Chapter 20: Going to the Capital (3)

Xia Qingfeng and her group bought some buns and wontons before heading back to the carriage.

“Feng’er, you’re always so kind,” the Space Spirit couldn’t help but say, a memory of their first meeting flashing in her mind…

“The common folk’s lives are already tough. A single illness can ruin them financially. I can only teach them some basic knowledge to reduce the chances of getting sick… sigh…”

“Madam, someone is following us,” Cang Qiang interrupted Xia Qingfeng’s conversation with the Space Spirit.

“Who is it? Why are they following us?”

“It’s a child. I’ll go take a look.” Cang Qiang said, and before anyone could react, he leapt into the air with a single push off the ground, landing gracefully while holding a child in his hand.

“Good skills!” Xia Qingfeng couldn’t help but admire once again.

At that moment, Cang Qiang brought the boy before Xia Qingfeng. Before she could ask any questions, the boy suddenly dropped to his knees with a loud thud. “Please, divine doctor, save my sister!”

Xia Qingfeng looked at the boy, who appeared to be about seven or eight years old, his clothes ragged like a beggar. “I’m not a divine doctor, just someone with a little medical knowledge.”

The boy panicked when he heard this and quickly replied, “I was just standing by and saw the divine doctor save that boy earlier. Please, save my sister!” He then bowed deeply again.

Xia Qingfeng’s expression turned serious. She quickly went up to him, helping him up. His forehead was bleeding from the bow, and she said, “You’ve hurt your head, don’t you feel pain? Where is your sister? I’ll come see her right now. Just call me ‘Madam,’ not a divine doctor.”

The boy rubbed his forehead and said, “It doesn’t hurt, Madam. My sister is in a dilapidated temple not far from here. I’ll take you there.” He began leading the way.

Xia Qingfeng told Cang Ge to drop off the things they had bought at the carriage before going after them. She, along with Cang Qiang and Xu Xiaoxiao, followed the boy to the temple.

The boy kept looking back, making sure they were still following him.

Soon, they arrived at a ruined temple. One of its walls had cracked wide open, and there was no door, leaving it unable to block the wind or rain.

In one corner of the temple, a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl was sewing clothes. Beside her, a four- or five-year-old girl was picking through a broken pot.

As soon as Xia Qingfeng saw the girl, tears welled up in her eyes. This was probably the original owner’s emotion taking over. Because the girl before her wasn’t just anyone—she was Cui Liu, the maid who had helped the original owner escape from the (Hou Mansion).

Xia Qingfeng quickly stepped forward and called out, “Cui Liu, is that you?”

The young girl suddenly looked up, and when she saw Xia Qingfeng, her eyes filled with tears. Her lips trembled as she said, “Miss… you’re alive! I’m so glad to see you again!” She crawled toward Xia Qingfeng.

Xia Qingfeng was startled by Cui Liu’s actions and hurried to squat down beside her, checking her over. “Cui Liu, what happened to you? How did your leg get broken?”

Cui Liu smiled faintly. “It’s nothing. The Hou Mansion broke my legs, but as long as Madam and Miss are well, this is nothing,” she said. She tried to reach out to touch Xu Xiaoxiao’s head but paused midway.

Xu Xiaoxiao grabbed Cui Liu’s hand and placed it on her own cheek. “Aunt Cui, don’t worry. Mama will be able to heal your leg,” she said.

But Cui Liu lowered her head, remaining silent. After a while, she said softly, “I’m afraid my leg can’t be healed. Madam, there’s no need to trouble yourself. Just seeing you and Miss one more time is enough for me. But… with my condition, I can no longer serve you.” Then, she couldn’t help but begin crying.

The young girl beside her also began to cry, and the little boy, hearing this, urgently dropped to his knees again. “Please, Madam, save my sister. Her leg can be healed, right?” His voice was filled with anxiety.

“I can heal it. Don’t worry,” Xia Qingfeng reassured them, wiping away Cui Liu’s tears. Then she instructed Cang Qiang to find a piece of wood or something to carry Cui Liu to the carriage. The boy quickly spoke up, saying he had a piece of wood and led Cang Qiang to the back door of the temple. The temple had no front door, and it seemed the back door might soon be taken down too.

When Cang Qiang returned with the wooden plank, Cang Ge also arrived. The two of them, one in front and one behind, carefully lifted Cui Liu. Xia Qingfeng led Xu Xiaoxiao, while the boy held the girl, and they made their way back to the carriage.

Xia Qingfeng wanted Cui Liu to ride in the same carriage, but Cui Liu stubbornly refused. She said that, since she had broken legs, she couldn’t serve the Miss properly, and her body was dirty, so she shouldn’t share a carriage with the Miss. Reluctantly, Xia Qingfeng had them take another carriage.

Xia Qingfeng carefully examined Cui Liu’s broken leg. It had been deliberately broken, and she couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. Thinking about the immense pain of broken bones, she wondered how a young girl could endure it. She made a note in her heart about the West Ping Marquis’ family.

That evening, they stayed at an inn marked with an eagle’s head insignia. They asked the innkeeper for a lot of hot water and brought an elderly woman to help bathe Cui Liu and the girl. Cang Jian helped the boy with his bath. Cang Ge followed Xia Qingfeng’s instructions to buy clothes for the three of them.

Xia Qingfeng then went to the kitchen to direct the cook in making nutritious and delicious meals.

When everyone sat at the table, Xia Qingfeng took a good look at the two children. Their faces were delicate and fair, but they were too thin, their skin yellowish, and their hair looked as dry as straw—clearly signs of severe malnutrition. Looking at the food on the table, the children’s eyes were filled with longing, but they sat obediently without touching it.

Xia Qingfeng couldn’t stand to see children suffer. She immediately called them over to eat. However, the two children only ate the rice, not daring to take any vegetables. Xu Xiaoxiao couldn’t bear to watch and took her spoon to add some vegetables to their bowls.

The two children quickly stood up and bowed their heads, saying, “Thank you, Miss!”

Sigh! Cui Liu must have told them something. But it’s not urgent. Once Cui Liu’s leg is healed, she would take it slow with the children.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Xia Qingfeng finally asked Cui Liu about what had happened in the Marquis’ residence after she left.

According to Cui Liu, after she and the children fled, she continued to go to the kitchen daily to collect food. Since Xia Qingfeng and her child were never favored in the mansion, it wasn’t until the fourth day after their escape that the favored concubine came looking for trouble. When she couldn’t find them, she reported it to Xu Jingchen.

During that time, Xu Jingchen seemed to be very busy and rarely went to the back courtyard. He didn’t care at all that Xia Qingfeng and her daughter had disappeared, and he only told others that they were sick. He had ordered Cui Liu’s legs to be broken and locked her in the firewood room, intending to starve her to death. Yes, Xia Qingfeng had only Cui Liu as her maid in the end—everyone else had gone to the concubine to “climb the ladder.”

Fortunately, there were no other people in the yard. At that time, Cui Liu passed out from the pain, and it was Yang Ma, a servant who had once been kind to the young miss, who secretly broke open the firewood room door with a stone and saved Cui Liu. She even gave her some silver and clothes, helped her hire a cart, and secretly sent her out of the city.

Cui Liu couldn’t afford to heal her legs, so she had to lay a wooden board under her and crawl along, surviving by begging.

It was during this time that Cui Liu met Xiao An and Xiao Xi, the sibling pair. Xiao An, the older brother, was ten years old, and Xiao Xi, the younger sister, was six. Due to hunger, they were both very small for their age.

They were orphans, relying on each other to survive, and lived by begging. It was in this broken temple that they met. At the time, Xiao Xi was burning with fever, and they didn’t have money for medicine. Xiao An was crying desperately. It was Cui Liu who took out her clothes and the hairpin Xia Qingfeng had given her, selling them to buy some medicine, saving Xiao Xi’s life.

From then on, Cui Liu took the two children in and lived with them. She had Xiao An help with washing and sewing, while Xiao Xi helped out as best she could. Xiao An still went out to beg every day. Little did Cui Liu know that Xiao An had been thinking about her broken leg all along. He had invited Xia Qingfeng, which led to the reunion between the maid and her mistress.

“Xiao An is a grateful child. From now on, you can stay with me, and you’ll never have to live such a hard life again,” Xia Qingfeng said, feeling a pang of sympathy for Cui Liu’s story.

“Miss, I haven’t asked you yet—how did you come back? The Marquis’ residence is like a den of tigers and dragons. You can’t go back there! And how did you learn medicine? Xiao An said you’re a divine doctor…”

“Let me tell you… you might not believe it, but after escaping, I encountered a great opportunity and learned many things. As for the details…” Xia Qingfeng pretended to look up at the sky mysteriously and said, “The Buddha says: ‘Do not speak of it.'”

Cui Liu, being a loyal servant, believed everything her mistress said without any doubt and was happy for her.

“So, I’m different now! I’m not the same person I used to be. I won’t be so easily bullied anymore. Don’t worry,” Xia Qingfeng continued, her lies becoming more polished.

Let me know if you’d like me to continue or if you need more details!