"I spent almost all my savings bribing those people at the Yi Zhuang to get news about your elder brother."
Hearing this, A Jiu gasped.
Yi Zhuang?
Those were places for people awaiting death. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a living tomb. It was simply that too many people died, and they couldn't be buried one by one, so they were kept in a closed-off area.
This place was called the Yi Zhuang, where the dead and the nearly dead were handled.
"A Jiu, don't be scared. Your sister-in-law is going now and will definitely find your elder brother."
A Jiu nodded fiercely, "Sister-in-law, you must be careful too."
"Silly girl, I'm not going to eat human flesh."
Seeing A Jiu's appearance, Liu Cai'er couldn't help but laugh.
"That's true. Then, when will sister-in-law be back?" A Jiu pressed.
Liu Cai'er had already packed her bag and was ready to leave.
"It depends on the situation. At most half a month, at least three to five days. The authorities have sent people to assist, and we'll see if we can find the source of the poisoned meat."
After saying this, Liu Cai'er tucked the notebook A Jiu had taught her to keep into her embrace and left.
A Jiu let out a long sigh. Heavens, how long would this disaster of man-made calamities caused by natural disasters continue?
Day broke.
A Jiu also hurried to get up.
The waiter's name was Tong Zi. A Jiu greeted him with a smile, "Brother Tong Zi, I'm going out for a while."
Tong Zi was taking down the six-panel doors. The medical hall was about to open.
"Alright, Miss Jiu'er."
As he spoke, he hung several wooden signs outside the door: "Medicine Only, No Consultations."
A Jiu didn't expect the streets to be so lively so early.
Several people were pointing and discussing outside the Hualan Medical Hall:
"Why put up a sign? No one will come even without one."
"Exactly. Ever since Doctor Liu passed away, no one in this medical hall can treat illnesses properly. It's just barely hanging on by opening."
"I want two buns."
"One copper coin each."
A Jiu paid, took a bite of a bun, and then ran across to the Hualan Medical Hall and stuffed one into Tong Zi.
Tong Zi wasn't old, barely seventeen or eighteen. Looking at the steaming bun in his hand, his eyes were full of surprise:
"I... I'm not hungry."
"How can you not be hungry? When I'm hungry in my sleep, I dream of roasted ducks flying everywhere, and I can't catch a single one."
A Jiu's cheeks were puffed out like a hamster's.
"Haha." Tong Zi, who had been in a bad mood listening to the gossip, suddenly burst into laughter:
"Miss A Jiu, if you dream of delicious food, and you catch one, will you be full in the morning?"
A Jiu took another bite of the bun and unconsciously noticed there wasn't any stray thread inside. She said with a smile:
"No, I wake up even hungrier."
"Haha..." Tong Zi laughed so hard he had to lean on the doorframe to stay upright.
"I'm going out, I'll be back soon."
A Jiu had only taken a few steps when she thought better of it and decided to buy a few more to carry.
This time, she spent five copper coins and had three buns in her embrace.
She reached the yamen before the gate even opened, and A Jiu squatted by the wall waiting until dawn.
"That girl Shiliu, named Meng Jiuer, cured our mother's leg pain by acupuncture on her ears. Isn't that amazing?"
"It is a bit amazing, but I didn't realize this girl knew medicine..."
"Brother Yun Hao, Brother Yun Jie."
A Jiu saw the two brothers walking over while chatting and quickly waved.
"Yo, you're here so early?" Yun Hao was startled. He said he was on duty in the morning, but he didn't say he'd come this early.
"Ninth sister, thanks to your needles yesterday, my mother didn't have any pain all night."
Yun Jie's face still held a hint of excitement.
But A Jiu had a troubled look on her face:
"I don't have any pomegranates for you anymore. I haven't left the city or gone home. How about you each take a bun for now?"
A Jiu quickly took them out. To be honest, the buns she tucked into her embrace had almost scalded her chest.
The two exchanged a look. "You keep the buns. As for the pomegranate matter, you can give it to us when you have time. We're not in a hurry."
Yun Hao said this.
Yesterday, they had felt it was too much trouble, but after hearing from his younger brother that she had cured their mother, this small matter was nothing.
"No, thank you." A Jiu was a little disappointed.
"Don't refuse. Are you here to see your grandmother today, or your parents?"
As soon as this was said, A Jiu's eyes suddenly lit up, and she changed her mind.