sbdcsierra Chapter 206 Nangong Ming's Visit
Chapter 206 Nangong Ming's Visit
One afternoon, in the courtyard of Qiushui Pavilion, Long Chuqing and Ziguang spread out the freshly made pills in a round basket on a shelf to dry.
Suddenly, she paused in her movements, then looked up at the wall.
Nangong Ming was squatting on the wall, smiling and waving at her before leaping into the courtyard.
Upon hearing the sound, Zi Guang followed Long Chuqing's gaze and saw Nangong Ming walking towards them.
Ziguang was also present on the day of the street competition, so she naturally recognized Nangong Ming, but she didn't understand why he had climbed over the wall to get in.
She slowly turned her head to look at Long Chuqing: "Miss, this..."
Long Chuqing said unhurriedly, "Ziguang, we have a guest. Go and make some tea."
"Oh... okay, I'll go right away."
Zi Guang put down his work and walked towards the living room. When he reached Nangong Ming, he stopped and bowed slightly to him.
Upon seeing this, Nangong Ming gave a slight smile and said softly, "Thank you for your trouble."
Then, his gaze turned to Long Chuqing, who was busy at work, and he walked towards her.
Long Chuqing remained focused on the matter at hand, and casually asked, "Young Master Nangong, what brings you here today?"
"What are you saying? Can't I come to see you even if there's nothing wrong?" Nangong Ming raised an eyebrow and replied with a hint of teasing.
Long Chuqing merely glanced at him indifferently. "See, I can come in through the main entrance, openly and legitimately."
Nangong Ming shrugged: "It's too troublesome to send out a visiting card in advance just to use the main gate."
Then, he stepped forward and handed the exquisite box he was carrying to Long Chuqing.
"This is the medical fee prepared for you by the Cheng family. Since we didn't know where you lived, we sent it to my residence."
Just then, Zi Guang brought out a steaming cup of tea: "Young Master Nangong, please have some tea."
Nangong Ming nodded. "Thank you, but could you please put it on the table over there for me?"
Zi Guang nodded slightly, then picked up his teacup and walked to the stone table.
"Consultation fee?" Upon hearing this, Long Chuqing's gaze fell on the box in his hand. "Open it and let me see."
“Okay!” Nangong Ming slowly opened the box, and what came into view was a golden ingot.
"There are at least two hundred taels here," Nangong Ming said.
“You don’t need to pay so much for the consultation!” Long Chuqing said calmly. “How about this? You keep one yuan, and you can return the rest to me. I’m not a heartless doctor.”
Nangong Ming closed the box, then turned and walked toward the stone table.
He placed the box on the stone table, lifted his robe and slowly sat down, picking up the cup of tea placed to the side.
“You saved Master Cheng’s son’s life. This hundred taels of gold is his gift of gratitude to you. You don’t need to refuse, just accept it. That way, he can have peace of mind.”
Upon hearing this, Long Chuqing stopped what she was doing, turned to look at Nangong Ming, and asked, "By the way, have they found the person who poisoned the Second Young Master?"
Nangong Ming nodded: "They said they've caught him and handed him over to the authorities."
"The person who poisoned the second young master was a man who worked in the kitchen of the mansion, while the mastermind behind it was the second brother of Master Cheng, who was instructed and directed by Master Cheng's wife."
"The whole thing started twenty years ago, when both of Master Cheng's wives were pregnant."
"When we learned that both wives were pregnant at the same time, both families were overjoyed and congratulated each other. These two pieces of news should have been a double blessing for the Cheng family."
"Several months later, both ladies went into labor at the same time, and coincidentally, they gave birth on the same day. However, something unexpected happened during the delivery."
Nangong Ming raised his teacup, blew on it, took two sips, and then continued to recount the cause of the matter.
Madam Cheng began to show signs of labor in the evening, and she gave birth to Cheng Chuan in about two hours.
Madam Cheng, on the other hand, began experiencing labor pains in the morning, but still couldn't give birth by 9 PM.
After examination, the midwife discovered that the dystocia was caused by malposition of the fetus. A considerable amount of time had passed, and if the baby could not be delivered, both the mother and the child would likely perish.
Madam Cheng was exhausted by the end of childbirth and was in a semi-conscious state due to the pain. Due to the difficult labor, the child could not be saved.
She nearly died during childbirth, but although she survived, unfortunately, she will never be able to have children again!
And that full-term child, if born, would also be a healthy baby boy.
When she slowly awoke from her coma, she learned that she had not only lost her son, but would also never be able to conceive or give birth again.
This sudden blow struck her heart like a heavy punch, overwhelming her with pain and despair.
For a long time afterward, she shut herself away in her room, refusing to communicate or contact anyone outside, spending her days in tears and immersing herself in grief.
Fortunately, she had given birth to a daughter before. Later, with her daughter's company and the care and comfort from her husband's family and her own family, she gradually began to accept this cruel reality.
Now she has her only daughter, which gives her some solace.
She knew she couldn't collapse like this; her daughter was still young and needed her care and nurturing to grow up properly.
So she put aside her inner pain and slowly picked herself up again.
Before they knew it, it was time for Madam Cheng to hold a first birthday banquet for Cheng Chuan.
Despite the lingering pain in her heart, she attended the banquet with a smile on her face.
Looking at the lively banquet in front of her, and at Cheng Chuan surrounded by everyone, with his innocent and adorable little face, she couldn't help but think of her son who died young. If he were still alive, he would probably be just as adorable.
Thinking of this, her eyes welled up with tears, but she held them back. Today was a joyous day, and she couldn't let her sadness ruin the festive atmosphere. She also didn't want others to see the vulnerability deep inside her.
Days passed by, and Cheng Chuan grew up day by day, becoming increasingly intelligent and lively.
Whenever her gaze fell upon Cheng Chuan's figure, she would think to herself that if her son were still alive, he would be just as old as him now.
Thinking of this, an indescribable sense of resentment welled up in her heart. Why was fate so unfair? They were pregnant and gave birth at the same time, so why was their son able to grow up safely and healthily, while her son left this world so early?
Over the years, although Master Cheng never uttered a single complaint about her in front of outsiders, in reality, one concubine after another was welcomed into the mansion, and these concubines even bore him sons.