Chapter 29: Convulsions
In Song Hemei's eyes, Yu Yeqing stood out conspicuously among the crowd. His tall, slender figure towered a full head above those around him, and his ink-black hair, half loose upon his shoulders, stirred with the wind. Amid such a clamorous place, she somehow felt an air of solitude and desolation clinging to him.
Her heart suddenly felt as if something were tugging at it, stirring in her a desire to step forward. Her lips moved, yet she found herself at a loss for what to say or what she could say. But her sister-in-law had already noticed her peculiar state and gave her a gentle push. "Why are you standing there in a daze? Hurry up and keep moving."
She barely managed to pull herself together, remembering what mattered most at this moment, and continued following the group ahead.
Patrolling constables were nearby, so the onlookers hadn't crowded too closely. Yet the scene before them was so gruesome that the crowd couldn't be fully dispersed. Some victims frightened by the spooked horse were clamoring for compensation. As the stretcher moved a little farther away, they closed in around Song Hemei.
She was a woman, and the Song household's servants hadn't followed, making her look like an easy target in people's eyes.
A woman slipped past the constables from somewhere and rushed straight at her, lunging as if to tackle her. "Don't you dare leave!"
But before Song Hemei could even react, the tall figure had already moved swiftly, grabbing the woman's wrist and shielding Song Hemei from her approach.
Yu Yeqing's voice was low and firm. "Let's talk this through."
Song Hemei looked at the broad back before her. The tugging sensation in her chest vanished in an instant, replaced by something like a feather brushing against her heart—tingling and ticklish.
She knew that Yu Yeqing was far from being as slim as he appeared. His long fingers clamped down, and the woman struggled in vain as red marks immediately appeared on her wrist.
The woman, unwilling to be subdued, was about to throw a full-blown tantrum, rolling and kicking. Seeing this, Song Hemei gently patted Yu Yeqing's wrist and arm, stepping to his side.
"Let's talk this through," she repeated to the woman, then quickly looked her up and down, already having a pretty good idea of the situation.
"Were you harmed by the spooked horse? Don't worry. If you have property damage, just make a list, or gather all the broken items and send them to the residence of Prefect Shao. If anyone is injured, quickly find a physician and have him write a report of the injuries, also to be delivered to the Shao residence."
With that, she turned to address the crowd around her: "The one whose horse bolted was Prefect Shao's only son. Lord Shao loves the people as his own children and will not let the common folk suffer. However, my husband is now severely wounded. If anything truly happens, Lord Shao will hold people accountable. Anyone who obstructs me today will not escape!"
The common people dared not contend with officials. They, too, worried that Prefect Shao might be in a foul mood and take it out on them. Unwilling as they were, they had no choice but to follow her instructions. Song Hemei watched as the crowd retreated slightly, then turned back to see Yu Yeqing still holding the woman. Acting on instinct, she reached for his hand. "Alright, let her go now."
The warmth on the back of his hand made Yu Yeqing immediately loosen his grip. As he turned around, he met her inquiring gaze.
"You're quick. I hadn't even seen clearly before you popped out." Song Hemei's lips curled into a smile. "Good thing you were timely. Otherwise, with her charging at me like that, she might have actually knocked me over."
Yu Yeqing's sinking heart began to rise again, buoyed by her familiar closeness and tone. "That won't happen."
With him here, he would never let anyone get close enough to hurt her.
But Song Hemei didn't quite understand what "that won't happen" meant. Before she could ask, Qiu Wan grabbed her hand and cut off the conversation entirely. "Young Master Yu, my brother-in-law can't be left alone. We won't keep you for a chat."
She gave a slight nod and pulled Song Hemei forward.
Her hand slipped away in an instant, as if dragging his heart back down with it. Yu Yeqing could only watch as she moved farther and farther away from him.
It seemed he was forever trapped in this situation—forever watching her receding silhouette grow distant.
Once, when Shao Wen'ang had visited the Song residence under the pretext of checking on Song Jilang and stayed for a while, she had brought over a box of pastries. As she walked toward the garden with Shao Wen'ang, she turned back and smiled at him. "Eat plenty, Young Master Yu. But don't tell anyone about this, alright?"
And he could only hold that box of steaming pastries, watching the two walk side by side away from him.
The night before her wedding, as if granting him a beautiful dream, she appeared before him.
She was still smiling, but what she said was: "Young Master Yu, tomorrow he'll come to fetch the bride. Don't listen to my brother and make things too hard for him."
As she left, even her retreating figure radiated joy.
Now it was the same. Clearly, she was furious at Shao Wen'ang's betrayal. Clearly, she had said she would never forgive him. Yet upon seeing Shao Wen'ang gravely injured, she was still so worried and anxious that she didn't even care for her own safety.
He knew clearly how deeply she had once loved Shao Wen'ang. He just didn't know—would her hatred dissipate in the face of life-threatening danger?
That man had awakened after his mother's death. So… would the Second Miss Song, after facing peril, decide that all past grievances were irrelevant, and only hope for a harmonious marriage and a safe, peaceful life?
He didn't think she was that kind of person. But now his selfish desires had long overwhelmed his reason, making it impossible for him to discern whether this judgment was contaminated by the longing in his own heart.
She was resolute and decisive; she would never turn back for a love tainted by filth.
Yet she was also kind and magnanimous, capable of grieving for the world's suffering and the loss of life.
So, when facing Shao Wen'ang, which of these dispositions would prevail?
He dared not have an answer in his heart. The former would feel like an illusion born of excessive longing—the more joy it brought him, the more intense the accompanying dread of falling. The latter he dared not even think about, yet perversely, he couldn't help speculating in that direction, as if preparing himself in advance for the possibility of never having her.
The surrounding townsfolk gradually dispersed. Only he remained standing in the street, watching the plain-colored figure vanish into the crowd not far away.
But then he instinctively turned back, casting a thoughtful glance at the horse that had caused all the trouble.
Meanwhile, Song Hemei had already followed the Shao household servants to the nearest medical clinic.
Just as they reached the entrance, her sister-in-law stopped her, hesitating. "Second Sister, my younger brother was injured in the leg and is recovering at this very clinic. I… I want to go see him."
Perhaps afraid that she would refuse, the sister-in-law quickly added, "I'll also warn him not to spread those wild tales he made up."
This was her way of hinting at the matter concerning her and Yu Yeqing.
Song Hemei couldn't say much at the moment and could only caution, "Sister-in-law, be careful. Don't let him fool you with a few words again."
Qiu Wan hurriedly agreed.
The two parted ways. Given Shao Wen'ang's status, he naturally wouldn't be sleeping in a communal ward with many other patients like Qiu Mao.
Just as Song Hemei turned into the inner chamber, she heard the physician inside exclaiming anxiously, "Is there anyone who can make a decision? If we delay any longer, this man might be crippled!"
Her heart sank. She quickened her pace and entered the room.
Indeed, the situation was dire. A roomful of servants stood with their heads bowed, not daring to speak. Shao Wen'ang lay on the bed, his face deathly pale, as if he might expire at any moment. His undergarment was removed, and the cloth covering his lower body was soaked through with large patches of blood, its original color indistinguishable. The physician standing by the bedside held a silver needle, sweating profusely in his urgency.
At this moment, she could only lament that fate was truly unkind. Had it not been for the matter of the city wall repairs, Shao Wen'ang's spooked horse would have been a godsend. What could be more convenient than letting him die a natural death to get rid of this marriage?
But she had no choice. She braced herself and stepped forward. "Physician, I am his wife."
The physician, who had been calling for someone with authority, now looked at her with hesitation. The first thing he said was not about the injury, but rather, "Madam, how long have you been married? Do you have any children?"
Song Hemei thought of the bloodstained cloth and felt her heart race. "We've been married less than a month, and we have no children yet. Please speak frankly."
The physician let out a heavy sigh, uncertain whether he was sighing for Shao Wen'ang or for her. He stepped forward and lifted a corner of the blood-soaked fabric. "Madam, see for yourself."
Song Hemei lowered her gaze and was immediately horrified. Then came a wave of revulsion. She staggered back two steps, covering her mouth with her handkerchief to keep from vomiting on the spot.
She was not ignorant of such matters—she had even caught a quick glimpse of Yu Yeqing before. But at this moment, she had no inclination to compare, nor was there any basis for comparison.
Shao Wen'ang's flesh down there was a bloody, mangled mess—impossible to tell what was severed and what remained. The part that should have been a pouch was now empty—even a eunuch in the palace could not have been so thoroughly cleansed. The insides of both legs were also streaked with blood, but that was relatively minor.
She turned her back to the physician, afraid that her disgust would show. The physician, assuming she was simply overcome with grief, continued on his own: "Madam, you must decide quickly. The treatment is similar to that for broken bones—the rotten flesh must be cut away. Otherwise, excessive blood loss and subsequent fever could very well cost him his life."
Song Hemei took two deep breaths to steady herself before slowly turning back. "Then… will he still be able to…?"
The physician was blunt now. "What's there to be able to!"
Hearing this, Song Hemei felt a surge of satisfaction.
Truly, the wheel of heaven turns. He was unfilial and unbrotherly, carrying on with his chambermaid even during his grandfather's funeral—wasn't this karma?
Yet alongside this thought came the realization: she could not be the one to make this decision.
She understood that it was a necessary measure. But in their grief, who would have any rationality? The Shao family, in the end, would only cherish their only son more dearly and come to resent her for making that call. They would never think that she had acted swiftly to save their son's life—only that she had ulterior motives and was seeking revenge.
No wonder none of the servants dared to make the decision.
Using her handkerchief to mask her expression, she let out a cry of anguish: "How could this happen! Have you sent for my father- and mother-in-law? When will they arrive?"
A servant replied, "Soon, soon. We've already sent word."
Song Hemei discreetly calculated the time in her mind, glanced at the physician, then at Shao Wen'ang, who had already fallen unconscious on the bed.
She decided to commit fully. With a wail, she cried out, "Husband, why is your fate so cruel!"
She threw herself onto the bed beside Shao Wen'ang. Not stopping at that, she let out two harsh sobs, then, feigning a seizure from overwhelming shock, collapsed unconscious beside him.
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