Moments later, the flames were extinguished. Fortunately, rescue was timely, and the losses were not significant. However, the burnt fabric was unsellable.
"Miss Leng, I am truly sorry for today. The fine fabrics I showed you have all been ruined by the fire."
Manager Guo touched the burnt cloths, heartbroken. His eyes were red, but he held back his tears due to the presence of guests.
Manager Guo then led Miss Leng Ruo Li and her companions downstairs and called for a shop assistant to attend to them.
Subsequently, Leng Ruo Li and Shi Zheng He meticulously selected several bolts of medium-quality fabric. They had the assistant pack them and place them on their horses, preparing to depart.
A beggar, clad in ragged clothes and covered in dirt, about eleven or twelve years old, dragged an injured leg and crawled into the entrance of the fabric shop. His face did not resemble that of a person from Tian Wu Kingdom.
The shop assistant, upon seeing him, did not chase him away but asked with concern, "Little Six, why is your leg injured again?"
"Brother Ziyang, is Manager Guo in? I have something important to tell him," said Little Six, enduring immense pain.
"He's upstairs. I'll call him down," Ziyang replied.
"Then please hurry, Brother Ziyang. I truly have something important to tell him."
Little Six's brow furrowed. He accidentally stumbled, worsening his leg injury. A sharp pain shot through his nerves and throughout his entire body, causing him to gasp.
At that moment, Manager Guo, who was secretly weeping on the second floor, heard that Little Six was injured. He wiped away his tears and hurried downstairs.
"Little Six, how did you get so injured?"
Manager Guo saw the injured Little Six before he even reached the bottom of the stairs.
"How did you get yourself into this state?"
Little Six did not reveal the reason. He directly addressed Manager Guo, "Manager Guo, your shop's employee, Li Fudong, has been bought off by the owner of the neighboring A Gui Fabric Shop. They planned to burn down your shop today. You must be wary of him."
"Alas, Little Six, it's too late. He has already set fire to my shop, and no one knows where he has gone," Manager Guo sighed.
"Oh, it's all my fault for being so foolish. After discovering their conspiracy with the owner of A Gui Fabric Shop, I was found out by them..."
Little Six, in his frustration, slapped himself twice.
"It's alright now. Fortunately, it was discovered early and rescued in time. Only a few good bolts of fabric were burned. Don't blame yourself." Manager Guo comforted him.
He then glanced at Little Six's leg injury and said, "Your leg injury must have been inflicted by them, right? It must hurt a lot with so much bleeding. I'll give you five taels of silver, go to the doctor's clinic."
"No need, Manager Guo. I can bear it for two days and it will heal. You saved my life, and I haven't properly repaid you. I absolutely cannot cause you any more trouble."
Little Six refused Manager Guo's silver and dragged his injured leg into the alley.
"Alas, what a stubborn child!"
Manager Guo watched Little Six's retreating back, feeling a pang of concern. He instructed Ziyang, an assistant from the shop, to follow Little Six from a distance.
"Manager Guo, who was that Little Six just now? He doesn't look like he's from our Tian Wu Kingdom," Leng Ruo Li asked with some curiosity.
"Miss Leng, I'm not entirely sure of his identity either. He arrived here half a month ago. When I first saw him, he was also injured. That morning, he fainted at my shop's entrance. I called a doctor to treat his injuries. After his wounds healed a few days ago, he left on his own, fearing he might cause me trouble. He only told us his name was Little Six. I didn't expect him to be injured again today because of my affairs. Alas, I feel ashamed," Manager Guo said with some guilt.
Moments later, as Leng Ruo Li and her companions were about to get into their carriage, the shop assistant Ziyang ran into the fabric shop carrying the injured Little Six on his back, shouting, "Boss, boss, Little Six was knocked unconscious by a group of people in the alley!"
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruo Li stopped.
"Miss, this Manager Guo is truly a good-hearted person!"
Ling'er, standing beside Leng Ruo Li, whispered.
Leng Ruo Li's lips curved slightly, but she remained silent.
Shi Zheng He, however, could not help but join the conversation.
"Indeed, Manager Guo is a very good-hearted person. He's been running this fabric shop for nearly five years, earning a living. He has helped many poor people. I heard that two years ago, during a locust plague in the countryside, Manager Guo used his entire year's revenue to buy grain for the villagers. Every year during the New Year, he also gives away some fabric to the children in the countryside to make new clothes. That's why his shop has such a good reputation, and people flock to buy fabric from him. Meanwhile, the business of the neighboring A Gui Fabric Shop has declined, quickly arousing jealousy from others," Shi Zheng He explained patiently.
Inside the fabric shop, Manager Guo helped Ziyang carry the unconscious Little Six and urged him, "Go to the doctor's clinic ahead and fetch a doctor."
"Yes!"
Ziyang nodded hurriedly.
As Ziyang walked out of the shop entrance, Leng Ruo Li stopped him.
"You don't need to find a doctor. I know medicine. I'll treat him," Leng Ruo Li said calmly.
"Miss Leng, Little Six is seriously injured. Are you sure you can do it?"
Manager Guo looked at Leng Ruo Li in disbelief.
"Manager Guo, if my young lady cannot cure him, no other doctor will be able to," Xing'er suddenly interjected.
"Alright, everyone, stop talking. He has lost too much blood and fainted, but he can still be saved. Manager Guo, quickly find a clean room, and I will examine his injuries."
Leng Ruo Li carefully took Little Six's pulse and found his breathing to be weak.
"My shop has my courtyard behind it, and I have two clean empty rooms in my courtyard. Come, let's carry Little Six to my courtyard."
Manager Guo hurriedly opened the back door. Shi Zheng He, with keen foresight, helped Ziyang carry Little Six to an empty room in the backyard.
Leng Ruo Li quickly closed the room door and took out the various medical supplies she needed from her system space. After determining Little Six's blood type, she attached an infusion bag and nutrient solution before proceeding to treat his wounds.
Leng Ruo Li moved Little Six into her system space, took an X-ray, and then moved him back into the room.
She carefully examined the images, discovering that apart from a fracture in his lower leg, his other injuries were not severe.
Leng Ruo Li used surgical instruments to realign Little Six's bone, applied a cast, and bandaged him quickly.
She opened the door and came out, explaining the necessary precautions to Manager Guo.
Manager Guo was immensely grateful and offered her money, which Leng Ruo Li refused.
Afterward, Manager Guo escorted them out of the fabric shop.
As they exited, Leng Ruo Li's sharp eyes spotted a group of suspicious individuals at the mouth of the alley. She immediately knew these people were there to cause trouble, but she couldn't tell who they were targeting.