How far is it from here to Chang'an?
"Chang'an? Chang'an is more than 800 kilometers away from here."
Upon hearing "eight hundred li," Su Yan's heart sank. Three years ago, she had taken the original owner's child, Su Bao'er, and traveled from Suizhou to Chang'an, a journey that took three months.
She wanted to go back to Chang'an, but she had neither money nor strength, and it would take her a long time to get there. Besides, Su Bao'er was waiting for her at home.
"No, I need to go back to Chang'an now."
After saying that, Su Yan struggled to get up.
Seeing this, Hua Hanyun stopped her, saying, "Miss, you haven't fully recovered yet, why rush? Why not wait until you're better before you leave? Besides, your husband hasn't woken up yet."
"He is not my husband, but my superior. I beg you, Dr. Hua, not to reveal my true identity as a woman after he wakes up. I have reasons I cannot say. I am extremely grateful." After saying this, Su Yan prepared to bow to Hua Hanyun.
Hua Hanyun, who was about to be robbed, stopped her first, saying, "Miss Su, you mustn't do this. It's just a small matter. We'll keep it a secret for you."
Although Hua Hanyun didn't know what the relationship was between the two, since he was an outsider, he had no reason to refuse Su Yan's request.
"Yes, yes, Sister Su, no, I should call you Brother Su from now on. Don't worry, Master and I will definitely keep it a secret for you," Banxia said with a smile.
"Thank you..."
Two days later, Shen Yao woke up. Su Yan and he recuperated at Doctor Hua's house for two days before deciding to return to Chang'an.
Although Zhang Lanzhen's fate is currently unknown, the case of the courtesan must be resolved as soon as possible to appease the public.
The county officials didn't know whether she and Shen Yao were alive or dead, and the person who shot Zhang Lanzhen that day was clearly there to silence her.
Even if the clues to the Dark Moon Pavilion have run out, she will return to Chang'an to continue the investigation.
"Brother Su, when are you coming to see me?" Banxia asked coquettishly, clutching Su Yan's clothes, clearly reluctant to part.
Su Yan squatted down and reached out to pinch Lian Qiao's round little face, just like Su Bao'er, which looked extremely festive.
Moreover, after spending these past few days with Banxia, Su Yan has truly grown fond of this little girl who lost her parents at a young age; she is clever, mischievous, and endearing.
Su Yan suddenly remembered something, took out the jade pendant she always carried and gave it to Banxia, "This was made for me by my son, and it hasn't been lost yet. If you ever come to Chang'an, Banxia, just bring this jade pendant to the Chang'an County Government Office to find me."
Banxia touched the jade pendant, her eyes glistening with tears, and nodded. "When I grow up, I will definitely go to Chang'an to visit Brother Su."
Su Yan affectionately ruffled Banxia's hair, "Brother Su is waiting for you..."
After saying this, he got up, bid farewell to Hua Hanyun, and embarked on his journey home.
"Dr. Hua, I will send you your medical expenses by air money after I return to Chang'an."
"These are all medicinal herbs found in the mountains, they're not worth much. It's good that you're safe. Please be careful on your journey!"
Shen Yao respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute to Hua Hanyun and said, "Doctor Hua, farewell..."
"Lord Shen, may we meet again someday..."
The sky was clear at the moment. The road back to Chang'an would pass through Pear Blossom Village. As the two of them came down from the mountain, they had just reached the entrance of the village when they noticed something was wrong.
Almost every household had a white banner hanging at their door. As a coroner, Su Yan was no stranger to such things, but this was the first time she had ever seen every household with white banners hanging.
Moreover, even in broad daylight, every household had their doors tightly shut, and the vast village was as empty as a ghost town. If it weren't for the smoke rising from the chimneys, the two would have thought they had arrived at the gates of hell.
Logically speaking, since the Great Liang Dynasty is currently peaceful and prosperous with no war, it is impossible for such a large-scale death toll to occur.
However, the possibility of an epidemic cannot be ruled out. After all, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, and even if the people below want to hide things, the people above cannot know everything.
Su Yan looked at Shen Yao, "Lord Shen, what do you think..."
Shen Yao naturally noticed something was wrong. "Let's ask about the situation first."
After saying that, Shen Yao walked towards a farmhouse, knocked on the door, and asked, "Is anyone home?"
Soon, the door opened a crack, and an old woman saw Shen Yao standing outside through the crack. With a 'bang,' she slammed the door shut before Shen Yao could speak.
Shen Yao was completely bewildered. The old woman seemed to regard him as a monster.
Seeing this, Su Yan couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
Shen Yao looked at Su Yan with a cold face and a threatening look in his eyes. Su Yan immediately pretended to be serious and said, "Lord Shen, let's not lower ourselves to the level of a country woman."
Shen Yao walked away and knocked on the doors of several more farmhouses. Unsurprisingly, before he could even open his mouth, the doors slammed shut.
Su Yan also noticed something was wrong; the villagers of Pear Blossom Village seemed to be resistant to outsiders.
Where there is something unusual, there must be something sinister.
"Lord Shen, should I go and ask?"
After suffering several losses, Shen Yao guessed that it might be because his face looked too fierce, and almost all the people who opened the door were women. It was understandable that they dared not open the door for the tall and strong Shen Yao.
Su Yan walked around and looked at the surrounding farmhouses. She chose one that didn't have a white banner hanging behind its door and knocked on the door.
"Is anyone home? We're just passing through and would like to ask for a drink of water."
After saying that, a crack appeared in the door, and a woman whose hair completely covered half of her face peeked out, sizing up Su Yan.
Who are you?
Su Yan's gaze fell on a horrifying scar beneath the hair that covered her face, but she quickly looked away. "Hello, elder sister. My surname is Su, and my name is Su Yan. This is my brother, Su Yao. We are just passing by and would like to ask for some water."
Su Yan was fair-skinned and delicate-looking, which made her more likable than Shen Yao, who had a fierce and menacing appearance.
The woman inside looked around, then quickly opened the door and let the two of them in.
Stepping into the courtyard, everything was dilapidated. There was even a large hole in the roof, and not a single decent piece of furniture. It didn't look like a habitable place.
At the doorway, there was a little boy, about five or six years old, chewing on a wooden stick, staring pitifully at Su Yan and Shen Yao.
"Sister-in-law, this child is so cute, is he your son?"
Su Yan waved to the little boy, took out the sugar pills that Lian Qiao had made for herself and handed them to him, while exchanging pleasantries with the woman, trying to subtly inquire about the situation in Pear Blossom Village.
The woman brought a ladle of water from the kitchen and handed it to Su Yan. "This is my son, his name is Tangdou. I'm sorry, we don't have any bowls at home, so he has to drink like this. Do you mind?"
Su Yan took the water ladle. "Of course I don't mind. I'm not some big shot, I don't care about those things."
"Sister-in-law, I don't see my brother. Isn't he home?"
The woman looked dejected. "They've been gone for many years, leaving only me and Tangdou to depend on each other."
"I'm sorry, sister-in-law, I didn't mean to bring up your sad memories. I have such a sharp tongue." Su Yan pretended to slap herself.
The woman smiled and said, "What does this have to do with you? It was my husband who died young. My surname is Yang, you can just call me Sister-in-law Yang."
"Sister-in-law Yang, I see that it's not easy for you to take care of your child. My brother and I don't have any money. Why don't I have my brother help you fix the roof?"
"Aren't you two brothers in a hurry to continue?"
"It's only a matter of half an incense stick's time; we can still make it on our way."
Sister-in-law Yang hesitated, but it was going to rain in a few days, and she couldn't leave the roof unrepaired.
"Then I'll have to trouble you two brothers."
Seeing that she had gained the woman's trust, Su Yan smiled and instructed Shen Yao, who was standing beside her, "Big brother, remember to be quick."
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