Shanghai Embroidery Lady

Chapter 58 The Dust Settles
Seven days later, the court finally sentenced Zhao Jinnian to two years in prison, but not because he killed Zhao Jinnian, but because he severely injured a prison steward.

Ye Zijin worked so hard to help Zhao Jinnian collect evidence to clear his innocence. With the help of Lawyer Cheng and Meng Haoxiang, the matter was about to be completed.The prison steward was entrusted by Meng Haoxiang to take special care of Zhao Jinnian. Unexpectedly, in the process of preventing him from committing suicide, he was severely injured by the irrational Zhao Jinnian.

Now that the facts are here, it is even more impossible for the prison to release him. Attorney Cheng has no choice but to plead with the judge and only serve two years in prison.

Ye Zijin was exhausted and disappointed, anxious and worried.But Zhao Jinnian still refused to see her. She was afraid that Zhao Jinnian would try to seek death again, so she had to write a trust letter and send it in.

The letter sent in the morning arrived at Meng Haoxiang's office in the afternoon.

Meng Haoxiang once told the warden that anything for Zhao Jinnian should be brought to him for review first. Now that this thin letter is lying on the table, he is actually a little absent-minded.

In the end, he opened the envelope, took out Ye Zijin's letter to Zhao Jinnian, and glanced at it.Her handwriting is quite strong, not only has the elegance and elegance of Zanhua Xiaokai, but also has the smooth atmosphere of running script, with delicate and rich strokes, and every word is full of deep affection for Zhao Jinnian.Although he didn't directly express his heart, the painstaking enlightenment, comfort and encouragement in the words were very dazzling to Meng Haoxiang.

After reading it, he couldn't help but slapped the letter on the table, crumpled it up, and threw the envelope into the wastebasket.

At this time, Ah Cheng came in, and seeing Meng Haoxiang's sullen expression, he became more cautious when speaking.

"Brother Xiang, the representative of the British foreign company, Mr. and Mrs. Wilton, will arrive in Shanghai today, and the welcome banquet for the evening has been booked at Ruijin Hotel." Ah Cheng told seriously.

Meng Haoxiang only said "um", and his expression eased a little. When Ah Cheng was about to turn around and leave, Meng Haoxiang suddenly stopped him, "Go to the prison and tell that Zhao Jinnian that Mrs. Zhao is now being held by the eldest wife House arrest, he thinks his mother is fine, so he should stop looking for death, if he wants to die, then no one will care about her mother's life."

Ah Cheng nodded in response. He knew that the second wife of the Zhao family was dead. Meng Haoxiang did this only to encourage Zhao Jinnian to live. They are so attentive.

When Ye Zijin asked Xiao Xia to investigate Zhao Jinnian's situation in prison, the news Xiao Xia brought back made her feel a little relieved.Xiao Xia told her that Zhao Jinnian was normal in prison, but he was still taciturn.

The letter was finally not in vain, Ye Zijin felt relieved, and only asked Xiao Xia to take care of Zhao Jinnian's food in prison, and asked Xiao Xia to bring some books.

In the early morning of the next day, Ye Zijin went out to the shop as usual, the road was wet from last night's rain, and water droplets were still dripping from the bamboo poles she took out to dry clothes.People who get up early to do business have already started to set up their stalls, and a few long chants float in the empty alley. The dilapidated old houses on both sides look like old people with vicissitudes of life, and their clothes are ragged but kind and friendly.

Bought a newspaper from a newsboy, Ye Zijin saw the eye-catching headline at a glance——Baohui Foreign Firm and British Foreign Firm joined forces.

A photo was published in the newspaper, and the background seemed to be a luxurious restaurant. In the photo, Meng Haoxiang toasted with a foreigner. There was always a calm smile on his stern face, as if he had a well-thought-out demeanor.Standing next to him was He Manling with a gentle smile, and the two really looked like a pretty well-matched couple.

Ye Zijin put away the newspaper, a cool breeze blew in, she tightened a coral scarf around her neck, and quickened her pace.

When she arrived at the shop, Ye Zijin didn't see Xiao Wu and Xiao Yue as usual, she felt a little strange, so she opened the curtain and went into the back room.

I saw Master Shen sitting on a chair, covering his mouth with a handkerchief and coughing continuously. He bent over and coughed until his throat seemed almost hoarse. Ye Zijin's heart tightened when he heard the coughing.Xiaoyue beat her back and served tea and water beside her, her head was battered and she looked worried.Ye Zijin glanced at the spittoon inadvertently, the blood in the spit hurt her eyes!
"Master, what's wrong with you? Why is there blood in this phlegm?" Ye Zijin hurried forward.

Master Shen was still coughing non-stop, coughing and saying: "It's okay... cough cough cough... the old problem happened again... cough cough cough..."

Xiaoyue stomped her feet anxiously, and said to Ye Zijin: "Master has had a cough since last night, and it got worse this morning. Xiao Wu has already gone to see a doctor. Why hasn't he come back? I'm so anxious!"

Ye Zijin knew that Master loved to smoke, and would occasionally cough twice, but he didn't pay much attention to it, but now he coughed up blood, Ye Zijin couldn't help but feel worried.

"Master, why don't you go to the hospital? I heard that those western medicines are very effective." Ye Zijin stepped forward and patted Master Shen on the back to help him calm down.

Master Shen pushed her away, and said firmly in a hoarse voice, "I'm going to die... cough cough cough... I won't go to a hospital run by a foreigner! Foreigners...how good are their medical skills... I heard that there are still people who don't like me. The stuff that disembowels...the medical skills left by our ancestors...cough cough cough...what's wrong?"

Ye Zijin knew that her master had a stubborn temper and never listened to persuasion. In order not to make him angry again, she had no choice but to follow her master and say, "Okay, okay, let's see Chinese medicine, master, don't be angry."

Ye Zijin saw that Master was coughing more and more, and the phlegm he coughed up was still mixed with blood. This symptom was a bit like... Thinking of that disease, her heart also sank.

Xiao Wu invited an old doctor.The old man was dressed in a gray-black gown, a pair of round-rimmed glasses, and came rushing in with an old medicine box.

After taking the pulse and making the diagnosis, the old man pretended to cough a few times, and said, "I'll prescribe a few medicines and take them. If the cough is not good, you can come to me again." After finishing speaking, he packed up the box and was about to go out. He glanced at it when he left. Ye Zijin and Xiao Wu seemed to be expressing something with their eyes.

Ye Zijin understood immediately, let Xiaoyue take care of her inside, and then went out with Xiaowu to see off the old doctor.

When he walked to the door of the shop, the old man sighed helplessly and said: "You have to prepare for the funeral, he suffered from tuberculosis, even Immortal Da Luo couldn't save him, the medicines I prescribed were just to prolong his life , I can’t cure the root cause, I have no other way.”

Ye Zijin's heart skipped a beat, Aunt Zhou got this kind of disease back then, and Aunt Zhou was also coughing all night long, her face turned blue from coughing, she looked haggard like a paper doll.She ran all over the pharmacies, big and small, and begged countless doctors, but in the end she couldn't save Aunt Zhou.

Tuberculosis, a sickening disease, now that Master also suffers from this disease, Ye Zijin was in a trance and helpless for a while.

Xiao Wu begged the old doctor to think of a solution, but the old doctor just shook his head, sighed, and walked away with the medicine box.

Xiao Wu leaned helplessly on the door in a daze, at this time Xiaoyue walked out uneasy, seeing Ye Zijin and Xiao Wu's expressions, she also guessed that Master was seriously ill.

Xiaoyue asked Ye Zijin with red eyes, "Master... what disease did he... have?"

Ye Zijin stared at the ground in a daze, and after a long time struggled to squeeze out two words, "Consumption."

Xiaoyue took a step back, covered her mouth, and tears flowed from her eyes.

Xiao Wu hurriedly said, "Don't cry out loud so that Master can hear you!"

Xiaoyue bit her lower lip and sobbed softly: "What should I do... Can tuberculosis really be cured?"

Ye Zijin, who was silent at the side, suddenly said, "We kept this matter from Master, we just said that he was infected with a common cold. Xiaoyue, do you know any relatives of Master? I think his relatives should come to persuade him to go to a foreigner's hospital." It will be more useful than our persuasion."

Xiaoyue wiped the tears from her cheeks with her sleeve, thought for a while, and said: "Master has a son of his own, but his son didn't want to learn the craft of tailoring. I never came back, and it must have been seven or eight years since I left."

Ye Zijin's newly ignited hope seemed to be extinguished by a scoop of cold water, and she continued to ask: "Then do you know where Master's son is now?"

Xiaoyue shook her head first, and suddenly a light flashed in her eyes again, "I remember that Master once received a letter, and he quietly locked it in the cabinet after reading it, and received another letter during Chinese New Year that year. I guess it must have been sent by someone very important, otherwise why would Master lock it in the cabinet?"

Xiao Wu thought for a while and said: "Well, it is possible. If you find that letter, you will know where Master's son is. Even if it is not Master's son, it may be sent by other important people. Anyway, first I came here to persuade him. Master is very stubborn, and we cannot persuade him."

"But Master keeps the key of that cabinet with him all the time, and never leaves him..." Xiaoyue reminded.

Xiao Wu glanced at Xiaoyue disdainfully, and said a little proudly: "This bag is on me, have you forgotten what I was doing before I was adopted by Master? A juggler can steal the key with such a trick. Is it bad? Stupid girl."

Ye Zijin only now knows that Xiao Wu learned juggling in the past, no wonder he knows all about tricks in the Jianghu, it turns out he learned it from running into the pier when he was a child.

"Okay, then you guys find the letter and show it to me. These few days we have to go on as usual, and don't let Master find out that there is anything unusual." Ye Zijin instructed.

After the discussion between the three, Xiaoyue took the prescription and went to get the medicine, Xiaowu went to persuade Master Shen to go home to recuperate, and Ye Zijin stayed to look at the shop.

As a result, Ye Zijin could only do all the work, and she was helping Master Shen with unfinished cheongsams, dealing with picky customers, and checking accounts.She shuttled between the cutting bed and the counter, so busy that she didn't even have time to eat lunch.

(End of this chapter)