inside the house.
Meng Anzhi removed the poisoned arrow, sprinkled hemostatic medicine on it, and bandaged the wound before calling out, " Fan Er, bring a blanket."
"Yes... I understand, Miss," Fan Er's voice came from outside.
Meng Anzhi tossed the used tools into the basin of strong liquor and began washing her hands and writing a prescription. After finishing, she handed the prescription to Fan Er, saying, "Prepare according to this... three times a day."
Fan Er tossed the bedding onto the kang (heated brick bed), took the sheet of paper, glanced at it, and said, "Understood, Miss..."
Meng Anzhi went straight back to her study after giving instructions, and continued to check the account books with Lin Mo and Lin Yue. Lin Mo handed her the completed account books, saying, "Young mistress, the accounts for this year's medicinal herb transactions are all here."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work. Please go and rest."
Lin Mo and Lin Yue withdrew in response.
Meng Anzhi stayed alone in the study. This was the first time she had managed the family business on her own, and she couldn't afford to make any mistakes, lest she disappoint her aunt.
From daylight to nightfall, when the moon was high in the sky, she finally closed the account book and left the study.
Suddenly remembering the man she had picked up earlier that day, she wondered who he was and why he was here... With a thought, she turned and walked towards the outer courtyard.
Meng Anzhi pushed open the door and entered by the moonlight. As soon as she approached the kang (a heated brick bed), she saw the man suddenly open his eyes.
Meng Anzhi was slightly taken aback, then asked in a gentle tone, "How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"
Shi Chong stared at her face... He couldn't see clearly in the moonlight, but he felt that this woman's eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, and her gentleness seemed True Person. Her voice was clear and crisp, in typical Sheng Dynasty Mandarin.
For three years in the Northern Rong, all he heard were harsh words from the enemy and whispered secrets from his own people. He was momentarily disoriented and forgot where he was.
After a long pause, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "Did you save me?"
"You fainted at the foot of my herb mountain, and it was my worker who brought you back to life," Meng Anzhi said, looking down to check his wound. The bandage was neat and secure, without any loosening.
"What's your name? Where do you live? Should I send someone to notify you?"
Shi Chong's gaze was fixed on her face. "Is this Qingzhou Prefecture? I'm looking for Su Wenqian..."
Meng Anzhi was surprised; Su Wenqian had been transferred almost two years ago, and he didn't even know?
" Lord Su is currently working in the Ministry of Revenue. If you wish to see the Prefect, I can help you inform Lord Zhu Huaizhang, who is currently the Prefect of Qingzhou Prefecture."
Shi Chong frowned for a long while before speaking, "No need. Lord Su took care of me when he was in Qingzhou Prefecture. My surname is Shi, and my given name is Chong. I trade furs in the north. This time, I encountered bandits, all my companions are dead, and the goods are gone too."
He lowered his eyes as he spoke, "Young lady, you saved my life, I'll remember that. Once I'm healed, I'll definitely repay you double the medical fee."
Meng Anzhi glanced at him, didn't ask any further questions, and simply said, "Okay. You should focus on recovering and don't think too much." With that, she got up and left the house.
Shi Chong stared at the tightly closed door, remaining motionless for a long time. He had actually managed to escape...
Meng Anzhi returned to the study, wrote down the words " Shi Chong, fur merchant, Su Wenqian," folded them, and went to the backyard.
With a whistle, Yasheng flew back from Hat Mountain.
She tied the note to its leg and whispered, "Go to the capital and find my aunt."
Yasheng flight and disappeared into the night.
In the capital, Jin Shanyao was about to rest when she heard a knocking sound at the door. She got up and opened the door, but saw nothing. Just as she was about to turn around, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure standing in the doorway.
Their eyes met, Yasheng timidly stretched out one leg, revealing the bamboo tube on his ankle.
Jin Shanyao to untie the paper, her gaze quickly sweeping over it. She fed Yasheng a ginkgo leaf, then turned and left Anzhi Hall.
The Su Household.
As soon as Jin Shanyao landed after scaling the wall, she came face to face with Su Wenqian.
Su Wenqian, holding up his trousers, glanced at the wall that was as tall as a person, looked sideways at the outhouse, and then turned to look at Jin Shanyao.
Pupils exclaimed in shock, "You peeked at me while I was in the outhouse?!"
Upon hearing this, Jin Shanyao's eyes widened instantly. "How dare you slander me like this..."
Su Wenqian looked at her suspiciously, then recalled the speed at which she fell and the speed at which he pulled up his pants. He shouldn't have seen her.
He fastened his belt and said in a deep voice, "What are you doing here so late at night instead of sleeping?"
Jin Shanyao handed him the note. After Su Wenqian read the words by the moonlight, his expression instantly turned serious. He led Jin Shanyao into the study and closed the door.
Where did you get this information?
" Qingzhou Prefecture..."
Su Wenqian handed the note to the oil lamp and lit it. " Shi Chong is the son of the eldest son of the Shi Household. He was brought back to the mansion by Lord Shi when he was five years old. Because of his low social status, he has been suppressed all along... But the child is smart and could speak three languages by the age of ten."
He was selected for the "spy" list at the age of thirteen, and sent to the Northern Rong at fifteen, where his official title was fur trader.
After Jin Shanyao and noting everything down, she asked, "And then what?"
"They must have been exposed, otherwise they wouldn't have appeared in Qingzhou Prefecture." Su Wenqian stood up, fanned himself with Jin Shanyao, and pushed the door open. "Alright, you should go back now. I still need to write a memorial to inform His Majesty about this matter."
Jin Shanyao her head and said "Oh," then turned and walked towards the wall.
Su Wenqian said angrily, "Go through the door..."
"Go through the door, go through the door... Why are you so grumpy so late at night?" Jin Shanyao under her breath. Suddenly, Su Wenqian's roar rang out behind her, "Are you talking about me behind my back?"
Jin Shanyao silently rolled her eyes. Don't they say old people get hard of hearing? This guy... his hearing is surprisingly good!
Back at the Anzhi Hall, she wrote down everything Su Wenqian had said, tied it to Yasheng's leg, and sent it back to Qingzhou Prefecture, adding a final sentence, "Burn it after you've read it."
Although she didn't know why he burned it, that's exactly what Su Wenqian did, and it looked very mysterious.
Anzhi Hall Qingzhou Prefecture.
Meng Anzhi received the news the next morning. After confirming the man's identity, she burned the letter and took the medicine to Shi Chong's room.
"Young Master Shi... how are you feeling today?"
Shi Chong finally saw her face clearly, and weakly curled his lips into a smile, "Much better, it's not that excruciating pain anymore."
"The poison in your body has been neutralized, so the pain has lessened... If you take the medication on time for about half a month, you should be almost fully recovered."
She handed him the medicine as she spoke.
Shi Chong took it and drank it all in one gulp... showing no sign of bitterness whatsoever.
He held the bowl of medicine and looked at Meng Anzhi, "I still don't know how to address you, young lady?"
" Meng Anzhi... you can just call me Doctor Meng," she took the bowl of medicine from Shi Chong and put it aside, then bent down to examine his wound. "It's alright... I'll come back at noon to change your dressing."
Shi Chong looked at Meng Anzhi's profile and said gently, "Thank you, Miss Meng."
Meng Anzhi straightened up, glanced at him, and didn't correct his form of address. "You should rest first... someone will bring you food later."
After saying that, he picked up the medicine bowl and walked out. Shi Chong watched her retreating figure and then slowly closed his eyes...