The Favorite of the Sick and Weak Lady - Chapter 23.1

“Hubby, what are you doing?” Song Luoning frowned slightly.

A familiar voice came, and Xiao Yu turned her head. When she saw who it was, her eyes lit up. She blinked, quickly put down the brick, and walked to the low wall. “Wife, why are you out? It’s windy today, did you wear enough? I covered the breakfast on the table, did you see it?”

Song Luoning’s lips curled into a smile. “I saw it. Is something happening outside?”

Xiao Yu nodded, but not wanting her to worry, she spoke vaguely. “It’s nothing serious, really. We just lost a few bricks. Don’t worry, I’ve already asked Zi Yi to report it to the authorities. You should hurry back inside. The wind is strong, and I don’t want you to catch a cold. Also, you might have to take your morning medicine a little later.”

Seeing her concern, Song Luoning was taken aback. She looked up, her beautiful brows furrowing slightly, then lowered them again. For a moment, she felt an indescribable mix of emotions, as if a palette of flavors had been spilled, all jumbled together.

Even at a time like this, she was still thinking about whether or not she had taken her medicine.

After a moment, Song Luoning snapped out of her chaotic thoughts and looked up at her again.

Her eyes were clear, and the concern in them was genuine.

Song Luoning hesitated. “It’s fine to miss one dose of medicine. Hubby, you should focus on your own matters first.”

Her illness hadn’t gotten better even with daily medicine, so what difference would one missed dose make?

She felt a moment of desolation.

It was a windy spring day, and a gust of wind made her thin body seem even more frail. Seeing this, Xiao Yu’s heart tightened. She ignored the matter of the bricks, propped a hand on the low wall, and jumped back into the courtyard.

She stepped forward, took Song Luoning’s wrist, and walked her back toward the house. “Have you not eaten yet? Eat first. I’ll deal with this side of things, and I’ll ask Chen Yu to watch over it for now. Then I’ll go to the county town to get your medicine. I’ll be back soon.”

Completely ignored, Chen Yu’s jaw almost dropped. “…”

She awkwardly touched her nose. It was only now that Xiao Yu remembered her. A moment ago, Chen Yu thought Xiao Yu had forgotten she was there. Especially in front of a young, unmarried woman like herself, was it really appropriate to be so affectionate?

Chen Yu’s face flushed. She pouted and looked away, out of sight, out of mind.

“Mm.” Song Luoning pursed her lips. The hot temperature from the person in front of her seemed to penetrate the thick padded clothes and burn her wrist. She resisted the urge to pull away and let Xiao Yu lead her into the house and sit at the round table.

Her gaze followed her the entire time.

Xiao Yu picked up a wooden basin from the washstand, turned, and went out to get a basin of clean water. She wet the washcloth, wrung it out, and prepared to help Song Luoning wash her face.

Song Luoning’s body stiffened. She dodged her hand and looked at her with a slight frown.

Did she even know what she was doing? How could she be so intimate?

Song Luoning’s face flushed, and her expression became serious, but her crimson cheeks didn’t show any authority. Instead, she looked more like she was acting coy.

“Hubby, I can do it myself.” Song Luoning took the washcloth from Xiao Yu’s hand, lowered her gaze, and avoided Xiao Yu’s eyes. She continued, “I can handle these things myself. You don’t need to trouble yourself, Hubby.”

How could it be a bother?

Xiao Yu pursed her lips but didn’t argue, feeling a hint of disappointment in her heart.

When Song Luoning finished washing her face, Xiao Yu expertly took the washcloth and placed it on the wooden basin, then turned and offered her a cup of mouthwash.

Song Luoning was about to reach for it, but Xiao Yu dodged her.

“…”

Xiao Yu’s eyes were sparkling. “Don’t move. I’ll do it.”

Xiao Yu brought the cup to Song Luoning’s lips, her eyes full of anticipation. Seeing that she didn’t move, she couldn’t help but urge her. “Wife, don’t just stand there. My arm is getting tired from holding it up.”

Song Luoning was so annoyed she wanted to laugh. Her face was flushed, and it was hard to tell if it was from anger or shyness. She closed her eyes and took a moment to compose herself, not wanting to argue about this issue anymore. After a moment of hesitation, she lowered her head slightly and took a sip of water. After rinsing her mouth, she spit it back into the cup. When she looked up again, her expression had returned to normal.

Her eyes sparkled with life. “Thank you, Hubby. I can actually do these little things myself. You don’t have to be like this.”

Xiao Yu raised her eyebrows. She was in a very good mood. She put down the cup and lifted the ceramic bowl that was covering the food. Inside was a plate of cold-dressed bamboo shoots, a half-bowl of white porridge, and a boiled egg.

“Let’s eat something light for breakfast. I’ll make you something else for lunch,” Xiao Yu said, skillfully handing her the chopsticks with a smile.

Song Luoning pursed her lips and said nothing. She took the chopsticks, afraid that if she waited too long, Xiao Yu would feed her. The tips of her fingers gripping the chopsticks turned slightly white. After a pause, she picked up a piece of bamboo shoot, put it in her mouth, and chewed it slowly.

This pervert really has no shame.

Seeing that she was eating, Xiao Yu didn’t do anything else. She just sat by her side, staring at her intently.

Song Luoning’s breathing hitched, as if she had been burned by Xiao Yu’s gaze. She lowered her eyes, which were filled with a radiant light. Her face flushed, then flushed again, and finally turned into a look of shy annoyance.

This pervert is not only shameless, but she also has no sense of propriety.

Song Luoning thought about how she could get rid of her. If this continued, she was afraid she would burst into flames.

“What are you standing there for? It’ll get cold,” Xiao Yu urged, her eyes bright and blinking.

Song Luoning gripped her chopsticks, bit her lip, and quietly replied, then put a piece of food into her mouth.

“Hubby, you can go and get busy now.”

“Mmm, no hurry.”

However, the person in front of her showed no self-awareness. Not only did she not leave, but her gaze became even more intense. Her sparkling eyes were so hot they seemed to want to set her on fire.

Yet, there was nothing she could do.

Song Luoning unconsciously tightened her palms, closed her eyes, and forced herself to finish her meal.

Seeing that she was done, Xiao Yu pursed her lips and finally looked away. She then remembered that there were still things to be dealt with outside. She felt a little disappointed that she couldn’t stay with her young mistress longer. She looked at Song Luoning with reluctance. “Wife, I’ll go out and check on things first. You rest well. Call me if you need anything.”

With that, she got up and went to clean up the dishes.

Song Luoning turned her face away. She heard the door open, and then footsteps that faded away. Her beautiful eyebrows were lowered, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yu put the dishes in the kitchen and then went back to the open space. “Did you find anything?” Xiao Yu asked.

Chen Yu pouted, poking the trampled dead grass on the ground with a stick. She looked up with a look of utter speechlessness.

She did find a problem, and it was a big one!

She had always thought Xiao Yu was a spendthrift, but maybe it was because she had no wife before, so Chen Yu had no way of knowing. Now, she realized that she was actually a person who valued her wife over her sister.

Looking at her just now, Chen Yu almost thought her brother’s soul had been taken away. Thankfully, he came back safely.

Xiao Yu walked closer and looked at the dead grass Chen Yu was poking. She couldn’t see anything and asked in confusion, “You’ve been staring here. Did you find something?”

“Just looking.” Chen Yu straightened up and threw the stick away. She said with a bad temper, “I didn’t find anything. But you…”

Chen Yu sneered in her heart.

?!

What does that mean?

Xiao Yu was confused.

Chen Yu was speechless again. She stared at her for a while and said in a low voice, “You are very devoted to your wife.” If only she could be more devoted to her mother and sister.

“Huh?” Chen Yu’s words reminded Xiao Yu of a big matter. She frowned slightly. “I almost forgot if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

Chen Yu thought she had remembered a clue and leaned in, asking anxiously, “Did you think of something?”

“Mmm. My wife’s medicine hasn’t been fetched yet. I shouldn’t have let Zi Yi go to the county town. I could have gone to Ming Shan Hall first and then reported to the authorities. It wouldn’t have taken much more time.”

Letting Chen Ziyi go was a mistake.

Xiao Yu looked annoyed.

She would have to make another trip to the county town after he came back.

“…” Look at what she said. Chen Yu’s expression changed, and she gave Xiao Yu a look that was hard to describe. She wanted to laugh, but she couldn’t.

“Huh?” Xiao Yu blinked. “Why are you looking at me?”

“…” Chen Yu learned Jiang Wanrou’s habit of rubbing her forehead to hide her expression. She couldn’t explain that she was both relieved and a little jealous.

Well, she learned a lesson today. Chen Yu wisely shut her mouth and shook her head.

On second thought, forget it. As long as she wasn’t fooling around, she could do whatever she wanted.

Seeing that she wasn’t talking, Xiao Yu ignored her. She bent down and continued to observe the dead grass on the ground. This open space had been unkempt for years, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of dead grass. If she hadn’t cleaned it up when she was hauling the bricks yesterday, no one would have come here. Now, besides the wheel marks, there were no footprints.

It seemed that she couldn’t determine the height of the thief from the footprints. Oh well.

Since there were no clues, Xiao Yu simply started counting the bricks so she wouldn’t be flustered when the officials came. Chen Yu saw her counting and stood quietly to the side.

At this moment, Song Luoning also came out of the house. Chen Yu glanced at Xiao Yu and, seeing that she hadn’t noticed them, she walked over with a smile and held Song Luoning’s arm. “Sister-in-law, are you feeling better?”

“Mmm, I’m fine.” Song Luoning smiled lightly and walked with Chen Yu to a spot behind Xiao Yu and stopped.

When Xiao Yu heard the sound, she turned her head and her eyes lit up when she saw Song Luoning.

Chen Yu was about to say a few more words, but Xiao Yu interrupted her. “Wife, why aren’t you resting?” She had no choice but to shut up.

The neglected Chen Yu: “…”

Song Luoning’s brows curved. She walked closer. “I’m fine. It’s uncomfortable to lie down all the time. What are you doing, Hubby?”

“I’m counting the rest of these bricks so I know how many are missing. It will be easier for the officials to handle the case when they arrive.” Xiao Yu stepped forward, took Song Luoning’s hand without a change in expression, and ignored Chen Yu as she led Song Luoning to the other side.

Chen Yu: “…” Who did she offend to be fed this dog food?

Song Luoning nodded, pulled her hand away, and asked, “Are there any clues?”

Xiao Yu’s face fell, and she sighed. “Not yet, but I have a suspect. We have to wait for the officials to come before we can search.”

Song Luoning’s gaze swept around the area and landed on the thorns next to the bricks. “Hubby.”

“Huh?” Xiao Yu followed her gaze and saw a gray thread hanging on a thorn.

“Did the clothes of the people who helped yesterday get snagged?” Song Luoning asked.

Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up. She walked over and took the thread. “This thread looks very new. It must have been left yesterday. If it wasn’t them, it must have been the thief who left it.”

Song Luoning nodded. “Hubby, do you remember the color of the clothes of the person you suspect?”

Xiao Yu thought for a moment. A lot of people wore clothes of that color. Except for the rich, who wore brightly colored clothes, most of the people in the village wore gray and drab clothes. Who would notice what color clothes someone was wearing? Besides, she wasn’t familiar with those people.

Xiao Yu’s brows were tightly furrowed. After a moment, she lowered her head. “I don’t remember very well.”

Song Luoning understood. “Hubby, do you remember the color of the clothes of the person you suspect?”

Xiao Yu thought about it for a moment. “He was wearing clothes of this color, that’s right!” Her sparkling eyes flickered slightly, and she didn’t hesitate to praise her. “My wife is so smart. I’ve been looking here for a long time and found nothing, but as soon as my wife came, she found a clue.”

Chen Yu: “…”

She couldn’t help but twitch her lips. Were they serious?

She felt like an outsider and shouldn’t be here.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves came from a distance, getting closer.

The three of them looked over at the same time. A beautiful and dashing young woman jumped off the horse. She turned around to help another woman with cold features dismount. They walked over together.

“Xiao Yu, can’t you be a little more serious about your own business? I have to come all the way here to find you,” the young woman complained as she walked closer.

The young woman’s features were lively. Her gaze fell on the woman next to Xiao Yu, and she was secretly surprised. “Xiao Yu, is this your wife?”

She was quite pretty. She had thought that someone who could fall for Xiao Yu wouldn’t be very attractive, but she was wrong.

The young woman let out a “tsk” sound and was about to continue when the cold-faced woman pinched her wrist with a little force.

“Why are you pinching me?” Jiang Xiaolin frowned. “I’m just curious if her wife’s eyes are okay. Since you’re here, you can help her check.”

Chen Yu: “???”

Song Luoning chuckled.

Xiao Yu: “…”

She really is rude!

What could she expect from a little tyrant? Xiao Yu ignored her and greeted Jiang Ziyu. “Doctor Jiang, have you studied it?”

Jiang Ziyu nodded, her eyes showing a hint of a smile, which was very faint. She was about to speak when Jiang Xiaolin interrupted her. “Xiao Yu, didn’t you hear me talking to you?”

How dare this spendthrift Xiao Yu ignore her!

Had she been away from the village for too long that she forgot her name?

Jiang Xiaolin was about to continue, but a soft female voice came from beside her. “If you still want to follow me to the county town, you’d better shut up.”

The words were full of threats.

Jiang Xiaolin was not convinced. She pouted and glanced at the cold-faced woman, then shrank back obediently.

Jiang Ziyu saw that she had finally quieted down. She smiled and said softly, “To be honest, my father has already looked at that pill. It does have the effect of tonifying qi and nourishing blood. The young mistress can take it.”

She can take it!

Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up. She quickly asked, “Does this mean she doesn’t need to get medicine and drink it anymore?”

She had to ask this question clearly. If she didn’t have to, it would save a lot of money. Besides, she might trigger another task during this time…

Wait a minute!

It seems like the system’s rewards are always related to medicine.

Xiao Yu felt a little strange. The feeling lingered in her heart. She looked at Song Luoning, and the strange feeling became even stronger, but she couldn’t figure out why. There was no time to think about it now. She looked at Jiang Ziyu.

Jiang Ziyu nodded.

On the other side, Chen Ziyi rode his horse to the county town. As soon as he entered the yamen, he met a bailiff and roughly explained the situation to him.

The bailiff yawned and said impatiently, “Wait outside for a moment. Head Constable Liang is here today. I’ll go and call her for you.”

Chen Ziyi rubbed his hands and thanked him repeatedly. The bailiff was used to this kind of thing. He waved his hand and went inside. Before long, a woman in a fitted suit with her hair tied up high came out with two bailiffs behind her.

The woman sized him up and asked, “Are you the one who reported the case?”

Chen Ziyi bowed. “Yes. May I ask who you are…”

The woman nodded and gestured for him to continue.

Chen Ziyi was hesitant because he didn’t know who the woman was.

At this moment, a bailiff behind the woman stepped forward. “This is our Head Constable Liang. Hurry up and tell her the whole story in detail again.”

Chen Ziyi didn’t dare to hide anything and told her everything he knew clearly.

He also mentioned the suspect.

Liang Chengqiu thought for a moment and said to Chen Ziyi, “Suspicion alone is useless. You need to provide evidence.”

“This…” Chen Ziyi was speechless. On the one hand, he really couldn’t provide any evidence, as it was just a guess. On the other hand, he rarely dealt with these officials, so he was a little nervous. When she questioned him like this, he couldn’t say anything.

Liang Chengqiu glanced at him, turned around, and gave some instructions to the bailiffs behind her. One of them jogged into the yamen and came back shortly. “Boss, I’ve already talked to the county magistrate’s secretary.”

Liang Chengqiu nodded and said to Chen Ziyi, “Lead the way.”

With that, she jumped on her horse without waiting for Chen Ziyi to speak. The others followed her onto their horses. Chen Ziyi walked in front, and they arrived at Chen Family Village together.

From a distance, they saw a few people standing in an open space. Liang Chengqiu jumped off her horse and handed the reins to the bailiff behind her. She said to Chen Ziyi, “Is this the place?”

Chen Ziyi quickly said yes and followed Liang Chengqiu with his horse, walking cautiously. He even felt a sense of oppression when he looked up at Liang Chengqiu.

Although Liang Chengqiu was a woman, her brows were slightly furrowed, and she didn’t look like someone who was easy to get along with. Due to her status, Chen Ziyi would have stayed far away if he had the choice.

Liang Chengqiu walked closer and discreetly scanned the people.

She cleared her throat, and everyone looked at her. Jiang Xiaolin paused and was the first to react. She subconsciously twitched her lips. “You even reported it to the authorities?”

She naturally knew Liang Chengqiu. They often dealt with each other. She was merciless and cold-blooded. She was the one who came several times when they got into a fight.

She was one of the people she didn’t want to see.

It was not a good idea to pretend she didn’t know her, so Jiang Xiaolin gave a dry laugh. Jiang Ziyu held her and shook her head at her. Jiang Xiaolin obediently shut her mouth, and her pretty face looked away with an arrogant expression.

Liang Chengqiu’s gaze skipped over her and landed precisely on Xiao Yu. “Are these bricks yours?”

“Mmm. I woke up this morning and found 132 pieces were missing,” Xiao Yu said truthfully.

Liang Chengqiu didn’t say anything else. She looked around with a serious face. After a long time, she straightened up. “How did you get into a conflict with Chen Ergou?”

How did she get into a conflict?

Naturally, it was because the original owner had given too much face to her friends, and now that she suddenly stopped, he felt a sense of loss and threatened her a few times.

She couldn’t talk about what happened between her and the original owner. Xiao Yu thought about it and said, “I used to hang out with Chen Ergou, but then I changed my ways and didn’t want to hang out with him anymore. He came to find me, but I refused, and we got into a little argument.”

“Just that?”

“Mmm.” What else?

“A little argument can’t be used as evidence.”

“I also found this here.” Xiao Yu handed the thread from the thorns to Liang Chengqiu.

Liang Chengqiu pondered for a moment. “Has anyone else been here?”

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