…
Although Jiang Rao had made up her mind to run more to the west of the city, so as to change the young man's impression of her as soon as possible, but too little courage restrained her steps.
As soon as she sees the young man now, she will think of how cruel he will be in the future, and how he will take revenge on her.
I kneeled for a long time in my dream, but my knees were still sore when I woke up. When she saw him, all she could think about was running away, let alone what she could do to change his impression of her.
The instinct to stay away from danger made Jiang Rao choose to be a coward for a few days first, and ordered a servant to guard her outside the hut in the west of the city, so that the young man would not be bullied by those rogue children again.
That night, Jiang Rao dreamed of the grown-up boy again.
After he took her back, the Jiang family quickly fell into decline.
It seems to have his handwriting in it.
And she became his servant to serve with him.
He didn't like anyone approaching, but he took pleasure in torturing her every day.
After more than ten years of being pampered by her family, she suddenly became someone else's servant, serving a moody master, it was a torture to her both physically and mentally.
However, she owed him, and she dared not speak out when she was angry, so she could only bear it day by day...
…
In the dream, life was worse than death all night, when she woke up, Jiang Rao's expression was extremely bitter.
Her life is very bitter.
With a bitter face, she went out to post a letter to her grandfather after breakfast.
Grandfather's 60th birthday, although Jiang Rao couldn't make it back in time, he still carefully selected gifts for his birthday and sent them to his grandfather who was far away in Jinling, the imperial capital, as a junior.
It has been snowing for several days, and the sky is still gray with occasional snowflakes.
The road out of the city was heavily snowed and congested, and the county magistrate sent someone to post a notice-people who cherish their lives, do not go out of the city.
Just eight words, quite binding. Everyone in the city cherished their lives like gold, stayed well, and no one left the city.
After Jiang Rao sent the letter, she came out of the post house with her head down all the time, and her expression was filled with indescribable depression.
The dream last night made her feel that the boy was still full of hidden dangers.
So even if she was afraid, she could only endure it, and she had to coax him well first.
Otherwise, when her family left Yecheng, she would have no chance.
In the teahouse near the post house, the people who had nothing to do because they couldn't get out of the city gathered.
Jiang Rao saw the people gathered there, and with a thought, she walked over and asked the locals about the boy.
The people here told her that the boy came to Yecheng a year ago.
He is the concubine of a wealthy family in Jinling, and he came to this small town to recover from his injuries. His family found a local man named Wang Zhou as his servant for him, and they would send him monthly money.
Jiang Rao carefully asked his name, since he was from Jinling, he might have dealt with her family before.
But regarding this point, the people here shook their heads one after another, and no one knew.
Half an hour later, Jiang Rao went to the clinic.
She heard people say that when the boy first arrived in Yecheng a year ago, she saw him go here to get medicine.
But now a year later, his legs are still not healed.
Jiang Rao couldn't help being curious, and wanted to ask the old doctor what happened to the boy's leg injury.
…
Curiosity turned into distress and pity in the end.
At first she only knew that his leg was injured, but after talking with the old doctor, she realized how serious his leg injury was.
When he first arrived at the hospital, the wound was festering, reaching to the bone, and the bone was broken, but he was enduring it all the time. The old doctor did not use anesthesia when he connected the broken bone, and he didn't make a sound from the beginning to the end.
Listening to the old doctor's words, Jiang Rao thought of the way he was holding back the pain and his head was sweating. He was only a thirteen-year-old boy at that time.
Normally, she would feel sorry for her brother when he knocked down and broke his skin, but he suffered all the most serious skin wounds, flesh wounds, and bone wounds.
Jiang Rao's heart felt uncomfortable like a wet veil was blocked.
When she stepped into the hut in the west of the city again, she was holding a square bag in her hand, which was heavy.
The bound hemp rope embedded several fine prints on the oil-wrapped paper, which was filled with traditional Chinese medicine prescribed by the old doctor.
The old doctor said that in the past year, the boy had only been to his place once, and after leaving, he never went to his place to get medicine again.
He clearly ordered the servant next to the young man to come over every month to take the medicine for his young master. However, from cold winter to hot summer, and then to cold winter, more than eleven months passed in a blink of an eye, but the old doctor had never seen him. The servant came once.
It's hard for Jiang Rao to imagine how he survived with such a leg injury and no medicine.
The small courtyard is still the scene of yesterday, deserted and desolate, as quiet as a tomb. Heavy snow has piled up the whole courtyard, and every step you walk on it will leave deep footprints.
After a night of wind blowing, the door, which seemed not strong enough to begin with, was even more crumbling. As long as you raised your hand and knocked twice, the door creaked and trembled, and opened by itself.
The house was messy.
Jiang Rao didn't expect to see such a scene - the boy prostrate on the ground.
He was kneeling with weak legs, and a quilt that was even negligibly thin was pressed under his knees.
His long hair hangs behind him, and his back is slightly arched. His back looks like a trapped beast whose fangs have been cut off and its bones removed.
The action seems to be to use his elbows to support the ground, so that he can use his strength to support himself to stand up.
But even though his arm muscles were tightened, it seemed that he had exhausted all his strength, but his legs seemed to have been dropped by a thousand catties of stones, and he couldn't move an inch.
The red eyes were filled with defeat and despair.
Jiang Rao's heart ached.
The old doctor told her that the young man has the foundation of martial arts, if his legs were not broken, judging by his bones and physique, he should be a talented person.
It's a pity that he broke his leg. Even if it is cured, it is basically impossible to pick up his previous martial arts foundation....
Jiang Rao bit her lip, feeling so bad that she forgot to be afraid of him for a moment, only distressed in her heart.
She silently walked over to help him.
But being frightened by the cold gaze he raised suddenly, he stopped his movements.
Rong Ting heard her coming in.
Looking sideways at her, he coughed heavily, "What are you doing here?"
Jiang Rao's eyes were moist, full of loving motherhood, she showed him the medicine bag in her hand, "I went to the medical center and got some medicine for you."
Rong Ting remained silent.
His temperament has long been distorted and suspicious by the man-eating deep palace. Everyone he has met since birth, laughing and scolding, no one is sincerely kind to him.
He has seen a lot of hypocritical smiles with a hidden knife in his smile. To him, an overly warm overture is not much different from bullying and neglect.
No one would really treat him so well.
He looked at the concern on her face coldly, as if looking at poison wrapped in honey.
But before he had time to say the words to see off the guests, he passed out because of a burst of severe burn pain.
…
When he woke up, a pair of warm hands were gently applying a wet handkerchief to his forehead.
The thin and cold quilt on her body seemed to have been replaced with a new one, which was warm and thick.
He blinked, and a surprise and gentle question came from above his head, "Are you awake?"
Jiang Rao held a wet handkerchief in her hand and looked at him in surprise.
After he passed out, his forehead was sweating and his brows were furrowed. He didn't know if it was pain or he dreamed of something bad.
Afraid to scare him, her voice was soft, "Just now you fainted suddenly, which shocked me. I called the old doctor in the hospital to see, and he said that the wound on your leg was serious again. When you caught wind and cold, I prescribed a few more medicines for you. When you fell asleep, the old doctor made the medicine himself and asked me to feed you."
Rong Ting pursed her lips, the sweet and bitter taste of herbs echoed in her mouth.
There is even a faint sweet and bitter taste on his body.
Only then did he see a trace of medicine on the front of his shirt.
Jiang Rao also noticed, her gaze swept across the front of his shirt, and then quickly looked away, her long eyelashes drooping, "But I'll just feed you... half a bowl."
A blush of embarrassment rose on her cheeks, and she explained weakly: "I can only feed half a bowl, and the rest is spilled, spilled on...you."
Rong Ting raised his eyes, looked directly at her, and asked with a hoarse voice: "You fed me the medicine?"
"Um."
Jiang Rao wanted the maid to feed him, but he didn't know why, as soon as the maid approached him, he fainted, and he still had the consciousness to pinch someone's neck...
It won't work if you change to the old doctor.
Even after fainting, Jiang Rao was so repulsive to others, Jiang Rao made a correction to his character in his heart, not suspicious, but very suspicious, the kind that penetrated deep into his bones, and was really violent.
But when she approached, he didn't move, so Jiang Rao came to feed him by herself.
With his eyes closed, he lost the gloomy sternness in his eyes. He was sick and pitiful. She would only feel distressed, not afraid. When he fell asleep, she couldn't help but draw his beautiful face with her hands. Eyebrows.
Rong Ting lowered his eyes.
His commoner clothes are darker in color, and the brown medicine has been spilled on it, which is not obvious.
On the contrary, it was her, the blue cuffs of the lily of the valley were soaked in a deep brown, which was very abrupt.
Seeing his glance, Jiang Rao subconsciously rolled up his sleeves.
Most of the girls from wealthy families value neat appearance. Jiang Rao was influenced by her beauty-loving mother, and she paid special attention to her appearance and clothing. She knew what was the most beautiful—beauty was not only judged by her face, but also by her appearance. Her sleeves It's rare for it to be dusted, not to mention the sticky smell of medicine on the sleeves like now.
She almost subconsciously wanted to hide her sleeves, but she had already fallen into Rong Ting's eyes.
She could obviously take credit for this and emphasize how tired she was.
But she didn't.
His gaze stayed on her for a long time, it was dark, like a silent pool deep in the forest.
Jiang Rao felt awkward being stared at by him, and quickly changed the subject, "You're awake now, do you feel better?"
Rong Ting looked away, he sat up, wanted to speak, but coughed heavily for a while.
It was as violent as coughing up all the internal organs.
Jiang Rao immediately felt worried for him, and handed him a glass of warm water to drink, "Why are you still coughing so badly?"
Although Rong Ting took the glass of water she handed over, he hesitated for a moment before passing it to his lips.
Finally drank it.
Seeing that he is now willing to drink the water she gave, Jiang Rao felt a kind of unexpected surprise in his heart.
She got up and brought one small medicine bag after another, and placed it in front of him.
She squatted aside, pointing at each other and said: "This is medicine for treating wind and cold, and this is for treating your leg ailments. This bag should be decocted in hot water and taken. This bag is for external use. It should be crushed." I put it on the wound..."
She told him one by one, and talked about everything in detail for a long time, but she didn't have the heart to tell him that after the old doctor was invited here, he looked at his leg injury and shook his head, saying that it was a medicine doctor, and there was little hope of healing. Already...
With a hoarse voice, Rong Ting asked: "These medicines, and the quilt on me, how much is the total amount?"
Jiang Rao was slightly taken aback.
She didn't want his money, she tilted her head, trying to fool the matter perfunctorily, and just said: "These are not expensive."
"On the third day of next month, someone will send me monthly money, and I will give you the money for the medicine at that time."
Rong Ting acted as if he hadn't heard her words, just wanted to get the answer he wanted, and asked again: "How much are these medicines in total?"
The tone of the question is domineering and stubborn, making it clear that he will not stop until he hears the answer.
Because of his aura, Jiang Rao almost immediately returned to the dream when he was the master and she was the slave, and the words in his heart almost trembled, "Ten... is one tael of silver."
…
Leaving this hut in the west of the city, on the way back to the house, Ming Shao counted on her fingers, "Young lady bought medicine in the afternoon, asked the doctor, and helped him repair the doors and windows. She spent six taels of silver and took the brocade quilt from the warehouse. Good Xiang material, even ten taels is not enough, how can it not be one tael? Girl, did you make a mistake in your calculations?"
Although Jiang Rao is young, she is the only prostitute daughter in the family after all. She has never failed to calculate and keep accounts since she was a child, so she will not fail to understand this account.
She shook her head, sighed, and said to Ming Shao: "He is so pitiful, I just don't want the money for his medicine and medical treatment."
…
The heavy snow that lasted for two days finally stopped on the twilight evening of the second day, which meant that the snow had passed the sky.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, the light and shadow of the sky are mixed with a layer of faint gold, and the whole world is embraced into a kind of peaceful tranquility.
After she left, Rong Ting noticed that something had changed in the room.
The door was still shaky last night, and when I woke up, it became good.
The blast and falling snow were kept out.
In the charcoal stove that had been abandoned for a long time in the house, firewood was added.
The fire light reflected in his pupils, Rong Ting took a deep breath, wondering if the medicine had taken effect, his heart felt a little hot.
…
On the third day of February, Wang Zhou went to the posthouse to receive the monthly money sent by someone from the master's house. He talked perfunctorily with the person who sent the money, and lied that Rong Ting's leg injury was recovering well, and he returned to Beijing soon. West of the city.
Although Rong Ting is the Ninth Prince, he has not reached the crown yet, and he has no official position. The monthly money is much less than his older brothers, only sixteen taels a month.
But even if it was sixteen taels, after passing through Wang Zhou's hands and then into Rong Ting's hands, there was not much left.
—Wang Zhou finally handed over eight hundred copper coins to Rong Ting.
He also threw a sack on the table, seeing Rong Ting took the money and looked at him inexplicably, suspecting that he had noticed something, and said viciously, "I will buy you medicine, and then I will take away my wages." , there is not much money left."
"What about the medicine?"
Wang Zhou opened a sack impatiently, revealing the medicinal materials inside, "The medicines are all here."
Rong Ting glanced at the medicine.
It's more firewood than medicine. There are a lot of dead branches and sawdust in the bag, but the herbs are scattered.
Rong Ting raised her eyes coldly, and glanced at Wang Zhou.
Wang Zhou didn't take this master seriously, but he was often afraid because of his eyes. The narrow and long pupils, like a wolf cub, always concealed a fierceness to fight.
Just like when he squinted to look at people just now, his eyeballs were dark and frighteningly dark, as if he could see through everything.
He was worried that his own hands and feet would be discovered by Rong Ting, and he was a little panicked in his heart. He muttered: "You are a cripple, what are you doing here? Could it be possible that you can stand up and cook medicine by yourself?"
This sentence reassured himself—
He is just a weak and disabled person who is thousands of miles away from home and has no one to rely on. Even if he finds out that he is hiding his monthly money, this is his territory, what can he do to him
He immediately relaxed, and looked at Rong Ting's legs mockingly, "You have a disease in your legs, but don't you have a disease in your brain. It will cost a lot of money to cure your two legs, eight hundred yuan, and I calculated carefully to give it to you." You saved it!"
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After speaking, Wang Zhou slammed the door and left.
As soon as he went out, he took out the monthly money that had just arrived and hadn't warmed it up from his pocket, pinched the sixteen taels of silver, and walked excitedly towards the casino.
But he didn't know that his every move was seen by the people who stayed here before Jiang Rao.