On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 1959 Su Jingzhuo's Illness

Yan Ruyu remained calm and listened to Su Shengsheng continue.

Su Shengsheng looked indignant, and his fingers gripping the celadon teacup tightened even more.

She took a few breaths, looked into Yan Ruyu's calm eyes again, and spoke after a few words: "On the day of the Water God Festival, you didn't see it... The steam from the three animals floated on the river surface, the incense ash piled half a foot thick on the shore, and the people knelt far away, unable to even see the Water God."

She scoffed, "They can't even get enough to eat, so why would they offer any offerings?"

"My eldest brother had long been fed up with this and decided to jump into the water when no one was paying attention."

Yan Ruyu's fingertips casually traced the rim of the cup. "I heard that Master Su is quite a swimmer, so he should be fine swimming normally."

"Safe?" Su Shengsheng suddenly raised his voice, then lowered it again, as if afraid of startling something. "At first, I thought so too, and so did he. I tried to persuade him not to go, but I knew it was no use."

Su Shengsheng was silent for a long time, and Yan Ruyu didn't urge him, just waited quietly.

Su Jingzhuo was lying on the bed, silent and still sleeping, with no reaction to the discussion at all.

Su Shengsheng took a sip of tea and whispered, "Before he went into the water, I was with him. He smiled at me when he dove in. But after the incense stick burned out, not even a bubble appeared on the surface of the water—I was so scared."

Her knuckles turned white from the force, and the bottom of the cup made a light sound on the wooden table.

"After the ceremony was over and everyone had left, he still hadn't come up. I couldn't help myself, so I grabbed the paddle next to me and jumped in."

After a long time, Su Shengsheng still remembers the scene of that day.

The chaos under the water made Su Shengsheng extremely panicked. The river water was as muddy as if it was mixed with mud. She tried to keep her eyes open and felt around for half a cup of tea before her fingertips finally touched a piece of cold fabric.

"When I was pulling his arm up, my hand suddenly became sticky—" She paused, looking down at her palm, as if she could still see the blood. "I realized there were three bloody cuts on his chest. The deepest one showed red flesh, and blood was dripping down his shirt. He looked like he was already dead."

Su Shengsheng took a sip of tea, his Adam's apple moving violently. "After returning, he has been in a coma and has not woken up. We called doctors and burned mugwort to fumigate him, but he remained unconscious for seven days and seven nights. My father stayed by his bedside, and most of his hair has turned white."

"What happened next?" Yan Ruyu's voice was very soft, but it was like a thin needle that pierced Su Shengsheng's trance.

Su Shengsheng raised his eyes to look at her: "Later? Later, he woke up."

"Waking up is just the beginning of the nightmare." Su Shengsheng's voice trembled. "He opened his eyes but didn't recognize me. He looked at me like a stranger. His eyes were cold and without any warmth."

"What's even more frightening is that half a month later, when I was changing his clothes, I found a patch of pale blue scales on his wrists. They felt hard to the touch and made the cloth rustle."

Su Shengsheng's fingers trembled slightly, and the tea in the cup almost spilled out.

She put down the cup, her fingertips feeling cold. "My father called in more than a dozen doctors, but one old doctor, upon seeing the scale, threw down his medicine box and ran away, saying it was the 'mark of the water god's death.'"

Suddenly, there were a few unknown cries in the yard, so shrill that it made people feel creepy.

Yan Ruyu's eyes fell on Su Shengsheng's furrowed brows: "What's going on with that Miss Li?"

"Her?" Su Shengsheng sneered, his tone full of disdain, yet also a hint of fear. "A year ago, my brother came back from abroad, and she followed him."

"They said she was an orphan they found on the street. Her father was a military doctor, so she knew a bit about medicine. When my brother got sick, guess what? He didn't recognize me or my father, but when he saw her, he became quiet and even offered his hand for her to feel his pulse."

Su Shengsheng paused and lowered his voice: "I always feel that there is something wrong with her. Last time I passed by my brother's room, I saw her holding a black grass in her hand. It smelled like fish. When she saw me, she quickly hid it."

Yan Ruyu picked up the teacup and asked, "How did she treat your brother?"

As soon as these words came out, the disdain on Su Shengsheng's face froze instantly, and his expression darkened little by little.

After a long moment, she swallowed hard, her voice almost inaudible, "She...she wouldn't let us see. Every time she treated a patient, she locked the door. All I could hear was the sound of running water and...and my brother's suppressed moans."

Her fingertips turned white, as if she recalled some horrible scene: "Last time I leaned over to look through the crack of the door, and saw that she had a bucket in her hand..."

Yan Ruyu's mind moved slightly. When she saw Miss Li that night, she was also carrying a bucket in her hand.

"What's in the bucket?"

Su Shengsheng was annoyed: "I don't know, I didn't see it, and she found me when I wasn't paying attention."

"It was from that time that she suggested to my father that we take my eldest brother to the pavilion in the middle of the lake."

Su Shengsheng gritted his teeth and said, "As for how to treat it, I have no idea at all. My father only visits occasionally. I asked him, but he wouldn't tell me. He just told me not to worry."

She lowered her head, a faint light flashing in the corners of her eyes: "I know, he is afraid that I will worry."

Having said that, Yan Ruyu also knew that Su Shengsheng had already told everything he knew about Su Jingzhuo's condition.

Su Jingzhuo on the bed suddenly moved.

Yan Ruyu got up and walked to the bedside, and Su Shengsheng quickly followed with a nervous look on his face.

Su Shengsheng whispered: "Doctor, can my brother really be cured?"

Yan Ruyu glanced at her and she blushed: "I just... I've hoped too many times and been disappointed too many times."

"I hope my eldest brother is well, but I dare not hope."

Seeing her honesty, Yan Ruyu smiled faintly: "I'm 80% sure."

Su Shengsheng opened his eyes wide and looked at Yan Ruyu silently, tears slowly filling up in his black and white eyes.

Yan Ruyu was startled and said softly, "Don't cry, this is a good thing."

It would have been fine if she didn't say anything, but as soon as she did, Su Shengsheng burst into tears.

"I'm not sad, I'm happy, I..."

Su Shengsheng wiped away her tears, crying and laughing: "I am happy, really."

Yan Ruyu said nothing and handed her a cupcake.

Su Shengsheng took it with tears in his eyes and sniffed: "What is this? It smells so good."

Before Yan Ruyu could answer, Su Shengsheng took a bite.

"It's delicious. Which shop is this from?"

Yan Ruyu: "..."

"self-made."

"You can also make snacks?" Su Shengsheng's eyes lit up. "What else can you do?"

Huo Changhe cleared his throat and coughed.

What's wrong with this Miss Su? She was so sad just now that she was crying, but now she's set her eyes on the cake again.

If you don't remind me, maybe even the person who made the cake will take a fancy to me.

Yan Ruyu was about to speak when Su Jingzhuo opened his eyes.