6 rivals
This boy's treacherous intentions are blatantly obvious; he must not be allowed to live!
The man outside the door introduced himself as Lu Ping, a constable in the Jinxi County government office, earning two taels of silver a month. He was twenty-one years old, orphaned, and lived in an alley with his nine-year-old sister. His birth date and time were...
Although Du Zhijin didn't understand why she had to give her birth date and time when seeing a doctor, she felt it was her duty to receive patients in his place since Doctor Ying was not around, so she remembered it very carefully.
"Where do you feel unwell?"
Lu Ping paused for a moment, placed his hand on his chest, and answered truthfully, "Does a faster heartbeat count?"
Upon hearing this, Du Zhijin's expression instantly turned serious.
According to the medical book she was reading, a rapid heartbeat might be due to chest pain... It seems this constable is quite ill.
She asked carefully, "Besides heart palpitations, have you had any abdominal pain, vomiting, or eaten anything you shouldn't have recently?"
Lu Ping answered no, and her brows furrowed tightly.
That shouldn't be the case...
While she, a sword cultivator, was troubled by medical matters, Lu Ping, who was experiencing the first stirrings of human emotion in his life, was also restless. He couldn't understand why a mere glance, a raised eye, or a gesture could make his heart so agitated, almost bursting from his chest.
The young woman before him gave him the feeling of a martial arts master reclusive in the mountains; her refined and otherworldly demeanor was truly rare. He felt he had to get to know her. Steadying his nerves, he tentatively asked, "May I ask, young lady, what is your relationship with Doctor Ying...?"
Du Zhijin looked up from his medical book: "I am a patient of Dr. Ying, just like you."
Lu Ping breathed a sigh of relief and continued to inquire: "My name is Lu Ping, a constable in the Jinxi County government, with a monthly salary of two taels of silver, and I am twenty-one years old. May I ask how you are addressed, young lady?"
Du Zhijin found the constable's behavior a bit strange. Hadn't he already introduced himself at the beginning? Why was he saying it again now?
But she was a patient, so everything was understandable. She replied, "My surname is Mu."
"The 'Mu' in 'admiration'?" "No." "The 'Mu' in 'bathing'?" "No." "Then it must be the 'Mu' in 'Mu Guiying', what a lovely name for a young lady..." "None of those."
Lu Ping was stunned for a moment: "Which character is that?"
Du Zhijin: "The 'wood' in 'earthen and wood'."
The characters "Mu Tu Du" spell out her surname. "When navigating the world, one must be cautious and not reveal everything upon first meeting someone," Honghua advised her.
Oh, by the way, Honghua also had a trick up her sleeve; her full name is Huang Chunyan. While there was no one in the world alive after she revealed her identity, Du Zhijin thought Honghua's words made a lot of sense, so he gave himself a new name: Mushi Shui.
Judging from the constable's expression, he seemed to think the name was quite impressive.
"Miss Mu, did Doctor Ying say exactly what time he will be back?"
Du Zhijin recalled carefully and said, "I returned at 5 PM yesterday, so it should be around that time today."
Lu Ping nodded, giving a somewhat shy smile: "Then I'll wait here for Doctor Ying to return."
Perhaps because the constables were often away from home, Lu Ping had a dark complexion that shone with a healthy tan in the sunlight.
He was older than Ying Jianhua and much taller and more imposing. Du Zhijin wasn't short to begin with, but this man, squatting next to her, was still much taller than her when she was sitting.
Moreover, the marks of his training were very obvious; his chest and upper arms were bulging, and his shoulders were broad enough to carry a sword. The magistrate of Jinxi County must have been a embezzler, as the clothes he issued to the constables were underweight, barely reaching the waist, and the hem was thin, revealing glimpses of flesh even with the slightest sweat.
Du Zhijin looked the person up and down, with only one thought in his mind: How did they train?
Is her sword-fighting posture wrong? Why is her arm only bulging slightly? That shouldn't be the case.
Unable to withstand her intense gaze, Lu Ping stood up abruptly and stammered, "Miss Mu, is there...is something wrong?"
His monthly salary was two taels, and his annual salary was twenty-four taels. Over the years, he had saved a total of seventy taels. He wondered if it would be enough to marry Miss Mu. Oh, and he hadn't asked her where she was from or how many siblings she had. He wondered if she wanted to live in Jinxi City. If not, it didn't matter; he could leave the house to his younger sister and then wander the world with Miss Mu...
In an instant, Lu Ping had already thought of the address for the "death-to-same-sex" meeting, and he could immediately answer "I'm willing" as soon as Du Zhijin spoke.
The Wood Maiden is about to speak! What will she say?
Amidst the increasingly loud heartbeat, Lu Ping stared intently at Du Zhijin's lips, fearing he might miss something.
Then he heard—
"You like..."
Without a second thought, he declared in a booming voice, "I love it!!!"
Father! Mother! Can your spirits see this? Mu-guniang and I are deeply in love...
"...Hunting?"
Du Zhijin rubbed her ears, marveling at how well-built she was, even so enthusiastic about hunting; she felt inferior to her.
But she wasn't one to be trifled with. Once they went down to the back mountain, they'd see who could hunt more animals!
————
Because they changed pawnshops for the transaction, today's transaction ended earlier than yesterday's, and the group started their return journey at Shenshi (3-5 PM). Before Youshi (5-7 PM), they saw the banyan tree at the village entrance.
Uncle Zhao's son-in-law, Zhou Shitou, had a keen sense of smell. He drove the oxcart around sniffing around, then turned to his father-in-law and said, "Dad, someone in the village is killing chickens! And not just one, at least two!"
Uncle Zhao glared and, as usual, lectured his son-in-law: "What nonsense are you talking about! Nobody kills a chicken on holidays. Even the other day, Old Liu's family killed a chicken because his prospective son-in-law came to propose. Are you going to die from eating chicken every day? Doctor Ying, don't you think that makes sense?"
Ying Jianhua smiled but didn't say anything, glancing down at the warm sweet soy milk in her arms.
The patient couldn't eat anything too strong-flavored, but she was particular about her "appetite," so she could only try sweet things.
But the closer they got to his house, the stronger the aroma became. Without Zhou Shitou saying anything more, everyone could tell that the impoverished Ying doctor's family had eaten meat.
The aroma and flavor were so overpowering and unreasonable, they practically seeped into your stomach, tempting you to keep eating.
Zhou Shitou couldn't help but swallow, and even Uncle Zhao secretly wiped his mouth, but Ying Jianhua remained unmoved.
He was wondering where the chickens came from. Du Zhijin was penniless and unable to leave her home, so they must have been given to her by someone else. But in Wuling Village, where everyone was tightening their belts, who was both wealthy and kind? The Huang family? No, they didn't have many eggs left when they borrowed them last time, let alone chickens, and more than one...
After searching through all the wealthy families in the village without finding a result, Ying Jianhua frowned slightly and reached into the bamboo basket to grasp a small packet of medicinal powder.
This medicine, while not fatal, will buy him time to escape. Hopefully, nothing bad has happened to Du Zhijin...
"Dr. Ying, you're back just in time! My sister's cooking something delicious!"
Honghua walked out of the courtyard carrying a bowl, her face full of a satisfied smile. Upon seeing this, he stopped abruptly in his action of taking out the medicine powder, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Not an enemy?
Then, a second man came out of the courtyard, holding a chicken's foot and preparing to bleed it. Sensing his gaze, Lu Ping looked up, and the two men locked eyes.
In an instant, Ying Jianhua understood who the "dark-skinned young man" the strange voice was referring to was.
————
"I'm so sorry, Dr. Ying, for using your things without your permission... Please accept this chicken as a gift for you and Miss Mu!"
Lu Ping bowed respectfully to him, but Ying Jianhua did not react in any particular way. He simply said, "My humble abode is simple. If Officer Lu does not mind, why not stay and have a simple meal with us?"
Lu Ping suddenly raised his head, speaking to him but his gaze fell on Du Zhijin's face: "Really?!"
Honghua cursed inwardly, thinking, "What's with all this talk? Didn't you see Doctor Ying's smile was crumbling? Hurry up and get out of here, you big guy!" However, she was powerless and her words carried no weight; her sister didn't understand her hints. She could only resort to the stratagem of leaving: "Sister, let's eat outside. It's so hot here."
Du Zhijin was about to ask where it was hot when Dr. Ying had been shivering from the cold last night... but seeing the girl's eyelids twitching wildly, she decided to take her to the river to wash up.
Ying Jianhua asked gently, "Aren't you going to eat? Is the food not to your liking?"
Du Zhijin said honestly, "It's delicious. I want to eat it again when I get back."
Honghua: "Ahhh, sister, let's go! I'm so embarrassed and it's so hot!"
The two watched them leave in silence for a long time. Ying Jianhua broke the silence first: "Have I caused you trouble? That's just how she is. Once she makes up her mind, she won't give up. There's no way to persuade her otherwise."
Lu Ping shook his head, his ears turning bright red as if he had just thought of something: "No trouble at all... Miss Mu has a very good personality. Besides, it was the first time I had ever seen that kind of fighting style, and I learned a lot from it."
Wooden Girl?
The tension suddenly eased, and his smile became more genuine: "Oh? Is that so? It seems you two get along well. May I ask what you and she did?"
“This…” Even Lu Pingjun’s dark face showed two suspicious red clouds. “Ahem… let’s wait for her to come back and tell you.”
Ying Jianhua nearly bit her teeth to pieces.
She used to address him respectfully as "Miss Mu," why is she changing her address to him like him? This scoundrel's wicked intentions are obvious, he must not be allowed to live!
"I haven't asked Constable Lu what brings him from so far away. Is it a headache, fever, backache, or... something difficult to talk about?"
He smiled warmly, but Lu Ping felt a chill beneath him and instinctively closed his legs, pressing his hand to the sword at his waist. He said solemnly, "The magistrate sent me to invite you to come out of seclusion."
Ying Jianhua's expression changed: "The county magistrate?"
Lu Ping nodded and lowered his voice, saying, "The young master has suddenly fallen seriously ill, and the imperial physicians in the manor are at a loss. The prince has ordered a search for a renowned physician. Whoever cures the young master will receive a hundred taels of gold and several acres of fertile land. The county magistrate knows that Doctor Ying was once a legendary doctor, so he specially..."
“I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I was not even seven years old when my mother passed away, so I couldn’t inherit her mantle. Now I just treat minor illnesses for villagers and barely make ends meet.” After saying this, Ying Jianhua pointed to the dilapidated roof of his house and smiled bitterly. “If I had any skills, I wouldn’t be in this state. Who wouldn’t want to restore their family’s honor and bring glory to their ancestors?”
"Of course, if the magistrate thinks highly of me, I will do my best."
At this moment, Lu Ping became the one who remained silent. After a long while, he clasped his hands in a gesture of apology: "The magistrate is considerate of the people's plight and will not force them."
Ying Jianhua sneered inwardly.
Showing concern for the people's plight? Or is he afraid that he might accidentally kill the crown prince, thus gaining nothing but trouble?
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