Denghuaxiao

Chapter 85 Shipwreck

At the gate of Fan Mansion, Qi Chuan stood one step away from Lu Zhu and spoke in astonishment.

“Why is Doctor Lu here?”

The medical woman from Renxin Medical Center had come to treat Zhao Feiyan several times before. Fan Zhenglian even took a fancy to her beauty and wanted to take her as his own in the future. Unexpectedly, before the beast's desire could succeed, something happened to the Fan family.

Qichuan has not seen this female doctor for several days.

Lu Zong paused for a moment and then said: "I was shopping at a nearby market and passed by this place. I thought of the medicinal tea that Mrs. Fan asked me to make before, so I came to take a look."

Qi Chuan glanced at the large and small bags held in Yin Zheng's hands, "That's it."

"I've heard a lot about Fan's affairs before," Lu Zhu said with a sigh, and then looked up at him, "Is everything going well with Qi Lu?"

Qi Chuan was stunned for a moment.

As if she was afraid that he wouldn't understand, the woman in front of her said something else: "Something happened to Mr. Fan. I heard that all my relatives were implicated... Wasn't the Qilu incident affected?"

Hearing this, Qichuan's eyes darkened.

This is probably the most ironic thing.

As Fan Zhenglian's favorite subordinate, Fan Zhenglian's close relatives and confidants were imprisoned one after another, but he, his confidant who had been with Fan Zhenglian for many years, was safe and sound. There was no other reason. Over the years, he had acted as official agent for Fan Zhenglian and worked everywhere for Fan Zhenglian, but when it came to the secrets of Fan Zhenglian's official career, he had not had any involvement at all.

 Even if Fan Zhenglian colludes with the Ministry of Rites every year, he only runs errands, delivers pamphlets and spreads messages, and does not participate in anything else.

 Fan Zhenglian has always distrusted him.

Perhaps he was afraid that he would be involved too much and that one day he would be out of control and unable to be the sharpest knife in his hand. Fan Zhenglian was wary of him and guarded against him in many secret matters, and did not let him know the slightest secret. .

He could be the county lieutenant in Yuan'an County who took care of Fan Zhenglian's worries, or he could be the official recorder of the Shengjing Court of Justice with no real power, but in Fan Zhenglian's heart, he would always be just the lowly person who copied his homework for him in family studies, and who was behind the wheel. servant.

The whole court was inspected by the Director of Prisons, and he was also investigated, but in the end nothing was found. The adults who came to handle the case regarded him as an insignificant person. After all, what he did most every day after coming to Shengjing was to buy rouge for Fan Zhenglian's family, repair the roof, go to the restaurant to reserve tables... and other trivial things.

 Like a real coolie.

 The sound of children's laughter brought him back from his thoughts.

Not far away, two children in gray clothes were playing at the gate of Fan's house. The stone lion at the door was smashed to pieces, and the fallen tiles filled with accumulated rain were picked up by the children. They put a folded paper boat inside, and caught two ants as "crew members" to float on the "sea." ", having a great time.

Qi Chuan looked back and said, "I'm fine."

Lu Zhen nodded, as if relieved for him.

"That's good."

She was silent, then raised her head and looked at Qi Chuan: "But will Qi Lu's affairs be promoted?"

Qi Chuan was surprised: "What?"

 The woman looked at her with undisguised curiosity on her face.

"I heard from Miss Cui'er that Qi Lushi has not been promoted for many years. Now that Master Fan is in trouble, wouldn't Qi Lushi be promoted naturally?"

As soon as these words came out, Qi Chuan was stunned.

He had heard Zhao Feiyan's personal maid Cui'er joke before that Dr. Lu who came to the hospital for treatment might have a crush on him, but Qi Chuan didn't take it to heart. He already has a wife and children, struggling to make ends meet every day, and has no time to think about love between a man and a woman. It was just because Fan Zhenglian had evil intentions towards this female doctor, so he always felt a bit of sigh and sympathy for Lu Zong, who was born in a humble background.

Hearing that Lu Zhuo was so concerned about his affairs, Qichuan Suer felt that what Cui'er said might not be false.

only…

Qi Chuan shook his head: "I am from a humble background. I am just doing a small job. I just want to be content with the status quo. I don't dare to ask for more."

Lu Zong looked at him: "Why don't you dare?"

Qichuan was startled.

"Those who are high may not necessarily be wise, and those who are low may not be stupid. I have been attending Mrs. Fan's home for the past few days, and I have seen that Qi Lu is diligent and decisive in his work. He is no worse than others."

  She spoke softly, and her expression was somewhat innocent and untroubled by the world, making it ridiculously bright.

"According to Qi Lu's story, if everyone is content with the status quo, wouldn't it mean that the master's descendants will be masters for generations, and the slaves' descendants will be slaves for generations, so what else is there to do in life?"

Qi Chuan instinctively wanted to stop with such rebellious words, but for some reason, when the words reached his lips, he could not say them out.

The descendants of a master are masters from generation to generation, and the descendants of slaves are slaves from generation to generation...

Isn't that right? He spent many days trying to get Jiuer to go to school, asking for help and giving him gifts. Fan Zhenglian was always perfunctory, but he tried hard to please Zhao Feiyan, but Zhao Feiyan handed over the local products he carefully prepared to his servants, sarcastically saying to them It's "a pickled product given by a poor man".

Jiu'er could not enter an official school and could only go to private schools that were not top-notch. Even if there was a chance that he would be dismissed in the future, what would the officialdom of Shengjing be like many years later? Whether it will be like now, with the examiners from the Ministry of Rites colluding with others and fraud in tribute examinations prevalent, whether Jiu'er will become what he was back then, or whether he will become the next Wu Youcai who can't get ahead, no one can say.

In this world, if you are a slave, you are destined to be bullied. Whoever has power will be the master.

 Lu Zhen's words came from my ears again.

"However, something happened to Mr. Fan now. Qi Lu is not implicated at the moment, but he is closely involved with the Fan family. I'm afraid others will turn their anger on you."

Her tone was concerned: "Qi Lu, you have to prove that you are not colluding with them."

Qi Chuan stood at the door of Fan Mansion, the expression in his eyes changing.

When Fan Zhenglian was dismissed, the fact that he took the exam for Fan Zhenglian had not yet been discovered. But as the case progresses, old events may not be uncovered.

Once it is found out that he died for Fan Zhenglian back then, he will also be sent to Zhao Prison, and Jiuer will also become the son of a sinner and be criticized by others.

 Unless...he takes refuge elsewhere.

Fan Zhenglian returned to Shengjing. He was promoted very quickly in the past few years and offended many people in the court.

These days, there are many people who want to add insult to injury and replace others.

 He has always remembered the kindness of the Fan family when he was young, and has never thought of betrayal, but if it concerns Jiu'er...

 He can make Fan Zhenglian's sword, and naturally he can also make other people's swords.

 “What happened to Qi Lu?”

Qi Chuan came back to his senses, looked at the female doctor in front of him, and his eyes moved.

 “Thank you, Doctor Lu, for your concern.”

Lu Zhen smiled slightly, and his smile seemed to contain a subtle shyness.

She said: "I just hope Qi Lu can think more about himself."

Yin Zheng glanced at the two of them with narrow eyes, and said with a smile: "Girl, it's getting late, we have to go check out other shops."

Lu Xu lowered his head and said goodbye to Qi Chuan: "Qi Lu, I have something else to do, so I'll take my leave first."

 Qichuan nodded.

Lu Chen turned around and unexpectedly bumped into the two children squatting and playing at the door of Fan's house. The tile filled with water in front of the children was hit like this. Water splashed everywhere, and the boat made of white paper was also hit. The waves overturned it, half of the hull was soaked in water, and it fell softly into the water.

Lu Zhen supported the boy who almost fell down and took a look at the tiles that the boy was holding tightly in his arms.

The tiles were rippled by the water, and the paper boat couldn't hold back the water and gradually sank inside. The two ants crawled around anxiously.

 She stood up straight, looked at the ants in the tiles and reminded her softly.

 “The ship is sinking, why don’t you run away quickly?”

Qi Chuan was shocked and subconsciously looked back at her, but she didn't realize it. She took the bag from Yin Zheng and continued walking into the crowd of people in the market.

 …

Until she walked into the market for a long time, Yin Zheng looked back and saw the man's figure standing at the door of Fan's house, like a blurry stone statue.

She turned her face and asked the person beside her in a low voice: "Girl, will he really accuse Fan Zhenglian?"

 Lu Zong smiled.

"maybe."

Qi Chuan had been a loyal servant of the Fan family for many years. Fan Zhenglian was forgiving to him on the surface, but in fact he firmly held his hand on the ladder to climb up, making his career stop there for the rest of his life.

If that's all, that's all, but Qichuan also has a son.

Just as her cousin Liu Kun would take risks and betray his relatives for the sake of his son's future, Qi Chuan would also use Fan Zhenglian as a bargaining chip for the sake of the prosperity of his offspring.

Qi Chuan has been following Fan Zhenglian since he was a child. Although on the surface, some of Fan Zhenglian's secret incidents have not passed through Qi Chuan's hands, but being as smart as Qi Chuan does not necessarily mean that Fan Zhenglian has something to do with him.

It would be best if Qi Chuan could add fuel to Fan Zhenglian's case, but if he can't...

 She also had other ways to make Fan Zhenglian unable to stand up.

Yinzheng saw that Lu Zhuoxin had an idea, so she didn't ask any more questions and just smiled and said, "Then let's go back to the hospital now?"

Lu Zhen was about to answer, but suddenly his expression changed and he turned around suddenly. Yin Zheng was stunned for a moment and followed her gaze. Wherever he looked, there were busy streets and alleys. There were a lot of tourists in front of tea houses and wine shops. In the distance, there were calligraphy and painting sellers holding flags and shouting at the entrance of the alley in the distance.

 “What’s the matter, girl?”

 Lu Zong frowned, a subtle uneasiness rising in his heart.

She paused for a while and said: "It's still early, let's go shopping and then come back."

Although Yin Zheng had doubts in his heart, the doubts did not last long. In addition, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and the market is bustling everywhere. After they came to Shengjing, they spent most of their time guarding the medical shop and rarely went out. A rare trip to the market naturally made them very playful.

"That's fine." Yin Zheng pulled Lu Zhu to stop in front of a crowd of acrobats, and said with a smile, "Anyway, shopkeeper Du has allowed a day off today. The girl has worked hard these days, so she deserves to relax for a day."

Shengjingfang City is prosperous and has more entertainment than Changwu County and Southern Jiangsu. The streets are full of various performances. Although it is not as luxurious as the restaurants in the south of the city, the fireworks in the market make people linger even more. .

For the whole day, Yin Zheng followed Lu Zhu without stopping. First she watched a drama, then went to watch a craftsman walking on a rope, then sat and watched a movie, then ate fish dumplings and fried fish rice from Nanshi Restaurant, and drank some sand. Candy beans, and finally went to a bead shop, although I didn’t buy anything.

By the time we got home, it was already dark.

Yin Zheng played around for a whole day, her eyes brightened with joy, and she was walking and laughing with Lu Zhuo while carrying large and small bags.

"Girl, Shengjing is indeed better than Sunan. There are not so many sideshows in Sunan. No wonder those people come to the imperial city despite the overwhelming effort. Except for the more expensive things, everything in this place is good."

After waiting for a while and not hearing Lu Zhu's answer, Yin Zheng turned his head and saw that Lu Zhu didn't look relaxed at all. Instead, he frowned slightly and his eyes seemed a little restless.

 She reminded: "Girl?"

 Lu Zhen came to his senses: "What?"

 “What’s on your mind, girl?”

　　Lu Huo shook his head: "I'm just a little tired."

Yin Zheng nodded: "I've been out and about all day. I'll go back and freshen up later and rest early. Shopkeeper Du said tomorrow is the 15th and we'll celebrate the festival together in the shop. I'm afraid I'll have to get up early."

 While I was talking, the shop was already close to me. The lantern at the entrance of the hospital swayed slightly in the night wind, casting a chilly autumn light.

Du Changqing took Acheng back a long time ago. Du Changqing gave Lu Zhu a day off today, so he simply gave up the idea of ​​opening a shop. After cleaning up the yard that the shop soldiers made yesterday, he closed the door and left.

Yin Zheng held up a candle and walked back and forth in the yard, smiling and saying: "Shopkeeper Du does a good job. He sweeps the yard cleaner than I do."

Lu Yan glanced at the courtyard. The soil that had been disturbed under the plum tree last night had now been completely re-covered and paved. All the broken flower pots in front of the steps were moved out. Du Changqing swept the floor and sprinkled a layer of clean water. The water was not completely dry yet, and the bluestone slabs glowed with faint wet marks under the candles, making the autumn night even more gloomy. Calm and quiet.

The door of the outermost room was open, and it was dark inside - Xia Rongrong's master and servant had left.

 At this time in the past, it was time for Vanilla to feed the rabbits in the yard. Occasionally she would meet them and say hello to them.

Yin Zheng looked at the empty room and sighed.

"When I was here before, I felt it was inconvenient to have one more person. Now that I'm gone, I feel that the yard is strangely deserted." As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly realized something and hurriedly added, "But it's okay to leave. We are in the yard on weekdays. It’s inconvenient for two more people to move around and make medicine.”

 Lu Zhen remained silent.

 She did drive Xia Rongrong away on purpose.

Because of Du Changqing's affairs, Xia Rongrong always asked her maid Xiang Xiang to pay attention to Lu Huan, covertly or covertly. If Lu Huan was just an ordinary doctor, it would not be a big deal.

It is a pity that what Lu Zhuo wants to do is not known to others.

Later, she accidentally caught a glimpse of the expensive jade bracelet on Xia Rongrong's wrist, and she made a guess. Yin Zheng followed them quietly again, and found that the two of them were secretly talking to Wen You, a clerk at Xinglin Hall.

Bai Shouyi has been at odds with Renxin Medical Center for a long time, and since he and Xia Rongrong hit it off, Lu Tong immediately took advantage of the situation.

Du Changqing has a soft ear, but he especially hates the people in the Xinglin Hall room. Xia Rongrong and Bai Shouyi have a relationship. Even if Du Changqing misses the old relationship again, he will be intolerable after this incident.

Sure enough, Du Changqing "invited" Xia Rongrong out.

 Lu Xu lowered his eyes.

 She did it on purpose.

Deliberately "buried the body" at night for Xia Rongrong to see, and deliberately allowed Xia Rongrong to deliver wrong news to Bai Shouyi.

Deliberately picked up Duan Xiaoyan's things but did not return them to him, and deliberately left his purse on Liu Kun's body.

 Killing, framing, slandering, making a show...

 Everything was done on purpose by her.

“Yin Zheng.” She suddenly called Yin Zheng’s name.

 “What’s the matter, girl?”

Lu Zhen turned around, walked to Yin Zheng, and whispered something in his ear.

Yin Zheng suddenly trembled and looked at her in surprise.

Lu Zhu nodded slightly, Yin Zheng gritted his teeth, glanced at the small kitchen, said nothing, turned around and went out.

 After Yin Zheng left, Lu Zhuo stood there for a moment, held the lantern and walked into the small kitchen.

There is no one in the small kitchen. There are medicinal materials dried on bamboo plaques piled on the table and on the floor. As soon as you enter, the strong smell of medicine hits your nostrils.

 After Xia Rongrong leaves, the empty room in front can be used to store medicinal materials again. In a few days, the kitchen will be more spacious.

Lu Yan put the lamp on the table, bent down and pulled out a large bamboo basket from the ground of the table. The bamboo basket was filled with hay. She reached out and took out a black porcelain jar.

The porcelain jar was as big as a large flower pot, completely black, without any patterns. She opened the lid of the porcelain jar, bent slightly, and stretched out her hand towards the porcelain jar, as if observing carefully.

There was no one in the courtyard, Yin Zheng had gone out at some point, and only a faint light shone through the small window in the kitchen. Looking from the kitchen door, the woman had her back to the door. She didn't know what to do carefully, but she could only see the dark porcelain jar from the silhouette, like a chaotic dream at night.

She stayed in the kitchen for a while, about the time it took for a stick of incense, before she stood up straight, picked up a lid and closed the porcelain jar tightly, then put the porcelain jar into the bamboo basket just like before, and covered it carefully with hay until it could no longer be covered. No trace could be seen, so he pushed the bamboo basket back under the desk.

 After doing all this, Lu Yan picked up the candle on one side again, left the small kitchen, and returned to his room.

 The house door is closed.

The last trace of light in the small courtyard disappeared, and only the moon covered by thin clouds shed a gray light, gradually illuminating the skinny plum branches in front of the window.

 In this deathly silence, suddenly, a black shadow swept down from the wall, like a cloud, and floated into the dark kitchen.

The door to the small kitchen was open, and a little moonlight from outside slipped in, illuminating everything around him unclearly.

The visitor carefully walked into the kitchen and stood in front of the desk where Lu Huan had just stood. He quietly bent down and gradually pulled out the bamboo basket filled with hay.

He pulled hard a few times and soon touched a cold corner, then reached out in the dark and took out a dark porcelain jar.

 The porcelain jar looks heavy, but is very light when I hold it. I don’t know what is inside. The visitor sat on the ground, hesitated, and then pried open the lid of the jar.

 A cloth towel was stuffed into the gap in the lid. With a strong force, the lid of the can was suddenly pulled up.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ifies

 A black shadow popped out of the jar like lightning, biting the person's arm hard.

The scream reached the edge of his mouth and was suddenly swallowed. He was caught off guard and was attacked. The black shadow swung his hand violently. The thing hanging on his arm was swung hard and fell heavily into the distance. It moved slowly at the door.

The faint moonlight peeked in from outside the door, illuminating the soft and curved thing in front of the door like a hemp rope.

 A snake.

It turned out to be a squirming, dying black snake.

The visitor was startled for a moment, and suddenly heard footsteps outside the door. His expression suddenly froze, and he subconsciously raised his head and looked forward.

 The old wooden kitchen door was pushed, shaking like sore teeth in the quiet night, and the sound was also decayed.

 Swaying slightly, he was finally pushed away completely.

 A bright light illuminated the kitchen.

The woman stood in front of the door holding a lantern. The night wind blew from the courtyard, causing the dim light in her hands to shake. The corners of her skirt were swaying like floating clouds, and her clear eyes were slightly rippled.

 “Little Master Duan.”

She lowered her head and looked at the round-faced boy who was slumped on the ground. She smiled slightly and her tone was so calm that it was almost eerie.

 “Are you looking for me?”

 (End of this chapter)