"Wan... Wan Yin?" The old man's lips moved a few times, then he shook his head. "No, no, Yin'er is gone..."
Her complexion, which had just improved slightly, quickly turned ashen, and a deep sorrow spread through her.
Xiao Qingyin listened to her murmur and felt that the name Wan Yin was very familiar. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Are you talking about Yun Wan Yin?"
The old man was astonished: "How do you know her?"
“My late mother was none other than Yun Wanyin,” Xiao Qingyin replied.
The elderly man and the young man were both shocked.
"You...you're Yin'er's daughter?" The old woman's eyes instantly reddened. "I'm your maternal grandmother!"
This time, it was Xiao Qingyin's turn to be shocked.
But she quickly came to her senses. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's find somewhere to sit down."
The two nodded.
Xiao Qingyin and the young man helped the old man out of the encirclement. There was a restaurant across the street, and Xiao Qingyin suggested, "Let's eat and chat."
A hint of unease flashed across the young man's face. The old man patted Xiao Qingyin's hand and pointed to a teahouse not far away, saying, "That's fine."
"This is my first time visiting the capital, and I haven't tried any of the local restaurants yet. Please keep me company," Xiao Qingyin said with a smile.
The old man immediately looked distressed and said, "Alright, let's go to the restaurant then."
Xiao Qingyin helped her cross the street when she suddenly noticed something. She looked up and saw only an open window on the second floor of the restaurant. She looked away in confusion.
In the private room on the second floor, a young man with an open chest and a carefree demeanor picked up a white jade wine pot, poured two cups of wine, and said ambiguously to the young man sitting opposite him wearing a ferocious mask, "Has the thousand-year-old iron tree blossomed? Staring at that girl for so long."
Yi Shui glanced at him coldly, "That's my fiancée."
"So she's your fiancée. Wait, fian... fian what?" Ouyang Xiuqi almost spat out his drink. "When did you get a fiancée?"
"One month ago."
"That arranged marriage?" Ouyang Xiuqi asked in surprise. "Weren't you unwilling and wanted your uncle to rescind the order?" How come you're suddenly referring to her as your fiancée?
Yi Shuihan remained silent.
That was indeed what he originally thought. His uncle, seeing that he was still unmarried, started to play matchmaker. He hadn't even remembered what Minister Xiao's daughter looked like, so how could he possibly agree to marry her?
However, upon returning to the capital, he learned that the Xiao family had actually pulled a trick, replacing him with their eldest daughter, who had grown up in the countryside.
This eldest daughter was quite peculiar. She grew up relying on her wet nurse, yet she possessed extraordinary medical skills. She not only easily stopped her mother's asthma but could also save an elderly person whose heart had stopped beating.
It's too much of a coincidence that he happened to witness both rescues.
Yi Shuihan suspected that this woman was likely not Xiao Shengyuan's eldest daughter, but a spy who had taken her place.
He didn't yet understand her purpose, but he was certain it was aimed at him. So he temporarily abandoned the idea of breaking off the engagement and wanted to see what this woman was up to.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Ouyang Xiuqi thought that he was embarrassed because he had guessed his thoughts, so he laughed loudly: "I never thought that even the living devil would have a day when he falls in love. This Miss Xiao is really capable. I must meet her if I have the chance."
Yi Shuihan's eyes darkened. "Stay away from her!"
Since ancient times, medicine and poison have been inseparable. This woman's medical skills are so good, who knows how many poisons she has mastered.
He had been careless when he went to the bandit stronghold to investigate, which is why he fell for the Entangling Silk Spell and almost... Thinking of that female hooligan who dared to flirt with him, Yi Shuihan's face turned icy cold.
"No way, he's already jealous?" Ouyang Xiuqi teased. "Our living Yama is actually a jealous person."
He was determined to learn from this Miss Xiao how she had won over Yi Shuihan.
Yi Shuihan: "..."
Oh well, it's none of my business if this guy's courting death. Hopefully, I'll be able to collect his corpse in time.
...
"Have some soup first to warm yourself up."
In the next private room, Xiao Qingyin served a bowl of soup to Madam Han. While waiting for the food, she learned from the two people that they were the original owner's maternal grandmother and cousin.
Fifteen years ago, all the able-bodied men of the Yun family died in battle, leaving behind only Han Shi and her widows, five-year-old Yun Zhao, and the newborn Yun Shu. After being stripped of their titles and their property confiscated, Han Shi sent all her daughters-in-law who could return to their maternal homes back home.
Of the rest, some remarried or died of illness over the years, leaving only Han Shi, Yun Zhao, and Yun Shu in the once-great Yun family.
“When your mother left, the Yun family was in chaos, and I couldn’t take care of you. By the time things settled down, you had already been sent away. I wanted to find someone to bring you back, but the family’s situation wasn’t good either, and I was afraid you would suffer if you went with her…”
As Han spoke, tears streamed down her face.
Xiao Qingyin handed him the handkerchief and gently comforted him, "I understand. I've missed you a lot these past years, but I just can't come back..."
The original owner missed her maternal grandmother, but she was illiterate and could not write letters. She and her wet nurse, two weak women, did not have enough money or courage to travel, so they were separated for so many years.
After the three finished lunch, Xiao Qingyin gave Han a thorough diagnosis, got medicine from the pharmacy, and then called a carriage to take them home.
Before getting into the car, Yun Zhao said apologetically, "Cousin, our place is a bit messy. Why don't you go home first? Grandma and I can go back."
Xiao Qingyin shook her head, "Cousin, don't worry, I'm capable of protecting myself."
"but……"
"Doesn't my cousin welcome my visit?"
Xiao Qingyin feigned anger.
Yun Zhao couldn't argue with her, so he had no choice but to agree, repeatedly reminding her: "There are a lot of thugs and thugs in that area, so you must be careful and don't get separated from others."
Xiao Qingyin already knew from the two men's patched clothes that the Yun family was in poor condition, but she was still surprised when she saw their living environment.
It wasn't far from the main street where the restaurant was located, just a few blocks away, but there wasn't a single decent building. All the buildings were makeshift shacks made of wood and thatch. Anyone could tell at a glance that this was a slum in the capital.
Sewage flowed everywhere, and rotten vegetable leaves, eggshells, and chicken and duck feathers were everywhere. When the wind blew, filth filled the air.
Yun Zhao blushed with embarrassment, but Xiao Qingyin seemed not to see anything. She didn't care that her embroidered shoes were covered in mud, and she was focused on helping Han Shi walk.
Around the corner, she encountered several skinny men who looked like thugs. Upon seeing Xiao Qingyin, they immediately surrounded her.
"Oh, Mr. Yun, you're quite the lucky one, bringing back such a beautiful woman."
"Get out!" Yun Zhao shouted angrily.
"You've got some nerve, talking to your brother-in-law's brothers like that," one of them laughed. "Looks like you're planning to give us the beauty in return."
Brother-in-law? Xiao Qingyin was stunned. Had her cousin Yun married a hoodlum? The next moment, she heard a pig-like scream.
A round, chubby figure roared as it broke through the wooden wall, crashing heavily to the ground and creating a dent. Its head lolled to the side, and it fell silent.
The thugs were terrified and rushed over, shouting, "Boss!"
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