Why is the person who caused Old Master's death his sworn brother?
Old Lady Fang's mind was completely blank, unable to say anything. Lady Fang looked on cautiously.
Although she still wasn't directly targeting Head Shopkeeper Song.
But she knew that at this moment, an imperial physician visiting them was not a good thing.
The air congealed for a time, the atmosphere turning strange.
Head Shopkeeper Song looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Sister-in-law? What's up with you?" he asked.
Although she was overcome with waves of shock, Old Lady Fang knew that she could not expose the horse's hoof. She squeezed out a smile.
"Nothing, it's nothing," she said.
"Then we should quickly ask Imperial Physician Jiang to come," Head Shopkeeper Song said.
The managers also urged this suggestion.
"It's no use," Lady Fang said. "Chengyu is fine..."
She knew that she had slipped when she said it.
How could she say Chengyu is fine when he was someone who could not live past fifteen.
"What did daughter-in-law Dalang say?"
As expected, Head Shopkeeper Song was frowning as he looked between Old Lady and Lady Fang.
He could see that their expressions were strange.
"What happened?" he asked.
Suspicion showed on the other managers’ faces.
They knew the circumstances around Fang Chengyu very well. All of Yangcheng knew how desperately Old Lady Fang and Lady Fang asked for doctors.
So why would they be indifferent when they heard Imperial Physician Jian had come, and even going so far as to refuse him?
What were they refusing?
Old Lady Fang smiled with helplessness and pleasant surprise.
"This is just too sudden," she said. "How could we suddenly just invite Imperial Physician Jiang here. I must first send someone with a formal notice, and then prepare a gift. I will go visit him personally to ask tomorrow."
"Yes, I really must.." Lady Fang replied immediately, the gleam of tears in her eyes. "Mother, we definitely cannot wait. Second Uncle, you do not need to bother with this. We will definitely go and invite him."
This was understandable.
Anyways, it was not urgent. Fang Chengyu had been sick for so long. They din't care about waiting another day.
Understanding appeared amongst the managers.
"Old Lady, hurry, Young Master is not well," said that girl standing on the side again.
Could it be that Chengyu really was not well?
Unease crossed Lady Fang's face, and she couldn't help but step forward.
Old Lady Fang shot the servant girl a frosty gaze.
Compared to a servant girl whose name she didn't even know, she would of course believe in Jun Zhenzhen.
Jun Zhenzhen had said that Chengyu was fine, that there was nowhere he was unwell.
Very good, very good. If they acted together, there would be nothing to be suspicious of.
Old Lady Fang just felt unable to breathe.
To be able to infiltrate the household, to continue to harm her husband, son, and grandson, was it Head Shopkeeper Song acting alone or was there some other figure behind the scenes.
But for now it din't matter. Just knowing that this person, even closer than brother, was someone she had been blind to was enough.
Blind, so blind.
She felt like slapping herself, as if it were the only way to start up her breathing.
"Sister-in-law," Head Shopkeeper Song raised his voice. "What are you doing?"
He took a step forward.
"Quickly, ask Imperial Physician Jiang to come." He glared at the servant girls and boys outside and shouted while shaking his sleeves. "I will go and see Chengyu."
Old Lady Fang clenched her hands.
What to do? She couldn't let him bring a doctor, otherwise the truth about Chengyu would be exposed.
But Shopkeeper Song was a senior acknowledged by everyone in the family. He always looked after Chengyu with the utmost care. If they insisted on stopping him, it would be obvious they had a hidden motive and Chengyu's situation would still be exposed.
They really could not advance or retreat.
Between what had happened between Chengyu and that servant girl Lingzhi and Head Shopkeeper Song’s visit, and now Imperial Physician Jiang coming to Yangcheng, it was obvious that the opponent was just as meticulous as Jun Zhenzhen had said. It had always been the cat playing the mouse. When it sensed that the mouse was jumping out of its paw, it immediately wanted to finish it without hesitation.
Old Lady Fang looked at him, itching to pounce and take him down with her.
Head Shopkeeper Song felt the gaze on his back and stopped to turn around.
Head Shopkeeper Song had always been serious, seldom smiling, but at this moment she didn't think that he was serious at all. Rather, it was downright dark.
"Sister-in-law, let's go," he said solemnly.
Since either way it would be exposed, it was time to descend into downright impropriety.
Old Lady Fang resolved herself.
Lady Fang felt the atmosphere change and clenched her hands into fists.
"Old Lady, Lady."
Liu'er suddenly ran into the room shouting, breaking the nervous tension.
"Young Lady said to go find a doctor quick, Young Master isn't doing well."
At this, all the people were stunned.
Old Lady Fang looked at Liu'er and understood what she meant—there was nothing wrong with letting anyone look at Fang Chengyu.
Was there really no problem?
This was Imperial Physician Jiang, second only to Divine Doctor Zhang.
Distrust remained on Head Shopkeeper Song's face, but he was not as rushed as he was before.
Seeing all the people frozen, Liu'er grew impatient.
"Hurry up, someone's going to die," she said ill-temperedly.
She was full of anger. Young Miss had married to give them face and that cripple had actually committed such a filthy act.
It would be better if he just died. The sooner she became a widow, the sooner she could escape the humiliation.
Liu'er’s words spurred Old Lady Fang into action.
She trusted her.
She had done so many unexpected things. There would be no problem believing her this time.
"Yunping," Old Lady Fang said, her voice trembling, staggering. "Please send someone to ask Imperial Physician Jiang here immediately."
Lady Fang was not concerned about that at all. She ran directly for Fang Chengyu.
"Hurry up, quickly now," Old Lady Fang urged again, before speeding there herself.
Seing the servant girls frantically follow mother- and daughter-in-law, Head Shopkeeper Song hesitated for a moment.
"Head Shopkeeper, hurry and go see," urged the managers behind him, and rushed him to go ask the imperial physician to come.
"Go and request Imperial Physician Jiang," Head Shopkeeper Song said to the servant boy. "My carriage is outside. Ride my carriage there; they know the way."
The servant boy nodded and flew out the door.
Head Shopkeeper Song had a different position in the Fang Family. Where the managers couldn’t act, he could. He followed after mother- and daughter-in-law.
There were many servant girls gathered outside the courtyard, fear and shock on their faces, yet they did not dare whisper in each other’s ears. There was a sound of faint sobbing.
Concubine Yuan came speedily.
"What is it? What happened?" Lady Fang asked nervously.
"Lady, you’ve arrived. This servant girl said that Young Master and Young Lady were fighting," said Concubine Yuan, pointing at the servant girl Baishao behind her. "I had someone bring word to you, and I came here first to see."
"What fight?" Lady Fang pressed.
Old Lady Fang was watching Concubine Yuan.
"You had someone notify Lady?" she asked.
Concubine Yuan felt an indescribable chill in her heart.
Could it be because she notified lady and not Old Lady first—she did not hold Old Lady in her eyes—so Old Lady was unhappy?
There were many households where mother- and daughter-in-law would fight over who was first, who was dominant.
But the Fang Family had no time for such squabbles.
"Yes," she answered hurriedly. "I thought that the servant girl was too flustered and might scare Lady, so I had someone else go tell her, while I brought the girl with me to see the situation…"
She hadn’t finished when Old Lady Fang walked right past her.
Concubine Yuan was rebuffed, but felt nothing by it. She stepped forward.
The one sobbing inside was Maidong.
Lady Fang stepped in and looked at the prone form of Fang Chengyu on the bed and Maidong, who was kneeling at the bedside.
Head Shopkeeper Song also stepped into the room and looked at the bed.
Fang Chengyu was not moving, but even at this distance his wan face was visible.
This did not look good...
"What is it? How did it become like this?" Lady Fang asked in a strangled voice.
"Who knows, but it’s nothing strange. He was always ill."
Head Shopkeeper Song heard a gentle female voice speaking. The voice was delicate, soft, and sweet, but the words were incensing.
It was that Jun Zhenzhen.
"What are you calling strange?" he spoke with furrowed brows. "Chengyu was not this sickly before."
As he spoke, he saw a girl with messy hair walk out, her lapels all askew. She looked like she had just woken up.
He jumped in fright, and so did this girl.
"Ai! Who let this old geezer walk into someone else’s inner chamber!" She furrowed her brows. "Get him out!"
Head Shopkeeper Song’s face went blank.