Chapter 257: Turncoat and Apprehension
Chapter 257: Chapter 257: Turncoat and Apprehension
The meal left everyone completely satisfied.
Liu Wenqiang pulled Zhao Nuanyue aside. "Junior Sister, where did you get this fish?" he asked privately.
As it happened, Zhao Nuanyue had wanted to ask Liu Wenqiang about Cao Jingya and Immortal Grass Hall anyway. She decided to tell him, figuring that with his personality, he would absolutely be willing to cooperate with her and catch fish together.
"From Qingya Lake, right outside my backyard. It’s full of fish," Zhao Nuanyue whispered. "If you like eating fish, Senior Brother, you should come with me tomorrow to catch some!"
"Whoa, that’s pretty bold of you." Liu Wenqiang was taken aback for a second. He’d looked around Zhao Nuanyue’s house before and immediately understood how convenient and secretive the spot was. "But you’re right, your place is perfect for it. I’m tired of eating radishes and cabbage all day, with not a drop of oil in our diet. I’ll go with you tomorrow. Let’s catch a lot."
"Sounds good," Zhao Nuanyue said with a laugh. "Besides, it’s hard for me to carry a big catch over here by myself. If you help, Senior Brother, we could eat fish every day. But... you don’t think anyone would turn us in, do you?"
"Don’t worry. The only traitor at Immortal Grass Hall is Cao Jingya. Everyone else is trustworthy," Liu Wenqiang said with contempt. Master and Madam Sun had been so good to them, yet Cao Jingya had still treated them and Immortal Grass Hall so horribly.
Since Liu Wenqiang had brought her up himself, Zhao Nuanyue grew even more curious. "Senior Brother," she whispered, "what exactly did Senior Sister Cao do to make all of you hate her so much?"
"It’s a long story, but to put it simply, she’s the one who framed Master and Madam Sun, reporting them to those people with ulterior motives," Liu Wenqiang said. "Their goal was to seize Immortal Grass Hall’s secret formulas."
’So that was it!’
Outwardly, however, Zhao Nuanyue put on a look of utter shock. "That... That’s unbelievable! How could Senior Sister Cao be so ungrateful?" she exclaimed. "I heard that aside from Eldest Senior Brother, who is Master and Madam Sun’s biological son, all of Master’s other disciples were orphans he took in. Master and Madam Sun raised Senior Sister Cao since she was a child! How could she do something like that!"
"That’s right. Me, Tang Kai Xuan, and several other doctors at Immortal Grass Hall were all orphans Master took in. If it weren’t for Master and Madam Sun, we would have starved or frozen to death long ago," Liu Wenqiang said with deep emotion. "We owe them everything, but instead of repaying their kindness, Cao Jingya schemed to marry Chen Qingsong and join the Chen Family. She became their pawn and framed Master."
"My God. To betray the master and mistress who raised and trained her, and all for a man... That’s absolutely heartless," Zhao Nuanyue said in disgust. "After doing something like that, how does Senior Sister Cao still have the nerve to show her face in front of Master, Madam Sun, and all of you?"
Hearing this, Liu Wenqiang scoffed. "Of course she has an ulterior motive. Back when Immortal Grass Hall was shut down, we took Madam Sun to live in a large communal courtyard in the suburbs, where we were kept under surveillance. Senior Sister Cao showed up once, still trying to get the secret formulas from us. With Master missing, we were being watched constantly. It’s a good thing Master ran into you in Nianqiao Village. You saved him, which is why he had the chance to return."
"It was fate," Zhao Nuanyue said, not daring to take credit. "Even though Master didn’t raise me, he has taught me so much. I’ll never forget his guidance, or Madam Sun’s kindness."
"I know you’re a good person, not like Cao Jingya," Liu Wenqiang said with a smile. "Now that the Sun Family is back in power, Cao Jingya has started showing up again. She still hasn’t given up on getting Immortal Grass Hall’s secret formulas. But everyone is on guard against her now, so she comes up empty-handed every time she visits. If you see her, just stay far away. She’s not the kind of person you want to be around."
"Okay, thank you for the warning, Liu." Zhao Nuanyue nodded. She finally understood the bad blood between Cao Jingya and Immortal Grass Hall.
"If everyone at Immortal Grass Hall hates Senior Sister Cao so much, why do Master and Madam Sun still let her visit?" Zhao Nuanyue asked, confused. "A traitor like her should be formally expelled!"
"That’s true, but while Cao Jingya herself is no threat, her husband, Chen Qingsong, is one of the Chens. They’re watching Immortal Grass Hall like a hawk," Liu Wenqiang explained. "If we make a single misstep, it’ll give the Chen Family the excuse they need to attack us. That’s all I know. There are probably other reasons, but since Master and Madam Sun haven’t said anything, I’m not sure either. Anyway, just remember what I told you: stay far away from Cao Jingya."
"Oh, thank you for the warning, Senior Brother. I’ll remember," Zhao Nuanyue replied, feeling like she was beginning to understand the situation.
In the afternoon, Zhao Nuanyue asked Madam Sun to look after the Little Red Carp while she went to work out front.
Although she had only been at the Immortal Grass Hall clinic for two days, Zhao Nuanyue had already learned a great deal. The hands-on experience was far more vivid and memorable than just reading and memorizing books.
Zhao Nuanyue applied herself to her studies and progressed at an astonishing speed.
She had grown accustomed to her own ability to learn quickly, but Tang Kai Xuan, the one responsible for her training, was stunned. ’At this rate,’ he thought, ’she’ll have mastered all the procedures for weighing and cutting herbs in just another two or three days.’
Tang Kai Xuan had always considered himself a quick study, but he was nothing compared to Zhao Nuanyue. What had taken him over a month to learn, she was picking up in a mere five or six days.
’Her aptitude and her memory are both absolutely top-tier. No wonder Master took her on as his final disciple.’
「The next day.」
Liu Wenqiang drove Sun Haoran, Zhao Nuanyue, and the Little Red Carp to the hospital.
Sun Haoran took Hua Yusen’s pulse, a look of surprise on his face. He then stood, lifted Hua Yusen’s eyelids, and pried open his mouth to examine his tongue. His surprise deepened.
"Master, what is it?" Zhao Nuanyue asked. "Is something wrong with Yu Sen?"
"No, it’s not bad news," Sun Haoran said, shaking his head. "Hua Yusen’s condition has improved significantly."
Zhao Nuanyue’s face lit up with joy. ’The Little Red Carp’s method is really working!’
"As long as he’s improving, that’s what matters. Over time, I’m sure Hua will wake up," Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. She sat down on the edge of the bed and took Hua Yusen’s hand. "Hua, did you hear that? You’re getting better. Keep fighting. You have to believe you can wake up."
Seeing Zhao Nuanyue so happy, Sun Haoran smiled as well. ’Her happiness is what’s most important.’ But then it occurred to him, ’There was no change just a few days ago. How could he have improved so much in such a short time?’
’It seems to have started the day Nuanyue returned, hasn’t it?’
With this thought, Sun Haoran asked curiously, "Nuanyue, Hua Yusen’s condition has improved dramatically since you got here. What have you been doing for the past few days?"
Zhao Nuanyue thought for a moment, then smiled. "I just cut his hair, cleaned him up, and changed him into fresh clothes. Then I gave him a massage to help stimulate his muscles. After that, I’ve just been reading the newspaper to him so he can hear the latest news."
"Huh?" Sun Haoran was taken aback. He let out a sigh. "Have you really decided to commit your life to Hua Yusen?"