NOVPUB30: Chapter 25 Dead Rabbit
30 -25 Dead Rabbit
“You mean to say that the child died of poisoning?”
Among the Han Family, who had maintained silence, someone suddenly spoke up and asked.
Ran Yan glanced at the speaker, who looked to be in his thirties, a bit overweight, and bore a striking resemblance to the County Chief of Han, although his demeanor was slightly different, with a gaze that seemed much sterner.
“Indeed,” Ran Yan replied.
In fact, the autopsy report could have been made much more detailed, leaving no pore unexamined, but Ran Yan was invited by Sang Chen to perform the autopsy in order to write a legal document; she had no interest in meddling further.
Although Ran Yan worked as a forensic doctor, she was by no means a paragon of justice or a messenger of light.
Enjoying her work as a forensic doctor didn’t mean she had to delve into every case to find the truth.
She knew how to weigh the pros and cons.
Seeing that the man seemed poised to ask more questions, Ran Yan decisively turned to the County Chief and said, “County Chief, I came here at Mr.
Sang’s request to perform the autopsy so that he could draft a more realistic and credible legal document for his young master.
As for other matters, please forgive me for not being able to assist.”
The County Chief was known for his mild temperament.
Hearing Ran Yan’s clear stance, he had no choice but to accept without forcing the issue, sighing lightly, “Thank you for your efforts.
I will handle the other matters myself and ask Mr.
Zhou to take over.”
The autopsy was complete, and whatever happened next was someone else’s family affair.
Ran Yan glanced at Sang Chen, who was still huddled up and trembling, felt a bout of frustration, and promptly took off her gloves to throw them into her toolbox.
She quickly put on her mask, grabbed Sang Chen with one hand and her toolbox with the other, and said to the Han Family, “In that case, Mr.
Sang and I shall take our leave now.”
Fortunately, Sang Chen wasn’t so paralyzed that he couldn’t walk; he knew to follow Ran Yan’s lead and head outside.
The Han Family members, feeling downhearted, couldn’t be bothered to mock him.
The sunshine outside was warm, dispelling much of the chill in the air, and Sang Chen’s pale complexion also seemed to improve slightly, as he struggled to muster some spirit.
Seeing this, Ran Yan handed him the toolbox.
Sang Chen, with his mind in disarray, hugged the box and followed Ran Yan out of the Morgue’s entrance.
It was only after Ran Yan raised her hand and removed the mask covering her face, spitting out a piece of ginger, and shot Sang Chen a look, that she slowly said, “I should let the village girls see you in your state today.
I wonder if they will still be smitten with you after that.”
Sang Chen flushed and coughed a few times, changing the subject, “Wife, you’ve been holding a piece of ginger?
What’s the use of it?”
What a smooth change of topic!
Ran Yan’s lips curved slightly as she replied, “Ginger is yang in nature and can prevent ghosts from possessing you.
Naturally, when coming to a place like this, one should keep a piece in their mouth.”
“Wha-what?” Sang Chen asked, his voice trembling, his pitiable gaze seeming to pierce through the muslin of Ran Yan’s mask.
Ran Yan ignored him and directly turned toward the alley where her carriage was stopped.
After a few steps, she noticed that Sang Chen hadn’t followed and heard a thump.
She stopped, turned around, and saw Sang Chen lying stiffly on the ground with the toolbox in his arms!
Ran Yan opened her mouth in surprise.
She had only spoken offhandedly, yet that had been enough to faint him?
He was meant to be a grown man, yet he had the courage of a rabbit.
Ginger pieces can ward off filth and disinfect; directly facing a body, holding a piece of ginger can prevent the body’s release of toxic gases from attacking the human body.
That was all there was to it.
Sang Chen didn’t need to get close to the body for examination, so there was no need for him to keep ginger in his mouth.
“It seems Mr.
Sang is not in good shape,” said Han Liulang, who had come out of the Morgue and immediately noticed Sang Chen fainted on the ground.
Ran Yan was skillful enough to dissect a mouse at six years old; after seeing real bodies in university, she merely lost her appetite for a meal or two.
The weakest among her classmates only vomited for a few days, and eventually, they could even enjoy their lunch in front of a body.
Ordinary people often react to seeing bodies with screams, tremors, loss of control, fainting, and so on.
Many witnesses in cases showed such reactions, and Ran Yan had seen plenty, but it was truly her first time seeing someone as cowardly as Sang Chen, who couldn’t even stand the sight of a body, just the mention of it, and he already couldn’t cope?
“Mr.
Sang is a scholar; perhaps he has not experienced such scenes,” Han Liulang said when Ran Yan did not reply, finding an excuse for Sang Chen.
Seeing that Han Liulang had come out alone, Ran Yan said, “You seem to have something to say, Mr.
Han Liulang, please speak.”
Having mingled in official circles for a long time, Han Liulang used to weigh each word in his mind several times before speaking in a roundabout manner.
Suddenly faced with Ran Yan’s straightforward approach, he was briefly taken aback but quickly said, “Since the lady is so straightforward, I won’t beat around the bush.
I saw the lady’s analysis was meticulous and outstanding, so I specifically came out to ask privately, does the lady have any clues about who murdered my nephew?”
Outstanding?
Ran Yan pondered.
Earlier, she had observed the expressions of various members of the Han Family.
Now, that was truly fascinating, each subtle and unique, and it seemed that there was already much scheming within the Han Family.
Ran Yan had no intention of getting involved.
“I apologize, but I have already shared everything I could discern from the examination; there is nothing more,” Ran Yan replied.
She was commissioned by Sang Chen and naturally had to honor the transaction.
Sang Chen only needed the findings for his legal document and wasn’t interested in solving the case; the information she provided was sufficient.
If she wished to keep clear of this matter, she couldn’t say another word once she left the Morgue.
“There’s no need for the lady to apologize; it is we of the Han Family who should be grateful,” Han Liulang replied, his composed exterior concealing deep thoughts.
Knowing that Ran Yan wished to stay out of this, he did not press further.
He glanced at Sang Chen with no hint of change in his expression and asked, “Does the lady need assistance?”
“Not necessary, thank you!” Ran Yan declined without hesitation.
Han Liulang nodded, “Then, lady, please proceed as you wish.”
After Han Liulang turned to leave, Ran Yan quickly walked over to Sang Chen, took his pulse for a moment, and pulled out a silver needle from the toolbox, swiftly piercing it into the Guanyin acupoint.
This needle, when plunged in, brought Sang Chen faintly back to consciousness.
It took him a while before he could fully recover.
Ran Yan retracted the silver needle and said coldly, “Let’s go.”
Sang Chen rose to his feet, his face flushed with shame as he followed Ran Yan towards the carriage.
Sitting inside the carriage, Ran Yan maintained a cold expression; coupled with her naturally reserved demeanor, the already snug carriage seemed to drop several degrees in temperature.
Sang Chen sat huddled in a corner, feeling a chill in the air and hardly daring to breathe.
Summers are prone to sudden weather changes.
Just moments ago, the sky was clear with the sun shining brightly, then, out of nowhere, dark clouds drifted over and began to blanket the sky.
The air slowly turned moist, and the sky grew oppressively low, yet the rain was reluctant to fall.
Ran Yan had asked Wan Lu to wait for her at the entrance to East Market at noon.
Checking the time, she noted two quarters of an hour had already passed; if she didn’t hurry, Wan Lu might become anxious.
Ran Yan was always punctual.
She had calculated the time when she left home, ensuring that even if delayed by an hour or two, she could still return to East Market before noon.
But that would have been if not for Sang Chen fainting repeatedly…
With this thought, Ran Yan cast a cutting glance at Sang Chen through the gauze of her mask.
Sensing her murderous look, Sang Chen shrank his neck guiltily.
Ran Yan didn’t bother with him anymore and knocked on the carriage wall, asking the coachman, “How long would it take to reach East Market by the shortest route?”
The carriage had been hired by Sang Chen, and the coachman was an obliging elderly man.
Hearing Ran Yan’s question, he replied, “Most of the city’s alleys are narrow and only wide enough for sedan chairs, so we’d have to take a detour around three or four blocks.
It would take at least half an hour to reach East Market.
However, if the mistress is in a hurry, I can stop nearby and you can walk through the blocks on foot.
It wouldn’t take more than a quarter of an hour to arrive.”
“Please stop the carriage,” Ran Yan said, not wanting to waste time in the carriage.
The alleys of Suzhou might appear complex, but they also followed a certain logic, and she trusted her sense of direction not to get lost easily.
The coachman pulled over, and Sang Chen also got out of the carriage after Ran Yan, “Wife, I am uneasy about you walking through the blocks alone.
Perhaps I should accompany you.”
“I feel that you wandering through the blocks might be even less safe,” Ran Yan replied dryly.
Her implication was clear: his performance today was more girlish than any maiden.
If she took him along, he would likely be a burden should any real danger arise.
Ran Yan was usually blunt, and when she occasionally resorted to such roundabout sarcasm, the person in question didn’t even understand it, instead cheerfully suggesting, “I would feel anxious sitting in the carriage alone as well.
It’d be better to keep you company.”
Ran Yan rolled her eyes.
She now understood that Sang Chen was not just a fool, but lived in a delusional ‘second dimension.’ The occasional sense he made was merely due to a rare crossover between his fantasy and the real world.
In other words, a rare and fleeting illusion.
Such a person, Ran Yan decided, was best ignored as much as possible.
After parting ways with the coachman, the two of them followed the mossy cobblestone alleys towards the east.
The overcast sky mirrored Ran Yan’s mood, with the promised rain still holding off.
Fortunately, her patience was quite strong, which is why she hadn’t yet strangled the troublesome fellow beside her, who oscillated between wanting to say something and then blushing with a cough.
“Wife,” Sang Chen eventually couldn’t hold back any longer.
Ran Yan knew she couldn’t ignore him this time.
A single cold word slipped from her lips, “Speak.”
Looking around to see no one was in sight, Sang Chen whispered, “When I get home, if I cut a piece of ginger to hold in my mouth, would it help?”
Ran Yan stopped in her tracks, fixing Sang Chen with a steady stare until he felt uncomfortable, then she said, “It would help.
Keep it in your mouth for a month without speaking.”
She paused, then added, “When you sleep, you should hug a clove of garlic.
It will ward off evil spirits.”
“Thank you for your gracious advice,” Sang Chen bowed sincerely, his complexion returning to a healthier shade, seemingly taking her words to heart.
After crossing six or seven alleys and estimating the time, they should be nearing East Market.
Just then, the dismal sky suddenly lit up, blanketing everything in a pallid hue, followed by the rolling sound of thunder.
The torrential rain fell without warning, pelting down mercilessly all at once.
Ran Yan hesitated momentarily before spotting a house not far away with an overhanging eave at the front door, where she and Sang Chen sought shelter together.
****
I urge everyone to throw their tickets at Sang Chen, this second-dimensional dead rabbit!!!!!!
