"Let me go! Let me go! The ghost is going to kill me! Let me go! Let me go!" Wenqin's face was contorted with rage as she clawed at the person holding her, her body twisting and turning. Feng Fei could clearly see bits of flesh under Wenqin's fingernails.
Feng Fei couldn't help but look at the person who had subdued Wen Qin. She saw that the person's expression was unchanged, and the bloody wounds on her aged face looked somewhat terrifying. Upon closer inspection, Feng Fei could even see many dark-colored scars beneath these fresh wounds.
Seemingly sensing Feng Fei's scrutinizing gaze, the man casually turned his gaze to Feng Fei, causing Feng Fei's heart to skip a beat.
Tao Wan seemed to find Wenqin's behavior very annoying, and frowned unhappily, saying, "Mother Li, please trouble you to gag her."
Hearing Tao Wan's words, Li's mother finally turned her gaze away from Feng Fei. She scooped a paper packet from her bosom and shook it towards Wen Qin's opening and closing mouth, spilling out a lot of gray powder. As soon as the powder entered Wen Qin's mouth, she felt as if someone had choked her, rendering her unable to make a sound.
Tao Wan nodded in satisfaction, glanced at Su Zaihou, and then instructed Li Mama, "Please lock this maid in the woodshed. If possible, please keep an eye on her."
Tao Wan seemed extremely respectful to Li Mama, and Li Mama showed no fear of Tao Wan's respect. After hearing Tao Wan's words, she simply nodded. A sturdy little girl ran out from behind Tao Wan and took the speechless Wenqin from Li Mama's hands. Li Mama then strode away.
Seeing that Li Mama had left with her entourage, Tao Wan then said to Feng Fei, "Just now you..."
Upon hearing just those four words, Tao Wan's attention was immediately drawn to Qing Yan, who was about to wake up on the ground. Tao Wan's brows furrowed with anxiety, and she quickly made several gestures to Feng Fei and the others, not daring to expect them to understand, but hoping that heaven would grant them at least a glimpse or two.
Qingyan groaned. His consciousness had barely returned when he felt an excruciating pain at the back of his head; a quick touch revealed his hand covered in blood. Just as he was about to cry out in alarm, he happened to see Tao Wan there. He rushed towards her as if she were his savior.
"Wan'er, save me! They're trying to kill me!" Qingyan suddenly pointed at Feng Fei and the other two. "They clearly couldn't save Hui'er, but they insisted on coming into this backyard with ulterior motives! Wan'er, quickly scoop them up! Otherwise... Waaah... Look, I'm bleeding..."
Seeing Qingyan extend her blood-soaked hand in front of him, even Su Zai, who knew what kind of person Qingyan was, felt unbearable. Tao Wan would probably feel heartbroken too.
As expected, Tao Wan helped Qingyan up with a heavy heart and held her in her arms. She gently stroked Qingyan's back with her right hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, don't worry, I will definitely stand up for you."
Those standing behind Tao Wan didn't see her expression at that moment, but Feng Fei and the other two standing in front of her saw the plea in her eyes clearly. Yuan Jue pondered for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly, but Tao Wan saw it and was immediately overjoyed.
After calming herself down, Tao Wan gently pushed Qingyan away from her embrace: "Why don't you go and rest for a bit?"
"You must stand up for me!" Qingyan said shyly and tearfully, then stood aside, pretending to be a wronged little wife.
Su was originally standing behind Tao Wan. Naturally, he didn't see Tao Wan winking at Feng Fei and the other two. When he saw Qing Yan, who had stepped aside, give him a smug look, he panicked and hurriedly took Tao Hui from Wenshu's arms, then knelt down in front of Tao Wan with a "thump".
"Master, please spare Miss Fengfei and the other two. They had no intention of harming Hui'er. With Hui'er in such a state, who would have the mind to harm her?" In his haste, Su Zai forgot Qingyan's words about wanting to kill Tao Hui.
Tao Wan's face darkened, a hidden sorrow flashed in her eyes, but her face was full of anger.
"You know I'm the head of the family."
Tao Wan flicked her sleeve, intending to walk around Su Zai, but Su Zai moved his knee and blocked Tao Wan's way again.
"I know you are the head of the family, but you are also Hui'er's mother. How could you stand by and watch the hope for Hui'er's recovery be right before your eyes and remain indifferent? You even wanted to extinguish that hope. How cruel you are!" Every sentence was an accusation, every word was filled with tears and blood.
Tao Wan seemed unable to withstand it; her face suddenly turned pale, and she staggered back a step.
Su Zai remained holding Tao Hui, staring intently at Tao Wan, while Qing Yan's face was full of worry. He wasn't worried about Tao Wan's health, but rather whether Tao Wan would soften her heart and let Feng Fei and the other two go, thus saving Tao Hui.
Tao Wan noticed everyone's reactions and felt a pang of pain in her heart, but she still pretended to be indifferent. She took another step forward and ordered the people behind her, "Tie up those three and lock them in the side room."
After that, he took Qingyan and left the place.
Su stared blankly at Tao Wan's departing figure, the disappointment in her heart beyond anyone's comprehension.
After a while, Su Zai finally heard Longlong's father's voice beside him.
Su Zai immediately regained his senses, quickly handed Tao Hui to the clerk to hold, and rushed to the group of servants who were binding Feng Fei and the other two.
"Untie me!"
The leader glanced at Su Zai with a slightly embarrassed expression, then told his men to hurry up.
Su was instantly enraged. He stepped forward and grabbed the leader, saying angrily, "Didn't you hear what I said?"
"Doctor, please don't make things difficult for me." The leader was extremely angry. If Su Zai hadn't been using the title of "doctor," he wouldn't have paid any attention to him.
Su Zai noticed the contempt in the man's eyes. Although he didn't care much about it, it still prevented him from stopping the binding of Feng Fei and the other two.
"You know I'm the physician of this Tao household? You're just a lowly steward, yet you dare disregard my words?" Su Zai abruptly threw the man to the ground and roared at the group of servants, "Stop!"
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the junior manager who had been thrown to the ground.
The steward was also furious. He was Erfu Qingyan's man, and yet Su Zai had humiliated him like this. The steward immediately stood up, glaring at the people in the courtyard, and said in a deep voice, "Are you not obeying the patriarch's orders?"
Everyone immediately remembered Tao Wan's instructions, stopped looking at Su Zai, and focused on tying up Feng Fei and the other two.
Seeing his subordinates obediently follow his orders, the junior manager was extremely pleased. He gave Su a mocking look and then smugly said, "Alright, let's go."
Su Zai's face grew increasingly pale, and finally, unable to contain himself, he rushed forward and grabbed the person who had bound Yuan Jue. He then frantically began to untie the ropes.
The person who was pushed aside by Su stood there helplessly, not knowing what to do.
The head steward, only then realizing what was happening, immediately flew into a rage: "Su, don't push your luck! You think you're a doctor? But nobody in the Tao household thinks you are!"
Su paused slightly in his movements, but then resumed them.
Seeing that Su Zai was unmoved by his words, the steward simply ran over and wrestled with Su Zai for the rope that was helping Yuan Jue.
"Look at yourself! Where is the dignity you should have as a physician of the Tao family?"
"You've completely disgraced the Tao family."
"Let go now, or I'll tie you up and lock you in the side room too."
…………
Regardless of how much the steward boasted, Su Zai's hands did not slow down at all.
Suddenly, Su Zai froze, an expression of disbelief on his face.
The steward seized the opportunity to snatch the rope binding Yuan Jue from Su Zai's hands, then, fearing Su Zai might try to take it back, he quietly but urgently urged everyone to leave.
After they had all disappeared from sight, the scribe, carrying Tao Hui, slowly approached Su Zai. He whispered, "Doctor..."
Seemingly startled awake by the sound of the document, Su shuddered and became fully awake.
The right hand, which had been tightly clenched, loosened slightly, but then, as if remembering something, it immediately clenched into a fist again.
“Bring Hui-jie with you.”
From the moment the document firmly protected Tao Hui, Su Zai subconsciously regarded the document as one of his own.
"Yes." The clerk hugged Tao Hui and followed closely behind Su Zai, his pace quickening as he wondered what Su Zai was thinking.
What Su is thinking at this moment is really not a big deal.
However, only one sentence kept running through his mind, a sentence he had just heard from Yuan Jue during the struggle: "This is a Mind-Clearing Pill, there are five pills, take one pill every day."
Qing Shen Dan (Clear Mind Pill)
Su Zai, who hadn't quite grasped the key point at first, completely understood after silently reciting the name of the Mind-Clearing Pill twice in his mind.
This calming pill is the medicine for treating Hui-jie's illness.
Su was somewhat skeptical about whether the medicine could really cure the disease, but with the mindset that the outcome would definitely not be worse than it was now, she scooped up a Qing Shen Dan and gave it to Tao Hui.
"Daddy, this sugar pill is so delicious."
Tao Hui, who had just swallowed the Mind-Clearing Pill, acted coquettishly towards Su Zai. Su Zai clearly saw Tao Hui's eyes becoming clearer and clearer, and couldn't help but cry tears of joy.
However, things weren't going so well for Feng Fei.
"Weren't we locked in a side room? This is the side room of the Tao family mansion? It's really awful, who would want to live here?" Mingfeng complained, looking at the water-soaked walls around her.
After tying them up, the steward brought them directly here.
Feng Fei sat up slightly and said with equal displeasure, "It is indeed terrible, and," then glanced around, "this place is probably not clean."
This uncleanliness doesn't refer to hygiene, but rather to unclean things, such as ghosts.
Mingfeng nodded in agreement, while Yuanjue remained deep in thought.
After a long pause, Yuan Jue finally spoke, "Why do you think Tao Wan wants us to cooperate with her in this charade?"
Feng Fei remained silent; she had also been pondering this question.
"Perhaps..." Before Feng Fei could finish speaking, strange noises came from outside, making one's teeth ache. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit (.). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
☆, Chapter Thirty-Seven: Clichés
Feng Fei looked at Yuan Jue with some surprise and doubt, "What was that sound?"
Yuan Jue's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but he still replied, "It sounds like a dull knife sawing through bone."
Yuan Jue's voice was eerie, making the already dark, damp, and terrifying room even more sinister. Feng Fei couldn't help but shudder: "How could there be such a sound?"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than that sickeningly sweet sound suddenly reached his ears.
Feng Fei suddenly turned around and saw that the room was surrounded by a gray mist, in which ghostly figures could be seen faintly.
Most of these ghostly figures are limbless, yet each of them has a bone resembling an arm or thigh in its mouth, and the sickening sound comes from their mouths.
Other ghosts were heavily pregnant women, but their faces were extremely ferocious, and something below the umbilical cord hung down from their lower bodies, leaving a trail of blood as they walked.
Feng Fei couldn't help but look at Yuan Jue. The way these people died was clearly the same way that Su Cheng had killed them. And those limbless ghosts were probably the human pigs that had been soaked in the wine jars in Yangliu Lane.
Could it be that Qingyan has some connection with Su Cheng?
Feng Fei and the other two stood back to back, with Feng Fei and Yuan Jue facing the door, where a faint light shone through, making the room much brighter than the other areas.
"Bang!"
The barely audible sound of the door closing took away the light, and what appeared next was a beautiful woman in a red dress with a captivating charm.
Qingyan walked gracefully toward Fengfei and the other two, a charming smile on her face, but Fengfei clearly saw a fleeting glint of cold light in her eyes.
"Are you all doing well here?"
Qingyan asked, feigning concern, but Fengfei and the other two remained indifferent and watched.
"Oh dear, don't look at me like that. I'm scared." Qingyan hugged her arms, seemingly trembling with fear, but then her expression turned sinister: "Weren't you all very powerful? How come you're imprisoned here?"
Qingyan looked around, a sympathetic expression on her face: "Look at you all, you came here with good intentions to treat our Hui'er. But it seems you haven't done anything right. She's locked up here, and there's no hope of her ever getting out."
"What exactly are you thinking?" Feng Fei asked coldly. She really found Qingyan's constant chatter in front of them extremely annoying.
Qingyan's face darkened instantly, and she snapped at Feng Fei, "I'm speaking! How dare you interrupt?"