Chapter 33: Leopard Leopard Cat Cat Fox Fox!

The path wound and twisted, the footsteps fading away.

The tiny clinic fell back into silence.

Du Shanü, watching the constables depart, held Yu Baobao close and drew a deep breath, closing her eyes tightly.

Fortunately, Hei Lao Daifu was 'acting,' so today we don't have to explain our presence here!

But why did it happen so abruptly?

Hei Lao Daifu had earlier felt disgust just from glancing at Yu Baobao's eyes, while Chinu was clearly a wanted criminal, yet the old doctor......

Du Shanü hadn't yet relaxed a few breaths when, thinking of this, she suddenly felt something was amiss——

Could it be that Chinu, being clever, had taken Hei Lao Daifu hostage?

In that case, the urgent crisis would be resolved, but once the constables leave, where would they go to find another doctor?

How much longer can Chinu stubbornly hold on?

Du Shanü felt vexed; she tried to wake the person, but after a few steps forward she discovered the one on the sickbed still had only faint breath, showing no reaction at all.

Hei Lao Daifu set down the plaster bowl in his hand and snorted:

"You little miss are quite bold, with a mixed-blood blind child beside you and a scholar who days ago stabbed the county magistrate......"

"How about it—if I, the old man, don't help you conceal yourselves today, do you still plan to injure the constables and flee?"

Du Shanü blinked, slowly releasing the hand she had pressed to her waist, and chuckled:

"Nonsense, who dares say our good child is small? That's unlucky! Our good child is clearly grown up, and speaking of big......"

Yu Hen: "?"

Xiao Yao Tong: "?"

Hei Lao Daifu: "......"

She felt something was off, but couldn't put her finger on what was happening.

This young lady is really too unrestrained!

Hei Lao Daifu showed a conflicted expression, wanting to speak but stopping after a few breaths; just as he was about to open his mouth, he heard a barely audible cough from the sickbed beside him.

The youth, his face covered in green‑blue plaster, struggled to open his eyes and glared at Du Shanü.

But he had been tossed about these past days, inevitably soaked by rain along the way, and was exceedingly weak.

That glance lacked intimidation, merely adding to his charm.

Hei Lao Daifu sighed, pressed the youth who had slightly lifted his head back down, and resumed treating his chest and abdomen wound:

"I mean nothing else; I merely admire you."

"Originally, grain tax had to be paid in the county seat; I once went with a few impoverished old friends to the county office to plead for mercy, but no one paid any attention to us ordinary folk, only saying that the newly appointed magistrate, upon taking office, would enforce the law with three fiery edicts, treating old and young alike, demanding every household pay in full......"

But taxes are never that easy to pay.

Since ancient times, taxes and corvée have hung over the heads of the common people like a suspended blade.

The blade lies in the emperor's hand, in high officials' hands, in the constables' hands—but never in the hands of the common folk.

When the imperial court presses down one part, high officials must press down two parts to reap profit; the first two each take one part, while the constables might press down three, squeezing the neck until blood spurts and the people lie dead in the fields.

If this old man truly had enough wealth to pay two shares of grain tax, why would he be guarding a deserted medicine shop day and night?

When the notice was posted, everyone in the city panicked.

But after the newly appointed county magistrate died, the people actually returned to their former way of life.

The magistrate's death is the magistrate's death; yet they truly fear criminals as well.

Yet since Taizong conquered Zhou and established Yin, he has enjoyed nearly thirty years of peace and now wishes to leave behind some good deeds.

Those days of drinking blood and eating children's flesh have long passed......

But when one truly meets those who help them, gratitude is due.

The old man slowly recalled, his white hair speaking of Taizong.

Few could follow this scene.

Outside the rain still pattered, while the old man's warm words echoed softly in the dim medicine shop, carrying an indescribable sense of vicissitude.

Xiao Yao Tong thought for a moment, then shoved the silver horn back into Du Shanü's hand and pattered off toward his father:

"Father said we must thank them, so we must; if you don't give silver money, Xiaohei won't spout nonsense either!"

That piece of silver had already been warmed in his grip; Du Shanü instinctively took it, tightening her hold bit by bit, unsure what to say.

Xiao Yao Tong ran to his father's side and asked:

"Father, is the emperor called Taizong really that good? Why does everyone miss him after his death? Did he have three heads, six arms, nine legs—ouch, that hurts!"

Hei Lao Daifu angrily knocked the good-for-nothing grandson on the head:

"How dare you speak like that! Taizong is not something we commoners can casually call; you must address him as—the great emperor with dragon‑and‑phoenix bearing and sun‑and‑moon manifestation, benevolent, virtuous, mighty, of ten thousand years!"

"You were just yelling yesterday for cold jelly; take five wen coins to buy it, don't get in the way here!"

Usually Father treats him exceedingly well!

Only when speaking of the great emperor of benevolence, virtue, might, and ten thousand years does he act like that!

Xiaohei felt wronged, but Xiaohei didn't say anything.

Xiaohei merely gave a childish hum and then said:

"With such heavy rain outside, Xiaohei won't eat icy cold jelly! Xiaohei wants candied haws!"

"No way! Kids who eat candied haws get tooth worms!"

"If you want to eat, then you must eat!"

The old and the young bickered, failing to notice that the faces of the other three had momentarily shifted unpredictably.

Yu Hen lifted the wet blindfold, opened his dim eyes, and groped desperately to find Chinu's trace.

Du Shanü couldn't bear to look, helped him sit beside Chinu, and gently wiped the moisture from his body with a clean cloth.

Yu Hen couldn't see clearly, merely trying with one hand to feel for Chinu's hand while letting Du Shanü play with him as she wished.

Chinu couldn't bear to watch his foolish appearance, propping up his obviously weakened body, he shook off the other's hand and turned his face away.

Yu Hen's originally pale face looked even more haggard; Du Shanü wiped the water stains off his face in one sweep, glanced at all this, and said nothing.

She had known beforehand that the friendship between these two was actually quite complicated...

No, actually it's mainly that Chinu feels somewhat complicated toward Yu Baobao.

Yu Baobao relies heavily on Chinu and trusts him deeply; if asked, she might well reply something like "We're like brothers!"

But Chinu's feelings toward Yu Baobao...

are somewhat like a fox toward a raccoon dog.

Foxes are very cunning animals, but no matter how cunning, they are also devoted canines.

A fox's diet includes raccoon dogs, yet foxes also greatly need affection—be it familial, romantic, or platonic.

Therefore, if a fox truly wishes to be friends with a raccoon dog, it must suppress its desire to eat the raccoon dog.

This perhaps is why Chinu always seems torn and awkward.

Both are natural instincts; neither is right or wrong, nor is one stronger than the other.

Chinu might truly be fed up with Yu Baobao, yet whenever Yu Baobao encounters something, she always goes to Chinu for advice.

They grew up together from childhood, having witnessed the glorious era when the Grand Ancestor was in power; thus, in their desolation, they have only each other...

Du Shanü dried the hair beneath her hands, about to speak a few soft words of comfort, when she saw Yu Baobao suddenly bury her head in her embrace:

"It's all right, it's all right..."

"Xiao Ai still has the Wife Master."

Du Shanü: "?!"

Du Shanü: "Eh, I'm here! (*^▽^*)"

The still bickering black family grandfather and grandson: "???!!"

The frail Chinu, lying on the bed already at death's door: "......"

One after another, it's so annoying.

Sooner or later, a white blade goes in and a red blade comes out—I'll give them two stab wounds, four holes.

?? Grand Ancestor has remained strong from the last book to this one... Welcome everyone to check out the author's other book Brewing Autumn Harvest, see the stories of the predecessors in the prequel! It's good!

? Brewing Autumn Harvest Vast, lush dew grass on the Xianyang tombs—this is the first autumn of a thousand years.