Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard

Chapter 58

Saving Someone in Pa.s.sing (1)

T/N: Chapter sponsored by Azurixa! Thank you for supporting! This is technically chapter 1 of the second arc, but the chapter numberings will just continue on like normal. Also all the chapters from now on will be really long so I’m going to have to break them up.

Sixth lunar month. On the s.p.a.cious official road outside Fuyang city, the white birch tree stood erect on the two sides of the road like soldiers.

The scorching hot sun made the tree leaves appear somewhat withered and listless, also making very little pedestrians appear on the road. Aside from the cicadas on the white birch tree diligently singing the hot summer song, only four horse carriages, as well as the ten some men dressed as guards riding along on horses at the front and rear.

The curtain of the second carriage counting from the front was pushed open. A delicately pretty little face appeared. Surprisingly, this was the grown up Du Xiao Li. Although she was only thirteen fourteen years old, she was already a beauty. Beautiful lush brows, red lips, white teeth, and skin as soft as congealed fat. A wisp of long hair flitted across from behind her ear, hanging at her chest.

“Chang Feng.” She shouted towards the guard on horseback in front.

A twenty-four year old man heard her calling and turned the horse back towards the carriage, looking to the girl and asking, “Miss, what orders do you have?”

“How much longer before we reach Fuyang?” Du Xiao Li asked.

“Replying to miss, there’s still about another two-hours before we can reach Fuyang.” Chang Feng respectfully replied.

“Younger sister, what’s wrong?” In the horse carriage in front, Du Xiu Heng heard Du Xiao Li’s voice and pulled open the back window curtain. He looked to Du Xiao Li’s horse carriage and asked.

“Big brother, it’s nothing, I was just asking.” Du Xiao Li replied.

With that said, she put down the curtains, muttering to herself, “Still another two-hours, it would have been better to just ride horse!”

In side the horse carriage, there were also two other girl, Ying Ge and Xia Yuan*. Both were seventeen to eighteen years old, delicately beautiful and full of life, wearing clothes slightly secondary to Du Xiao Li’s, but were still quite a bit better looking than ordinary servant girls.

(*T/N: Their names are based off of birds, oriole and kite respectively.)

Hearing Du Xiao Li’s complaint, Ying Ge said with a smile, “Miss, if you can get pa.s.s young master, you wanting to ride a horse isn’t impossible.”

Du Xiao Li pouted and said, “Sigh, Ying Ge, you saying this just to upset me? In order for me to conceal my martial arts, he’s dead set on not letting me ride a horse. From Zhou county to here, ten days, an entire ten days! I feel like I’m about to become moldly!”

“Miss, just endure for a little longer. Isn’t young master saying it for your sake? Eat some grapes to calm your anger, we’ll reach Fuyang very soon.” Xia Yuan opened a delicate small chest to the side. Inside was actually a box of grapes, and moreover, there was also the rarely seen ice cubes inside.

As soon as she saw the grapes, Du Xiao Li immediately became spirited again. Her low spirits from her inability to ride a horse were immediately swept away. She reached out and picked up a piece, asking as she peeled the skin, “When did the grapes come, how come I didn’t know?”

“It was sent over early this morning. At that time, miss was still asleep, so we didn’t tell miss.” Xia Yuan also picked up a piece and peeled it before handing it to Du Xiao Li.

Du Xiao Li waved her hand and said, “I want to eat the ones I peeled myself, the ones you all peel, eat it yourself.” Seeing them not moving, Du Xiao Li picked up two and shoved each one into their mouths, saying: “You’ve been following me for this long and know my temperament. Although you two were given to me by big brother Luo Qi, I’ve never viewed you two as servant girls. It’s not like you didn’t know, why still be this polite with me?!”

“Thank you miss.” Ying Ge’s personality was a bit more lively and ate the grape in one bite, then spitting out the skin.

Xia Yuan’s personality obviously was more steady. After she ate the grape, she said, “Young master Luo Qi gave us to miss, thus we are miss’s people. Miss although doesn’t treat us as servants, we still can’t lose our propriety. Especially now that miss has to go the capital. There, we further need to be more careful.”

Ying Ge stuck her tongue and said, “I know, alright!”

Du Xiao Li couldn’t do anything about them and said, “It’s been more than a year. Ying Ge has already been corrected by me. But Xia Yuan, how can you still be the same as in the beginning? This makes me feel very defeated!”

“Hehe….” Xia Yuan and Ying Ge heard Du Xiao Li’s words and both laughed.

“That’s right, how’s the situation over at the capital?” Du Xiao Li asked.

Ever since a year ago, when Luo Qi had sent over these two servant girls for her, she had been slowly transferring work into their hands.

She still remembered what they said when they’d first arrived, “Young master Luo Qi said, in the past he was our master, but from today onwards, miss is our master. We’ll only listen to miss alone.”

“Everything has already been arranged appropriately. Although this was much sooner than what we’d antic.i.p.ated, for the most part, the affect isn’t big.” Xia Yuan replied.

“All eldest senior brother, that old man’s, fault! Who let him have a slip of tongue after drinking? Wait until I get to the capital, I’ll definitely have to find him to properly settle the score!” Du Xiao Li grumbled.

In her plans, they weren’t planning on going to the capital city until when Du Xiu Heng needed to go to partic.i.p.ate in the imperial exam, and they weren’t intending on acknowledging that degenerate father, Du Yun Han, either. But who knew, Niu Jing’s ident.i.ty was actually an imperial physician of the Imperial Physician’s court, and moreover his relationship with that degenerate father was even not bad. Although he promised Su Su Xin on her death bed that he won’t have their whereabouts told to Du Yun Han, but that glutton, one time while drinking with Du Yun Han, got drunk and had her and Du Xiu Heng’s matters inadvertently blurted out.

According to that old man’s words, Niu Jing at the time said this: “That daughter of yours, really makes one both love and hate. Don’t know after this many years, with her being that small, how she’s doing over there?”

Du Yun Han, who was also an old fox, upon hearing Niu Jing’s words, originally thought he was referring to Du Ke Xin, but carefully pondering his words, it didn’t feel right. Take advantage of the fact that Niu Jing was still drunk, he managed to get out of him the matter of encountering Su Su Xin in Du village.

As soon as he heard this, he was shocked. Turns out his original wife didn’t die that year, but instead took his son and their unborn daughter and escaped. Recalling that he’d clearly saw a pregnant woman’s and a boy’s corpse that time, he immediately knew, that incident that year definitely had other secrets. But he still held his patiences and continued asking, learning that Su Su Xin had already died, and when Niu Jing had left Du village, Du Xiao Li was only seven and Du Xiu Heng was also only ten.

Hearing that his son and daughter having to be self-reliant at such a young age, Du Yun Han felt extremely heartbroken. Not having enough time to thoroughly investigate the truth of that year, he immediately entered the palace and requested a leave of absence from the emperor, before getting on his horse carriage and heading south to go seek his daughter.

Thinking of what will happen when Du Xiao Li comes to the capital, Niu Jing hated that he couldn’t immediately escape to the Medicine King Valley! However, knowing this was impossible, he voluntarily went to find the emperor and left for the border town to be the temporary military doctor for Han Ming Yi who was currently fighting a war there.

(T/N: Oi, don’t run away from the mess you caused old man!)

As for Du Yun Han, he spurred his horse carriage directly to Du village without rest. And after finding a person working in the fields and asking, he found Du Xiao Li’s home at the waist of the mountain.

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Saving Someone in Pa.s.sing (2)

The first sight Du Yun Han saw of Du Xiao Li was her wearing a straw hat in old clothes working in the fields. At the time, Du Xiao Li was in the middle of combing through the tangerines in the orchard. That is to pick off the excess tangerines from a branch, so as to avoid too many tangerines from growing on one branch, pressuring the branch to break. In addition, there were also two other girls together with her.

“Who are you?” Ying Ge saw the head poking out of the horse carriage and asked.

Everyone had actually long noticed this luxurious horse carriage enter the village, but all thought it was just a pa.s.serby. Yet, unexpectedly, he stopped at the foot of their mountain and even stuck his head out for a look.

Du Yun Han got down from the horse carriage and looked to the already thirteen and a half years old Du Xiao Li, asking with a shaking voice, “You’re Du Xiao Li?”

“I am, who are you?” In the last few years, Du Xiao Li had also interacted with some wealthy people before, so she momentarily didn’t figure out who the other party was.

“Su Su Xin is your mother?” Du Yun Han continued asking.

Du Xiao Li’s face immediately darkened and retorted, “You’re mistaken.”

With that said, she turned around, wanting to return to her own courtyard.

“You’re my daughter, I’m your father.” Du Yun Han suddenly spoke, “Niu Jing told me everything!”

At this time, the nearby villagers working in the fields all heard the commotion on this side and successively turned to look over.

“d.a.m.n it!” Du Xiao Li couldn’t help cursing, not knowing whether she was cursing Niu Jing or cursing Du Yun Han. She turned and looked to those spectating villagers below the mountain, and said with a darkened expression, “You, come up first!”

Du Yun Han followed the mountain path upwards, and upon seeing the new house built just a few years ago, he felt a little better inside. At least, his son’s and daughter’s days were still decent.

“Who are you?” Du Xiao Li went to wash her hand, asking as she glared at Du Yun Han.

Actually, without even asking, she was already certain of Du Yun Han’s ident.i.ty, because that face of his looked as if it almost came from the same mold as the sixteen year old Du Xiu Heng’s.

And her appearance was seventy percent similar to their deceased mother.

“I’m your father.” Du Xiao Li didn’t bother entertaining Du Yun Han, and he also just found himself a chair to sit down.

“My father Du Hai is already dead.” Du Xiao Li coldly said.

Du Yun Han stared at Du Xiao Li’s hostile appearance and let out a sigh, saying: “Sorry. That year, I failed you all………”

“Save it, I don’t know that I still have a father.” Du Xiao Li interrupted Du Yun Han’s words, “Ying Ge, Xia Yuan, I’m tired from working just now, I’m going to go nap for a while. This lord, the door is over there, see yourself out.”

As she finished saying this, she stood up and returned to her own room. However, she wasn’t going to sleep, but instead returning to her room to practice her inner energy. When she finished her training session and went out, she discovered that Du Yun Han still haven’t left and was currently in the main hall having a stare off with Du Xiu Heng who’d just returned from the county seat.

Du Xiu Heng had already partic.i.p.ated in the provincial exams and right now was one of the successful candidates, preparing to go partic.i.p.ate in the capital’s imperial civil service examination next year. He was already no longer studying at the county seat school. Today, he’d just happened to have some business and headed to the county seat, unexpectedly coming back to see someone he didn’t want to see the most.

(T/N: The imperial civil service exam is also known as the metropolitan exam.)

Du Xiao Li looked to the two of them mutually staring at each other, yet didn’t say anything. She walked in and sat down next to Du Xiu Heng, asking: “Big brother, when did you come back?”

“I’ve been back for a while now. Ying Ge and Xia Yuan said you were resting, so I didn’t call you.” Du Xiu Heng didn’t looked to Du Xiao Li, but instead casted his hostile gaze towards Du Yun Han, saying: “This sir, how long do you plan on sitting in our house for?”

“Don’t pretend with me. Xiao Li may not know me, but you wouldn’t know? Keep pretending to not know your old man, and I’ll break your legs!” Du Yun Han wasn’t as careful with Du Xiu Heng like as with Du Xiao Li. Upon hearing his words, his anger immediately rose.

“You’re not anyone to me, what right do you have to hit me?” Du Xiu Heng said with disdain.

“I’m your old man!” Du Yun Han roared.

Du Xiu Heng coldly snorted and said, “I don’t have a father that can’t protect his wife and children!”

Hearing Du Xiu Heng say this, Du Yun Han’s att.i.tude instantly softened, saying: “The matters that year were my fault, but I believed you mother. She is the true love of my life, and have gone through so many storms together with me, how can I not believe her. But that year, by the time I got back, your mother had already took you and ran away. I also searched everywhere for you two, but what I got was instead two corpses, three lives. That pregnant woman’s and that small child’s body had the exact same markings as you two’s. Thus I thought it was you two, that’s why I stopped searching. In these years, I’ve also missed you all very much.”

“Hmph.” Du Xiu Heng still just coldly snorted.

“It’s true! If not, why else would I immediately rush here as soon as I heard your news.” Seeing Du Xiu Heng’s att.i.tude, Du Yun Han’s anger rose again. Looks like this father’s temper wasn’t very good!

“Even this mean in our house, if we were your kids, afraid would’ve already been scared to death by you.” Du Xiao Li said.

Perhaps because Du Xiao Li resembled Su Su Xin too much, or perhaps because from birth until prior to today, he’d never seen her before, Du Yun Han felt a little partial towards Du Xiao Li. Seeing Du Xiao Li’s discontent look, his anger immediately dissipated, and he apologetically smiled, “I was just anxious, I’m actually not mean.”

If not for the current scenario being off, Du Xiao Li definitely would have been amused by Du Yun Han’s appearance.

Actually, she could tell, Du Yun Han genuinely did care about them. His gaze towards them was very real, indeed that kind of affectionate and stern look a father would give his child. Furthermore, the incident that year, she hadn’t investigated yet. That’s why she couldn’t conclude it was all this father’s fault either. However, whether or not to acknowledge this father, it still depends on Du Xiu Heng. After all, towards this father that suddenly appeared, whether to acknowledge him or not, she didn’t have too much of an opinion. If Du Xiu Heng doesn’t acknowledge, she’ll continue being her village girl, cheerful and carefree. If he acknowledges him, she heard that this father is already the prime minister, and even has an equal wife that the previous emperor bestowed at home. There will certainly be no less of trouble inside and outside the home. But if Du Xiu Heng wants to go back, her accompanying him to the capital to play with them wasn’t undoable either.

“You two take your time staring, I’m going to go make dinner.” Du Xiao Li said to Du Xiu Heng. However, she definitely won’t make Du Yun Han’s share.

T/N: This is the regular chapter for Friday, the next sponsored chapter I’ll release along with Monday’s chapter. Your translator Jen is going to be taking the weekend off from this series to work on other things and catch up on sleep, I’m a bit behind on TWBW, see you guys Monday~

Want more chapters? Sponsor a chapter and fuel my caffeine addiction by supporting me on !

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Saving Someone in Pa.s.sing (3)

T/N: Chapter sponsored by Azurixa and Gilly! Thank you for supporting!

Coming out of the central room, Du Xiao Li went to the kitchen to begin making dinner. Although Ying Ge and Xia Yuan have been here for more than a year now, and the other matters have all been handed over to them to do, their cooking skills still couldn’t reach Du Xiao Li’s no matter what. Moreover, Du Xiu Heng liked eating Du Xiao Li’s cooking, so the cooking has always been handled by her.

“Xia Yuan, what did that person do all afternoon?” Du Xiao Li asked while chopping the vegetables.

“Miss, after you went to rest, he asked where madam’s grave was, went to madam’s grave, and stayed there for a very long time. Only after young master returned, did he finally followed him back.” Xia Yuan replied.

“How was his expression?” Du Xiao Li continued asking.

“His expression was very painful, and he even bitterly cried in front of madam’s grave. He said a lot of words, majority were all just recalling the past, and also some things about miss. At the time, he’d went alone and didn’t know we were observing in the dark either. It didn’t seem like he was acting for someone to see.” Xia Yuan said.

Cried? No wonder when she saw Du Yun Han just now, she noticed that his eyes were swollen. Moreover, when he was getting angry at Du Xiu Heng, there was also an unerasable trace of grief in his eyes. Looks like the things that happened that year were indeed worth contemplating over.

Du Xiao Li thought that since Du Xiu Heng refused to acknowledge Du Yun Han, he naturally would just leave, but unexpectedly, when she went out again after she finished cooking, she discovered that he still hasn’t left yet. Furthermore, he managed to have someone bring a bed from who knows where and placed it in the storage room, saying for every day they refuse to return with him, he won’t leave for a day. During dinner, he even squeezed himself onto the table, insisting on eating together with them. That look didn’t have the slightest appearance of a prime minister, fully just a thick-skinned person.

Afterwards, he really did settle down in their home, every day having a stare off with Du Xiu Heng. Learning that Du Xiu Heng had successfully pa.s.sed the provincial exam and was going to partic.i.p.ate in the preliminary rounds of the imperial exam next years, he smiled till his eyes narrowed shut. But every time Du Xiu Heng said he won’t acknowledge him, he would rage until his eyes popped open.

However, he was very accommodating with Du Xiao Li. When he saw her going to the tangerine orchard to comb the fruits, he also followed over, wanting to help Du Xiao Li. But he was an official after all, how would he know how to do these thing. Seeing Du Xiao Li picking tangerines, he had the tangerines on the branch all picked, angering Du Xiao Li in the process and getting himself kicked out. She even forbid him from coming near her tangerine orchard. Seeing him standing at the edge of the tangerine orchard with a face full of grievance, Du Xiao Li felt both amused and in a good mood.

Not long after, the emperor’s letter came, letting Du Yun Han return to the capital without delay. As a result, that old guy wrote a reply saying he was there to experience for himself the life of a commoner, and experiencing the commoner’s way of thinking, follow which was another lengthy eulogy, singing praises, which ended up pleasing the emperor, allowing him a few more days of time.

But the emperor wasn’t a fool either. He naturally knew why Du Yun Han wasn’t returning to the capital. Thus, immediately afterwards, he sent an imperial edict, wanting Du Yun Han to bring his di son and di daughter back to the capital.

The imperial edict said ‘di son and di daughter’, thus was acknowledging Su Su Xin and the sibling’s position. The purpose naturally was for letting Du Xiu Heng and Du Xiao Li willingly follow Du Yun Han back. Of course, an important reason why he was able to pa.s.s such an edict was because that equal wife was still just an equal wife. In the fourteen years’ time, she has never managed to climb onto the position of the official wife.

Du Xiao Li once again lamented the restrictions of an era with imperial power. But she still consulted with Du Yun Han, letting him go back on his own first, while she and Du Xiu Heng leave at the end of the sixth month.

Du Yun Han asked her the reason, and she said there was something to take care of. Only Du Xiu Heng and Xia Yuan and them knew the reason. She was waiting for the grapes to mature.

Towards this Du Xiao Li replied, “The winery and restaurant all need to be taken care of. This also needs to take some time.” However, she didn’t want to let Du Yun Han know about any of these.

Although he really wanted to travel together with his daughter, he also didn’t want to against her intentions. The emperor’s side was also pressing tightly, and under reluctance, Du Yun Han eventually went on the road alone. However, he had a portion of the people he brought left behind.

Before departing, he went alone to Su Su Xin’s grave again and cried in front of her grave for a very long time, while Du Xiao Li and Du Xiu Heng stood below the mountain, silently watching.

Du Xiao Li knew that whenever Du Yun Han had time, he would always spent it there. Aside from the first time and this time, he didn’t cry the other times. But every time he returned, his mood was always down. This time, perhaps because he needed to part, he looked particularly heartbroken.

Watching Du Yun Han cry like a small child, Du Xiao Li couldn’t help letting out a sigh.

“Sigh.”

In the horse carriage, Du Xiao Li also sighed following her recollection, her arms curling around Silver who was beside her. “Silver, after pa.s.sing Fuyang, we’ll arrive in the capital in another day. What do you think the capital is like? After going, will we be able to get it use to it? Will you be not used to it? There, it won’t be able to be like Du village, with mountains for you to run around. However, fortunately, I had your wife brought along too, so you won’t be lonely either.”

“Pfft—” Hearing Du Xiao Li’s words, Ying Ge and Xia Yuan both laughed, because they both recalled the wedding Du Xiao Li held for Silver and Gold at the time.

Last year, Silver seduced a female wolf back from the mountains. Following the husband when married, the female wolf also got along very well with Du Xiao Li. Du Xiao Li gave her the name Gold, and even let the two wolves put on crimson clothes and a crimson flower, holding a wedding for them. That spectacle amused one to death.

However, because this horse carriage was too small, after squeezing in the three of them, it couldn’t fit two more adult wolves. That’s why gold went over to Du Xiu Heng’s horse carriage, and Silver remained here. Of course, Silver sometimes would also go to Du Xiu Heng’s horse carriage.

Du Xiao Li rolled her eyes at the two laughing at herself and reached out to pick two grapes to feed Silver.

“Shh….”

The carriage driver suddenly pulled the reins and stopped the carriage. Ying Ge quickly asked, “Why did we stop?”

“Miss, there seems to be a situation up front. Young master’s horse carriage also stopped.” The driver replied.

“Perfect, I just happened to have gotten tired of sitting. Let’s go down and see too.” Du Xiao Li said, “Ying Ge.”

Ying Ge opened the carriage door, and Du Xiao Li directly jumped down from the horse carriage. Silver, seeing Du Xiao Li get down from the carriage, also leapt up and directly jumped down. Following which, Ying Ge and Xia Yuan also came down, leaving the driver to watch the horse carriage.

When Du Xiao Li arrived up front, Du Xiu Heng had also just happened to have gotten down from the horse carriage. The siblings thus walked forward together.

In a place about fifty meters ahead of them, there were five to six horse carriages stopped, and also several horses standing in the middle of the road. A bunch of people were currently crowded together, seemingly something must have happened, because they nearly had the official road all blocked. Du Xiao Li and them had no choice but to stop.

Saving Someone in Pa.s.sing (4)

“Awooo—” Silver called out towards the people ahead, startling the people up front. They turned around and saw Silver who was next to Du Xiao Li.

“Why is there a wolf here?”

A group of guards hastily appeared behind the crowd, coming face to face with Du Xiao Li and them, cautiously looking to Silver.

Du Xiao Li turned to Silver, leaned down and patted his head, “Silver, go find your wife.”

Silver heard Du Xiao Li’s words, lowly growled twice, and then immediately jumped onto Du Xiu Heng’s horse carriage. Du Xiao Li signaled the driver to close the door.

Seeing the wolf get locked up in the horse carriage, they finally relaxed.

“Old man, old man!” Suddenly from the crowd came an urgent cry. Du Xiao Li listened and felt it should be an old woman’s voice. Following which, she heard, “Where’s the doctor? Why hasn’t the doctor arrived yet?”

“Old madam, we’ve already sent someone to Fuyang to invite one as quickly as possible.” Someone replied.

“Then send someone to go rush them! Quick!” The old madam urged.

“Yes, old madam.”

Two man immediately got on their horses and hastily rushed towards Fuyang’s direction.

“Father, hang in there, the doctor will be here soon.” Another middle-aged woman’s voice came through.

Du Xiao Li guessed that someone must have collapsed from illness up ahead. Hearing that old madam’s bitter cries, she suddenly felt somewhat unable to bear, and thus opened her mouth, “That…..”

Who knew, just as she opened her mouth, the guards that were facing them, orderly had their swords drawn, pointing at them.

At this time, the surrounding crowd also opened up a path, letting Du Xiao Li see the situation inside.

Just as she’d predicted, in the middle of the crowd, on top a rug, sat an elderly woman, should be that old madam, and on her leg rested a sixty some year old old man. From the looks of it, he’s already fainted. In addition, a middle-aged woman knelt at the old man’s side. Next to them were a heap of servant girls and bodyguards.

“What happened?” The middle-aged woman looked towards them, her complexion somewhat not good, seemingly somewhat discontent at running into strangers at this time.

“Replying to madam, it’s some pa.s.serby. Their path has been blocked by our horse carriages.” The guard looked to Du Xiao Li and them, and the horse carriage behind them and replied.

Du Xiao Li didn’t expect that as soon as she opened her mouth, she would be met with swords. She was somewhat speechless and was just planning on going back when she heard the old madam’s voice.

“Step down.”

Du Xiao Li originally thought she wanted them to leave, but before she could move, those guards already uniformly had their swords sheathed and stood to the two sides.

So she wasn’t talking to them!

“You all have the horse carriages moved to the side, make way for them” The old madam ordered again.

“Yes, old madam.” Five guards returned onto the horse carriage and had the horse carriage moved to the side of the road. Then, they had the remaining horses also lead to the side.

“Alright, little miss, you all quickly pa.s.s through.” The old madam said and then lowered her head to look at her husband again.

Du Xiao Li originally had already given up the intention to treat them, but seeing that the old madam was a good person, she said, “Old madam, I know medicine, how about letting me examine this old master?”

“You know medicine?” The old madam lifted her head, closely gazing at Du Xiao Li, like she’d just grasped the last straw.

“Mother, she’s just a thirteen fourteen year old little girl, how can she know medicine!” The middle-aged woman said, “Letting her examine father, if something were to happen, what will we do?”

“This…” Hearing this, the old madam also somewhat hesitated inside.

“Old madam, right now, you should have this old master’s body lay flat, and not have him on your leg. This way isn’t good for him.” Du Xiao Li said.

The old madam recalled a doctor once mentioning that if the old master were to faint, must have his body laid flat, and don’t have him turned or bent. Just now, because she was anxious, she actually forgotten this. Now, hearing Du Xiao Li say this, she quickly had the old man’s body laid flat. Afterwards, she said to Du Xiao Li, “Little miss, trouble you to come examine.”

“Mother.” The middle-aged woman still was worried and looked to the old madam.

“Right now, the doctor still hasn’t arrived. The old master’s situation is also become more and more severe. Just let this girl try.” The old madam said.

“Younger sister.” Du Xiu Heng somewhat nervously looked to Du Xiao Li. These people didn’t look like ordinary people, and the old man’s illness wasn’t easy to cure either. If she were to cause something………

“My medical skills big brother still doesn’t know?” Du Xiao Li confidently smiled.

“Go. Be careful.” Du Xiu Heng naturally believed Du Xiao Li, but he still warned her.

“En.” Du Xiao Li nodded and looked towards Xia Yuan. Afterwards, she came to the old man’s side and crouched down, beginning to examine the old man.

Presently, the old man had already fainted completely, his two hands spread out, four limbs ice cold, and his body limp. In his palm, there was a layer of thick sweat, his mouth slightly open, and his tongue coating faintly purple.

She had the old man’s body condition checked, and afterwards, asked the situation prior to the old man fainting. While listening to them explain, she had the old man’s eyelid lifted up. After more or less understanding the situation, she roughly could determine what the old man’s illness was. However, she still carefully took the pulse, lastly confirming the illness.

“Did you make out any results?” The old madam nervously looked to Du Xiao Li and asked.

Du Xiao Li retracted her hand and said, “Old Madam, this old master is suffering from an disease commonly seen in old people. Although it’s somewhat serious, as long as one normally pays attention some, it isn’t too big of a problem either. I’ll first have the old master wake up, else he might suffer from paralysis.”

The middle-aged woman although didn’t trust Du Xiao Li, seeing her mannerism, she didn’t seem to be lying either. Until now, the doctor still hasn’t arrived. She’ll just have to temporarily trust Du Xiao Li.

“Xia Yuan.” Du Xiao Li called out.

Xia Yuan had a pair of white gloves handed to Du Xiao Li. After putting them on, Du Xiao Li said, “Number three needle.”

A medium length silver needle thus was handed to her. She first stabbed into the area below the nose.

Those people, seeing Du Xiao Li stab the old master with a needle, all wanted to berate her, but were stopped by the old madam.

Have to say, the old madam’s thinking was rather forward. If she’d also stopped Du Xiao Li’s needle, then this old man won’t be able to wake up today.

“Number five needle.”

“Number eight.”

“Number six.”

“……….”

Du Xiao Li immediately also inserted a few needles into the old man’s chest and head. After a while, the old man finally opened his eyes.

“Old master, old master, you’ve really woken. So great!” The old madam cried tears of joy. Just now, the old man’s fainted appearance really scared her to death, fearing that the old man would leave her behind all alone.

“Father, how do you feel?” The middle-age woman also came up and asked.

Du Xiao Li saw that the old man’s eyes weren’t muddy like ordinary old people’s. Although he’d fallen ill, and his spirit somewhat unwell, he was still rather clear-headed.

“Old sir, first don’t move, I still have to remove the needles for you.” Du Xiao Li saw that the old man wanted to move and quickly stopped him.

Once the needles were all pulled out and handed to Xia Yuan next to her, Du Xiao Li finally retreated out. She returned to her horse carriage and wrote a paper slip, letting Ying Ge give it to one of the servant girls. Afterwards, she said to Du Xiu Heng to continue on their way.

By the time their horse carriage pa.s.sed by the crowd, they saw a middle-aged man in the middle, should be the doctor they invited. However, she’d already done what she should do and never thought of wanting the other party to repay her. Thus, she directly left.

T/N: I forgot to mention that the road they are currently traveling on is an official’s only road meant only for government officials and their family.

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Saving Someone in Pa.s.sing (5)

T/N: Chapter sponsored by Gilly, Nøïr, and Madam Daim

After that doctor came and carefully examined the old master’s body, he directly cried it was a miracle, saying that he’s never encountered someone with this disease still being able to wake up before. Those in the past, even if they preserved their life, they still all became paralyzed. Afterwards, he asked which doctor had treated, and finally then did everyone recall Du Xiao Li and the others.

But they’d already left without a trace.

“Seeing the person leave, why didn’t you all know to stop them? We still haven’t thanked them!” The old madam was angered.

The middle-aged woman also noticed that Du Xiao Li and the others have left. Seeing the old madam that angry, she quickly consoled, “Mother, I saw them also heading in the direction of Fuyang. Let’s go ask around in Fuyang and see if we can find them.”

“It can only be like this.” The old madam said with a sigh.

“Old madam, before those people left, they had this handed to this servant.” A servant girl said and had the slip of paper handed to the old madam.

The middle-aged woman took it and opened it, saying: “Written on here are some things to let old master pay attention to normally, and also some fruits and vegetables that are beneficial to the body.”

“That little miss is considerate. When we get back, let’s try according to her words.” The old madam said.

“Mother, on here also says that father is suited for traveling right now, says to let father rest here for a while before setting out again.”

“Then we’ll just wait a little longer before setting off again.”

While they were resting, Du Xiao Li’s party already entered Fuyang city and settled into the guest inn that Du Yun Han had long arranged for them.

Although this Du Yun Han didn’t enter the capital together with Du Xiao Li and them, their eating and living along the way were all arranged nicely, letting them completely not worry at all.

After pa.s.sing Fuyang, they’ll arrive in Feng Ming’s capital city, Phoenix city. Thinking that she still needed to sit another whole day in the horse carriage, Du Xiao Li felt uncomfortable all over.

(T/N: The name of their country ‘Feng Ming’ literally just means cry of a phoenix.)

Because they arrived at the guest inn rather early, Du Xiao Li and them all returned to their own rooms to rest. By evening, when they headed down to eat dinner, they encountered that group from the afternoon

“Miss, my family’s old madam says to invite you all for a meal to express our grat.i.tude.” A servant girl was waiting at the stairway. After seeing Du Xiao Li and them come out, she bowed and said.

Du Xiao Li looked to Du Xiu Heng. Du Xiu Heng didn’t have any objections, so they followed the servant girl to their private room. The others thus directly went downstairs to eat.

This inn was Fuyang city’s largest and best guest inn. The first floor was for dining, the second floor was for private room dining, and the third and fourth floor were for lodging. Because there weren’t that many rooms here, people without status weren’t able to enter. Furthermore, the private rooms were very expensive. To eat a meal inside one, you would need to have ‘the ability to stake a thousand pieces of gold on one throw’ level of wealth.

The servant girl brought Du Xiao Li and them into the private room and bowed towards the people inside, saying: “Old master, old madam, madam, that young master and miss is here.”

When Du Xiao Li entered, there were already three people sitting at the table. Seeing Du Xiao Li and Du Xiu Heng, they said, “Little miss, quickly come sit.”

Du Xiao Li bowed to each of them and said, “To have bothered you all like this, truly sorry for the inconvenience.”

“What is there to inconvenience.” The old madam smiled and said, “Today, you saved my family’s old man, we can’t even thank you enough.”

“Indeed!” The madam also smiled and said, “Today, when you all left, mother even got angry at us. Luckily, the guards saw your horse carriage in the backyard, else we would still be looking for you all over the city right now!”

“It was nothing more than a lift of the hand, to have trouble old master, old madam, and madam to remember, Xiao Li feels rather apologetic inside.” Du Xiao Li said.

“For you it may be just a lift of the hand, but for me, you’ve saved my life.” The old master said, “You’re called Xiao Li?”

“Yes, old master, I’m called Du Xiao Li. This is my older brother Du Xiu Heng.” Du Xiao Li replied.

“My surname is Meng. You can just call me grandpa Meng.” Meng Bo Wen said, “She’s my old wife, you can just call her grandma Meng. This is my daughter-in-law, you can call her Aunty Meng.”

The custom of this era was that as long as a woman married, then she’ll have to use her husband family’s surname.

Eh, the relationship got pulled closer this quick? However, she also didn’t like calling out old master and old madam, thus followed Meng Bo Wen’s words and called out, “Grandpa Meng, grandma Meng, Aunty Meng.”

“Alright, let’s eat while we chat.” Meng old madam said.

“Right, right, right, eat while we chat, else the dishes will all get cold.” Madam Meng said.

After Meng Bo Wen took the first bite, the others also began eating. Although Meng Bo Wen’s whole family had an unconcealable ‘government official’ presence, they were still rather easy-going and chatted rather pleasantly with Du Xiao Li and Du Xiu Heng. Hearing that they were also going to the capital city, they thus invited them to travel together.

Du Xiao Li knew this was because they feared that Meng old master might collapse again on the road. Thinking that they needed to go anyways, she also just agreed.

Early morning of the next day, Du Xiao Li took Silver and Gold downstairs to eat breakfast very early. Seeing Gold and Silver, everyone were all frightened. The timid womenfolk even screamed out. With no other choice, Du Xiao LI could only have Ying Ge take them to the horse carriage to wait.

(T/N: Tbh I’m quite surprised they even let the wolves inside in the first place….)

After a while, Meng old master and party came down. Seeing Du Xiao Li, they walked over and sat at the same table. The servant girls had the prepared dishes carried up and served them in using breakfast.

By the time they finished eating breakfast, the horse carriages were already waiting outside. Seeing Silver sticking its head out of Du Xiu Heng’s horse carrige, Meng Bo Wen and party still got startled.

Witnessing this, Du Xiao Li said, “I’ve been raising Silver since he was a pup, under normal circ.u.mstances, he won’t bite people.”

As for all other situation, this wasn’t the case. For example, two years ago, someone came to her tangerine orchard to steal tangerine and got viciously bitten several times by Silver. If not for Du Xiao Li having Silver tamed very well, Silver would’ve directly had that person torn up and eaten!

“He really won’t bite?” Madam Meng said as she patted her chest.

“It’s not that he doesn’t bite, but kind people like you all, he definitely won’t bite. Rest a.s.sured.” Du Xiao Li smilingly said. Afterwards, she climbed onto her own horse carriage.

Meng Bo Wen also went to the horse carriage in front, and the party grandly set out from the northern gate, continuing towards the capital city.

At noon, because there weren’t any places to rest nearby, everyone thus ate some rations in their own horse carriage. Chang Feng and them were very familiar with this region, so they’d already prepared some when they were still at the inn this morning.

After eating, they continued on their way. Du Xiao Li suddenly remembered the grapes in the ice container. This container really was very magical. The ice cubes placed inside almost all didn’t melt. The grapes inside also looked very fresh. She let Xia Yuan give some to the old madam and the others, while she herself leaned against the cushion and eating grapes. Suddenly the horse carriage stopped again. Du Xiao Li wondered if the old master had fallen ill again? Or perhaps, another patient appeared by the roadside again?

Du Xiao Li pulled open the window curtains to look. Unexpectedly, she’d guessed wrong. The old master didn’t fall ill, and there weren’t any sick people by the roadside either. Rather, someone had blocked their path.

“Miss, someone wants to a.s.sa.s.sinate.” Xia Yuan looked out from the other side and said to Du Xiao Li.

Du Xiao Li nodded. She also could tell. Each and every one dressed entirely in black, their face also covered in a black cloth, like they were afraid people wouldn’t know they were here to kill. “Just, don’t know if they’re here for us, or for grandpa Meng and the others. My guess is that they’re here for us!”

The Meng family’s bodyguard and the men in black faced off against one another. One among them said to the people in the horse carriage behind them, “Old master, old madam, madam, you all stay in the horse carriage and don’t come out.”

Yet, as a result, Meng old master pushed open the carriage door and said, “I sure want to see, who is it that wants to take this old man’s life!”

The men in black on horseback looked to Meng old master and Meng old madam in the horse carriage and skeptically said, “Didn’t they say it was a young man and a young girl? Why did it turn into an old man and an old woman?”

That person’s voice was very small, but it was still heard by Du Xiao Li, who was three horse carriages away. She lifted her eyes and said, “Looks like they really are after us!”

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