Bodhi Courtyard.
The maid serving by Mei Fangru's side entered and knelt on the floor. "County Mistress Changle, my family's Old Madam has fainted. The physicians from Huichun Hall have seen her and all say there's nothing they can do. My young mistress is truly at her wit's end, which is why she sent this servant to beg you. Could you possibly request a palace physician to attend... Of course, we wouldn't ask for your help in vain. Here are the deeds to two shops. If it's not enough, my young mistress can try to gather more!"
As she spoke, she presented two crumpled land deeds. They couldn't even produce silver, a clear sign of desperation.
Chu Ruoyan did not take them, only asking, "Your young mistress took the Old Madam to Huichun Hall not long ago, and she was fine then, wasn't she? How could she suddenly faint?"
The maid's face revealed grief and indignation. "It's all because of Madame Mei! She rushed back to the estate early this morning, shouting and cursing, saying the Mei family had not only implicated her but also harmed her son. The Second and Fourth Young Misses couldn't bear it and argued with her a few times, and she actually started hitting them! The Old Madam couldn't withstand the shock and fainted!"
Chu Ruoyan understood immediately.
Previously, Xiao Tian had come to cause trouble and had a finger severed by Yan Zheng.
Madame Mei didn't dare seek reckoning from them, so she could only vent her anger on the Mei family instead...
However, in the end, this was their family affair. It wasn't appropriate for her to interfere directly. She could only have Black Crow invite Old Divine Physician Qin over to take a look.
After lunch, Yun Lang arrived.
This fellow, perhaps having learned from Yan Zheng, preferred scaling walls over using the main gate.
"Miaomiao, look what I brought you."
As he spoke, an enticing sour aroma wafted in. Chu Ruoyan quickly sat up from her reclining chair. "It's the sour paste cakes from Auspicious Tavern! And the hawthorn cakes from Zhang's Shop!"
Yun Lang smiled and set down the food box. She couldn't wait to pick up a piece and put it in her mouth.
Immediately, she squinted her eyes in satisfaction. "So sour! So fragrant! Thank you, Second Brother!"
Yun Lang, spreading his sleeves, sat on the stone stool beside her. "No need for thanks. The old master says that since you crave sour things so much, and both pulses are slippery with the left one even more pronounced, you might be carrying twin dragon fetuses."
"Twin dragon fetuses? Both are sons?" Chu Ruoyan was taken aback.
Yun Lang nodded. "Mhm, it was the same with Mother back then, after which she gave birth to Elder Brother and me... Do you remember Elder Brother?"
Chu Ruoyan thought for a moment, then lowered her head and shook it gently.
A flicker of gloom passed through Yun Lang's eyes, but he smiled and said, "It's normal you don't remember. You were too young then, and Elder Brother often followed our martial grandfather to practice martial arts... Actually, I haven't seen him for a long time either. Perhaps he's long since, long since..."
The words "dead" ultimately couldn't be spoken.
A pang of sadness struck Chu Ruoyan's heart. She covered his hand and said, "Second Brother, don't think such nonsense. No news is the best news. By the way, previously you heard Imperial Son-in-Law Cao mention the whereabouts of someone and then left the capital to search. Was that person Elder Brother?"
Yun Lang admitted, "Yes. All these years, the Hundred Insights Pavilion has practically turned the world upside down without finding any trace of him. I don't know where Cao Dong heard it from. I chased the lead all the way and indeed saw wounds on some corpses that seemed left by him. Unfortunately, there was a traitor in the Pavilion, and in the end, I still couldn't find him."
Chu Ruoyan, however, said, "Then that means Elder Brother is still alive! As long as he's alive, there will be a day of reunion!"
Seeing his younger sister's confident and determined expression, warmth spread in Yun Lang's heart, and the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously. "Right, we will definitely meet again! The most important thing now is for you to rest well during your pregnancy. When the time comes, you'll give Mother two little grandsons. Perhaps if Mother is happy, she might even regain her senses..."
"That would be wonderful. At that time—"
Before she could finish her sentence, the Mei family maid from earlier returned, her face full of anxiety. "County Mistress, please go and take a look! Over there... over there, they're about to start fighting!"
Yun Lang was puzzled. Chu Ruoyan stood up swiftly. "Explain clearly. Who is about to fight whom?"
Intimidated by the authoritative aura emanating from her, the Mei family maid caught her breath and said slowly, "The old divine physician you invited had just entered the estate when Madame Mei spotted him. She insisted on taking him back to treat Second Young Master Xiao's finger first... That Brother Black Crow disagreed, and both sides started pushing and shoving. This time, Madame Mei brought many people. My young mistress can't control the situation and told this servant to hurry and fetch you!"
Chu Ruoyan frowned deeply upon hearing this. Was Madame Mei even human?
Her own mother was angered into unconsciousness, and she wouldn't save her, yet she wanted to take the physician away?
Yun Lang understood most of it, crossed his arms, and said, "No need for trouble. Have Black Crow kill them. He's familiar with that sort of thing."
Chu Ruoyan's eyelids twitched. The next moment, a figure darted out. "Shadow!"
The mute youth turned a deaf ear, charging straight towards the Mei estate.
Yun Lang raised an eyebrow. "Why is he in such a hurry?"
Chu Ruoyan raised her hand to rub her temple. "That's his mother—never mind, it's too complicated to explain in a moment. I'd better go personally."
Yun Lang stood up. "Then I'll go too."
"Don't!" Chu Ruoyan reacted as if facing a great enemy, rather pained by her brother's martial tendency to kill at the slightest provocation. She only said, "Second Brother, you should go back first. I can handle this matter."
Since she said so, Yun Lang didn't insist, only admonished, "Your own well-being comes first in all matters. If you can't handle it, let Black Crow deal with it. Don't worry, the Hundred Insights Pavilion can cover it."
Chu Ruoyan agreed and hurried off.
Mei Estate.
Just as the maid had said, the place was already in an uproar.
Black Crow protected Qin Yiru in a corner of the hall, while people from the Jian'an Count's estate all reached out, trying to pull him out.
Mei Fangru spoke with suppressed anger, "Aunt, have you no regard for propriety at all? Must you tear apart all familial ties?"
Madame Mei stood to the side with her arms crossed, snorting coldly. "What family? The Mei family? Don't forget your father and brother are still convicted criminals. Whether they'll ever return is hard to say. What airs of a general's legitimate daughter are you putting on here!"
Fourth Miss Mei was furious and shouted, "Have you no shame? This is the physician Elder Sister invited to treat Grandmother! Grandmother is your birth mother! Do you not even care for your own mother?"
"What birth mother? She's just a sick, half-dead old woman. And you're all a bunch of old maids who can't even get married, acting so high and mighty here! This old divine physician treated the Cao family's Madam. I know about him; he's very skilled! He must come with me first to treat Tian'er's finger!"
Relying on her numerical advantage and being in her maiden home, Madame Mei was truly without restraint.
The Mei family members were practically bursting with rage.
Why couldn't they get married? Wasn't it precisely because of this very aunt who eloped and ruined the Mei family's reputation?
And now she had the gall to look down on them instead!
Shadow, who had hurriedly arrived on the roof beam, also fell silent upon hearing this.
Just then, an icy voice came from outside. "Is that so?"
Madame Mei was startled. Turning around, she saw Chu Ruoyan, supported by Nanny Zhou's hand, walking in with a face as cold as frost.
"Co-County Mistress Changle..."
Madame Mei stammered, but then, remembering something, she puffed out her chest and said, "This is the Mei estate. May I ask what important business the County Mistress has, barging into someone else's residence?"
Chu Ruoyan glanced at her sideways. "So the Lady of Jian'an Count knows this is the Mei estate. Then why are you causing trouble in someone else's residence?"
