I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 395 Restless
"I believe! I believe it very much! I believe it completely!" Chu Liu said "I believe it" three times in a row, nodding heavily in accompaniment.

Feng Jing's expression softened a little.

Chu Liuzheng chuckled awkwardly, "I just had a nightmare. Please check it carefully again, just to help me out, otherwise I can't even cook in peace."

Upon hearing that even cooking couldn't be done in peace, Feng Jing hurriedly asked, "What are you having for lunch?"

Chu Liuzheng rattled off several dishes without pausing, all of which were favorites of Doctor Feng and Xiao Jingfan.

To be precise, Dr. Feng was just someone Chu Liuzheng brought along when he was giving the big boss special treatment.

"Alright, I'll help you with this." Feng Jing agreed. "I'm going to check on them later anyway, and give them a check-up while I'm at it."

"Thank you for your trouble." Chu Liuzheng smiled as he watched him leave, secretly praying in his heart.

Hopefully, Dr. Feng can find out.

Inside the tent, Xiao Jingfan was distracted by this thought, and frowned in confusion. What had he found out?
Half an hour later, Feng Jing returned.

Hearing that Chu Liuzheng had gone to the kitchen, he went there to look for him.

"How is it?" Chu Liuzheng asked as he poured vegetables into the pot. The water sizzled as it came into contact with the oil.

Feng Jing peeked into the pot and said, "A nightmare come true."

Chu Liuzheng's hand trembled upon hearing this, and he almost scooped the food out of the pot.

"Hey, you decide what to order." Feng Jing was more anxious than her, wishing she could snatch the spatula and do it herself.

Is the food the main focus?

Helpless, Chu Liuzheng flicked his wrist, using the spatula to bring the vegetables back from the edge of the pot, and asked, "And then?"

"I asked Tongniang for help, and we threw all those things into the brazier to burn them clean." Feng Jing picked up a clean cucumber from the side and instructed, "Be careful not to put too much salt in."

Chu Liuzheng hummed in agreement, but he still couldn't quite let go of his worries.

[Was it really that easy for Yin Lanci to resolve this matter so personally?]

Feng Jing glanced at her: "Still not at ease?"

Chu Liuzheng shook her head. She knew neither medicine nor how to raise gu poison, so she decided to trust the professionals.

However, just to be on the safe side, she still secretly opened the system to confirm.

I scrolled for a short while and found one.

[The legendary physician Feng Jing and Tong Niang remove the Gu poison from the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wenzhao.]

She clicked to take a closer look.

The gossip mainly describes how Feng Jing discovered it and how he sought Tong Niang's help. The process of removing the Gu was not described in detail, but the result was that the Gu worms were burned away.

She flipped through the pages again, but there were no other gossips mentioning this matter.

"Is everything alright now?"

Chu Liuzheng was busy cooking and couldn't be distracted for long, so he planned to take a break later to look through it more carefully.

A day later, news spread throughout the city that the audacious thief who had stolen the county magistrate's official seal had been caught and imprisoned, and the city gates were reopened to traffic.

The county government posted a notice, which attracted many people to come and see it.

A yamen runner loudly read the notice to the people. The magistrate stated that he had caused inconvenience to the people of the city due to his mistake, and in order to make amends, he had specially invited the most famous magic troupe to perform at Xiyuan Garden in the west of the city that evening. People could bring their families to watch for free, and free tea and snacks would also be provided.

If wealthy families don't want to crowd into the main hall with ordinary people, they can pay out of their own pockets to reserve private rooms on the second and third floors. Not only will they have a better view, but they will also receive personalized service and may even be invited to the stage for interaction.

“Our county magistrate has changed his ways,” a villager exclaimed to his companion. “Nothing like this has happened in ten years.”

"Yes," many people echoed.

"Who cares? It's a free fantasy show, might as well watch it. There's tea and snacks too. I'll take my wife and kids to see it tonight."

"Go early to grab a good spot."

"Yes, everyone should go!"

It was a rare opportunity to take advantage of the county magistrate, and the people spread the good news far and wide. As soon as it got dark, some people brought their families to Xiyuan Garden, and some even skipped dinner, thinking they would have more snacks.

Xiyuan was built sixty years ago by a wealthy local gentry. It occupied a large area and was very large. He kept many actors and entertainers there. However, his family later committed a crime and was exiled. Xiyuan was also confiscated and became the property of the imperial court.

Since the current county magistrate took office, he thought that since the huge garden was just sitting there waiting to collapse, it would be better to clean it up, do some minor repairs, and rent it out. Whether it was for wealthy families to hold banquets or for opera troupes to set up stages for performances, the rent collected would provide the government with additional income.

Whether this income ultimately went into the county magistrate's own pocket or was genuinely used to improve people's livelihoods remains unknown.

Sishui Town is just a small town with a relatively low population density. Even if all the people in the town came, Xiyuan Garden could accommodate them. Not to mention, some wealthy families, worried about being disturbed, paid out of their own pockets to go to private rooms on the second and third floors.

The county magistrate specially arranged for his yamen runners to maintain order at the Xiyuan Garden to prevent stampedes and bloodshed caused by overcrowding.

Under the shouts of the yamen runners, even if someone got into a quarrel because of queuing, it was quickly resolved.

While a long queue stretched out at the entrance of Xiyuan Garden, Xiao Jingfan and his entourage also entered the city by carriage.

The streets were deserted, with no pedestrians in sight, not even a single vendor standing by the roadside hawking their wares.

A few scattered lanterns swayed in the wind, casting fragmented shadows on the ground.

[Tsk tsk, anyone who didn't know better would think Sishui Town was a ghost town. It seems watching a spectacle is human nature indeed.]

Chu Liuzheng glanced around the street and found that all the shops along the way were closed.

She let go and lowered the curtain, feeling somewhat uneasy as she thought about her plans for tonight.

Logically speaking, all aspects have been considered, so there shouldn't be any problems, but she just feels that something is wrong.

[Master Jiang has already examined the Grand Tutor and Marquis Wenzhao. Neither of them has any Gu worms or signs of poisoning. Perhaps I was just being paranoid?]

She comforted herself, when a dark shadow flashed in her peripheral vision. Looking to the side, she saw that it was Jiang Yao sitting next to her, leaning closer.

Because we were so close, a faint, sour smell brushed against my nose.

Of course, it wasn't that Jiang Yao was unclean and therefore felt sore, but rather that her beautiful hair had turned completely white since she woke up, and according to Jiang Yao herself, it would take her more than half a year to recover.

White hair is too conspicuous. Although one can wear a cloak or veil to cover the hair, it will still affect vision and movement. In addition, Jiang Yao doesn't like it. So Feng Jing gave Tong Niang a jar of black bean vinegar paste to dye Jiang Yao's hair.

The hair dyeing was a great success, except for one thing that wasn't quite satisfactory.

Although it had been washed many times and scented, the vinegar used by Dr. Feng was so authentic that you could still smell a slight sourness when you got close.

Chu Liuzheng asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"What are you worried about?" Jiang Yao leaned in very close, almost touching her nose. There was a very faint pink ring around her black pupils, which was easy to miss if you didn't look for it.

(End of this chapter)