Chapter 23 A Stranger Claims Fatherhood

Chapter 23: A Father Out of Nowhere

There weren't many people at the clinic just then. Only Lei Xun and Lei Li were outside—Lei Tan had woken up late that morning and hadn't had time for breakfast, so he had snuck into the kitchen to steal some snacks while no one was around. The man looked unfamiliar to Lei Xun. Moreover, since he had come in asking for Lei Li, he didn't seem like a genuine patient seeking treatment. Lei Xun shot Lei Li a warning glance, telling him not to answer, and asked himself, "Might I ask if you're here to see a doctor, sir?"

The man's demeanor was quite courteous. He bowed deeply to Lei Xun. "My intrusion is abrupt and disruptive. I beg your pardon, sir."

Because Lei Xun had stood up to return the greeting, Lei Li naturally couldn't remain seated. He had no choice but to stand up as well, standing beside Lei Xun. As soon as he approached, the man's eyes immediately fixed on Lei Li's face, meticulously tracing his features, scrutinizing him intently. Lei Li felt prickles down his spine under that gaze, utterly uncomfortable. Frowning, he glanced at Lei Xun. Catching his meaning, Lei Xun turned to Lei Li and said, "Go to the back and check on the medicine for your father."

Lei Li said 'Yes' and was about to leave when the visitor suddenly stepped forward, stepped around Lei Xun, and grabbed Lei Li's arm. "Are you Lei Li? Is it you? Or are you Lei Tan? Child, do you still recognize me?"

Lei Li was startled and tried to break free, but he was no match for an adult's strength. "What are you doing?" Lei Xun demanded, attempting to pull the two apart. Unexpectedly, the man clung tightly, refusing to let go. Lei Li was yanked painfully, grimacing and crying out, "Ouch!" Afraid of injuring the child, Lei Xun hastily released his grip and positioned himself between them, his face stern. "What do you think you're doing? If you're here to be treated, just tell us what's wrong. Why grab my child upon entry? If you intend to cause trouble, we can settle this at the magistrate's office!"

Had the clinic been cursed lately? Lei Xun wondered inwardly as he blocked the man. Yesterday's incident wasn't even resolved yet—Lei Ding was still at the magistrate's office and hadn't returned—and now someone else was causing a scene at their door.

The man still held Lei Li's hand. Hearing Lei Xun's words, he hurriedly shook his head. "I've been wronged! Wronged, I tell you! I have no intention of stirring up trouble. I only came to find my sons, to get back my two boys lost to me for nine years."

Upon hearing this, Lei Li suddenly reacted violently. Lei Li aspired to take the imperial examinations. If not for this disaster, he would usually spend his days studying with his teacher at the academy. Intelligent and diligent, he had long since mastered the Four Books and Five Classics. He was the most well-read and courteous, rarely arguing with others, seldom even raising his voice, possessing a somewhat precociously mature demeanor. Yet now, he burst out shouting uncontrollably, repeatedly shouting for the man to let go. Lei Xun's expression also darkened on the spot. "The person you're looking for isn't here. Leave."

The man looked at Lei Li, urgently asking, "Child, don't you recognize me? I am your father!"

Lei Li grew frantic and actually bit down hard on the man's hand, drawing blood. The man cried out in pain and released his grip. Lei Li immediately hid behind Lei Xun, shouting at the man, "I have no such father! This is my father!"

Just as the commotion was reaching its peak, Wu Qiu emerged from the back. Seeing the situation, he hurried over to ask, "What's going on now?"

It turned out that once he had eaten, Lei Tan wanted to check on Cui Nanshan again and ran into the main room. Cui Nanshan wasn't actually asleep; seeing him enter, he opened his eyes and spoke to him. Since there was nothing urgent up front, Lei Tan stayed to keep his father company and told Wu Qiu to go out for a walk or return to his room to rest for a while, then come back later to relieve him. So Wu Qiu went out, strolling in the courtyard for some fresh air, watering the medicinal herbs Lei Ding had planted.

But not long after, he heard arguing from the front again. Wu Qiu hastily dropped what he was holding and went to look. Upon entering, he saw Lei Li tightly clutching Lei Xun's sleeve, hiding behind him, while a strange man circled Lei Xun, trying to grab Lei Li. He quickly stepped forward and asked Lei Xun, "Sir, who is this?"

Seeing him arrive, Lei Xun said, "Qiu Geer, take Yue Er inside. Look after him and Tan Er. Make sure they stay inside."

Before Wu Qiu could respond, the man had heard their words and also shouted, "So you are Lei Li! Child! Come home with me!"

He then turned to Lei Xun. "Sir, thank you for raising my two children all these years. I have money; name your price, and I'll give it to you. But you can't just forcibly keep someone else's children, can you?"

The neighbors who had gathered around were also puzzled. What was going on with the clinic lately, with constant daily disturbances? Someone called out to the man, "Are you speaking nonsense? This is Lord Lei's second son. Ask anyone in the city; all of us nearby know him. How could he be your child?"

The man resumed his extremely polite, refined demeanor. To those unaware of the circumstances, it now seemed a bit as if Lei Li was the one throwing a tantrum and crying. The man bowed to the person who had spoken. "Everyone, please don't be quick to question me. Let me ask you all first: those who have lived here long, have you ever seen the master of this house pregnant again after giving birth to his eldest son? And have any of you ever seen what this second son looked like in swaddling clothes?"

At his words, a few long-term residents seemed to recall something, whispering among themselves. "He has a point. Hey, do you remember many years ago, it seemed like Master Cui brought two small children home? Could it be that the Lei family's children are actually adopted, and now their biological father has come looking for them?"

Lei Xun's brow furrowed deeply. He turned his head and urged Wu Qiu to quickly take Lei Li back inside.

Lei Li's face flushed red. He just kept repeating, "You are not my father." Seeing him crying, his face covered in sweat and tears, Wu Qiu used his own sleeve to wipe it for him, coaxing, "Yue Er, be good. Come with me to the back first, alright? Let Lord Lei handle this."

Seeing Lei Li about to leave, the man rushed forward, shouting, "You remember, don't you? You were four or five then. You remember, right? Look, our appearances are so similar. Can you even deceive your own heart?"

Upon closer inspection, compared to Lei Xun, Lei Li did indeed resemble the man before them more—his eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth; the more one looked, the more similar they seemed.

The man had already been pushed out the door by Lei Xun. Standing outside, taking advantage of the crowd's discussion, he shouted loudly, "You remember your father, don't you? My surname is Zhang. You also remember your name isn't Lei Li, but Zhang Yun, isn't it?"

Wu Qiu saw that Lei Li had stopped speaking and crying. He stood silently with his head bowed, motionless, his face devoid of any expression, joy or anger. Feeling afraid, Wu Qiu came over and put an arm around Lei Li's shoulders. "Come on, let's go inside. Don't pay him any mind."

Lei Li stood rooted to the spot, as if his feet had taken root. No matter how Wu Qiu pleaded with him, he wouldn't budge.

Wu Qiu pleaded again and again. "Yue Er, listen, listen to me."

Suddenly, Lei Li shoved Wu Qiu away. He had stopped crying, his voice turning cold as he glared hatefully at the man. "You like this face of mine, think it resembles yours? Fine then, I don't want this skin anymore."

His movements were extremely fast. He lunged toward the nearby writing desk. A small paper-cutting knife lay beside the table. Lei Li grabbed the knife in his hand. Wu Qiu, pushed back several steps, nearly stumbled and couldn't stop him in time. He watched, wide-eyed, as Lei Li, without blinking, slashed the knife toward his own face.

He showed no mercy in his action; the force behind it was clearly immense, as if he wished to tear off his entire face in one go.

No one around reacted. For a moment, inside and outside the clinic, it was so quiet one could hear the unhurried chirping of insects in the trees.

In the magistrate's prison, unless they were death row inmates, the remaining prisoners were all crammed into dim, small cells, several to a room. It was midsummer; the prison was stuffy and hot, the heat wrapped in a thick, foul stench, leaving every prisoner listless and dispirited.

By this logic, when Zhao Wen was hauled out by the jailer and taken to a solitary cell, he should have been somewhat pleased—at least he didn't have to squeeze in with a large crowd. Yet he couldn't muster a smile at all. Would these officers be so kind as to give him a better time? When he saw Lei Ding standing outside the door, he was rendered completely speechless, shuddering violently even in the summer heat.

Zhao Wen knew Lei Ding's severity. He forced an obsequious smile and nodded, unsure whether to beg for mercy. Lei Ding didn't speak, merely handing a silver ingot to the officer beside him. Understanding, the officer turned and walked out, leaving Lei Ding alone facing Zhao Wen.

Zhao Wen's heart sank. With no one watching, Lei Ding might do anything. He hurriedly lunged forward, gripping the wooden bars of the cell, and shouted, "Lord Lei, Lord Lei, spare me! This is all a misunderstanding! I, I was deceived by that patient's lies. He incited me to help. It's a misunderstanding; I didn't know he had forged the prescription to harm you."

The cell was very dark. Lei Ding stood with his back to the main door; the scant sunlight filtering in couldn't illuminate his face. His cold demeanor made him appear somewhat gloomy. Zhao Wen grew even more terrified, trembling like a sieve. Lei Ding didn't respond to his words, only asking, "Who sent you to cause trouble at the clinic?"

Zhao Wen shouted repeatedly, "It was that man named, named Li Sheng! He was the one who made us come! He said the clinic had killed someone and called us to help stir things up!"

Li Sheng was the man who had worn mourning clothes that day.

Lei Ding let out a cold laugh. "Do you think I haven't questioned him? Do you think that's what he said during interrogation?"

He reached into his robe and pulled out a sheet of white paper, holding it between his left index and middle fingers, waving it before Zhao Wen's eyes. "Neither of you had the guts for this. Just this Xuan paper alone isn't something you could have obtained. My handwriting isn't something he could imitate either. If no one was backing you from behind, where did this prescription come from?"

These questions had actually all been asked by the magistrate during the interrogation yesterday. But scoundrels like Zhao Wen, habitual troublemakers, didn't care at all. They stubbornly insisted they knew nothing, shifting all blame onto Li Sheng. Li Sheng only said he had been possessed by greed, wanting to extort money from the clinic. When ordered to imitate Lei Ding's handwriting on the spot, he didn't even know how to hold a brush. At one point, he claimed to have sought help from a literate refugee passing by; at another, he said he had asked a villager who could write. His story was full of inconsistencies and loopholes, but nothing substantial was uncovered. As it was late yesterday, they were all temporarily detained for further detailed investigation later.

Scoundrels like Zhao Wen were nothing but local ruffians, accustomed to bullying others when backed by power. Once they found themselves at a disadvantage, they were already terrified. Lei Ding had gauged his character accurately. Seeing him still trying to obfuscate, Lei Ding took out a plain white cloth mask from his robe and put it on, then produced a short stick.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn't a stick but resembled a thicker type of incense. Lei Ding pointed it at Zhao Wen. "Last time I ask. Will you tell or not?"

Zhao Wen continued to deny. "Sir, I've told you everything I know, I swear it's the truth."

Lei Ding then lit the incense stick from a nearby lamp and gently blew it toward Zhao Wen. Zhao Wen watched as a wisp of white smoke drifted toward him, carrying a fragrant scent.

How could he have forgotten? Lei Ding was a physician; he likely had access to poisonous herbs. If he inhaled this smoke, he might be poisoned and die. At this thought, Zhao Wen's limbs went weak. He hurriedly covered his mouth and nose, crawling on the ground and shouting, "Sir, sir, spare me! Please extinguish this poisonous smoke!"

Lei Ding remained silent, only bringing the smoke closer to his face.

The room was extremely small; Zhao Wen had nowhere to hide. In the end, he had no choice but to kneel and kowtow to Lei Ding. "If I tell you, sir, you must never say outside that it was me who told. It was a witch doctor. His name is Wu Peng. He also practices medicine in the village. He gave us the prescription and taught us this method! I don't know why he wanted us to cause trouble at the clinic, but he was the mastermind! Sir, you must not tell him I said so. He took the birth dates of several of us, saying he was sent by Heaven. If we leaked any information, he would perform rituals to make Heaven strike us dead with lightning!"

So that was it. Lei Ding let out a soft sigh.

Still not entirely reassured, he questioned Zhao Wen in various ways. Once Zhao Wen's demeanor and words seemed truthful and not like lies, Lei Ding finally turned and left. At the door, he bowed to the officer.

The officer smiled. "Sir, are your questions finished?"

Lei Ding nodded. "Yes. This man has repeatedly stirred up trouble in Dayou Village. Do you know what punishment the magistrate intends for him?"

The officer thought for a moment. "The previous times, he was already warned. We thought he would behave for a while. Who knew this man would falsely accuse an official physician during this great epidemic, causing such an unsightly disturbance, nearly causing the people to lose trust in the authorities. Moreover, didn't you mention yesterday that he had previously bullied and assaulted the young master of your household? The magistrate said he would investigate further. With multiple offenses combined, the punishment will likely be exile to the southwestern wilderness."

The officer went in to escort Zhao Wen back to his original cell. Lei Ding thanked him, removed his mask, pressed the mugwort stick against the wall to extinguish it, and turned to leave the magistrate's prison.

Blood sprayed out, but the knife did not strike Lei Li's face. Instead, it plunged into Lei Xun's arm.

The dagger clattered to the ground with a *clang*. Gradually, some onlookers, frightened by the blood, let out screams.

Lei Li's face instantly turned deathly pale. Flustered, he tried to press on Lei Xun's wound, his hands trembling violently. Tears rolled down from his eyes one by one. "I didn't mean to... I, I... Father..."

Lei Xun used his other hand to ruffle Lei Li's hair, then patted his shoulder. He didn't say any words of reproach, but his tone was serious. "Go back to the room with Qiu Geer."

The strong smell of blood made Wu Qiu dizzy, but he immediately stepped forward and gently took hold of Lei Li's arm. "Let's go."

Lei Li didn't want to go back at first, but having caused Lei Xun's injury, he was already in a panic, his mind in disarray, and could only follow Wu Qiu inside in a daze.

Lei Xun watched him enter. The man surnamed Zhang outside was momentarily flustered, not daring to pull anyone again. Lei Xun, unhurried, first took a gauze strip to bind the wound and stop the bleeding before turning his gaze back to the man. "Finished making a scene? You still have the nerve to utter the word 'father' before Yue Er. Since you want to dredge up old grievances, I'll talk with you, and let everyone here hear how this so-called 'father' abandoned his wife and children, nearly costing both their lives."

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Author's Note: Lei Ding: (Just lit some mugwort)

Zhao Wen: Aaaaaah! He's going to poison me!

I'll be traveling for a few days, so I'll probably update every other day. One update on the evening of the 8th, another on the 10th, then back to normal~

Working on the outline for a new story, thinking of having Lei Ding and Wu Qiu make a cameo appearance hehe [Veggie Dog]