Chapter 36: There Must Be Some Misunderstanding

Chapter 36: There Must Be Some Misunderstanding

Hearing this, Lady Zhao immediately felt that her words had been inappropriate.

"I apologize if my words were ill-considered, Madam Old Mo," she said.

Knowing that Lady Zhao's visit was not as simple as an apology, but unable to discern her true motive, Madam Old Mo decided to politely dismiss her guest.

"Madam Fang, I understand the emotions of the Fang family. Your apology is appreciated, but if there's nothing else, it would be best for you to return now before the officials reprimand you."

Seeing that Madam Old Mo was indeed asking her to leave, Lady Zhao put aside her reserve.

She carefully took out a gemstone ring from her hairpin.

"Madam Old Mo, may I exchange this ring for a few fish?" asked Lady Zhao, turning to point at where her family was resting.

"My youngest son was so envious seeing you all enjoy the roasted fish that he cried uncontrollably. I had no choice but to seek your help, hoping for some consideration," the Elder Lady Mo explained, her gaze flickering between the gemstone ring in Madam Zhao's hand and the direction she pointed.

Sure enough, a boy of around eight or nine stood there wiping away his tears.

"The fish were caught by my ninth daughter-in-law. If you wish to exchange, you should speak with her," Elder Lady Mo said, believing it inappropriate to make decisions on behalf of her daughter-in-law.

After a round of polite exchanges, Madam Zhao turned and headed for the riverbank.

Coincidentally, He Zhiran had just finished catching enough fish and was making her way back to the shore.

She had already noticed Madam Zhao conversing with her mother-in-law and could guess the reason behind her visit.

He Zhiran didn't initiate conversation but instead calmly put on her shoes and socks by the riverside.

Madam Zhao approached, maintaining an elegant smile.

"Ah... Madam He, could we discuss an exchange? Would you consider trading this ring for some fish?"

He Zhiran examined the ring, its red gemstone shimmering translucently, clearly of fine quality.

It was evident that Madam Zhao was willing to make a significant sacrifice for just a few fish.

At the same time, He Zhiran inferred that the Fang family truly had no silver on them, otherwise they wouldn't resort to using such a valuable ring to trade for some inexpensive fish.

Not bothering with formalities, He Zhiran took the ring directly. She then pointed at the fish Zhao had just caught and said, "The fish are all here. Take your pick."

Seeing that He Zhiran agreed, Madam Zhao expressed her gratitude profusely before crouching down to collect the fish.

He Zhiran watched, curious to see how many fish Zhao would choose to take.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhao picked up five fish.

"Will these do?"

Considering the worth of this ring from the Zhao family, it would not be excessive to ask for five hundred fish, let alone just five.

Yet, she didn't act greedily and only took five.

This left He Zhiran with a favorable first impression of the Zhao family.

"No problem. If you need more, feel free to take a few extra."

Zhao shook her head. "No, I'm already very content with these."

With that, she cast a reluctant glance at the ring in He Zhiran's hand before turning to leave.

From that single gaze, He Zhiran could tell how significant the ring was to Zhao.

Thus, she caught up and whispered to Zhao, "There must be some misunderstanding between us. If you wish to clarify, please have Uncle Fang come to my husband after dark. Everything will become clear then."

Zhao nodded seriously. "Very well, I'll convey the message to my lord."

He Zhiran turned around and discreetly stored the ring in her space for safekeeping. She mused that if the Mo and Fang families could someday put their enmity aside, she would be willing to return the ring to the Zhao family. However, not just yet.

The sisters-in-law continued cleaning the caught carp, while He Zhiran, at Peng Wang's request, roasted ten fish and handed them all over to him. Who he decided to share them with was his choice.

After enjoying the grilled fish, when it seemed like the right time, Peng Wang gave the order to resume their journey. The two beleaguered laborers from the He family begrudgingly pushed the wooden cart once more.

The afternoon heat remained oppressive, but fortunately, He Zhiran had prepared a herbal decoction for some of the group, sparing them from the danger of heatstroke. The Mo family, the Xie family, and the officials were all unharmed.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the other three families. As they traveled on, one by one, members of these families began to exhibit varying degrees of heat exhaustion.

Initially, the families managed, carrying or assisting one another to keep pace with the main group.

However, as time wore on, more and more people fell victim to heatstroke. The few who remained relatively healthy were utterly unable to tend to so many in need.

The entire exiled convoy was soon filled with anguished cries.

Simultaneously, the Xie family and the officials couldn't help but feel genuine gratitude towards He Zhiran.

Had it not been for her foresight in preparing herbal remedies, they too might have succumbed to heatstroke.

Upon witnessing the situation, Peng Wang realized it was impossible to continue their journey. He could only order them to halt.

In this predicament, Peng Wang's first thought was He Zhiran.

"Madam He, I'm afraid this matter still needs your intervention."

However, He Zhiran disagreed.

"Sir Peng, you've seen for yourself these past two days that they've been relentlessly cursing my family, the Mo family. Why should I rescue them?"

He Zhiran didn't consider herself a saint, knowing medicine didn't mean she would save everyone.

Especially the Ho and Li families, they held an intense hatred for Mo Jiuye.

If Mo Jiuye exposed her neck, they would undoubtedly strike with all their might to behead her.

Towards someone with malicious intentions, He Zhiran would never offer assistance.

Of course, the Fang family was different; they could still be considered for treatment.

Peng Wang understood this logic as well.

He was in charge of escorting the prisoners on this trip, so a few casualties during an unexpected incident were acceptable.

But if the number was too high, he wouldn't be able to justify himself when he returned.

Therefore, he continued to persuade He Zhiran.

"No matter how grave their mistakes, they are still living beings. Can you really turn a blind eye to their suffering?"

He Zhiran had made up her mind, crossing her arms over her chest and showing no regard for Peng Wang's dignity.

"Sir Peng, it's better if you refrain from further comments. My decision stands - I will not intervene."

"You..." Peng Wang's temper flared too, pointing at He Zhiran's nose, on the verge of scolding her, but he ultimately held back.

"Hua, I advise you to be wise. The road to the northwest is still long, and there is no benefit for you to offend me."

Fueled by her temper, He Zhiran refused to back down, determined to hold her own.

"Sir Peng, your words are unjust. If the situation were reversed, would you extend your hand to save the life of someone who bears a grudge against you?"

"Puh..." Peng Wang found himself at a loss for words, stumped by her retort.

He could see now that this woman, Hedi, was stubborn. Force wouldn't work on her.

Thus, he made an effort to regulate his emotions and tried again, this time adopting a more conciliatory tone. "Perhaps you could choose to save a few that you find favorable?"

Despite He Zhiran's reluctance to humble herself, she understood the wisdom in not crossing Peng Wang too severely.

When a ladder of compromise was offered, one had to know when to step down.

She glanced at the heat-stricken individuals. The Fang family seemed relatively resilient—perhaps due to consuming fish during lunch, which bolstered their resistance. Only three of them had succumbed to the heat.

The Ho and Li families fared much worse. With a combined total of nearly thirty members, no more than ten were still standing.

"Since Magistrate Peng has extended this offer, I shall reluctantly tend to a few patients."