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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Xiaohan enjoyed the fruits of victory for a moment, but quickly reined in her thoughts and focused on the task at hand. There was still one last step to take; she couldn't relax until they were completely driven out.
She sat down and began to lay out her conditions one by one. "If you want me to save your son, I can do that. Only I can cure this poison. If you don't believe me, you can ask this doctor."
The doctor clasped his hands together and said, "I am ashamed to admit that I am indeed powerless against this poison. With my years of medical experience, I cannot discern what this poison is made from. I am truly embarrassed."
With the doctor's confirmation, the elders of the Liu family had no choice but to plead with Ye Xiaohan.
"You don't need to rush," Ye Xiaohan said. "We are all family here, and I won't go to extremes. As long as you agree to my terms, I can start curing him right away."
At this point, Liu Di was still lying stiffly on the bed. The elders exchanged glances and could only resign themselves to their fate.
Ye Xiaohan took out the ink and paper she had prepared in advance and instructed Liu Yang to write it down, preventing Liu Second Uncle's family from denying it later.
"First condition: hand over all the stolen property—not just this time's, but everything from before as well. Not a single coin less."
The elders of the Liu family hesitated. "Well, we don’t even know where he hid the money! In his current state, he can't even speak. How are we supposed to find that money?"
"This is simple." Ye Xiaohan stepped forward and took out the antidote she had prepared earlier, instructing Liu Bei to administer it.
Everyone held their breath in anticipation. In just a short while, Liu Di's complexion changed from purple to blue and then back to normal. Although he still looked pale from prolonged illness, he was already much better than before.
Ye Xiaohan then pressed on several acupoints on his body for a while, and soon Liu Di struggled to open his eyes.
"My son!" Liu Second Aunt rushed over and embraced Liu Di, overwhelmed with joy.
Ye Xiaohan interrupted their reunion with a cold voice. "Now it's time."
Liu Di trembled in fear, while Liu Second Aunt felt heartbroken and shouted at Ye Xiaohan, "He just woke up and is still very weak! How can you be so cruel and force him like this? Let him rest for a bit; we can discuss the money later."
"Hmph!" Ye Xiaohan saw that they were starting to stir again after a brief improvement and decided not to be polite any longer. She stepped forward and placed a vial under Liu Di's nose.
Before Liu Second Aunt could stop her, she saw Liu Di convulse twice, roll his eyes back, and collapse again.
"If I want to take action, there are plenty of ways to deal with you. You should think carefully about your next move," Ye Xiaohan said, crossing her arms and watching coldly from the side.
The six elders finally witnessed the prowess of Ye Xiaohan, realizing that he had merely given them a face-saving gesture before, choosing not to hold grudges against them. Otherwise, they feared they would have met their demise countless times over.
The family of Second Uncle fell utterly silent, obediently accepting the situation, not daring to make any further moves.
Ye Xiaohan was satisfied and laid out the remaining conditions one by one. The main points were twofold: first, the return of the stolen property; second, they were not to covet Peach Blossom Studio or its secret recipes again; third, they were to leave the Liu family and could only interact as ordinary relatives from then on, with prior notice required before any visits.
This was to consider Liu Bei's feelings about family ties; demanding a complete severance of relations might provoke his resentment.
However, whether the Second Uncle's family would dare to come back after this was another matter entirely.
Liu Yang took note of everything Ye Xiaohan said and presented it to Second Uncle's family for their signatures.
Liu Di glanced fearfully at Ye Xiaohan and confessed, "I buried the remaining silver in a corner of the yard. I can take you to dig it up, but... I spent a little of the previous amount..."
He quickly hid behind Second Aunt, terrified that Ye Xiaohan might suddenly strike again. The fear on his face made it clear how dreadful it must feel to be poisoned.
Liu Yang volunteered to take a shovel and went to the indicated spot to dig. Sure enough, large bags of silver were neatly buried beneath the surface. After counting, most of it was still there; the silver stolen last night had not yet been spent, and he had been cautious with the previous silver for fear of being discovered. Even so, a considerable amount was already missing.
The two elders from the Liu family quickly pleaded, "Liu Bei's wife, look, this money has already been spent. If you ask him for more, we can't provide it! Can we just let this go? We promise we'll leave immediately and never come back! From now on, you will be our benefactor. When we return home, we'll set up an altar for you and burn incense in your honor!"
Knowing they truly could not produce that sum of money—Second Uncle's family was so poor that they could count the coins in their pockets—it would be impossible for them to gather such expenses even if they sold themselves.
Ye Xiaohan intended to scare them a little; as long as he could drive them away, it would be worth the trouble.
Watching as the three pressed their fingerprints onto the document, Ye Xiaohan blew dry the ink and carefully stored the paper before finally handing over the complete antidote to Second Aunt.
Liu Di's condition improved rapidly; by the third day, he could get out of bed and walk. By the fifth day, after packing their belongings, the family came early in the morning to bid farewell.
"Your brother is well now. We've been here long enough and it's not right to keep bothering you. We have matters at home too, so we won't stay any longer. Just let your wife know," Second Uncle dared not approach Ye Xiaohan directly and only spoke to Liu Bei.
Liu Bei's demeanor was no longer as respectful as before; upon hearing they were leaving, he did not try to retain them but simply said, "That's fine. I'll see you off. Liu Yang, go bring the dried rabbit meat and jerky from the kitchen for Second Uncle and Second Aunt to take home."
"No need, no need," Second Uncle hurriedly declined. They only wished for a safe departure now and dared not take advantage of the Liu family's hospitality any further.
Yin was unwilling in his heart. Why should these people, relying on a relative's empty title, be able to come to his home and take whatever they wanted? He verbally agreed, but his feet remained rooted to the ground.
Unable to move him, Bei had no choice but to go himself. Just as he was about to leave, he saw Ye Xiaohan approaching with Qi in her arms.
Ever since the incident with the poison, Bei seemed to be intentionally avoiding her. Despite being under the same roof, they had hardly crossed paths. Seeing her now, Bei's expression stiffened, and he stopped in his tracks.
Ye Xiaohan, however, appeared completely at ease. She walked up to Second Uncle's family and glanced at their meager bundles before smiling and saying, "Second Uncle, Second Aunt, why are you leaving so soon? It's rare for you to come here; why not stay a bit longer so we juniors can show our filial piety?"
For other families, filial piety meant enjoying blessings; for Ye Xiaohan, it meant having the life to enjoy them.
The elderly couple from the Liu family quickly smiled apologetically. "You are too kind! We've stayed long enough; it's time for us to return. There are fields at home that need tending. If we don't go back soon, there might not be much of a harvest left."
Ye Xiaohan's invitation was merely a jest; no one took it seriously. She was just here to assess the situation.
Seeing that Second Uncle's family was wise enough to leave, Ye Xiaohan felt elated at the thought of no longer having to endure their presence. Even the culprits didn’t seem so detestable anymore.
"Since Second Uncle and Second Aunt insist on leaving, we wouldn't dare keep you. However, since you've come all this way, you can't go back empty-handed. Yin, go to my room and get ten taels of silver for Second Uncle and Second Aunt as travel expenses."
"Huh?" Yin was taken aback. "They’ve already stolen so much silver from us; why should we give them more?"
Ye Xiaohan generously replied, "What happened before is in the past and doesn't need to be mentioned again. I believe that after this incident, Brother Liu has learned his lesson and will surely turn over a new leaf, never again doing anything so foolish."
She turned to Second Uncle's family, a smile playing on her lips as she asked, "Isn't that right?"
"Yes, yes!" Second Uncle and Second Aunt nodded vigorously while Brother Liu dared not lift his head, shrinking behind them.
In truth, Ye Xiaohan wished she could throw out their bundles as well; her pretense of generosity was merely for Bei's sake.
Reluctantly, Yin went to fetch the money, his mouth pouting in displeasure as he handed it over to Second Uncle.
Second Uncle stared at the gleaming silver in front of him, feeling an itch in his palms. He wanted to take it but didn’t dare. With a sycophantic smile directed at Ye Xiaohan, he said awkwardly, "Uh... this... how can I accept this?"
Ye Xiaohan pressed the silver into his hands and said, "Take it; it's our way of showing respect to our elders. No need for politeness."
"Then, I'll take it!" Second Uncle said as he deftly unwrapped the package and carefully placed the silver inside.
Bei sent them off to the village entrance, mentioning that they had hired an ox cart. "Let's go."
After seeing off Second Uncle's family, the Ye family finally returned to the long-lost peace. Ye Xiaohan moved a chair and sat under the shade of a tree in the yard. The heat was rising, and she could no longer bear the winter coat she had been wearing.
Having taken off her thick cotton jacket and changed into a lighter one, Six Qi was as nimble as a rabbit, running around the yard. Occasionally, she would fall but wouldn't cry; she would simply stand up and brush off the dust from her clothes.
Ye Xiaohan was gently lulled by the warm breeze, feeling drowsy. Supporting her forehead with her hand, she watched Six Qi play quietly by herself and soon dozed off.
In her dream, she felt hazy, as if she had returned to her modern home. She opened the refrigerator to find half a tub of unfinished ice cream and took out a spoon to scoop some out.
She ate quickly, as if there were an unfinished task waiting for her, eager to continue. Although she tried hard to remember what it was, it eluded her. Still, she kept swallowing mouthfuls, wanting to finish quickly. As a result, she grew colder and colder, feeling chilly all over.
Ye Xiaohan woke up shivering.
Opening her eyes to the increasingly familiar surroundings, she exhaled deeply. Was she more relieved or regretful? Even she felt dazed by the thought.
Not seeing Six Qi's little figure in front of her upon waking, Ye Xiaohan looked around in confusion, thinking that perhaps she had gone outside to play. She raised her voice and called out but received no response.
Stretching lazily, Ye Xiaohan stood up with the intention of searching for her. However, as she turned around, a figure silently stood beside her, startling her.
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