allonlinenovel Chapter 221 Exchange Conditions
Chapter 221 Exchange Conditions
Tingxue asked worriedly, "Master, is he really blind, or is he pretending to be blind?"
If they really couldn't see them, how could they have accurately tracked them to the Qin Family Trading Company?
Thinking of this, Tingxue's expression changed drastically: "Master, someone is secretly hunting down Zhongyuan, and might even target you. Is he deliberately pretending to have an eye ailment to lower your guard, and then waiting for an opportunity to strike?"
Shen Qingtan shook her head, unable to fathom the man's thoughts: "We'll just have to be careful."
Tingxue frowned, glanced at the man warily, and was about to speak.
At this moment, the shopkeeper greeted him warmly: "Sir, our shop has just received a new batch of goods. Would you like to take a look?"
Shen Qingtan took out a jade token from her sleeve and handed it to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper, after carefully examining the jade plaque, became even more respectful: "Master, please come inside and have a seat."
Shen Qingtan followed the shopkeeper to the inner tea room and sat in a round-backed chair.
Before Shen Qingtan could ask, the shopkeeper spoke first: "Second Master, Qin Qingdong came a few days ago and left me a message. If you come, please inform him."
The shopkeeper poured her a cup of hot tea and placed it on the small table next to her: "Please rest here for a moment, I'll go and invite Qin Qingdong right away."
Shen Qingtan put the jade pendant back into her sleeve: "Thank you for your trouble."
The shopkeeper went to the backyard and returned less than fifteen minutes later with a tall, burly man.
Qin Qingdong was Boss Qin's confidant. He had met Shen Qingtan a few times and recognized her immediately.
"Master, you've finally arrived." Qin Qingdong poured out his grievances: "My brothers and I went to Suizhou to look for Zhongyuan. We dug up the city walls three feet deep, but we didn't hear a single word from him."
"Suddenly one day, someone brought a lawsuit against one of the doctors at the clinic, saying that he was a quack and had killed someone."
"The official made the doctor state his name, which revealed his identity and allowed us to find him. Fortunately, Zhongyuan was being extorted; otherwise, all our efforts to find a quack would have been wasted."
At this point, Qin Qingdong said with a troubled expression, "When we went to him, Zhongyuan cooperated and agreed to come to Da Zhou with us. There was only one condition: that his apprentice come along, which we agreed to."
"We thought the journey would be smooth sailing, but when we arrived in Baohua County, Zhongyuan refused to go to the capital. After staying at an inn for a few days, we were assassinated."
Shen Qingtan's expression was solemn, and she had a guess in her mind: Zhong Yuan had deliberately set a trap to expose his whereabouts and let their people find him.
If it's extortion, they'll definitely feel guilty and be most afraid of going to see the authorities.
Their usual tactic is to use public opinion to force Zhongyuan to settle the matter privately.
Why would they directly take it to court?
Suppressing her suspicions, Shen Qingtan asked, "Can you tell whether the assassin is from the Great Zhou or the Northern Qi?"
“Two groups of people, one from Northern Qi and the other from Great Zhou.” Qin Qingdong, who had traveled extensively and could distinguish between the two countries, asked in bewilderment, “This is strange. Zhongyuan’s medical skills are superb, why would he want to assassinate him?”
"The person behind this doesn't want the person he's supposed to cure to live." Shen Qingtan suppressed the coldness in her eyes: "Do you know the physical characteristics of his apprentice?"
Qin Qingdong immediately perked up: "His apprentice is like someone who has stepped out of a painting. He wears a white robe all day long, just like the immortal described in the poem. It's a pity he's blind."
A look of regret crossed his eyes.
Shen Qingtan suddenly realized something: "He's covering his eyes with a white veil?"
Qin Qingdong asked in surprise, "You've met him?"
Shen Qingtan suddenly stood up and walked quickly to the door. He was still standing on the bustling street, seemingly waiting for the people who had gotten separated to return to his side.
For some reason, a thought suddenly occurred to her.
Even if the crowds disperse and the person he's waiting for doesn't come, he will still stand here, holding onto the conviction in his heart, and continue to wait.
Shen Qingtan tightened her grip on her fingers and walked towards him.
He seemed to sense something and turned to look at her.
Shen Qingtan paused, and seeing that he didn't move, she quickly walked up to him: "Young master, are you the disciple of the medical sage Zhong Yuan?"
Gu Changsheng tilted his head slightly, listening quietly to the clear sound of the bells. His expression was slightly dazed, and his thoughts drifted away.
He felt as if he had returned to the Gu residence in Nanling Prefecture, where the afternoon sun shone warmly on the daybed through the lattice window.
The little dumpling, wrapped in a thin blanket, knelt and lay on the tatami mat, fast asleep, her little face rosy from sleep.
He stood at the door for a while before stepping into the house, intending to help her adjust her sleeping position.
The little dumpling, still half asleep, rolled over and sat up, wobbling as if about to fall backward.
His heart skipped a beat, worried that she might bump her head, so he quickly helped her up.
She rolled over, crawled around on the tatami mat, and crawled to the large soft pillow. Her chubby little body then lay down on the pillow and continued to sleep.
He chuckled silently, feeling a softening in his heart, and reached out to poke her cheek with his finger.
The little dumpling opened its eyes, its eyelids slowly drooped down, and then it closed its eyes again.
He poked her cheek again.
The little dumpling opened its eyes again and rubbed them with its tiny hands.
"Brother," the little dumpling said softly, "hug me."
She stretched out both hands.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms, then fed her half a cup of warm water: "Why did you fall asleep on the couch?"
"Brother, you said we were playing hide-and-seek, how long did it take to find Manman?" The little dumpling pouted and said with a wronged look, "I fell asleep while waiting."
He was stunned for a moment, not expecting that the little girl had fallen asleep while waiting for him to come looking for her.
"Manman hid too well, your brother couldn't find you."
"Brother is silly." The little dumpling patted his head and said in a childish voice, "Second brother is very smart. He said that when Manman's bracelet bell rang, he found Manman right away."
He chuckled and said, "If I can't find Manman next time, I'll look for her by the sound of the bell."
Gu Changsheng's thoughts drifted away from his memories, and a clear, melodious bell sound continued to ring in his ears.
After a long silence, he spoke, his voice as clear and melodious as jade: "Are you here seeking medical help, young lady?"
Shen Qingtan nodded, then, realizing he couldn't see, quickly said, "I asked someone to go to Suizhou to invite you and Master Zhong to Baohua County to treat my husband's illness."
“Husband…” Gu Changsheng murmured, his eyes looking at her wrist, still in a hazy shadow: “Miss, you only need to agree to one condition, and I can heal him.”
Recalling his lonely and aloof figure from just now, Shen Qingtan subconsciously asked, "Will you help me find someone?"
Gu Changsheng remained silent. Just when Shen Qingtan thought he wouldn't speak, she heard him say, "Miss, could you please take off the bracelet from your wrist and give it to me?" After a pause, he added, "Just a quarter of an hour."