Chapter 24: A Murderous Intent Awakens

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Si Yuheng returned to the All-Flavors Pavilion ahead of Fang Ning and the others.

The thought that Fang Ning had completely forgotten his existence inexplicably irritated him.

She was his “fiancée,” after all!

What an ungrateful little thing.

He waited for her, but to his surprise, Fang Ning never came to the pavilion.

“Where’s Little Ning?” he asked casually.

“She said she wanted to stroll around town and told us to come here without her. Young Master, do we need to sign a document?” Fang Cinian asked.

“Yes.”

Si Yuheng was a man of few words.

He had Manager Lin bring out the newly revised agreement and hand it to Fang Cinian.

Fang Cinian read it carefully. After confirming that everything was in order, he signed his name and pressed his fingerprint onto it.

A strange light flickered through Si Yuheng’s eyes.

Those characters did not look as though they had been written by some petty hoodlum.

“I heard that you studied medicine in the past, Uncle Fang?”

“Yes. I know only a little.”

Remembering Fang Ning’s warnings, Fang Cinian answered cautiously, afraid that Si Yuheng might see through him.

“I’ve been feeling unwell from time to time lately. Would you be willing to take my pulse and have a look?”

Fang Cinian could not refuse that request.

“All right.”

Si Yuheng extended his hand.

Fang Cinian carefully examined his pulse.

Gradually, Fang Cinian’s expression grew grave.

Si Yuheng kept his eyes fixed on him.

When the examination was over, Fang Cinian hesitated, as though there were something he wanted to say but could not bring himself to.

“You may all leave,” Si Yuheng said, waving a hand.

Manager Lin and the two Fang brothers hurried out.

“Uncle Fang, is something wrong?”

“Young Master, I’ll speak frankly. Have you had this illness since childhood?”

A murderous glint flashed through Si Yuheng’s eyes. “Why would you say that, Uncle Fang?”

Fang Cinian carefully arranged his words. “You were probably affected before birth. It isn’t truly an illness, but residual poison. In other words, someone poisoned your mother while she was pregnant with you, and the poison passed to you while you were still in the womb.”

“Is there a way to remove it?”

“There is, but it will take some time.”

“How long?”

“Three months.”

“Are you certain you can cure me?”

Fang Cinian hated having his medical skills questioned. At once, he answered with absolute confidence, “I certainly can.”

The murderous intent in Si Yuheng’s eyes deepened.

In his previous life, it was the outbreak of this poison that had ultimately led to his being torn apart by five horses, leaving him without even a proper burial.

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After being reborn, he had searched constantly for a cure, yet had never found one.

And now Fang the Elder, who had returned from the dead, suddenly claimed that he could cure the poison?

Could it be that these people knew something?

Si Yuheng had already decided to kill Fang Cinian.

Anyone who might threaten his grand plan of revenge had to die.

Just as he was preparing to strike, Fang Cinian spoke again.

“Young Master, may I ask something of you?”

“Speak.”

Since death was inevitable either way, there was no harm in allowing him to live a little longer.

“I can force the poison out of your body, but could you give me some gastrodia and chuanxiong? I know the All-Flavors Pavilion carries them.”

“What do you need them for?”

“To tell you the truth, my father injured his head, and he vomits whenever he moves. But the medicinal shop charges too much for gastrodia, and we can’t afford it. So, Young Master, I was hoping…”

“You only want gastrodia and chuanxiong?”

“Yes, yes.”

“How much?”

“One ounce. Would that be possible?”

Fang Cinian wanted to nourish Old Fang with a fish-head stew made with gastrodia and chuanxiong.

But in this era, gastrodia was found only in the wild and was as expensive as mountain ginseng. They could afford it now, but Fang Ning had said that the All-Flavors Pavilion stocked it and told him to buy it from Manager Lin.

Naturally, Si Yuheng knew that Old Fang had been injured.

That was precisely why he abandoned his murderous intent.

Fang Cinian would never know how narrowly he had escaped death.

“All right,” Si Yuheng agreed.

He had Manager Lin weigh out two ounces of each herb for Fang Cinian.

Fang Cinian thanked him repeatedly.

“Young Master, I’ll need to have a set of silver needles made first…”

“I happen to have a set here. Take it for now. If you truly manage to cure my poison, the needles are yours.”

Si Yuheng personally went to retrieve the set.

Fang Cinian opened the case and saw silver needles of varying lengths and thicknesses arranged in neat rows. Compared with the set he had used in the modern era, they were in no way inferior.

“Young Master, this set must be expensive. Are you really willing to let me use it?”

“If you cure my poison, it is yours.”

“Rest assured, Young Master. I can’t guarantee anything else, but I’m completely confident that I can cure your poison.”

“Then go home and make preparations. During the treatment, I’ll stay at your house.”

Fang Cinian: “…”

“We don’t have any spare rooms. Why don’t I come to town instead?”

“You can share a room with your son.”

“This…”

“Could it be that you lied to me just now? Perhaps you actually cannot cure my poison?”

“Of course I wasn’t lying.”

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That was his daughter, not his son. How could he possibly let Si Yuheng share a room with her?

“It’s settled, then. I’m a little tired. Uncle Fang, see yourself out.”

Without waiting for Fang Cinian to object, Si Yuheng rose and left the private room.

Fang Cinian was on the verge of tears.

If his wife found out that he had sold out their daughter, would she make him sleep on the floor for half a year?

Meanwhile, Fang Ning, strolling idly through town, suddenly sneezed.

She glanced at the sun, which had not yet set, and muttered to herself, “Could that sly young man, Yuheng, be cursing me?”

Fang Ning truly did not want to see Si Yuheng. That man was far too devious and was always setting traps for her.

More importantly, he might have been reborn as well, and that made her wary.

A sound of “Hungry, hungry!” from ahead drew Fang Ning’s thoughts back.

An old man was squatting beside the street, staring miserably at the cage before him.

Fang Ning looked over curiously.

“Sir, are those geese? Are you selling them?”

“Yes. My grandson is sick, and I have no money to buy medicine. These goslings are the only things left in the household that I can sell, but…”

“How much is one? I’ll buy them.”

After humiliating the people of Xu Family Village so thoroughly today, they certainly would not accept it meekly.

She could not protect her parents at all times, especially when she was away from home, so she had been considering raising something to guard the house.

And geese were the warriors of the poultry world. They were perfect for the job.

“Child, don’t make fun of me. I truly need the money to buy medicine.”

“Then how much are you asking?”

“Forty-five copper coins each.”

“All five of them…” Fang Ning took a small purse from her pocket and handed the old man a piece of silver. “Here. This should be enough.”

The old man stared at the silver in disbelief.

“Oh, I’ll take the cage too. Here’s another five copper coins.”

Fang Ning picked up the cage of goslings and walked away.

By the time the old man came to his senses, Fang Ning had already gone far.

He had intended to chase after her, but when he thought of his grandson at home, he could spare no time for anything else and hurried to the medicine shop.

Fang Ning carried the goslings to the All-Flavors Pavilion.

“Why did you buy ducklings?” Fang Cinian asked.

“Father, they’re geese!”

“Ahem, ahem. They look quite a bit like ducks. What did you buy them for? Are you craving goose meat?”

“No. I’m raising them to guard the house.”

As though they had understood Fang Cinian, the goslings suddenly flapped excitedly toward him.

“Hungry, hungry…”

The corner of Fang Cinian’s brow twitched. “Are they cursing at me?”