person on the ground with a look of astonishment, thinking to himself that she was not as strong as Tao Niangzi back then.
Tao Tao sighed, both amused and exasperated. "Why don't you sew up his wound first? It's been there for quite a while, and he's bled quite a bit."
Upon hearing this, Dr. He's desire to save lives was ignited, and he hurriedly directed people to carry him to bed.
He continued to complain, "Why didn't you say so sooner? It's a matter of life and death!"
"Okay, okay, it's my fault, alright?" She shook her head helplessly.
The wound was quite large, and because of his advanced age, Dr. He's hands kept shaking while stitching it up, which hurt him a lot. Even while unconscious, his facial muscles were twitching from the pain.
Xi Quan was covered in sweat, and the salty sweat seeped into his pupils, causing a slight stinging sensation, which made him involuntarily close his eyes to relieve it.
Finally, the pain became unbearable. He slowly opened his eyes, his lips moving as he whispered, "...Could...could you be a little gentler...it hurts too much..."
Upon hearing this, Dr. He looked up at Tao Tao beside him and saw that her amber eyes were sparkling with a gentle light and a smile was on her lips.
He lowered his head and, feigning impatience, scolded, "What's so painful about it! Be more manly, young man!"
Masculine my ass!
Xi Quan cursed silently in his heart.
Seeing that he seemed quite energetic, Tao Tao turned to leave. She happened to run into her mother, who was about to come in. Just as she was about to call out, her mother pulled her away.
Upon entering the room and sitting down, I heard my mother question me: "Who is that person? Why do you always bring unrelated people home?"
"Could it be that between you two... Tao'er, tell me the truth, was there someone in your room that night? Was that person him?!"
Tao Tao looked at her unusually cold expression, her eyes filled with questioning, and there was a hint of unfamiliarity and wariness towards her, as if she had never seen through her strange gaze before.
She stared at her for a while, then said with a wry smile, "Mother, what are you talking about? He's just a slave I bought. Right now, I'm a county princess, and there's a high probability that my marriage will need to be decided by the Emperor."
"Alright, have you been taking your medicine properly lately? You're even having hallucinations. Let Dr. He check on you again later to see how your condition is."
She sat down next to her mother with a charming smile, placing her hands on her shoulders, trying to rekindle the dwindling bond between them.
"Tao'er, stop lying to me. I saw it all. Tell me the truth, who was the man in your room that night?"
Did you see that? He did leave very late that day.
Tao Tao was thinking to herself, but on the surface she looked completely bewildered, staring at her mother with innocent almond-shaped eyes.
"Mother, which day are you referring to? Besides, how could a man possibly appear in my room?"
As she spoke, a hint of fear suddenly appeared on her face, and she said in a panic, "Mother, are you saying someone entered my room? But I didn't know at all. Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Or do you think I am a shameless person? Or do you think that now that I've become a county princess, I'm no longer your daughter in your heart?"
As she was met with a series of questions, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, her eyes reddened, and she looked sadly at Tao's mother.
Tao's mother was stunned for a moment by these questions. Seeing her filial and obedient daughter crying, she felt as if her heart was being squeezed tightly, feeling sad and painful.
It made every breath she took painful.
She opened her mouth, wanting to explain that she didn't mean it that way, but her mind went blank, and she didn't know what to say to take back what she had just said.
"...No, that's not it..."
"Mother, why don't you tell me what happened to the seal you gave me on my birthday? Why do you possess such a royal item?"
Could his mother be a member of the royal family who had been separated from his family? Then why would she marry a lowly commoner like his father and settle here?
Tao Tao leaned on her shoulder, as obedient and well-behaved as ever, and reached out to hold her slightly cold hand, her voice still containing fragility and sobs.
Her thoughts raced, though. Could it be that her father wasn't hiding from debts at all, but had some other reason for leaving?
If you take your imagination to a whole new level, could her father be some prince or nobleman from another country? But in my memory, her father is a bully at home and doesn't seem like a nobleman with any extraordinary demeanor.
Faced with her question, Tao's mother fell silent.
"Mother, is there something you're hiding from me? Look at me, I'm a county princess now. If you have any unspeakable difficulties, you must tell me. We are each other's closest people."
"Blood is thicker than water. Don't worry, I will protect you all. You don't need to worry about anything."
Tao Tao's voice was gentle yet persuasive; she was genuinely curious and eager to know what the hidden story was.
Perhaps the final result will surprise her.
Tao's mother turned to look at her seriously and said, "Tao'er, once you find your father, I will tell you everything."
She looked directly into Tao's mother's eyes, her pupils shifting slightly as she observed the expression on her mother's face.
"Okay, I'll find him soon."
Finding someone shouldn't be too difficult for the Privy Council.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Aunt Tao, it's time for the boss to have his meal."
It's the sound of asarum.
Before they knew it, it had gotten dark. Tao Tao got up and opened the door, and then heard Xi Xin say, "Doctor He has left. Zhu Xia and Doctor He went to get the medicine."
"Have someone send some food to that stream, to the injured person."
She smiled and said, "Don't worry, boss, I've already had Yan Ying deliver it."
"That's good."
Tao Tao noticed that her mother was walking slowly behind her, so she turned around, walked back, and hugged her arm. Feeling her mother's gaze, she smiled and looked up back at her.
Tao's mother smiled faintly, but the smile was somewhat forced. She even had a slight urge to pull her hand away, but seeing the face she had seen since childhood, she restrained herself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com