The next morning, Ah Cheng came to knock on the door and said that there was a little boy outside the main gate asking for Miss Wei.
Wei Dongling and Cui Huan exchanged a glance, tidied their clothes and went downstairs.
At the entrance on the first floor stood a little boy of about five or six, with a runny nose and licking a piece of malt sugar in his hand.
Wei Dongling thought the boy looked familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.
The little boy saw her and walked straight over. Looking up at her, he asked, "Are you Sister Wei? I've seen you."
His two dark, shiny eyes were so clean and clear. When he looked up at her, her heart melted with cuteness. Wei Dongling bent down, smiling with her eyebrows curved, and said, "Yes, it's me."
The little boy handed her a small ball of paper and then turned around and left without saying a word.
Wei Dongling stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve. Smiling, she said, "Take some snacks for the way!" Then she glanced at Cui Huan beside her.
Cui Huan got up and fetched several round glutinous rice cakes, wrapped them in oil paper and handed them over.
The little boy looked at the desserts in the oil paper, beamed at Wei Dongling and said in a milky voice, "Thank you, Sister Wei!" Then he hugged the glutinous rice cakes and turned away.
Wei Dongling watched the cute little boy leave, then went into the kitchen and unfolded the note.
There were only four words on the note: "Beware of the Crown Prince."
It was Jingzhe's handwriting. This time there wasn't even a signature.
Wei Dongling thought that she had no real interaction with the Crown Prince. Moreover, now that she was in the Listening-to-the-Wind Tower, with all the uncles here having extraordinary skills, it was much safer than when she was in the General's Mansion.
Then why did Jingzhe give this warning?
Wei Dongling thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out. After some thought, she asked Cui Huan to polish her iron hairpin carefully and then wore it in her hair bun.
Lord Shen came to check on Old Master Su at night. He inquired about everyone's injuries and talked with Uncle Li in the private room on the second floor. He didn't leave until very late.
Wei Dongling gritted her teeth and shivered with pain when changing the dressing.
Cui Huan coaxed her softly while saying helplessly, "Brother Long's injury is even more serious, but he didn't even grunt when changing the dressing."
Wei Dongling pretended to be surprised and said, "You even went to change the dressing for Uncle Luo for me? Tut-tut-tut, you're really a woman who says one thing and means another!"
Cui Huan's face flushed instantly and she didn't say a word.
Wei Dongling looked at Cui Huan's blushing face with teary eyes and begged pitifully, "It itches inside the wound. Cui Huan, please scratch it for me!"
Cui Huan was speechless and had no choice but to gently rub the area around the wound.
Just then they heard Uncle Li's voice outside the door asking, "Is the girl asleep?"
Cui Huan quickly covered Wei Dongling with the quilt and went to open the door.
Uncle Li limped in with Ruan Niang.
After asking about Wei Dongling's injury, Uncle Li said in a deep voice, "Lord Shen came just now. Something has happened in Xingshan."
"What's the matter?"
"After the heavy rain in Xingshan, a plague has been raging. The local county magistrate concealed the situation, which led to the spread of the plague and a serious situation. There have already been countless casualties there."
Wei Dongling was secretly shocked. It had been so many days since the heavy rain in Xingshan. In ancient times, materials and medicinal herbs were scarce. How many people would die if the plague spread?
Uncle Li added, "I've just discussed it with Old Merchant Su. We plan to go to Xingshan with Lord Shen tonight. With Ruan Niang's medical skills, we can save some common people."
Wei Dongling nodded and said, "Okay. Let's take more medicinal herbs."
Uncle Li waved his hand and said, "We'll go. Your injury and Luo Xunlong's are both serious. Just recuperate well first."
Wei Dongling quickly called out, "I can do it. I can walk steadily! I can help take people's pulses and boil medicine."
Uncle Li shook his head and said, "We'll go and check the situation first. If we're short of something, we'll ask you to buy it and bring it over."
Only then did Wei Dongling obediently nod.
That night, Uncle Li led everyone and set off with Lord Shen. Even Old Master Su went despite the dissuasion.
Old Master Lin needed to stay to take care of Luo Xunlong. He hung a sign saying "Temporarily Closed" at the door and watched everyone leave.
Wei Dongling leaned against the window, holding the money box that Lin Baiwan had left for her to buy supplies, secretly worried about the epidemic in Xingshan.
Cui Huan brought up the boiled bitter medicine and comforted her, "The court has already paid attention to this matter. They've allocated silver and sent the Crown Prince to relieve the disaster. Lord Shen has also taken people there. Just recuperate well and don't worry."
Wei Dongling was startled and said, "The Crown Prince has also gone?"
After drinking the medicine, Wei Dongling fell into a hazy sleep.
In her dream, she walked into a dense reed forest. She pushed aside the reed leaves in front and saw a small boat moored on the lake. At the other end of the boat stood a tall and imposing man, holding a bamboo pole and smiling and nodding at her.
"Daddy!" Wei Dongling was both surprised and delighted and wanted to rush forward. Suddenly, a bare - footed little girl ran past her from behind. With two small braids, she skipped onto the boat.
Wei Jiang looked at the little girl in front of him with a loving smile on his face. He gently tapped the bamboo pole on the water, and the boat swayed out on the lake.
Wei Dongling on the shore watched the backs of the two on the boat leaving. She was anxious and wanted to shout, but she couldn't make a sound. She saw the eight - year - old little girl turn around, smile at her and a pair of small dimples appeared on her cheeks. She waved at the people on the shore and said in a milky voice, "Thank you."
Wei Dongling stood there stunned, watching the boat getting farther and farther away. Finally, it slowly disappeared from her sight.
She couldn't hold back her tears any longer and her eyes were blurred.
In a half - asleep and half - awake state, her pillow was already wet. Cui Huan rushed over in a hurry and asked if her wound was hurting.
Wei Dongling sniffed and choked with sobs, "Huanhuan, I want to eat roasted lamb legs."
Three days later, they received a letter from Ruan Niang with a prescription attached. Wei Dongling quickly got out of bed and took Cui Huan and Old Master Lin out to buy medicine.
In the largest pharmacy in the capital, Wei Dongling stared angrily at the shopkeeper and said, "These are such common medicinal herbs. Why are they so expensive now? Aren't you just extorting people?"
The shopkeeper waved impatiently at her and said, "Go and inquire elsewhere. We're already selling them at a cheap price here. Are you going to buy them or not, miss? If not, please leave quickly! There are still people waiting behind!"
Wei Dongling looked back and saw that the few people queuing up to buy medicine behind were also booing and urging. The man behind her, seeing her looking back, impatiently pushed and shoved her and said, "My old mother at home has a fever and is waiting for the medicine. The price here is really already cheap!"
Wei Dongling gasped in pain as her injured shoulder was pushed. She took out the money box and slapped it on the table. Angrily shouting at the shopkeeper, she said, "How much of these medicines do you have? I'll take them all!"
The shopkeeper was stunned looking at the shiny gold ingots in Wei Dongling's money box.
The people queuing up behind were all shocked when they saw the large amount of silver she took out. When they came to their senses, they were so angry that their faces turned ashen. Several of them started scolding and shouting.
Old Master Lin quickly stepped forward to smooth things over and said, "We don't need that much. Shopkeeper, just sell half of them to us."
So, under the angry looks of the crowd, the three of them carried away half a carriage of medicinal herbs.