Chapter 25: Zhou Xianming with a Bruised Face and Swollen Nose

"I'm back."

"Back? The hot water is already prepared."

An Jing found it a bit strange. Usually, when he returned from a house call, Zhao Qingmei always greeted him warmly, but today she replied rather casually.

"Madam, I'm home."

An Jing smiled as he walked to Zhao Qingmei's side, "It's so late, and you're still mending clothes. It's really hard on you."

"This garment is torn, it's better to replace it with a new one."

"Then why is Madam still mending it?"

"The weather is getting colder. Many people on Beggar Street in the south of the city can't afford clothes."

"So that's how it is."

An Jing nodded, realizing something seemed off with Zhao Qingmei.

"Madam, what's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

Zhao Qingmei put down the garment, looked up, and smiled, "Nothing. Husband, go take a bath quickly. You smell too much like rouge, it's overwhelming."

Although she was still smiling, it made him feel a bit heartbroken to see.

An Jing chuckled guiltily twice, silently calling himself foolish for forgetting about this.

"Madam..."

"Go on."

Zhao Qingmei kept her head down, continuing to mend the clothes by the light.

By the time An Jing finished bathing and freshening up, Zhao Qingmei was already lying on the bed, her eyes lightly closed as if she had fallen asleep.

An Jing lay down next to her carefully, afraid of waking her up.

Soon, the sound of steady breathing gradually filled the room.

Zhao Qingmei gently opened her eyes and looked at the man lying in front of her.

.......

Even if An Jing was dense, he could feel that his wife was angry.

Although she was still cooking medicinal porridge and sun-drying herbs as usual, and still talking to An Jing with a touch of gentleness in her words.

This only made An Jing feel more troubled.

Going to the pleasure boat was probably discovered by Madam. How should he explain it?

Could he say that he didn't misbehave?

Would she believe it?

An Jing leaned against the door, continuously stroking the little black cat.

"Tan Yun, where did Madam go?"

"She went to the south of the city early in the morning to donate clothes."

"Tan Yun, where did I put the Fu Ling?"

"Sir, why are you looking for Fu Ling?"

"Nothing, just asking."

"Tan Yun..."

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"What does your mistress look like when she's angry?"

"I... I don't know."

Thinking of something, Tan Yun shuddered a bit.

Time passed, people occasionally came to get medicine, and An Jing became busy again.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon.

"After you go back, remember not to eat spicy food anymore; stick to a bland diet. Boil this medicine for an hour, take it twice a day, morning and evening. After ten days, come back, and I'll check on you again," An Jing said, wrapping the herbs in kraft paper and advising:

"Thank you, Doctor An," the woman said, taking the herbs and repeatedly expressing her gratitude before slowly leaving.

"It's raining. Why hasn't Madam returned yet?"

An Jing walked to the door, frowning.

At this time, the drizzle fell like threads, landing on the earth, shrouding the Yu State River in a mist.

Zhao Qingmei had been out since early morning. It had been nearly two hours, and she had never been out alone for such a long time without returning.

"I have no idea either."

Tan Yun also poked her little head out, glancing outside a few times.

"Watch the pharmacy. I'll go look for her."

An Jing felt a sinking feeling in his heart, picked up the oil-paper umbrella from the rack, and walked out.

"Where are you going?"

Just then, Zhao Qingmei, carrying a basket of groceries, walked in from afar.

Seeing Zhao Qingmei, An Jing said, "I saw that you had been out for over two hours and hadn't come back..."

"Husband, don't worry," Zhao Qingmei covered her mouth with her hand and laughed softly, "Are you afraid something might have happened to me? I'll be fine."

"Of course I was worried."

"Miss, you're back."

Tan Yun quickly stepped forward to take the basket, then noticed the white paper in Zhao Qingmei's hand and asked, "What are you holding in your hand?"

"It was being handed out at the bulletin board. It seems the masters of Cao Gang want to challenge that mysterious swordsman."

Zhao Qingmei handed the white paper to Tan Yun, smiling, "I thought the drawing was interesting, so I took one."

"Miss, let me see."

Tan Yun took the white paper and then burst out laughing, "The people of Cao Gang actually use this method to challenge that peerless swordsman."

"Yes, it's very amusing."

"I think after this, people won't call that swordsman a peerless swordsman anymore; they should call him the pig-headed swordsman."

"Hahaha."

......

"What is that? Let me see," An Jing said, looking at the two laughing and discussing.

"Tan Yun, come help me with cooking," Zhao Qingmei said as she saw An Jing approaching. She handed the paper to him and walked towards the kitchen.

"Yes," Tan Yun said, sticking her tongue out at An Jing before following her.

An Jing picked up the white paper on the table.

It turned out that the people of Cao Gang wanted to challenge him, searching everywhere for his whereabouts with harsh and provocative words.

It seemed these papers had spread all over Yu State City. Their goal was to force him to show himself.

"So amateurish," An Jing said, shaking his head as he looked at the white paper. This kind of goading trick only worked on some greenhorns.

With that, he crumpled the paper and threw it into the wastebasket.

"An Jing..."

Just then, someone wrapped tightly in a cloak walked in, looking very suspicious.

Seeing the man, An Jing asked curiously, "And you are...?"

"I... I'm Zhou Xianming," the man said, revealing his face from under the cloak, his voice tinged with a sob.

Seeing the face of Zhou Xianming, An Jing was stunned.

His face was bruised and swollen, looking almost unrecognizable, like a pig's head. Even though An Jing knew him, he could barely recognize him due to the severity of his injuries.

"What's... what happened to you?" An Jing swallowed and asked.

"I... I don't know. Early in the morning, I was stuffed into a sack, then fists rained down on my head like a storm until I passed out. When I woke up, I was like this," Zhou Xianming said, tears welling in his eyes. "Doctor An, it hurts so much... woo woo woo..."

Without needing Zhou Xianming to explain, An Jing could tell just by looking at him that it must have hurt terribly.

Who could be so ruthless?

There seemed to be a significant grudge involved.

"Doctor An, who have I offended recently... why is heaven so unfair to me?"

The more Zhou Xianming spoke, the more bitter he felt, thinking of his recent unhappy life and crying even harder.

"Stop crying," An Jing said, patting Zhou Xianming's shoulder and sighing helplessly.

Logically, who would have a grudge against a poor scholar like him?

It must be that this old fellow had offended someone. Could it be related to those Jianghu people from last night?

"Who's there?"

Hearing the crying, Zhao Qingmei walked out from the backyard.