Chapter 45 Zhao Yu learns that Xu Chuming has been reborn
Seeing Xu Chumian's downcast face and dejected expression, Mo Zhen couldn't help but exclaim, "Chumian, I heard that a new restaurant has opened by the moat. My dear sister, why don't you come with me?"
Xu Chumian could easily understand what Mo Zhen meant.
She smiled and said, "Aren't you going back to tell your mother what happened today?"
Mo Zhen put his arm around Xu Chumian's: "It's the same whether I say it sooner or later, but I can't see you all the time."
Xu Chumian was thus dragged to dinner by Mo Zhen.
By the time the carriage returned to the incense shop, it was nearly evening.
When Amo saw her return, he quickly said, "Manager Xu, Lord Xiao came during the day, waited for you all day but no one came, and then left in the evening."
Xu Chumian was taken aback. "He waited for me all day?"
Amo nodded: "I told him that you were in the plum garden, and Lord Xiao said he would wait for you here."
After Amo finished speaking, he added another sentence.
"Lord Xiao doesn't look well; it's like he hasn't slept all night."
...
Xu Chumian returned to the courtyard and continued to study in her room that night. Her gaze involuntarily fell on the masks on the shelf.
Remembering Mo Zhen's words, Xu Chumian sighed softly.
The next day, Xu Chumian didn't go to the shop. Instead, she took Mumu to Dr. Chen's clinic next door to pay for the month's consultation.
The treatment in the past few days did not involve acupuncture; it was just facial massage and herbal decoction.
Doctor Chen glanced at Xu Chumian, his expression somewhat strange.
"We're still missing one ingredient, and it's on its way to be purchased."
Xu Chumian frowned, her eyes filled with worry: "Dr. Chen, what is the missing ingredient? I'll ask around too."
Dr. Chen opened his mouth, then sighed.
"It should be easy to find, don't worry, it should only take about three days to buy it."
Xu Chumian nodded and sincerely thanked Dr. Chen, saying, "Thank you for your help, Dr. Chen."
Dr. Chen waved his hand.
Doctor Chen only charges eighty taels of silver per month for consultations, which includes consultation fees and medicine costs. Doctors outside would charge far more than that. Therefore, Xu Chumian would have Xiao Tao deliver some food to Doctor Chen every few days.
Xu Chumian returned to the courtyard, pulled out a hidden cabinet under the dressing table, took out a small box containing a total of more than seven hundred taels of silver.
With her original savings, plus the more than 500 taels of profit she had made from the shop these past few days.
Xu Chumian took a total of five hundred taels of silver notes to the next room. Upon seeing this, Doctor Chen immediately widened his eyes and took a step back, his caution mixed with a touch of comicality.
Doctor Chen was a traveling physician who had been saved by the Duke of Zhao many years ago. He had stayed at the Duke's mansion for a period of time and had a good relationship with Zhao Yu.
Doctor Chen agreed to treat Mu Mu this time for two reasons: first, to repay the life-saving debt from years ago; and second, because Zhao Yu promised to collect various ancient medical books for him.
If Zhao Yu finds out that he secretly accepted money from Xu Chumian, then Doctor Chen's ancient books will likely be lost forever.
"what you do?"
Xu Chumian was both amused and exasperated, and placed the silver notes on the table.
She spoke first, giving Dr. Chen no chance to interrupt.
"Please don't think it's too little. Consider it a deposit with Doctor Chen. Mu Mu's illness requires long-term treatment, and she will need a lot of medicine in the future. If it's too little, I will come and add more later. If it's too much, you can give it to me after she is completely cured."
This amount of silver is more than enough.
Almost all the medicinal herbs came from Zhao Yu.
Doctor Chen shook his head. This woman was quick-witted and understood things immediately. He didn't know how she had gotten involved with those two brothers. Doctor Chen decided to return the money to her.
Xu Chumian had already left the house, her smile bright and cheerful: "I still have things to do at home, Dr. Chen, please get some rest."
Doctor Chen stared at the silver, deciding to tell Zhao Yu when he returned.
For the next two or three miles, Zhao Yu did not appear, but Xu Chumian did not care much. She would occasionally see Xiao Qingyan's figure outside the shop.
He just stared at Xu Chumian without coming to find her, and he grew thinner and thinner day by day.
Even Amo and Xiaotao couldn't stand it anymore and urged the two to reconcile.
Meanwhile, in Pingzhou Red Leaf Valley.
The air near the valley entrance was thick with the scent of blood, indicating that a fierce battle had recently taken place there. There were more than a dozen corpses scattered on the ground, and five or six strong men who were still alive had been gagged and tied to horses.
The terrain of Red Leaf Valley remained largely unchanged. After Zhao Yu and his companions located Huang Fengyu based on Doctor Chen's drawing, they planned to leave.
Upon exiting the valley, they unexpectedly apprehended some spies who intended to disguise themselves and travel to Beijing.
Among them were people from the Ding King's faction and people from the Western Di.
Zhao Yu had a knife wound on his shoulder and another wound in his chest. If he had shifted even an inch further, he probably wouldn't have been able to leave Red Leaf Valley. His black outfit was covered in blood and dampness. He simply bandaged his wounds and applied medicine powder without expression.
Guan Yan's injuries were not as serious as Zhao Yu's. He said urgently, "Master, let's go to Pingzhou to find a doctor first."
The mountain road is rugged. If we were to go to Pingzhou to heal our wounds, it would take another three or four hours. It would only take about half a day to ride directly back to the capital.
Zhao Yu shook his head: "No need, let's go straight back to the capital. Keep an eye on these people."
The other guards replied, "Yes!"
Unable to persuade him, Guan Yan looked at several guards, who all obeyed Zhao Yu's orders and did whatever Zhao Yu said.
Zhao Yu was the first to mount his horse.
In the darkness, the man's face was stern, and he spoke in a cold voice: "Let's go."
The following afternoon, the group arrived at the outskirts of the capital. It was drizzling and the sky was overcast. The spies were temporarily sent to the western suburban camp, while Zhao Yu took a bath, changed his clothes, applied some medicine, and then planned to return to the city.
Despite being seriously injured and traveling continuously, Zhao Yu showed no other abnormalities except for his pale face and chapped lips.
He spurred his horse forward, cracked his whip, and the horse's hooves splashed mud and water as he and his horse headed toward the city gate.
Zhao Yu went to the incense shop first. Because of the rain, there were not many people in the shop. Amo was crouching on the counter, doing something furtive.
Hearing the noise at the door, Amo looked up and was surprised to see Lord Zhao.
Zhao Yu stepped closer, rainwater sliding down his wet outer robe, leaving ripples on the ground.
"Lord Zhao..."
Zhao Yu glanced at the backyard. "Where is she?"
Lord Zhao's imposing presence made Amo swallow hard. "Manager Xu went home at noon."
After Amo finished speaking, he did not hear Zhao Yu's voice.
He looked up and saw Zhao Yu staring at the table, his expression shifting between light and shadow, giving the impression that a storm was brewing.
There was a faint scent of lingering fragrance in a small disc on the table, a scent that seemed to resemble both ink and green leaves.
Amo asked through trembling teeth, "Lord Zhao, is there something wrong with this incense?"
Zhao Yu asked in a calm and indifferent tone, "Where did this come from?"
Amo panicked and blurted everything out.
"It was tested by Manager Xu earlier, who said he would sell it in five or six years."
A slow smile appeared on the man's lips, but his eyes were as cold as ice. "Light it."
Amo vaguely felt that he had caused trouble for Xu Chumian. That day, Manager Xu destroyed the incense, and Amo picked up some of it. He was just curious and wanted to smell the incense, so how did he end up being caught by Lord Zhao?
As soon as the firelight appeared, a cool, mountain breeze, like that of a bamboo forest, carrying a hint of ink, slowly rose into the shop.
Zhao Yu's dark eyes held a turbulent mix of emotions, complex and difficult to discern, but they quickly subsided. A hint of panic appeared between his brows as various thoughts flashed through his mind.
With Zhao Yu's intelligence, he quickly understood everything.
If he can be reborn, why can't Xu Chumian?
It was on that rainy night when he stayed at the Xu family's house that a sudden change occurred, leading him down a path completely different from his previous life.
A mocking smile played on his lips. He had underestimated Xu Chumin; she wanted to bury everything from their past life together...
Xu Chumian didn't want him anymore, so she severed ties with him early in this life, unwilling to start over with him, and even chose to be with Xiao Qingyan.
He was also meticulously planning to fall in love with Xu Chumian again, but Xu Chumian saw it all and pretended not to notice.
Xu Chumian, you're doing very well.
A surge of overwhelming rage burst forth from his chest.
Zhao Yu swayed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Amo was startled, "Lord Zhao!"
Guan Yan, who was waiting outside, rushed in upon hearing the noise: "Young Master!"
Zhao Yu wiped the corner of his mouth, his aura dark and menacing, and mounted his horse to leave.
The heavy rain continued, and Zhao Yu's figure on horseback grew smaller and smaller.
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