Ma Fu and Ma Gui were seriously injured. If it weren't for Gu Deyu's rescue, they would have died by now. They looked at Gu Deyu gratefully and said, "Thank you, we will never forget your life-saving grace."
"Brothers in the same trench should help each other, it's not a matter of saving a life." Gu Deyu shouted into the distance, completely unconcerned, "Friends in the distance, how long are you going to keep looking?"
After shouting, he took out a bottle from his pocket, tilted his head back and swallowed the antidote pills that Zhao Shu had prepared. Although it could not completely cure the poison, it could temporarily save his life.
Ma Fu and Ma Gui looked at each other, wondering if there was someone else.
Without Gu Deyu needing to explain, the two soon saw five men dressed in black rushing towards them from a distance. These men were dressed in the same color as the ones surrounding the three, making it impossible to tell who was friend and who was foe.
However, the two soon discovered that the men in black who came later all had red ribbons tied around their arms, which made it clear that they were friend or foe.
Gu Deyu fired a barrage of crossbow bolts, instantly creating an opening. With a swift movement, he pulled Ma Fu and Ma Gui out of the encirclement. His movements were so fast that neither Ma Fu nor Ma Gui could see how he did it.
The Sun family's assassins wanted to give chase, but were stopped by a black-clad man with a red ribbon tied around his hand who arrived later to provide support. He waved his hand and left gracefully.
At the same time, in front of an ordinary shop on North Street that was neither very conspicuous nor particularly hidden, a long line of people waited to buy shampoo and conditioner. These people were all maids and servants from wealthy families, queuing up to buy shampoo or conditioner for their masters.
The shop was a small two-story building. Compared to the shop next door, it was quite small. Jiang Yang was standing by the window on the second floor, looking at the long queue outside through the half-open window. The gloom that had been on her brow for many days had dissipated considerably.
Another trusted confidante, Granny Lian, smiled and said to her, "Madam, you can rest assured, the Marquis's mansion will gradually prosper."
"Thanks to Ah Jun, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been able to get goods on credit. Chunyuan doesn't do business with just anyone." Jiang Yangshi's eyes were moist as she thought of the years of hard work and perseverance. Finally, the clouds were parting and the sun was shining through. She couldn't help but smile with relief.
However, before she could even catch her breath, a discordant voice suddenly came from downstairs, "Mother, Mother, don't abandon your son, Mother."
Jiang Yangshi opened the window and looked down, only to see a corpse lying in front of the shop, covered with a white cloth, surrounded by four children.
The four children were all quite young, the oldest being eleven or twelve, and the youngest only two or three. Their thin, small bodies sobbed incessantly before the corpse, calling out, "Mother, Mother."
Amidst the pitiful cries, the people in line instantly erupted into a noisy discussion. The two men carrying the body, one a burly man in his thirties and the other a boy who looked about fifteen or sixteen, put the body down. The burly man said indignantly, "My poor woman, she died after using their shampoo. Today I'm here to seek justice! You heartless merchants, you've lost your conscience for money, while my poor children are crying for food."
The tall, burly man choked up as he spoke, and the child kneeling on the corpse burst into tears, creating a truly pitiful scene.
"Brother, are you saying your wife died from using shampoo?" someone in the long line asked loudly.
"Young man, this shampoo is no good. My wife just used it, and before the white foam was even washed off, she was gone. Come and see for yourself." The burly man tore open the white cloth, revealing the corpse inside.
Everyone peered over to look, but after only one glance, they quickly looked away. The woman's hair was covered in white foam, which made her dark complexion look even more frightening; she was clearly poisoned.
"Mother, wake up, Mother!" The younger child started crying again. The older boy seemed to be literate. He angrily pointed at Jiang Yang's shop and said in words he hadn't memorized well, "Heaven's justice is clear, and retribution is swift. That unscrupulous merchant who only cares about profit killed my mother. If I don't avenge this, I'm not worthy to be a son. Today, I ask all my brothers and sisters to be my witnesses. Although I have no powerful backers and no money to rely on, I believe that the country has its own laws, and there is justice among the officials. There are gods three feet above your head, and those who do many evil deeds will surely perish!"
"Yes, let's report her to the Jingzhao Prefecture!" someone in the crowd shouted in support, and once they started, others began to echo them, "Yes, report her to the authorities!"
"Such a treacherous merchant cannot be tolerated. Brother, please rest assured, we will not stand idly by and watch your wife die in vain. If the officials do not give us an explanation, we will accompany you to beat the drum of petition!"
In an instant, the scene spiraled out of control. The people who had been queuing up orderly all left. Most of these people were servants from well-off families. They had gone out to buy shampoo and conditioner for their masters, but since someone had died while washing their hair, they would certainly not buy any more. However, they did not intend to meddle in other people's business.
Before long, the long queue had fallen apart. Jiang Yangshi felt a headache coming on and fainted. Granny Lian quickly caught her and pinched her philtrum.
After her philtrum was pinched, Jiang Yangshi slowly woke up, her eyes filled with despair. "Quickly, go to Prince Yong's mansion to find Ajun."
At the Yan residence, Yan Shiren sat by the stream beneath the waterside pavilion, holding a tattered book in his hand. His feet were in the stream, letting the clear water flow over him. Within reach was a small table, on which tea was being brewed. The one brewing the tea was none other than Yan Ruyu.
Yan Ruyu's gaze was fixed on the plain magnolia hairpin on the coffee table, so much so that she didn't even notice the teapot lid being blown open by the steam and hot water overflowing.
"The fire is about to go out." Yan Shiren said abruptly, his gaze fixed on the book in his hand.
Yan Ruyu quickly averted her gaze, stuck out her tongue adorably, wrapped the handle with cloth, took down the teapot, and carefully brewed tea for Yan Shiren, but her gaze remained fixed on the hairpin.
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