20 Retribution
There is no such thing as retribution in this world, only the principle of "a life for a life."
"When I left, the willows were swaying gently. Now I return, the rain and snow are falling heavily..."
Honghua studied all afternoon, from the blazing sun to the setting sun, without a moment's rest.
She was right; Ying Jianhua really does have a lot of free time these days.
Having avenged his great enemy, he should have been overjoyed, but instead, he was like a kite with a broken string, lost and disoriented.
His life was a struggle with hatred, but it was also hatred that drove him to trek through impoverished years, all in the hope that one day he could take revenge on his enemies.
More than a decade of love and hate were wiped away in one fell swoop. At this moment, he was like a hollow porcelain figure, light and weightless.
What should we do next? Where should we go?
He used to think he would stay in Wuling Village, follow in his mother's footsteps, and become a rural doctor. But now that the moment has come, Ying Jianhua realizes that he is not one to be content with the status quo.
He wanted to go to the places Du Zhijin had described: Liulijing, Yunzhongcheng, Wufangyu, and even the ordinary mountain where she grew up.
He should go and see the many mountains and rivers, and the different scenery in each season.
"Dr. Ying, Dr. Ying? My mother is calling me home for dinner, do you want to come with me?" After calling him several times without getting a response, Honghua had no choice but to jump in front of him and wave vigorously.
Ying Jianhua snapped out of her daze, waved her hand, and said, "I won't go. You can go back."
"Oh, and take that thing with you too."
Honghua turned her head, about to ask something, when she saw the firework tube in his hand and exclaimed in surprise and delight: "Really?!"
Ying Jianhua said, "I already told you, what would I need your things for? It's just a firework tube."
Honghua shook her head vigorously, arguing, "This isn't an ordinary fireworks tube, it's... well, anyway, Dr. Ying, if you miss Sister Mu, just tell me, I'd be happy to share it with you!"
After saying that, she turned and skipped home, thus missing Ying Jianhua's words, "I won't miss her."
But is it really impossible?
Smoke rose from the chimneys as the weather gradually warmed up, and families began to set out their meals in the courtyard. Although the dishes were not plentiful, they were a rare moment of leisure.
He was all alone.
He pursed his lips, unsure of the source of the sense of loss in his heart. The past ten years had clearly become a habit; Du Zhijin's appearance was merely a coincidence.
But a chance encounter disrupted his ten years of peace.
He sat quietly in the yard, watching the chickens return from foraging for food, and opened their cages for them.
It was late at night, and the mountain wind was a bit chilly, so he had to go back inside.
The room was just as quiet, almost deathly still. He closed his eyes, but couldn't fall asleep. He lay there for half an hour, unable to sleep no matter what, so he got up to change the water for the osmanthus branches.
Yes, he still kept the osmanthus branch she had casually given him that day, stored in a rough, tall-necked porcelain vase.
These osmanthus flowers, which had been dried in the sun for a year, would not survive no matter how you tried to care for them. At this point, none of their color, fragrance, or aroma remained. Someone who didn't know better might have thrown them away as waste.
He put it in the only bottle in the house.
"...Sleep well."
She must have cast a spell on him after all.
————
The next day, just as the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, Ying Jianhua woke up.
He was used to going up the mountain at this time, even though there was no longer a patient at home who needed care.
He studied and gathered herbs. By the time he came down the mountain, the sun was high in the sky. Usually at this time, families would be setting out their meals and would greet him as "Doctor Ying".
But today, Wuling Village is eerily silent.
He vaguely guessed what had happened, quickened his pace home, and bumped into Honghua, who was in a hurry, as he passed the Huang family's house.
The moment Honghua saw him, her eyes widened instantly, and without a word, she pulled him towards the shadows. Unfortunately, before she could succeed, a sharp voice rang out behind her: "Who? Who's there?!"
Ying Jianhua looked down and saw Honghua's anxious face, her two braids shaking violently, her intention to stop her was obvious. He patted her head reassuringly, turned around and said, "I am the village doctor, I just came back from gathering herbs in the mountains."
The man who stopped them was a constable. Upon hearing that he was a doctor, the constable's suspicion turned from three parts to five: "A doctor? May I ask you, where were you ten days ago?"
He lowered his eyelashes, about to speak, when he heard Aunt Huang calling out in a panic, "Honghua—Honghua—oh dear girl, what are you doing here?"
"Mother!" Honghua rushed into Aunt Huang's arms, while also holding onto Ying Jianhua with her other hand, fearing that he would be arrested by the officials.
The constable's questioning was interrupted by the mother and daughter, which immediately displeased him: "What business is it of yours to ask the officials questions? Tell me, where were you ten days ago? If you can't answer... you'll be in jail!"
"Sir, you must have misunderstood. Doctor Ying has been staying in our village the whole time and hasn't left," Uncle Zhao said as he arrived.
With her mother by her side, Honghua felt emboldened and chimed in, "Sir, please arrest him! Doctor Ying is so annoying; he forces people to study all day long. He's not like a doctor; he's more like a pedant."
Honghua's words, though seemingly provocative, actually cleared Ying Jianhua of any involvement. After all, the officials wanted to arrest a "doctor," and Ying Jianhua was an unqualified "doctor."
The mother and daughter worked together, buying Ying Jianhua time to think. He noticed that the constable's clothes were the same style as Lu Ping's, indicating that he was acting under orders from the magistrate of Jinxi County or Prince Chengduan.
And he was asking about ten days ago. What happened ten days ago? Ten days ago, Du Zhijin left Wuling Village, and Doctor Mo was invited into the Prince's Mansion.
So why did the constables go down to the remote Wuling Village?
The answer is obvious.
"...Ten days ago, my beloved left me. I couldn't reach her in time and couldn't sleep all night."
Upon hearing this, the constable was taken aback, and his gaze towards him became more sympathetic.
Being abandoned by her sweetheart on the eve of the Orchid Bathing Festival...tsk tsk tsk, how pitiful.
If the constable was already half convinced at this point, Ying Jianhua's next words left him speechless: "Speaking of which, this matter is also related to Constable Lu."
"If it weren't for him..." He hesitated, his eyes dimming for a moment.
The constable regretted that he was on official duty; otherwise, he would have begged Ying Jianhua to finish what he was saying.
Is it related to Lu Ping? One woman and two men? There's no one in the world who doesn't love gossip, especially when it's their boss's gossip.
The constable had completely forgotten why he had stopped Ying Jianhua; he had only one thought in his mind: he had to return to the yamen and tell his colleagues this explosive news!
"Apart from that, I've been gathering herbs in the mountains and haven't gone out at all." "Yes, yes, everyone in the village can testify!"
It didn't seem to be any particularly important official business; the constable asked a couple of casual questions and then left. After the constable left, Honghua let out a long sigh of relief, her gaze towards Ying Jianhua filled with pity.
After all, he had just reopened his wounds in front of strangers.
Aunt Huang also looked embarrassed, as if she wanted to write "I didn't hear anything" on her face.
Uncle Zhao coughed lightly and explained to him, "Doctor Ying, don't panic. The officials are just conducting routine questioning. They ask every doctor, physician, and even barefoot doctor they see."
"Why? Has something happened in the city?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
Uncle Zhao: "Previously, the Prince spared no expense to save the young prince's life, inviting renowned doctors from all over the country. Just when the young prince was on the verge of death, a miracle doctor surnamed Mo appeared. This man acted strangely, as if he suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I had never heard of such a person before, but he managed to pull the young prince back from the brink of death with just a few silver needles. Before leaving, he even gave the Prince a golden pill, saying that it could cure all diseases and prolong life."
"This 'miracle medicine' was initially quite effective—the young master was riding horses and shooting arrows again, and his sickly appearance had completely disappeared; the prince, even in his old age, was still vigorous and energetic every day, and at night he could even... cough, cough cough, in short, he was radiant. Who would have thought that in just a few days, the father and son would die one after the other. The prince died suddenly in his study, while the young master collapsed in the garden pavilion, his face bluish-purple, bleeding from all seven orifices, looking as if his soul had been taken away! Don't you think this is strange or not?"
Uncle Zhao had quite a talent for storytelling, leaving everyone stunned. Honghua couldn't wait and urged him to continue, so he said, "I heard, I heard... that Doctor Mo was actually a demon doctor. The day he left, the Prince's mansion had sent a coachman to escort him. But halfway there, the entire carriage suddenly burst into flames! Upon inspection, it turned out that the demon doctor had torn open the gates to the eighteenth level of hell and entered the King of Hell's palace!"
"Three men can make a tiger," and "many mouths can melt metal." Ying Jianhua never imagined that rumors would spread to this extent.
It's no wonder the people made up stories. The Prince Chengduan had committed countless evils over the years, and the people of Jinxi City hated him to the core. Now that both Prince Chengduan and his son had met a violent end, it was already a sign of restraint not to applaud!
"Sigh, all these years, Dr. Ying, you've finally... overcome all hardships." After saying that, Uncle Zhao patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Retribution, it's all retribution! You should know that retribution may not be absent, it's just that the time hasn't come yet!"
Ying Jianhua remained silent, letting the old man sigh deeply.
Aunt Huang also sighed and reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes.
At this very moment, in Jinxi City, countless people like them were embracing each other, weeping with joy.
retribution.
The painting depicts the figure gazing upwards at the sky, staring directly at the blinding sunlight.
The scorching sun beat down on him, and tears welled up in his eyes without his noticing.
There is no such thing as retribution in this world.
Only a life for a life.
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