Chapter 30: Tracing Her
When Song Hemei fainted, the physician immediately panicked, crying out several times in alarm as he moved to her side to support her. "One hasn't even woken yet and another has collapsed! Where are the people from your family? Can't someone capable come and take charge here?!"
One of the more quick-witted servants knew to run off and send word to the Song residence. The physician, meanwhile, took her hand and, instead of using the silver needle he had prepared for Shao Wen'ang, first pricked her at the pressure point between her thumb and forefinger.
A piercing pain shot through her. Song Hemei inwardly cursed her luck. She should have fainted farther away.
She wanted to endure it, but if she actually managed to hold on, then the physician might as well be a fraud. She took a deep breath instead and opened her eyes, feigning the look of someone startled awake.
Seeing this, the physician withdrew the silver needle, as if afraid he might frighten her into fainting again. This time, he softened his tone. "Madam, please make a decision quickly."
Song Hemei blinked, her lashes instantly wet with tears. She gripped the physician's wrist and spoke stalling words. "Elder, please think of another way. My husband is still so young. We have only been married for a little over a month. How can we bear such a terrible blow? If you have a method, any amount of silver can be paid, and we will spare no expense for any rare medicinal ingredients!"
The physician was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead. "What other method is there? You saw it yourself just now. The parts are shattered and incomplete. Even if Hua Tuo were alive, he couldn't create something from nothing!"
Song Hemei bit her lip. Fortunately, she hadn't dropped the handkerchief in her hand; it could still cover the expression on her face.
The more the physician spoke like this, the more delighted she felt inside, but she couldn't respond to his words. Instead, she put on a look of unbearable grief and, ignoring whatever the physician said, began to weep to Shao Wen'ang on her own. "Husband, what am I, your wife, supposed to do seeing you like this?!"
The physician grew frantic, lamenting that she lacked the decisiveness of a proper mistress of the household. But since no one was willing to give a definitive order, the matter could only be delayed.
Fortunately, it wasn't too long before Madam Zhang arrived, supported by servants as she hurried over.
She too had clearly been shocked by the news. The moment she entered the room and saw Shao Wen'ang lying unconscious on the bed, her face turned ashen white, and even her figure wobbled unsteadily. Then, her gaze fell upon Song Hemei beside him.
Before she could speak, and before the physician could explain, Song Hemei rushed to Madam Zhang's side, repeating the physician's words with tears in her eyes. "Mother, what are we to do?!"
Madam Zhang was so stunned by her words that she had no energy to ask why Song Hemei was there. She felt darkness cloud her vision, as if she might truly collapse on the spot.
Song Hemei didn't give her that chance. She immediately stepped forward, hooked her arm around Madam Zhang's, and used some force to grip her and prop her up, guiding her toward the bed.
Though it was said that a grown son should keep his distance from his mother, and it was improper for a mother to look at such things, at this moment there was no time to bother with such formalities. The maidservant lifted the lower garment covering him, and the bloody mess was once again exposed to view.
Madam Zhang was struck as if by lightning. Her lips trembled at the horrifying sight. But she was, after all, someone who truly cared for Shao Wen'ang. She forced herself to remain rational. "Do it quickly. Preserving my son's life is more important than anything else."
The physician acknowledged her repeatedly, then ushered everyone out. Song Hemei naturally escorted Madam Zhang out the door.
But just as they reached the entrance, Madam Zhang pulled her arm free from Song Hemei's support. Her gaze, sharp with grief, fixed on her. "Hemei, why are you here?"
Song Hemei omitted the part about deliberately arranging the meeting and only mentioned that they had happened to run into each other and exchanged a few words. Then she steered the matter to something more important.
"I know that Wen'ang is not skilled in horsemanship. That horse looked extremely fiery. How could Wen'ang take it into his head to try to tame it on a whim? I find this suspicious, Daughter-in-law. I've already had the horse seized. If we want to investigate, we need a starting point."
Madam Zhang, her gaze tinged with resentment, looked her up and down, finally settling on her reddened eyes.
At a time like this, the more deeply she grieved for her son, the more appeased Madam Zhang would feel in her heart.
Madam Zhang gave a cold snort. Too worried for her only son to maintain even the pretense of kindness on her face, she said, "I can't bring myself to call you 'daughter-in-law' right now."
Seeing this, Song Hemei clutched her handkerchief and said in a hurt tone, "Daughter-in-law was only sulking earlier. I just wanted Wen'ang to coax me a little. But who could have imagined he would end up like this? I only count myself fortunate to have been present at the time, so I could order the men to rush Wen'ang to the medical clinic quickly."
Her timely claiming of credit made it difficult for Madam Zhang to vent her resentment.
After a pause, she intentionally said, "According to the physician, Wen'ang might be... after this. How could such a misfortune happen so suddenly? We were just married!"
These words were like a knife stabbing into Madam Zhang's heart.
She glared coldly at Song Hemei and said in a low voice, "Keep your voice down. Are you afraid no one will overhear?"
Song Hemei fell silent, but she had already calculated the situation in her mind.
With his lifeline gone, even if the Shao family later moved to the Capital, they wouldn't dare to seek a marriage alliance with any other family. They could offer a larger betrothal gift to a small, humble household and perhaps deceive them into a marriage that could be covered up. But if they truly married a daughter from a prominent, high-ranking family, on the wedding night the bride would find nothing there—and instead of becoming relatives, they would become enemies.
Moreover, this matter could not be made public. If those destitute relatives of the Shao family got wind of it, they would scheme day and night to have their own children adopted over. Refusing to remarry in the future would be even more suspicious. Thus, for the Shao family, she, who already knew the inside story, was the best choice. This time, both the Song and Shao families would still hold leverage over each other's secrets and weaknesses. There would be plenty to negotiate later.
Poking at someone's sore spot—a couple of jabs to remind them of the pain was enough. Too much would inevitably invite resentment. Song Hemei sniffled and put on a proper show of attitude.
"Daughter-in-law should have treasured what we had from the start. Now it's come to this. I know Mother is disappointed in me and doesn't wish to see me right now. I'll go back for now, so I won't be an eyesore to you."
She turned to leave but stopped after two steps. "Mother, if Wen'ang wakes, please be sure to send someone to the Song residence to let me know. I am truly worried about him."
Song Hemei cast her eyes downward and walked out. Qiu Wan had been found by the servant and brought over. She directly pulled her sister-in-law outside. When they reached a place with no one around, her sister-in-law whispered, asking what had happened.
It wasn't easy to explain in detail, especially since her sister-in-law was not tight-lipped. If word got out and made the Shao family lose face, then nothing could be negotiated.
She asked instead, "Sister-in-law, has your younger brother been settled?"
Qiu Wan's gaze flickered with evasion, and she sighed several times.
Her brother's temperament—how could he be settled with just a few words? She had barely spoken two sentences about his innocence before he talked back to her, insisting that he had seen the two of them riding the same horse with his own eyes. He even said she was soft-eared and would sell out her own brother over a few words.
Her heart was bitter too. She was caught between her natal family and her husband's family, pleasing neither side.
Seeing her like this, Song Hemei didn't push her. She took her hand and walked outside, saying, "This isn't something that can be resolved overnight. Sister-in-law doesn't need to be too anxious."
The carriage was already waiting outside the medical clinic. Song Hemei climbed aboard, her thoughts heavy as she mulled over what the Shao family would do. Just then, the carriage lurched forward, and the wind blew up the curtain at the window, allowing her to catch a glimpse of a figure outside.
She saw it clearly. It was definitely Yu Yeqing, no mistake.
Had he come to the medical clinic to buy medicine for Minglian, or had he come specifically looking for her?
It should be for her, shouldn't it? Otherwise, why would he be standing outside the door, and within her sight?
Song Hemei sat upright in the carriage. Before she saw him, she hadn't had the mind to think about him. But now that she had seen him, she simply couldn't calm down.
She called for the carriage to stop. When her sister-in-law asked why, she said vaguely, "There are still matters with the Shao family that haven't been clarified. Sister-in-law, go on ahead. Please inform Father and Mother of what happened today."
With that, she stepped down from the carriage, not taking a single attendant with her, and hurried back toward the medical clinic.
She could feel the hair at her temples brushing against her ears with each quickened step, but she had no mind to tuck it behind her ears with the hand that was already lifting her skirts. Her heart was beating faster and faster the closer she got to the clinic.
But when she returned to the clinic's front door, the familiar figure was no longer there.
Her heart suddenly felt hollow. She took several deep breaths, but the feeling wouldn't subside.
She looked around in every direction. The more she failed to see him, the more anxious she grew. She simply followed the road back toward the Yu residence.
It wasn't until she turned the second alley corner that she finally spotted the figure in the blue robe. A feeling she hadn't been aware of rose from the depths of her heart, spreading through her entirely as a tingling joy. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and her voice was light and cheerful as she called out to the man ahead. "Young Master Yu!"
Yu Yeqing's footsteps halted. That voice seemed to come from a dream—so crisp and delighted.
He turned around and saw Song Hemei walking toward him with a smile. This truly made him unable to tell if it was a dream or reality.
He had seen this expression on her before, but only when she spoke of Shao Wen'ang.
But if it wasn't a dream, how could she appear here after clearly getting into the carriage—and with a smile on her face, especially after Shao Wen'ang's severe injury?
Yet she walked straight up to him and grasped his wrist. "Why are you lost in thought? Are you in a hurry to get back?"
Yu Yeqing's Adam's apple bobbed. He heard himself say, "No rush."
"Good. Then take a walk with me."
She pulled him through the alleyways and into the woods. This path led in the opposite direction from the Yu residence, but there was a small stream here, and at this hour no one came to do laundry.
Song Hemei only calmed down a little after reaching this spot.
Why had she dragged Yu Yeqing here? It wasn't as if she could tell him about the Shao family's affairs.
She felt a strange sensation in her heart. Perhaps it was because, when she saw him, she thought his figure looked a little lonely and desolate. Or perhaps seeing him reminded her of the self that had insisted on resisting.
But now, she was probably going to go back and be the Madam Shao.
She stared blankly at the stream, having brought him here but saying nothing. Yu Yeqing studied her carefully, his gaze tracing her features, finally settling on her slightly red and swollen eyes.
She must have cried.
So her current dejection was because Shao Wen'ang's injury was very serious?
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