Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 7

At the city gate of the capital, two carriages passed each other in opposite directions. One, driven by a fat man, sped toward the outskirts, while the other, driven by a thin man, slowly made its way into the city.

Zhang Xiaolan knew her daughter would still rely on her in the future, so she forced herself to stay strong. “Nanny, are we… still staying at the inn… for now?”

Madam Tao’s eyes were red as she looked at Zhang Xiaolan, who was struggling to smile. “No, Yi Ming has rented a house nearby. We’ll stay there for now. Once our old house is repaired, we’ll move back.”

“Alright,” Zhang Xiaolan thought for a moment. “The silver… I brought out… I don’t know if it’s still there. If… it is, Nanny… just use it… to fix the house.”

Madam Tao wanted to refuse, but Zhang Xiaolan shook her head and said, “Nanny, I’m tired. I’ll sleep now.”

Seeing her close her eyes, Madam Tao felt both sorrow and pride. She wasn’t really tired—she was just pretending to sleep to stop her from refusing.

With broken legs and severe burns, the pain wouldn’t fade anytime soon. She was trembling all over and drenched in cold sweat, yet she still pretended to be fine.

Thinking about this, Madam Tao’s tears fell again. She quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief.

She had to be strong. After all the suffering Xiaolan had endured, she had to take care of her.

Was this really just an accident?

Madam Tao believed it was, but Zhang Xiaolan and Tao Yi Ming didn’t.

Zhang Xiaolan had her suspicions—perhaps the Zhou family or the Zhang family had hired someone to do it.

Tao Yi Ming, on the other hand, simply found it suspicious. Madam Tao had always been in good health. Walking from the east to the west of the city shouldn’t have exhausted her so much that she passed out. Even if she had fainted, the noise from the fire should have woken her. The sound of Xiaolan being hit by a falling beam should have woken her. Even falling to the ground herself should have woken her. Yet she didn’t wake up.

Tao Yi Ming had his guesses about who was behind it, but he couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was someone from Xiaolan’s side, or maybe he had unknowingly offended a local thug.

There was no way to be certain—he had no proof.

The three of them traveled slowly to the rented courtyard. Tao Yi Ming jumped down swiftly. The inn’s luggage had already been brought over by a servant.

Madam Tao got out of the carriage and began tidying up the house. Tao Yi Ming called two neighbors for help, carefully wrapped Zhang Xiaolan in blankets, and carried her inside, laying her on the bed.

Zhang Xiaolan kept pretending to sleep while Madam Tao and Tao Yi Ming busied themselves outside.

Before long, Tao Yi Ming invited the doctor from the previous day to examine Zhang Xiaolan.

After checking her injuries, the doctor hesitated, looking troubled.

Tao Yi Ming immediately understood. “Doctor, please step aside with me.”

“There’s no need,” Zhang Xiaolan spoke up. She hadn’t been asleep. The doctor had checked her for so long but hadn’t said anything.

As someone who had managed a household for years—albeit in name only—she understood what this meant.

It was either a matter of money or a serious medical problem.

She didn’t want to be kept in the dark. She wanted to know the truth.

The doctor looked at both of them, still hesitant.

“Doctor, please speak openly,” Zhang Xiaolan insisted.

Tao Yi Ming saw the determination in her eyes. She didn’t want to be lied to.

“Tell her,” he said, giving up the idea of hiding the truth. No matter what, they would face it together.

The doctor finally spoke. “The lady’s legs were broken that day, and the burns were severe. Yesterday, I prioritized treating the fractures, so the burns were only given basic care.”

He explained briefly. “But since she moved today, the wounds shifted. The burns need to be treated again, and the splints on her legs must be readjusted.”

“Alright, doctor, do whatever is necessary,” Zhang Xiaolan said, relieved it wasn’t about money. She didn’t have much left, but she could endure pain if needed.

The doctor glanced at her, then turned to Tao Yi Ming. “I’ll prepare everything and return tomorrow to treat her injuries.”

With that, he picked up his medicine box and left.

Tao Yi Ming followed him outside, speaking with him for a while before he finally departed.

Zhang Xiaolan couldn’t hear their conversation clearly. She tried to empty her mind and ignore the pain in her legs.

The next morning, the sky was clear, and the early sunlight streamed through the window, filling the room with soft, golden light. Dust particles floated in the air.

Zhang Xiaolan hadn’t slept much the night before. She only managed to doze off for a short while when exhaustion overwhelmed her. But every time, within minutes, the pain would wake her again.

“Xiaolan, are you awake?” Madam Tao knocked on the door. “If you’re up, I’ll bring you some porridge.”

“Nanny, come in. I’m already awake.” Zhang Xiaolan had sent her away last night. She didn’t want her to see how she tossed and turned in pain under the blankets.

Her body was drenched in cold sweat, and the blankets were damp. Since the doctor was coming today, she needed to freshen up.

Madam Tao entered with a basin of water and gently wiped Zhang Xiaolan’s face before changing the blankets. After they finished breakfast, the doctor arrived.

Tao Yi Ming carried Zhang Xiaolan to a clean room prepared the day before. Madam Tao brought in several strong women to help.

The doctor entered and wrapped Zhang Xiaolan in silk cloth. The women held her down. Madam Tao hung a cloth in front of Zhang Xiaolan’s eyes to block her view and placed a wooden stick in her mouth. “Good girl, bite on this. If it gets too painful, don’t bite your own tongue.”

Zhang Xiaolan’s face was pale. She nodded and tried to smile at her nanny in reassurance—then the pain struck.

Tao Yi Ming put her down and immediately left the room, crouching at the door.

The doctor had told him yesterday—they would have to remove all the damaged skin.

“Aah!” The sound of a knife scraping away dead flesh.

“Mm!” Medicine powder was sprinkled onto the raw wounds.

“Aah!” Fresh bandages were wrapped around her injuries.

Each scream of pain made Tao Yi Ming tremble.

The neighbors who had come to help stood outside. Some shivered at the sounds, some closed their eyes, and others turned away to silently pray.

The cries of pain grew sharper, more desperate. Everyone stared at the door, silently wishing for the suffering inside to end.

Eventually, the screams weakened. A woman came out carrying a bowl of bloody water.

“She’s really strong, enduring all that pain,” someone murmured.

“Is it really that bad? Worse than childbirth?”

“The doctor scraped off her skin! How could it not hurt? Just watching made my heart shake.”

“At least after childbirth, you have a baby to hold. She just has to suffer through it until new skin grows.”

More women gathered around, whispering.

Tao Yi Ming also wanted to ask, but before he could, the door opened. He rushed forward in three quick steps. “Doctor, how is she?”

“The dead flesh has been removed, and medicine has been applied. As long as she doesn’t develop a fever in the next few days, she should recover in a few months.” The doctor was sweating as well. After speaking, he went to write a prescription.

Tao Yi Ming straightened his clothes, swept the doorway clean, and gently pushed open the door.