A life of clearness

Chapter 9 Jong Soo
Rong Qing jumped into Doctor Dugu's yard. The situation here was much better than that in the next yard.

"Xiao Yu." Dugu Zhi was in the middle of the yard, sitting in his black wheelchair. With just a glance, he could see Rong Qing holding a child and breathing heavily by the door.

Rong Qing suddenly let go of her strength and was extremely tired. Her legs were hot, numb, and so sore that she didn't want to move at all.

She put the child down and stood by the door, calming her breath, with one hand on her waist and the other waving at Dugu Zhi, indicating that she didn't want to say a word now.

"Sir, are you okay?" Seeing that Rong Qing looked exhausted, the students considerately brought over a teapot and teacups.

Seeing this, Dugu Zhi raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Looking at the tea bowl full of water handed to her, Rong Qing was almost moved to tears by the good students of this class. She took the tea bowl and gulped down several gulps of tea before stopping.

"I'm fine. How's Mr. Woyu?" This bowl of water didn't quench his thirst, it just moistened his throat. Thinking about the old man, Rong Qing asked the student in front of her directly.

She only saw the old man lying in the middle of the yard with a mattress under him. She didn't see any movement and was a little confused for a moment, not knowing what was going on.

Unexpectedly, the handsome student looked delighted, "Thanks to Doctor Dugu, after he gave him acupuncture, Mr. Woyu became much more conscious."

"So now..." Why did the old man lie down again, and lay down in a posture that looked like he had died on the spot? Rong Qing looked suspicious.

"Don't let your imagination run wild." Dugu Zhi's voice was naturally a little lazy. "I saw that Mr. Woyu was old, and I was afraid that he couldn't bear it, so I gave him another injection and let him sleep and rest for a while."

After Dugu Zhi's explanation, she understood. Today's incident took less than a minute, but the subsequent troubles made it difficult for the two young students to hide their fatigue, not to mention the elderly gentleman. This mental blow can sometimes knock a person down more than a physical blow. Now letting him sleep and rest is actually better than taking medicine.

"That's right." The two students nodded repeatedly, but their eyes had already drifted curiously to the extremely well-behaved little girl at Rong Qing's feet.

So the sound the teacher heard was made by this child? The handsome student seemed to understand something. It seems that Mr. Yu not only has a photographic memory, but also has amazing hearing. If it were just the two of them and they missed the girl's cry for help, I'm afraid it would be difficult for this child to find her after today.

"Where did you get this child?" Although Dugu Zhi was not very mobile, he had a good eye. The girl looked at Xiaozhi, but it was obvious. He didn't ask at first, just because he was not in a hurry to ask. "It's rare for me to see you, but today you came to see me with such a big scene." He seemed to be complaining, but there was a hint of smile in his voice.

"You are a doctor. If I have to come to you often, I think it's better to go and burn incense first." Rong Qing knew he was joking, so she took over the conversation. "As for this child, I picked him up by accident." She shrugged and said to the handsome student, "Pour me some more, thank you."

He took a sip and moistened his throat. "But this is not like picking up a kitten or a puppy. Of course I have to return it. Don't worry, I already have an idea of ​​how to find her home."

"Oh?" Dugu Zhi was very interested when he heard that. He even leaned forward slightly. "How do you plan to find her family?" He added, "I guess you don't even know the name of this child. But from her clothes, I can get a clue or two..."

"No." Rong Qing raised her head with some pride, "There's no need to go through so much trouble. I don't really know this kid, but I did meet her and her mother last night when I went to Dingxiang Lane to eat wontons." She didn't mention the matter of borrowing a seat. In short, it was not necessary to explain everything clearly to the people present without missing out every detail.

"I'll take her to Dingxiang Lane later and ask the Qin couple, and then I'll know where her home is. I'll take her home." Rong Qing wasn't afraid of not being able to get the address. After all, the boss lady knew so much about the child's mother, it's impossible that she didn't even know which lane her home was in.

"Not bad, but it took some time..."

"Do you have a better idea?" He looked doubtful.

The little girl was just too obedient. Apart from saying "sir" a few times, she didn't say a word. This method was the best way to pry the girl's mouth. Rong Qing looked at Dugu Zhi. If there was a better way, she would be willing to listen.

"It's actually the same method as yours." Dugu Zhi propped his head up with one hand. As if knowing that he had this habit, the armrests of the wheelchair were padded so that his elbows wouldn't feel sore even if he rested them for a long time. "I know her, and I know her mother."

Dugu Zhi actually looked very young. He liked to call Rong Qing "Xiao Yu", but judging from his age, he was only in his early twenties. At this moment, he tilted his head, staring at Rong Qing with his narrow eyes, smiling, "I even know where she lives."

"......!" Rong Qing didn't care about her mood at this moment. Maybe she was more relieved. She immediately started a conversation, saving herself the trouble of going around in circles. "Where is her home?"

Perhaps he thought this coincidence was very interesting, Dugu Zhi smiled and raised his chin and pointed to the right, "It's next door."

Next door was the shabby yard that Rong Qing had complained about before entering. It might not have been so shabby originally, but I don't know if it was a quality issue, but the degree of damage was much more serious than Dugu Zhi's.

"Auntie Zhi." he called out.

"Master, what do you want?" The middle-aged woman called Aunt Zhi spoke up before being noticed by the others. She stood in the corridor, her face shrouded in shadows, and was so ordinary that it could be perfectly hidden in the crowd. Rong Qing felt that this face showed neither malice nor kindness, but was very homely, the kind of homely face that your mother would call you home for dinner.

"Let Li Hu come back."

"Yes." After listening to Dugu Zhi's instructions, Aunt Zhi quietly left. Rong Qing thought that she should go to do something.

Seeing that Rong Qing and the others were still puzzled, Dugu Zhi patiently explained, "The young lady of the Gong family originally took the child out to do some shopping. When the earth dragon turned over, the crowd dispersed. She was not holding the child at that time, and lost sight of it. When she came back, she naturally informed the young master of the Gong family, but she didn't expect that the young master of the Gong family was not in a hurry to find the child, but was in a hurry to beat her first." Dugu Zhi sneered, "I couldn't bear it, so I sent Li Hu to take the young lady to find the child, so that she wouldn't get beaten... Now Aunt Zhi is going to call them back, and the mother and daughter can be reunited."

"God is really helping us." The baby-faced student was really happy for Rong Qing when he saw how things had developed to this point. People with kind hearts will naturally be helped by destiny.

"I am Dong Shuming, a student of the academy, and I would like to thank Doctor Dugu for his kindness." He walked to the front of Doctor Dugu and bowed. The handsome student followed suit and bowed.

"Song Changqing, a student of the academy, is deeply moved by the chivalry of Doctor Dugu."

These two students usually study faith and morality in the academy, and their grades may not be outstanding, but when disaster strikes, people's true nature is revealed. They are moved by what Dugu Zhi did, and Dugu Zhi and Rong Qing also admire these two people.

Dugu Zhi accepted the greeting and said, "It's just that I can't stand the unfortunate things. As for Mr. Woyu, since he was introduced by Xiaoyu, it's a good opportunity for him to show off the little skills he has practiced in his spare time."

"You're flattering me by saying that." Rong Qing crossed her arms, "Everyone knows that Doctor Dugu loves making friends. Even if I hadn't mentioned my name, would you not help a student from the academy who came to you to ask for treatment without the teacher's knowledge?"

Speaking of which, Rong Qing and Dugu Zhi met only a few times, but their friendship had grown deep without them noticing. When she was with him, it was like she had known each other for many years. She didn't need to worry about the rules and could chat in a very relaxed manner. It was said that Dugu had many friends, from all walks of life, and they were all quite capable. Rong Qing thought that it was probably not just a rumor.

"Ha, you also said that I love making friends the most in my life. Since we have this fate to meet, of course I must try my best to make friends with you two gentlemen." Dugu Zhi looked at Dong and Song. "I wonder if you two still think highly of me?"

"It is an honor for us two cousins ​​to get to know Doctor Dugu." Song Changqing said hurriedly.

"That's right. If Doctor Dugu needs us two weak scholars someday, just let us know." Although Dong Shuming was self-deprecating, his eyes were quite eager. It must be said that most young scholars have a pursuit and passion for chivalry hidden under their weak appearance.

"Well, speaking of helping, there is one thing I would like to ask you two..."

"Please go ahead." Song Changqing said. Seeing Dugu Zhi's cautious look, he couldn't help but pay more attention.

"The Suicheng earthquake was only affected. I just got the news that the disaster in the three northern states is even more severe."

Dong and Song looked at each other. It was the north again!
They were not completely oblivious to what was happening outside. Disasters were frequent in the north, but it was far from Suicheng, and the people of Suicheng, whose lives were not affected, soon became numb to the news. Even if they were willing, they did not leave for a long time because of the long journey and the lack of funds. Besides, they did not have any relatives in the three northern states, so it was natural that they would not be too enthusiastic. The most important thing was that there was the imperial court above them, and it would be most effective if the imperial court took charge of disaster relief.

"Why?" Dugu Zhi smiled, looking at the puzzled expressions of the two students, "Don't you know that the people in the three northern states are almost extinct?"

Rong Qing suddenly looked at Dugu Zhi.

He looked calm, as if he had no idea that what he had just said was enough to turn the government upside down.

"This... how is it possible!" Dong Shuming couldn't believe it.

Song Changqing said directly, "Do you have any evidence?" He lowered his eyebrows and looked a little more stern.

"Evidence." Dugu Zhi chuckled, "Do you think I am lying to you? Even though I am disabled, the news I need to know cannot be blocked by any thick wall.

Do you know how long the news of the disaster in the north has been spreading? It has been almost nine months since the beginning of the new year. How many people are there in the north? People from three states. You are all educated, so you must know that even a flood can produce tens of thousands of refugees. There are many records of refugees in history.

Let’s think back to the news from the north, floods, plague… The Gong family next door went all the way south when the floods first started. There weren’t many refugees coming after that. But after rumors of plague started to spread in April, no new refugees appeared in Suicheng.

"Since there is a plague, the court will naturally strictly control and guard, and not allow people to go out." Song Changqing interrupted directly. He was anxious, perhaps he already knew in his heart what terrible conclusion Dugu Zhi was going to draw.

"Yes, you are right." Dugu Zhi nodded calmly, "What if we reverse the cause and effect? ​​The court did not want to let people go out, so the news of the plague came.

And the evidence you want... the soldiers of the prefecture have not been mobilized since the beginning of the year. Even when it was said to be a flood, they did nothing. Sizhou and Suicheng are far away, but they are only separated by Matou Mountain. It is unreasonable not to mobilize soldiers even for Suicheng. Moreover, there is no movement from the palace. "Dugu Zhi looked at Rong Qing.

She nodded silently. Although he was just a teacher invited to teach, it was impossible that the palace had no news of the private army's mobilization, especially since Rui'er, who served beside her, was a child of the palace and loved to spread gossip when she had nothing to do.

He continued, "Moreover, no matter what the court says, the situation in the three northern states that I mentioned... plus today's earthquake, there are not many people alive anyway." Looking at the pale-faced Dong and Song, "I would like to ask you two something, it's a personal request..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by a sharp female voice.

"Jiajia!"

A thin woman with messy hair rushed in.

She staggered forward and hugged the girl at Rong Qing's feet. However, her legs could no longer support her and she fell to the ground.

"Mom finally found you." The woman broke down and cried out, tears and snot flowing out.

Normally, she was very concerned about her image in front of outsiders, but how could she bear it between such extreme sorrow and joy?

The girl hugged her mother obediently, whispering "cold".

Rong Qing was shocked to realize that they were all so absorbed in listening to Dugu Zhi's words that they all had a sense of suspense when the female voice sounded. Then she was frightened... Children are quiet, and if they run away while Dugu Zhi is talking and get into danger, then she would be guilty of a great sin.

A sturdy young man was probably the Li Hu mentioned by Dugu Zhi. Although he looked like a rough man, he was quite calm when he walked. He walked to Dugu Zhi and said a few words with his head down.

Dugu Zhi nodded slightly when he heard this. Li Hu withdrew tactfully.

"Thank you, Doctor Dugu, and thank you, Mr. Yu." The woman finally came to her senses, and without standing up, she kowtowed to them.

Rong Qing was caught off guard and quickly pulled the woman up, "Don't do this." She pulled a few times but didn't move.

"Madam, you didn't mean it. Just be more careful next time."

"Sir, please don't call me Madam..." She wiped the wet liquid off her face with her sleeve and said rather shyly, "My husband's surname is Gong, and my maiden name is Xiu. Sir, just call me Xiuniang."

Madam is the name for the main wife, and in her case being called that was kind of a mockery.

"I'm sorry..." Rong Qing sighed softly. She had a good memory and remembered that the boss lady once said that Xiu Niang's maiden name was Zhong. She thought that the name Zhong Xiu should not be so obscure.

Dugu Zhi glanced at Rong Qing and thought, as expected, most female teachers are not used to the issue of wives and concubines. But he said, "Let's stop here today." A hint of fatigue appeared between his eyebrows.

"I think the academy still has a lot of things that need your help." Dugu Zhi looked at the two students, "I can't finish my personal affairs for a while, so I will send a letter to your residence in the evening. As for Mr. Woyu, you can rest at my place for the time being. The guest room has been tidied up, and I can take care of it from time to time."

"Sorry to bother you, Doctor Dugu." Dong and Song bowed deeply to Dugu Zhi. Since the old man was asleep, it would not be appropriate to move him. Dugu Zhi's suggestion just solved their current embarrassment.

Rong Qing looked at the old man lying in a dead body position and thought that it was a good thing that he was asleep, otherwise if he had heard Dugu Zhi's words, he would have been so angry that he would have lost his mind again.

Receiving Dugu Zhi's gaze, Rong Qing immediately said, "I still have to go back and check the library. Some repair and searching work is inevitable. Alas." She thought of her bookcase, and hoped that nothing happened to it.

After being interrupted by Dugu Zhi, Rong Qing was able to help Zhong Xiu up. On her way back to the academy, she had to pass by Zhong Xiu's house next door. She planned to send her to her doorstep and say a few good words for Zhong Xiu to the young man from the Gong family. She just hoped that the man had hit Zhong Xiu because he was angry. When Rong Qing helped her up, she noticed some purple finger marks on her arms, which was why she was worried.

The two students also knew that they had a lot of things to do, so they said goodbye to Dugu Zhi without saying anything more.

Dugu Zhi looked over at Rong Qing, only to see Rong Qing comforting Zhong Xiu in a low voice and trying to take her away. The little girl in Zhong Xiu's arms kept looking at Rong Qing... He suddenly called Rong Qing, "Xiao Yu, I have something to talk to you alone."

"Ah?" Rong Qing turned around and felt that Dugu Zhi was inexplicable, but she still said to Zhong Xiu, "Wait for me."

She walked quickly to Dugu Zhi, bent down and looked at him straight in the eye, "What's the matter?"

Dugu Zhi motioned for her to come closer.

Rong Qing pursed her lips and moved closer as she was told.

Glancing at the submissive woman, Duguzhi whispered in her ear, "Mr. Gong is not a good man, but Mrs. Gong is not a good person either."

Hearing this, Rong Qing raised her body, tilted her head slightly, and uttered a soft "oh".

(End of this chapter)