"Nona Shuangshuang, aku... aku harus berterima kasih bagaimana? Kita baru bertemu dua kali, tapi setiap kali kau menolongku! Kali ini... tanpa kau, nyawaku pasti hilang!"
Taohua mendengus, hati penuh rasa syukur yang tak terucapkan kepada Mu Shuangshuang.
"Aku tak tahu harus membalas budi ini. Di kehidupan berikutnya, meski aku jadi sapi atau kuda, takutnya tetap tak mampu membalas!"
"Taohua, aku juga tak tahu mau bilang apa, tapi yang jelas, aku tak butuh kau jadi sapi atau kuda, dan tak butuh kau berbuat apa pun untukku!
Aku menolongmu cuma karena kebetulan lewat. Mungkin memang ada cobaan yang menunggumu, tapi surga mengatur supaya aku bisa bantu selesaikannya!
Lain kali, daripada mikir cara membalas, mending pikir jalan ke depan, baik sebelum maupun setelah bayi lahir!"
Menempatkan Taohua di Kampung Er Gui cuma tindakan sementara.
Mu Shuangshuang sendiri tahu, dia tak bisa tinggal di Kampung Er Gui selamanya.
Lagi pula, dengan kemampuan Taohua sendirian, memelihara anak pasti bukan hal mudah.
"Aku..." Taohua bingung, dia juga tak tahu harus pilih apa!
"Tak usah buru-buru, kita pikirkan pelan-pelan. Kali ini aku harus pergi jauh. Waktu aku balik, bayi di perutmu mungkin belum lahir, dan kita masih punya waktu cukup urus urusanmu!" Mu Shuangshuang menghibur Taohua.
"Tapi... apakah mereka benar-benar bisa terus menipu Magistrat Kabupaten dan bebas berkeliaran?" Taohua mengeratkan bibir.
Di matanya terlihat rasa cemas, khawatir, dan takut.
Di hatinya, dia ingin sekali mengungkap Mu Dade dan Ruan Xiao Jiao. Kalau bukan untuk dirinya, demi Magistrat Kabupaten, dia tak bisa diam!
"Menghindar untuk saat ini adalah salah satu cara terbaik! Kau tak punya kemampuan hadapi Mu Dade, dan aku juga harus segera pergi!"
Mu Shuangshuang tak bisa tunda waktu lagi.
Malam ini dia masih harus temui Zheng Zhi dan serahkan Wang Dali kepadanya.
Kalau kejadian seperti tadi terulang, menangkap Wang Dali tak akan mudah.
"Tuan, obatnya jadi. Nyonya sudah bangun?"
Di luar, dokter mengetuk pintu penginapan pelan.
Mu Shuangshuang cepat buka pintu, melihat doketer berkeringat.
"Obat untuk nyonya sudah jadi, suruh dia minum aja! Lagi pula, aku siapkan cukup sebulan, lima ratus keping tembaga."
Mu Shuangshuang keluarkan enam ratus keping tembaga, serahkan ke dokter.
"Terima kasih!" katanya.
Dokter timbang uang di tangannya, ragu sejenak, "Yakin kau bayar terlalu banyak?"
"Bukan, itu yang kau terima! Oh ya, jangan cerita ke siapa pun kalau aku minta kau obatin aku!"
Mu Shuangshuang bilang.
"Mengerti!"
Dokter pergi bawa uang, Mu Shuangshuang bawa mangkuk obat ke tempat tidur Taohua.
"Minum; obatnya mungkin pahit. Aku keberangkatan terburu-buru, tak bawa apa-apa, jadi tahan dulu!" kata Mu Shuangshuang.
Taohua menatapnya. Meski tak mengerti kenapa dia berpakaian pria—dan jelek lagi—benar-benar laki-laki,
cuma suaranya saja cukup menenangkannya!
Habis minum obat, Taohua merasa ngantuk.
Dia gosokkan kelopak mata, dengar Mu Shuangshuang bilang, "Istirahat dulu. Aku keluar sebentar, malam ini pulang aku bawakan makan!"
Mu Shuangshuang yakin saat ini Taohua tak bisa makan apa pun.
Tapi dia kelewatan ngira keberanian Taohua.
Masih sore, matahari belum tenggelam, Taohua tak takut. Tapi malam tiba, dia tak bayangkan jadinya seperti apa.
"Nona Shuangshuang, bisa... bisa jangan pergi? Aku takut!
Cuma semalam, tolong, aku benar-benar ketakutan!" Taohua menatap kasihan.
Hati Mu Shuangshuang meleleh, tapi Wang Dali memang tak cocok ditinggal lebih lama.
Di kabupaten, banyak orang suka bicara, kalau dilihat dan dibicarakan, urusannya tak ada habisnya.
"Gini aja, aku keluar sebentar, sore hari aku balik!" kata Mu Shuangshuang.
"Aku tahu kau takut, tapi yang harus aku lakukan benar-benar penting. Kalau aku tak lakukan, bisa sangat berbahaya!"
Mu Shuangshuang jelaskan ke Taohua.
Meski takut, Taohua mengerti maksud Mu Shuangshuang.
Dia cepat mengangguk, "Pergi saja, aku nunggu di sini!"
Mu Shuangshuang keluar penginapan, sebelum pergi ganti penyamaran dan naik kereta antar Wang Dali ke Jiu Si Xuan.
Pemilik Jiu Si Xuan sudah kenal Mu Shuangshuang, dia jelaskan maksud datang.
Dia butuh temui Zheng Zhi!
Toko mengucap maaf, "Nona Shuangshuang, sayangnya pemilik baru pergi! Gimana kalau kita suruh orang panggil balik, boleh?"
"Tak usah, tolong suruh orang ke Zheng Zhi. Suruh orang nulis surat untukku, aku jelaskan semua di surat!"
Toko segera ambilkan yang diminta.
Sambil diktekan, pencatat catat, sebentar surat jadi.
Mu Shuangshuang ambil pulpen cinabre, tempelkan ke tangannya, pakai cinabre itu cap sidik jari di amplop.
Serahkan surat ke toko, Mu Shuangshuang bilang, "Tolong pastikan diserahkan sendiri ke pemilik! Repotkan!"
Toko geleng-geleng, "Tak repot, pemilik pesan, Jiu Si Xuan selalu jadi tempat istirahat untuk nona!
Mau makan apa? Restoran kami baru punya hidangan baru, coba deh, jamin puas!"
"Baik, juga siapkan sebungkus bubur dibawa pulang! Kalau ada sup, siapkan juga sebungkus!"
Taohua hamil dan cedera, minum sup bagus banget buat dia!
"Tentu, pasti, nona tenang aja!"
Mu Shuangshuang makan cepat, habis makan balik ke penginapan bawa kotak makan.
Dia sampai tepat merah matahari terakhir di langit hilang.
Menepati janji ke Taohua.
"Campuran sup dan bubur memang agak aneh, tapi pasti bergizi! Oh ya, dengar-dengar buburnya bubur sarang burung walet!"
Mu Shuangshuang tak sangka toko Jiu Si Xuan semurah hati.
Buburnya bubur sarang burung walet; dia sendiri belum pernah makan.
"Mahal banget kan? Nona Shuangshuang, jangan beliin aku, tidak berarti!" Taohua hampir nangis.
Lama nongkrong di sisi Ruan Xiao Jiao, dia tahu betapa mahalnya bubur sarang burung walet.
Sarang burung walet bagus, satu tahil perak cuma segenggam kecil.
Setiap kali ada sarang burung walet, bukan Ruan Xiao Jiao beli pakai duit sendiri, tapi Gongzi Tertua Zheng Zhi.
Dan tiap kamar cuma dikit.
"Jangan nangis; ini hadiah, gratis!"
Bukan cuma bubur gratis, makanannya juga gratis.
Mu Shuangshuang sendiri merasa tak percaya!
"Miss Shuangshuang, how... how should I thank you? We’ve only met twice, but each time, you’ve helped me! This time... without you, I would’ve lost my life!"
Taohua sniffled, feeling overwhelming gratitude towards Mu Shuangshuang in her heart.
"I don’t even know how to repay you. In the next life, even if I become an ox or a horse, I’m afraid I still won’t be able to repay you!"
"Taohua, I don’t know what to say either, but the truth is, I don’t need you to become an ox or a horse, nor do I need you to do anything for me!
I helped you simply because I happened to be passing by. Maybe there were calamities destined for you, but the heavens arranged for me to help you resolve them!
In any case, instead of thinking about how to repay me, you should consider the road ahead, both before and after the baby is born!"
Placing Taohua in Er Gui Village was just a temporary measure.
Mu Shuangshuang herself knew that she couldn’t stay in Er Gui Village forever.
Moreover, given Taohua’s capacity alone, supporting a child is certainly not an easy task.
"I..." Taohua was confused, as she didn’t know what to choose either!
"No rush, we can think about it slowly. I have to go on a long journey this time. By the time I return, the baby in your belly probably hasn’t been born yet, and we’ll have enough time to deal with your issues!" Mu Shuangshuang comforted Taohua.
"But... can they really continue deceiving the County Magistrate and roam free?" Taohua pressed her lips tightly.
In her eyes, one could see the emotions of unease, worry, and fear.
In her heart, she was eager to expose Mu Dade and Ruan Xiao Jiao. Even if not for herself, for the County Magistrate, she couldn’t remain silent!
"Avoiding them for now is one of the best ways! You don’t have the ability to confront Mu Dade, and I also have to leave soon!"
Mu Shuangshuang couldn’t afford any delays in her time.
Tonight, she still had to find Zheng Zhi and hand over Wang Dali to him.
If something like today’s incident happened again, capturing Wang Dali wouldn’t be easy.
"Sir, the medicine is ready. Has your wife woken up?"
Outside, the doctor knocked gently on the inn’s door.
Mu Shuangshuang quickly went to the door and opened it, seeing the sweating doctor.
"The medicine for your wife is ready; just let her drink it! Additionally, I’ve prepared enough for a month, which costs five hundred copper coins."
Mu Shuangshuang took out six hundred copper coins and handed them to the doctor.
"Thank you!" she said.
The doctor weighed the copper coins in his hand and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you sure you gave too much?"
"No, that’s what you deserve! By the way, please don’t tell anyone that I asked you to treat me!"
Mu Shuangshuang said.
"Got it!"
Taking the money, the doctor left, while Mu Shuangshuang carried the bowl of medicine to Taohua’s bedside.
"Drink it; the medicine might be bitter. I left in a hurry and didn’t bring anything with me, so just bear with it for now!" Mu Shuangshuang said.
Taohua looked up at her. Although she didn’t understand why she was dressed as a man—ugly at that—and indeed looked like a man,
just her voice was enough to calm her down!
After finishing the bowl of medicine, Taohua felt a bit sleepy.
She rubbed her eyelids, hearing Mu Shuangshuang say, "Rest for a while. I’ll go out for a bit, and when I return tonight, I’ll bring you some food!"
Mu Shuangshuang believed that at this point, Taohua couldn’t eat anything.
However, she overestimated Taohua’s courage.
It was still dusk, with sunlight, so Taohua didn’t feel afraid. However, once night fell, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like.
"Miss Shuangshuang, can... can you not leave? I’m scared!
Just for one night, I beg you; I’m really terrified!" Taohua looked pitiful.
Mu Shuangshuang’s heart softened, but Wang Dali was indeed not suitable to keep around any longer.
In the county, there were many people who chatter, and if someone saw him and spread the news, trouble would be endless.
"How about this? I’ll go out for a while and return before dark!" Mu Shuangshuang said.
"I know you’re scared, but what I have to do is truly important. If I don’t do it, it could be very dangerous!"
Mu Shuangshuang explained to Taohua.
Though scared, Taohua understood what Mu Shuangshuang was saying.
She nodded quickly, "Go on, I’ll wait for you here!"
Mu Shuangshuang left the inn, and before leaving, she changed her disguise and took a carriage to deliver Wang Dali to Jiu Si Xuan.
The owner of Jiu Si Xuan was already acquainted with Mu Shuangshuang, who explained her purpose for coming.
She needed to find Zheng Zhi!
The shopkeeper apologized to Mu Shuangshuang, "Miss Shuangshuang, unfortunately, our owner just left! How about this: we’ll send someone to call the owner back, is that okay?"
"No need, help me send someone to Zheng Zhi. Have someone write a letter for me, and I’ll explain everything in the letter!"
The shopkeeper immediately fetched what Mu Shuangshuang requested.
As she dictated, the account clerk took notes, and soon a letter was written.
Mu Shuangshuang then took a vermillion pen, pressed it against her hand, and using the vermillion, left her thumbprint on the envelope.
Handing the letter to the shopkeeper, Mu Shuangshuang said, "Please make sure to personally deliver this to your owner! Thank you for the trouble!"
The shopkeeper shook his head repeatedly, "No trouble at all, our owner has instructed that Jiu Si Xuan will always be a resting place for you, miss!
Would you like something to eat? Our restaurant has many new dishes recently; give them a try, I guarantee you’ll be satisfied!"
"Sure, also prepare a bowl of porridge for me to take away! If there’s soup available, prepare a portion for me to take away too!"
Taohua, being pregnant and injured, would benefit greatly from drinking soup!
"Of course, of course, rest assured, miss!"
Mu Shuangshuang ate quickly and, after finishing her meal, returned to the inn with a food box.
She returned just as the last red glow in the sky disappeared.
Keeping her promise to Taohua.
"The combination of soup and porridge seems a bit odd, but it should be nourishing! By the way, I heard the porridge is bird’s nest porridge!"
Mu Shuangshuang didn’t expect such generosity from the shopkeeper of Jiu Si Xuan.
The porridge was bird’s nest porridge; she had never had it herself.
"Isn’t that really expensive? Miss Shuangshuang, please don’t spend money on me; it’s not worth it!" Taohua almost cried.
Having stayed by Ruan Xiao Jiao’s side for so many years, she naturally knew how expensive bird’s nest porridge was.
Good bird’s nest cost a tael of silver for just a tiny bit.
Every time they had bird’s nest, it wasn’t Ruan Xiao Jiao who bought it with her own money; it was the eldest young master Zheng Zhi.
And each room only got a little bit.
"Don’t cry; it was a gift, at no cost!"
Not only was the porridge free, but her meal was free too.
Mu Shuangshuang herself found it incredible!
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