Chapter 241: Chapter 241: An Unexpected Person
Su Qing hadn’t expected to persuade Mr. Gong so easily today. But on second thought, it seemed he had already been considering it. Her visit today was merely a catalyst.
"Alright. In a couple of days, I’ll go take a look at that An Zhihan kid’s legs," Mr. Gong said after a moment of silence.
"I knew you were a softie," Su Qing said with a smile.
Mr. Gong shot Su Qing another mock glare. "Save the sweet talk. Just don’t forget me next time you find any good medicinal herbs."
"I actually brought one for you today." Su Qing took out a Lingzhi mushroom. This one had been found in Da Hei’s territory and was about sixty years old.
"A Lingzhi!" The moment he saw the mushroom, Mr. Gong’s eyes went wide. He quickly took it with both hands and examined it closely before exclaiming, "It’s nearly seventy years old! Lass, where on earth do you find all these wild medicinal herbs?"
High-quality, old wild herbs had always been incredibly hard to find. But from Mr. Gong’s perspective, it was as if Su Qing could get them as easily as reaching into her own pocket. He knew she found them deep in the mountains, but no matter how he looked at it, her ability was just too incredible.
"In the mountains, of course," Su Qing said with a laugh.
"You’re an impressive child." Mr. Gong caressed the Lingzhi in his hands, unable to put it down. He quickly said, "I’ll take this Lingzhi. Lass, I won’t beat around the bush. I’ll give you this much for it."
As he spoke, Mr. Gong held up eight fingers.
"Alright, I’ll accept your offer," Su Qing agreed with a smiling nod.
Seeing Su Qing agree, Mr. Gong’s face lit up. "Good, good, good."
With the transaction complete, Su Qing chatted with Mr. Gong for a little while longer before getting up to leave.
The next day, Su Qing took two stalks of ginseng to the An Family residence. Since the ginseng was of a similar age to the one she had sold them before, Fang Lutian readily paid the same price. In the end, Su Qing earned another 24,000 yuan.
Less than two days later, Fang Lutian came looking for Su Qing again.
This time, when the people of Lihua Village saw Fang Lutian arrive, no one spread any more outrageous rumors. It was no joke—Tian Aixiang was still locked up in the Xiyuan County Public Security Bureau, and none of them wanted to follow in her footsteps.
"Miss Su, I’m here on behalf of my young master to thank you." Fang Lutian had brought many gifts this time. "Mr. Gong came to see my young master yesterday. He told us that he only agreed to come because you persuaded him. Thank you. Thank you so much."
Fang Lutian had gone to see Mr. Gong several times about An Zhihan’s condition but had returned in failure each time. He had even asked Du Chaoran to plead on their behalf, but it had been no use. He never expected that Su Qing would be the one to convince Mr. Gong.
"Mr. Gong had already made up his own mind," Su Qing said with a smile. "What was the result of his diagnosis?"
"Not ideal." Fang Lutian sighed softly. "Mr. Gong said my young master’s injury back then damaged his very foundation. He only survived because he was young, but it ultimately shortened his lifespan. Mr. Gong can only do his best. He estimates that the best-case scenario is that he’ll be able to get out of the wheelchair, but he’ll still walk with a limp. And he’ll need to continuously take ginseng to nourish his body from now on."
Speaking of An Zhihan’s injuries, Fang Lutian’s heart ached. If even Mr. Gong couldn’t completely cure him, then there was likely no hope at all.
The only comfort was that with Mr. Gong’s treatment, his condition could at least be alleviated, and his injuries could show some recovery.
’He was injured that severely back then!’ Su Qing had great admiration for Mr. Gong’s medical skills. Moreover, he had plenty of high-quality medicinal herbs on hand. If even he couldn’t cure it, then it was truly...
Thinking of that cool and detached young man, doomed to spend the rest of his life in sickness and pain, she felt a faint sense of sadness welling up inside her. ’Perhaps...’
Su Qing gently clenched her right hand. That was where the Bagua Pool and the green mist were. Maybe she could secretly help him a little.
However, she would have to think of a foolproof method. She had no desire to expose her secret, only to be captured and dissected. She still wanted to properly enjoy the wonderful life she had now.
"Yes," Fang Lutian sighed. "It was incredibly dangerous back then. The doctors issued three critical condition notices for my young master. It took him more than half a month to get through the critical period."
Su Qing pressed her lips together and said nothing. Every family truly had its own cross to bear, whether they were an ordinary family or a wealthy one.
After delivering the gifts, Fang Lutian took his leave. Before he left, he invited Su Qing to be a guest at the An Family residence. The road from the county seat to Lihua Village was all unpaved and too bumpy, making it difficult for An Zhihan to travel, but he wanted to thank Su Qing in person.
After a moment’s thought, Su Qing readily agreed.
The next day, Su Qing went to the An Family residence as promised. An Zhihan had a full spread of dishes prepared and solemnly expressed his gratitude to her, toasting with tea instead of wine.
"Miss Su, thank you. Truly," An Zhihan said to her with sincerity.
"Actually, the reason I went to see Mr. Gong was because your grandmother asked me to," Su Qing said after a moment’s thought. She had decided to tell An Zhihan what Old Mrs. An had done. In truth, she could tell that his grandmother was filled with regret and genuinely wanted him to get better.
"I figured as much," An Zhihan said, pressing his lips together. "When she came to Xiyuan County this time, I knew she would definitely go see my grand-uncle. I understand what she’s thinking, it’s just..."
"I understand. You can’t let go of your parents’ deaths," Su Qing said.
"Did my grandmother tell you everything?" An Zhihan asked.
Su Qing nodded. "She came to me and told me the general situation. I understand your anger. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t be able to let it go either."
After all, the murder of one’s parents is a feud that cannot be forgiven.
"If you were me, what would you do?" An Zhihan looked at Su Qing. For years, these emotions had been weighing on his heart, making him more and more withdrawn and silent. But today, facing Su Qing, he suddenly felt the urge to confide in her.
Hearing this, Su Qing raised an eyebrow. "If it were me, I wouldn’t let the enemies who killed my parents get away. But, ultimately, I’m not you. You still harbor a deep affection for your grandparents, don’t you?"
An Zhihan didn’t deny it. He gave a bitter laugh. "Yes. That’s what makes it so difficult."
He didn’t want to spare the people who caused his parents’ deaths, but he also didn’t want to hurt his grandparents. That was why he had chosen to distance himself from them.
Su Qing couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. For a moment, she didn’t know how to comfort An Zhihan. Sometimes, words of comfort were simply too hollow.
Perhaps because she was so moved by An Zhihan’s plight, Su Qing felt a sense of gloom settling in her heart. She decided to head into the mountains the next day to clear her head. However, she never expected to see an unexpected person waiting at her doorstep when she got home.
