C3 I'm Back

The door of the Apricot Forest Hospital was half open, and the child was yawning as he leaned against the door to grind the medicine powder. However, he did not see Doctor Zhang in the room.

Tao Xiyuan pushed open the door and looked around anxiously. “Where is Doctor Zhang? I’ve brought the money. How is my son?”

The child was so scared that he even knocked over the medicine pot. He subconsciously looked in the direction of the woodshed and stuttered, “Doctor Zhang has already gone to sleep. Your son is…”

Tao Xiyuan saw his anxious expression and her face changed. She stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder. Her eyes became gloomy. “Where is my son?”

“Wood, woodshed.”

The child was so scared that he almost cried when he saw Tao Xiyuan’s gloomy expression. He quickly brought her to the woodshed. “It’s not my fault. It was Doctor Zhang who told me to leave him here.”

The woodshed was dark and dry. Chenchen was thrown to the corner of the wall. Her face was green and purple, and she could barely hear his breathing. There were also two little mice by his side who were chirping.

“Chenchen!” Tao Xiyuan’s eyes turned red. She threw herself over and hugged the cold and stiff Chenchen. She trembled her fingers to touch his breathing, and the heavy stone in her heart slowly fell.

Fortunately, although his breath was weak, his son was still alive.

“You actually treated a child like this!” Tao Xiyuan hugged her son and wrapped him in clothes. She looked at the child who was trembling with a dark face. “Take me to see that quack!”

The child was startled by the ruthless aura on her body. He nodded his head frantically, but the curtain was pulled open by someone. Zhang Qi walked in with large strides and did not panic when she saw her. She sneered, "You're back? Where's the money?"

"You still dare to ask for money! Are you the one who saved my son?" Tao Xiyuan clenched her teeth tightly. She wished she could pounce on him and bite him to death, but her son's life was at stake. She could only settle this score with this person in the future. "Give me back the indenture contract. If anything happens to Chenchen, I'll make you pay with your life!"

"Tao Xiyuan, I was kind enough to take you in as a child, but you actually dared to steal money and slander me!" Zhang Qi was not the slightest bit flustered. She turned her body to the side and pulled the curtain open. Her expression became respectful. "Head constable Liu, you've heard it all. This woman was originally sold to me for the indenture contract, but who would have thought that she was a swindler? She actually stole the money of the clinic and did not know how to repent. I hope that you can make the decision."

Tao Xiyuan's eyes turned cold. The curtain was pulled open, and four men dressed like officials walked in. The leader of the group was tall and sturdy, with sharp facial features and a black mole between his brows. He had a strong murderous aura around him. It was the head constable Liu that Zhang Qi was talking about.

Head constable Liu looked at Tao Xiyuan as if he could not see the child in her arms. He waved his hand and ordered his subordinates to capture her. "Bring her back to the yamen for interrogation."

Tao Xiyuan took a step back and protected the child in her arms as she said coldly, "I didn't steal the money. I signed the indenture to let this quack save my son —"

Before she could finish her sentence, head constable Liu suddenly took a step forward and twisted her wrist. Following that, a simple cloth bag fell out from her sleeve, and a silver coin rolled out.

Head constable Liu sneered and picked up the silver coin and weighed it in his hand, "You signed the indenture without any money to treat your son's illness. Then where did this silver come from?"

Zhang Qi also didn't expect that she would actually borrow the entire silver coin. She didn't know where this fool was from, but he was willing to help her, and he actually dodged her mother's strict watch!

However, this silver coin was the best evidence!

He immediately took a step forward and accused her, "You have a stolen goods, yet you still refuse to admit that you stole the money?"

"I —" Tao Xiyuan's brain was working very fast, and she couldn't think of a way to explain the source of the silver coin. However, if she were to return to the yamen with head constable Liu now, it would definitely delay the treatment of her son.

Chenchen couldn't afford to delay any longer!

Tao Xiyuan was just thinking of taking her son and running away. When she found a doctor, she would then turn around and settle the score with this quack. However, she heard a knock on the door. Zhang Qi's face lit up, "Young Master Dongfang must have come."

Tao Xiyuan's expression changed, "So you are all sent by Dongfang Su!"

"Shut up!" Head constable Liu ordered her to be detained, and he didn't even look at her. His expression was arrogant, and Zhang Qi hurriedly ran over to open the door. She was prepared to take Dongfang Su's reward, but when she looked at the door, she was stunned.

"Who are you?"

Standing outside the door was a scholarly-looking man dressed in a blue robe. He was young and handsome, and his facial features were bright and delicate. At this moment, he was looking at the direction of the house with a guilty expression on his face. He seemed to be in a daze and was speechless for a moment.

Tao Xiyuan was stunned. Others might not recognize this person, but her eyes immediately reddened. She could not help but hug her son tightly, "It's you!"

Zhang Qi saw that this person was not Dongfang Su, so she immediately lost her anticipation. Looking at Tao Xiyuan's expression, she thought that this was the reinforcement she had invited. She immediately said fiercely, "The clinic has not opened yet. If you have a problem, go somewhere else. Hurry up and leave. Don't come here and join in the fun."

The man frowned slightly and did not move at all, "I am here to bring my wife and son home."

Zhang Qi's reaction was momentary. She sized him up from head to toe and said, "Wife, you, you are Soong Junlian?" He was stunned for a moment. He realized that this person's temperament had changed greatly after leaving home for so many years. Just now, his eyes had dimmed, and he had not recognized him. He could not help but blurt out, "Didn't you die?"

Soong Junlian had not returned to Beijing for many years. Dongfang Su had spread the news everywhere, saying that his cousin had already died in the capital. Other than Tao Xiyuan and her son who did not believe it, everyone else believed it.

Soong Junlian's eyes turned cold, "Are you a doctor or not? Can't you tell whether I am dead or alive?" After saying that, he walked straight into the house and walked towards Tao Xiyuan with reddened eyes, "My wife, I'm back."

Tao Xiyuan was not in the mood to reminisce about the past, so she quickly said in a hoarse voice, "Quickly save Chenchen, he can't hold on much longer."

However, before Soong Junlian could get close, head constable Liu blocked him with a ferocious expression, "I don't care who you are, this has nothing to do with you. Throw him out!"

Just as the two bailiffs were about to kick him out, Soong Junlian stopped in his tracks. His gaze was as cold as a clear spring, and he actually had an aura of not being angry at all. He took out an official letter from his bosom and said in a loud voice, "I am a nobleman, who dares to touch me!"

The bailiff checked it and confirmed that the official letter was genuine. Immediately, he let go of his hand in embarrassment and whispered to head constable Liu, "Boss, he really is a nobleman."

Head constable Liu's expression changed slightly. He exchanged a glance with Zhang Qi and waved his hand, placing his hand on Tao Xiyuan's shoulder, "You're a nobleman, right? I won't touch you, so don't interfere with the official affairs. This woman has committed the crime of theft, so she will be dealt with by the yamen. Take her away!"

After saying that, he actually wanted to forcefully take Tao Xiyuan away.

Soong Junlian's face darkened as he took a step forward and blocked Tao Xiyuan's way. He took out thirty taels of silver from his bosom and said straightforwardly, "This is the official silver that my teacher rewarded me with. There is an official seal below, so take the silver and this matter will be settled. If you dare to cause any more trouble, you will have to see the official. I, Soong Junlian, am not afraid of you."

"You!" Head constable Liu's face was filled with anger, but in the end, he had to consider Soong Junlian's identity as a nobleman. Even if he was a county magistrate, he would still have to show some respect.

Furthermore, they would not dare to say that they had taken the official silver given by the teacher. After thinking about it for a while, head constable Liu said with a dark face, "Release her."