Chapter Fifty-Five: I Am a Farmer
Page 1 of 3
After a moment’s thought, Zhang Shu sighed and said, “Once my grandfather is laid to rest, I’ll return to the umbrella shop and resume my work.”
Li Yunjie’s voice was grave. “Today, Song Zeye failed in his scheme. I fear he’ll bear a grudge and cause trouble for you in the days to come.”
He paused briefly, then continued, “So here’s what I propose: take this silver, open your own umbrella shop, and hire two guards.”
“With this arrangement, Song Zeye wouldn’t dare make a move against you.”
Zhang Shu mulled it over for a long time before nodding lightly. “That would be for the best.”
“Then let this silver be a loan from you, sir,” she added. “Once I’ve earned enough, I’ll repay you in full, with interest!”
With that, she quickly rose, tore a scrap of cloth from her garment, and, finding a charred piece of wood, scrawled the words “Promissory Note” in a crooked hand.
Seeing her so solemn, Li Yunjie could hardly refuse; otherwise, his good intentions would seem like mere charity.
When Zhang Shu finished signing her name, she frowned, bit her fingertip until it bled, and stamped her fingerprint on the note.
“Here you are, sir,” she said, handing it over.
Li Yunjie accepted it. “Then I shall keep this.”
“By the way,” Zhang Shu suddenly raised her brows, “I still don’t know your name.”
Li Yunjie smiled faintly. “My name is Li Yunjie.”
...
The Song Residence.
East Wing.
Song Zeye gazed at the battered pair before him—the infamous Black and White Fiends—his brows tightly knit.
“What happened?!”
“W-we had it under control, young master,” the man in black stammered. “But suddenly, out of nowhere, someone interfered and rescued Zhang Shu.”
“He left us in this sorry state...” The man in white revealed the scar on his face and complained, “Young master, you must see justice done for us!”
“Outrageous!” Song Zeye slammed his fist on the table, furious that his prize had slipped away. “Doesn’t he know Zhang Shu belongs to me?!”
“He knows,” replied the man in white. “We even showed him the indenture contract.”
“But the fellow was brazen—snatched the contract right out of my hand and tore it to shreds!”
“And then, shameless as anything, he claimed—” The man in white’s eyes darted away, reluctant to repeat the rebellious words.
“What did he say?!” Song Zeye demanded.
“He said you were seizing a commoner’s daughter by force and should be exiled!” White blurted out, eyes squeezed shut.
“Yes!” Black chimed in, “He even said you should be beheaded!”
“Impudent wretch!” Song Zeye smashed the table in rage, eyes glinting with malice. “He dares oppose me!”
Page 2 of 3
“Courting death!” he spat, sweeping a cold gaze over the pair. “I don’t care what methods you use—find him for me!”
“I want to see just who this upstart thinks he is!”
“Yes, young master!” The two bowed and withdrew.
“That’s quite a rage our young master is in,” Black sneered after leaving the room. “Looks like there’ll be a real show this time.”
White, limping along, growled, “Unless that brat’s cut to pieces, I’ll never be free of this grudge!”
...
The third day in Jiangnan.
A gentle breeze wafted outside the window, sunlight bright and soft.
“What are you thinking about, sir?” Eleven asked, bringing in breakfast.
“I’m thinking—where should I begin looking for Gu Xian’er?” Li Yunjie muttered.
“Gu Xian’er is skilled in medicine. Why not start by searching the clinics?” Eleven suggested.
Li Yunjie shook his head. He’d thought of that, but with so many clinics in Jiangnan City, questioning them one by one would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
“Got it!” A sudden flash of inspiration struck him. Without bothering to eat, he hurried out the door.
“Sister?” At the next room, he knocked lightly.
“What is it?” Su Qingmeng opened the door, face expressionless, her tone cold.
“Not you,” Li Yunjie sidestepped her and walked straight to Su Xiyan, who was quietly seated by the window.
“Sister, I have a favor to ask.” Li Yunjie smiled. “Over the next few days, there will be many doctors coming to examine you.”
“Would you mind cooperating with them?”
Su Xiyan shook her head, a slight frown on her brow.
“I know you hate seeing doctors,” Li Yunjie leaned closer, “but this time, it’s different.”
“There’ll be food!”
Su Xiyan’s eyes lit up instantly.
“That’s right,” Li Yunjie continued, “you can eat while they examine you!”
Hearing this, Su Xiyan’s face broke into a smile, but it quickly faded. She glanced sideways at Su Qingmeng, then turned away.
“What are you up to now?” Su Qingmeng’s tone was tinged with impatience. “Didn’t you say you came to Jiangnan to find Gu Xian’er?!”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Li Yunjie replied. “Gu Xian’er is a master physician—if she hears of such a strange and difficult case, how could she not be tempted to investigate?”
Piecing together his words, Su Qingmeng’s eyes cleared with understanding. “You mean to lure the medical sage out by using Xiyan’s muteness as bait?”
Li Yunjie nodded approvingly.
Page 3 of 3
“It’s not a bad idea,” Su Qingmeng murmured, “but it’s hard on Xiyan.”
“Not at all,” Li Yunjie waved it off with a laugh. “As long as there’s food, right?”
Su Xiyan nodded enthusiastically, already looking forward to it.
No sooner said than done. Li Yunjie sent Eleven and several errand boys to post a notice throughout Jiangnan City:
“My younger sister suffers from muteness. Hefty reward for a cure—one hundred taels of silver! Awaiting experts at the Riverside Inn.”
As expected, by noon the street in front of the inn was packed with people.
“I hear this young lady has come all the way from the capital to seek a cure!” a physician in the crowd gossiped.
“From the capital? She must be from a wealthy family!”
“If anyone can cure her, they’ll become famous overnight, remembered for generations!”
...
As the crowd chattered, Li Yunjie opened the second-floor window, picked up a makeshift megaphone, and called down:
“Doctors, please remain calm.”
“Form two orderly lines and come upstairs in turn.”
“Anyone caught cutting in line will be disqualified from entry.”
At his words, the crowd hurried to form a long queue—no one dared waste a chance at a hundred taels.
“And you there, the lady with the scallions,” Li Yunjie’s sharp eye picked out an odd one among the doctors, “yes, you.”
A simple, honest-looking middle-aged woman stepped out of the line.
“Auntie, what do you do?”
“I’m a farmer.”
“Can you practice medicine?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I heard there’s a hundred taels of silver, thought I’d try my luck.”
Li Yunjie nearly blacked out—there were far too many like her in the queue: fortune-tellers, storytellers, even a butcher, still holding his knife...
Sighing, Li Yunjie instructed Eleven, “Check everyone’s identity before letting them in.”
Eleven nodded.
Just as Li Yunjie was about to close the window, a familiar figure flashed by.
His heart skipped a beat.
Could it be...