Chapter 17 (Chapter 17) - They Came to the Door
In her past life, Song Jin was a diligent and honest worker who worked from the moment she opened her eyes. Of the twelve teams at the base, her team consistently had the highest workload every year.
Her entire life consisted of nothing but work, until the day she closed her eyes and was transported to this world, where she had a doting mother like Niu Tielan.
No matter if you tear down the roof, fight, or curse, as long as it's not her fault, Niu Tielan will absolutely stand by her daughter's side.
She said things like "not like a girl," "no one will want her in the future," and "she'll offend people"...
Niu Tielan didn't care about any of that. All she wanted was for her child to grow up well, safely, happily, and freely...
Of course, sometimes it's better to have some sense of proportion.
Seeing the aggrieved party who had come to her doorstep, Niu Tielan's eyelids twitched. It was really hard to reconcile the person in front of her with the one she had seen before.
The last time we met, although this man was somewhat frivolous and flirtatious, he was undeniably handsome and refined, clearly a young master from the capital.
Now, dressed in simple black cloth and wearing a wooden hat, all the jade pendants and gold threads have disappeared. He is so simple and plain that he's practically wearing Buddhist prayer beads. Standing there, you would think he's just an ordinary young man from a small town.
That's not the key point. The key point is the unusual bruising on his face. Although there's no visible swelling, it's clearly recent. And his gait—even though he tries his best to hide it—is still undeniably shaky and prone to stumbling.
It's obvious something bad happened.
Based on Niu Tielan's experience of over ten years, those who come to his door in this situation are either the victim or the victim.
However, this victim is clearly different; the person from Kyoto is not of simple status, nor is he known for his good temper.
In that brief encounter, Niu Tielan was already mentally calculating how much of her family's assets were enough to cover the damages, and where they would move to after that...
Her thoughts were in turmoil, but Song Xingzhi across from her was no less so, perhaps even more so.
Excitement, shock, confusion, doubt, lingering fear
Before Song Xingzhi arrived, he only learned that the woman he had seen last time who looked remarkably like his father was named Song Jin, and that she lived with her widowed mother, Niu Tielan.
The name Niu Tielan, with its three bold characters, exudes strength. Recalling Song Jin's appearance during their last meeting, a fiery and resolute woman comes to mind.
The name sounded vaguely familiar, but it didn't matter; these things were the easiest to forge. He inquired about other things with Mayor Lin and learned that the mother and daughter had come from out of town…
Unknown past, surnamed Song, outstanding appearance, from out of town
No matter how he thought about it, that was the only possibility. So he decided to go forward and probe again, hoping to find out exactly where they came from.
There are too many prefectures, counties, and towns to count; it's hard to tell anything from them, and he doesn't have that much time to wait.
Song Xingzhi then went to their door in person, wanting to test the waters first. Even if he couldn't get a direct result, he could at least get to know the person and consider their personality in order to plan their future interactions.
Yes, whether he is or not, he will definitely take the person away.
Such similar appearances might have gone unnoticed in the rural mountains before, but now, if their enemies were to discover them...
Song Xingzhi didn't even dare to imagine what disgusting methods those people would use to humiliate him.
He couldn't possibly let this go unchecked, neither for his own sake nor for his own personal reasons.
That is, when Niu Tielan stepped out of the house, Song Xingzhi's vision blurred.
Why is it this person?
He said the name sounded so familiar; it turned out he'd heard it so many times before. He remembered the character "兰" (lan) from "蕙质兰心" (huizhi lanxin, meaning intelligent and virtuous), and he even praised the name in his heart.
Who would have thought that there was a steel ox in front of Lan?
Song Xingzhi could no longer laugh.
He had traveled to many places and seen countless beauties during this time, but this was the only one who truly captured his heart and whom he wanted to take with him. She suited him so well that even knowing he would be punished when he returned, he was determined to give it a try.
I never expected this.
Startled and bewildered, Song Xingzhi stumbled again, a look of grief appearing on his face.
Whether it's true or false, he's lost his chance.
What a coincidence!
How do these two resemble each other?
Niu Tielan was unmoved by his sorrow, and seeing him like this only made her heart skip a beat.
Look at the state of this fight!
That unlucky girl
She looked at Mayor Lin beside her with concern: "Mayor, what's wrong?"
Mayor Lin was also puzzled. Before, when Song Xingzhi came over and asked all sorts of questions, he thought Song Xingzhi wanted to take him away. He had specifically reminded Song Xingzhi that Song Jin was not someone to be trifled with, and had also told Song Jin about what the man had been asking.
No matter how many more there are, a small town mayor like him can't possibly manage them all.
Little did he know, he reminded both sides
Song Jin, fearless and audacious, didn't even bother to seek help; she just waited idly.
Young Master Song seemed to be listening attentively, but now he looks like he's not hearing anything and is just dozing off. What is he so shocked about?
Mayor Lin didn't understand, but wanting to save face, he smiled knowingly and drawled, "There's some great news."
Although Niu Tielan and Song Jin did live a good life, that was only true in the countryside. Moreover, the mother and daughter depended on each other for survival, living in poverty and hardship; one was in poor health and the other had a bad temper, so no matter how many partners they looked for, things wouldn't be much better.
Song Xingzhi was different. He was a young master from the capital, and his entire outfit was worth half a year's revenue for them. He was powerful, cultured, and good-looking.
Mayor Lin, being a native of ancient times, felt that being a concubine to a member of the clan was no worse than being a wife to an ordinary person.
Although he initially thought Song Xingzhi had taken a liking to Niu Tielan, after further inquiries, it seemed he had also taken a liking to Song Jin.
Mayor Lin was bewildered and greatly shocked. He could only marvel at how sophisticated the people from the capital were, but he couldn't afford to offend them, so he could only listen.
As for this side, he has already given the reminder, which can be considered more than enough.
Although Niu Tielan hadn't been properly reminded and knew nothing, she just frowned at the two grown men's strange behavior.
Then
She slammed the door shut, leaving it ajar. Through the crack, her pale face showed her coughing incessantly, her voice broken and intermittent.
"Cough cough, I caught a cold again last night. Jinjin went into town to get me some medicine. Cough cough, you're both old and not in good health, so don't catch a cold from me. It's better to stay away from me. If you need anything, just say it at the door..."
The two: ...
Slander, this is pure slander.
Who's in poor health/getting old?
**
Huichuntang in Si'an County
Seeing the person rushing in, Old Liu lifted his eyelids and asked, "What's wrong with your mother again?"
Song Jin hurriedly said, "She ate too many sunflower seeds and got a sore throat; she keeps coughing."
"..." Old Liu remained silent, then picked up a piece of bark from the side and threw it at them, saying irritably.
"It's no big deal, why are you in such a hurry? Just boil some loquat leaves, lily bulbs, and dried tangerine peel together, drink it for a couple of days, and you'll be fine. If that doesn't work, can't you make some bamboo sap?"
She had to come over and annoy him, that brat!
Song Jin placed the tree bark over, then put the cloth bag she was holding down there, and muttered something under her breath.
"Isn't this just to bring you something? Besides, the things I have aren't as old as yours."
Old Liu was furious: "I save all my good stuff for treating illnesses and saving lives, you can't just eat it like it's food!"
Song Jin glared at the sky: "Do you still want your things?"
Old Liu glared at her too: "...Why should I not want it?"
He put down his work, opened the cloth bag, and exclaimed in surprise, unable to resist touching it.
"What fine material! It would be perfect for a cloak, but it's such a waste to make boots. What use would an old man like me have for it? I'm not going up the mountain now..."
Song Jin stood to the side with her arms crossed, raising an eyebrow: "I know that even if you don't say it. This isn't for you, it's for Grandma. She's old and likes to walk around. It's cold in winter, so wearing deerskin boots will be more comfortable."
Old Liu was speechless: "...Fine, I guess I was just being presumptuous."
His mother wasn't very tall, but she had big feet; her nickname was "Big-Foot Ma," just like him.
Song Jin laughed: "How could that be? There are two pairs, one for you and one for Grandma, and gloves too. Remember to wear them when you're grinding the medicine. Don't think you're still the same as when you were young at your age."
"I'm only fifty-three, how am I old?" Old Liu was both touched and angry, his neck stiff, his mustache swaying, he looked every bit the old man.
Song Jin couldn't help but tug at his beard.
Old Liu slapped her across the face, glaring and yelling, "You brat, you deserve a beating!"
Song Jin chuckled, strolled over, and skillfully found the medicinal herbs he needed. He wouldn't take anything of inferior quality, he'd take the better ones, and he'd take all the top-grade ones.
Old Liu's heart ached so much he kept calling her "that brat."
Song Jin, thick-skinned, let him scold her. After packing her things, she ran back over, sat in front of him, propped her chin on her hand, and her eyes shone.
"Old Liu, you're a legitimate imperial physician, aren't you? You're not just faking it or anything, are you?"
Old Liu's lips twitched, and he waved the person away disdainfully: "Get out of here, don't annoy me."
Song Jin blinked: "Then let me ask you, have you ever seen the Emperor? What does he look like?"
Old Liu's face changed: "You brat, you dare to say anything out of line! How dare you talk about the Emperor like that? I think you're tired of having a head."
"I didn't say this in front of any outsiders. It's just the two of us here, don't be so serious," Song Jin pouted, then her eyes darted around and she added, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about him anymore. Tell me about that treacherous minister, Song Shang."
Old Liu's expression changed drastically.
Song Jin was kicked out of Huichuntang again. Standing at the door, she pouted, somewhat exasperated: "That cowardly old man."
She hadn't finished speaking yet; what she really wanted to ask was the Bamboo Prince next to Song Xingzhi.
After finding out who this person was, she'd also like to inquire about the other guy with the same surname, Song. She was quite interested in his strange reaction that day.
Unfortunately, Old Liu was too cowardly. He was supposedly implicated in a case and witnessed his colleague being brutally dismembered before his eyes. He was banished from the palace and now even the name of that treacherous official haunts him.
Seeing that she couldn't find out anything, she rolled her eyes, grinned, and took a long wooden box from Xiao Hei's back. Inside was a fifty-year-old ginseng with plump roots.
She rode her little black horse, clattering along, towards the government office.
In Si'an County, besides Old Liu, only Magistrate Xiao knew the most about these things. Coincidentally, Magistrate Xiao's wife was in poor health, and he had been searching for ginseng.
She has plenty of that kind of thing.
They say money makes the world go round, and she refused to believe she couldn't get anything out of her.
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