Chapter 169 [VIP]
The Liu family had arranged accommodations for the two in advance. Chen Qingyan's bedroom was next to Liu Changyi's, while Ma Zhandong was arranged to live with the Liu family's servants.
Once inside, Chen Qingyan saw that her luggage had been settled. She locked the door and prepared to take a walk around the experimental field.
He didn't have a chance to enter the experimental field on the way here because Liu Changyi was too clingy to him, eating and living with him the whole way.
If Chen Qingyan hadn't known that he and Qingyun were in love, he would have suspected that the kid had homosexual tendencies.
Now that we're finally separated, I'd better hurry over to the experimental field and leave a note for Ah Ying.
I picked two cucumbers when I came in. The freshly picked cucumbers are crisp and sweet with a refreshing aroma, and they taste great on their own.
There were several notes on the table, all left by Wang Ying in recent days.
Chen Qingyan looked at the photos one by one in order, and when he picked up the first one, he was stunned. War had broken out in the Northwest, and Marquis Wuping was going to lead his troops to provide support.
Is there going to be a war in the Northwest? I haven't heard a thing about it along the way! This is all so sudden that it feels unreal to him.
The second note reads: "Li Mu intends to have Qing'er recognize Lin Sui as her godfather. He doesn't trust the Li family, so it seems the war in the Northwest is getting quite intense."
The third note reads: "I haven't heard from you these past few days. I wonder if you're doing well on the road and if everything is alright at home. If you have time, please leave me a note."
About two days later, Wang Ying left another note: "Yuanbao has been thinking about you these past few days. He misses you terribly. When will you have time to see me?"
Chen Qingyan felt a sharp pang of sadness. When she returned from Yangzhou, she had promised Yuanbao that she would never be separated from him again.
As a result, he later went to study at the prefectural school and could only come back once every ten days. Now he has come to Kyoto again, and I estimate that it will be at least two more months before he can go back. My son must feel that he did not keep his word.
The last note was left in the last two days: "Li Mu's guess was right. He had only been gone for less than ten days when the Li family went to the Marquis's mansion to make a scene and took Qing'er there for a short stay. I have to accompany Lin Sui to the Li family to bring the child back."
Chen Qingyan frowned as he read the note, then picked up a pen and wrote a few words below.
"We have arrived safely in Kyoto and have just settled in at Lord Liu's house. Everything is fine, so please don't worry."
I haven't heard anything about the war in the Northwest. I'll try to find out more in the capital these next few days. If I get any news, I'll leave a message at the experimental field.
I also miss Yuanbao very much. If you have time tonight, you can bring him in for a small gathering. As for the Li family's affairs, since the Marquis has entrusted Qing'er to Sui Di, we should naturally help take good care of her. If any trouble arises, you can inquire at the military camp. The Marquis should have given prior instructions that you should not act on your own.”
Chen Qingyan blew the ink dry, looked at it again, and added a sentence at the bottom: "Take care of yourself, don't overwork yourself, I'll try to come back later."
*
Wang Ying, who was far away in Jizhou, didn't have time to go back to the experimental field to read the letter, because something terrible had happened—Xiao Qing'er had contracted smallpox.
The story begins three days ago. He and Lin Sui were selling vegetables in their shop when a woman rushed over in a hurry and asked as soon as she entered, "Which one is Lin Sui?"
Lin Sui stepped forward and said, "I am Lin Sui. May I ask what you need me for?"
The woman knelt down with a thud and said, "Young Master Lin, please go and save Qing'er! She has been taken away by Madam Li!"
Lin Sui's heart skipped a beat. He had just sent Qing'er back to the Li family yesterday, and he hadn't expected her to be picked up today. He quickly asked, "When did this happen? Didn't the old lady stop it?"
The woman choked up and said, "They were just picked up this morning. The old lady originally wanted to stop them, but they were nominally Qing'er's grandparents, so she was powerless to do anything about it."
Wang Ying thought to herself: No wonder the Marquis entrusted the child to Lin Sui; he knew all along that his mother was unreliable.
Luo Shi had been tamed by feudal etiquette. In her heart, she would always be a concubine of the Li family. Even though her son was now a marquis, he could not be on equal footing with Madam Li. So when the other party came to pick up Qing'er, she only said a few words and then had the child taken away.
Knowing that the Li family would not treat Qing'er well, the wet nurse rushed to Lin Xiaolang for help.
Lin Sui said anxiously, "I'll go to the Li family right now and demand their return!"
Wang Ying stopped him: "Don't rush. With our status, we probably won't even be able to get into the Li family's gate. We need to think of another way."
Lin Sui suddenly remembered what the Marquis had said before he left, "He said that if anything happens, I can go to the military camp to find General Zheng. I'm going there now!"
Tianju quickly drove the carriage towards the military camp. Half an hour later, Zheng Guang returned with four or five men and Lin Sui. "Let's go, hurry to the Li family to pick up the child."
Wang Ying got into the carriage and went to the Li family's house. When they arrived, they knocked on the door for a long time before someone opened it. "Who are you looking for?"
Lin Sui stepped forward and said, "I've come to pick up my daughter and take her home."
The gatekeeper looked the young man up and down and asked, "May I ask who your daughter is, sir?"
"Li Qing'er".
Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper immediately closed the door, as the master had instructed that they would not open the door for anyone who came to pick up the child today.
Lin Sui paused for a moment and knocked on the door even louder. The person inside said, "Go back. Qing'er is our young lady. She has no blood relation to you. Our madam will not let you take her away."
Zheng Guang said, "My lord, step aside and let me do it."
He tightened his belt, took a few steps back, and then kicked forward with all his might, sending the entire corner gate flying.
The gatekeeper in the courtyard was so frightened that he screamed and ran away.
Zheng Guang said, "Search the courtyard, find the young lady, and bring her back."
"Yes, sir!" More than a dozen soldiers ran into the Li family's courtyard.
Before long, Mr. and Mrs. Li rushed out upon hearing the news. "What are you doing? Are you going to confiscate my property? I'm going to the yamen to sue you!"
Li Guang smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "What are you saying, Master Li? We are searching for thieves. We heard that there were thieves at your residence. Before the general left, he specifically instructed us to protect you and your wife. That's why we came in without permission. We hope you two will not take offense."
"You!" Old Master Li was so angry that he clutched his chest and coughed incessantly.
Madam Li's face turned ashen as she glared at Lin Sui and said, "Mind your own business! That's my granddaughter, would I ever harm her? I only brought her to our mansion for a few days because I was worried she'd be bored at home while her father was away on campaign. Is it really worth making such a big fuss about it?"
Lin Sui bit his lip and remained silent. He dared not gamble with Qing'er's safety, after all, Li Mu had said that everyone in the Li family hoped for his early death and would never be kind to Qing'er.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the soldiers found Qing'er in a dilapidated house in the backyard and quickly took the child out.
As soon as Qing'er saw Lin Sui, tears welled up instantly, and she stretched out her arms to hug her.
Lin Sui felt a pang of pain and sorrow, as if someone had twisted her heart, and quickly took the child and held him in her arms.
"Why are your hands so cold? Your face is so cold too. Why are you only wearing a single layer of clothing?!" Lin Sui quickly took off her cloak and wrapped it around Qing'er, holding her in her arms.
The soldier next to him said, "They locked the young lady in a storage room with no fire in it. When we arrived, she was huddled up in a ball, freezing."
Lin Sui instantly flew into a rage upon hearing this. Although he was usually timid, he was fierce when he became a mother, and so was his father. He pointed at Li Shi and angrily rebuked her, "Is this what you mean by not harming her? Taking her here to play for a few days?! If we had come two days later, this child would have had no chance of survival!"
Li argued, "Perhaps the servants didn't take good care of us."
Lin Sui was so angry she almost fell over. Wang Ying chimed in, "If Madam can't take care of the child, then she shouldn't. Otherwise, if something happens to the child, it won't look good when the Marquis comes back."
Li muttered softly, "I don't even know if I'll make it back alive..."
Zheng Guang, standing nearby, suddenly raised his voice, "Madam, be careful what you say! The Marquis has been personally dispatched by His Majesty to guard the border in the Northwest. If such treasonous words were to get out, he would likely be beheaded!"
Li's face turned ashen as she waved her hand and said, "Take him away immediately, and never set foot in the Li family again!"
Zheng Guang cupped his hands in farewell and said, "Farewell."
The group quickly boarded the carriage after leaving the Li family's house. Xiao Qing'er was clearly frightened and clung tightly to Lin Sui, afraid that if she let go, she would be captured by those people again.
Lin Sui stroked her hair, her heart aching. If she had known the Li family would turn out like this, she shouldn't have sent Qing'er back.
Finally arriving home, Lin Sui carried Qing'er inside to wash and change clothes. Qing'er was wearing an old, dirty dress that Lin Sui had somehow put on, which Lin Sui then threw out.
There were no clothes for her at home, so they could only take out their own clothes and wrap Qing'er in them first, and then go to the Marquis's mansion to get a change of clothes later.
After tidying up, Qing'er fell asleep. Lin Sui helped her tuck herself in and left the room.
Wang Ying waited in the outer room, asking, "How is the baby?"
"I was terrified. She kept crying when we got back, and I just managed to get her to sleep."
"The Li family is truly heartless; they have the heart to torment such a young child."
Lin Sui said, "I didn't expect them to dare to snatch someone so soon after the Marquis left. No wonder they told me to take good care of Qing'er before they left."
"It's good that the child is alright. Let's leave her at home for now and send her back when the Marquis returns."
"Yes." Lin Sui thought so too. The old lady was too unreliable, and she dared not send Qing'er back to the Marquis's mansion.
Lin Sui thought the matter was over, but that night Qing'er suddenly developed a fever, so she quickly called a doctor.
At first, they thought the child had caught a cold, so they prescribed some medicine for typhoid fever and fed it to Qing'er.
The next day, her fever worsened, and small red rashes appeared on her face and neck. Lin Sui was so frightened that she hurriedly called Wang Ying.
Although Wang Ying didn't know anything about medicine, she was very knowledgeable. Looking at the rash on the child's face and neck, she said, "Could this child have contracted smallpox?"
Lin Sui's heart sank upon hearing this. Smallpox was a deadly disease; how could someone have contracted it?!
This illness couldn't be delayed, so Wang Ying quickly went to call the doctor again. When the doctor came into the room and saw what was wrong, he was so frightened that he got up and ran out. It turned out that Qing'er had indeed contracted smallpox. He told them to quickly prepare for the child's funeral and that no one in the family should have any contact with the child.
Lin Sui knelt down and pleaded, "You must save her! She is the daughter of Marquis Wuping!"
The doctor is in a difficult position. If he treats the patient, he might get infected. If he doesn't treat the patient, the Marquis might blame him later, and he might not be able to bear the responsibility.
"Young master, please get up. It's not that I don't want to help, but I'm powerless to do so. Instead of begging me, you should go to Qingfeng Temple and ask Master Qingxu. I've heard that he has treated smallpox patients before."
Upon hearing this, Lin Sui quickly replied, "Really?"
"It's true, I wouldn't dare lie."
Wang Ying said, "I'd appreciate it if you could prescribe a few more prescriptions, and we'll also go to Qingfeng Temple to take a look. Let's not delay either of us."
The doctor had no choice but to prescribe two more doses of medicine to clear heat and warm the body, then hurriedly left with his medicine box on his back.
A note from the author:
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