With a sudden sound, the carriage suddenly stopped, causing Ling Qingyu to almost fall on the floor of the carriage. She scratched her nose and climbed back up. He opened the curtain unconsciously and asked, "Zheng Xi, what's wrong?"
Zheng Xi was stroking the horse to calm it down while pointing at a small figure lying in front of the carriage and said, "This kid suddenly came out from the side. I hope I didn't scare you, Miss. "
A woman's loud shout came, "Where are you running to, you little bastard!" The small figure on the ground was still struggling to get up, when a tall and fat woman appeared, chasing after him waving a kitchen knife.
Ling Qingyu looked at the woman, then at the buns in the kid's little hands. She jumped off the carriage, grabbed a handful of copper coins from her purse, and when the fat woman was about to hit the kid, she said hurriedly to her, "Sister, I'll pay for the buns he took, can you let him go?"
The fat woman stopped rushing over to the kid upon hearing the word "sister". Seeing a handful of copper coins made her smile and she advised Ling Qingyu, "Miss, you are a really kind person, but you have to be careful not to get involved with others. This little bastard has been hanging around here for a few days. He is not a good person."
Ling Qingyu smiled as he sent the fat woman away, then turned to look at the small figure. He was not very old, about seven or eight years old, with tattered clothes. He has a pair of clear and bright eyes on his dark face.
"Sister..." the child called out hesitantly but Ling Qingyu raised her hand to stop him from speaking. She then poured out some copper coins from her purse, thought about it for a bit, then put the entire purse into the child's hand instead. She said, "I am not rich either so you should save these."
Ling Qingyu immediately got in the car and signaled Zheng Xi to hurry up and leave. If she stayed any longer, she might feel guilty and let him come with them. In her current situation, she should avoid people of unknown origin and avoid doing things that are unnecessary. If she can't even protect herself, how can he even save others?
The child held Ling Qingyu's purse, which still had Ling Qingyu's body fragrance, in his hand, blinking his eyes with a slight smile on his lips. He had seen that carriage before and heard that it was a family that had just moved in not long ago. According to the gossips he heard during the people's idle chats, it was a female household.
It was early summer, the morning dew still carried a hint of coolness, and a faint glow of rosy clouds appeared on the horizon, casting a hazy tinge on the yard. Ling Qingyu stretched her body, took three deep breaths to let the fresh air fill her lungs, did a few stretching exercises and prepared to start an exercise routine.
When she was studying in her previous life, she was busy with various hobbies and sports. After she started working, she was always busy making money. She also followed her best friend to attend some Tai Chi and Wuqinxi classes, but in the end, they all ended in failure. The only thing she remembered from her lessons was this "standing on the stake" pose.
After arriving here, Long Qingyu has been busy with various situations. She finally made some progress yesterday so she plans to start exercising properly. After all, going out to sea requires a healthy and strong body.
Shee got into the right position, slightly bent her knees and sat down on his buttocks. Ling Qingyu tried to remember more details about this position from his memory. She slowly tightened her abdomen and inhaled, letting the air begin to flow. Just as she entered the state, she heard a creaking sound outside the door followed by a low cry.
Ling Qingyu ignored the cries and continued to take a breath, but the crying became increasingly louder, accompanied by sobs. After a few more minutes, she couldn't take it anymore, so she walked to the door and opened it.
This small courtyard that Ling Qingyu bought was originally the residence of a wealthy family's outpatient steward. He chose to follow his master to Guangzhou so he sold it in a hurry and at a low price.
This place is located in a civilian gathering area in the east of Quanzhou, and most of the surrounding families are well-off. This courtyard is at the end of the alley, and it is a lonely and quiet house. However, the downside of its quietness is that if someone falls down outside the door, no one will know.
Ling Qingyu looked at the two people outside the door in silence. A teenager was lying on the ground, no one knows if he's dead or alive. A ragged child was lying on the teenager and crying. The sound was neither loud nor soft, just loud enough for Ling Qingyu to hear inside the door, but so soft that it would definitely not be heard in other courtyards about 20 meters away.
Ling Qingyu's first reaction was to close the door and go home but the child was quicker than her. He rushed over, hugged her legs, and cried, "Kind sister, please be kind and save my brother!"
Ling Qingyu's eyes twitched. Seeing that the child was about to cry in front of her, she felt that she made a big mistake. It turned out that one cannot be a good person.
Hearing the noise outside, Zheng Xi put on a coat and hurried out of the east room. What he saw was her young mistress' leg being hugged by a crying child. All kinds of possibilities started playing out in his mind.
Seeing Zheng Xi's stunned look, Ling Qingyu couldn't help but say, "Come over and help this guy move in. Don't let anyone see them!"
Ling Qingyu asked Zheng Xi to move the unconscious young man to the west room. She looked outside the door and there was silence on both sides. She closed the door, carried the little brat to the west room, sat down on the chair with his legs spread wide, threw the little brat on the ground, and was about to speak but the little guy cut her off.
He started telling his story, "Sister, please have pity on us. My brother and I were robbed on the road. My brother was injured. We have no money and have ended up here but I am young and can't even find a job. Sister, as long as you give me food, I can do anything."
The child then crawled in front of the unconscious young man who was put on the bed by Zheng Xi. He then wiped him with his sleeve, and said, "Sister, do you want to find a son-in-law? You see, my brother is so handsome. Many sisters wanted to marry him before, but he refused. As long as you can cure him, I promise that he will be your son-in-law without complaint."
Ling Qingyu was speechless for a moment after hearing his string of words. Seeing Zheng Xi's meaningful glance, she coughed and said, "Don't talk nonsense. When did I ever say that I was looking for a son-in-law?"
The child said with his head down,"I heard from the granny selling buns on the street that if a girl runs a household independently, she will either be looking for a son-in-law or run a secret warehouse."
Zheng Xi got angry and wanted to slap the kid, "You little bastard, what nonsense are you talking about!" Ling Qingyu blocked his attack and shook his head slightly.
Seeing the expressions of Zheng Xi and Ling Qingyu, the child knew that he had said something wrong. He thought that this family might not want to take him in. His face darkened and he said, "I understand. I will take my brother away now. I am sorry for causing trouble to you. I will pay you back for the buns."
Ling Qingyu called on to the child and said, "Wait." After a few quick glances, she observed that the kid's brother was as pale as paper with many dark blood spots on his already grayed clothes. If he is not cured for some more time, he would probably end up dead.
Ling Qingyu gaved an offer to the child, "How about I provide food, lodging and medical treatment for you for ten years?" Her words made the child happy but Zheng Xi couldn't help but complain. The girl really isn't thinking of the costs. It costs 500 yuan a month to hire a servant and now, she is taking in two. After ten years, wouldn't that amount to hundreds of silver taels?
"Zheng Xi, go find a doctor." Ling Qingyu said, ignoring Zheng Xi's gaze.
"No..." a weak voice came out from the half-dead boy on the bed. The boy tried to lift his body, but fell back weakly. He said anxiously to his younger brother, "We can't find a doctor, Ye'er."
"Brother, you're awake!" The child rushed to his side in surprise and put his hand on his forehead to stop the boy from speaking.
Ling Qingyu's face darkened unconsciously. Their situation doesn't look good at all, they may be hiding a secret!
"What is this about?" Ling Qingyu spoke the question with a long dragging sound. She sat back in her chair, looking at the little brat leisurely. This made the little brat feel scared.
He lowered his head unconsciously and whispered, "My family was harmed by villains, and Brother Lu took me out to escape. We came here to avoid being hunted down. Please save Brother. We won't cause you any trouble. If there is any trouble, just hand me over to them."
"Ye'er!" the young man said anxiously. The little boy cut him off and said, "Brother Lu, if you die, what can I do on my own?"
The little brat suppressed the boy, raised his head, and said with clear eyes towards Ling Qingyu, "My surname is Ye, and I am the eleventh child in the family. This is Lu Yao, the son of my father's good friend."
Ling Qingyu didn't know whether she should be feeling sympathy or running away from this trouble. She was struggling with this when she heard Zheng Xi say, "Miss, the ship is short of sailors, cooks and coolies."
Ling Qingyu held her forehead and thought again, "Even if these two people have enemies, they can be taken out to sea in a month. Once they are out, the sea and sky will be vast. She happened to have two subordinates who had shown kindness and could use them."
Ling Qingyu looked at the boy's thin body and Ye Shiyi's small body with disdain. This kid can only help him serve tea and water with his physique. As for the boy, he is really not good enough for ship work. Should he be trained to be a helmsman instead?
Zheng Xi's rang out, reminding her, "Miss, if we don't treat this young man Lu, you will probably lose one of your sailors." Seeing Ling Qingyu glaring at him angrily, he said, "If you can't use a doctor from outside, Boss Ding has a ship doctor who won't talk nonsense."
Ling Qingyu stood up and left the room for a bit. She took out a hundred-liang silver note from the small bag on her chest, turned around and handed it to Zheng Xi. She instructed him, "Bring the ship's doctor here, and then buy some medicine, ginseng and other things. We need them on the ship, anyway."
Zheng Xi took the banknote and was deeply moved. Along the way, the girl had been very frugal to the point that she didn't even have a maid and simply took care of everything by herself. Yet, she was willing to spend the equivalent of the money for this small courtyard on a stranger. It turned out that the girl was still the kind and lovely girl she used to be.
Seeing Zheng Xi running out of the door, Ling Qingyu took Ye Shiyi to the kitchen and said, "I don't care what your identity was before. Since you are sold to me now, you should do a good job for me. Boil some water first. Do you see the side room next to it? There is a wooden barrel in it. Use the water there."
After leaving Ye Shiyi in the kitchen, Ling Qingyu turned back to the west room and tore off the boy's clothes. The clothes must be made of high-quality material. The tearing sound was crisp and it felt very smooth.
However, Ling Qingyu had no time to inspect the material, nor did he notice that Lu Yao's face had started to turn blue. His attention was attracted by the criss-crossing scars on his naked body. It made her gasp unconsciously.
There were a dozen wounds on his body, some so deep that the bones were visible. The flesh had begun to rot and was oozing blood and pus. Fortunately, the wounds avoided vital parts and there were signs of medicine applied, otherwise all the blood would have been lost.Ling Qingyu couldn't help but sigh: "No wonder you're dying, everything's infected! "
Lu Yao was holding his breath, but this woman tore off his clothes and stripped him naked. After hearing such a sigh, he couldn't catch his breath and passed out.
Ling Qingyu wanted to take a look at the injuries on other parts of his body, but he smelled a burnt smell. She shouted, "Oh no!" and rushed out of the west room. Sure enough, he saw thick smoke coming out of the kitchen.
When Zheng Xi brought the ship's doctor back to the yard, the yard was already in a mess. Half of the kitchen door was burned, water was flowing everywhere in the yard, and Ling Qingyu was standing with her hands on her hips, scolding Ye Shiyi.
She scolded him, "I asked you to light a fire, but you burned my kitchen. I asked you to fetch water, but you flooded my yard. I asked you to take a bath, but you overturned the bucket. Ye Shiyi, you are here to seek revenge on me, right?"
Zheng Xi and the ship's doctor ignored the courtyard and went straight into the west chamber, where they saw Lu Yao lying on the bed with his upper body naked. His upper body had been cleaned. On the chair next to him was a basin of water with a towel draped over it. The ship's doctor said nothing and went straight up to examine the patient.
"Just go in and take a shower by yourself, okay?" Ling Qingyu said, finally heaving a sigh of relief when he saw Zheng Xi bringing the doctor in.
"In the past, Xiaotao always helped me wash." Ye Shiyi lowered his head and said in a low voice.
"That was in the past. Now you have to learn to be self-reliant, do you understand?" Ling Qingyu said viciously.
"Well, I will learn," Ye Shiyi raised his head, and after washing his face, he showed delicate features with a pitiful look on his face, and said, "Sister, you won't abandon me, will you?"
A beautiful young boy spoke in such a soft and pleading tone, and Ling Qingyu's heart, as a nearly 40-year-old aunt, softened immediately. She thought that since the doctor was here, Lu Yao would have nothing to do, so she softened her voice and said, "I'll teach you how to wash it this time, but you have to wash it yourself in the future."
"Yes." Shiyi answered onediently. Ling Qingyu asked him casually while wiping the mud off of his back, "Shiyi, how old are you?"
"Seven years old," Ye Shiyi answered while sitting obediently in the wooden tub, letting Qingyu wash him. His body was so dirty compared to Lu Yao which was covered with wounds.
As the dirt was washed away, a white and tender body like the finest white jade appeared in front of her. The skin was delicate and soft and smooth to the touch that it felt better than the top-grade satin. Coupled with the shiny black hair and the delicate face that was not like a human, Ling Qingyu paused and said, "Did you deliberately get so much mud on yourself?"
"When we were being hunted, the attackers said they wanted to capture me and sell me to pedophiles. Big Brother Lu said that was not a good thing, so I thought that if I was covered in mud, no one would recognize me and capture me." Ye Shiyi yawned afterwards.
He then continued, "After arriving here, no one was willing to take us in, so we had to live in the ruined temple over there. I wanted to ask for some money to treat Big Brother Lu's illness, but no one paid attention to me. These days, only you, sister, paid attention to me, so at night, I moved Big Brother Lu here."
Ling Qingyu felt that her heart was touched by the child's gentle voice. He took the clean and fragrant Shiyi out of the tub and wiped him clean. Seeing that the child's eyes were almost closed, he wrapped a bath towel around his body and walked to the main room, coaxing him, "Go to sleep first. Don't go out during this period. When we go out to sea, you don't need to be afraid of those who are chasing you."
There are three main rooms, the middle one is the living room, and the one on the right is where Ling Qingyu lives alone. Thinking that Lu Yao is seriously ill now, and Ye Shiyi is a child whose only seven years old, there is no need to be so cautious, so he put Ye Shiyi on the bed in the left room. As soon as Ye Shiyi fell on the pillow, hugged the quilt, and fell asleep.
Fortunately, the manager of the wealthy family left in a hurry, so Ling Qingyu bought all the bedding and furniture for just a little extra money. The bedding was washed by a neighborhood laundry woman and then dried in the sun. Ling Qingyu closed the door for him and went to the west room to check on Lu Yao's condition.
The ship doctor told Ling Qingyu,"Fortunately, there were no injuries to his vital parts. The medicine he applied was also top-grade medicine. Otherwise, he would have died a long time ago if he had been delayed for a few days."
The ship's doctor was writing a prescription and continued, "I'll leave some external medicine for you. You can buy a few more of these. He's still young. If he takes good care of himself, he will recover quickly."
Zheng Xi took the prescription and said,
"Thank you, Mr. Shi." The ship doctor answered, "It's not a big deal. I know. I won't say anything nonsense."
The ship's doctor suddenly came up to Zheng Xi and said, "Last night, I heard that Boss Ding was going to sail again? I wonder if the ship still needs a doctor?"
"Of course we need a doctor, but whether you can get on board or not, we need to ask Boss Ding." Zheng Xi stepped back and said.
Shi Fang's medical skills were top-notch, but he was a heavy drinker and had a bad drinking habit. He was drunk eight out of ten days. Once he drank up all the cargo on the ship, and no one dared to ask him to get on board.
"I know, I know," Shi Fang took the medical fee, waved his hand, and returned the greeting to Ling Qingyu who was bowing to him at the door. He then walked away leisurely with the medicine box on his back.
"Well, I'll go get the medicine." Zheng Xi took the prescription and went out.
Ling Qingyu looked at Lu Yao who was wrapped like a dumpling on the bed and couldn't help laughing. Compared with Ye Shiyi, Lu Yao had a very square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and looked very heroic. But now he was wrapped up with only his head sticking out, which looked really funny.
Lu Yao was awakened by the doctor's torture. First, he sprayed wine on the wounds, sewed some of the bigger wounds directly and then applied a layer of painful ointment. Finally, Dr. Fang bandaged him vigorously. Lu Yao numb so when he saw Ling Qingyu coming in, Lu Yao's eyelids fluttered and he didn't have the energy to say anything.
Ling Qingyu didn't need him to say anything. She stood by the bed, looked around, and then said, "Ye Shiyi has fallen asleep. You should have a good rest first. I will wake you up when Zheng Xi comes back with medicine and breakfast. Don't worry, since Shiyi has sold both of you to me, you are mine. I will do my best to protect your safety. I won't let anyone capture you and sell you to pedophiles."