Chapter 22 Perhaps, He Zheng is a little bit of a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur)...
A moment later, Yu Mingshu sat behind the screen in the clinic, surrounded by the bitter smell of medicine, and the occasional coughs and groans of patients could be heard in his ears.
She instinctively pulled a small section of her inner sleeve and held it to her mouth and nose. She watched as the apprentice brought over several bottles and jars, and then scooped out a dark ointment from one of the jars.
The young apprentice gestured for her to lift her trouser leg and carefully cleaned away the splinters that had gotten around the wound. After applying the medicine, he wrapped the wound with gauze and finally tied it into a sturdy rabbit ear knot.
"That's enough, young lady. Your injuries aren't serious. Please leave after you've paid for the medicine."
It's clear that the clinic's beds are in short supply.
Yu Mingshu thanked him, lowered her trousers and skirt, and walked around twice. Once outside the screen, she realized He Zheng was still there.
Where is my mother?
"I'm going to pay."
With his elders absent, He Zheng was finally less reserved and sat casually on the sandalwood chair. When he saw her come out, he straightened up a little.
"Miss Yu, wouldn't you say I've played the hero and saved the damsel in distress?"
"Catchy," Yu Mingshu remarked, curling her lip.
The other person looked somewhat disappointed after not receiving praise. Yu Mingshu noticed this and couldn't help but feel sorry for them. His stern face softened slightly, and the corners of his lips turned up slightly.
"However, it does feel good to bully others with your power."
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw a smile appear between He Zheng's brows, like a large dog wagging its tail like a propeller after receiving praise.
Moreover, it's a fierce dog.
Thinking of that scene, Yu Mingshu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He Zheng looked over, puzzled, and she quickly suppressed her smile.
"Why is He Erlang in the East Market? Does he have an appointment with someone today?"
"Just wander around."
Seeing the look of understanding in her eyes, He Zheng asked, "Shouldn't Miss Yu be at home studying today? Why are you here in the East Market?"
Yu Mingshu shrugged and said, "It was Sanlang who said to study at home, I never said that."
"Aren't you afraid he'll sneak around reading stories when he's home alone?"
"He's not studying for me, so why should I care?"
He Zheng was speechless.
Yu Mingshu looked at him and said, "Speaking of which, there's something I've never understood. He Erlang has profound thoughts and literary talent, so why does he act like he's giving up on himself?"
He Zheng opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Yu Mingshu then asked, "Or do you have some kind of mental illness that makes you enjoy being insulted?"
He Zheng finally lost his temper and retorted, "I haven't skipped a single class this month!"
Yu Mingshu chuckled, "That's very ambitious."
No, is she mocking him?
He Zheng was somewhat annoyed.
Wu Qiuniang returned quickly, and the two stopped talking in tacit agreement, turning their gazes to each other as if to avoid suspicion.
Helping Yu Mingshu out of the clinic, Wu Qiuniang glanced at He Zheng from time to time, hesitating several times before finally waiting for him to take his leave.
"Since Miss Yu is alright, I'll be taking my leave now."
"Alright, alright, I'm really sorry to have kept He Erlang waiting for so long today."
Hearing the relieved tone in his voice, He Zheng paused, but ultimately didn't say anything more.
After the person had gone some distance, Wu Qiuniang said with lingering fear, "How could Sanlang have made such a friend..."
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingshu frowned slightly and couldn't help but defend Yu Dan's friend: "Actually, He Erlang is a righteous person with a pure nature, not as bad as the rumors say."
Wu Qiuniang was puzzled: "If you are of pure and kind nature, why do you have such a bad reputation?"
Yu Mingshu lowered his eyes in thought, unsure how to explain it to his mother.
Perhaps He Zheng has a little bit of a chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).
…
Unaware that he had been diagnosed with chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), He Zheng hurriedly returned to Zhaofu Teahouse. Jing Hong stood guard at the top of the stairs on the second floor, feeling a chill run down his spine.
Finally spotting his husband's striking figure at the end of the wooden staircase, Jinghong beamed as if he'd seen a god of wealth. "My lord, you're finally back! His Highness has been waiting for you in the private room for a long time! If you hadn't returned, he would have left!"
He Zheng patted his shoulder reassuringly, then strode towards the private room without lingering in the corridor. He pushed open the door, entered, and bowed to the person standing by the window with his back to the door.
"I took care of a small matter and apologized for keeping my cousin waiting."
Liang Yuanjun paused for a moment while waving her fan, then turned to glance at him. "I thought you invited me here today just to watch a hero save the damsel in distress."
He Zhengping stepped forward, and Yang Leyi, the female official accompanying Liang Yuanjun, tactfully stepped back, allowing him to take the place of the Crown Prince.
He naturally ignored the teasing remark, and with his long, slender fingers reaching diagonally across, he drew Liang Yuanjun's attention to the view outside the window.
"Mingyu Pavilion?"
Did anyone go in just now?
Liang Yuanjun couldn't help but glance at him sideways, looking at him as if he were an idiot. "It's a rare day off, and the streets are bustling with people. How could no one go in?"
He Zheng shook his head and said, "Wait a little longer."
Yang Leyi couldn't help but scold, "He Erlang, stop keeping us in suspense. His Highness has been waiting for you for half an hour. How much longer are you going to wait?"
He Zheng remained silent, but Jing Hong, who was standing guard by the door, seemed a little uneasy. He cleared his throat and asked, "Your Highness, my lord, why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea, and then speak slowly?"
Before he could finish speaking, He Zheng's gaze caught the figure he was looking for, and he suddenly grabbed the folding fan in Liang Yuanjun's hand and shook it.
"They're here."
Liang Yuanjun and Yang Leyi both frowned and looked in the direction he pointed.
A simply dressed man, over fifty years old, walked up the steps in front of Mingyu Pavilion, lifting the hem of his coat. The shopkeeper greeted him warmly.
“Xie Zhang?” Liang Yuanjun recognized the man.
He Zheng nodded and said, "This person comes to Mingyu Pavilion in the middle of every month and stays for half a day. He always comes empty-handed and leaves empty-handed."
Yang Leyi said, "The Xie family is a prominent and wealthy family. Whatever they want, the manager will send someone to deliver it to their door. What's so strange about Xie Zhang going back empty-handed?"
“The manager of Mingyu Pavilion has his own caravan, which travels south to trade every three months, reaching as far as Taozhou Port,” He Zheng said. “I have been to Mingyu Pavilion before. The store not only has all kinds of jade, but also many things from the sea.”
"Collusion between officials and businessmen?" Liang Yuanjun said in a deep voice.
"I was just guessing," He Zheng shrugged. "But if you follow this line of inquiry, you're sure to find something."
Yang Leyi said, "We have no legitimate reason to investigate him."
He Zheng said, "That's easy. Just find an imperial censor to write a memorial impeaching him."
It's easier said than done. Which censor would dare to impeach the Xie family without being absolutely certain of their success?
He Zheng felt a chill run down his spine as two pairs of eyes stared at him.
"What are you looking at me for? I'm just a spoiled brat, I can't possibly submit a memorial."
"Why did you get into a fight when you had nothing better to do?" Liang Yuanjun said, exasperated.
If he hadn't gotten into a fight, he would have been granted an official position by now.
He Zheng clicked his tongue, returned to the table and sat down, pouring himself a cup of tea. "Who told me to be so righteous and have such clear likes and dislikes?"
…
When Yu Mingshu and Wu Qiuniang returned home, they heard arguing in the streets and alleys. Neighbors along the street couldn't help but open a crack in their door and peek outside.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the Zhou siblings pushing and shoving each other as they entered from the alleyway.
It was said to be a shoving match, but in reality, Zhou Qi dragged his sister back to Yong'anfang. Zhou Fuling was weak and could not break free from her brother's grasp. She had no choice but to stagger all the way back to her doorstep, her eyes filled with tears.
"I won't go back! I'm also my father's flesh and blood, how could he bear to push me into a pit of fire? No one in this family treats me like family, I'd rather kill myself and reunite with my mother, let go!"
As they approached their doorstep, Zhou Fuling resisted even more fiercely, disregarding proper etiquette, and sat down on the ground, crying and shouting.
"We can talk about it when we get home!"
Feeling the curious gazes from the neighbors, Zhou Qi frowned and tried to drag his younger sister off the ground, but somehow the girl had no strength and he couldn't move her.
He deliberately lowered his voice and scolded, "You left home without a word, making my father and me worry all night. Did you ever think that we are your family?"
Zhou Fuling smiled sadly and said, "When I leave home alone, what worries my brother most is my safety, or is it that no one will pave the way for your future?"
Zhou Qi suddenly yelled, "Shut up!"
Zhou Fuling's tears suddenly welled up, and her voice trembled with sobs: "So my brother also knew this was a scandal, but dared not let the neighbors know..."
She was met with a sharp slap.
The sound of the slap was particularly jarring in the narrow alley, causing the neighbors to frown and whisper among themselves.
Yu Mingshu couldn't bear to see this scene. Ignoring his leg injury, he got out of the car and went to confront them.
She had just taken a step when she was pulled back by Zhao Niangzi, who was sitting at her doorstep eating melon seeds.
"These are their family matters, you must not get involved."
Yu Mingshu was furious, and his tone was inevitably anxious: "No matter what, you can't beat someone up in the street!"
Zhao Niangzi earnestly advised, "Mingshu, you are still young and don't understand that people's hearts are unpredictable. As the saying goes, even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. You can't distinguish things clearly just by getting involved."
Sister Song also said, "If you go up and try to mediate now, you might not get any credit if you succeed, but if you fail, they might blame you for the unrest in their household."
Having lived two lives, Yu Mingshu naturally understood this principle.
But deep down, I always felt sorry for Zhou Fuling, that little girl.
In the distance, Aunt Wang, acting as her mouthpiece, shouted, "Aqi! You siblings should talk things out, don't fight!"
Zhou Qi seemed to realize what he had done in a moment of impulsiveness. He withdrew his hand in annoyance, covered his sister's swollen cheek with his sleeve, and turned to bow and apologize to the neighbors.
"I apologize for bothering you all with these trivial matters of my family."
As the Zhou family's drama came to an end, Sister Song's gaze swept towards the large red gate not far away, and she suddenly muttered, "Speaking of disturbing you, why haven't we seen that young lady from the Wei family causing trouble these days?"
Zhao Niangzi chuckled and said, "There was a murder in Yong'an Ward, and people thought it was bad luck, so they moved away quietly."
Yu Mingshu asked, "In such a short time, how did Vice Minister Wei arrange a new house for her?"
Zhao Niangzi gestured for her to come closer, then lowered her voice and said, "Last time the government came to investigate the case, they learned that Vice Minister Wei was keeping a mistress. Somehow, this matter reached the ears of Wei's wife."
Yu Mingshu's memory returned, and he said, "I remember now, that Madam Wei even came here in person. When she left, she and Madam Hua called each other sisters, they were so intimate!"
Zhao Niangzi said, "I heard from my husband that Hua Xiaoniang has now been brought into the Wei family and has become a proper concubine."
Yu Mingshu and Song Sao looked at each other, wondering to themselves, "With Hua Xiaoniang's flamboyant personality, how can she have a peaceful life after becoming a concubine?"
Sister Song sighed softly, "Everyone has their own destiny."
A note from the author:
--------------------- -
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
