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Shen Ziju strode into the Tiansheng Courtyard, his handsome face etched with anger. He was convinced that someone intentionally harmed Shen Zhu, that someone did not want her to become the Rain Goddess, and if he found out who it was, he would not let that person off, regardless of their gender!
Shen Ziju grew up in a farming family, but from a young age, his father instilled in him the idea that he must excel and bring honor to the family name. Indeed, he was intelligent, and after learning to read and attending school, he discovered from books many things in the world that he did not have. As he grew older, he also met some wealthy and influential people. Whether it was the gold, silver, jade, servants, concubines, or the power to turn the tides with a mere flip of the hand, all of it stirred his heart. He finally understood the importance of becoming an official. Only by becoming an official could one possess all of that. From then on, he truly fell in love with studying. Becoming an official was no longer just the expectation of Shen Youfu and the Shen family; it became his own goal.
Shen Zhu is Shen Ziju’s younger sister. He neither dislikes her too much nor likes her too much; after all, they came from the same mother’s womb, so naturally, he values her somewhat.
This sister has ambitions, which, in his view, are not particularly grand, but they are enough for him. He wants his sister to live a good life, and at the same time, her living a good life would also benefit him. The better she lives, or rather, the better her marriage, the more it would help him.
Shen Ziju knows that the county magistrate in their area was able to come here and serve as a magistrate because he married his sister to a high-ranking official. Before that, the man had been waiting for an official appointment for eight years! Although this is just something he heard, it is indeed a fact. Although he is confident in his own knowledge, he hopes for more support. And Shen Zhu is the best support. Now that she has become the Rain Goddess, she has a better chance of marrying into a good family in the future.
Now, someone is trying to pull Shen Zhu down from her position as the Rain Goddess, which is tantamount to stripping Shen Ziju of his support!
How could Shen Ziju not be furious? A man usually of graceful and scholarly demeanor, he now entered the Tiansheng Courtyard with a stern face, causing those who saw him to quickly step aside.
Su Zhi was accompanying Shen Zi’an outside and saw Shen Ziju arrive. Noticing his expression, she thought to herself that he really had the demeanor suited for an official. His stern face could indeed intimidate, exuding a sense of official authority.
Shen Ziju also noticed Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi. Despite his anger, he still nodded in greeting and then spoke to the person guarding the entrance: “I am the brother of the young lady inside. Let me in.”
The guard replied, “I’ll check.”
The people inside heard the report from outside and allowed Shen Ziju to enter. Shen Ziju stepped forward, and as the door opened a crack, he quickly went in and closed it behind him.
The people outside did not know what had happened inside. They had only heard a woman’s scream from within, followed by several managers entering and blocking the door, not allowing anyone else to go in. The two people who came out both looked unwell. Those outside immediately realized that something had happened, and given that this was the residence of the Rain Goddess, they could only assume that the girl playing the role of the Rain Goddess had encountered some trouble.
For a moment, there was a sense of panic, but because there were people outside strictly prohibiting them from speaking carelessly, they could only discuss it within the courtyard. When they tried to leave, they found that they were not allowed to exit, which further convinced them that something had indeed happened inside the house.
Su Zhi recognized that the earlier scream belonged to Shen Zhu. She thought that for Shen Zhu to make such a sound, it must be something significant. Her first thought was not that there was a thief or that Shen Zhu had been frightened. But upon further consideration, it didn’t seem right. After all, Shen Zhu was not alone inside; there were several people helping her with her makeup and changing her clothes. Moreover, the people outside had entered so promptly that it couldn’t be something like that. Therefore, it must be another reason. Judging by the expressions of the two people who had just left, Shen Zhu must have already encountered something serious, not just a minor incident like fainting from fright.
Su Zhi’s mind was filled with curiosity.
Upon entering the room, Shen Ziju saw several people inside, both men and women. The women were naturally those who had been helping Shen Zhu with her makeup and changing, while the men were the managers of the Tiansheng Courtyard and a member of the Zhang family responsible for the Rain Worship Festival. Their expressions were grim and anxious.
Behind a screen in the room, the sound of crying could be heard, along with someone trying to console her and another person cursing in a suppressed voice.
Shen Ziju recognized that the one consoling was his mother, Shen Zhangshi, and the one cursing was his father, Shen Youfu. Seeing this situation, he knew that something must have really happened to Shen Zhu’s face. He quickly walked over.
“Zhu’er, I’m here, don’t be afraid,” he said.
“Brother, you’re finally here, what am I going to do? My face, and my body, they’re so itchy, I want to scratch them, it’s unbearable! Brother, I want to be the Rain Goddess, I don’t want to be like this!”
The moment Shen Zhu saw Shen Ziju, she jumped up from her chair and threw herself into Shen Ziju’s arms.
In that instant, Shen Ziju saw Shen Zhu’s face, and he was startled. As Shen Zhu fell into his embrace, every hair on his body stood on end. The rashes on Shen Zhu’s face were truly horrifying, and he even thought they were more alarming than the condition of his fourth sister-in-law’s face had been. He quickly steadied Shen Zhu.
“Zhu’er, don’t be afraid, you’ll be fine. Sit down quickly and don’t scratch. The doctor will be here soon,” Shen Ziju comforted Shen Zhu while turning to ask Shen Zhangshi and Shen Youfu, “What exactly happened? Wasn’t Zhu’er fine when she arrived? How did she end up like this in just a short while?”
Shen Youfu was both angry and anxious, and his voice grew louder as he said, “Who says it wasn’t! She turned out like this in an instant, what are we supposed to do now? It’s not just her face; her hands and body are affected too! This must be someone trying to harm us! Someone sees that our Shen family is rising and doesn’t like it!”
Shen Ziju advised Shen Youfu to lower his voice so that the people outside wouldn’t hear, as it wouldn’t be good for Shen Zhu.
Shen Zhangshi’s expression was also grim as she said, “Zhu’er has never had this problem since she was little. She must have been poisoned. This matter—we’ve been schemed against!”
Shen Zhu said unwillingly, “I want to be the Rain Goddess. I’ve already done my hair and put on my clothes! I want to be the Rain Goddess, brother, please help me. You must invite the best doctor to come and cure me quickly.”
Shen Ziju could only nod, but looking at Shen Zhu’s condition, he thought that while the rash appeared quickly, it might not disappear as fast. The Rain Worship Festival was about to begin, and no one could wait for her. If she only had some red spots, they could be covered with powder, but she was also itching all over. Watching Shen Zhu twisting her body, afraid to scratch, he sighed, thinking that in such a state, she couldn’t possibly play the role of the dignified and graceful Rain Goddess.
Soon, the doctor was invited back. Upon entering and taking a look, he frowned and said that Shen Zhu was otherwise normal, with a stable pulse and no fever. He asked her what she had eaten or drunk, and in the end, could only say that there might have been something wrong with her food or drink, or that she had a sudden onset of illness. In short, the doctor classified Shen Zhu’s illness as a difficult and complicated case, saying that it would require careful observation and the prescription of some medicine to see if she could recover.
And those medicines, without exception, needed to be boiled for at least two hours!
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhu felt despair and asked the doctor if there was any ointment she could try. The doctor shook his head, saying that even if there was such an ointment, it wouldn’t work immediately, and for a skin condition, one couldn’t just apply anything. He was worried about making it worse and being blamed for it. Hearing this, Shen Zhu started crying again, and if it weren’t for Shen Zhangshi holding her back, she might have gone crazy.
However, when Shen Ziju heard Shen Zhu mention ointment, he thought of Su Zhi. He remembered how Su Zhi had cured her own illness, treated his injuries, and even created such strange medicines. Could she also cure Shen Zhu’s strange disease? He immediately walked out to find Su Zhi.
Su Zhi and Shen Zi’an were currently talking with Qian Guang and Liang Fu. Knowing that Shen Zhu had contracted a strange illness, Qian Guang and Liang Fu did not dare to go inside and only stood outside to chat with Shen Zi’an and his wife.
Su Zhi heard the door and saw Shen Ziju coming out and walking towards them. Her heart skipped a beat, wondering why he was looking at her. She hoped it wasn’t what she thought, but unfortunately, she guessed correctly. Shen Ziju came over to invite her inside. Su Zhi did not want to go in; she did not like Shen Zhu at all. This time, if it weren’t for Wang Shi and Li Shi hoping she would help Shen Zhu, she wouldn’t have assisted Shen Zhu in becoming the Rain Goddess. Now, being asked to help her again, Su Zhi did not want to rush into it without knowing the situation.
“Fourth Sister-in-law, I’m begging you as your younger brother. Please come inside.”
Shen Ziju bowed to Su Zhi, his face full of anxiety, which made those watching feel somewhat sympathetic towards him. They all urged Su Zhi to go inside and take a look.
Shen Zi’an held Su Zhi’s hand. If Su Zhi didn’t want to go in, he wouldn’t let anyone force her. The earlier scream from Shen Zhu and the subsequent events had also raised his vigilance.
“Then I’ll go in and take a look. Zi’an, don’t worry, I’ll be out in a moment.”
Su Zhi said to Shen Zi’an, but Shen Zi’an insisted on following her inside. Shen Ziju could only agree and led the two of them in.
Upon seeing Shen Zhu’s face behind the screen, Su Zhi inwardly laughed, thinking that Shen Zhu was truly unfortunate. Just as she was about to bask in glory, her face had been completely ruined. The sight of those red spots all over her face was even more severe than what Su Zhi had experienced. Although she was certain she could cure it, she didn’t want to heal Shen Zhu immediately because that would be too miraculous. She didn’t want to be singled out for special attention.
Back then, her own illness and Shen Ziju’s injuries had healed gradually, and even the strange medicine only help, not the kind that showed immediate miraculous effects. Moreover, that was in Riverside Village.
If Su Zhi were to cure Shen Zhu instantly now, she was sure she would immediately become the center of attention, which might bring many benefits but also corresponding troubles. She only wanted to be in control of her own life and didn’t want too many self-invited troubles.
Therefore, Shen Zhu’s illness was beyond Su Zhi’s ability to cure!