Nouvel An chinois

Chapitre 5

"I think it's very likely that someone deliberately targeted our company and accidentally injured your country's military attaché."

"Mr. Luo, do you have any evidence?" the consul asked.

"There is no evidence yet, but please believe me, this assassin has absolutely nothing to do with our company. If this person were an employee of our company, surely he wouldn't be foolish enough to directly draw suspicion to himself," Luo Xiuqing said, changing the subject.

"Mr. Luo wouldn't use ghost stories from the outside world to fob us off, would he?"

"Consul, you don't believe in ghosts and spirits, do you? Many things seem strange, but in the end, it turns out that it's all human doing."

"Mr. Luo, you're really trying to shirk all responsibility."

"No, Consul, I was just objectively analyzing the situation at the time. I also hope that the truth will come out as soon as possible, and I am even more anxious than you, after all, this matter concerns the company's reputation."

"Mr. Luo, as I understand it, the Chinese saying 'early' can also be interpreted as 'a long way off'."

“Sir Howard and I spoke on the phone, and the British government is also very concerned about this matter. He is considering returning to Tianjin as soon as possible.” Luo Xiuqing stood up, paused, and continued, “Consul, I am truly on pins and needles right now.”

"Oh—, is that so?" The Japanese consul seemed thoughtful.

Luo Xiuqing understood that the Japanese did not want to involve the British, but they also had to consider the complex web of interests at stake.

"Well then, Mr. Luo, we'll take our leave now. Please convey to Sir Howard that we believe your company will give us a reasonable explanation as soon as possible."

When Luo Xiuqing returned from seeing off her guest, Zhang Zhi was already waiting for her in his office. He had come to tell Luo Xiuqing that the Japanese had put pressure on the police station, demanding that the murderer be handed over within ten days. They both understood that the Japanese had them pinned down like a turtle and wouldn't easily let go.

Busy until noon, Luo Xiuqing finally had a moment to catch her breath and quickly called home. Xiaoju, still suffering from a high fever after last night's fright, had been delirious all night. "Hello Manager Luo, Teacher Lin's fever has subsided, she's asleep," a strange girl answered the phone, claiming to be Xiaoju's student.

"Thank you. Is Lin Jiaming there? I want to talk to him."

"Please wait a moment, Uncle Lin has gone to take the doctor."

A minute later, Jiaming answered the phone, "Hey, Xiuqing, Xiaoju's fever has gone down. The doctor gave her an injection, and she's asleep."

"Thank you for your hard work, Jiaming. Who answered the phone just now?"

"Oh, Xiaoju's student, you know her father, Wu Xia, Lao Wu's daughter. She's here to see her teacher on behalf of the students. Xiuqing, how are things going at the company?"

"I don't have any clue yet. I'll go home after get off work. I'll hang up now."

Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded outside the window.

Nine.

Around two or three in the afternoon, Xiaoju groggily opened her eyes. Her fever had subsided, but she felt weak and listless. She heard people whispering beside her; it was Chen Fengxi and Wu Xia.

"Xiaoju, you scared us to death." Fengxi helped Xiaoju prop up her pillow so she could sit up halfway.

"I'm so useless, you guys still worry about me. Wu Xia, you're here too."

"Teacher Lin, your classmates are very concerned about you and asked me to come and visit you on their behalf. We hope you get well soon, as we all enjoy your classes."

Xiaoju forced a smile, but she just couldn't muster any energy.

"Xiaoju, I heard you were sick when I got back from my vacation, so I came to see you right away."

Xiaoju noticed that Fengxi had come directly with her luggage, and her heart warmed.

"Looking at your physical condition, once you feel a bit better, I'll take you to my usual doctor and get you some medicine to help you recover." Feng Xi patted Xiao Ju's hand. "Besides, this medicine has some unexpected benefits."

Xiaoju looked at Fengxi questioningly.

“You’ll see when you get there. Look at me now, don’t I look different than before? I only realized after meeting this doctor that a woman’s constitution and appearance can be changed.”

Feng Xi winked mysteriously at Xiao Ju.

"Feng Xi, I'm all better now, take me there."

"That won't do, look at your face."

"Didn't you say that medicine could make me healthy?"

"That's true, but there's no rush."

"I want to go!" Xiaoju said, gripping Fengxi's hand tightly.

"Xiaoju, don't worry, you'll get a fever again soon. I'll go find Brother Jiaming," Fengxi comforted Xiaoju. "Brother Jiaming, Brother Jiaming?"

No one answered.

"My brother must have gone out on something. You and Wu Xia can keep me company."

"Oh dear, it's all my fault for being so talkative," Feng Xi said regretfully. "It's not too late to tell you when you're better, otherwise your Xiuqing will blame me."

"Good sister, please take me there. I can't leave without telling my brother and Xiuqing."

Fengxi couldn't persuade Xiaoju otherwise, and was afraid that she would get a fever again if she got anxious. So she had no choice but to bundle Xiaoju up tightly and put her in the family car.

Xiaoju drifted off to sleep again in the car. She felt as if she were back at the ball, this time the girls openly mocking her ordinariness, laughing loudly without restraint. She had nowhere to hide; her brother and Xiuqing were nowhere to be seen, and she was surrounded by the girls all alone. Suddenly, someone collapsed with a thud. Silence fell. Xiaoju, emboldened by some unknown source of courage, pushed through the crowd to look. She was suddenly terrified that something had happened to Xiuqing. Lying on the ground was a woman, her long, disheveled hair covering her face. Thankfully, it wasn't Xiuqing. Xiaoju was about to breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly the person on the ground slowly moved, sat up, and brushed aside her hair. "Linju, look who I am." Xiaoju gasped. It was herself, but she had no facial features; her face was completely blank.

"Screech—" A sudden stop woke Xiaoju from her nightmare. The driver got out of the car; a little beggar had slipped and fallen on the road, nearly being hit by the car.

"Xiaoju, you're sweating again." Fengxi touched her forehead.

"What happened?" Xiaoju asked as she saw the driver grabbing the little beggar's arm.

"Probably someone deliberately caused the accident to extort money," Feng Xi said, looking out of the car.

"Never mind, this child is pitiful. Let's give him some money and send him on his way. Don't make things difficult for him." Xiaoju closed her eyes wearily.

"Xiaoju, wake up! We're almost there. It'll be a problem if you catch a cold in the car." Fengxi put a hat on Xiaoju and rolled down the window a little. "Driver, give him some money and let him go. We have things to do."

The car started moving again, and then stopped again after a short while.

"Is it already evening?" Xiaoju wondered, noticing how dark the sky was. She got off the bus and realized it was because the huge eaves of the building in front of her were blocking the sunlight.

The black gate was tightly closed, with a Jiaotu (a mythical creature) on the brass door knocker and a ring in its mouth. The stone drum next to it was decorated with small beasts resembling Xiezhi (a mythical beast in Chinese mythology). The bluestone slabs on the steps were exceptionally smooth due to their age or frequent washing.

Feng Xi got out of the car and knocked on the door knocker a few times; the door opened silently.

A little boy in white blinked his big eyes and greeted Feng Xi, "Sister Feng Xi."

Feng Xi nodded: "Xiao Tong, go tell your grandma that I brought a patient to see a doctor."

Xiaotong responded and skipped and hopped into the yard.

Fengxi turned around and, with Wuxia's help, Xiaoju followed Xiaotong into the courtyard.

Facing the main gate is a large screen wall, carved with reliefs of the Two Immortals of Harmony and Union. Passing the screen wall, every first-time visitor is struck by the sight of a vast flowerbed, flanked by lush, colorful trees. The slightly sloping path has no steps; instead, wide channels, about half a foot wide, flow down the path, carrying water from an unknown spring, gurgling and laughing all the way.

The path then becomes flat, with a cobblestone path winding forward across the lawn. At the end of the path, nestled among green trees, stands a building that blends Chinese and Western architectural styles. Its greyish-white exterior, vermilion roof, and two large, semi-circular windows beside the door resemble two large eyes. Somehow, the building gives the impression of a life force lurking within it.

Stepping onto the porch, Xiaotong quickened her pace, pushed open the door, and invited Xiaoju and the others inside. As the door opened, everyone smelled a faint herbal aroma. The small brass handles on the drawers of the traditional Chinese medicine cabinet gleamed in the sunlight.

"Xiaotong, make tea for the guests, I'll be right there." A pleasant female voice said.

Xiaotong had already brought out two cups of tea. The tea was a tender green, with tiny leaves lying quietly at the bottom of the cups. It was early spring bitter tea, fragrant but not bitter, refreshing on the palate and with a sweet aftertaste.

"Fengxi, you thought of coming to see me." The speaker must be the owner of the house, a woman whose age is hard to guess. Her cheongsam, with its deep purple background and large silver plum blossoms, paired with her fair and moist skin, is indescribably pleasing to the eye.

"Dr. Yu, I brought my sister here specifically so that you could examine her."

"Oh, is this the young lady? Her pulse is weak and shallow, as if she has been frightened." Doctor Yu took Xiaoju's pulse. "Moreover, you've been overthinking, which can cause significant damage to your health. It's alright, I'll prescribe some medicine for you to try."

"Dr. Yu, we'd like to... could you perhaps treat Xiaoju the same way you treated me back then?" Feng Xi seemed somewhat hesitant.

"Fengxi, it's fine to take care of your health, but is appearance really that important?" Doctor Yu stopped writing the prescription.

"Dr. Yu, can one's appearance really be changed?" Xiaoju blurted out.

"There's a saying, 'A woman grows up eighteen times,' you've heard it, right? Actually, a woman has three opportunities in her life to change her constitution: menarche, childbirth, and menopause." Doctor Yu looked at Xiaoju. "My family has been imperial physicians for generations. The concubines in the palace all hoped to stay young forever. Imperial orders were hard to disobey, and although we knew there would be many difficulties, we still had to research. Ironically, by my generation, I was the only daughter in the family, and the Qing Dynasty had come to an end, but I was the one who managed to develop this formula. Now, women have more than three opportunities to adjust themselves."

Xiaoju was so surprised that she couldn't speak.

Doctor Yu paused for a moment and continued, "I didn't originally intend to reveal this secret, but if Feng Xi hadn't encountered an accident..."

Feng Xi looked at Xiao Ju's questioning gaze and said, "When I returned to China, I was robbed by bandits and my life was in danger. I was saved by Doctor Yu. That's when my appearance changed."

"Feng Xi, what is this young lady's name?"

"Her name is Lin Ju, and she is my good friend."

“Miss Lin, change is possible, but it will also be painful, and everyone’s reaction is different. Also, you need to think about whether changing your appearance is really that important to you,” Dr. Yu said earnestly to Xiaoju.