Jingzhou people
As dusk settled, the last rays of the setting sun shone through the window lattice onto Sui Zhixu, casting a shadow beneath her eyelashes.
His dark eyes were calm and still, like a beast lurking in the night.
She heard a cacophony of footsteps beside her, and the next instant, Danhong pushed open the door. A large swath of twilight shone in, illuminating Danhong's round face. A light, cheerful shout rose from the quiet room.
"My lady! Chi Gong is back."
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she turned her head. "Let's go save that child first."
"My wife..."
"Go, the people of Jingzhou can't wait any longer."
As she closed her eyes, the sound of footsteps faded into the distance. She opened her eyes and gazed at his silhouette, her fingertips tracing its outline.
As dusk blurred his features, he appeared even more haggard.
"I'm sorry, could you wait a little longer, please..."
Unfortunately, no one could respond to her.
As Xu lay on the bed, half asleep, he opened his eyes to find Dan Hong tending the lamp wick by the candlestick in the room.
“My lady, you’re awake. You were holding onto Mr. Fan’s hand while you were asleep, so I didn’t dare move you away. I just put a pillow under your neck.”
She asked, "Is it done?"
Dan Hong's face suddenly turned grim, and she noticed Xu Li straightening up. "What's going on?"
Dan Hong hurriedly said, "The pills in the porcelain bottle are fine. Master Chi has already cleaned the Gu worms out of the child's body. However, there are a few herbs in the pills that Master Chi is still studying at the pharmacy."
"The Miao holy maiden is known for her daring use of medicine; it's impossible to figure out her formula in a short time."
No wonder Jiang Li gave it to her so readily. Jiang Li knew best about her Gu worms, Xiao Furong's love Gu, and the people of Jingzhou.
Did Chi Gong say how long it would take?
Dan Hong shook her head. As she learned that Xu's heart was heavy, she got up and walked to the bedside, where the moonlight poured down on her like water.
"How is Jingzhou now? Mother, when will we set off for our ancestral home?"
Danhong draped a cloak over her shoulders, saying, "It's chilly at night, my lady, please be careful."
"If nothing unexpected happens, we should set off tomorrow. Although the Sui family has Third Sister, it's still not as good as having the head of the family in charge."
The head of a family bears a heavy responsibility.
"The situation is not good. The people the head of the family sent to investigate have not yet returned from Zao Village. More and more people are showing symptoms now. According to the investigation, it has been determined that more patients are appearing near Zao Village. Not everyone has the courage to burn people to death like in Li Village. Some families have concealed the situation, and as a result, the patients went berserk and bit their entire families, and the whole family was infected."
"The entire Jingzhou is now like a hell on earth."
Dan Hong sighed, her face full of sorrow.
Sui Zhixu turned to look at Fan Lingzhang, who was unconscious on the bed. This was a critical moment for Chi Gong. If he could figure out the remaining ingredients for the pill, Jingzhou would be saved.
But will he be able to wait until then?
Sui Zhixu turned her head away from him, unaware that she was choosing her own life over Xiao Furong's.
She had to choose between the infant in her arms and him, a child who was completely unrelated to her.
Now, will she still choose between the people of Jingzhou and him?
Why do so many people travel thousands of miles just for a sip of water from a legendary well? Why do so many people believe that drinking a sip of water will bring them peace and wealth for the rest of their lives?
Sui Zhixu gripped the edge of the window, suppressing the thoughts she shouldn't have.
Thoughts flowed like a spring, and she couldn't suppress them just by wanting to. She herself didn't have a good impression of most people in the world, and she didn't even want to live as a human being.
She has a home now, and even without her memories, she is no longer a drifting duckweed wandering the world.
But she only liked a few people. What did that child have to do with her? What did the people of Jingzhou have to do with her?
Why does she always choose them?
Sui Zhixu sat down by the window and leaned against the wall, with Dan Hong silently watching over her.
Danhong didn't know what her wife was thinking, but she knew it was probably related to Fan Langjun.
The following morning, I set off with my family.
With the acupoints blocked, Fan Lingzhang woke up this morning feeling unusually weak, coughing after every three steps. Xu Zhixu then helped him into the carriage.
After getting into the carriage, Fan Lingzhang leaned on Sui Zhixu's shoulder and said weakly, "I'm a little tired, let me lean on you for a bit."
Su Zhixu didn't sleep all night. Late at night, she asked Danhong to leave and stayed alone for a long time.
She couldn't accept this choice. Jingzhou was her mother's hometown, and the people of Jingzhou respected her greatly. This land held the fruits of her mother's labor, and she couldn't abandon the people of Jingzhou.
She also couldn't bear to see Fan Lingzhang die.
She had always been reluctant to let him go. Before his condition became serious, she could have said that she wouldn't choose him.
But as the days went by, she watched herself grow weaker and weaker until she reached her current state.
She realized she had overestimated herself.
"If you're tired, take a nap. Once you're awake, we'll be at the Sui family's house." Sui Zhixu closed her eyes, avoiding his gaze.
For the first time, she actually felt like she was a crybaby.
She thought she liked him; she had previously told Yueling that she didn't know her feelings for him.
She had always enjoyed indulging his mischief, loved his laughter and chatter in her yard, loved his coquettishness, and loved his antics.
She couldn't bear to see him leave, nor could she bear to see him die.
What should she do?
Is it because of Jiang Li's inexplicable affection?
She had no memory, and she dared not gamble. If she gambled that Jiang Li loved her as his own daughter, even if she did not rebel against Sima Xian, she could save her life in front of Sima Xian, and that would be a win for her.
Conversely, everything she did after her rebirth was in vain.
She initially deceived Fan Lingzhang's spies in the martial arts world, brought down Ye Taoyao, secured her position as the young master of the Sui family, and what did it matter if she and Sui Chuke betrayed each other?
She didn't dare to gamble.
Why?
Why?
Why!
Why her? She possessed an alluring destiny, yet was persecuted to death by Sima Xian and his system. Reborn, she must face a life-or-death situation with Xiao Furong.
Is my destiny truly in my own hands?
Sui Zhixu calmed down, lifted the curtain, and the ladies and gentlemen of the Sui family's main residence, nestled against the mountain and by the water, waved to Sui He as they passed by.
The situation was critical, and the moment they saw Sui He, they felt like they had found a pillar of support, and a great smile appeared on their tired faces.
More and more people were sending things to Suihe's carriage, and some even stuffed them into her carriage.
Various fruits and flowers, each a small pink flower with five petals, looked as if they had just been picked from the roadside.
"The patriarch has returned!"
"It is the head of the family!"
The voices of men, women, and children mingled together, growing louder and louder. It was no longer just the people from Xianjialiao, but also the Sui family and the people of the city. Their first reaction upon seeing Sui He was excitement, and they cheered with joy.
As Xu peeked out, someone saw her and said in Jingzhou dialect, "Your wife is just like the master, she's very pretty!"
"That's right! Very pretty! Our leader is naturally handsome, and besides, he's a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family! The mountains and rivers of Jingzhou are truly nurturing, and the girls and boys of Jingzhou naturally have the style of Jingzhou!"
Her accent was heavy, and she mumbled a bunch of things, some of which Xu understood and some she didn't. Danhong smiled and explained to her, "She said that the lady and the head of the family look alike, and they're both good-looking!"
Dan Hong spoke in Jingzhou dialect at the end, and her big, bright eyes made her look playful and cute.
"With the boss back, nothing will be a problem!"
Although they could understand this sentence, they truly trusted their mother.
Only those who, like my mother, ascend to the position of head of the family through their own efforts and gain the trust of the people can be said to have truly taken control of their own destiny.
Taoism believes that "fate" is the innate endowment, while "fortune" is the flow of energy after birth.
Yueling also said that one should act in accordance with the natural order, overcome rigidity with gentleness, and cultivate one's character.
She lacked virtue; she neither changed herself nor her fate.
Sui Zhixu touched Fan Lingzhang's face; despite the commotion outside, he showed no signs of waking up.
Dan Hong rambled on, “The head of the family, together with the government, has forbidden the people of Jingzhou from going to Zao Village. They have gathered the people who have been poisoned and settled them around the abandoned medicine hut that used to be the family's medicine hut halfway up the mountain. However, there is still no news about the people who went to Zao Village. According to the people of Jingzhou, the villagers of Zao Village have rarely come out in the past twenty years, which is very strange.”
"Chi Gong suspected that the Miao holy maiden used Zao Village as her training ground."
Sui Zhixu: "I understand."
Zao Village is not far away, and the secret guards trained by Sui Family Guards should be able to return soon. If what Chi Gong said is true, wouldn't it be more likely to be a disaster?
The carriage creaked to a stop.
"My lady, get out of the carriage. We've arrived. I'll send someone to carry a sedan chair for Mr. Fan."
Wait a moment, then Sui Zhixu helped Fan Lingzhang down and into the sedan chair before turning to look at the people from the Sui family who were receiving them.
Sui He pulled her hand and introduced the elders of the Sui family. The one who had passed away not long ago was the fifth elder. The first and third elders had passed away more than ten years ago. Now, only the second and fourth elders remain.
Both of them are nearly eighty years old, which is already a long life.
The Fifth Ancestor was also like that. People of his age are most afraid of getting sick. If he passed away peacefully without getting sick, it would be a happy death. But unfortunately, the Fifth Ancestor got sick because of Cui Niangzi's anger, so his children and grandchildren were naturally dissatisfied.
With Sui He present, the descendants of the five clan elders, seeing Sui Chengyu getting off the carriage behind Sui Zhixu, did not dare to cause trouble. They quietly greeted Sui Zhixu and then stayed in the corner like quails.
"Why are you so late? You're so slow." Sui Chuke crossed his arms and tilted his chin up.
Sui Zhixu glanced at him indifferently and ignored him.
When news of Xu Mingyi's "burial" reached Luoyang, Sui Chuke heard that he was worried about Cheng Zhijie and wrote more than a dozen letters overnight to inquire about his cousin's feelings. If it weren't for the great calamity in Jingzhou, he probably would have rushed to Chang'an to comfort Cheng Zhijie long ago.
Chu Ke glanced at her, then casually asked, "Why did your lover faint?"
Don't you want your tongue?
"What? He wasn't also poisoned by the curse? That won't do. Even if you are the young master of the Sui family, you can't show favoritism."
He emphasized the words "Young Master of the Sui Family" so much that everyone present heard it, and their inquisitive gazes fell between the two men.
She took a step back and tilted her head slightly. "You're so interested in what he and I are doing, and you're even interested in what's going on between us girls?"
"Cough cough—"
The crowd's eyes darted around in confusion, looking east and west, but none daring to focus on Sui Zhixu and Sui Chuke.
"Sui Zhixu! Hey! No, what nonsense are you spouting? Are you even a young lady anymore? What kind of lady would say something like that?"
As Chu Ke's cheeks flushed red, his arrogant and haughty demeanor vanished completely.
Sui He couldn't help but cough lightly, pulling her behind him, "You two have plenty of time to catch up, hurry up and go inside."
Sui He knew about Fan Lingzhang's situation and was aware that she was in a bad mood. Sui Chuke had simply run into her.
She touched Sui Zhixu to comfort him, "Come in with me, young master."
The banquet was filled with clinking glasses and lively conversation. The Sui family was busy with preparations for the great calamity in Jingzhou. The family head, the young master, and the four heads of the four departments were all present. They made a fuss for one night, but who knew how busy tomorrow would be.
Everyone knew what was going on, but they didn't show it on their faces, laughing and joking with the people around them.
As Sui He's mistress, Xu silently accepted all the attention.
Sui He also teased her, "Have a drink, my little master."
After she finished drinking, she pretended to cover her ears, and Sui He, seeing this, pulled her into his arms.
"Whose daughter is this adorable young lady? She's mine, hahaha."
As soon as Sui He finished speaking, some people below began to stir.
"Young lady, you haven't passed the family's test yet, so you're not really the young master yet. There's no better time than now. Why not use the Jingzhou calamity as a trial? I wonder what the master thinks?"
As soon as the words were spoken, all eyes turned to Sui He and Sui Zhixu.
"The patriarch went through the same thing back then."
"Every head of the family has it, so why doesn't she?"
...
"Isn't that unfair?"
Seeing this, the second elder also said to Sui He, "Ah He, look at this... Back then, you brought the Sui family into the world. The former patriarch admired your courage, and given the critical situation at the time, the clan recognized you as the young master. Facts have proven that you were right. The Sui family's prosperity is indeed largely due to your efforts, but Ah Xu still needs to undergo trials."
“Even though Chu Ke’s father was the late patriarch’s biological son, he went through the same thing back then, you see…”
Sui He frowned, about to retort, when Sui Zhixu quietly pulled her back and said, "I can do it."
After the two elders finished speaking, Sui Chuke, who had been keeping his head down, shouted, "Jingzhou is in such a critical situation that it's not something you can solve just by talking."
"I have my own way of doing things, so you don't need to worry about it."
After saying this, Xu and Chu Ke turned their heads away, looking at each other with obvious disgust.
After the banquet, Sui He pulled her into the house. The moon was high in the sky. Sui He was very worried. "That old geezer always makes things difficult for people. I was like that back then, and I want to use it on you now."
Sui Zhixu smiled, her peach blossom eyes curving upwards. "Mother, could you tell me your stories from the past?"
Let her draw strength from her mother, just as Little Hibiscus's father told her about the past, she felt she would learn what she wanted.
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