Chapter 306: Investigate Together 2

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

She was quick-witted, lively, beautiful, and more attractive than any woman he had ever met.

Zhou Zhi could not help but remember that Zhou Heng and her had grown up together. They were like childhood sweethearts and Su Chong and Su Hua were so protective of him. Would he like Su Xiaolu?

Would Su Xiaolu like Zhou Heng?

No matter how they cooperated and acted realistically, he only glanced at Zhou Heng and knew that it was Zhou Heng and not Su Heng.

He didn’t even need to check. That feeling couldn’t be wrong.

He did not explain because he really did not intend to take Zhou Heng’s life.

However, the envy in his heart was also real. Zhou Heng was very healthy. In order to avoid being hunted down, his bone structure had even changed a little, making Zhou Heng’s appearance not similar to his appearance at all. However, all of this was built on him.

Many emotions grew wildly in his heart, making his heart ache terribly.

Zhou Zhi’s eyes were deep. He watched as Su Xiaolu’s eyelashes fluttered. The surging emotions in his heart disappeared. He smiled slightly and closed his eyes when Su Xiaolu could not help but flare up.

Su Xiaolu frowned. She opened her eyes and pursed her lips as she looked at Zhou Zhi, who was resting with his eyes closed. This person…

Su Xiaolu also looked at Zhou Zhi. Although Zhou Zhi was thin, he had a good bone structure and was very good-looking.

Perhaps it was because of his thin body that he looked a little sickly, making him look very humble. When one talked to him, they could not help but treat him gently.

If she didn’t know that he was proficient in scheming and had deep thoughts, she would really think that Zhou Zhi was a humble, gentle, and polite man. She would naturally be gentle to him.

But in reality, she could only be careful and afraid of him.

The carriage stopped. Zhou Zhi opened his eyes and met Su Xiaolu’s gaze. He smiled and said, “Miss Su, we’re here.”

Su Xiaolu nodded. “I know.”

Zhou Zhi got up first.

Su Xiaolu looked at Huang Xingliang, who was still resting with his eyes closed. She stood up and patted Huang Xingliang gently. “Lord Huang, we’re here.”

Huang Xingliang opened his eyes and smiled. “Oh, we’re all here. I fell asleep just now.”

As for whether he was really asleep, only he knew.

Su Xiaolu got out of the carriage and it stopped outside a courtyard.

Jin Wu had already knocked on the door.

A vigilant old man’s voice came from the door. “Who is it?”

Jin Wu said coldly, “The government will conduct a spot check. Open the door.”

When they heard that it was the government, the courtyard door quickly opened and an old woman timidly sized up them.

Huang Xingliang was wearing an official uniform, and the old woman was about to kneel down.

Huang Xingliang hurriedly said, “Auntie, please rise. We’re here about the plague. Your son, Zhang Yimin, was among the first batch to be infected, so we came to check again. This is the second prince and the doctor.”

The old woman looked sad and was about to kneel down and bow to Zhou Zhi.

Zhou Zhi said calmly, “There’s no need to bow. Get up and reply.”

The old woman said fearfully, “Sir, Second Prince, doctor, come in first.”

Everyone was wearing masks to cover their mouths and noses, so there was no need to worry.

The few of them entered the courtyard. Zhou Zhi and Huang Xingliang waited for Su Xiaolu to speak.

Su Xiaolu looked at the firewood piled up in the courtyard and asked the old woman, “Tell me about your son ten days ago, including who he sent firewood to and what he ate during that period of time. Tell me everything you remember in those three days.”

Zhang Yimin went to see a doctor on the eighth of August. The symptoms only showed after a day or two, so his life during those few days was especially important.

However, after so many days, coupled with the seriousness of the plague, he might not be able to remember many things.

Zhang Yimin’s wife and child were also infected, and they died yesterday.

Patients in the quarantine area were incinerated by the authorities when they died. In the future, they would not be able to retrieve th]eir corpses. They would be burned at the place where the corpses were. After the plague passed, the survivors would build an ancestral hall there for future generations to worship.

There was pain in the old woman’s eyes. She fell into deep thought and tried her best to recall. After a while, she said, “My son mainly sent firewood to Minister Li’s family for the past few days. Minister Li used more firewood this year. Apart from Minister Li’s family, there was also Minister Wang’s family. As for the food… it was all run of the mill, par for the course. It was just home-cooked vegetables, meat, and so on…”

The old woman was a little choked up. At first, when her son was not right, the family only thought that he had a cold, so her daughter-in-law took care of him. After taking the medicine and seeing that he was not getting better, he went to see a doctor.

However, in just a few days, he was gone.

The old woman sighed and said, “The doctor we found at that time was a doctor from the Ji Shi Hall. At that time, my son’s illness was already a little serious. That’s all. I’ve said it many times.”

The old woman was very sad. Every time she mentioned it, it was equivalent to opening up old scars again and again. This made her feel so much pain that she wanted to die.

Tears welled up in the old woman’s eyes.

Huang Xingliang said to Zhou Zhi and Su Xiaolu, “It’s like this. At that time, Zhang Yimin saw Doctor Hong Zheng from Ji Shi Hall. Because he was afraid of the cold spreading heat, Dr. Hong covered his mouth and nose when he was treating the patient. Dr. Hong did this to avoid contracting the disease.”

Speaking of which, Hong Zheng was really lucky. Coincidentally, he had covered his mouth and nose at that time.

There were suddenly more people coming to see the doctor. The doctors were careful. Needless to say, they knew how to protect themselves.

Su Xiaolu looked at the old woman and asked, “Which room did he live in?”

The old woman frowned slightly. “Ever since we found out that it might be a plague, his room has been tidied up. It’s also for the sake of the children at home. He lives in that room.”

The old woman pointed and Su Xiaolu walked towards a room in the corner of the courtyard.

Huang Xingliang did not want to go to a room that might have a plague.

However, seeing that Zhou Zhi had already followed, he could only brace himself and follow.

The door was closed. The Zhang family had already lost three people.

Su Xiaolu pushed open the door and walked in.

Although some things had been cleaned up, there were still traces of life in the house. Su Xiaolu saw a small rattle drum and said, “Do they have young children?”

Huang Xingliang replied, “There was a three-year-old child who was also infected with the plague. He’s gone.”

The old woman outside the door couldn’t help but cry. Her heart ached for her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson.

Su Xiaolu frowned. “The first to fall ill must be Zhang Yimin. The plague will be dormant for a day or two. It will only pass on after it acts up.”

Su Xiaolu turned to look at the old woman outside the door and asked, “Has his wife always taken care of him? Has this three-year-old child always lived in the same room as them?”

The old woman wiped her tears and nodded. “Yes, Madam Niu has always taken care of my son. My little grandson hasn’t weaned yet, so he lives in the same room as them.”

The youngest grandson was especially doted on, so he was not weaned even when he was three years old. The old woman thought about it and cried sadly again. She could not figure it out. He should have caught a cold and recovered after taking medicine. How did it become a plague that killed him?