Chapter 7: Saving People

"Whoa!" With a sudden jerk, the carriage came to a jarring halt, nearly sending Ling Qingyu tumbling headfirst. Rubbing her nose, she scrambled up and instinctively opened the carriage curtain. "Zheng Xi, what happened?"

While soothing the horse, Zheng Xi pointed to a small figure collapsed in front of the carriage. "This kid suddenly darted out from the side. Miss, you weren't frightened, were you?"

"That little brat, get back here!" The small figure on the ground was still struggling to climb up when a large, stout woman came chasing after him, brandishing a kitchen knife.

Ling Qingyu looked at the woman, then at the steamed bun clutched in the child's dark, dirty little hands. She jumped down from the carriage, grabbed a handful of copper coins from her purse, and as the stout woman rushed up to her, she said, "Sister, he took that bun; I will pay for it. Would you please let him go?"

The address of "Sister" caused the woman to halt her charge. The handful of copper coins made her face instantly bloom into a wide grin. "You are truly a kind-hearted lady. But you must be careful not to let people like this latch onto you. This little brat has been loitering around here for a few days; he's no good."

Ling Qingyu smiled as she sent the woman on her way, then turned to look at the small figure. He wasn't old, looking to be only about seven or eight years old. His clothes were tattered, but amidst that soot-covered face, his eyes were clear and bright.

"Sister..." the child called out hesitantly. Ling Qingyu raised a hand to stop his next words. She poured some copper coins from her purse, thought for a moment, and then placed the entire purse into the child's hands. "Sister isn't wealthy either. Use these sparingly."

She immediately climbed back into the carriage and signaled Zheng Xi to drive away. If she stayed any longer, she couldn't guarantee her conscience wouldn't prevail and lead her to keep him. However, given her current situation, the truth was that one should avoid contact with people of unknown origins and refrain from meddling in injustices. She could barely protect herself; how could she save others?

Clutching the purse that still carried Ling Qingyu's faint fragrance, the child blinked, a small smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. He had seen that carriage before; he had heard it belonged to a household that had moved in not long ago. According to the disdainful gossip of the neighborhood busybodies, it was a female-headed household.

It was early summer, and the morning dew still carried a hint of chill. A sliver of dawn light appeared on the horizon, casting a hazy glow over the courtyard.

Ling Qingyu stretched, took three deep breaths to fill her lungs with the fresh air, and then performed several stretching movements in preparation to begin her *Zhan Zhuang* (standing meditation).

In her past life, she had been busy with various hobbies and sports while studying, and after working, she had been constantly rushing to make money. She had even followed her best friend to attend Tai Chi and Five Animals exercises classes, but they had all ended without fruition. The only thing she remembered clearly was this standing meditation. Since arriving here, she had been busy dealing with various situations. Yesterday, she had finally made some progress, so Ling Qingyu intended to start training properly. After all, going to sea required a healthy and strong body.

Setting her posture, with knees slightly bent and hips lowered, Ling Qingyu searched her memory for the correct stance. She slowly tucked her abdomen and lifted her *Qi*, allowing it to begin circulating. Just as she entered the state, she heard a creak from outside the door, followed by low sobbing.

Ling Qingyu ignored it and continued to circulate her *Qi*, but the crying grew louder, accompanied by whimpering. After a few cycles, Ling Qingyu finally couldn't help herself. She walked to the door and opened it.

The small courtyard Ling Qingyu had purchased was originally the residence for the manager of a wealthy household. Because they had to follow the master to Guangzhou, it had been sold in haste and at a low price. It was located in a commoner's gathering area east of Quanzhou, surrounded mostly by middle-class families. This courtyard sat at the end of an alley, a solitary house that was very quiet. However, the downside of such quietness was that if someone collapsed outside the door, no one would know.

Ling Qingyu looked at the two people outside the door with speechless frustration. A youth who looked like a teenager lay on the ground, his life or death unknown, while a ragged little child was hunched over the youth, weeping. The sound wasn't too loud or too soft; it was just loud enough for Ling Qingyu inside to hear, but quiet enough that neighbors twenty meters away certainly wouldn't.

Ling Qingyu's first instinct was to close the door and go back inside, but the child was faster. He lunged forward, grabbed her leg, and cried, "Sister! Kind sister, please, have mercy and save my brother!"

Ling Qingyu's eye twitched. Seeing the child making a face as if about to burst into even louder tears, she felt like she had two headaches instead of one. As expected, one simply could not be a good person.

Hearing the commotion outside, Zheng Xi threw on a coat and rushed out from the east wing, only to see his mistress's eldest daughter having her leg hugged by a child who was crying most sorrowfully. Various possibilities immediately unfolded in his mind.

Seeing Zheng Xi's stunned expression, Ling Qingyu said irritably, "Come help! Help me carry this fellow inside. Don't let anyone see!"

She had Zheng Xi carry the unconscious youth into the west wing and then practically kicked the little brat into the courtyard. She peeked out the door; both sides were silent, with no shadows or voices in sight. Only then did she close the door, bring the little brat to the west wing, and sit down heavily in a chair. She dropped the brat on the floor and was about to speak when—

"Sister, please have pity on us! My brother and I were robbed by bandits on the road. My brother is injured, and we have no money. We wandered here, but I am too young to even find work. Sister, I can work! As long as you give me food, I can do anything!" The child spoke in a rapid-fire stream, then crawled to the youth whom Zheng Xi had placed on the bed. He used his sleeve to wipe the youth down and continued, "Sister, do you want to take a son-in-law? Look, my brother is very handsome. Many sisters wanted to marry him before, but he wouldn't agree. As long as you can cure him, I promise he will work hard and tirelessly as your live-in son-in-law!"

Ling Qingyu was momentarily speechless at his torrent of words. Seeing the look full of suspicion and mischief from Zheng Xi, she coughed and said, "Don't talk nonsense! When did I ever say I wanted to take a son-in-law!"

"I heard the old lady selling buns down the street say that for a girl running her own household, she either takes a son-in-law or... or she has a 'warehouse' for those things," the child said with his head lowered.

"You little brat, what nonsense are you talking!" Zheng Xi was actually angry. He raised a hand to slap him, but Ling Qingyu blocked it, shaking her head gently.

Seeing the expressions on Zheng Xi and Ling Qingyu, the child realized he had said the wrong thing. He figured this family likely wouldn't take them in, and his face darkened. "I understand. I'll take my brother and leave right now. I've caused trouble for you, sister. I'm sorry. I will pay you back for the bun."

"Wait," Ling Qingyu observed him closely. She could see the youth's face was as pale as paper, and his graying clothes were stained with several dark patches of blood. If they waited any longer, he might truly become a corpse.

"Food, lodging, and medical treatment provided. I'll buy ten years of your service. How about it?" Ling Qingyu's words brought great joy to the child, but they caused Zheng Xi to grumble inwardly. *The Miss is truly too good at saving money. It costs 500 coins a month to hire a servant now, and she's taking two. Over ten years, won't that cost over a hundred taels of silver?*

"Zheng Xi, go find a doctor," Ling Qingyu said, ignoring Zheng Xi's gaze.

"No..." a weak voice came from the half-dead youth on the bed. The youth struggled to lift himself up, only to fall back down powerlessly. He said urgently, "You can't find a doctor... Ye'er..."

"Brother, you're awake!" The child lunged toward him in joy, using his hand to check the youth's forehead, effectively blocking the youth's words.

Ling Qingyu's face darkened again. This... no matter how you looked at it, this didn't seem like a simple matter. There was a conspiracy, or at least a hidden story!

"Hmm?" Ling Qingyu let out a long, drawn-out hum. She sat back in her chair and watched the little brat with an expectant gaze, making the child feel uneasy. He lowered his head and whispered, "My family was harmed by wicked people. Brother Lu brought me to escape. We are hiding from pursuers. Sister, please save my brother. We won't cause you trouble. If there is trouble, just hand me over to them."

"Ye'er!" the youth said urgently.

"If Brother Lu dies, what can I do alone?" The little brat pressed down on the youth, looked up with clear eyes, and said, "My surname is Ye, and I am the eleventh. This is the son of my father's friend, Lu Yao."

Ling Qingyu didn't know if she should feel sympathy for their plight or the urge to run away from the impending trouble. While she was in internal conflict, she heard Zheng Xi say from the side, "Miss, the ship is short on sailors, cooks, and laborers."

Ling Qingyu pressed a hand to her forehead. On second thought, it was true. Even if these two had enemies, in a month's time, she could take them out to sea. Once they were out there, it would be the vast, open ocean. And she would happen to have two subordinates she could use.

However, regarding their physical condition—Ling Qingyu's gaze swept disdainfully over the youth's emaciated body and Ye Shiyi's small frame. This little fellow could only help her serve tea and water, and as for the youth, if all else failed, could she train him to be a helmsman?

"Miss, if you don't treat this young Master Lu soon, I'm afraid you'll be one sailor short," Zheng Xi's voice rang out again. Seeing Ling Qingyu glare at him in annoyance, he added, "If you can't use an outside doctor, Old Man Ding has a ship doctor who won't talk too much."

Ling Qingyu stood up and walked out of the door. She pulled a hundred-tael silver note from her small chest pouch, turned back, and handed it to Zheng Xi. "Go invite that ship doctor, then buy some medicine. Bring some ginseng as well. We'll need it on the ship anyway."

As Zheng Xi took the silver note, a wave of emotion surged in his heart. All along the way, the Miss had been extremely frugal, saving money to the point of not even having a maid, managing everything herself. Yet, she was willing to spend an amount equal to the cost of this small courtyard for strangers. The Miss was indeed the same kind and lovely person she had always been.

Watching Zheng Xi scurry out the door, Ling Qingyu brought Ye Shiyi to the kitchen. "I don't care what your status was before. Since you've sold yourself to me now, you will work hard for me. First, boil some hot water. See that side room? There's a wooden bucket in there. Carry the water into it."

After leaving Ye Shiyi in the kitchen, Ling Qingyu returned to the west wing. She tore open the youth's clothes to strip him. The fabric seemed to be of high quality; the sound of tearing was crisp, and it felt very smooth to the touch. However, Ling Qingyu had no time to examine the material, nor did she notice Lu Yao's face turning blue. Her attention was entirely captured by the crisscrossing scars on his naked body, and she couldn't help but gasp.

There were over a dozen wounds on his body, some so deep the bone was visible. The torn flesh had begun to rot, oozing pus and blood. Fortunately, the wounds had avoided vital organs, and there were traces of previous medicinal applications; otherwise, he would have bled out.

Ling Qingyu couldn't help but lament, "You're already this rotten, how are you still not dead?"

Lu Yao had been clinging to a shred of life, but being stripped naked by this woman and then hearing such a remark caused him to lose his breath, and he fainted.

Ling Qingyu intended to check for other injuries, but she caught a scent of burning in her nose. Crying out in alarm, she rushed out of the west wing, only to see thick smoke billowing from the kitchen.

By the time Zheng Xi returned with the ship doctor, the courtyard was a mess. Half of the kitchen door had burned, and water was flowing everywhere in the yard. Ling Qingyu stood with her hands on her hips, scolding Ye Shiyi.

"I told you to tend the fire, and you burn my kitchen! I told you to fetch water, and you flood my courtyard! I told you to bathe, and you overturned the bucket! Ye Shiyi, are you actually here to seek revenge on me?"

Zheng Xi and the doctor ignored the courtyard and went straight into the west wing. They saw Lu Yao lying on the bed with his upper body bare. His torso had already been cleaned, and a basin of water sat on a chair nearby with a cloth draped over its edge.

The doctor said nothing and went straight to examine him.

"You go in there and bathe properly. Wash yourself, understood?" Ling Qingyu said, finally breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Zheng Xi leading the doctor inside.

"In the past... Little Tao always helped me wash," Ye Shiyi said in a small voice, his head lowered.

"That was in the past! Now you must learn to be self-reliant, understood!" Ling Qingyu said fiercely.

"Mhm, I will learn," Ye Shiyi looked up, his delicate features revealed after being washed, wearing a pitiful expression. "Sister, you won't abandon me, will you?"

Seeing a boy with the potential to be a beautiful youth speaking in such a soft, pleading tone, Ling Qingyu's heart—which was nearing forty—instantly softened. Since the doctor was here, there was nothing more for her to do regarding Lu Yao. She softened her voice and said, "I'll teach you how to wash this time. From now on, you must do it yourself."

"Mhm."

"Shiyi, how old are you?" Ling Qingyu asked casually as she wiped away the thick grime from Ye Shiyi's back.

"Seven," Ye Shiyi sat obediently in the wooden bucket, letting her clean him.

He was so filthy; even though Lu Yao was covered in wounds, he wasn't this dirty. But as the grime was washed away, a body as white and tender as fine jade appeared. The skin was delicate and fair, feeling softer and smoother than the finest silk. Combined with his jet-black hair and a face so exquisite it seemed non-human, Ling Qingyu paused. "Did you intentionally cover yourself in so much mud?"

"When we were being chased, someone said they wanted to catch me to be a male concubine. Brother Lu said that wasn't a good thing. So I thought if I was covered in mud, no one would recognize me and they wouldn't catch me to be a concubine." Ye Shiyi yawned. "After arriving here, no one would take us in, so we had to stay in that ruined temple. I wanted to beg for money to treat Brother Lu, but no one would pay attention to me. These past few days, only you, sister, have paid attention to me. So at night, I carried Brother Lu here."

Ling Qingyu felt her heart touched by the child's gentle voice. She lifted the clean, fragrant Ye Shiyi out of the tub and dried him. Seeing the child's eyes drooping, she wrapped him in a bath towel and walked toward the main room, coaxing him, "Go to sleep first. Don't go out for a while. Once we go to sea, we won't have to fear those people chasing you."

The main house had three rooms. The middle one was the hall, and the right one was Ling Qingyu's bedroom. Remembering that Lu Yao was seriously ill and Ye Shiyi was just a child, she didn't feel the need to be overly formal and placed Ye Shiyi on the bed in the left room.

Fortunately, the manager of the previous wealthy household had left in such a hurry that he had left behind some bedding and furniture. Ling Qingyu had simply paid a little extra to buy it all.

The bedding had been washed by a local washerwoman and dried in the sun. Being only seven, as soon as Ye Shiyi's head hit the pillow, he hugged the quilt and fell into a deep sleep.

Ling Qingyu closed his door and went to the west wing to check on Lu Yao.

"Fortunately, the vital organs weren't hit. The medicine he applied himself was also high-quality wound salve; otherwise, he would have died after a few days of delay like this," the doctor said while writing a prescription. "I'll leave some topical medicine. Buy several doses of these. He is still young; with proper care, he will recover quickly."

"Thank you, Old Man Shi," Zheng Xi said, taking the prescription.

"It's no big deal. I know, I won't talk nonsense," the doctor suddenly leaned toward Zheng Xi. "Last night, I heard Old Man Ding is preparing to run ships again? I wonder if the ship needs a doctor?"

"A doctor is definitely needed, but whether you can come aboard depends on Old Man Ding," Zheng Xi said, stepping back. Shi Fang's medical skills were top-notch, but he loved alcohol, and his drinking habits were terrible. He spent eight out of every ten days drunk. After he once drank all the cargo on a ship, no one dared ask him to join a crew.

"Understood, understood," Shi Fang took the consultation fee, waved his hand, and returned the polite bow Ling Qingyu had given him at the door. Carrying his medicine box, he wandered off.

"Then, I'll go get the medicine prepared," Zheng Xi said, taking the prescription and heading out.

Ling Qingyu looked at Lu Yao, who was wrapped up like a rice dumpling in bed, and couldn't help but chuckle. Compared to Ye Shiyi, Lu Yao's features were very upright, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, possessing a certain heroic air. But now, with only his head sticking out of the wraps, he looked quite ridiculous.

Lu Yao had been jolted awake by the doctor. First, alcohol had been sprayed on his wounds, then some of the larger wounds had been stitched directly, followed by a layer of agonizingly painful ointment. Finally, when Shi Fang had wrapped him up forcefully, Lu Yao felt as if he had lost all sensation.

So, when he saw Ling Qingyu enter, his eyelids flickered, but he had no strength to speak.

However, Ling Qingyu didn't need him to speak. She stood by the bed, looked him over sufficiently, and then said, "Ye Shiyi is already asleep. You should rest well too. When Zheng Xi returns with the medicine and breakfast, I will call you. Don't worry, since Ye Shiyi has sold both of you to me, you are my people. I will do my best to protect your safety. Yes, I won't let anyone catch Ye Shiyi or you to be male concubines."