“Mother, in ancient times, the Buddha cut flesh from his own body to feed an eagle. Today, I’ll offer myself to save Grandmother.” Her voice was hoarse and trembling, and she forced out a smile more painful than tears. “It’s nothing more than a body. I don’t care.”
As she spoke, she gave Zhan Yurong a meaningful glance.
Zhan Yurong didn’t quite understand and stood there in a daze as Shao Yutong pushed her aside.
Shao Yutong walked toward the house, silently counting in her mind.
One step, two steps…
Watching her retreating figure, Zhan Haochen had no idea why his heart suddenly ached so badly, as if he were about to lose something precious.
He couldn’t bear to stand by and watch one of his own people be humiliated. Thus, when Zhan Yurong counted to two, he was about to step forward and stop her.
But Cheng Yao suddenly grabbed his arm. “Your brother doesn’t seem right. Come take a look.”
She wasn’t lying. As one of the supporting male characters in the book who was hopelessly in love with Shao Yutong, Zhan Haoting had also grown tense and distressed at the thought of Shao Yutong being humiliated. Even his breathing had quickened.
Cheng Yao felt that she had already changed the fates of many people. Perhaps if she shielded the Zhan brothers from this situation, they would be able to break free from the control of the plot in the book.
Still, she wanted to see whether Shao Yutong could be ruthless enough to continue acting without Zhan Haochen’s heroic rescue.
Of course, she wasn’t some kind of pervert who enjoyed watching a young girl being humiliated. If things went too far, she would step in.
“Big Brother!” Zhan Haochen went over to check on Zhan Haoting.
Shao Yutong’s body stiffened, and she could no longer force herself to take another step.
He was gone?
Among all the members of the family, only the Zhan brothers possessed enough blood and courage to help her. What good would it do even if the others felt pity for her? They had to weigh the consequences and were barely able to protect themselves. None of them would step forward.
She had gambled that Zhan Haochen would save her. He had indeed been about to do so, but a single sentence from Cheng Yao had called him away!
How was she supposed to continue acting now?
Was she really going to give herself to that filthy, lecherous man?
Behind her, Zhan Yurong wept uncontrollably. “My son, don’t go! Come back! Let me go instead!”
Shao Yutong bit her lower lip, her delicate body trembling like a pitiful, helpless white lotus swaying in the wind before a storm.
But in the next moment, she straightened her back and resolutely walked inside.
If losing her chastity would make those two men pity and sympathize with her, then so be it.
It was nothing major.
The room was dark and sealed off from the light. Shao Yutong felt as if she were walking into the depths of hell, yet she did not retreat.
Cheng Yao sighed inwardly.
All right. You’re ruthless enough. You win.
She hadn’t wanted Zhan Haochen to play the hero and rescue Shao Yutong, so she spoke up before he could.
“Yutong, come back. I have a way to save Grandmother.”
Shao Yutong’s footsteps halted. A draft swept through the passage, making her whole body turn cold, and only then did she realize that she was drenched in cold sweat.
So she was afraid after all.
She did care.
Her legs went weak, and she practically supported herself against the wall as she made her way back.
“You had a way? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Her tone carried a hint of accusation.
Cheng Yao remained calm. “I only thought of it just now.”
Shao Yutong suddenly gave a soft laugh.
It seemed that this woman before her had seen through all her schemes.
She was no simpleton.
Interesting.
She dropped to her knees. “For saving my life, Eldest Sister-in-law, Yutong will never forget your kindness. One day, I will repay you even if it means following you like grass entwined around a tree.”
Everyone was stunned.
A life-saving kindness?
Did that mean that if she had given herself to the constable, she would have killed herself afterward?
To save her maternal grandmother, she had actually been willing to go that far!
Chaste, filial, and unafraid of death—there were few women like her in the world!
Cheng Yao sighed inwardly. As expected of the heroine of the book. Not a single word she said was wasted. With just one short sentence, she had made everyone look at her with awe and respect.
She was far too skilled at winning people over.
Cheng Yao smiled ambiguously. “Just remember my kindness, Cousin.”
“Eldest Sister-in-law, Yutong will remember your kindness for the rest of my life. There’s no time to lose. Please hurry and save them.”
Cheng Yao’s method was actually very simple. She started a fire and cooked a large crock of ginger soup, then had people feed it to the old madam and Second Madam Zhan.
She didn’t really have a reason—or the desire—to save the two women. But once Zhan Haoting recovered, he would know that she had saved his life.
By the same logic, if she stood by and did nothing while the two women suffered, he would probably be disappointed in her.
She didn’t have to cure them completely. At the very least, she could help their injuries improve, couldn’t she?
“Can ginger soup really work?” Second Master Zhan questioned.
“You drank it yesterday. Didn’t you feel much more energetic afterward?” Cheng Yao replied. “Look at everyone. We all got soaked in the rain, yet hardly anyone has fallen ill.”
The spiritual spring was filled with vitality. Combined with the several medicinal herbs she had added, the soup was warming without being overly stimulating. It dispelled the cold without harming the body’s vital energy. How could it possibly fail to help?
“Nonsense.” Second Master Zhan scolded her. “Ginger is used to treat wind-cold symptoms. It may help after someone gets soaked in the rain, but the old madam has suffered internal injuries and broken bones after being crushed by a carriage. How can those things be compared?”
Cheng Yao replied lazily, “Why not let her try first? We don’t have a better option right now, do we?”
Second Master Zhan fell silent.
That was true. They were prisoners and couldn’t leave the group. And in these remote mountains, where could they find someone to treat the old madam?
They had no choice but to try anything, even if it meant treating a dead horse as though it were still alive.
But Feng Xianxian desperately tried to stop them from feeding the soup to the injured women.
“Everyone knows that ginger is considered a stimulating food. Grandmother and Mother are covered in injuries. Drinking ginger water will only worsen their condition. If you recklessly do this, you’ll kill them.”
“Then don’t let them drink it,” Cheng Yao said indifferently.
The more relaxed Cheng Yao appeared, the more Feng Xianxian hated her.
“Since you agreed to save them, you have to do everything you can.”
“Aren’t you the one stopping me?”
“Do you have any other way besides ginger soup?”
“Ah.”
“Heh.” Feng Xianxian sneered. “I see now. All you know how to do is boil ginger soup. You’re gambling with Grandmother’s and my mother’s lives. If you happen to cure them, you’ll win a reputation for yourself. If you fail, no one can blame you, because their injuries are so severe to begin with.”
Her words were sharp and forceful. “Big Brother is steadfast and true to his word. He loves the people like his own children and has a clear conscience before Heaven and Earth. But you lie through your teeth, cheat and scheme, and treat human lives as worthless as grass. You’re not worthy of Big Brother.”
“Whether I’m worthy of him or not is none of your concern.” Cheng Yao wasn’t angry. She didn’t even want to waste another word on her. “Just tell me—are we treating the old madam and Second Madam or not?”
“Treat them!” Zhan Jinmo and Shao Yutong said in unison.
“Don’t treat them!” Feng Xianxian, Third Master Zhan, and Fourth Lord Zhan shouted together.
Cheng Yao said, “Then discuss it among yourselves. If you still can’t agree, let the majority decide. If that doesn’t work, you can draw lots.”
“There’s no need to discuss it. Eldest Sister-in-law is right. We don’t have a better way to treat Grandmother at the moment. We should give it a try.”
Zhan Jinmo spoke up.
Feng Xianxian couldn’t believe that he had actually sided with Cheng Yao. A thorn seemed to have pierced her heart. “We can’t try it! Ginger is a stimulating food!”
Zhan Jinmo’s eyes filled with disgust as he rebuked her. “Idiot! Look at Big Brother. He’s been drinking ginger soup every day. Has his condition gotten worse?”
Everyone froze.
That was right. When it came to severe injuries, who could be more seriously wounded than Zhan Haoting?
He had been beaten until his flesh was torn open and his bones were broken all over. His internal organs had also been injured, and he had kept vomiting blood when they carried him back.
But wasn’t he doing fine now?
Other than ginger soup, they hadn’t seen Cheng Yao give him any medicine!
“Then let’s try it.”
“No.” Feng Xianxian still refused to relent. She turned to Cheng Yao and demanded, “What will you do if you fail to heal Grandmother and my mother?”
“Oh, please. That’s a new one. What doctor guarantees that a patient will make a full recovery? All I can say is that I can wake them and improve their condition.”
“Fine. If you can’t cure them completely, then at least heal them by thirty to fifty percent.” Feng Xianxian pointed at her. “Do you dare make a bet?”
Cheng Yao was riled up as well. “A bet it is. What are the stakes?”
“You’ll ask to be divorced, then sell yourself to me as a slave.”
Cheng Yao looked at her and laughed.
This little wretch really wasn’t going to pass up any chance to trample her into the dirt.
“What if I win?”
“I’ll ask to be divorced and sell myself to you…”
“I don’t need a burden like you.”
“You!” Feng Xianxian was so furious she nearly toppled over. “Then what exactly do you want to bet?”
