Farmhouse Green Plum

Chapter 608: Frost

Doctor Lin looked out the dark window and fell into torment.

Her intuition told her that Ran Shuang's appearance here must be related to her senior brother, and it was possible that her senior brother was at his house now.

The coroner's house is a place that people avoid, so it is indeed a good hiding place. Or maybe the child coroner is the senior brother in disguise.

Her chest felt tight, and she wished she could turn into a gust of wind immediately, pass through the darkness, and go straight to the door of Tong's house to see everything clearly.

Why is it curfew?

"breathe--"

Doctor Lin closed his eyes and took deep breaths repeatedly before he calmed himself down a little.

She sat back on the couch and asked, "Are there any other children among the coroners?"

"Probably not," Song Ying recalled that day. "I spent a long time talking with Tong the coroner at Tong's house. I didn't see anyone else, and there was nothing there. There was no sign of a third person in the things in the house."

"What does the child coroner look like?" Doctor Lin asked again.

"The child coroner looks to be in his forties, and his figure..." Song Ying realized what she meant halfway through her words and said hurriedly, "Master, I've seen the portrait of my uncle you drew. The child coroner can't be my uncle.

Even after so many years, and even though Master-Uncle has grown older, the difference in facial features, figure, and bearing is so great that they cannot possibly be the same person!"

Judging from the portrait, my uncle is very handsome. As the saying goes, time never defeats beauty. A beauty will remain an old beauty when she grows old. The child coroner is just an ordinary middle-aged man.

Moreover, he looks to be in his forties. Considering the age of my uncle, he should be in his fifties or sixties now. Even if my uncle has the secret to maintain his youthful appearance, he shouldn't be that much younger, right?

"We'll go to Tong's house early tomorrow morning."

Although he had made the decision, Dr. Lin still paced back and forth in the room anxiously, looking out the window at the thick night from time to time.

Song Ying didn't want her to be so anxious, so he pulled her to sit down next to the brazier and asked curiously, "Master, who is this Ran Shuang you mentioned? Why do you think Master-Uncle is with her?"

Doctor Lin also knew that her anxiety was useless. She sat down with Song Ying's strength and sorted out her thoughts. "She was once the most beautiful woman in the Zuimeng Tower in the capital. She was stunningly beautiful. She stood by the red railings of Zuimeng Tower in a red dress. Even the moonlight had to give way to her.

How many princes and young men were crazy about her, some spent huge sums of money just to listen to her play the pipa, and some were willing to stand outside the building all night just to catch a glimpse of her when she lifted the curtain.

But she was very clear-headed and knew that seduce a man with her beauty would not last long, and when she grew old, all this would become an illusion.

She wanted to redeem herself and saved up enough money for three years to buy the Zuimeng Building, but the madam was cruel and refused to let her go, saying, "You are the cash cow of the Zuimeng Building, and you will have to rot in this building even if you die."

As she spoke, Dr. Lin's thoughts gradually drifted away, and in an instant, she seemed to have returned to those green years.

At that time, she was in her prime, and all day long she either studied medicine with her master or played and had fun with her sisters at home. The moonlight then seemed brighter than it is now, making the jade hairpins in the girls' hair sparkle.

It was a Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Jinming River was crowded with pleasure boats.

Several good friends made an appointment to go out for a night out, but one of them, under the influence of alcohol, brought up his junior fellow's civilian status, which made them unhappy.

The three of them simply abandoned the big boat, rented a small boat, and rowed away from the hustle and bustle.

The boat reached a secluded stone bridge, the moonlight fragmented by the bridge hole. Suddenly, a figure in red fluttered on the bridge, like a burning flame, particularly dazzling in the moonlight. Before they could react, the red figure leaped down, the splash of water shattering the moonlight in the river.

"Help!" The senior brother was the first to react. He jumped into the river without even taking off his outer robe, and the junior brother followed him in a hurry.

The woman did not struggle in the water, allowing her body to sink. Her long black hair spread out like waterweed, and her red clothes surged like blood in the undercurrent.

After they dragged the person onto the boat, the woman lay on the side of the boat, coughing and choking, but still struggling to jump into the river.

"Let go!" She rasped, her nails scratching bloody marks on her brother's arm. "Let me die!"

In the moonlight, her wet red dress clung to her body, making her face look as pale as paper. The rouge at the corner of her eye was blurred by water, like a tear of blood that had not yet dried.

After repeated questioning, the three of them learned that she was Ran Shuang, the most popular courtesan in Zuimeng Tower.

They felt sorry for her miserable life and respected her for being in such a difficult situation yet still having a clear mind. They were determined to help her out.

They searched through medical books, compiled prescriptions and prepared medicines, and finally made a secret medicine. However, within three days after Ran Shuang took it, horrifying red spots appeared on his body, his skin ulcerated and pus oozed, just like leprosy.

This disease is very dangerous and can infect people more severely. Her former patrons avoid her like the plague and no one dares to get close to her anymore.

When Zuimenglou opens its doors for business, the most important thing is to make money.

The madam was angry and resentful, but she had to face the fact that her cash cow was gone, so she abandoned her in the firewood pile outside the back door to prevent her from spreading her disease to the people in the building.

In order not to arouse suspicion, they waited until three days later before secretly moving Ran Shuang away and taking her to a farm outside the city for treatment.

During those three days, Ran Shuang's illness seemed to be getting worse day by day. The madam thought she had died and had been dragged out and buried, so she didn't take it seriously.

When the storm died down and people gradually forgot about Ran Shuang, they used their connections to get her a new household registration and moved her to a small county town far away from the capital.

Song Ying was amazed after hearing this. She felt that her master and uncle had lived a much more exciting life when they were young than hers. They were chivalrous and righteous without leaving any trace. They were even more powerful than the protagonists in the storybooks!

"Isn't that small county far away from the capital Qingshui County?" she asked.

Doctor Lin shook his head, "Of course not."

Qingshui County is a place with high mountains and long roads. Ran Shuang is a weak and beautiful woman. Without enough manpower to protect her, she might just escape from the wolf's den and fall into the tiger's mouth again.

However, they were not yet adults to take charge at that time, and the manpower they could mobilize was limited.

Song Ying frowned, "In that case, it is indeed a bit strange that she appears here."

The next day, just after the fifth watch clapper sounded, Song Ying was woken up by Doctor Lin, saying, "It's the fifth watch, get up quickly."

Song Ying drowsily opened her eyes. It was still pitch black outside the window, even the stars still visible. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and muttered, "Master, curfew won't be lifted until later."

"Wash and get dressed first." Doctor Lin had already lit the oil lamp. In the dim light, she was neatly dressed, and her outfit was somewhat different from usual.

Her hair was combed meticulously, even her temples were neat and tidy, her face was lightly made up, and her lips were lightly painted with red, which was neither too gaudy nor too glamorous, yet she looked in excellent health.

Knowing that she was anxious, Song Ying hurriedly got up, washed, and dressed. As soon as the curfew was lifted, he took the lantern and went to Tong's house.