"My mother? What happened?"
"What about my mother?" Gu Xinlan also immediately came out of the room, anxiously asking the young man.
The young man was one of the group rescued from the mine last time. He was very thin. He pointed towards Liu Hong's house and said, "I was just passing by your house and heard a cry for help from inside. I thought I'd go in and take a look. I found your mother lying on the bed with a large gash on her head. She said someone broke into your house with a stone last night. You should hurry back and see."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xinlan immediately took off her apron. "I'm going back now."
"Wait a moment, Xinlan." Liu Hong stopped her. "You should stay here. I'll go back. If anyone causes trouble again, I can handle it."
If Xinlan were to go back now and encounter someone with a bad temper, he couldn't guarantee he could manage both situations.
"But my mother..."
"Don't worry, it'll be fine." Liu Hong gave her a reassuring look. Just as he was about to go out with the young man, another voice came from behind.
"I'll go with you." Rong Zhi had finished washing her face and came out with the medicine box, followed by Xia Yunting.
Rong Zhi said, "If it's not serious, it'll just need bandaging."
"Thank you, Miss Lin." How could he have forgotten that there was a doctor right here? He was just too worried to think straight.
"Xiao Mo, I'm going too." Xia Yunting tugged at her sleeve, his tone even carrying a hint of a whine.
"You stay home and guard the house. We still have a patient here." Rong Zhi shook off his hand and quickly walked out with Liu Hong.
"Let's go!" The young man urged again, flashing a very polite smile at Rong Zhi.
Xia Yunting: "..." So cold.
Xia Yunting, his heart bruised, went to the kitchen to eat breakfast.
Gu Xinlan was still a bit worried, staring at the door with a worried expression.
At this moment, Chu Qingze came out of the side room. He probably hadn't slept well, his face was unshaven, his hair was a bit messy, and there were dark circles under his eyes, making him look very haggard.
"Lin Mo left?" he yawned.
"Yes, my mother was attacked." Gu Xinlan turned back and replied.
A hint of concern flashed in Chu Qingze's bloodshot eyes. "How is she?"
"I don't know yet, but Miss Lin and Liu Hong have both gone back, so it should be fine."
Chu Qingze nodded slightly. "That's good."
"By the way, Doctor Chu, breakfast is ready. Please have some. You didn't eat much yesterday. Please bring some food for Miss Zhang too. I made porridge."
Gu Xinlan said as she walked into the kitchen, portioning out some of the porridge and dishes from the table and placing them on a tray. Seeing Xia Yunting already eating, she asked cautiously.
"Brother Xia, is the taste okay?"
"Mm." Xia Yunting nodded, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "Thank you."
"N-No problem." Gu Xinlan replied quickly and hurried out with the tray. Brother Xia is a nice person, but his face is a bit cold. Talking to him makes me nervous.
Seeing that Chu Qingze had no intention of entering the kitchen, Gu Xinlan assumed he would eat in his room and took the food there.
"Doctor Chu, please eat in the room. You can also look after Miss Zhang."
She placed the tray on the table in the room and glanced at the person on the bed, immediately startled.
"How can this be?"
After resting all night, Zhang Yajing had not only failed to improve but her face had turned a pale green. It was not the color a normal person should have. Moreover, she lay motionless on the bed, looking terrifying.
"Miss Zhang... isn't she dead?"
Looking like this, she didn't seem alive, but Gu Xinlan hesitated for a moment before she could say the words.
Chu Qingze explained, "This is a side effect of the medicine. It will cause the body to stiffen for a short period, making it seem like a corpse. It's nothing serious."
"That's good then."
Gu Xinlan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly retreated. She preferred to see less of such scenes.
After delivering the food, Gu Xinlan had no appetite. Worried about her mother, she stood by the door, waiting to see if anyone would come to report.
This house was quite far from the village, so if anyone came this way, it would be to deliver a message.
After waiting for about fifteen minutes, someone did come. It was the same young man, and this time his expression was even more anxious. He ran all the way, and when he saw Gu Xinlan standing alone at the door, his eyes lit up.
"What happened to my mother?" Seeing his demeanor, Gu Xinlan's heart tightened.
"Xinlan, your mother is dying!"
"What?" Gu Xinlan's face turned ashen, and she almost collapsed.
"Hurry back and see. You might still be able to see her one last time."
"Okay."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xinlan forgot everything else and hurried away with him.
At the same time, in the kitchen, Xia Yunting, having finished the last mouthful of porridge, put down the bowl and walked to the door of the side room and knocked.
The door opened, revealing Chu Qingze's tired face.
"I'm going out for a while. You guard the house."
With that short sentence, Xia Yunting flashed and disappeared from the doorway. His speed was so great that if Chu Qingze hadn't heard his clear words, he would have thought it was just a gust of wind.
On the road, Gu Xinlan anxiously followed the young man home. As they neared her house, Gu Xinlan's mouth opened to shout, but the young man in front suddenly turned back, covered her mouth, and with his other arm locked around her throat, his expression changed. He dragged Gu Xinlan into the nearby bushes.
"Mmmph mmph mmph..." Gu Xinlan's eyes widened as she struggled desperately. But alas, with her small arms and legs, how could she contend with a strong young man?
The young man dragged her deep into the bushes and tied her to a tree with vines. As if afraid she would escape, the young man tied several more loops and made a tight knot. After confirming that Gu Xinlan could not escape no matter what, the young man sneered at her.
"Don't blame me. You insisted on being ungrateful and protecting your enemy. That makes you an enemy of the entire Yunshui Village!"
As he spoke, he took out a knife from his body and brandished it at Gu Xinlan from a distance.
Gu Xinlan's mouth was also gagged with a vine, so she couldn't speak at all. She could only shake her head desperately and use her eyes to beg him to let her go.
The young man met Gu Xinlan's eyes. Her eyes were watery and somewhat pitiful. He shook his head. "Don't play the victim with me! I've suffered more than you! I was tricked into digging for ore in the mountains, and I almost lost my life several times! I dreamed of coming back for revenge. Who knew that dog of a county magistrate was arrested and thrown in jail? Then his daughter should come out to atone! If you protect her, then I'll teach you a lesson too!"
He raised the knife to stab her. Just as it was about to fall on Gu Xinlan, he hesitated for a moment.
Gu Xinlan's hair was disheveled, and her clothes had come undone a bit from her struggle, revealing her slender frame beneath. She shook her head desperately, her wide eyes reflecting the young man's hesitation.
He tightened his grip on the dagger, then suddenly withdrew it.
"Hmph! I'll spare your life for now!"
The young man had just put away his dagger, and then he grabbed another vine and swung it in the air.
"If I don't teach you a lesson, I can't vent my anger!"
*Snap!* The vine made a crisp sound in the air and then shot towards Gu Xinlan. Just as it was about to land on her, the vine suddenly veered in mid-air, as if it had come alive, and whipped across the young man's face.
The young man yelped, and a blood streak appeared on his face.
He was stunned for a moment, glanced at Gu Xinlan, and saw that she was still securely tied to the tree. It was impossible for her to have done it. So why did the vine turn on its own? Could it be a ghost?
"You wretched woman!" He swung the vine again. However, it was the same as before. The vine still whipped across his face. This time it was even more brutal. A gash appeared on his face, and he hissed in pain.
Gu Xinlan was also a little surprised. She blinked her eyes, not understanding how the vine had gone back.
The young man refused to believe it. He spun the vine in the air like a fiery wheel and forcefully struck towards Gu Xinlan. But it was still the same. He tried several more times, and without exception, the vine landed on his own face, shoulder, and neck.
After more than ten repetitions, the young man was covered in bruises, and even a piece of his clothes was torn.
He was both tired and in pain. He stared wide-eyed at the vine, which was as thick as his finger, and finally realized that he might have encountered something strange. He threw the vine to the ground, turned around, and ran away, holding his head and yelling incoherently.
"Ghost! Ghost!"
His screams echoed all the way.
Just then, there was a "swish, swish" from the other side of the bushes. Two pebbles flew out of thin air and accurately hit the vines binding Gu Xinlan. The stones were as sharp as knives, and instantly cut through the vines.
Gu Xinlan regained her freedom and turned to see Xia Yunting emerge from behind a tree.
Gu Xinlan breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother Xia."
No wonder the vines were so strange just now. It turned out someone was controlling them from behind. She wondered what kind of martial art it was; it was truly formidable.
Xia Yunting said, "Go back to the ghost house. I'll go see what's happening."
Gu Xinlan nodded. She guessed that this young man's actions were premeditated and that her home might be in disarray. However, with Miss Lin and Liu Hong there, she didn't need to worry too much. Going there would only be a burden. So she obediently returned to the ghost house, running fast all the way, like a nimble monkey. If she hadn't been blinded by worry and been tricked by that young man earlier, the young man probably wouldn't have been able to outrun her.
Xia Yunting watched Gu Xinlan enter the ghost house from afar, then strode towards Liu Hong's house.
At the entrance of Liu Hong's house, a group of people were blocking the courtyard, filling it completely. A group of people were squatting on the ground inside the courtyard, holding their heads in a posture of surrender. The village chief, Yu Rong, looked at these people back and forth, his eyes bulging with anger.
"You're truly capable! I never saw you put in so much effort when catching human traffickers, but you're all experts when it comes to dealing with your own people, and you've learned to lie and deceive! What did Xinlan's mother do to you? She was hit with a big hole in her head. Those who are incompetent only know how to bully their own people. If you're so capable, why didn't you come back on your own from the mine instead of needing to be rescued!"
It was clear that he was truly angry. Since these people had returned, considering the hardships they had endured in the past, Yu Rong had taken good care of them, often bringing them food and clothes. He never expected that these people would hold a grudge against Xinlan's family just because they spoke a few words for Zhang Yajing last night. If he hadn't arrived in time earlier, these people would have probably pounced on Xinlan's mother and torn her apart.
Rong Zhi stood behind Yu Rong, her expression also grim. She had just finished bandaging Wu Guixiang's wound. She had originally intended to investigate who had attacked her, but before she could question them, the young man who delivered the message earlier left on the pretext of reporting to Gu Xinlan. Liu Hong questioned several people, and it turned out that more than ten people admitted to it. In the end, they didn't know who was telling the truth, so they brought everyone back.
Just then, Xia Yunting leaped down from the sky, landing precisely beside Rong Zhi.
"How is it? Xiao Mo?"
Rong Zhi said, "The person is fine, but they are so united. It looks like they had planned it."