Encountering bandits
Su Yuewei sobbed, "Sister, after you left, Father and Mother used the money to treat my brother's illness."
“They knew that the doctors in the capital were more skilled, so they took all their money and took my brother and me to the capital.”
"But we encountered an incompetent doctor, and my brother's illness got worse and worse with treatment."
"The money kept increasing, and in the end, my younger brother..."
Su Yuexing couldn't believe her ears. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she asked in a trembling voice, "What happened?"
"My brother...my brother is gone."
Su Yuexing felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and all her strength was drained from her body.
"Xiao Bao!" Su Yuexing collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face.
"Why?" Su Yuexing asked, looking up at the sky, unwilling to accept it.
Su Yuewei continued, "Mother also fell ill with depression and is lying in bed. Father drinks every day and doesn't care about the family."
"I can only go up the mountain to hunt, just like my sister did, and take on the burden of the family."
Su Yuexing stroked Su Yuewei's head and said, "Weiwei."
Seeing her frail younger sister shoulder such a heavy responsibility all by herself, Su Yuexing felt a pang of heartache.
The two arrived home together, and before they even stepped inside, they heard the mother coughing.
Su Yuewei ran inside and exclaimed with a smile, "Mom, look who's here!"
Madam Su looked up and saw Su Yuexing standing at the door. "Mother, I'm back."
Instead of the expected joy, Madam Su looked panicked and asked, "Xing'er, why are you back?"
"If the Li family finds out, we're finished! You need to go back now!" Madam Su urged her anxiously.
Su Yuexing stepped forward, took her hand, and said, "Mother!"
Seeing that her mother looked much thinner than the last time she saw her, she said with heartache, "Mother, so many things have happened at home, why didn't you send someone to tell me?"
"Cough cough cough!" Su Shi coughed uncontrollably due to her excitement.
She said weakly, "What's the use of telling you? You've already cut ties with us!"
"It's all my and your father's fault for misjudging people, which led to Xiaobao..." she choked up.
Su Yuexing asked, "Who is that doctor? When I go to the capital, I will definitely seek justice!"
Madam Su shook her head and said, "Child, you can't beat her. This first lady is known as the Divine Physician."
"The nobles in the palace often sought his medical help, even the Emperor consulted him. Your father and I..."
Seeing her mother hesitate, Su Yuexing asked, "Through what?"
Madam Su glanced at Su Yuexing, thinking that Xing'er and Liu Jin were not destined to be together, and said, "It was through Liu Jin's connection that this Doctor Sai was able to treat Xiaobao."
Su Yuexing frowned slightly and said, "Brother Liu."
Madam Su continued, "He is now the imperial son-in-law."
Su Yuexing exclaimed in shock, "The Prince Consort!"
Madam Su nodded and said, "Yes, a few days ago, he sent someone to bring his mother to the capital to live."
Su Yuexing couldn't help but feel bitter, after all, he was someone she once liked.
Su continued, "But... Xiao Bao's condition is getting worse and worse."
"And that doctor told us that he had done his best..." Recalling everything that happened in the capital, she felt heartbroken and shed tears.
Su Yuexing clenched her fist. The capital! Doctor Sai! I'm going to the capital to find this Doctor Sai! She made up her mind.
Madam Su wiped away her tears and urged, "Xing'er, you should go back quickly, it won't be good if someone sees you."
Su Yuexing glanced at the sky; she had been out long enough, and it was about time to go back.
As I walked to the door, I ran into Su Shi, who was walking towards me. He was reeking of alcohol, drunk, and his eyes were half-closed as he looked at the person in front of him.
"Yuexing?" he mumbled, still half asleep.
“Father,” Su Yuexing called out.
Su Shi grabbed her and said, "You've come at the right time. Give your father some money; he wants to buy some wine." He then let out a burp.
Su Yuexing frowned and took out some loose silver from her pocket. "Father, this is all I have."
Su Shi snatched the bag from her hands and put it in his own arms, saying, "Why did you suddenly come back?"
He held his hands tightly to his chest, as if afraid she would snatch it back.
Su Yuexing explained, "I came back to see you all."
Su Shi said drunkenly, "Don't let the Li family find out, or your mother, your sister, and I won't be able to survive."
Li Jinghe sat on the ground with a fire burning in front of him, and the wild rabbit in his hand emitted a fragrant aroma.
He looked worried. Why hadn't she come back yet?
Xie Xuanye returned with a pile of prey in his hands, including rabbits, birds, and a deer, and threw the items on the ground.
"Where is Su Yuexing?" he asked.
Li Jinghe flipped the rabbit over and asked, "She hasn't come back yet?"
Seeing that there were no other animals around him, Xie Xuanye asked in surprise, "Could it be that she only hunted these two rabbits and never came back?"
Li Jinghe remained silent.
Dongyang said, "Could it be that the young mistress has encountered some danger, which is why she hasn't returned?" This was exactly what Li Jinghe was worried about.
Xie Xuanye said, "It shouldn't be. I've walked around here for a while and haven't seen any trace of large animals."
"I guess she's afraid of losing to me, so she's been looking for prey."
Li Jinghe frowned and said, "You two, search the area."
Dongyang and Xie Xuanye nodded and said, "Yes."
The sun is slowly setting in the west, casting long shadows on the trees.
Su Yuexing spent too much time running wildly in the mountains and wasted too much time at home; she no longer had time to go hunting.
So be it if we lose. We've already achieved our goal of coming out today.
"Ah!" She tripped over a tree branch while running too fast and got some mud on her body.
Su Yuexing felt some pain in her knees. She rolled up her trouser legs, and her knees were already red and swollen.
She rubbed her hands; there wasn't enough time, she had to hurry back.
She didn't care about anything else and kept running.
Dongyang and Xie Xuanye returned one after the other, both shaking their heads and saying they had not found Su Yuexing.
Li Jinghe's eyes were dark, and his brows were furrowed.
Xie Xuanye said, "Jinghe, don't worry, I'll go find my friends to help." He then turned to leave.
Upon seeing what was behind Li Jinghe, Dongyang exclaimed excitedly, "Young Madam!"
Su Yuexing walked over, looked at them, and said, "Sorry I'm late."
"Young Madam, what happened to you?" Dongyang asked.
Su Yuexing looked at the mud on her body and explained, "I accidentally tripped and fell."
Xie Xuanye circled her around and asked, "Where is your prey?"
Su Yuexing spread her hands and said sincerely, "No."
Xie Xuanye exclaimed in surprise, "No way! Didn't you swear at the beginning that you would beat me?"
"Now you..."
Su Yuexing sighed and said, "You have to accept your loss. Carry him home, right? I agree." She then bent down to pick up Li Jinghe.
Li Jinghe reached out and handed the roasted rabbit to her, saying, "You've had a long day, have something to eat first."
Su Yuexing paused, smelled the aroma, and her stomach rumbled.
She sat on the ground with an embarrassed expression. Li Jinghe tore off a piece of rabbit meat and gave it to her, then divided the rest of the meat among Xie Xuanye and Dongyang.
The group gathered around the fire and ate. Su Yuexing exclaimed that Li Jinghe had cooked the wild rabbit very well this time.
After they finished eating, they went down the mountain together. By then it was completely dark. Xie Xuanye rolled his eyes and said, "I'm going to see a friend, so I won't be going back to the Li residence with you."
"Jinghe, lend me your men and move all the prey to my friend's place."
Jinghe, you should thank me for giving you two some time alone, he thought to himself.
Li Jinghe looked up at him and said, "Okay."
Xie Xuanye said to Su Yuexing, "Jinghe, I'll trouble you to take him home."
She nodded to Li Jinghe, and Xie Xuanye led Dongyang in a different direction from them.
Su Yuexing carried Li Jinghe on her back as they walked down the road, the moonlight casting long shadows of the two of them.
"Where do you live?" Li Jinghe asked.
Su Yuexing frowned slightly. Why would he suddenly ask about her place of residence?
Did he discover something?
“I live in Xikou Village,” she replied.
"Who else is in your family?" he asked.
Su Yuexing paused, then asked, "Why are you suddenly asking about these things?"
Li Jinghe noticed that something was wrong with her mood and said, "Is it too much for a husband to ask about his wife's family situation?"
Su Yuexing fought back her tears and said, "It's not excessive, but I don't want to talk about it right now." She continued walking.
When the bandits on the mountain saw the two approaching, Cai Zhicai, the leader, asked his men, "Is it them?"
Xu Mingwen, one of his subordinates, said respectfully, "We've been guarding here all day, and only they match what the employer described: the man is wearing black clothes and is physically weak."
"The woman is wearing a blue dress. Brother, look, isn't that why the man is being carried by the woman because he's not feeling well?"
Cai Zhicai nodded, agreeing with what he said.
“Tell the brothers, the prey is here!” he laughed.
"Yes, brother!" Xu Mingwen replied.
Li Jinghe, sensing that someone was watching them from the shadows, said, "Wait a moment."
Su Yuexing stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"
Li Jinghe looked around warily and said, "Something's not right."
Xu Mingwen, who was hiding on the mountain, asked, "Brother, why did they stop going forward?"
"Did they discover something?"
Cai Zhicai smirked and said, "If they won't leave, we will!"
"Brothers! Charge!" he commanded. His men all rushed down the mountain.
When Su Yuexing saw so many bandits, she was so frightened that she immediately ran back.
How could there suddenly be bandits here?
Li Jinghe, who was on her back, said, "Put me down."
Su Yuexing refused, saying, "No."
Li Jinghe was surprised by her actions and asked, "Why?"
Su Yuexing quickened her pace, the pain in her legs making her grit her teeth, and said, "If I leave you behind, you'll definitely die, but if I run with you, there's still a chance of survival!"
Li Jinghe glanced back at them; the bandits were about to surround them.
He hesitated, wondering whether he should let the hidden guards out.
But at the same time, he was puzzled, as he had not heard of any bandits in the vicinity.
Rather than killing them, he wanted to know if someone was behind them.
The four people, Feng Hua Xue Yue, who were hiding in the shadows, looked at each other, hesitating whether to help their master.
The leader of the group said, "Let's wait for the master's orders. Don't act on your own."
The other three nodded and continued to observe what was below.
The bandits had already surrounded Su Yuexing and her companions. "You're quite a loyal and righteous woman. You didn't abandon the man on your back in this critical moment," Cai Zhicai remarked.
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