Chapter 39 - 38: Reunion

Chapter 39: Chapter 38: Reunion

Cheng Qingqing, standing beside, was also a bit dumbfounded and said with a chuckle, "Jing, that child surely likes you a lot. I can see his heart and eyes are full of you alone.

Jing, you’re so gentle. If you have children in the future, you’ll definitely be a great mother!"

Xu Jing stood up, holding the pastry box in her hands, and couldn’t help but recall the child between them who was not meant to be. She said in a light voice, "Let’s go, we have to hurry and finish making the medicine. Our free clinic day is only three days away, and there isn’t much time left for us."

That child must be living a peaceful and stable life in the Western Capital now.

Perhaps he will also be raised as delicately and beautifully as the little boy earlier, able to buy whatever he wants without having to consider the matter of Silver Coin.

He doesn’t need to follow her worrying about the future and struggling for life, which is quite good.

The next day, Xu Jing, as usual, got up early and began making medicine.

However, all the way until almost noon, she hadn’t seen a trace of Cheng Qingqing.

In the past two days, she had come early. Yesterday, before she left, she said she had finished reading the medical books she had and would go back to the medical hall to get a few new books today.

But even if she went to the medical hall, there was no need for her to be so much later than usual.

Xu Jing unconsciously walked into the courtyard, looking up at the sun with a slight frown.

Perhaps, it was because the time for the free clinic was getting closer. She felt restless and unable to calm down.

She stood in the courtyard for a while, and just as she was about to go back inside to continue making medicine, a series of loud and sudden knocks echoed from the front gate.

Chunxiang, who was sweeping the yard, was startled, and with a frown on her young face, she shouted, "Who is it?", as she walked towards the gate.

From outside, Cheng Xianbai’s voice immediately came, "It’s me! Miss Xu, something happened to Qingqing! Miss Xu, could you come with me right away?"

This was the first time Xu Jing heard Cheng Xianbai’s voice so anxious and helpless.

Xu Jing was slightly stunned and quickly stepped forward, bypassing Chunxiang to open the door, only to see Cheng Xianbai, drenched in sweat but with a pale face, and she said coldly, "What happened?"

"Qingqing...she got involved in a murder case, and it seems to be related to Miss Xu."

Cheng Xianbai struggled to maintain his composure and said, "Could Miss Xu come with me to see if you can provide any clues?"

A murder case?

And related to her?

Xu Jing had no time for deeper thoughts and immediately said, "Alright, wait a moment."

She quickly tidied up and instructed Chunxiang to stay behind to guard the house, then hurried off with the more composed Chunyang, following Cheng Xianbai out the door.

As they walked, Cheng Xianbai explained the situation to her, "Qingqing said that after she went to the medical hall to get the medical books this morning, she planned to hurry to Miss Xu’s house. Unexpectedly, halfway there, a child suddenly snatched her purse and ran into an alley. She hurriedly gave chase, only to feel a blow to her head and then lost consciousness.

When she woke up again, she found herself in a strange courtyard, and the house next to her was on fire!

She was terrified and planned to go out to find someone to put out the fire, but the mistress of the house suddenly came back, claiming that her husband was still inside, and insisted that Qingqing had set the fire, not allowing her to leave."

Xu Jing frowned tightly, "Even if Qingqing just happened to be in the yard, it doesn’t mean she’s the one who set the fire. What evidence does that mistress have? And why did you say this case is related to me?"

"The mistress said that when she came in, she saw a bucket of oil not yet poured out next to Qingqing, and there was a used fire lighter on the ground!"

Cheng Xianbai gritted his teeth and said, "And that little rascal asked Qingqing before snatching her purse, ’Are you the divine doctor from Xinglin Hall?’. Qingqing was taken aback for a moment, giving that little rascal the chance to grab her purse!"

Xu Jing and Chunyang were both taken aback.

No wonder Cheng Xianbai said the case was related to her. It was obviously a setup aimed at her!

But she had only moved to this county a few days ago and hardly knew anyone. Who could hold a grudge against her?

Could it be the Peng Family? But the Peng Family was likely all tied up these days with the case involving Peng Shi and Mrs. Cao, they probably didn’t have the time and energy to set her up.

After about a quarter of an hour, Xu Jing saw a house ahead billowing with thick smoke, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, clearly the place.

It wasn’t far from Xinglin Hall and her house, just right in between the two!

The culprit obviously knew Qingqing’s routine these past few days and set this trap!

The house was in an alley, the entrance was jam-packed with people. Cheng Xianbai squeezed a path through the crowd with Xu Jing and her companion, reaching the front of the burning house.

It was a courtyard house with several people inside, tensely but orderly fighting the fire. By then, the fire was almost out, likely saved early, as the house didn’t seem too severely burned.

Cheng Qingqing stood pale-faced in the courtyard, her thin and fragile figure portrayed against the chaos around like a lonely, out-of-place leaf that could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

Cheng Xianbai led Xu Jing briskly towards Cheng Qingqing, but before they could reach her, a fierce-looking woman in a blue cloth garment suddenly stepped forward and slapped Qingqing hard, crying out, "You murderer! If my husband isn’t rescued, don’t think you’ll be leaving alive today!"

Cheng Xianbai’s expression changed dramatically, and he quickly stepped forward to pull Cheng Qingqing behind him, his face livid, gritting his teeth, "What are you doing! This fire was not set by my sister! I’m warning you not to slander my sister!"

"When I came back, she was the only one in the courtyard! There was a bucket of oil and a used fire lighter beside her. If she didn’t start the fire, then was it a ghost?!"

The woman was obviously in a state of extreme sorrow and hysteria, bellowing, "I know you, you’re the good-for-nothing prodigal from Xinglin Hall! You said she’s your sister? Ha, I get it, I get it! You must have held a grudge against my man and me for speaking ill of your Xinglin Hall after Doctor Cheng died, so you set our house on fire!"

Cheng Xianbai stood a bit dumbfounded.

They spoke ill of Xinglin Hall outside? But to tell the truth, ever since Dad died, there were too many outsiders predicting their downfall. If they were to seek revenge for each, they would have to burn at least half of Anping County.

Such words were simply unreasonable!

Just then, a young woman in a light yellow cloth skirt walked over, gently pulling the woman’s hand and softly said, "Mom, calm down."

Xu Jing’s gaze couldn’t help but linger on the young woman for a moment.

As a daughter, given that her father might have been burned to death, she seemed too calm.

She quickly shifted her gaze, walked beside the Cheng Brothers and Sisters, and said with a slightly cold and deep voice, "According to your words, when you returned, the fire was already raging. If the arsonist were Lady Cheng, who would be foolish enough to set the fire and not immediately leave, but rather stay here waiting for your return to be caught by you?"

The woman immediately glared at Xu Jing with reddened eyes, "Who are you! Are you their accomplice? How would I know what you murderers are thinking!"

Seeing her evidently having lost reason, Xu Jing sighed inwardly and said coolly, "Since we’re at an impasse, let’s report to the authorities."

She had originally said she wouldn’t actively seek out that man again.

Yet who would have thought fate would play such a trick, breaking her word after just a few days.

Just then, a loud cry came from not far away, "The authorities are here! The authorities are here!"

Xu Jing was slightly stunned. She instinctively turned her head, only to see a man wearing a purple official robe, with upright and handsome features, standing seven feet tall, striding over with a group of constables.

His eyes were still the same as before, deep and sharp, his thin lips tightly pressed, his whole demeanor somewhat incongruous with this small county, perfectly embodying what it meant to stand out in a crowd.

At that moment, Xiao Yi seemed to sense something, suddenly turning his head to glance in Xu Jing’s direction.

Their gazes collided through the veil Xu Jing wore, causing the man who had been walking briskly to noticeably pause.