Two flowers bloom, each on its own branch.
Let's talk about how the government yamen received a report that Jiang Scholar's precious daughter and Private advisor Lu's niece had been kidnapped.
According to the reporter, the one who kidnapped the child was none other than the son of Jiang Old Madam's sister-in-law, Tan Laosan from Lotus Flower Village of the Tan family. Tan Laosan had been chased by gambling dens for debts recently. And when the kidnapping happened, the abducted baby was sleeping unattended in Tan Laosan's mother's room.
What's more, the baby was wearing a lot of valuable jewelry.
This is outrageous!
Upon receiving the news, Private advisor Lu almost fainted. The whole yamen was in an uproar. It so happened that the Qin County Magistrate was away inspecting rural areas.
Luckily, the yamen's head catcher was quite capable. He immediately dispatched people to search across the county and apprehend Tan Laosan, with priority given to checking gambling dens, pawn shops and brothels.
When Jing Yan came home from school and heard about this, his heart skipped a beat. Was it the cute little sister with a lotus flower mark on her forehead?
"Chang Feng, Po Lang."
Suddenly two people appeared in the room, kneeling on one knee and landing without a sound.
"Young master!"
With hands behind his back, Jing Yan's still childish face was solemn, vaguely revealing a hint of killing intent.
"Go find the child quickly, she must be found in the shortest time possible. Bring the villain back to the county yamen." He would have liked to kill the man outright, but still had to consider his uncle's reputation.
"But... young master, your safety..." The bodyguards were somewhat hesitant.
"No protection needed, these small places, Gale Force and Breaking Waves are enough!"
"Yes!"
Not long after Chang Feng and Po Lang left, hurried footsteps sounded outside the study again. The attendant excitedly pushed open the door and said loudly, "Young master, the child has been found. Your father has personally taken her to the medicine hall."
"Good! Ready the carriage, we'll go take a look too."
After the attendant left, he shouted at the air again, "Send a signal to Chang Feng and Po Lang, the child has been found, no need to search anymore."
"Yes." This time only the voice was heard without seeing the person.
When Jing Yan arrived at the medicine hall, the doctor was dressing Jiang Yuqing's wounds.
The tiny baby girl was being held by a female doctor's assistant, with her hair down and bare feet. Her little hands and feet were full of injuries, bloody all over.
On cute little Yuexue's originally fair and lovely face, there was a purplish handprint, looking like a ghastly broken doll.
If not for the unique red lotus birthmark on her forehead, Jing Yan would have hardly recognized her as the soft and adorable little sister from before.
Jing Yan was dumbfounded, frozen in place for a moment. Qin Jue saw him and said in surprise, "Yan'er, what are you doing here?"
Only then did Jing Yan come to his senses and said, "I heard this little sister was injured and wanted to come see how she is. Is she...alright?"
Qin Jue said, "Don't worry, she should be fine!" To be honest, he didn't know. He would ask the doctor again later.
"Oh." Jing Yan was slightly relieved. He didn't know why either, but he was always a bit worried about this little sister, perhaps because she was so cute.
The old doctor finished dressing the wounds and started applying medicine. The gold wound medicine stung a lot. Even adults would find it painful, let alone such a young child.
Jiang Yuqing's involuntary tears of pain came out.
Seeing this, the female assistant quickly spoke softly to comfort her. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. It won't hurt after a while! With the medicine applied, your hands and feet will get better, right? Oh dear, our baby is such a brave good child!"
Although the little girl's bun face was wrinkled in pain, from cleaning the wounds to the final bandaging, she didn't make a sound.
She just bit down hard on her few tiny milk teeth, with big teardrops rolling down her cheeks. The pitiful sight really distressed the adults present.
While admiring the little girl's bravery, they also angrily cursed at the unconscious Tan Laosan on the ground, wishing they could personally go up and kick him a couple times.
To lay hands on such a small child, damn kidnapper!
Jing Yan stood to the side with reddened eyes, wanting to touch her but also afraid of hurting her. He hesitated for a good while before softly asking, "Do you remember me? Does it hurt?"
Jiang Yuqing looked up and carefully eyed the little gentleman in front of her, recognizing him. On the day of her one month celebration, the County Magistrate's son who gave her the warm jade pendant with dragon pattern.
She had memories from her past life, but not the body.
In this life, she was just a tiny baby who couldn't even walk steadily.
Only heaven knew how terrified she was of being killed by that scumbag earlier. And now seeing the second familiar and gentle person after Qin Jue. Grievance and fear instantly found an outlet.
She struggled to stretch out her uninjured arms to hug the little gentleman's neck tightly.
Tears rolled down her cheeks like beads as she sobbed and complained incoherently, "Guoguo, bad, grab, hand, hurt hurt."
She looked utterly pitiful.
Miraculously, Jing Yan somehow understood her. Feeling the warmth and unceasing shivers of the small body in his arms, Jing Yan's heart was about to shatter.
It wasn't hard to imagine what kind of abuse the cute little girl must have suffered under that scumbag's hands to frighten her so much that she didn't even dare cry out loud.
He took the little one into his arms and held her steadily.
A flash of killing intent showed on his immature face as he stared coldly at the unconscious Tan Laosan and said to Qin Jue, "Uncle, I want him dead!"
Qin Jue gently patted his little nephew's shoulder. "Our dynasty's law states that both kidnapper who has taken and not yet sold the victim shall be executed by dismemberment!"
Meaning kidnappers who have abducted people for human trafficking, whether they have sold the victim or not, will be sentenced to death by dismemberment. (Borrowing Qin dynasty law here.)
"Good!"
Qin Jue also asked about Jiang Yuqing's condition.
The old doctor sighed and said, "The external injuries on her hands and feet are minor and will heal in a few days with proper care. But such a young child being forced to take knockout drops may not be able to take it mentally.
I see the child already has symptoms of catching a chill. Adding the great shock she suffered, she may develop a fever later tonight. My lord must have someone keep close watch on her. This old man will write two prescriptions for treating chills and calming the spirit, to be prepared."
With that said, he shook his head and lamented, "What a sin!" Then he turned to go into the consultation room to write the prescriptions.
Qin Jue was anxious to return to the county yamen. He had been away for several days already and work was piling up.
Plus having to promptly handle the little girl's case, he really couldn't be delayed.
He originally wanted to bring the little girl back to the yamen, but the yamen only had crude old masters, no one who knew how to care for a child.
Also, the doctor said she may develop a fever. He thought it'd be better to leave the child at the medicine hall for the female doctor's assistant to look after.
Qin Jue told the old doctor his concerns. The old doctor readily agreed to keep the child at the medicine hall. He would have suggested it if Qin Jue didn't bring it up.
That knockout drug was nasty stuff. Even adults couldn't handle it, let alone such a young child. It'd be a shame if such a lovely child passed away.
Qin Jue instructed several subordinates to keep a close eye on the child and Tan Laosan. After Tan Laosan recovered from the venom, bring him back to the county yamen for interrogation immediately.
Although reluctant to part with the little one, Jing Yan also knew this was best for her.
He carefully handed over the crying-to-sleep Jiang Yuqing to the female doctor before reluctantly following his uncle back to the county yamen.
Tan Laosan was knocked unconscious then thrown over a horse to be brought back.
After being woken by needles, the first thing he worried about wasn't being beaten, but frantically yelling in the medicine hall for the doctor to save his life quickly because he'd been bitten by green bamboo viper.
He thought that since he'd already been caught by the yamen people, at most he'd get a beating.
Right now, removing the venom was most urgent. If treatment was delayed, even if he didn't die he'd be crippled for life. He hadn't even married a wife yet!
It had to be said, the lawless were always extraordinarily naive.
The old doctor was irritated by the noise, and he was originally the vengeful type to begin with.
He shouted back unhappily, "What's with the racket! It's just a useless green bamboo viper. I'd prefer an over the hill silver ring snake, that'd save me the trouble! Hmph, inauspicious!"
Tan Laosan: "......"
The medicine hall instantly filled with muffled laughter, even Qin Jue's usually stoic subordinates couldn't help grinning. This old doctor really was amusing!
After the outburst, the old doctor's anger dissipated somewhat. Only then did he slowly have his apprentice prepare the tools and ingredients to treat snake venom. He himself casually flipped through some prescription notes.
Tan Laosan's leg hurt badly, because the spread of snake venom made his face appear extremely abnormal ashen gray, and his head also began to feel dizzy and throb.
He was afraid the doctor would be too slow, and he himself would be in mortal danger, so he urged impatiently: "Old man, can you speed up, you're killing Laosan!"
The old doctor calmly did his job, without even lifting his head, and coolly said: "What's the hurry, you'll die anyway after being cured.
If you make any more noise, I'll have someone throw you out at the south city gate right now.
The coffin shop there has slow business, just nice to take care of you. The owner is generous, who knows, he may even give you a paper-made little wife for free, even saving you dowry money!"
Tan Laosan: "..." Tan Laosan was so angry he couldn't speak. It's you who should die, it's you who should have a paper-made little wife. He was very angry, but couldn't do anything to the old doctor.
"Hahahahaha" At that time, the whole clinic roared with laughter, some even laughed till they pounded the ground.
That godlike paper-made little wife, the old doctor's mouth was as venomous as being painted with vermilion, it's a bit too toxic.
While laughing, everyone secretly warned themselves not to offend the old man, otherwise his mouth could make you doubt life.
The apprentice prepared the stuff, and saw it was almost time. Only then did the old doctor have Tan Laosan carried to a chair and held down by two people on each side.
Then he rolled up his pant leg, and saw that the leg bitten by the snake had swollen to the size of a small bucket, purplish-black all over.
The old man grinned, took a sharp small knife, roasted it on the fire, and cut straight down on the two blood holes...
At that time, Tan Laosan's screams could be heard throughout the clinic. Those who didn't know thought a pig was being slaughtered.
Let's change perspective. Lu and sister-in-law Chen had just walked out of the Jiang's manor gate when they heard the little servant from Lu's brother's house come to report that their daughter was lost.
Lu collapsed on the ground immediately, everything turning dark before her eyes.
When they heard that the niece of Master Lu, the dear daughter of Scholar Jiang, was lost, people from both Jiang and Qu manors were also shocked.
After asking about the girl's distinguishing features, they hurriedly sent out all the manpower available in the manor to search.
Chen was both anxious and angry. She immediately pinched Wan's philtrum, waking her up and persuaded: "Wan, now is not the time to be weak.
Our people have cast the net to find her. With so many people in a palm-sized town like Xuzhou, they must be able to find her. Let's go back home first and wait for news."
Lu was gentle in temperament, but not weak. She was just suddenly struck down by the terrible news that her daughter was lost.
After regaining her senses, she knew sister-in-law was right. So she nodded, walked to the carriage in tears, and went to her brother's house.
Meanwhile, when the Jiang family in Xijin Ferry village heard that their beloved granddaughter (niece) had been taken away, they felt like the sky was falling down.
Zhu cried and cursed: "Kill that bastard, what wrong did my family do to his Tan family in our previous life that he wants to harm us like this?
My child isn't even one year old yet, can't even walk steadily. If she..."
She dared not think about those bad consequences. While crying, she ran to inform the clan chief and village head, asking everyone for help to find the girl.
When the two elders heard that Jiang Yuqing was kidnapped by thieves, they were immediately furious. They immediately took the bronze gong and banged it wildly in the village.
The village gong was never sounded lightly, only when major events happened.
When the villagers heard the gong, they immediately abandoned their work in the fields and ran back.
Upon hearing that the precious granddaughter (niece) of Scholar Jiang's family, the village's beloved dumpling Jiang Yuqing, was stolen at Lotus Flower Village by the son of a relative's family, everyone was indignant.
They immediately grabbed tools, formed groups of three and squads of five, those with ox carts drove their ox carts, those with donkeys led their donkeys, and they rushed out, planning to cast a net centered around the county town to find the girl.
When one squad reached the fork in the road at Xiushui Bay, they ran into the seven Jiang brothers who had rushed home after receiving the news.
Hearing that their beloved younger sister was lost, the seven Jiang brothers who were in school almost went crazy. They abandoned their things and ran home.
When they reached the intersection, they happened to run into the villagers who went to find the younger sister. The two groups joined forces and ran towards the county town.
For a moment, the area within a radius of several li was in chaos.
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