Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing were startled. Xiao Jinghan was already prepared to flee.
Just then, the maid Amman slowly walked in. Her salute was perfunctory. Heyan Mulei let out a sigh of relief.
"The old mistress knows that the young master has come and asks him to go over," Amman reported.
"Got it," Xiang Beizheng replied impatiently.
The old mistress Amman mentioned was Xiang Beizheng's biological mother, Heyan Shu, the most special figure in the Heyan family.
Xiang Beizheng left. After some thought, Heyan Mulei went to find Heyan Beifeng.
"Which one should we follow?" Yi Qing whispered.
There was enough gossip for her to chew on for a while today.
Xiao Jinghan wanted to follow Xiang Beizheng to see who he was going to meet. But then Mundy came over again when she saw her master had left.
Mundy was a servant born into the Heyan family. She was destined to be a servant of the Heyan family since birth. However, her mother had been sent to the countryside to do the most arduous work. Because of her wit and beauty, she was brought back.
Yi Qing was somewhat impressed by this servant's persistence. Why did she keep coming over to take a look?
If she had already discovered them, shouldn't she call for help?
"Ah woo—" Mundy saw Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing and quickly covered her mouth, looking terrified that she might scream.
"Don't make a sound, or I'll kill you," Yi Qing was about to use a needle on Mundy but was surprised that she covered her mouth obediently.
Mundy nodded frantically. "Come with me," she said and led the way.
Yi Qing and Xiao Jinghan were curious and followed Mundy. She took them to a secluded wall, lifted a curtain, and there was a hole big enough for a person to crawl through.
"Are you going to let us go?" Yi Qing was puzzled.
"Just go quickly. If I'm the only one who found you, they'll think I brought you in," Mundy pleaded with her hands clasped.
"Then how did you find us there?" Yi Qing couldn't figure it out.
"I didn't find you. I just noticed that the flying insects were avoiding that area. I thought there might be some treasure there," Mundy was led astray by her curiosity.
Yi Qing looked at Mundy in surprise. Her observation skills were truly remarkable. "Does someone in your family have an illness?"
Mundy looked at Yi Qing in astonishment.
Yi Qing was a bit proud. She had smelled it long ago. This woman had the smell of medicine on her, which was probably left from long - term decocting. Although she wore a yellow orchid to cover it up, it couldn't escape Yi Qing's nose.
Moreover, her complexion was ruddy, indicating that she was in good health. It couldn't be that she was ill herself, so it must be a family member.
"I'm a doctor. I smelled the medicine on you," Yi Qing explained.
Hearing that Yi Qing was a doctor, Mundy's eyes lit up. "Are you really a doctor? Then could you please treat my mother?"
"Yes, but I have some questions for you."
"Okay," Mundy readily agreed.
"Aren't you afraid of betraying the Heyan family?"
Mundy didn't seem to care. "The direct line of the Heyan family only has that old mistress left. I don't need to be loyal to the Heyan family anymore."
Yi Qing had long noticed that this maid was different. She was quite perceptive. "What's your name?"
"Mundy," Mundy replied directly. "Come with me," she said and crawled through the hole first.
Xiao Jinghan looked at the hole and then leaped over the wall with Yi Qing in his arms.
Mundy's home was on the outermost circle of the Heyan family compound. She led them there, avoiding everyone.
As they got closer to Mundy's home, Yi Qing smelled a strong smell of medicine, which was very complex. It seemed that Mundy had already invited many doctors.
Mundy's thatched cottage was low and damp, but it was very clean. There were also some mosquito - repellent herbs planted around it.
"Mother," Mundy exclaimed excitedly as she entered the shed. "I've brought a doctor."
"Don't bother to invite a doctor. My illness..." Mundy's mother, Rati, was listless. When she saw outsiders, she didn't continue.
Yi Qing saw that Rati was sallow - faced and emaciated, with dark eye sockets, but her abdomen was unusually swollen.
"Doctor," Mundy looked at Yi Qing.
Yi Qing walked over, lifted Rati's arm to take a look, and then gently pressed her abdomen. "It's not a serious problem. It's just that it's been delayed for a long time and you're getting old. I'll tell you some herbs. Try to find as many as you can."
In the Southern Border, there were abundant herbs. Most people knew a few kinds. Yi Qing didn't mention the proportion, and Mundy quickly went to look for them.
Yi Qing washed her hands repeatedly. Then she and Xiao Jinghan found a hoe and dug a pit, and then lined it with lime.
Both of them were silent. They had learned too many things tonight and needed some time to digest it.
"What's wrong with Mundy's mother?" Xiao Jinghan wanted to distract himself.
"Parasites, and there are many kinds," Yi Qing replied.
It was normal to have parasites in such poor sanitary conditions in the Southern Border. It was just that Rati had been infected with a relatively large number of parasite species, and her poor nutrition over time had led to this situation.
"Parasites?" Xiao Jinghan was a bit surprised.
"Yes. It's normal to have parasites in the human body, especially some that are symbiotic," Yi Qing said nonchalantly.
"I thought it was a Gu worm," Xiao Jinghan found it strange.
Mundy soon returned. She had actually found all the herbs Yi Qing had mentioned.
"These are all poisonous," Mundy said suspiciously, looking at Yi Qing.
"All medicines have some toxicity. Poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin," Yi Qing smelled the herbs, confirmed their quality, and then divided them into three parts. "Boil them in water for your mother to drink. Do you have any brown sugar at home?"
Mundy shook her head.
Yi Qing took out a few silver coins and gave them to Mundy. "Buy some brown sugar. Use the rest to buy your mother's favorite food."
The night in Cixi City was bustling. If they were quick, they could still buy things.
"I can't possibly..." Mundy didn't want to take Yi Qing's money.
"Do you have any money?" Yi Qing asked directly.
Mundy had no money. All the money in her family had been spent on her mother's illness.
"Hurry up, or you won't be able to buy anything," Yi Qing said and went to boil the medicine herself.
The freshly - boiled deworming medicine was not pleasant to take.
"Why do you trust her so much?" Xiao Jinghan was a bit puzzled.
"Intuition," Yi Qing looked at Xiao Jinghan. "Smart and persistent people are usually reliable."
Xiao Jinghan didn't see the connection between the two.
Rati watched them busy outside. Her despair turned into a glimmer of hope. Maybe she could really get better and not let her daughter bear the burden alone.
Yi Qing boiled the deworming medicine and brought it to Rati. "After drinking this medicine, go to the newly - dug pit to relieve yourself within half an hour."
"You're Mundy's friends, right?" Rati looked at Yi Qing.
"Yes," Yi Qing thought they weren't. They had just met.
"Good, good," When Rati was happy, there was finally a glimmer of light in her eyes. It was obvious that she had been a great beauty when she was young. "My illness may not get better, but I'm happy that she has friends."
"You don't have a serious illness. You'll definitely get better," Yi Qing felt that her medical skills were being doubted.
Rati thought Yi Qing was just consoling her. "I'll tell you something. If I really pass away, there's still someone who knows this secret."