Jun Jiuling

Chapter 178: A Person from the Past Returns Anew

Hearing people mention Chengyu, the person Old Lady Fang was most happy about, she smiled beatifically, unable to cover her spirit.

“Now that the villain is sentenced to be executed, I do not have to hide it from Lord.” She leaned in closer.

County Magistrate Li also leaned towards her.

“My grandson’s poison has been detoxified; his body is cured; and he has no worries about his life,” she said quietly.

He clapped his hands in joy.

“Congratulations, congratulations,” he said happily. “When that bastard’s sentence is pronounced, Young Master Fang should be here to see it with his eyes.”

He asked another question with a smile.

“Where is Young Master Fang now?”

Old Lady Fang grinned, and her expression turned outside.

“My grandson and his wife should be in Runan,” she said gently.

…….

The whip blossomed in the air with a crack; the carriage stopped.

“Young Lady, we’ve arrived in Runan City,” said Lei Zhonglian as he turned behind him.

The curtains of the carriage were lifted, and Miss Jun poked out her head to look at the city gates.

The city gates were ruined, and the word Runan was almost illegible.

She did not move or say anything.

Travelers returning to their hometown always had this excited but stupefied response. Lei Zhonglian could relate.

“Go ask, where is the Jun Residence?” Miss Jun suddenly said.

Good. This Young Lady who was endowed with a talent bestowed by heaven was naturally different from an ordinary traveler.

Lei Zhonglian jumped off the carriage to question a passerby.

The carriage then passed through the gate, and through several streets.

Miss Jun kept the curtains open as she looked outside.

“Don’t you have any memories?” asked Fang Chengyu.

“My memories aren’t too clear,” said Miss Jun.

In reality, Jun Zhenzhen had no memories of this place. She didn’t even know where the house was.

“I haven’t returned much, and I was very young,” she explained.

Fang Chengyu looked outside curiously.

“Now you can look at it again. It’s like renewing an acquaintance. It has a special sort of pleasure,” he said.

Miss Jun smiled.

Fang Chengyu was pleased all through the journey.

She could not be pleased with the scenery, and Jun Zhenzhen had no memories of the house so it didn’t matter.

She came for her memories.

She gripped the small box in her hand. In it was the deed for the Jun Family’s home.

It was written there that a person called Hu Lin had sold an old, two-room house situated on a side street to Miss Jun’s great-great-grandfather. The price had been fulfilled on that very day. Since a verbal statement is no means a guarantee, the contract had been verified.

Jun Zhenzhen’s ancestors had moved from Pingzhang Town to the county city. They had used this house to open a clinic until Jun Zhenzhen’s grandfather passed.

Jun Zhenzhen’s father had then become an official, so the clinic had no successors. All that was left that the deed Jun Zhenzhen’s father had held.

Miss Jun thought the reason why she had been reborn into the Jun Family was probably because of this clinic. As expected, Heaven was fair.

All that she had lost would inevitably return to her, one by one.

“Young Miss, we’re here,” said Lei Zhonglian.

At this, Miss Jun suddenly did not dare to dismount.

This was the timidity of homesickness, thought Lei Zhonglian. There was no need to rush.

“You should go down,” urged Fang Chengyu with a s mile. “Didn’t you come all this way to go here?”

Miss Jun smiled. She lifted up the curtain and descended from the carriage. She stood in front of the carriage and looked at the building.

It had not been maintained for many years. Because no one lived there, the destruction pained no one. Miss Jun’s gaze went forth, falling upon the peach wood signboard hanging above the door.

There were three large words written there; the font was old-fashioned to the point of pain, but it was bold and simple.

Jiuling Hall.

Jiuling.

She, Chu Jiuling, had died and been reborn. She had obtained life, and now she had obtained her name.

Her name had returned to her.

Her tears fell down like rain as she stood by the signboard.

This was just right. Lei Zhonglian was very moved, but at the same time he felt a sourness in his heart as he thought of the home he had not returned to for over ten years. Although the broken-down house was on the verge of collapsing, he should go back and see.

“Young Lady, do you know where the key is? I can pry open the door,” he said stepping forward.

Miss Jun wiped away her tears and looked at the signboard.

“It’s no matter. I just want the signboard,” she said.

Just as she finished speaking, there was a sharp crash from within. The ground beneath their feet began to shake.

“Careful, Zhenzhen,” shouted Fang Chengyu. He had been moved outside the carriage and was subconsciously reaching out a hand to Miss Jun.

Lei Zhonglian also extended his hand, but Miss Jun had taken a timely step backwards.

With a crash, the door toppled over. The tablet then fell; it rolled twice on the ground before stopping at Miss Jun’s feet.

She said she wanted the signboard, and the signboard had fallen.

Lei Zhonglian could not help his staring, amazement on his face.

Of course, the signboard and door would not fall with just a word from her. The house, although old and lacking maintenance, would not collapse at random.

Miss Jun appeared inside.

From the cloud of dust came the sound of footsteps. Out of the group, one man was coughing.

Three or four people came out dragging the toppled door, and caught sight of Miss Jun and the others there.

Because they had stopped by the door, they did not look like passersby. These people also stopped.

One of the men who was waving his arm caught this difference.

“You…” he sized up Miss Jun, then asked, “Have you come to view the house?”

View the house?

Miss Jun sized him up in return.

He was over thirty years old. He was skinny and frail, and a tuft of hair was growing under his chin.

The Jun Family held the deed to this house. The people who could enter the house should only be the Jun Family. The heirs of the Jun Family were weak, but there always were distant relatives.

Miss Jun searched through Jun Zhenzhen’s memories, but it was fruitless.

She did not speak. The man did not care. The other men continued to do their work. Someone in front of Miss Jun bent over to move the sign.

“These boards are to be burnt as firewood. Don’t pile them here,” said the goateed man while flapping his sleeve.

Burnt?

Miss Jun blanked out. She reached out and grabbed the sign.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Sorting out the place,” he replied. He sized up Miss Jun again and the youth by the carriage.

‘The youth is very handsome,’ he thought.

Then he caught sight of the youth’s crutches and could not help but tsk in pity. At the same time, he understood.

“Did you come here to seek treatment?” he asked, then waved a hand. “There’s nothing here. The Jiuling Hall does not exist.”

At this, he smiled.

“But soon there will be a new apothecary here. If you need any medicine you can come here.”

“Who let you open up an apothecary?” Miss Jun demanded. She forcefully wrest away the signboard.

The person nearly jumped at fright.

This delicate-looking young lady had great strength.

She traced over the words ‘Jiuling Hall’ in the sign, and a thick layer of dust coated her finger.

“Who said the Jiuling Hall was no more?” she said, looking straight at the goateed man. “I have returned.”

The goateed man looked out of it.

“You? Who are you?” he asked.

“I,” she began, looking at the signboard in her hands, “I am Jun Jiuling.”