Ah Ling fell asleep, and Suisui did too.
In the Ji Family courtyard, a white Carrier Pigeon perched on Old Madam Ji's window ledge.
Wang Dongxue, who was helping Old Madam Ji out of bed, glanced at it and chuckled.
"It's a Carrier Pigeon from Second Uncle. He probably couldn't rush back after receiving news about Suisui, so he wrote a letter instead."
"Let's see what he wrote first!" Old Madam Ji exclaimed. "That scoundrel! Suisui needed his medical skills most when he couldn't return. If he doesn't give me a reasonable explanation, I'll tell him never to come back!"
Thinking of Suisui's injuries, Old Madam Ji had been yearning day and night for her Divine Physician son to return and treat her precious grandchild. She never expected that even when Suisui was almost fully recovered, her Divine Physician son still hadn't returned!
"You're just harsh on the outside but soft on the inside, Old Madam," Wang Dongxue said. "I imagine Second Uncle must have been delayed by something important. You should ease up on him a little. Otherwise, if Second Sister-in-law hears about this, she'll start overthinking again."
Second Sister-in-law is quite sensitive; she tends to bottle things up and endure silently.
"Oh!" Wang Dongxue continued, reading the letter, "Second Uncle says he took a wrong turn on his way back and accidentally entered an unnamed valley. He even found a Ginseng there as large as a radish! He suspects it must be several thousand years old."
"What?" Old Madam Ji's mouth fell open in astonishment.
Eldest Aunt (Wang Dongxue) stared blankly for a good while before finally reacting. "Could... could Second Uncle have written it wrong?"
"As large as a radish?" Old Madam Ji murmured.
The Third Aunt, bringing a washbasin for Old Madam Ji, happened to overhear Eldest Aunt's words. A Ginseng that large? Where in the world would you find such a thing? Is Second Brother-in-law just bragging? He never used to be like this! Could it be that because he didn't return in time to treat Suisui, he's making up this exaggerated story to please Old Madam and avoid punishment? The Third Aunt had a quick mind and instantly considered several possibilities.
Eldest Aunt disagreed. "I don't think so. Second Brother is about to return. If he's bragging and can't produce such a large Ginseng, wouldn't he become a laughingstock?"
Eldest Aunt had married into the Ji Family quite early and knew the temperaments of the Ji brothers well. The Divine Physician, their second brother, greatly valued his reputation.
"That does make sense!" the Third Aunt conceded.
"Whether it's true or not, we'll find out when he returns, won't we?" Old Madam Ji said decisively after washing her face. She then remembered how Suisui, a few days ago, had complained that the Ginseng her eldest daughter-in-law used in the soup was too small.
When my second son brings back that radish-sized Ginseng, I'll have my eldest daughter-in-law chop it up and stew it in a soup for Suisui!
Suisui, asleep, had no idea that the large "radish" she longed for was already on its way to her!
"BURP..." The little Girl turned over in her sleep, subconsciously wiping sweat from her forehead. She then clutched the pendant on her necklace tightly, mumbling, "Mine... this is mine... I won't give it to anyone! Not even if they beat me to death!"
As Old Madam Ji entered the room, she heard the little Girl muttering in her sleep. Seeing the pendant clutched tightly in the Girl's hand, Old Madam Ji frowned.
Could the terrible beating the little Girl endured be related to this pendant?
Old Madam Ji casually picked up a cattail fan and began to fan the little Girl, her mind drifting back to the day she had rescued her.
That old Li woman... I think she shrieked something about cutting off Suisui's hand to take something from her.
With this in mind, she called the Third Aunt over.
"Go to Ling Village and see how things are there, what the reaction has been since Suisui... left."
"Old Madam, are you asking me to check if the Li Family has officially declared Suisui dead?" the Third Aunt asked.
The Third Aunt, ever sharp, immediately recalled the incident where Eldest Sister-in-law, Eldest Brother, and Fourth Brother had gone to frighten Old Madam Li, and how they had mentioned spreading rumors that Suisui was already dead.