Chapter 14 Xiaomei
Yang Yuanqing didn't speak in a negotiating tone, so Song Yuzhu had no right to refuse.
These powerful people were most afraid of death, especially since they had to follow the army to fight. They would feel so safe with such a skilled doctor by their side, so Yang Yuanqing was reluctant to let him go.
Seeing Song Yuzhu in a dilemma, Zhao Xiao stepped forward and advised, "The prince is still young. If he dies accidentally on the battlefield, wouldn't it be a pity?"
Yang Yuanqing said without question: "That's perfect, you stay with him and protect him."
This time, neither of them had an excuse.
Seeing that there was no room for maneuver in this matter, Song Yuzhu could only say, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. Could you allow me to go back and pack a few clothes and say goodbye to my family?"
"Go, go." Yang Yuanqing didn't stop her.
Zhao Xiao sent the two to the entrance of the clinic with an apologetic look on his face: "I'm really sorry, I didn't expect him to keep you..."
Song Yuzhu sighed. It was too late to say anything now. She could only blame her bad luck. If she hadn't jumped out of the car, nothing would have happened.
He took Song Yumin back to the clinic, and Song Quan came out to greet him as soon as he arrived at the door.
"Master, you're back!" Song Quan felt relieved when he saw that his master was fine.
"Brother Quan, bring my package over here."
Song Quan asked puzzledly: "Master, what do you want to package it for?"
"The Eighth Prince asked me to accompany the army for treatment."
"Ah?!" Song Quan's face changed with fright, and he immediately pulled him into the clinic.
"Master, you can't go! Fighting means death! You are weak, how can you stand the journey? You are the only son of the Third Master, what will happen if something happens to you?"
After saying that, he turned his head and begged Zhao Xiao outside: "Military Master, please be kind and don't let our young master go. He is still young..."
"Brother Quan..." Song Yuzhu interrupted him: "There's nothing we can do about this."
"When my parents come back, please tell them not to worry about me. I can take care of myself and I will write back when I have time. Also, I only have a few pages left of the manuscript I'm editing. Please ask my father to help me edit it and print it."
"Master, let me go with you!" Song Quan decided after gritting his teeth.
He has been with Song Yuzhu since he was ten years old. Although he is two years older than the young master, when they get along, the young master is more like a brother and takes care of him everywhere. Now that the young master is in trouble, he will not back down!
Song Yuzhu was very touched and patted his shoulder and said, "What will happen to Yumin after you leave? I'll trouble you to help take care of him in the next few days."
Song Quan's eyes and nose felt sore: "Master..."
"Okay, it's not like I can't come back. I'll leave the clinic to you temporarily." After saying that, he turned and walked out.
"Dad!" Song Yumin immediately grabbed his arm when he saw him.
"Yumin go back."
"I won't!" The child was left with a serious psychological trauma by Song Lin's abandonment, and he refused to stay no matter how much he was persuaded. In the end, Zhao Xiao had no choice but to knock him out with a knife, and let Song Quan take him back.
The two did not dare to delay too long, so they packed up their things and hurried back to the army.
It was too inconvenient to gather so many soldiers in the city. The horse manure alone almost filled up the West Street. Yang Yuanqing was choking with stench, so he ordered some soldiers to lead their horses out of the city quickly, set up camp nearby to rest, and set off for Xuzhou at noon tomorrow. The remaining soldiers searched the city for money and food, and those who dared not obey would be killed without mercy. This order caused wailing throughout the city.
Fighting a war is a money-burning business. The cost of these 20,000 soldiers and horses is probably tens of thousands of silver coins a day. Yang Yuanqing's fiefdom in Xizhou is not rich. When King Jing was alive, he could borrow money from him if he had no money. Now that King Jing is dead, Yang Yuanqing has no choice but to rob himself.
The soldiers were well-trained and strong, and they kicked open the gate and started to loot. Most of the people did not dare to stop them when they saw that they were wearing armor and carrying weapons.
Zhao Xiao pulled Song Yuzhu aside and asked quietly, "Where do you live? I told them not to search your house."
"The Song residence in the east alley of the city." Song Yuzhu thought that if he could keep his home, the trip would be worthwhile.
"Okay, I'll ask my men to go to your house and pretend to do it." Zhao Xiao is a captain, and he has more than a hundred soldiers under him, so this is not a difficult task.
Song Yuzhu said gratefully: "Thank you."
Zhao Xiao touched his nose awkwardly: "I hope you don't blame me."
*
After Song Yuzhu left, Song Quan carried Song Yumin to the backyard compartment and locked the door from the outside. He was afraid that the boy would wake up and run around. There were so many soldiers outside, so he must not be injured accidentally.
Xiaomei insisted on going home with her child on her back. Seeing that it was getting late, she knew she would inevitably get into trouble if she didn't go back.
"It's not safe for you to be alone, how about I take you back." Song Quan scratched his head, his face as red as a cooked crab.
Xiaomei was indeed a little scared, and whispered, "Then thank you for your help."
Song Quan picked up a wooden stick and shook it in his hand, then followed Xiaomei half a foot away and escorted her back.
He had walked through this alley once, and the mud on the ground was still sticky on his feet. Xiaomei walked unsteadily, holding on to the wall.
When they were almost at the door of her house, Xiaomei stopped and said, "Just send me here. If someone sees us... they'll gossip about us."
Song Quan suddenly realized, "Oh, okay! I'll stay here and watch you go in."
"Thank you." Xiaomei quickened her pace and walked home. Before she even entered the house, she heard her mother-in-law scolding her from inside: "This little bitch, why hasn't she come back so late? I wonder if she's having fun with some wild man! I'll skin her alive when she comes back!"
Xiaomei was so frightened that she stopped and didn't dare to go in.
She was a child bride bought by the Wang family. She came when she was seven years old. She was beaten by her mother-in-law since she was a child. She knew her mother-in-law's methods of torturing people and trembled with fear.
"Mom, Xiaomei is not that kind of person."
"Bah, you married a wife and forgot your mother! You actually started to speak for her!"
"No...how dare my son?"
Xiaomei sniffed with sobs. It was always like this. When she was beaten by her mother-in-law, her husband never tried to stop her. He just watched her rolling on the ground wailing, and then came to comfort her afterwards.
She could bear it before, but now that she is a mother and has a baby, she is not afraid of being beaten, but she is afraid that her mother-in-law will take her anger out on the child...
Just as she was hesitating, the child behind her suddenly woke up and cried in the cradle.
In the yard, Mrs. Wang heard the sound and raised her voice to shout, "Xiaomei, are you back?"
Seeing that she could no longer hide, Xiaomei had to wipe away her tears and go into the yard.
"Mom, I'm back."
"How dare you come back! What time is it now!" said Mrs. Wang as she picked up a rattan branch by the door and hit her with it.
Xiaomei was so frightened that her face turned pale and she quickly hid backwards. The cane was thin and heavy, and it hurt like fire when it hit her body. She was fine if she was hit, but what if the child was hit?
"You've grown so powerful, and you still dare to hide!" said Mrs. Wang as she chased Xiaomei and beat her even harder.
Xiaomei cried and begged, "Mom! Mom! I was wrong, please don't hit the child!"
"Bah! A pair of money-losing bastards, they deserve to be beaten to death!"
Seeing that the cane was about to hit the baby on her back, Xiaomei blocked it with her arms, but her arms became numb and painful and she lost consciousness.
Xiaomei knelt down and begged for mercy: "Mom, please hit me, don't hit the child, she is still young and can't bear it. Husband, please carry Niuniu into the house."
The man stood motionless at the door, looking at her expressionlessly.
Xiaomei closed her eyes in despair. Just as the cane was about to swing over, an angry shout suddenly came from outside the door.
"Stop! What are you doing!" Unexpectedly, it was Song Quan who came back.
Originally, he was about to leave when he saw Xiaomei enter the yard, but after taking two steps, he suddenly heard Xiaomei's crying and shouting from the other side. His heart felt as if it was poured with hot oil and he felt uncomfortable. After enduring for a while, he couldn't bear it anymore and rushed in.
"Well, I told you that you did nothing good when you went out, and your adulterer followed you here!"
When Xiaomei's husband saw Song Quan, he immediately recognized him as the man who helped his wife give birth that day. He suddenly felt furious because he had seen Xiaomei's body during the birth!
Song Quan stepped forward and protected Xiaomei behind him, saying, "Old hag, please speak more clearly! Who is the adulterer?"
Xiaomei cried and explained: "Mom, I went to the clinic to pay back the money, but was stopped by the soldiers. I really didn't do anything else."
Mrs. Wang had slept at home for a long time during the day and didn’t know what happened on the street. She said angrily, “Soldiers? Where did the soldiers come from? You have learned to lie, haven’t you? Where did the money come from? If you don’t explain it to me today, we will go to see the officials!”
The crime of adultery is a serious one. A man will be tattooed and exiled, while a woman will be beaten with eighty sticks. These eighty sticks can kill a person!
Just as she was throwing a tantrum, the door was suddenly kicked open and three or four soldiers in armor rushed in. Without saying a word, they began to rummage through the valuables in the house.
Mrs. Wang was startled and quickly stepped forward to stop them: "You, what are you doing? Is there any law against robbing the common people?"
"Get lost!"
Seeing that something was wrong, Song Quan pulled Xiaomei and ran out.
"Don't run, you little bitch!"
Mrs. Wang wanted to pursue her daughter-in-law, but she was afraid that the money hidden in the house would be found, so she kept stamping her feet in anxiety.
But his son was so bold that he took out a kitchen knife and shouted excitedly, "Don't take my things!"
The officers and soldiers would not show mercy to them. They drew their knives and slashed at him. Mrs. Wang swiftly stood in front of her son, but before she could even say a word of pleading, she was hacked to death. The man behind her was not spared either and had his neck cut.
Finally, the officers and soldiers found a string of copper coins from under the mat in the house, and then hurried to the next house to search.
There were only two cold bodies left in the yard.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
