Night fell, and three lamps were lit, instantly filling the stone-covered room with light.
These were glazed lamps, bright yet not dazzling to the eyes.
The heated brick bed radiated strong warmth, and the bedding was soft and warm to the touch, all made from fine silk and satins.
On the stone ledge beside the bed, two Beauty Vases were placed, each holding a bunch of orchids.
This once dark, small, and cramped room became vivid and cozy under the lamp light.
Brilliance and coziness are sometimes built with piles of silver, the woman pressed the bedding, noting even the vases were not merely common decorations.
Suddenly, the strong scent of medicine filled the air; the woman, sitting on the brick bed, saw the young girl called Liu'er adding something to the incense burner on the windowsill.
"The heat from the brick bed can cause dryness. This medicine dispels the dry air, and after using it at night, you won't wake up with a dry mouth, parched tongue, or nosebleeds," Miss Jun's voice rose.
She had just entered the room and saw the woman looking at Liu'er, so she explained.
"Miss is quite knowledgeable about medicine," the woman said with a smile.
"In fact, it's not just a little knowledge," Miss Jun smiled, opening a cabinet nearby and taking out a medicine box, "I am actually a Doctor."
Doctor?
"Truly, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover or the sea by its size," the woman nodded and watched as Miss Jun opened the medicine box and took out a porcelain bottle.
"The lady has injured her ankle," Miss Jun said and half-knelt beside the bed.
Instead of feeling uneasy at her action, the woman lifted her skirt to facilitate the examination.
"Yes, I fell from the carriage several days ago and was stepped on by a horse hoof," she explained. "It hurt for a while and then subsided, so I didn't give it much thought, but it has worsened over the past few days."
There was no time to give it much thought because compared to life itself, a sore leg and foot were nothing.
Miss Jun poured some medicinal liquor onto her hand from the porcelain bottle and rubbed it on the woman's ankle.
"It's a bit painful," she said.
The woman smiled.
"Pain is good; it would be bad if it didn't hurt," she said. "Otherwise, my foot would be ruined."
"Even if it's ruined, it's no problem," Liu'er spoke up, "My Miss could make you a new one."
This sounded truly unbelievable, but the woman showed no mockery or surprise.
"It seems Miss possesses incredible medical skills," she nodded.
When not smiling, she appeared quite serious, similar to Old Lady Fang but also different.
Old Lady Fang had the look of someone who is owed money by others for eight lifetimes.
Yet this woman's seriousness wasn't off-putting, but instead inspired involuntary respect.
Liu'er pinched her fingers, yet even so, she wouldn't serve her; nobody was better to serve than Miss.
Miss Jun massaged for the duration of a cup of tea before standing up, letting Liu'er bring water for the woman to take her medicine.
"Madam's ankle is severely injured, but of course, I can heal it," she said. "However, you'll need to rest for a few days. Of course, you can also choose to continue your journey."
As she spoke, she smiled again.
"If the foot is ruined, indeed I can make a new one for you to replace it. So, will you leave tomorrow or rest? Madam, the decision is yours. After all, I am paid to serve," Miss Jun said.
Silver? Liu'er's eyes lit up, but recalling she shouldn't interrupt when Miss is speaking, she held back her question.
The woman smiled as well.
"I've paid you, and I only need to reach my destination. As for how to get there and other matters, I won't worry. All is well in your capable hands," she said. "I've left it all for Miss to take care of."
She enjoyed conversing with such straightforward people; Miss Jun nodded with a smile.
"Very well," she said. "Madam, please rest."
The woman nodded without speaking.
"Also, will Madam be able to take care of herself?" Miss Jun added. "This girl has never served anyone at night. I have a cook whose culinary skills are excellent, but she hasn't been taught how to serve."
The statement sounded quite insincere, but Miss Jun's tone was straightforward, and the woman remained unflustered.
"It's manageable, I can take care of myself," she stated, pointing to a bedside arrangement while glancing at Liu'er with an approving nod, "besides, this young girl here has made a thorough preparation."
A brazier, teapot, and box of snacks were placed at the bedside, all within easy reach.
Even though she knew she was capable, Liu'er couldn't help but beam with happiness upon the praise.
"That's right, you can count on me for a job well done," she said.
While they were talking, the voice of Lei Zhonglian came from outside; he brought that Liang Chengdong with him.
Having encountered such an incident, the master and servant naturally had things to discuss, so Miss Jun asked him to come in and dismissed Liu'er with her.
As Liang Chengdong entered the room, he was once again amazed by the simplicity laced with luxury and pondered how to speak, when voices came from the courtyard.
"...she should come and get it herself. Why the hell should we deliver it? Does she think she's some kind of Miss?"
"We can't just leave aunty all by herself at home, let's go, I've also brought back a bolt of cloth for aunty."
"Sister-in-law Huang, come and take the cloth."
"Uncle Lei, you carry two lamps, and call a few more people. I'm still afraid of encountering wolves."
The courtyard was lively and buzzing for a while but then quieted down as the footsteps moved away.
Liang Chengdong stood by the door looking out, seeing that the lamps were still lit in the rooms of the courtyard, yet not a soul was in sight, not even the cook.
Was it deliberate, to give them privacy to speak?
Liang Chengdong thought back to when they first entered the village; this Miss had told the girl with the covered face that she would send her some fried meatballs.
Maybe it was just a coincidence.
"How is your wound, Chengdong?" the woman asked.
Liang Chengdong put his scattered thoughts away and closed the door.
"Madam, I'm fine. How about you?" he asked anxiously.
"I'm also okay. This Miss is also a Doctor with excellent medical skills," the woman said, "she has looked after me."
A Doctor…
Liang Chengdong's brow twitched again.
"Madam, I think this place is a den of bandits," he said in a low voice, "there's something about this place..."
He glanced around the interior of the room.
"We've eliminated a rich bandit like this before, living in a cave that seemed unassuming from the outside, but inside, there were seats made of gold and silver, and treasures piled up in the cave."
The woman laughed heartily and looked around.
"They do seem quite wealthy," she nodded and chuckled, "and their mannerisms are indeed quite bandit-like."
Right? Liang Chengdong's eyebrows were tightly furrowed.
"Then, madam, do you still trust her?" he asked, especially since she had volunteered to escort them.
"I do trust her," the woman said with a smile, "probably because of what you said, the bandit with a touch of 'grand.' It's always better to have some grandeur."
The grandeur that is forthright, grandeur that is decisive, grandeur that looks down on the world, this kind of grand promise cannot be taken back once made.
Meanwhile, at the same time, Lei Zhonglian on the mountain path was also asking a similar question.
"Miss, their origins are unclear, their identities strange, why do you still want to help them?" he said.
The woman had said that they had no more silver on them, but the bandits still pursued them; and when Miss Jun took action, those people even blurted out to leave someone alive.
Bandits not after money, and the ones being robbed needed to be kept alive for questioning; this was certainly not an ordinary robbery.
Miss Jun obviously also knew this, otherwise she wouldn't have reminded that man at the time that there was no need to keep a live captive; knowing that someone wanted them dead was enough.
The woman's demeanor was extraordinary, and the guards were skilled; their background must be unique, and such people being targeted indicated they were certainly in deep trouble.
And facing such trouble and the unknown events that might occur, what do they know now and how should they respond?
"Naturally, when soldiers come, we block them; when water comes, we cover it with earth," Miss Jun said. "As for why help them..."
She paused for a moment as if pondering.
"Of course, it's for the money," Liu'er, walking in front, turned back to answer, "Such a simple matter. Why not take the money if it's offered?"
You know nothing! Lei Zhonglian glared at her; some money isn't that easy to earn.
"But this matter is easy money for Miss, really straightforward," Liu'er too rolled her eyes back disdainfully.
That's true... Miss Jun really hasn't encountered anything she couldn't handle; Lei Zhonglian choked on his words momentarily.
Miss Jun smiled.
For her, of course, it wasn't about the money. Perhaps, at that time, she agreed because during the fight with the bandits, when they clearly could have continued to escape, they resolutely turned back to help.
Or maybe it was because of the inexplicable sense of familiarity she had towards the woman.
Such reasons might seem capricious, but she was a woman, and it's not uncommon for women to be whimsical at times.