A Long-Held Wish (4)-Decoction

The surnames Liang and Liu are arguably the most important in this deduction, and they unexpectedly intersected in this place.

Since Mama Liang would visit her daughter every time she went shopping, it can be basically concluded that Mama Liang's husband is Liu Bingxian and her daughter is Liu Xue.

This also explains why the large Fang Mansion would make contact with Liu Bingxian, who lived on the funeral street, and thus buy Liu Xue from this universally despised funeral shop owner.

Yu Xing originally thought that Mama Liang and Liu Xue had some kind of relationship, but he didn't expect the relationship to be so deep. He also thought that Mama Liang's descendant should be Liang Erni, but due to some special reasons, the descendants all took the woman's surname.

Yes, Liang Erni definitely lived a little after this era. Based on his observation, he was certain that the Fang Mansion's story took place before the Republic of China, probably during a turbulent period. Since there were many female students in Liang Erni's Liang Erni, she must be Mama Liang's granddaughter.

Leaving that question aside for now, Yu Xing got the answer she wanted, subtly curling the corners of her lips, and wholeheartedly began to play the role of a "patient" whose legs were in great pain.

When the other three helpers came in after getting the medicine, Doctor Cui had already applied it and pulled down Yu Xing's trouser leg.

A Gui glanced at the medicine bottle casually placed to the side, a worried look appearing on her face. Then she carefully handed the medicine to Doctor Cui and whispered, "Doctor Cui, for treating Xiao Jin's injury."

Doctor Cui was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "It's my duty."

He took the various medicinal herbs, opened the paper packets containing them, and found that the pot of water was already boiled.

Yu Xing didn't understand traditional Chinese medicine and couldn't recognize the names of the medicinal herbs at a glance. He could only blindly work as a helper for an afternoon, gaining nothing except familiarizing himself with the current work environment.

It's getting a bit chilly; it must be autumn now.

Because of her leg injury, Yu Xing was responsible for sitting by the stove today, fanning and adding fuel to the fire. After finishing, the black medicinal liquid that had been brewed was taken to the young master by the young man who disliked noise.

He felt a little regretful that he hadn't met Young Master Fang, because to be honest, he had been in contact with the "real" Young Master Fang throughout the first and second phases, and they were practically acquaintances.

The first stage is entirely the young master's dream, presented from a fair perspective without much malice. It primarily uses imagery such as paper figures and ghosts to depict events that have occurred.

In the second phase, Yu Xing tested the waters and found that the young master was the black figure that swayed by Zhou Xue's bedside every night. This was because both the black figure and the blood-red bride were contained within the white jade. The white jade was the real thing that Liang Erni was hiding from, so these two ghosts were also real, just like the spirits of artifacts that have been passed down over time.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that Young Master Fang and he are quite destined to be together.

Yu Xing and A Gui went back to the house together. At noon, he ate a steamed bun that A Gui had brought him when no one was looking. He was so hungry that his stomach was sticking to his back. But it wasn't that he was hungry. He didn't have any real need for food. He only ate to satisfy his cravings.

It's the character Xiao Jin who's hungry.

Fortunately, dinner was served, and he happily joined the family of servants. While eating, he listened to the other servants gossiping. During this time, he noticed a tall young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. The young man was a bit stocky and looked simple-minded. He was called A Hu.

It seems that Mama Liang has safely finished her shopping and returned home.

Yu Xing lowered her eyelashes, pondering who would be in trouble today.

Everything has a beginning; the only question is who will be the first victim in this conspiracy.

As the sun set, Doctor Cui finished his work and had some free time, so he read a book in his room.

Nothing unusual happened, and he didn't find Zhao Yijiu with facial paralysis in the crowd. He guessed that Zhao Yijiu had paid some "price" to avoid being exposed...

Imagining Zhao Yijiu's lively performance in front of the NP (non-player character) to prepare for her role, Yu Xing couldn't help but want to laugh.

The moment the corners of his mouth curled up, A Gui, who was watching him, became curious. "Xiao Jin, what book are you reading? You're smiling like that, is it one of those picture books?"

It took Yu Xing a second or two to realize what kind of picture book the little brat was talking about. Seeing that the other person was about to move closer to look at it together, he reached out and pushed the other person's head back, saying irritably, "It's not that kind, don't even think about it."

These kids look so innocent, but what's going on in their heads?!

"Oh." A Gui lay back down on his bed with regret.

In this era, servants had very few forms of entertainment. Once it got dark, they could only play small Yugi like dice. A Gui didn't get along well with the other two people in the room and just wanted to chat with Yu Xing, but Yu Xing was focused on reading and ignored him completely.

Many servants in the Fang Mansion were trained from a young age and taught some knowledge, at least they could read.

A Gui tried picking up the book beside him and glancing at it, but after a few minutes he realized he was sleepy.

These bookish books are too soporific; they're not as interesting as traditional novels. But I've already read all the novels piled up under my bed and forgot to buy new ones.

Under hypnosis, A Gui suddenly felt all the fatigue from working all day rushing back to her, and exclaimed that this trick really worked, no wonder it was Xiao Jin's method for sleeping!

I bet Xiao Jin is having trouble sleeping because of his injuries.

He empathized with Yu Xing's sadness for a while, then finally patted Yu Xing's arm. "Xiao Jin, I'm going to sleep."

"Go to sleep." Yu Xing glanced up at him and saw that he had indeed pulled the blanket over himself and fallen asleep. The two young men on the other side were also about to rest and turned their attention back to the books in their hands.

He was reading Liang Erni's diary.

In the third stage, the ghost bag was still hanging on his waist. Inside were... but he didn't see them. Presumably, Zhao Yijiu took them out, so they should be with Zhao Yijiu.

Liang Erni's diary did not begin from the first day she met the Master, but rather was written in a retrospective tone after a period of hardship and displacement, expressing her regret and pain.

Overall, after reading it from beginning to end, Yu Xing found that it contained a lot of useful information, which should be very helpful for him to get through the marriage scene in the later stages of the third phase of the mission.

By the time they had finished reading and memorized all the useful information, the other three were fast asleep, emitting soft snores.

He thought for a moment, then extinguished the kerosene lamp, plunging the entire room into complete darkness.

Yu Xing put the diary back into the ghost bag, lay down, and stared at the ceiling, waiting for the event to unfold.

There's been no unusual activity for a while; what exactly are they planning?

Who will be here tonight...?

"Knock knock knock."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Yu Xing's pupils contracted, and she quietly sat up, staring at the door.

"Knock knock knock."

The knocking came again as expected, but it was so soft that only someone who wasn't asleep could hear it.

Yu Xing glanced at the light that had just been turned off, confirming that the person or something else outside the door was there to see him.

He quietly got out of bed, walked barefoot to the door, and placed his hand on the door.

Before opening the door, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

"Nothing's happened yet, could it be because Xiao Jin was the first one to have an accident?"

Ugh... This is tricky.

I'm still following the story. But this time, the Main Quest eliminates the possibility of the deducers hiding like ostriches. If they don't take the initiative, they will be wiped out for passively digging, which is a situation even more irreversible than encountering a ghost.

Yu Xing still opened the door, his leg muscles tense so he could quickly dodge any sudden danger if he encountered a "door-opening attack."

A sore sensation came from his calves. Yu Xing pushed the door open a crack, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, making him shiver.

There was no one outside.

Only an inconspicuous note was tucked between the low threshold and the door, rustling softly in the wind.

Yu Xing picked up the note and squinted at it in the moonlight.

The note read...

"The Master wants you to go to his bedroom now, and make sure no one sees you."

Now?

Yu Xing raised an eyebrow. The Master had indeed asked him to report during the day, but hadn't that pretty young girl said he didn't need to report this time? Why was she here again now?

There was no way she wouldn't go. Yu Xing turned around, put on her shoes, and after making sure no one was awake in the house, she went out in the dead of night.

Several rooms still had their lights on, and you could faintly hear people talking inside, including the room where the ghost groom, played by Zhao Yijiu, was scared out of the room during the second phase of the dice game.

Yu Xing carefully concealed himself, passed through the courtyard gate, and arrived at the fifth courtyard.

Strictly speaking, only two people lived in the fifth courtyard: the Master and Doctor Cui.

The difference is that Doctor Cui occupied three rooms but had no servants, while the Master occupied two rooms, with a side room specifically for his servants, including the little girl at noon.

When Yu Xing arrived, all the rooms were pitch black. He limped to the Master's door and gently knocked.

No one answered.

He knocked again, then stood outside the door and waited.

Still no one was there. There was no sound at all, let alone anyone opening the door; it was as if the person inside was fast asleep.

After waiting for several minutes, Yu Xing's gaze gradually turned dangerous, because he focused his attention and used his most sensitive hearing to hear the Master's steady breathing.

The Master is really sleeping...

Who handed him the note? Why was he chosen, and what was their purpose?

Suddenly, the light next door came on, immediately catching Yu Xing's attention.

The light wasn't on in Doctor Cui's bedroom, but in the room where he saw Doctor Cui. With the light, a man's shadow could be seen reflected on the window. The man's figure sat upright in the room, and his shape was exactly the same as when Doctor Cui was working during the day.

"Squeak"

Just then, without the figure moving at all, the door to the medicine-decocting room opened.

Yu Xing was quite looking forward to the upcoming trickery. His face showed confusion and hesitation as he slowly walked towards the room.

Upon reaching the entrance, you can see a panoramic view of the medicine-decocting room.

The small stove was set up again, steaming under the licking flames.

The medicinal herbs were piled up next to the stove in an haphazard manner, some even mixed together in a disorderly fashion, which was quite unlike Doctor Cui's usual meticulous style.

But Doctor Cui sat there cross-legged with his back to the door, dressed the same as during the day, and holding a stick in his hand to stir the medicine.

Yu Xing stopped at the door and asked softly, "Doctor Cui? Did you send me?"

Doctor Cui seemed to stir slightly, and said in a gentle tone, "Come in and close the door."

Yu Xing blinked, then went inside, closed the door behind him, and walked over.

Doctor Cui was indeed decocting medicine, and the room smelled the same as during the day. Yu Xing appropriately showed tension and confusion.

"Doctor Cui, it's so late, what brings you here? And... why did you write those words?" He stopped in front of Doctor Cui, looking at Doctor Cui expressionless face, his voice trembling, "I thought the Master was finally going to make a move against me... It was terrifying, Doctor Cui."

Doctor Cui's eyes darted around, looking at him. "Why are you so scared?"

"Because... because the Master doesn't like me. Didn't you and Mama Liang remind me to be careful of the Master?"

Doctor Cui's eyes warned Yu Xing, and he asked in return, "Be careful of the Master? That's strange. Did the Master do something that you felt was dangerous?"

He looked at Yu Xing, whose trembling was becoming more and more violent. The gentleness in his voice had gradually disappeared, and he looked very strange.

He asked again, "Why are you trembling? Don't I like you either? Did someone warn you to be careful of me?"

"N-no, but..." Yu Xing took a step back, her face contorting for a moment in pain as if she had aggravated the wound on her leg. "Doctor Cui, you're talking strangely tonight, and why aren't you blinking...?"

From the moment he entered until now, Doctor Cui has not moved an inch, except for the movement of his eyes and the opening and closing of his mouth when he speaks; he is like a statue.

"Oh? You forgot to blink." Doctor Cui blinked extremely slowly, as if trying, "That's normal now, right?"

Yu Xing: "..."

Grab.

Fantasy.

Fortunately, Doctor Cui didn't dwell on the issue. He said, "Come and watch the medicine for me."

Yu Xing moved over step by step.

"Open the stove and check the color." Doctor Cui seemed determined not to do it himself this time. He instructed Yu Xing, and seeing that Yu Xing's hands were trembling like a sieve, he still obediently lifted the stove lid. Water vapor immediately rushed into the air, bringing up a cloud of white mist.

The medicinal soup inside had turned a deep black, emitting an eerie color.

"You stay here and watch over here, help me to sit over there," Doctor Cui said.

Yu Xing glanced at him, reached out and supported his arm, but didn't use any force at all.

But then, he simply touched Doctor Cui lightly, causing Doctor Cui's body to sway slightly, and Doctor Cui's head moved forward a little.

Then it slipped off her neck.

With a "plop," the head fell into the steaming furnace, splashing black medicinal liquid onto the terrified Yu Xing's face, the scalding liquid leaving a stinging sensation on her skin.

The head rolled around in the furnace, black hair floated on the water's surface, and the last half of the face floated on top, with one large, unblinking eye quietly gazing at Yu Xing.

"Gurgle gurgle..."

The stove didn't care what it was filled with; it continued to diligently cook and stew, making lively sounds.