Chapter 37 Double Enchantment (Seventeen) She stared at him, unconsciously captivated. ...
As the sun was setting, Yu Qi crossed the bridge and arrived at Taicang Street. Before he could find Ping'an Lane, he saw two constables leading a young girl across the street. He overheard passersby saying that she was the murderer of Lin Mo. He turned to look at the girl again. She was short and thin. How could such a frail woman kill a grown man? It truly proved the saying, "Even a rabbit will bite when cornered."
A little further on, they saw Jiu Li and his two companions under a teahouse. They must have just caught the murderer and were resting there. Jiu Li's eyes were looking around excitedly. "This is the first time I've ever sat in a teahouse on the street. I wonder if they have any tea or snacks."
Xu Bai sat with his back turned, his voice relaxed and pleasant. "Suzhou is a major commercial center and a tea-producing region. There are tea shops everywhere on the streets. How could this be the first time?"
She leaned closer and lowered her voice, "My uncle said that food on the street is not clean, and that doctors are all a bit too clean. Actually, he wasn't like this when he was young. Before we went back to our hometown, I remember he would take me to eat at the roadside stalls. Back then, he would pick up food that fell on the ground and eat it. It was because we were short of money back then."
Xu Bai looked at her and smiled, "Before you went back to your hometown? Didn't you always live in the countryside near Suzhou?"
"She was referring to the time when she left home with her master to practice medicine in her early years," Du Zhong suddenly interrupted with a chuckle. "Hey, why isn't the tea served yet?"
Jiuli glanced at him, realizing she had almost let something slip. She straightened up and turned to look at the elderly couple bustling about behind the stove.
Seeing that the two of them remained somewhat wary of questions about family background, Xu Bai didn't press them further. Glancing down at Jiu Li's feet with a smile, he changed the subject, "You've been busy all day, are your feet alright?"
Suddenly a cold voice came from behind, "After jumping around on crutches for half a day, even if the injured foot isn't serious, the healthy one must have been damaged by jumping too much."
The three were startled. Xu Bai turned around and saw Yu Qi standing behind him with a livid face. He looked like a frivolous scholar who had abducted someone's daughter. Xu Bai felt guilty and awkward, so he quickly stood up and bowed.
Yu Qi glanced at him indifferently before his gaze fell on Jiu Li. "I think we should break your leg too. Only then will you feel at ease."
Jiuli bit her lip, smiled nervously and fearfully, and hurriedly pulled aside the bench next to her, her face full of flattery, "Uncle, how did you find this place? Please sit down! You must be thirsty from your journey, right? Here, we just ordered a pot of tea, please have a cup too."
As soon as he finished speaking, the elderly couple brought in tea. On the tea tray on the table were several blue-and-white porcelain cups, their bodies and glazes rough, their designs crow-like, and some tea stains inside that couldn't be washed off. Yu Qi looked up from his cup at Xu Bai across from him, "Lord Qi comes from a distinguished family, and the items used in your residence must all be exquisite. How could you be accustomed to such coarse and simple things from the marketplace?"
Xu Bai smiled and said, "Those who plan great things should not be concerned with trifles. I hope you will forgive my rudeness."
As Yu Qi rinsed a cup with tea, he smiled with his head down, "I wonder what you consider important matters and what you consider trivial matters?"
"The nation's well-being and the people's livelihood should be the top priority, while personal safety is secondary."
"Lord Qi is young and holds a low-ranking position, yet he understands many principles of important and virtuous officials." He handed the washed cups to Jiu Li and Du Zhong, but did not eat himself. Instead, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. "Life is one's own. One's own safety is one's own responsibility, but what about the safety of others? Can one disregard it?"
This "other person" naturally refers to Jiu Li, leaving Xu Bai speechless and lowering his head.
Upon hearing this, Jiuli quickly took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and shook the wrist that was on his hand. "Uncle, I insisted on coming out myself, so don't blame Xu Bai. I didn't come out for nothing either; we found the real culprit who killed Lin Mo, and he was just taken to the yamen."
Yu Qi glanced at her angrily, "I saw it."
"You saw it?" Jiu Li's expression turned slightly fierce. "It was a young girl, even younger than me. How could she dare to kill someone if she wasn't driven to desperation? Lin Mo raped her first! A person like that deserves to die a hundred times over! Xu Bai promised me that he would discuss with Lord Wang how to determine the appropriate punishment for that girl."
As she spoke, her expression fell again. "It's really pitiful. She has no other relatives, only a paralyzed and sick old man. She's kept this from him even though such a big thing happened. I just saw him; his illness is quite complicated, and I couldn't figure out the cause. Since you're here, would you mind taking a look at him? Ah?"
Yu Qi chuckled softly, "After examining him, shouldn't we prescribe a medicine for him and get some more from our shop? Since he's paralyzed and has no family, there's naturally no one to take care of him. Should we bring him to our house and buy two maids to serve him?"
She laughed, "Okay, okay!"
Yu Qi's smile vanished, and he ruthlessly pulled his wrist away. "Hmph, you're meddling in too many things. If you don't take care of yourself, you'll probably become a cripple too!"
She frowned and mumbled something under her breath. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but he could guess she was complaining about his lack of compassion. He didn't take it seriously, and after she took a sip of tea, he stood up. "You've had your tea, aren't you going back?"
Du Zhong quickly stood up, turned around and helped Jiu Li up, gave the horse he had ridden to Yu Qi, and got into the carriage with Jiu Li.
Upon returning to Liyuan, Xu Bai was worried about Jiu Li's feet and wanted to follow him to the other room, but he had to say goodbye at the fork in the road because of Yu Qi's cold and hard face, and went back to his room by himself.
Yu Qi turned around and saw that Jiu Li was hopping and skipping very slowly, so he simply took the crutch and handed it to Du Zhong, then picked her up in his arms.
Jiuli had been held by two different men that day, and her feelings were somewhat different. When she was held by Xu Bai, she felt surprised and shy, which was a kind of novelty. But in Yu Qi's arms, hearing the strength of his heartbeat, she could also feel her own heart contracting in waves with his breath. This feeling was particularly novel, as if this heart had grown its own thoughts and was no longer her own.
After dinner, Jiuli knelt on the couch and opened the window. The wind was gentle and warm. She raised her hand to block the strong light and chased after the sun. The sun had long since sunk behind the eaves of the houses across the way. The setting sun was sinking in the west. Suddenly, she saw Rouge coming with a bundle on her arm.
Upon inquiring, she learned that her family had hired a sedan chair to pick her up. Jiuli, realizing that her so-called family was actually a brothel madam, felt a pang of sorrow. She quickly invited her to sit and offered her tea, saying, "When you return to the brothel, will you continue with your previous livelihood?"
Rouge looked at her tightly bound foot and laughed, "Your back injury hasn't fully healed yet, how come you've made yourself stand on one leg again? The Qi family is a scholarly family, they must value whether the daughter is dignified and virtuous when choosing a wife. Aren't you afraid that they won't like you with your headstrong personality?"
Jiuli blushed at her words, "I never said I wanted to be the grandmother of the Qi family, so who cares about whether I like it or not."
“You spend all your time with that Master Qi, and you still say you don’t want to? What are you ashamed of? There’s only the two of us in this room, no one else.”
"I was just helping him investigate the case." Jiu Li didn't want to dwell on this unfounded speculation, so she quickly changed the subject. "By the way, if you're leaving, has the yamen agreed to release him?"
She nodded. "In the afternoon, Constable Zhang told everyone that the real culprits in both murder cases had been caught, and those who had recovered could go home. I asked someone to pass on the message to my mother, and she immediately hired a sedan chair to pick me up. She's waiting outside the garden now."
Jiuli couldn't help but worry for her, "I've heard that madams are all heartless. They're rushing to take you there because they can't wait for you to make money for them, right?"
Rouge smiled and shook her head, "No, it's because they're rushing to take me out to get married."
"Get married?" Jiu Li was taken aback. Why the sudden talk of getting married? "Whom to marry?"
“He was an old customer, a man from Yangzhou, who often came to Nanjing to do business. I just heard from my mother that he came last month to say that he wanted to redeem me from my servitude, but I was trapped in Liyuan and didn’t know that.”
She rarely lowered her head, and whether it was accurate or not, Jiu Li could see a hint of resignation in her smile.
"What about Guan Zhan? Have you forgotten him?"
"So what if I can forget, or I can't? I'm not his wife or concubine, so there's no reason for me to be a widow for him." She looked at Jiuli's dazed expression and smiled serenely. "You're still young. Young girls are all like this, thinking that liking someone means liking them for a lifetime. But a lifetime is so long, who can say for sure?"
A gust of wind blew in from behind, ruffling her hair. She turned around, her face glowing in the setting sun. "Perhaps tomorrow I won't even remember who Guan is. I don't think I'm any more determined than others. There are many paths, and as long as I'm alive, I'll choose one and keep going."
"Is marriage the only way out?"
"I'm not Guan Youjun, I make my living off men. But do you think men's food is easy to eat? I, Rouge, may not be good at other things, but I've been good at fooling men since I was a child."
Despite his many skills, he still stumbled when faced with Guan Zhan, but he wasn't afraid. He got back up and the world was back to normal, and he continued to live a miserable life.
She sipped the tea in her cup, then stood up, clutching her bundle. Seeing that Jiuli also seemed about to get up, she rolled her eyes, smiled, and said, "Never mind, don't force yourself to see me off. See you again someday."
Jiuli insisted on seeing her to the door, watching the evening breeze slowly lift the hem of her skirt, her back view inevitably looking forlorn. She leaned against the Wu King's chair and sat down, gazing at the cave entrance for a long time.
As dusk settled, Yu Qi, sitting behind his desk, glanced sideways and saw her still sitting on the veranda, one leg crossed, a faint sorrow on her face. Women fear nothing more than harboring sorrow, for sorrow ages them easily. Yet, he thought despicably that it would be better if she were a little older; then she wouldn't have had to call him "uncle," and he would feel less guilty.
The case was closed, and within two days, many recovered patients left the garden, and several doctors also resigned. The lychee garden suddenly became mostly empty, appearing even more desolate. Spring colors, however, were in full bloom, with tangled clusters of flowers everywhere. Sunlight pierced through them, creating a chaotic and colorful spectacle of light and color, beautiful yet disorderly, as if nothing could last forever.
The abrasions on Jiuli's back were healing, but they were always itchy. She wanted to scratch but couldn't. Du Zhong managed to get a white feather fan and had her lie on the couch dressed in thin clothes. He sat by the window and gently scraped her back with the fan.
When Xu Bai came in, he saw that both of them were drowsy. The sun shone through the window, shining through Jiu Li's back and revealing the skin underneath, which was covered with spots of bright red scabs, like fallen rouge.
He stood before the door and softly recited: "Walking through the corridor, half-fallen plum blossoms exude a gentle fragrance. Light smoke and thin mist, how can this be a place for youthful pleasure? Unlike the autumn light, it only illuminates the heartbreak of those who are parting."
Jiuli slowly opened her eyes, turned her face to the pillow and smiled at him, then looked disappointed again, "Why did you have to add this line 'Only to show the broken heart of the one who is parting' at the end? No matter how beautiful the beginning is, it is still sad."
People have been leaving the lychee garden one after another lately, and she couldn't help but feel a little sad about parting. She got up, covered herself up, and her clothes became completely covered, so that no skin could be seen through. He was also a little disappointed, and smiled away, "I've come to say goodbye too."
Du Zhong tossed aside his feather fan and jumped off the couch. "Are you going home too?"
He nodded. "Now that the case is solved, I should naturally move back home. I moved in specifically for the case."
Jiuli sat on the couch with her injured leg across her body. The boards on her foot had been removed, and it was only wrapped with some white cloth. One of her feet was wrapped so tightly that it looked like a little rabbit was nestled in it, making it difficult for her to move.
She pouted and didn't reply. He noticed her displeasure and sat down on the stool. "Is your foot feeling any better? When will it be fully healed?"
"It should be ready in two or three more days," she sighed.
He smiled, "Once your foot is fully healed, I'll invite you to my home. My mother has been wanting to meet you." He then glanced sideways at Du Zhong, "Of course, Du Zhong and Mr. Yu will also be there. Where's Mr. Yu? Why isn't he here?"
Du Zhong smiled and said, "A patient invited him over."
Xu Bai relaxed slightly, still gazing at Hui Jiuli. He saw her with her face slightly flushed, chin raised, her expression seemingly unhappy, yet mixed with a hint of pride.
He was captivated by her profile framed in gold trim, and said with exceptional tenderness, "I can also visit you at your residence. What time have you decided to leave the garden?"
Jiuli suppressed a smile and said, "We still have a few days left, and there are still a few patients who haven't fully recovered."
"Once you get back, the pharmacy will probably be opening soon, right?" Seeing her nod, he smiled again, "I'll definitely prepare a big gift to congratulate you on your opening."
He didn't want to say a few more words, so he got up to take his leave, fearing he might run into Yu Qi when he returned. To his surprise, he saw Yu Qi standing in the courtyard, basking in the sun, as if he had been standing there for a while.
He didn't go inside because since it was a farewell, it wouldn't be unreasonable to let them say a few more words. Besides, this matter should be left to its own devices and let nature take its course. The worst thing between a man and a woman is to be "forced apart," especially between men and women of this age. Humph, they always think they know better and overthink their "feelings."
He saw Xu Bai come out before turning into the corridor. Xu Bai wanted to bow to him to say goodbye, but he was too lazy to listen to him. He just nodded in return and went into the house. "Does your ankle still hurt from twisting it today?"
Xu Bai then heard Jiu Li's slightly excited voice, "It doesn't hurt anymore, when can we take it off? You're wrapped up like a rice dumpling."
Yu Qi rarely jokes, "I've never heard of any place that uses pig's trotters to wrap zongzi (sticky rice dumplings)."
Xu Bai heard her hum heavily, as if she was deliberately humming for someone to hear, clearly trying to be coquettish. He turned his head and looked through the window, and saw Yu Qi bending over in front of the bed to examine her feet. He could only see the back of her head covered with long hair. The lower Yu Qi's face was, the more tilted her head was, with her long black hair falling down from the side.
She followed Yu Qi's face, and he was a little startled when he realized this was possible. Then, with surprise and a touch of jealousy, he walked out of the Lychee Garden.
A man was standing far outside the Liyuan Garden. When he saw him come out, he followed him for a while and then went up to him on the main street to strike up a conversation, "Lord Qi."
Xu Bai turned his head and looked him up and down a few times. Then he remembered that this person was Chu Fengchun's subordinate. He nodded slightly, "So it's you."
"We are setting off back to Chengdu tomorrow, and Fourth Master Chu specifically sent me to inform you, sir."
Xu Bai glanced at the alleyway and continued walking down the street. "Did the deal for this garden go through?"
He stepped half a step behind him and walked beside him. "It's done. Yesterday, Master Li signed a contract with us. Once the people in the garden have moved out, we will hire people to clean and decorate it. After the garden is finished, we hope that Lord Qi will present it to His Highness. If His Highness is willing to accept it, our master will reward him handsomely when he comes to Nanjing in the future." As he spoke, he took out a silver note and handed it over.
Xu Bai didn't even look at it or reach out to take it, and just kept walking forward. "No need to thank me, this is a win-win situation for everyone."
The man smiled and nodded, putting the banknotes back into his sleeve. He then bowed respectfully to the man, saying, "Sir, you are a man destined for great things, and naturally you do not value money. On behalf of my master, I thank you for your kindness. I hope that in the future my master can work with you and the prince on important matters."
Xu Bai waved his hand and went down the side road.
The magnificent buildings along the road blocked out the sun. In the shade, he slowly smiled, and tourists walked past him without even glancing at him. He couldn't see them, only the sun above, blazing with fiery light.
He couldn't recall ever agreeing to plead for Meng Ran on behalf of Jiu Li.
Two days later, Jiuli inquired with Zhang Da but didn't hear any definite news. He only said that Meng Ran had been tried in court and was now being held in prison. As for how she would be convicted and sentenced, he didn't know yet. He only knew that the case file had been submitted to the Ministry of Justice of Southern Zhili.
Jiuli couldn't help but feel uneasy, and kept talking about it, which annoyed Yu Qi. Coincidentally, Zhao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, came to visit Liyuan that day, and Jiuli took the opportunity to mention the case to Zhao.
This Vice Minister Zhao, named Zhao Liang, was not old, only thirty-seven years old. He originally served in the Ministry of Personnel in the capital, but because he offended the family of the Imperial Concubine two years ago, he was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel in Nanjing. Although his official position remained unchanged, Nanjing was not like the capital. It was not under the emperor's nose, so even if he had a lot of achievements, it would be difficult for the emperor to see them.
As time went by, Zhao Liang inevitably developed a somewhat carefree and undisciplined attitude. Even when he sat, he no longer looked as dignified as before, but rather had a somewhat nonchalant demeanor. He just smiled and waved his hand, "This is a small matter. Lord Yin of the Ministry of Justice in Southern Zhili is in the same department as me, and we have some friendship. If the case is true, I will tell him and ask him to carefully consider the conviction when reviewing the case."
Yu Qi cupped his hands in thanks.
Zhao Liang glanced at him dismissively, crossed his legs, stroked his beard, and chuckled. "It's just strange, brother. You said you wouldn't meddle in other people's business, but I went to great lengths to persuade you to come to Nanjing for treatment. Now that the case is closed, you should be enjoying your retirement. Why are you still concerned about the life or death of a completely unrelated criminal?"
Yu Qi smiled wearily, "I don't concern myself with such trivial matters, but Yu'er is always the one who meddles."
Mentioning Jiuli, Zhao Liang laughed heartily and slammed his hand on the table. “I haven’t seen that girl since you arrived in Nanjing. Quickly call her over so I can see if she’s still as mischievous as she was in the countryside! I was in Suzhou for an assessment and only got back yesterday. I rushed to Liyuan today to see you. I hope she’s not angry with me.”
Yu Qi glanced at him, picked up his tea, and said, "You didn't come to see us; you came to see if I've lived up to your expectations and cured these patients."
Zhao Liang smiled as he served tea, clicking his tongue, "Look at you, you're judging me by your own petty standards! I invited you, why would I not trust you? What are you saying! I heard the garden closes tomorrow, which is a relief. When your pharmacy opens in a couple of days, I'll definitely send you a hundred taels of gold as a congratulatory gift." Just then, Jiu Li overheard this from under the eaves and came in, saying, "Uncle Liang, this hundred taels of gold was clearly promised by the court before we came. Now you're using it as a congratulatory gift for our shop's opening. Isn't that using the government's money to do your own favors? Well, that's good, you've saved yourself some money, tsk tsk—" As he spoke, he clasped his hands together and bowed twice to the air, "Amitabha, Uncle Liang is so good at managing money, even when you retire, you'll be incredibly wealthy."
Zhao Liang stroked his beard with one hand and pointed at her with a smile with the other, "This girl, she said I was good at calculations, but I don't think anyone can outsmart you. I didn't even think of that!"
Jiuli stepped forward and patted his hand that was stroking his beard. "You're not even forty yet, but you're acting like an old man. Women don't like that."
Zhao Liang leaned to one side. "Don't worry, anyway, your aunt is powerful. She won't let me take a concubine, so it's less trouble if I don't have women's affections. You should talk about your uncle. Look at him, he's younger than me, but he's always acting like an old-fashioned person. No wonder he hasn't been able to find you a wife yet."
Jiuli then turned to Yu Qi, pretending to stare at him intently, and nodded in agreement, "That's right. Logically speaking, with my uncle's looks, many women would like him. It's just that he's too boring. He can't joke around, and he can't make people happy, so no woman would be interested in him."
Yu Qi glanced at her with a stern face, "You have no manners."
Zhao Liang laughed incessantly, praising Jiu Li as a "good girl." Yu Qi looked helpless, but unusually, he was willing to keep the guest. He instructed Jiu Li to fetch some silver from the inner room and ask the kitchen to prepare a good meal.
Jiuli took the silver and went out. Not far away, she circled back to the corridor to listen. She heard Zhao Liang laugh, his voice much softer, and he sighed, "Back then, even you were just a half-grown boy. I never thought you would actually raise such a little girl to adulthood, and raise her to be as beautiful and lively as a flower. If her mother is watching from heaven, she can rest in peace."
Yu Qi said coldly, "I told you long ago, you've mistaken her for someone else. Yu'er isn't the little girl she used to be."
Zhao Liang smiled leisurely, "Alright, alright, say whatever you want."
The conversation ended there, and no one said anything more. Jiu Li could only go to the kitchen with some doubts. Soon, a feast was prepared, and they ate until the afternoon. The last few doctors who stayed in the garden also took their leave and went home. Zhao Liang didn't want to delay them from going home, so he also took his leave, half drunk and half sober.
Seeing that he was walking unsteadily, Jiuli went to help him out of concern. "Uncle Liang, did you come by carriage or sedan chair?"
He just kept waving his hand at her, completely drunk, saying, "Whether I'm in a carriage or a sedan chair, I'm not drunk, so I won't fall into the Qinhuai River!"
“He’s always been a dead man on the road.” Yu Qi sneered indifferently, but then his eyes darted around and he called Du Zhong over. “Help your Uncle Liang out. If there are no carriages waiting outside the garden, send the yamen runners to hire a sedan chair to take him back. Also, hire a carriage for us.”
Jiuli pondered his tone. It was clear that the two of them didn't know each other because of treating Zhao Liang's mother that year. Perhaps, just as she guessed, they had interacted before that, but he refused to say and she couldn't get the information out of him.
Suddenly Yu Qi called out to her, "Yu'er, go back to your room and pack your luggage."
"Oh." She turned around with a smile, then ran up the porch with a grin, "Time to go home!"
When she arrived, she had only brought one large trunk, but now she found herself carrying a whole lot more things. Fortunately, Yu Qi had asked Zhang Da to help her, so she only needed to pack some personal belongings, and the remaining miscellaneous items would be taken care of by the yamen runners and sent home the next day. She finished packing in no time, and carrying a bundle, she went to the north room. She saw that Yu Qi had also packed a bundle and placed it on a chair, and was now engrossed in sorting through the stack of prescriptions on the table.
Just now during dinner, Zhao Liang specifically mentioned that he wanted to store these prescriptions in the Nanjing Imperial Medical Bureau, in case the epidemic broke out again somewhere in the future. Normally, a doctor's prescriptions are a secret that makes money, and the more difficult the disease, the more carefully the prescriptions should be kept. Although Yu Qi did not agree at the dinner table, seeing how meticulously he had organized and listed them, Jiu Li guessed that he must have sent them to Zhao Liang's residence.
Whether he was heartless or compassionate, she was now somewhat confused about him. But the more she couldn't understand him, the more she wanted to investigate. She simply stared at him from under the gauze curtain, lost in thought, completely mesmerized.
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① Su Shi's "Jianzi Mulanhua: Spring Moon" (Song Dynasty)
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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