Chapter 547: Going to Demand Justice
Chapter 547: Chapter 547: Going to Demand Justice
The assistant thought for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Hua, do you think this Su Qing might have some connection to Miss Susan?"
Hua Zifeng shook his head. "I’m not sure about that either."
Ever since Hua Zifeng learned that Master Zhang had gone to Beijing with the express purpose of harming Su Qing, he had made a point of looking into her background.
He was stunned to discover Su Qing’s background was anything but simple. Her maternal grandparents were high-ranking officials, and her eldest maternal uncle and stepfather also held important positions. She herself was a top student at Beijing University. Not only that, but she also had an excellent relationship with the wealthy Cheng Family of Xiangcheng and was best friends with their eldest daughter, Cheng Beilin. And that wasn’t even mentioning Su Qing’s other abilities—she was rumored to be an expert in herbal medicine, often venturing into the mountains to find herbs, which had earned her the high regard of the famous physician, Mr. Gong.
’Her background is anything but simple.’
After some thought, Hua Zifeng said, "If the opportunity arises, it wouldn’t hurt to meet this Su Qing."
Hua Zifeng turned to look at the scenery rushing past the window and sighed to himself. ’What exactly is the relationship between Susan and this girl, Su Qing? I refuse to believe there’s no connection. It’s all too much of a coincidence.’
’Or maybe... I can find some clue about Susan through her?’
Su Qing never imagined that she would cross paths with Hua Zifeng again, much less that Kongkan Prefecture’s investigation into Little Master Wen and his group would cause Hua Zifeng to turn his attention to her.
Over the weekend, Su Qing went to Mr. Gong’s courtyard.
"Qingqing." Seeing Su Qing arrive, Mr. Gong was delighted. He was in the courtyard tinkering with his herbs. He smiled and said to her, "You’ve come at the perfect time. I just finished making a few bottles of Ginseng Nourishing Pills. Take them with you when you leave for your grandparents. They’ll help them build up their strength."
"Okay! In that case, I’ll gladly accept. Thank you, Grandpa Gong." Su Qing didn’t stand on ceremony with him. After all, she had plenty of various herbs from the mountains stored in her ’space,’ so she could just give him some later. Mr. Gong had practiced medicine his entire life; he was happier to see rare herbs than just about anything else.
Mr. Gong smiled and nodded. "Why don’t you go inside and chat with Little Han? He’s in the study reading. I’ll finish up with these herbs, and you can stay for lunch."
"Okay." Su Qing was familiar with all kinds of herbs, but she wasn’t an expert at processing them, so she had no intention of getting in Mr. Gong’s way. She chatted with him for a few more moments before heading inside to find An Zhihan.
"You’re here. Have a seat." An Zhihan was also very happy to see Su Qing, and he quickly had A Feng pour some tea and bring out some pastries.
Su Qing took a sip of tea and ate a pastry before asking, "You said you had something to discuss with me. What was it?"
An Zhihan smiled. "The other day, Uncle Tian and his men returned from the Northeast. They’ve retrieved everything. I really have you to thank for this. Without your help, I’m afraid none of it would have ever reached me."
"I just happened to stumble upon it," Su Qing said. "Did everything go smoothly?"
An Zhihan nodded. "Yes, very smoothly. Uncle Tian has some skill with repelling snakes, and with the Snake Repelling Powder my grand-uncle provided, the snakes below the cliff were no threat. Still, I never would have imagined that my grandfather hid so much in Baihua Mountain back then."
An Zhihan had been stunned when he saw what Fang Lutian brought back. It also made him realize why his first and second uncles had sent so many men to scour Baihua Mountain. A treasure that vast would certainly make anyone greedy.
"That’s good." Su Qing smiled. She had seen the treasures hidden in that valley. There was quite a lot, and many of the items were very valuable.
"I really must thank you for this," An Zhihan said with a smile. Just then, A Feng brought over a wicker chest, placed it on the table, and opened it.
The wicker chest was filled with valuables: large and small gold bars, hair ornaments and jewelry, and some other trinkets suitable for a young woman. They were all exquisite and delicate, a perfect fit for someone Su Qing’s age.
Seeing the contents of the chest, Su Qing couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at An Zhihan.
An Zhihan smiled. "Su Qing, I know you don’t need the money, but I hope you’ll accept these. It’s just a small token of my appreciation. I’ve always been indebted to you. My legs would never have healed if it weren’t for you. On top of that, I only managed to retrieve the contents of that valley with your help. So please, you absolutely cannot refuse."
Su Qing smiled faintly. "But our previous transactions were all settled. You paid for the ginseng you bought before, and you paid for the Purple Danshen this time. I haven’t been short-changed. As for what was in the valley, I just happened to find it and mentioned it to you offhandedly."
"That’s different. This is my way of showing my gratitude. I’ll say it again: without the herbs you found, I would never have been able to stand, even with my grand-uncle’s prescription. You went deep into the mountains to find them for me. I know how dangerous that is; not just anyone can go in and come out with what they’re looking for. We can say our business was settled, but I still owe you a huge favor. Compared to that favor, this is nothing—not even a fraction of what I owe. And as for the valley, finding it may have been a simple matter for you, but it was an enormous help to me. With these resources, I can finally put up a real fight against those people in Xiangcheng."
An Zhihan spoke with great sincerity. After a moment’s thought, Su Qing smiled. "Alright, then. I won’t refuse."
An Zhihan was instantly delighted. "That’s more like it."
"What are your plans for Xiangcheng?" Su Qing asked. "Do you need any help?"
At the mention of Xiangcheng, An Zhihan’s spirits fell. He knew that what he had to do would inevitably hurt Old Mrs. An. He understood that while his grandmother was biased, her concern for him was real. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have offered Su Qing ten million for an eight-hundred-year-old Purple Danshen. The thought of causing his grandmother pain filled An Zhihan with a trace of guilt.
But despite his guilt, some things simply had to be done. He had to seek justice for his parents, and he had to demand justice for the recent ambush near Beijing. That justice was nearly a decade overdue.
"My first and second uncles went after my parents for one thing and one thing only: money. Since that’s what they did, I’m going to make them lose what they value most. Things are going smoothly for now. If I need your help, I’ll let you know. But thank you," An Zhihan said to Su Qing with a smile.
"Okay. If you need anything, just let me know."
’Su Qing considered An Zhihan a good friend. He could be a bit indecisive at times, but he was a person of good character and well worth being friends with.’
Just as they were speaking, a knock came from the courtyard gate.