Chapter 93

"Hey! Hey!" Han Ying wanted to call out to him, but the driver had already driven away.

The two stood there, puzzled, and after a while, decided to go into the courtyard to take a look.

The courtyard turned out to be an inn. As soon as they entered, a man came out from behind the counter of one of the rooms and asked directly, "How long will you be staying?"

Han Ying explained, "We're not here to see a doctor; we just have something we want to ask Dr. Li."

The man's expression was indifferent, and he coldly replied, "It's the same. Dr. Li doesn't have time to see you now. How long do you plan to stay?"

Han Ying smiled and asked, "When will he have time to see us?"

The man glared at him and said irritably, "How should I know?"

Xu Mo interjected, "What about that family just now? They were treated, so it should be our turn now. How long does it take for Dr. Li to treat a patient?"

The man was clearly displeased, "You ask me, who should I ask? How long do you plan to stay? We calculate stays by the week, at least one week. How long do you plan to stay? One week, two weeks? Or three weeks, four weeks?"

Han Ying couldn't help but glance at Xu Mo, as if seeking his opinion. Xu Mo thought, "Given that old man's character, this is definitely another way to make money." Although he thought this, he had no better solution and could only shake his head.

After some thought, Han Ying said, "Then... let's stay for one week."

The man glanced at the two of them and asked, "One room or two?"

Han Ying replied, "Two... I guess."

The man muttered to himself, "One week, two rooms. Hmm, each room is ten thousand per day, so that's a total of one hundred and forty thousand." He paused, then as if remembering something, asked, "Do you need bedding? How many sets?"

Hearing his muttering, both Xu Mo and Han Ying were taken aback. They knew without asking that the rooms in the courtyard were these bamboo huts. These bamboo huts were very simple, each no more than a dozen square meters, barely enough to fit a bed. Although they hadn't seen the inside, it was sure to be no better. Now, hearing the man's question, they realized they even had to buy their own bedding.

Just one room cost ten thousand per day, and Li Heling, that old man, was really out to make money.

Han Ying, though she had some savings, felt a pang of pain. But the night-blooming grass prescription was crucial for her mother's long-standing illness, so she couldn't just leave. She gritted her teeth and asked, "How much for one set of bedding?"

The man held up one finger and said again, "Ten thousand."

Han Ying showed a look of "I knew it" and calculated in her mind. She thought, "I have a sleeping bag, so I can sleep in it. I only need one set of bedding."

When the man asked again, she said, "One set is fine."

The man took out a card reader and said calmly, "A total of one hundred and fifty thousand. Give me your bank card."

Han Ying handed over her bank card. The man swiped it on the card reader, entered the amount, and said, "Password."

Han Ying entered the password, and the amount was deducted. The man took a quilt from a cabinet and threw it on the counter, "This is your bedding. Choose any two rooms in the courtyard to stay in. If you need food, you can buy it at the store over there."

He pointed in a direction.

Xu Mo, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel angry. He thought, "That old ghost Li Heling not only demands money but also takes advantage of the situation. He asks for money at the most critical moment, making people jump into a trap even when they know it's a scam."

The man finished speaking and ignored them again.

The two carried the bedding and their luggage and walked into the courtyard. There were dozens of rooms in the courtyard, most of which were empty. They chose the two rooms at the far end and were about to enter when the door of a nearby room creaked open.

Guo Lin and his daughter Mengmeng poked their heads out and called, "You're here too." Then they came out of the room.

Mengmeng greeted them, "Uncle, Aunt."

Xu Mo nodded, and Han Ying patted her little head and smiled, "Hello, Mengmeng."

While they were coming out of the room, Xu Mo and Han Ying glanced behind them but only saw the two of them. Mengmeng's mother was nowhere to be seen. Han Ying couldn't help but ask, "Where is Mengmeng's mother?"

Guo Lin said, "She has already been taken for treatment. Fortunately, it's this weather, so no one is seeking treatment from Li Heling. Otherwise, it would have been delayed." His expression was deeply worried, clearly concerned about his wife.

Xu Mo, hearing this, couldn't help but think, "Given that old ghost's greed, even if it weren't winter, few people would seek treatment from him. Who would come unless they were at their wit's end?"

Thinking of the corpse smell from Mengmeng's mother, he was curious and couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is wrong with your wife?"

Guo Lin shook his head, "I'm not entirely sure. It has to be diagnosed first."

Han Ying pressed, "Hasn't she been diagnosed at a hospital?"

Guo Lin shook his head and said sadly, "This illness is a bit strange, and it develops quickly. It's not something a regular hospital can treat. As soon as she... got it, we came here."

He sighed, his expression and voice filled with sorrow.

Xu Mo, seeing his vague response, decided not to press further. Although he had studied the properties of hundreds of herbs, he couldn't do anything without knowing the condition. Even if he wanted to help, he couldn't.

Mengmeng, hearing her father's sad tone, looked up innocently and asked, "Daddy, what's wrong?"

Guo Lin held her hand and gently stroked her face, saying softly, "Daddy is fine."

Han Ying reminded them, "It's a bit cold outside. Let's go inside and talk."

They entered the room. It was even simpler than they had imagined, with only a bamboo bed and nothing else.

After tidying up and laying out the bedding, they settled in the courtyard, waiting for news from Li Heling. However, for three consecutive days, there was no news. Guo Lin was even more anxious than the two of them. After Mengmeng's mother was taken away, there was no news, and no one informed him about her condition.

The man who managed the inn left after receiving Xu Mo and Han Ying and didn't return. During these three days, no one else sought treatment from Li Heling, so the entire courtyard only had the four of them.

The man had told them the location of the store, but knowing Li Heling's character, who would dare to go there to buy anything? Fortunately, Xu Mo was there to catch birds, animals, and roast them, so they didn't go hungry.

The snow had stopped and started again, not as heavy as before, but it hadn't completely stopped, and the sky remained overcast.

On the morning of the fourth day, the man who managed the inn came to find Guo Lin and asked him to go with him. Guo Lin asked about his wife's condition, but the man said nothing, only that he would see for himself.

Guo Lin had no choice but to leave Mengmeng in Han Ying's care and follow the man.

Xu Mo and Han Ying, seeing the man's mysterious behavior, made many speculations but couldn't guess what had happened to Mengmeng's mother.

Guo Lin didn't return for a whole day and night. Fortunately, Mengmeng was well-behaved and slept with Han Ying that night.

The next noon, Xu Mo caught a wild rabbit and found a sharp stone, planning to use it to cut the rabbit's skin and roast it. Suddenly, they heard several gunshots in the distance.

He and Han Ying exchanged glances, both seeing the change in each other's faces. Mengmeng, not knowing what the gunshots were, asked Han Ying, "Aunt, is someone setting off fireworks?"

"Yes," Han Ying smiled, "It's the New Year, and people here are celebrating with fireworks."

Xu Mo said, "Something must have happened. I'll go check it out."

Han Ying thought for a moment and said, "I'll go with you."

Xu Mo glanced at Mengmeng and asked, "What about Mengmeng?"

Mengmeng, not knowing what they were discussing, said obediently, "Uncle, Aunt, you go. I can take care of myself."

After some discussion, Han Ying wanted to ask Li Heling about the prescription, and Xu Mo was worried about her going alone. They couldn't leave Mengmeng here either. They decided to take Mengmeng with them, thinking that this was Li Heling's territory, and the possibility of outsiders seeking revenge was low. The gunshots were likely from Li Heling's guards.

They took Mengmeng and followed the direction of the gunshots. The road had been driven over by a snowmobile several times, leaving clear tracks, making it not too difficult to walk.

Mengmeng, with her small steps, was carried by Xu Mo. The tracks left by the snowmobile helped them stay on course, so they didn't worry about getting lost.

After about half an hour, they arrived at another courtyard. This courtyard was a real one, with a high iron fence and a large iron gate. Inside were pavilions, artificial hills, and water features, resembling a garden rather than a modern building.

The courtyard wasn't very large, but the scenery was very beautiful.

There was a security room next to the iron gate, but no security guard was there. The three of them went in, turned a corner, and came to the back of a rockery, which was the main courtyard. They immediately saw Guo Lin and several men standing in a circle in the courtyard. In the center of the circle, a person was lying on the ground, a pool of blood beneath them.

Guo Lin was relatively clean, but everyone else had blood on their bodies and faces.

Two men were holding Guo Lin, who was jumping and screaming hysterically, "That's not my wife, that's not my wife, Li Heling, where have you hidden my wife? Bring her out, bring her out."

A man in his sixties nearby said calmly, "Mr. Guo, please calm down. This is your wife."

Xu Mo couldn't help but sneak a look at the person lying on the ground. He saw an extremely old woman with wrinkled skin and gray hair, looking like she was very old.