Chapter 428: Leprosy
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Oh, she treats you well. So well in fact that you don’t have to learn the rules that those noble ladies should learn. So well that you, a woman from an aristocratic family, ended up swinging sabers and wielding spears all day long. Your younger sister is also good. She helped you identify that scumbag, in other words, your fiance, and let you know that marrying him is not the right decision. Tsk! You really have it good!”
Even though Su Ying wasn’t interested in the rules for those rich families’ young ladies, those were nonetheless still the rules in this world. For an old lady who followed the rules yet she brought her own granddaughter up to not follow the rules, only the old lady herself knew the intentions behind such an act.
With every sentence Su Ying spoke, Xiang Hualan’s face grew paler.
“I think they’re really very good people. They’re so good that they’re worried about you putting your things in your storage room and insist on moving them into their own courtyard. I’ve never seen such good people,” Su Ying
continued.
Xiang Hualan’s trembling lips could not utter a single word.
If she hadn’t been framed today and almost lost her chastity, if she hadn’t opened the door of the storage room and found that the valuable things inside were practically all gone, Xiang Hualan would never allow anyone to say anything bad about the Xiang family!
However, despite her desire for kinship and love, she was not really stupid.
“I will definitely hand over the five thousand taels of gold to you on time, Miss Su.”
As Xiang Hualan said this, she stood up and opened her bedside drawer. She then retrieved a small stack of silver notes and handed it to Su Ying.
“There are one thousand taels of silver notes here. Take it first, Miss Su. I’ll give you the rest tomorrow.”
Su Ying accepted the silver notes and put them away after verifying the amount.
“I’m very curious. How do you plan to give me the rest tomorrow?”
Xiang Hualan pursed her lips. “1 will ask Grandmother for it.”
“Do you think she’ll really give you the money?”
Xiang Hualan wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t think of a better way right now.
“I have a way to get them to return everything tomorrow, but I have one condition.”
“Miss Su, what is your condition?”
“Add another one thousand taels of gold.”
A total of six thousand taels of gold!
That was definitely a very large sum, but Xiang Hualan still agreed. She didn’t just want those things back. She wanted to know even more what method Su Ying would use.
Su Ying didn’t say anything. She was a person who preferred simple and crude things.
She only told Xiang Hualan to prepare a list of the things she owned and then be mentally prepared to get a bad rap.
Early the next morning.
A scream of horror erupted from the back courtyard of the Xiang Residence.
Xiang Shule looked at the terrified maidservant with displeasure and said angrily, “Why are you shouting so early in the morning!”
The maidservant pointed at Xiang Shule’s face in horror. “Second… Second Young Miss, your… your face… your face…”
Xiang Shule was most concerned about her appearance. Upon hearing the maidservant say this, she sensed at once that her face felt a little strange. She quickly got up and went to the dressing table. When the bronze mirror reflected her appearance, she screamed in fear.
When Old Mistress Xiang received the news, she also rushed to Xiang Shule’s room, with the Second Mistress of the Xiang family hot on her heels.
“What’s going on? What happened to the Second Young Miss?” The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law walked into the room. When they saw Xiang Shule clearly, they were extremely shocked.
It was not an exaggeration to describe Xiang Shule’s current appearance as disgusting and terrifying.
Her whole face was almost covered in festering red spots. At first glance, her face looked absolutely terrifying as if it had been cooked.
“What… what’s going on?”
Although Old Mistress Xiang felt sorry for Shule, she didn’t dare to go near her granddaughter when the latter was in this state.
“Grandmother, Mother, you must help me. 1 don’t know what happened either. I turned out like this when I woke up early in the morning…” Xiang Shule was extremely afraid. Not only was she afraid of death, but she was also worried that her face would be ruined.
Old Mistress Xiang comforted her, “Don’t be afraid. The doctor will be here soon. You might have been bitten by mosquitoes or something. After the doctor comes and checks on you, you will be fine after using his medicine.”
While they were talking, the maidservant brought the doctor into the room.
When the doctor saw Xiang Hualan’s appearance, he was so frightened that he took a few steps back. “This… this is leprosy. This is leprosy!” The doctor did not care about offending the Xiang family and turned around and fled!
“What? Leprosy? This… this is impossible. This is impossible!” Old Mistress Xiang and Second Mistress Xiang’s faces instantly turned a few shades paler.
“Nonsense! Impossible! I’ve never even seen a leper. How can 1 possibly contract this disease!” Xiang Shule screamed. She knew very well what it meant if she had leprosy.
Old Mistress Xiang came back to her senses and immediately sent someone to summon another doctor here again. She even told the maidservant to catch up with the earlier doctor and give him hush money.
Old Mistress Xiang and the others thought that since the first doctor who came didn’t even give Xiang Shule a check, he might be mistaken on the off chance. No, he was definitely mistaken!
However, the few doctors who came later completely shattered the Xiang family’s hopes. All the doctors gave the same diagnosis.
Xiang Shule was infected with leprosy!
This result was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Old Mistress Xiang and the others!
In the Jin State, all the lepers would be sent to the Lepers’ Mountain outside the city. The Imperial Court said that they would also provide some treatment, but everyone who went there knew that once they went there, they could never come back.
Xiang Shule was afraid, and so was the Xiang family. They were afraid that if the higher-ups found out about this, they would lock down the entire Xiang family. Then, they would never be able to make a comeback!
When Xiang Hualan heard the news about Xiang Shule’s condition, she looked in astonishment at Su Ying, who was leisurely munching on melons.
Last night, Su Ying didn’t deliberately avoid Xiang Hualan when she left the house. Xiang Hualan knew that Su Ying had gone out, but out of an inexplicable trust in Su Ying, she didn’t follow Su Ying.
Xiang Hualan dismissed the maidservants before coming to Su Ying.
“Miss Su, do you know what is going on with Younger Sister’s illness?”
Su Ying placed the rinds in her hand into the fruit platter and said, “Miss Xiang, on account of you being so generous, how about we make a bet?”
“Bet on what?” Xiang Hualan asked.
“Bet on whether your so-called family cares about your life or death.”
Xiang Hualan pursed her lips and hesitated for a while before saying, “How do you want to bet?”
Su Ying asked her to get closer and then whispered to her.
After listening, Xiang Hualan’s eyebrows furrowed so tightly that a Roman numeral III formed on her forehead.
When she saw that Xiang Hualan didn’t respond, Su Ying wasn’t anxious. “If you can’t afford to bet, then pretend I didn’t say anything.”
“I’ll bet!” She seemed to have made up her mind very firmly. “I’ll bet with you. I believe that they will never ignore my safety no matter what happens.”
“Alright. Let’s wait and see then.”
Xiang Hualan opened the door and walked out. Very soon, she arrived outside Xiang Shule’s room.
After Xiang Shule was diagnosed with leprosy, everyone in the house avoided her out of fear.
Xiang Hualan looked at Old Mistress Xiang who had an unpleasant expression on her face and said, “Grandmother, is Younger Sister alright?”
Old Mistress Xiang looked at Xiang Hualan and said, “Lan’er, you must find a way to save your younger sister.”
“What in the world happened to Younger Sister?”
Second Mistress Xiang covered her face and cried bitterly. “The doctor said it’s leprosy. Boo hoo hoo…”
“What? Leprosy!”