Chapter 6: Slap in the Face

Everyone turned to look and saw a slender young woman in plain clothing, her gaze cool and detached.

"You... you are a physician?" The woman cried out in overwhelming joy.

"Lay him down." Yu Linlang stepped forward to examine the child, feeling his pulse before lifting his eyelids to check his eyes.

"Just now, that villain threw my son!" the woman sobbed. "Physician, my son will be alright, won't he?"

"The right pupil is slightly dilated, but it is not particularly serious," Yu Linlang murmured softly. She turned to the woman and said, "Go borrow a wooden mortar."

She then instructed Jiujin to take some thick cotton cloth to wrap around the child's head.

Once the woman hurriedly brought the wooden mortar, she inverted it over the child's head, pressing it down firmly.

The onlookers watched with curiosity.

"Is this enough, physician?" the woman asked with a trembling voice.

"Learn from this. If there is a relapse tonight, just do it again for the child," Yu Linlang said indifferently. She took a small wooden stick and began teaching the woman how to do it by tapping the bottom of the mortar.

The child soon regained consciousness, opening his mouth to cry out.

The woman followed suit, weeping bitterly and calling out, "My son, oh my son! Physician, is he alright now? Does he... does he need medicine?"

Yu Linlang unwrapped the cloth from the child's head, her fingertips tracing his bone inch by inch. "There is no major issue; he can take it or not. If you are truly worried, I will leave you a prescription for backup."

"Two mace of Acorus calamus, two mace of Liu Jinu, three mace of Sappanwood..."

As Yu Linlang recited, Jiujin quickly took up a pen and wrote down the prescription, handing it to the woman. "Um, do you need to bandage your wound first?"

The woman had also scraped her forehead just now; because she was preoccupied with her unconscious child, half of her face was covered in blood, which looked quite frightening.

"Then thank you, Miss," the woman said, bowing repeatedly with deep gratitude.

"To think this young lady is so young, yet her medical skills are quite impressive," the onlookers whispered among themselves.

"Is it really effective? The child already hit his head, why is she hitting him with a stick? Will that work?"

"If you're so capable, why don't you do it? She already brought the child back to consciousness!"

Yu Linlang ignored the chatter entirely. Having finished her task, she prepared to leave.

Unexpectedly, Hongwei, with disheveled hair, lunged forward and collapsed at her feet.

Yu Linlang frowned. Seeing her disheveled clothes and messy hair, which looked quite unseemly, she took three steps back before steadying herself.

Seeing Yu Linlang's disdain, a flash of hatred flickered in Hongwei's eyes. She scrambled toward her on all fours, screaming, "Miss! Miss, save me, save me! Look at my face, it hurts so much, my face hurts so much!"

"In the way of medicine, I only possess a modest understanding," Yu Linlang replied coldly. "Your face is already ruined like this; a physician is not an immortal, and cannot save you."

Hongwei was furious, but since she still relied on Yu Linlang for medical treatment, she suppressed her anger and crawled forward, reaching out to grab Yu Linlang's skirt.

"Miss, save me! I beg you to save me! You just brought that child back to consciousness in a few moments. My face—you must have a way to save my face too, right?"

Yu Linlang stared at her skirt, which was being gripped tightly in the woman's hands, and slowly crouched down to meet her gaze.

"Now we are eye to eye, aren't we?"

Looking into those eyes, which were like cold pearls of ice, Hongwei shuddered involuntarily.

"Wha... what?" she asked, her eyes wide and her voice trembling.

Yu Linlang extended two slender fingers, lightly gripping Hongwei's chin. Her gaze was icy as she stared at the woman, a mocking smile slowly curling her lips. "You were already an eyesore, but now... you truly are loathsome to both men and ghosts."

As she uttered the final word, Yu Linlang shoved the blood-stained face heavily to the side.

Peeling her skirt away from the woman's grasp bit by bit, Yu Linlang ignored Hongwei's crying, wailing, and screaming, and walked straight toward the young general.

She gave a polite bow. The man was momentarily stunned before quickly cupping his hands in return.

"The household has failed in its discipline, allowing this maid to cause trouble on the road. It was her own wild and arrogant behavior in taking out food to entice others that caused this food-snatching commotion; it has nothing to do with the others. My Lord may simply take her away to fulfill your duties."

"The lady possesses both a skillful hand and a righteous heart. I, Zhao, thank you deeply."

Yu Linlang gave a faint nod and walked toward her carriage.

Seeing the soldiers actually stepping forward to seize her, Hongwei shrank back in terror and screamed shrilly, "What are you doing? Let me go! Yu Linlang, I am a maid from the residence of the Prefect's wife of Weizhou! What right do you have to take me?"

Yu Linlang spun around abruptly, a glint flashing in her eyes. "You are already this filthy, and you still dream of returning to the manor with me? You might be able to afford such disgrace, but the Prefect's manor cannot."

"A small household dares to challenge the majesty of the law? Believe me, if your mistress were here, she would have executed you on the spot for being a lowly wench who causes trouble without cause and uses the Prefect's name to act willfully and arrogantly."

Hongwei was so terrified that her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground like a flood.

Fortunately, a soldier caught her; otherwise, her legs, which were like limp noodles, would have been utterly useless.

Mother Hu's face had also turned pale with fright; she had not yet regained her senses.

The two maids supported her as she tottered forward. Just as they opened their mouths to call out "Miss," Yu Linlang turned around and delivered a heavy slap to her face, sending her head snapping to the side.

"You still want to plead for her? Look at the fine maid you have trained for the Mistress of the House!" Yu Linlang scolded in a cold voice. "Have some decency about where you cause shame!"

She stormed into the carriage, pulled down the curtain, and gave a single, icy command: "Go."

It wasn't that she wanted to plead for Hongwei. Mother Hu was filled with grief and indignation, clutching her reddened face, feeling so angry and resentful she wished she could faint on the spot.

She had been in the manor for over ten years; when had she ever suffered such humiliation?

The legitimate daughter wasn't just scolding her—she was clearly slapping the face of the Prefect's wife!

Several refugees who had been looting in the chaos were led away by the soldiers, and soon the carriage began to move slowly through the crowd.

Jiujin poured a cup of tea for her mistress and tucked a soft pillow behind her waist.

Yu Linlang ran her finger along the warm cup, a cold sneer in her heart.

She had intended to deal with that haughty maid before returning to the manor, but she hadn't expected her to be so dull-witted. She had brought about her own destruction without Yu Linlang even having to order anyone to act.

Look at this—this was the "fine servant" raised by her high-and-mighty mother, the Prefect's wife.

Causing her trouble time and time again. Despicable.

Yu Linlang lifted the curtain slightly and happened to see someone stepping down from a carriage opposite hers.

His hair was like silver frost, and his eyes were as clear as mist-covered waters. Even though it was a crowded official road, he stood out like a graceful swan in a painting, possessing a peerless countenance untouched by the dust of the world.

The winter wind blew fine, dense dust. As the carriage passed, Yu Linlang gently lowered the curtain and sat upright.

The young general was riding forward, passing by Yu Linlang's carriage.

"Young Lord, why have you dismounted? The wind is strong and exceptionally damp and cold outside! You lot, why haven't you brought the Young Lord's cloak?"

Jiujin added some hot water for her mistress and lifted a corner of the curtain to look out. "Miss, it looks like it's snowing again."

(End of Chapter)