"Please have him come in," Ran Yan said.
"Wife!" Xing Niang hurriedly tried to stop her, "Meeting a man privately is really not appropriate!"
The customs of the early Tang Dynasty had gradually liberalized, even secret meetings between unmarried men and women were nothing unusual. Xing Niang was a servant from the Zheng family of Xingyang, and coupled with the more conservative customs of the Southern compared to the Northern, her standards were naturally higher.
Ran Yan straightened her clothes, indifferently said, "It seems like Father plans to use me in an alliance marriage, I naturally need not worry about the marital matters."
Xing Niang sighed softly and no longer dissuaded her. Chastity was not the sole measure of a woman's value at this time. If it was as the Wife said, and her husband intended to use her in an alliance marriage, it was indeed better to follow her heart and do what she wished, otherwise, she might never have the chance again in the future.
"I apologize for my abrupt visit," a voice as warm as a spring breeze accompanied the evening wind and slowly drifted into the yard.
Ran Yan had just removed her wooden clogs, turned around under the porch at the sound, and her gaze quietly fell on the uneasy man. It was only a moment, but when she withdrew her gaze, she noticed his face had turned red, filled with shyness.
Ran Yan's fingers moved slightly, then she clenched them into a fist, surprised at herself for feeling the impulse to dissect someone once again.
"Mr. Sang, please come in," Xing Niang said.
Sang Chen handed over a cloth bag to Xing Niang, "This is a small token of my appreciation."
Mr. Sang, you are too kind," Xing Niang said, her face showing a faint and distant smile as she took the cloth bag and led him into the hall.
Ran Yan was already seated in the principal seat. Upon seeing Sang Chen enter, she nodded slightly at him, "Mr. Sang, please take a seat."
Sang Chen bowed nervously, "Thank you, Wife."
As he took his seat, Ran Yan slightly raised her eyebrows, calmly observing his flustered demeanor. After a long while, she finally asked, "Mr. Sang, for what matter have you come to seek me?"
Sang Chen felt his request was a bit difficult and didn't know how to begin, but upon hearing Ran Yan straightforwardly ask, he hesitated briefly and said, "To be honest, I have only met the Wife four times and have exchanged but a few words. My visit here to seek the Lady's help is indeed abrupt..."
"Wait," Ran Yan interrupted him. "You said four times?"
Aside from admiring flowers and asking about the inkstone, Ran Yan couldn't remember where else she had seen him.
Sang Chen said shyly, "Wife, the time you saved Zhou Sanlang, I exchanged a few words with you."
Ran Yan's delicate brows furrowed, and suddenly the scene flashed before her eyes: she was on the bridge holding onto a young man, who urgently said, "Madam, please don't pull on me, saving a life is urgent!"
As she was burying someone to save them, a rather silly young man asked, "Didn't they say Sanlang could still be saved, why bury him just like that?"
"You didn't go to the city," Ran Yan said indifferently, a statement rather than a question.
Sang Chen awkwardly explained, "That day, when I ran to the stables, I suddenly remembered I couldn't ride a horse, so I just..."
"Let's talk about the real issue," Ran Yan massaged her throbbing temples. Sang Chen was really bad at sticking to the topic; she had barely interrupted when he veered off following someone else's lead. Ran Yan wondered if he kept digressing, would he even remember the real purpose of his visit?
Sang Chen quickly gathered his thoughts, recalled what he wanted to discuss, and then said, "Someone asked me to write a petition. Coincidentally, the deceased was a schoolmate of mine in the State Academy. I felt it difficult to refuse, but I am at a loss without evidence. The petition I wrote lacks substantiation, and the Government Office probably will not pay any heed, so I... am not sure if the Lady... might be able to perform an autopsy?"
During the autopsy, Ran Yan's fingers trembled. She was all too familiar with this task; the sensation of searching for the fatal cause on a body suddenly surged in her heart, reviving a part of her that had been silent and dead.
Even though her emotions fluctuated, Ran Yan's expression remained calm and cold. However, Sang Chen, seeing that she remained silent for a long time, thought she disagreed and hastily said, "I also know that this is asking too much, after all, performing autopsies is considered beneath a lady of your status, but the forensic doctors at the Government Office do not readily assist outsiders..."
"You are a litigator?" Ran Yan was quite surprised. A litigator, similar to a lawyer, defends plaintiffs or defendants, writes legal complaints, and must be decisive, logical, articulate, and quick-witted, able to dialectically defend their points of view. How could someone like Sang Chen, who tended to follow others' topics and spoke without a clear focus, be a litigator?
"What is a litigator?" Sang Chen asked blankly.
Ran Yan suddenly realized that there probably wasn't such a profession in the Tang Dynasty, so she did not pursue the topic, pondering the matter to herself.
It must be said, Sang Chen was quite adept at finding people. Ran Yan, a seasoned expert in the forensic field, could analyze a body under her care with no secrets left hidden. The key question was whether she needed to help in this way.
Sang Chen, seeing Ran Yan with a frown of contemplation, couldn't help but feel hopeful. He was truly at a loss and considered that since Ran Yan could bring the dead back to life, her medical skills must be extraordinary, and determining the cause of death should be no problem, right? If only she could actually bring someone back to life...
Even if Ran Yan were to be reincarnated ten times, she would never guess Sang Chen's naive thoughts at this moment.
Regardless, she had no interest in these thoughts. "Do you know how to make pottery?"
Sang Chen didn't see how this was related to performing an autopsy, but he still answered honestly, "Making pottery is a hereditary craft in my family, so naturally, I do."
Ran Yan nodded understandably and spoke slowly, "I can help you with the autopsy, but you must agree to three conditions: first, no one must see me; second, my identity must remain confidential; third, you must help me make something."
Considering the craftsmanship and precision of the Fang Cheng inkslab, Ran Yan guessed that Sang Chen's pottery skills must be equally impressive.
"Of course!" Sang Chen replied joyfully. "A classmate of mine's family is quite wealthy, and they also prefer not to publicize this matter. They have already bribed the morgue guard, and we can go there anytime. As for making something, it's not a problem at all."
Ran Yan nodded, "You mentioned your classmate from the state school, could it be the case at Cai Xiu Hall?"
"Have you heard about it too?" Sang Chen was quite surprised. He thought Ran Shiqi was a noble lady confined within her home, not in the city, and wondered how she knew about a case that had just occurred yesterday.
Ran Yan directly ignored his question and stated indifferently, "Tomorrow I will accompany you to the city to perform the autopsy. The pottery I need is urgently required; I hope you can complete it within three days."
"I will do my best..." Sang Chen hesitated. Making an ordinary piece of pottery—crafting, drying, glazing, firing, and cooling—depending on the type, takes from two days to half a month uninterrupted, and if it's more delicate, it might take a month to finish the product.
"Not 'do my best,' it is a must. I help you with the autopsy, you help me make pottery; it's a deal. I guarantee there will be no mishaps. Don't you also need to guarantee speed and quality?" Ran Yan didn't know exactly how many days it took to make pottery, and she didn't want to beg, but Yan Weiwei and others' lives were in imminent danger, especially Zi Xu. Delay could mean death, "The pottery I need is only peculiar in shape, about the thickness of a thumb, hollow, with an inner core that fits inside just right, no need for decoration, only need to retain water and medicine... How many days would it take to make something like this?"
After thinking for a while, Sang Chen said, "If the weather is good and using our family's drying secret technique, we could make it in three days."
"Good, I will give you a detailed drawing later." Ran Yan breathed a slight sigh of relief, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest. Now all that remained was the needle—such a thin hollow needle, where could she find it?
The next half-month was destined to be extremely busy, but for a workaholic like Ran Yan, this was hardly an issue. What troubled her most was the marriage talks between the Ran Family and the Qin Family.
Recalling the way Ran Wen looked at her, seeming very pleased with her appearance, a normal person would naturally think of marrying their daughter into a higher social standing. Ran Wen was probably no exception, but considering how Ran Wen treated his mother, Ran Yan dared not hold any hopes that Qin Silang wouldn't buy her off, perhaps with a significant benefit, plus a stepmother whispering in his ear.
With Qin Silang's flirtatious nature, unpredictable and irritable temperament, Ran Yan genuinely feared that one day she might not be able to restrain herself and eliminate him to stop a mouth.