Chapter 10: Dream of the Red Chamber 8

This toxin can also be passed from the mother to the fetus in her womb.

Children born this way are naturally frail and highly susceptible to early death.

The mother will also suffer harm; it will be difficult for her to recover after childbirth, and she will remain in a state of constant weakness.

One careless mistake, such as contracting another illness, and she will pass away.

Lin Ruhai and Jia Min’s faces turned dark.

Whoever administered this medicine was truly malicious.

Lin Ruhai hurriedly said, "Doctor, please examine my wife."

The physician felt Jia Min's pulse. After a moment, he withdrew his hand and said to Lin Ruhai and Jia Min, "Madam Lin has not been taking the medicine for long. Although there are toxins in her body, they are not numerous. I will prescribe two doses of detoxifying medicine. Once Madam Lin drinks them, the toxins will be completely expelled, and she will be fine."

Jia Min asked, "What about the child? Will the detoxifying medicine affect the baby? Has the previous toxin affected the child?"

The physician replied, "The detoxifying prescription I have written is quite mild and will not have a significant impact on the fetus in Madam's womb. The fetus has not absorbed too much toxin; once it absorbs the detoxifying medicine the Madam drinks, it will be able to expel the toxins from its body as well."

Hearing this, Jia Min breathed a great sigh of relief.

She was filled with anticipation for the child in her womb.

Having been married to Lin Ruhai for ten years and only giving the Lin family a daughter, Jia Min felt she had failed Lin Ruhai and the Lin ancestors.

She desperately hoped to bear a son.

Now that she had finally conceived a son, how could she allow anything to happen to him?

The physician wrote down the prescription and left after receiving a generous reward.

Jia Min instructed her trusted senior nanny to oversee the brewing of the medicine, ensuring the decoction never left the nanny's sight.

The couple thanked Jia Hu and Liu Zhong for their warning.

Being tactful, the two took their leave and returned to their own courtyard, deciding not to disturb the couple while they dealt with the matter of finding the mastermind.

The next day, after breakfast, Jia Min asked Jia Hu and Liu Zhong to take Lin Daiyu out for an outing.

Knowing that Lin Ruhai and Jia Min were sending them out so they could handle household affairs, the two readily agreed.

However, Liu Zhong left Ji Qiu behind at the Lin residence.

Through Liu Zhong's training, Ji Qiu's ability to gather gossip had improved significantly.

Lin Daiyu was a well-behaved and adorable little girl. Acting like a little adult fulfilling her duties as a host, she led Jia Hu and Liu Zhong through the streets of Yangzhou. Her charming demeanor was quite endearing.

However, the young girl's health was not very good. Before long, she grew tired, and once she sat in the carriage, she fell asleep.

Taking the opportunity, Liu Zhong touched the girl's wrist and channeled spiritual energy to investigate.

Although the girl's body was weak, there were no major issues.

The problem lay within the Primordial Essence in the girl's Purple Mansion.

The girl was indeed the reincarnation of a fairy; therefore, her Purple Mansion contained the Primordial Essence cultivated in her previous life.

This essence was connected to both the main body of the Crimson Pearl Fairy and the reincarnated soul of the Crimson Pearl Fairy.

Liu Zhong sensed that the main body of the Crimson Pearl Fairy had been tampered with, which through this connection, was affecting her essence.

When the reincarnation of the Crimson Pearl Fairy weeps, her essence flows out along with the tears.

Once Lin Daiyu dies from weeping her tears dry, the Crimson Pearl Fairy's essence will also be exhausted. With the main body lacking its essence, she will naturally die.

And where did the essence go?

Whoever tampered with it is the beneficiary.

It was a pity he did not know the location of the Void Illusionary Realm; otherwise, he would certainly have gone there to eliminate the mastermind first.

Liu Zhong acted, helping the Crimson Pearl Fairy seal her essence.

Because he did not know where the Crimson Pearl Fairy's main body was, Liu Zhong could not remove the tampering on the main body itself. He could only seal her essence for now, so that when she wept, the essence would not be lost along with the tears.

Once this life of the Crimson Pearl Fairy ended and she returned to her main body, she could resolve it herself.

The carriage suddenly came to a halt. Jia Hu steadied himself and asked, "What happened?"

His servant, Shuang Rui, reported from outside, "A little girl almost ran out and collided with the carriage; she has been pulled away by her family now."

Liu Zhong lifted the carriage curtain and looked out.

He saw a middle-aged woman in her thirties dragging a seven or eight-year-old girl toward a small alleyway by the side of the street.

Liu Zhong immediately spoke up, "Stop that mother and daughter and take them to the Prefect's office."

"Huh?" Shuang Rui and the Lin family servants failed to react in time.

Liu Zhong's own servant, Xi Teng, was the most obedient to his master. Upon receiving the command, he rushed forward immediately.

Shuang Rui and the Lin servants finally realized what was happening and hurried to follow, catching the mother and daughter.

The middle-aged woman struggled and screamed, "What are you doing? Have you no regard for the law? To think you would snatch commoners in the street!"

Liu Zhong stepped out from under the carriage curtain, standing atop the carriage to look down at the woman, and said coldly, "You, a human trafficker, what makes you a 'commoner'? This little girl is not your daughter at all."

"You're talking nonsense! She is my daughter!" the woman yelled.

"I am not her daughter," the little girl spoke up timidly. "I am a girl from a good family who was kidnapped by them. They beat and scolded me, forcing me to admit I was their daughter. But I am not; I have parents."

Jia Hu also climbed out of the carriage and comforted the girl, "Don't be afraid, we will take you to the magistrate. The officials will help you find your parents."

Lin Daiyu was also awakened by the noise. She poked her small head out and said to the girl, "Big sister, come into the carriage. We will take you to the magistrate."

Seeing Lin Daiyu, who was younger than herself, the little girl's fear lessened slightly, and she walked toward the carriage.

Liu Zhong reached out and pulled the girl into the carriage.

His gaze lingered for a second on the small red cinnabar mole on the girl's forehead, thinking to himself, *Could it be such a coincidence?!*

But in the world of *Dream of the Red Chamber*, was there anyone else so beautiful, with a cinnabar mole between her brows, and of the correct age?

If it truly was Zhen Yinglian, that would be wonderful; he could completely change this girl's tragic fate.

As a daughter of the respected Zhen family, it would be impossible for her to become Xue Pan's concubine.

The group arrived at the Prefect's office.

Upon hearing that the visitors were Lin Ruhai's nephew and the heir to the Rongguo Mansion, the Prefect personally came out to receive Jia Hu and the others.

Jia Hu recounted the encounter with the human traffickers. The Prefect stated that he would surely punish the traffickers severely, follow the clues to catch their accomplices, and rescue other children.

Jia Hu and Liu Zhong thanked the Prefect and prepared to leave with Lin Daiyu.

The little girl looked at Lin Daiyu longingly.

Lin Daiyu thought for a moment and said to Jia Hu, "Eldest Cousin, let's take her home. Let her stay with us until her parents are found."

Jia Hu glanced at his little cousin's expectant face, then at the little girl, who was equally expectant yet anxious. His heart softened, and he nodded in agreement.

Lin Daiyu let out a cheer, ran to the little girl, and took her hand. "Big sister, come to my house. My parents are very kind; they will treat you well."

"Okay," the little girl whispered. "Thank you."

(End of Chapter)