"Mother, are you trying to belittle your own son like this?"
Chen Lin feigned displeasure. Chen Dama ni smiled, enjoying the lively atmosphere she hadn't experienced in a long time.
After loading everything onto the carriage, Chen Lin carefully helped Chen Dama ni into the compartment. Rong Zhi instructed the driver to go slowly before following with Xia Yun Ting.
Upon arrival, Zhu Dahong's family was startled. They only knew Rong Zhi had gone to visit Chen Dama ni, never expecting that after two days, she would have moved the entire family.
"So you bought this courtyard, kid. You've struck it rich."
Zhu Dahong's eyes widened as she peered inside curiously. Zhou Xiaoyuan and Zhou Dazhuang stood in the courtyard, craning their necks to look over. The father and daughter had the exact same expression.
"I didn't buy it. It was... the divine doctor's husband who bought it."
Divine doctor? Husband?
Zhu Dahong finally noticed the man and woman standing behind the carriage, unloading goods. The man was tall and incredibly handsome. Wasn't the woman the divine doctor?
"So the divine doctor is already married."
Zhu Dahong recalled what she had said before, a look of regret on her face.
"How much did this courtyard cost?"
Chen Lin shook his head. "I don't know. But it's certainly more than I can ever repay in my lifetime. I can only pay it back slowly."
Zhu Dahong clapped him on the shoulder. "What do you need to repay? They're not asking you to. This divine doctor is truly a good person. Come, let me help you tidy up too."
She rolled up her sleeves and joined the cleaning crew.
Zhou Dazhuang patted Xiaoyuan's shoulder.
"Go ahead!"
He could tell Xiaoyuan had been wanting to join in the fun.
Xiaoyuan hummed and happily ran over to help. Soon, the courtyard was filled with laughter and merriment, and everything was tidied up.
After the cleaning, Chen Lin helped Chen Dama ni look around the courtyard. She noticed the wall wasn't high. Peeking over it, she could see Zhu Dahong's family next door, and hear their chickens and dogs clearly.
"From now on, you'll have each other for support."
Rong Zhi nodded with satisfaction. "I should be going now, Chen Dama ni. I'll visit you again when I have time."
Chen Dama ni nodded, her eyes glistening with tears, appearing deeply moved.
"Divine doctor, will you still be seeing patients at Ji Shi Tang in the future...?" Zhu Dahong was about to ask if Rong Zhi would still be practicing at Ji Shi Tang when she noticed Rong Zhi give her a meaningful look and immediately stopped speaking.
"I live in the haunted house in Yunshui Village. If anything happens, feel free to find me. Don't be polite."
"...Okay."
Having almost said the wrong thing, Zhu Dahong scratched her head.
If Chen Lin knew Rong Zhi was practicing at Ji Shi Tang, it would likely cause more unpleasantness.
After leaving the Chen family's, Rong Zhi remembered to settle accounts.
"The money."
She held out a hand.
Xia Yun Ting hesitated for a moment before reaching into his embrace and pulling out a gold ingot, placing it in Rong Zhi's palm.
Its brilliant shine and heavy weight were worth far more than a house. However, Rong Zhi quickly tossed it back.
"I can't spend it, so why would I want this?"
"Then there's none left."
Xia Yun Ting calmly put it back.
"..."
Considering there was still someone recovering from an injury at home, the two did not linger in the county town. Rong Zhi had originally planned to go to the mass grave with Xia Yun Ting to find evidence of Chu Qingze's monopoly on Yun Lin flowers, but thinking that the young girl would be well in another day of medication, she didn't insist.
Upon returning home, Rong Zhi was immensely relieved she had made that decision, as they found the side room's door wide open and the young girl inside missing.
"Where is she?"
Rong Zhi hurried over and searched everywhere, but the room was completely empty, with no sign of anyone.
She even lifted the bedsheets to look under the bed, but found nothing.
"Xia Yun Ting, the girl is missing... Ah! What is this?"
The moment Rong Zhi turned around, she saw a net bag swaying in front of her. Inside was a person, eyes closed, unconscious.
"Why is Liu Hong here?"
"It seems he's found us."
Xia Yun Ting was much calmer, as if he had anticipated this.
"That's not right. He's been captured, so how can the girl be gone? Did she run away out of fear?"
Xia Yun Ting nodded. "It should be so." But then he felt something was amiss. Thinking of something, he went to the bed and reached underneath. With a click, a hidden passage opened beneath the bed.
Rong Zhi gave Xia Yun Ting a suspicious look before squatting down and calling out.
"Girl, are you in there? We're back."
There was no sound from within, but she could clearly see a trembling piece of clothing in the secret passage.
"You go out first."
She turned to Xia Yun Ting. He withdrew, closing the door behind him.
After he left, Rong Zhi called out softly again. Only then did the person in the secret passage slowly emerge.
"It's alright now, you can come out!"
The young girl cautiously came out and was startled again when she saw someone on the roof beam.
Rong Zhi asked, "Did he find you?"
The young girl shook her head.
"That's good then."
Rong Zhi thought for a moment, then pulled the girl outside and said to Xia Yun Ting, "Xia Yun Ting, Liu Hong didn't see the girl. Shall we let him go?"
"You mean..."
"I want to see what he intends to do."
...
When Liu Hong opened his eyes, he found his surroundings swaying. Looking around, he was still in the side room of the haunted house. It was dark now, and the moonlight filtering in provided minimal visibility.
It was so late, and the couple hadn't returned yet.
He was surprised and also relieved. If they weren't back, he wouldn't be exposed.
Liu Hong took out a knife and cut open the net bag that bound him. After landing, Liu Hong re-examined the haunted house and found it indeed empty. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left.
A moment later, three people hiding behind the haunted house emerged.
The young girl trembled, looking up at Liu Hong's receding back, as if afraid he hadn't gone far.
"Let's go back!"
Rong Zhi led the girl back into the room and checked her injuries. It seemed she had been frightened today and sustained some minor injuries while hiding, but they were all superficial. The injury on her ankle had visibly healed.
"Another day of medication and you'll be completely healed. Girl, tomorrow I'll take you to the village chief, and he can help you find your family, alright?"
The young girl nodded. Although her expression was flat, her bright eyes betrayed her excitement.
The next day, Rong Zhi and Xia Yun Ting brought the young girl to the village chief's doorstep.
The village chief was chopping wood in the courtyard, sweat dripping to the ground with each swing of his axe.
Rong Zhi patted the young girl's shoulder.
"Go ahead. Absolutely do not say we brought you here."
The young girl nodded and, in the next instant, darted out like a monkey.
Yu Rong had just raised his axe overhead when his vision blurred. When he swung again, he found his axe missing.
He was startled.
"What's going on?"
Turning around, he saw the young girl huddled beneath a pile of firewood, clutching the axe, her big eyes staring at him.
"Wildling?"
He immediately recalled what the couple from out of town had said. He looked closer, but then thought it wasn't right. The girl was wearing clean clothes, and her hair, though loose, wasn't messy at all.
"Whose child are you?"
The young girl didn't answer. She started to scamper and jump, leaping onto the firewood pile, then onto the roof, then onto the well's winch, causing chaos in the courtyard.
"What's all the commotion?"
Inside, Yu Rong's wife came running out and was startled by the scene.
"What, where did this monkey come from?"
"What monkey? It must be the 'wildling' that couple from out of town was talking about. What are you waiting for? Go call the villagers."
"Yes." Feng Yulian agreed and quickly went to call the villagers. Soon, they had all gathered. By the time the villagers arrived, the young girl had quieted down but was still squatting in the corner, holding the axe, staring intently at Yu Rong, neither daring to move.
"Village chief, we heard the wildling was found. Where is she?"
Someone asked. Yu Rong pointed to the corner of the wall. "Isn't she right there?"
A crowd rushed forward, especially those whose children had been lost. They peered closely, hoping it was their child.
As everyone was intently scrutinizing, a thin woman suddenly rushed out from the crowd, shouting.
"Xinlan! Xinlan! It really is you!"
Everyone froze, feeling both disappointment and joy. Disappointment that it wasn't their child, but joy that at least one child had been found.
"Aunt Wu, congratulations!"
A young man called out, and the others also offered their congratulations.
Only two people had different expressions. The scholar who had previously registered Rong Zhi looked complicated, showing no sign of joy. Liu Hong was searching for something in the crowd.
He felt that this matter must be related to Rong Zhi and Xia Yun Ting. However, when he found Rong Zhi and Xia Yun Ting, their expressions were no different from everyone else's, showing no abnormality.
Even as he watched, Rong Zhi felt a gaze on her and looked back.
Liu Hong's suspicious look didn't recede in time, so he forced an awkward smile.
"It's good that she's found. In all these years, our village hasn't had a child abducted by human traffickers return. Gui Xiang, quickly take the child home and raise her well. She seems to be scared and doesn't recognize anyone. I'm your Uncle Yu."
Yu Rong tried to calm the two down, but Wu Gui Xiang's crying didn't stop. Yu Rong patted her shoulder, and Wu Gui Xiang suddenly turned to Lu Yuan Xiu in the crowd.
"Lu Yuan Xiu, my daughter is back. When are you going to marry her?"
The crowd immediately fell silent.
Everyone in Yunshui Village knew that the village's only scholar was betrothed to the Gu family since childhood, waiting for them to grow up for the wedding ceremony. The Gu family was considered well-off in Yunshui Village, and the two families were a good match. However, after Gu Xinlan disappeared, Gu's father was so angry that he fell ill and passed away. Only Wu Gui Xiang, a widow, was left. Everyone thought it was good enough that her daughter had returned alive, never expecting her to bring this up now.
All eyes turned to Lu Yuan Xiu. His face turned red with anger, but he still had to remain calm.
"Aunt Wu, it seems Sister Xinlan has suffered a lot. Instead of taking her home to recuperate, why bring this up now?"
"Yes," Yu Rong chimed in, trying to smooth things over.
"Now is not the time to discuss this. Once the child is well, you can get married whenever you want."
"Village chief, please don't speak!"
Wu Gui Xiang's words choked him back. She glared aggressively at Lu Yuan Xiu.
"When are you going to marry her?"