Chapter 64 Tang Zhao "Miss Lin, our master hasn't come back yet."...
"Miss Lin, our master hasn't returned yet."
In front of the Zhou Mansion, Lin Xiangli and Yan'er stood on the steps, listening to the reply from the guards of the Zhou Mansion.
"When will he be back?"
"This... I don't know."
Yan'er gently tugged at Lin Xiangli's sleeve and whispered, "Miss, why don't you go back home first? I'll wait here. When Master Zhou returns, I'll go back and tell you."
Lin Xiangli thought for a moment and asked again, "Is your old lady in the mansion?"
"The old lady has been feeling unwell recently and is recuperating."
Lin Xiangli suddenly realized that it was no wonder that she hadn't gone out for a long time.
"Can I go see her?"
Not long after, the guard who had gone in to report returned, bowed and made a "please" gesture: "Miss Lin, please follow me."
After passing through several courtyards, they were led to a secluded courtyard. Even before they approached, a strong medicinal aroma filled their nostrils. The door was ajar, and the flickering candlelight could be vaguely seen inside.
"Is that Miss Lin?" A weak call came from the room.
Lin Xiangli pushed the door open and walked in: "Mrs. Zhou, it's me, Xiangli."
The candlelight in the room was dim. Mother Zhou half-leaned on the embroidered bed. A maid was holding a celadon medicine bowl, carefully scooping a spoonful of medicine. Seeing Lin Xiangli, Mother Zhou immediately raised her hand to stop the maid's movements, extending her bony hand forward: "Miss Lin, come here quickly..."
Lin Xiangli sat down beside the couch and held the slightly trembling hand. The warmth from her palm was lower than normal, carrying the chill of someone who had been ill for a long time.
"Is there... any news about Miss Tang?" Mother Zhou tightened her fingers, and a glimmer of anticipation appeared in her cloudy eyes.
Lin Xiangli was slightly startled, but also felt that it was within her expectations, because this was the nth time that Zhou's mother had asked about Tang Suzi.
Every time Zhou's mother came to visit, the topic would always unconsciously turn to Tang Suzi. But the strange thing was that whenever she heard that Tang Suzi was coming, Zhou's mother would find various excuses to avoid the topic.
She clearly remembered that one evening, when she was sending Tang Suzi out of the house, she accidentally caught a glimpse of Zhou's mother hiding behind the door of the Zhou mansion. She stared at Tang Suzi's departing back for a long time with a complicated look that she could not understand.
For the past month, ever since Tang Suzi and Ling An left, Zhou's mother had been asking about Miss Tang's whereabouts almost every day. Every time she learned there was no news, she couldn't hide her disappointment and left sadly. She hadn't come to inquire about her for the past month; it turned out she had fallen ill.
"No news yet." Lin Xiangli answered truthfully, "I came to visit you today."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt the hands holding her loosen their grip, finally falling limply onto the quilt. The pair of eyes that had once held hope gradually lost their luster, staring blankly at the bed curtains in front of her.
Although she didn't understand why Mother Zhou was so worried about Tang Suzi, seeing her like this, Lin Xiangli hurriedly comforted her, "Mrs. Zhou, please take care of yourself. Don't worry, I will let you know as soon as I have any news about Miss Tang."
Mother Zhou raised a very faint arc at the corner of her lips: "Ms. Lin, I'm fine..." Before she finished speaking, her breathing became rapid and then she began to cough violently.
The maidservant standing beside her hurried forward and patted her back repeatedly: "Old Madam, the doctor specifically told you that your illness is most serious and you should avoid excessive emotional fluctuations."
Mother Zhou covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her body trembling with coughing. When the coughing finally subsided, the snow-white silk handkerchief was stained with a glaring crimson.
"Oh! He's coughing up blood again!" the maid screamed in surprise.
Lin Xiangli was also surprised. Although she knew Zhou's mother was ill, she hadn't imagined it was so serious. She quickly took a soft pillow and placed it behind Zhou's mother's waist, stroking her chest with one hand to help her breathe.
When Mother Zhou's breathing stabilized, the maid quickly brought the medicine bowl from the table and said, "Madam, the doctor said this medicine can stop bleeding and relieve gas. You haven't finished it yet, so you should take it while it's hot."
Lin Xiangli also advised: "Mrs. Zhou, it is important to take the medicine."
Mother Zhou drank the medicine obediently and handed the bowl back to the maid: "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Miss Lin..."
"It's only been over a month since we last met. How are you feeling..."
Mother Zhou shook her head gently. "They are just old illnesses."
The maidservant beside her couldn't help but interrupt: "Ever since Miss Tang disappeared, the old lady has been seriously ill. At first, she just had a cough, but later she started coughing up blood. She changed several doctors, but nothing worked..."
Yan'er, who was standing behind Lin Xiangli, took a half step forward and said tentatively, "Why don't we ask that female doctor to come and take a look at the old lady?"
"Female doctor?" Zhou's mother raised her eyes.
"She's in the East City Market," Yan'er continued, noticing the old lady's interest. "She sets up a stall there every market day. I heard she can not only diagnose illnesses but also predict a person's lifespan."
"Yan'er!" Lin Xiangli frowned and stopped him, "Stop talking nonsense! How can you take those rumors seriously?"
Zhou's mother seemed to be attracted by it: "Really... can it tell a person's lifespan?"
"Madam, don't listen to this girl's nonsense. This person with unknown origins is probably a quack."
"No, that's not the case..." Yan'er muttered softly, "Many people have been cured by her..."
Mother Zhou turned to the maid beside her and said, "Yunxiang, have you heard of it?"
The maid hesitated and said, "I have indeed heard of this female healer. The other day when I returned home, my brother told me that there was an auntie next door who had suffered from hysteria for many years and was cured by her."
"Then it depends on a person's lifespan...but is that true?"
"This...I don't know."
Lin Xiangli quickly took over the conversation: "Madam Zhou, this must be a trick. If you can really predict the future, how is it different from being a god?"
She was secretly annoyed. She had come to discuss funding for the orphanage with Zhou Jin, but why was he talking about all this weird stuff? If Zhou's mother really believed this and her condition was delayed, how could she bear the consequences?
Just as I was thinking about it, a report came from outside the door: "Old Madam, the young master has returned home."
Lin Xiangli stood up and said, "Mrs. Zhou, I have some matters to discuss with Mr. Zhou. I will not bother you any more today. I will come to see you another day."
As he walked down the corridor, he happened to meet Zhou Jin walking towards him. Seeing Lin Xiangli, he paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he quickly stepped forward: "Miss Lin, is there any news about Miss Tang?"
This was the second time she had heard this question today. Lin Xiangli was even more surprised - why were both Zhou's mother and son so concerned about Tang Suzi?
She suppressed her doubts and bowed, "That's not the reason. I've come here today to discuss the matter of the orphanage with you, Your Excellency."
"The orphanage?"
"Yes. Last month, I opened an orphanage to take in homeless elderly people and children. Now there are over a hundred people in the orphanage, and the expenses are increasing day by day. I have very little savings left, so I would like to ask you..."
Although it was a matter of helping orphans, it was still asking for help. In addition, given the delicate relationship between her father and Zhou Jin's identities, Lin Xiangli felt a little embarrassed and lowered her eyes unconsciously.
Zhou Jin immediately understood: "Supporting orphans is the government's responsibility. I will send someone to contact you tomorrow. If you need any help, please let me know."
Unexpectedly, it went so smoothly, Lin Xiangli thanked him in surprise.
"If Miss Lin has nothing else to do, I won't see you off."
"Alright. Sir, please go check on the old lady. She just coughed up blood and doesn't seem well."
"What?" Zhou Jin's face suddenly changed, and he immediately turned around and walked quickly towards the inner courtyard.
"Jin'er..." Mother Zhou on the couch heard footsteps and called weakly.
Zhou Jin sat down on the edge of the bed and took his mother's hand in his palm: "I heard you were coughing up blood again?"
"Don't worry...I'm much better now..."
"Mother, please don't lie to me." Zhou Jin stared at his mother's pale face, his voice filled with suppressed anxiety. "I have sent someone to the capital to invite the imperial physician. I will definitely find the best doctor for you."
Mother Zhou shook her head gently: "Jin'er, you know... this is a heart disease..."
"Mother……"
"I just... miss your sister." Fragile despite her illness, Zhou's mother finally confided her true feelings. "When Miss Tang was alive, even though you always said she couldn't be Tiao'er and told me not to bother her... I always felt that she was my Tiao'er. So even if I could only see her from afar, it was a comfort to my heart..."
As she spoke, a violent coughing fit came over her, forcing her to stop. After her breathing subsided a bit, she held Zhou Jin's hand, veins bulging. "Now that she's gone, the little thought in my heart is gone... Jin'er, do you think I'll ever see your sister again in this lifetime?"
"Mother..." Zhou Jin was speechless. He also wanted to know if he could meet his elder sister again in this life.
"Jin'er," Zhou's mother suddenly raised her eyes, "I heard there's a female healer in the city who can tell a person's lifespan. Go ask her to come and see you."
Zhou Jin's expression froze. "Where did mother hear these absurd rumors?"
Zhou's mother simply turned her gaze toward the window and said, "Just go and ask her to come over."
"Mother will surely live a long life. Why believe the lies of these charlatans?"
Mother Zhou's gaze gradually drifted away, as if gazing into some unseen distance. "Let me try. I want to know how much time I have left. If your sister is still alive, how long can I wait for her? If she is indeed no longer with us...how long will I have to wait before I can see her in the underworld..."
"Mother……"
Mother Zhou turned her face towards the bed, the last word almost lost in the pillow: "Just think of it as a plea from mother..."
＊
Deep in the old alley, Zhou Jin stood with his hands behind his back under the shadow of the wall, his eyes fixed on the figure walking towards him in the distance carrying a wooden box.
"Is this the female doctor?" he whispered to the guard Shi Ying beside him.
"Yes, sir."
Zhou Jin recalled the servant's report from the previous day—he had originally sent a servant from the palace to invite her, but she had politely declined. The servant repeatedly explained that it was the prefectural government's invitation, but the woman remained adamant. This refusal only piqued his curiosity.
Seeing it with my own eyes now, I was even more surprised. In the twilight, the woman was slender and moved lightly, looking no more than twenty years old. She certainly didn't possess the magical powers rumored to be so great.
She stopped at the gate of a small courtyard and untied the shoulder strap of a wooden box, as if to take out the key. But the box tilted, and the items inside scatter to the ground.
She squatted down and picked up the scattered medical instruments and a cloth banner with the words "Healing the World" written on it.
Zhou Jin stepped forward and stood in front of her: "Miss, I am Zhou Jin, the governor of Weizhou. May I have a moment with you?"
The hand picking up the banner paused slightly. She raised her head, revealing a delicate face. The moment their eyes met, Zhou Jin keenly caught a glimpse of something strange flashing across hers—not the ordinary man's fear of seeing an official, nor the woman's wariness around a stranger. It was like...
Zhou Jin was at a loss for words for a moment, but why did this look make his heart inexplicably stagnate?
Before he could think about it, the woman had already knelt on one knee and said, "I pay my respects to the governor."
Zhou Jinxu helped her up: "Miss, please stand up. I don't know what to call you."
"Commoner girl, Tang Zhao."
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