Chapter 25: Seeking Help

Chapter 25: Seeking Help

Meeting is fate, after all.

Jiang Yunxin felt immense sympathy for the young girl. If there was any way she could help, she would be willing to lend a hand.

Though forensic doctors dealt with cold corpses daily, their hearts were no less warm and compassionate than others.

Jiang Yunxin hurried out to meet her. The girl looked up, her face filled with surprise.

She had indeed found the right person.

"You're Cui Yun?" Jiang Yunxin said. "What brings you to me at this late hour?"

Then, Cui Yun suddenly knelt down with a thud.

The steps in front of the Criminal Justice Bureau were hard, and Jiang Yunxin winced at the sound.

She quickly urged, "Get up, get up. You can tell me what's wrong, there's no need to do this."

Tears streaked Cui Yun's face. "Mi'lady, we're strangers, and I know I shouldn't burden you, but I've truly run out of options."

"Never mind," Jiang Yunxin reassured her. "Tell me, what's the problem?"

If it was about money, she could still manage to spare a few taels.

Cui Yun cried, "My grandmother is ill, but our family can't afford a doctor or medicine. Today, I picked some fruits to sell for money to buy her medicine, but then I encountered that man, and they spilled."

"When I returned home, I saw how much pain my grandmother was in, but I had no idea where to borrow money from. Eventually, I thought of you, Mi'lady. If you're willing to help me, you must have a kind heart. Could you lend me one tael of silver? I promise I'll return it. It's urgent that I save my grandmother."

It was indeed a matter of life and death.

Jiang Yunxin wasn't a tycoon nor would she rescue every beggar on the street, but when someone came directly to her for help, she couldn't bear to refuse.

"Sure, no problem at all." Jiang Yunxin fished a piece of broken silver from her bosom; it should be more than one tael.

"Take this," she said. "Pay me back if you can in the future, but if not, don't worry about it. Just hurry and get your grandmother the medicine she needs."

Cui Yun never imagined that Jiang Yunxin, a stranger to her, would so readily offer her money.

The tears she had been holding back suddenly spilled over. Wiping them haphazardly, she sobbed, "You're so kind, Miss. I don't even know your name."

Jiang Yunxin smiled and almost said, "My name is Lei Feng."

"No need to know my name, hurry on your way."

"Not at all." Cui Yun shook her head insistently. "A tael of silver is no small sum. I must repay you. If I don't know your name, how would I find you next time?"

Indeed, quite a tenacious young miss. Jiang Yunxin had no choice but to reveal her name.

Cui Yun nodded, this time refraining from kneeling but offering her a deep bow instead.

Jiang Yunxin casually inquired, "Are there others in your family?"

Cui Yun shook her head. "It's just my grandmother and me, relying on each other for survival. We came from afar to seek refuge with relatives, but we couldn't find them, and then my grandmother fell ill."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunxin sensed the difficulty of their situation. "Where are you staying now?" Cui Yun mentioned a location, which turned out not to be an inn – a fact that momentarily confused Jiang Yunxin.

Cui Yun explained, somewhat embarrassed, "We initially stayed at an inn, but it was too expensive. After two days, we simply couldn't afford it. So, I found an unoccupied residence."

Though Jin City was prosperous, it was also dotted with numerous unoccupied residences.

They stood empty for various reasons. Some might be haunted, while others could be the properties of wealthy individuals who simply left them unused. Then there were those whose owners had ventured far away but, being financially secure, saw no need to sell their homes, intending to return and reside in them whenever they pleased.

It was likely one of these that Cui Yun was searching for.

Though they were unoccupied, if no one had been hired to maintain or keep watch over the houses, they would have surely fallen into disrepair by now.

They might provide shelter from wind and rain, but it would be highly inappropriate for an ailing elderly person to reside in such conditions.

As Jiang Yunxin pondered whether to extend her kindness further and cover the inn expenses for the girl, Wang the officer suddenly asked, "You're from out of town, right? Are you familiar with the capital? Would you know where to find a doctor at this hour?"

Cui Yun was taken aback by the question, her expression revealing her dilemma.

Indeed, during the day, they could simply go to a clinic, but in the dead of night, with little money on them and being strangers in the city, it might be difficult to find a physician willing to make a house call, let alone one who wouldn't charge extra. Cui Yun couldn't afford such fees.

If she hadn't intervened at all, that would have been one thing. But now that she had, it wouldn't make sense to send the girl away with just a silver tael. What was the point of that?

Jiang Yunxin thought for a moment. "I could accompany you to find a doctor. I know the owner of a clinic who might be willing to come out on a visit."

Being a native, Jiang Yunxin was acquainted with a variety of people, if not the elite.

Cui Yun felt deeply embarrassed. "I'm already grateful that Miss Jiang lent me money. How can I let you, a young lady, venture out at such a late hour?"

Jiang Yunxin chuckled in response. "Aren't you also a young lady? Running around outside this late."

Beijing didn't enforce a curfew, and the city's security was quite good, with guards patrolling throughout the night. However, no matter how thorough their efforts, they couldn't cover every corner. Even with excellent security, there was always the risk of drunkards causing trouble, making it somewhat perilous to be out at night.

Wang the officer promptly spoke up, "I'll accompany you both."

With two young women in danger and a sturdy officer from the Criminal Bureau added to the mix, they would be safe.

Although Wang the officer begrudged parting with a tael of silver to aid Cui Yun, he felt it unmanly to not step forward in this situation.

However, Wang was on duty that night and couldn't simply leave. He said, "Wait for me a moment, I'll find someone to take my shift."

Officers lived within the Criminal Bureau, ready to attend to tasks at any time. They didn't have individual rooms but shared quarters, usually for four or six occupants.

After speaking, Wang the officer hastily entered the bureau, only to reemerge shortly accompanied by Long Qiao.

"Big Brother Long," Jiang Yunxin asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

Long Qiao replied, "I couldn't sleep and was taking a stroll. I saw Old Wang rushing in, so I inquired and found out that Little Jiang was about to leave. So, I thought I'd accompany you."

With Long Qiao around, they would be even safer.

Although Jiang Yunxin felt a bit awkward troubling Long Qiao, it was best to attend to Grandma Cui Yun's illness as soon as possible. Hence, she agreed.

The three of them set off to find a doctor together.

With Long Qiao present, any doctor could be summoned, and they didn't even charge for the late-night house call.

"It's an honor for me that Lord Dragon would seek my assistance. Please don't stand on ceremony; if you do, I'll feel embarrassed."

Everything proceeded exceptionally smoothly. Cui Yun led the trio to the empty house where she and her grandmother were staying.

Indeed, it was a dilapidated residence. The elderly grandmother lay on the floor, with only a thin mat beneath her and a coat covering her body.