004
While feeding Xie Sui'an medicine in the inner room, Jin Yun chatted: "I already said that the roast meat stall is not clean, but those two outside are still discussing going to eat there. Are they stupid?"
Young Master Xie, however, had a different opinion. He suddenly remembered something and asked, "When we were eating meat yesterday, did we leave at any point?"
Jinyun paused, then suddenly realized, "Oh right, a boat came by on the river. The person on board had a monkey. When the boatman stopped at the riverbank to chat with the stall owner, the monkey jumped onto the railing. Young master saw it and was pleased, so he went to tease the monkey..." He suddenly widened his eyes, "Young master means... someone put poison in your meat?! But our trip was secretive, no one knew our whereabouts, and we didn't offend anyone..." As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, his mouth opening and closing for a long time before he finally stammered, "No way... that rogue the other day..."
He pouted and complained, "I told you not to mess with the local bullies. Why did you meddle in their business, young master? Do you think that young lady outside looks like someone who can be bullied? Now look what happened, she's been ambushed for nothing."
Xie Sui'an took a small sip of the medicine and said, "Bring that girl in, I want to ask her."
Jinyun put down the remaining half bowl of medicine, and when she pulled back the curtain to come out, she saw that the outer hall had been almost cleaned up, and Qin Sang was arranging the medicine at the counter.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw a familiar face peeking furtively outside the clinic—
It's like finding a needle in a haystack without even looking for it! Who else could it be but that scoundrel?
Yang Wenhao chuckled and lifted his robe as he stepped onto the stairs: "Sangsang is here today too, what a coincidence."
Qin Sang ignored him and turned her back to continue organizing the medicine cabinet.
Tang Zian greeted him politely and warmly: "Young Master Yang, are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Yang Wenhao placed his hand on the counter, revealing his slender wrist, but his gaze was fixed on Qin Sang. He frowned and said, "I don't know what's wrong with me lately, but my heart is aching terribly. I'm afraid I've... contracted some kind of lovesickness."
Tang Zian's hand had only extended halfway when he heard this and stopped in mid-air. He knew that Yang Wenhao was looking at Qin Sang, so he moved slightly to block his view and smiled, "A heartache is no small matter. Come, Young Master Yang, sit here and let me take a closer look."
Yang Wenhao suddenly withdrew his hand: "Hey, no need for that. My chest hurt terribly yesterday, but it seems much better today." He grinned mischievously, "Probably because I did something good last night. Sangsang... Sangsang, do you want to hear what good thing I did?"
Qin Sang ignored him, but he continued on his own, "Last night I punished a shameless hooligan! Hmph, a merchant's son who runs wild everywhere, dared to be so arrogant and go against me, he deserved to suffer!"
At this moment, Qin Sang suddenly threw off her handkerchief and came out from behind the counter. She stretched out two fingers, grabbed Yang Wenhao's collar, and pulled him out.
Yang Wenhao, however, was still smiling: "Oh dear, men and women shouldn't touch each other, Sangsang, good Sangsang, don't be so rude, or people will gossip about you..."
With a cold face, Qin Sang pulled him to a corner under the eaves and then cornered him with a wall slam, saying with a half-smile, "Yang Xiaolang, please do me a favor."
When Yang Wenhao saw Qin Sang's face so close to his eyes, and could almost smell her faint fragrance, his heart melted. How could he possibly refuse?
He was so nervous that he stammered, "Wha...what kind of help?"
Qin Sang said calmly, "Recently, a manager surnamed Li has come to the city and has been acquiring tea gardens everywhere. I heard that he comes from Yu Yun Xuan in Quzhou. Could you help me find out who his boss is and what his background is?"
Yang Wenhao repeated, "Yu Yunxuan?"
Qin Sang raised an eyebrow: "You know?"
Yang Wenhao shook his head: "I don't know. But... I seem to have heard of it."
Qin Sang withdrew her hand with satisfaction, immediately changing to a gentle and charming demeanor. She patted Yang Wenhao's shoulder with her fingertips: "Have you heard of him? That's great, then I'll thank you in advance, Young Master Yang!"
Yang Wenhao clutched his pounding chest, and only reacted after Qin Sang had climbed back up the steps: "Of course I'll help you, Sangsang's affairs are my affairs, but..." He chuckled, "What benefits will I get for helping you?"
Qin Sang smiled gently: "You'll see the benefits when the time comes. What, you won't help me if there's no benefit?"
Yang Wenhao shook his head: "...No, no..."
"Well, let's find out first." Qin Sang smiled again, turned around and went back to the clinic.
Just as Qin Sang pulled Yang Wenhao away, Jin Yun, who was standing at the door of the back hall, shrank back halfway and whispered in his master's ear, "Young Master guessed right, it really was that kid who did it the other day!" He said indignantly, "Young Master, what are your orders? Should we break one of his arms or his leg?!"
Xie Suian also heard Yang Wenhao's arrogant words, but he protected his abdomen with one hand and covered half of his face with the other, chuckling to himself. He thought to himself that this man was quite capable, daring to plot against him, and it seemed that he had even inquired about his background to find out who he was, the son of a merchant? Xie Suian had indeed been claiming to be from a merchant family while he was away on business, and his dashing appearance must have been quite eye-catching, which was why Yang Wenhao had found out so easily.
He rubbed his stomach: "No rush. What's the point of dismembering his arms and legs? I'll give him a taste of his own medicine. Go and follow him quietly."
Jinyun had been fighting with his young master in the streets and alleys of Kyoto since he was a child, and often did things like stalking, ambushing, and trapping people. He understood Xie Sui'an's meaning, so he immediately nodded and watched as the scoundrel outside finally left reluctantly before following him out as if nothing had happened.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to tell Qin Sang, whom he was entrusting his young master to: "Young master's clothes are dirty. I'll go buy him some new clothes to change into. Please trouble the doctor to take care of him."
Qin Sang had no objection; after all, it was her patient, so it was only right that she take care of her. She casually agreed.
After finishing her work, she went to the back room to check on Xie Sui'an.
Seeing that the medicine bowl was empty, and that Xie Sui'an had neither vomited nor complained of stomach pain, she placed her hand on Xie Sui'an's forehead and instinctively felt the fever begin to subside slowly, and his breathing became more even. She breathed a slight sigh of relief, then went to get another prescription and instructed the maid to prepare it.
Meanwhile, Jinyun came out of the clinic and followed Yang Wenhao for half a day. He saw that Yang Wenhao was either beckoning a cat by the roadside or teasing a dog under the bridge. He felt that this man was even more idle and good-for-nothing than his own young master. He was a real good-for-nothing.
Later, the rich young master finally got tired of shopping and turned into a teahouse. Faint stories could be heard coming from inside. The male prostitute at the door knew him very well and warmly welcomed him in.
Jinyun followed him in and saw that he was led to the front row of the audience, so he found an inconspicuous seat to sit down.
Originally, I was just keeping watch, but I gradually became more and more engrossed in the storyteller on stage. Upon closer listening, I realized that the storyteller was telling the story of the Prime Minister and his wife.
Now, it is said that Lady Tian Zhiyun, wife of Prime Minister Xie, was born into a wealthy family. Her family owned thousands of acres of fertile land and was extremely rich. Their house was spacious and luxurious, and they had many servants to maintain and manage it. The current Prime Minister Xie Zhongxu was one of the many servants in the Tian family at that time. However, because Prime Minister Xie Zhongxu showed a talent for reading and writing from a young age, the old master arranged for him to be the young master's study companion.
Who would have thought that the young master, despite having only read a few books, managed to pass the provincial examination with the help of the prime minister and become a scholar.
Young children don't have a deep understanding of social class. At that time, Miss Tian thought this boy was handsome, kind, and diligent in his studies, which was very different from other spoiled young men. So, she fell in love with him without knowing why.
When she reached marriageable age, Miss Tian refused to marry anyone else and even threatened to commit suicide.
If the daughter of a wealthy family fell in love with the son of a servant, it would be a laughing stock if word got out, so how could the head of the family allow it?
Unfortunately, the young man was experiencing love for the first time, and nothing could sway him. Seeing that the two were truly in love and that Xie Zhongxu was indeed quite talented, the old man reluctantly agreed, waving his sleeves.
Although she agreed, the relationship between father and daughter was damaged. When Madam Xie married Prime Minister Xie, she received no dowry. She and the Prime Minister built a thatched hut by the farm and began to live a life of hardship, falling from heaven to earth.
The parents-in-law were originally servants of the Tian family, and their lives were fairly decent. But how could the parents-in-law of the in-laws be servants to their own family? So, because of the young couple's marriage, they lost their livelihood.
At first, the mother-in-law treated Miss Tian with great courtesy, hoping that Old Master Tian would soften his heart and at least allocate some land to them to make a living. But after a year or two, the Tian family acted as if they had no daughter at all, ignoring her completely.
Finally, the mother-in-law lost her patience. The harder life got for the family, the more she took her anger out on her daughter-in-law. Poor young lady, who had lived a life of luxury, had to wash clothes in winter, work in the fields in summer, and even cut pig feed while heavily pregnant. Before she knew it, they had lost their first child.
After enduring five years of hardship, Prime Minister Xie lived up to expectations, successfully passing both the provincial and palace examinations and becoming the third-ranked scholar!
A young scholar born into a poor family, with no connections or background, how sought-after would he be?
Back then, when he was still an unknown prince, he had considered betrothing his cousin to him.
However, Prime Minister Xie pretended to be stupid and took his wife and children to tour the capital without saying a word. This made all the high-ranking officials and wealthy families scold him for having a blockhead. As a result, the Prime Minister was demoted to a local post. After struggling for many years, he was able to rise back to the capital step by step based on his outstanding political achievements.
Not only was Prime Minister Xie exceptionally capable, but he was also of noble character. His integrity in remaining faithful to his wife despite poverty and hardship moved the late emperor, which finally led to the peaceful reign of the wise and virtuous prime minister we have today!
After the book was finished, cheers and applause erupted in the teahouse. Jinyun clapped with particular enthusiasm, muttering to himself with a touch of pride, "My Prime Minister is the best!"
Just then, someone shouted, "What use is a wise minister? He's still a corrupt official! Once people climb to a high position, all their benevolence and morality are fake. Only you people believe he's honest. If he were truly honest, he should live in a thatched hut, wear straw sandals, and seek justice for the people! Why does he still live in that grand mansion, disregarding the lives of the common people below?!"
Before Jinyun could speak, someone whispered, "Scholar Cao, what's wrong with you now? Publicly slandering the Prime Minister, are you out of your mind?"
Scholar Cao, sitting not far from Jinyun, turned back with a grin to the person trying to persuade him, and chuckled, "Am I crazy? Hehe, how do you know I'm crazy? You're not crazy, so how do you know I'm crazy? Are you crazy too? Hahaha... How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan? You... you're all frogs in a well, frogs in a well..."
Jinyun wanted to reprimand him, but he smelled a strong odor of alcohol from afar. He frowned and shut his mouth, too lazy to pursue the matter with the drunkard.
At this moment, he finally remembered his mission. When he looked up at the front row, Yang Wenhao was still chatting happily with someone and showed no signs of leaving.
Worried about his young master, he got up and turned back.
Back at the clinic, Tang Zian was seeing patients in the front hall. There were only one patient. Jinyun lifted the curtain and went to the back hall, where he saw Qin Sang sitting on a chair next to her young master's bed, holding a book and already dozing off, snoring softly.
Just as he was about to speak, Xie Sui'an put his index finger to his lips.
Jinyun could only lower her voice and whisper, "Why does a young lady snore in her sleep..." Before she could finish speaking, she was beaten up by her young master.
Qin Sang suddenly woke up and, seeing that Jin Yun's hands were empty, asked, "Where are the clothes you bought?"
"Ah... I couldn't find a shop." Jinyun reacted quickly.
Qin Sang nodded and stood up: "Then you take care of him. His fever has subsided. He can take his medicine again in an hour, and then you can take him back to rest."
Jinyun made way for her, and only after she had left did he rub his arm and complain, "Young Master seems to be really well now, he has so much strength to hit people... Young Master?... Young Master?... Young Master, why are you staring at him like that?!"
Xie Sui'an stared at Qin Sang's retreating figure until she disappeared from sight, before finally saying with lingering satisfaction, "Beautiful..."
Jinyun: "Even if someone is pretty, you can't just stare at them! That's so rude! Oh!..." He got another slap on the arm.
Xie Sui'an lay back down, propped up on his arms, and crossed his legs: "How was it? Were you following us?"
Jinyun, having been beaten, deliberately didn't want to answer so quickly. When Xie Sui'an turned to look at him, he said, "How about He? He seems to like going to a teahouse to listen to storytelling. He sat there for a long time without moving his butt."
"What book?"
Jinyun got excited when the topic came up: "What a coincidence, we're still talking about the master and the old lady."
"grandfather?"
"That's right, speaking of the old lady when she was young..."
"It's boring," Xie Sui'an interrupted him, shaking his leg. "I'm tired of hearing it over and over again. There are all sorts of embellishments and exaggerations. He still likes to listen to this? It's so old-fashioned. It's not even as good as the Monkey King vs. the White Bone Demon."
Seeing how energetic he was, Jinyun pouted and said, "Young master, it looks like you're all better now."
“There’s one more thing,” Xie Sui’an said, staring at the ceiling and suddenly laughing, “We have to thank Miss Sang Sang for her excellent medical skills.”
Seeing him laugh like that, Jinyun suddenly understood something and became nervous: "Young master, why are you laughing like that? Don't scare me."
Xie Sui'an clicked his tongue: "What nonsense are you talking about? How did I scare you?"
Jinyun honestly said, "You look so lovesick with that expression..."
Xie Sui'an smiled and said, "A beautiful woman is sought after by a gentleman... What's wrong with being a fangirl? When I meet a beautiful woman, can't I even admire her? Besides, from now on, she is my savior."
"Please spare me, my good sir! You must only admire me and not have any other wicked thoughts. My lady is arranging a marriage for you..."
The mere mention of blind dates irritated Xie, and his smile vanished instantly: "My stomach hurts again. Go find Sangsang to come and take a look at me."
"..." Jinyun felt like banging his head against a wall and dying.
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