Chapter 18: Look at the eyes that have changed
When Su Guanqing heard Jiang Tong mention him, he said in a deep voice, "Although I can't see, my senses are very sharp. You were too close to me at that time. Although I don't know what you did, I know you must have done something. Tongtong told me a long time ago that you might do something vicious, so I was on guard against you."
Jiang Meng turned his head sharply and looked at Jiang Tong: "Impossible, how did you know?"
Jiang Tong said coldly, "I don't know anything, but I do know one thing—you're selfish and vicious by nature. Knowing you were about to be kicked out of the house, you were bound to do something. That's why you had A-Qiao follow you. From the moment you went into the pharmacy to buy arsenic, we all knew. It just depends on whether you'll actually do it in the end."
When Jiang Tong said this, he gave A Qiao a look, indicating that she should go out with him.
When Jiang Meng saw that they were really going to report to the police, he panicked for a moment.
You must know that in the Ming Dynasty, patricide was an unforgivable crime.
Jiang Meng was so frightened that tears streamed down his cheeks. He begged for mercy repeatedly, "Dad! Dad! Please, Dad, I was confused for a moment. Please forgive me! I will definitely change my ways from now on and never dare to do it again! From now on, I will do whatever you ask me to do and will never overstep my bounds! Dad! Dad!"
After all, this was the child who had called him father for several years. Hearing Jiang Tong's shrill screams, Jiang Huaishan was also a little shaken: "Tongtong, Tongtong is also a member of the Jiang family. Besides, if this matter gets out, it will not be good for the reputation of our Jiang family. Why not..."
Jiang Meng felt relieved. Now that the head of the family had spoken, his life was safe.
However, Jiang Tong flatly refused:
"No! Jiang Meng dared to kill his father. He's worse than a dog or a pig! How can we let him go so easily? Besides, he has a vicious heart. If we let him go, there's no guarantee he won't come back for revenge in the future! Qiao, let's go!"
Ah Qiao naturally only listened to Jiang Tong's words, and after hearing that, he picked up Jiang Tong and left.
Jiang Huaishan was about to speak, but was stopped by Zhong Wanci.
She asked in a tearful voice, "Huaishan! It's already come to this, are you still standing by him?"
The couple just pulled each other, and Jiang Tong and A Qiao took Jiang Tong out of the door.
Jiang Huaishan always had the final say at home, but this scene left him a little confused. Did he really not become the head of the family anymore?!
Jiang Ming was held in A Qiao's hand, struggling feebly like a grasshopper in autumn. Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to the gate of the courtyard, he thought that Jiang Huaishan was really so cruel, and he shouted again in anger:
"Jiang Huaishan! You dare to send me to jail? Aren't you afraid that I will drag your whole family to be buried with me?"
Jiang Tong held the bowl of poison as evidence and said coldly, "Scream again! I'll pour it into your mouth again."
Jiang Ming shuddered and closed his mouth obediently, not daring to utter a single word.
…
Three days later, morning, market
"Is it okay?"
Jiang Tong helped Su Guanqing hold the bamboo stick with one hand, and held Su Guanqing's elbow with the other hand, turning his head to look at him with a little worry.
At this moment, Su Guanqing was carrying a bag of rice on his right shoulder and a bamboo basket filled with various vegetables and meat in his left hand.
He was already thin and frail, and in order to maintain his balance, he had to bend forward slightly.
Considering that Su Guanqing was a scholar, he had never done any physical work even when he was in the music troupe. Carrying this bag of rice was not an easy task for him.
Jiang Tong was terrified watching from the side, afraid that he would be crushed by the bag of rice: "Let me carry the basket."
Su Guanqing refused: "You are still growing and can't lift heavy things."
Jiang Tong didn't insist. The most important thing for her to restore ancient paintings was a pair of hands.
When peeling off the paper, one needs to precisely rub off half the thickness of the painting's center, which requires the dexterity of fingertips. In her previous life, to protect her hands, she never cooked or lifted anything heavy.
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have bought so much. Let's buy less next time. At worst, we can just come out to buy more times." Jiang Tong said to himself while making his way through the crowd.
Su Guanqing's breathing was a little rapid, and his face was flushed from the effort, but he still smiled and said, "It's okay, I can carry it. By the way, what did the government say?"
"With all the evidence and witnesses, Jiang Tong can't escape. Even if it was an attempted crime, I think exile is inevitable." Jiang Tong said.
She is in a really good mood now——
Guan Qing was rescued, Jiang Meng was imprisoned, what's next...
"On the way back, I'll take you to see a doctor," she said.
"See a doctor?" Su Guanqing was puzzled. "I'm not sick."
"Show you my eyes."
Su Guanqing was stunned. A drop of sweat slid down his straight nose and hung on the tip of his nose, reflecting the sunlight and sparkling.
"Come to think of it, how did your eyes become like this?" Jiang Tong asked.
Su Guanqing hesitated for a moment, his expression vague: "...I fell ill in prison."
Jiang Tong was lowering her head to pull out her thin towel from her sleeve and didn't notice Su Guanqing's abnormality. When she looked up again, she saw that the sweat drop on the tip of Su Guanqing's nose was still dangling.
She didn't think much about it, and subconsciously pressed the towel against his face, gently wiping away the sweat on his face.
A smell mixed with the fragrance of ink and paste came along with Jiang Tong's movements and entered every part of his body along with his breathing.
Su Guanqing suddenly froze, and felt that all the blood in his body was trembling as if poisoned. He almost forgot how to walk.
Jiang Tong's confident and warm voice continued in her ears: "No matter what the reason is, I will definitely cure you."
"...It will, will cost a lot of money." Su Guanqing tried to adjust his breathing for a long time before he found his voice.
"It's okay," Jiang Tong imitated his usual tone, "I can make money."
In her previous life, she had made a fortune with this skill, so she was still confident in this regard.
The two of them chatted and walked until they came to the pharmacy.
Jiang Tong dragged Su Guanqing inside: "We're at the pharmacy."
The apprentice in the shop instructed Su Guanqing to put the rice in the corner and said, "There are many patients coming to see the doctor today. Please wait for a moment."
Jiang Tong suddenly remembered something and handed the bamboo stick back to Su Guanqing: "The lamp oil at home is almost gone. I'll go buy some. You wait here for me."
Su Guanqing said, "The street where the lamp oil is sold is a bit far from here. Why don't you go there later and I'll accompany you."
"No need," Jiang Tong looked at the people in line, "You have to wait in line here, just wait for me here."
As soon as Jiang Tong left, Su Guanqing queued up in the pharmacy alone. For a moment, he always felt that something was wrong.
Tongtong's changes are really too big.
Tongtong used to be enthusiastic and lively, with a very straightforward temper. Her happiness and anger were all shown on her face, and she never hid who she liked or disliked.
For example, Tongtong never concealed her disdain for her own literary habits. When she was little, she resented that she couldn't ride horses with her, and could only stay in the yard, singing to the wind and moon, which was very boring.
Even his words disgusted her. He didn't understand anything she was interested in, and he could only spout a few sour poems all day long, unlike the generals under Uncle Jiang who could bend their bows and shoot geese, and could hit the target with an arrow from a hundred paces away.
He once painted a picture of "Two Immortals" and gave it to Tongtong, which depicted her and him.
The painting depicted two figures floating in the air, their clothes fluttering in the breeze. People at the time praised his natural brushwork, declaring him a true disciple of Wu Daozi. But Tongtong only glanced at the painting and tossed it aside, not even bothering to take it home.
But now, Tongtong has changed.
She would no longer walk so fast that she would leave him without a trace, but would hold his hand carefully, fearing that he would be bumped into or lose his way.
She would even chat with him about painting, not just casually, but about brushwork, ink usage, and artistic conception...
She became very patient and good-tempered, even when facing herself.
She used to be indifferent to worldly affairs, but now she has arranged all the financial expenses of the family in an orderly manner.
She used to love martial arts and hate literature, but now she can restore calligraphy and paintings.
She said that she was self-taught, but could such an amazing skill really be figured out by talent alone?
Can a person’s growth really lead to such a big change?
…
Su Guanqing sat there hugging his bamboo stick, feeling happy yet helpless, and asked himself blankly, is this really the Tongtong he knew?
The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. His heart was swaying and he felt lost.
He didn't know how long he thought about it, but he still couldn't figure it out.
When Jiang Tong came back with the lamp oil, she saw him deep in thought from across the street.
She felt a little amused and was about to call him when it was his turn to see the patient.
The apprentice helped Su Guanqing to sit in front of the doctor's desk. Seeing that the doctor had already started taking his pulse, she didn't dare to disturb him. She just came in quietly and walked to Su Guanqing's side.
After taking your pulse, the doctor asked, "Your injuries have caused a disorder of Qi and blood, resulting in blood congestion and blockage in your brain, leading to blindness. But it doesn't look like a new injury. How many years have you had it?"
"Yes, eight years."
Jiang Tong was startled and was about to speak when the doctor was even more surprised than her: "You've been blind for eight years?"
"Not really, but I lost my sight eight years ago, and since then I've been taking blood-stasis-removing medicine. As long as I keep taking it, I can still see. But I stopped taking it these past two years, and I can't see anymore."
The doctor nodded. "I think this pulse doesn't seem to have been blocked for eight years. Do you remember what prescription you took?"
Su Guanqing then recited a prescription.
The doctor nodded again and said, "You can take this prescription now, but you haven't taken the medicine for two years, and your blood is blocked. If you want to regain your sight, it won't work with just a few doses of medicine. You need to take it long-term."
Su Guanqing shook his head and said sadly, "I can't afford this prescription now." When he was still the son of the Prime Minister, he could naturally afford any medicine, but after his property was raided, he had to stop taking medicine.
The doctor immediately understood what he meant. "The recipe contains saffron, which is indeed quite expensive. However, if you replace it with another blood-activating herb, the effect will probably be greatly reduced."
"Let's change it." Su Guanqing said gently.
"No change!" Jiang Tong suddenly spoke.
Su Guanqing was startled and panicked: "Tongtong? When did you come back?"
"It's been a while," Jiang Tong held Su Guanqing down and said to the doctor, "Just follow the original prescription."
The doctor gently reminded him, "If you follow the original prescription, for his condition, you have to keep taking the medicine. If you stop taking it, all the medicine you took before will be wasted."
What he means is, can you afford the future medical expenses?
Su Guanqing hurriedly said: "Tongtong, it's okay with me. It's not necessary for me to see it. I'm actually used to it..."
Jiang Tong didn't allow him to speak at all. He slapped Su Guanqing, who was about to stand up, back down and said firmly, "Just do as I say."
With such a strong pat, she managed to calm Su Guanqing's uneasy heart.
She is so domineering, and she is indeed the Tongtong he has in his heart.
By the time Su Guanqing was walking home with bags of things, he was in a very good mood. Even the heavy rice on his shoulders seemed to have turned into light cotton. He didn't notice anything wrong with Jiang Tong at all.
——Jiang Tong was angry.
Jiang Tong didn't say a word along the way until they returned home and Su Guanqing had unloaded his burden, then she suddenly started to attack.
"How did you hurt your eyes? Why did you lie to me and say you were sick?"
Su Guanqing's expression was blank for a moment before he remembered this.
He couldn't see Jiang Tong's expression, and his heart became even more panicked. He instinctively wanted to hold on to the bamboo stick to give himself some support. However, the bamboo stick was in Jiang Tong's hand. At that moment, he was completely at a loss: "I, I, actually, I..."
"Tell the truth! Don't try to fool me with lies!" Jiang Taidou has been teaching apprentices all her life. When she gets angry, her majesty is so great that even the most naughty apprentices will tremble and tuck their tails between their legs.
Su Guanqing immediately stood at attention: "I, I just fell and hit the back of my head, and there's blood coming out. I can't split my head open to drain the blood, so I can only take medicine to relieve the symptoms."
Jiang Tong became puzzled. Su Guanqing usually never left the house. His every move was very dignified and he never swayed from side to side when he walked. She simply couldn't imagine that such a person could fall while walking, and fall so badly!
No, I have seen Guan Qing fall.
That time was——
Jiang Tong's expression suddenly changed.
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