Chapter 140 Three Lives
The topic at the next table changed; it wasn't about why Master Chi was whipped, but whether Liao Ying should have given up the thousand-year-old Yu Dynasty pardon for the sake of her family's safety.
Sheng An frowned, his face looking rather grim: "Princess Shanmin acts so recklessly; it was a real relief that I didn't get whipped by her last time."
Even though the Chi family had declined, it was still one of the most prominent families in Pingzhou. Yet Princess Shanmin attacked them without warning.
The reason was even more outrageous: he had failed to steal the Chi family's heirloom and acted out of rage.
Considering that Princess Shanmin dared to ruin even the appearance of a young lady from a noble family, whipping Master Chi didn't seem like a big deal. Even if the news reached the capital, she wouldn't be punished.
Sheng An felt incredibly frustrated, and his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
"An'an".
Xu Jinnian held Sheng An's cold hand and felt her trembling; the worry in her eyes was unmistakable.
Sheng An took a deep breath and shook her head: "It's okay, don't worry."
How could Xu Jinnian not worry? He pursed his lips into a straight line.
An'an is not a timid person. How could Princess Shanmin make her so wary? Could it be that An'an's dream last time was some kind of warning?
Sheng An couldn't bear to see him with his brows furrowed, so she reached out and gently stroked his forehead: "Really, it's nothing. We're about to eat, so don't make me suffer from a stomachache or bloating and make me take care of you all night."
Xu Jinnian composed himself and held his wife's hand: "Hmm, I don't want to think about it anymore."
Neither of them spoke after that.
Once the waiter brought the food, he quietly picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
The chef's skills were excellent; the tofu stewed with fish head was exceptionally delicious. Sheng An, having tasted the delicious food, put aside his earlier unhappiness and focused intently on eating.
Seeing this, Xu Jinnian's appetite also improved, and he would put food in her bowl from time to time, coaxing her to eat more.
After dinner, the couple took a walk along the street to digest their food, and only returned to the inn to rest after it had completely darkened.
Over the next two days, under the guidance of Zheng Wenying, Sheng An and Xu Jinnian visited two more scenic spots with few tourists, making for a very pleasant experience.
We played until quite late that day, and by the time we got back to the city, the sun had already set.
The oxcart was still some distance from the inn when Sheng'an saw the waiter who usually waited for orders at the door every morning standing anxiously looking around on the street.
Upon spotting the oxcart where she was, he rushed towards it, his voice ringing out even before he got close: "Wenying, Wenying, hurry, hurry home! Your younger brother and sister have been trampled by a horse!"
Zheng Wenying's face changed drastically. For a moment, she forgot that she was still on the oxcart and got up to run home.
The wheel just rolled over a small pothole, and the car swayed, causing Zheng Wenying to lose her balance and fall headfirst to the ground.
"careful!"
Sheng An and Xu Jinnian acted simultaneously, grabbing Zheng Wenying from both sides and forcefully pressing him against the car, preventing him from falling and getting seriously injured.
At this moment, the waiter rushed up, panting heavily, and said urgently, "Go back quickly, you might be able to see your younger siblings one last time!"
Zheng Wenying swayed precariously, hardly believing her ears: "Brother Erniu, what... what do you mean?"
The shopkeeper couldn't bear it, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Your sister accidentally ran into the street. When your two younger brothers saw a horse coming, they rushed to save her, but they were both trampled by the horse."
What he didn't say was that the three children's injuries after being trampled by the horse were not serious, and they had a chance of recovering if they rested for a while.
However, the person on horseback was too vicious. Feeling that the three siblings had offended her, he whipped them severely with his horsewhip until they were covered in wounds and on the verge of death.
Everyone on the street witnessed this cruel scene.
A kind-hearted person went to the government office to report the incident, but to his surprise, the constables not only did not arrest the person, but also beat the person who reported the incident three times to tell him not to meddle in other people's business.
Clearly, the woman who committed the assault was no ordinary person, and even the local government dared not interfere.
After hearing what Erniu said, Zheng Wenying's vision went black, her whole body went limp, and she couldn't muster any strength at all.
Seeing this, Sheng An was worried that something might happen to him if he went home alone, so she asked the waiter anxiously, "Where does he live?"
The waiter quickly gave out Zheng's address.
Sheng An immediately said to the driver, "I'll give you ten extra coins to take us there."
The driver didn't hesitate and immediately turned around and headed towards the Zheng family's house.
The inn wasn't far from the Zheng family's house; it was just a short distance away. It was a dilapidated mud house with one wall collapsed.
Before even entering, Sheng An heard a commotion coming from inside, a mix of curses, sighs, and weeping.
Zheng Wenying, who seemed to have lost her soul the whole way, finally regained her senses when she saw the familiar dilapidated door. She staggered off the carriage and ran home.
He had only run a few steps when his legs gave way and he fell heavily to the ground.
Sheng An quickly stepped forward to help the man up, and together with Xu Jinnian, led him into the crowded and dimly lit room.
The house was filled with enthusiastic neighbors. Seeing the unfamiliar couple, no one had time to be curious; they hurriedly took Zheng Wenying and pushed her inside.
"Your siblings are still unconscious. You need to find a way to get a doctor to come and take a look!"
The three children were taken to the nearest hospital for treatment by kind-hearted people shortly after they were injured.
However, their injuries were too severe, and the doctor, seeing that the Zheng family had no money, said that even spending a lot of money might not be enough to cure them.
The meaning is quite obvious.
The kind-hearted person had no money and could not afford to take the lives of three people. Fearing that it would cause him a lot of trouble, he had no choice but to send the three children back to the Zheng family.
Zheng Wenying, his hands and feet trembling, walked to the only bed in the house. Looking at his three younger siblings, covered in wounds and barely breathing, he could no longer bear it. He collapsed to his knees with a thud, letting out a painful cry: "Ah—"
Seeing this, all the neighbors were moved to tears.
Seeing the pitiful state of the three children, Sheng An's heart sank, and he immediately asked, "Where is the nearest clinic?"
The old woman closest to her looked Sheng An up and down upon hearing this: "Young lady, you are..."
Sheng An raised her hand to interrupt her: "A life is at stake, get the child to the clinic first!"
Now everyone else heard it.
They sized up Sheng An and Xu Jinnian's clothes and realized they were well-off. Without hesitation, they stepped forward and picked up the three unconscious children.
Perhaps because their wounds were touched, the three children involuntarily let out painful groans.
Sheng An pulled Zheng Wenying, who was lost in grief and had no idea what to do, up: "Your younger brother and sister can still be saved. As their older brother, you have to pull yourself together."
Zheng Wenying's eyes, which had been like still water, finally regained a glimmer of light.
He wiped his face hard, said nothing, and quickly followed.
Sheng An looked at Xu Jinnian.
Xu Jinnian nodded, stepped forward and took her hand: "Let's go."
Since he and An'an encountered this situation, and An'an was willing to help, they decided to go all the way.
If we turn a blind eye and ignore it, given An'an's kind nature, she would probably feel uneasy.
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