My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 31 Part 3

Seeing that Xue Yansheng was as kind to him as before, You Lingxiao felt slightly relieved: "Yes."  

No sooner had the You mother and son left than Xue Yansheng sent someone to investigate which physicians in the city had treated You Lingxiao.  

"My lord, if you’re concerned about You Juren, why not have the physician examine him directly? Why go through the trouble of investigating? There are many physicians in the city, it won’t be easy to find the right one."  

"He refused to let my physician examine him, but judging by his appearance, his injuries must be severe. Though there are many physicians in the city, only a few excel in treating bone injuries. It won’t take much effort."  

Xue Yansheng let out a heavy sigh: "These troubled times...nothing goes smoothly. In his condition, he likely won’t be able to sit for the spring imperial exams next year."  

"What about the matter concerning the young miss…?"  

Xue Yansheng didn't answer.  

By nightfall, the person Xue Yansheng had sent out returned with news.  

Upon hearing the physician’s diagnosis, Xue Yansheng’s chest heaved violently, his brows furrowed tightly.  

The sound of a teacup shattering followed.  

Xue Hanxue, who had just come to pay her respects, was startled: "Father, what’s wrong?"  

Xue Yansheng looked at his daughter and forced his anger under control.

"From now on, you must cease all contact with You Lingxiao."  

"Why!"  

Xue Hanxue walked toward Xue Yansheng in confusion: "Did Brother Lingxiao do something to anger Father?"  

"I heard from the servants that Brother Lingxiao came to the residence today and seemed to be injured. What exactly happened?"  

Mentioning this, Xue Yansheng felt a surge of anger: "He is now a cripple. Continuing to associate with him will only ruin the rest of your life."  

"W-what..."  

Xue Hanxue was struck by this terrible news and took two steps back in disbelief: "How could this happen out of nowhere? Father, is this true or not?"  

Xue Yansheng sighed: "Today, he came with his right arm hanging limp. I had a physician examine him, but he deliberately avoided it. Just now, the person sent to investigate retrieved his medical record. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself."  

He handed over a page of medical notes.  

Xue Hanxue stared at the black-and-white words on the paper, her hands trembling: "How could his hand be crippled? Who would dare attack a scholar like this?"  

"He claims it was the work of bandits outside, but he insists someone deliberately harmed him. Today, he came clamoring for me to seek justice for him."  

Xue Yansheng shook his head: "I originally thought he would miss this year’s spring examinations. Little did I know he would never set foot in the examination hall again."  

"Father..."  

As someone who had once harbored tender feelings, Xue Hanxue couldn’t help but feel heartache: "Can’t you help Brother Lingxiao? He is exceptionally talented."  

"These are troubled times. There’s no need to waste effort on a useless man."  

Xue Yansheng also felt regret. You Lingxiao was indeed gifted—otherwise, among the many ordinary scholars, he wouldn’t have singled out this one from a humble background, nor allowed his only daughter to associate with him.  

"Hopeless. Whether it was bandits or someone targeting him, he is now of no use. If he lacks even the caution to protect himself, even if he had entered officialdom one day, he would have amounted to nothing."  

Seeing his daughter’s stubborn attachment, he warned her: "Don’t forget he was already betrothed yet still entangled with others. Though such behavior is common among scholars and the education officials won’t interfere, it still sounds disgraceful if spread. Before, given his promising future, I could turn a blind eye and let him handle his affairs properly. But now, he is utterly unworthy of you."  

"Your grandfather has already sent a letter, and the Ministry of Personnel has been properly arranged. Once Father's term ends, he can be transferred back to the capital. Although you grew up with Father in his post and not in the capital, you must know that the capital is full of talented and well-born individuals. When the time comes, the family will help you choose a new match, it will only be better, not worse."  

Upon hearing this, Xue Hanxue opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing more.  

However, You Lingxiao had no idea that the mentor he believed favored him would so quickly decide to cast him aside like a discarded chess piece.  

While recuperating at home, he waited anxiously but received no resolution, his heart uneasy.  

Feeling that something was amiss, he thought that even if his teacher had great influence, he had not inquired much about the details of the attack, how could he have identified the culprit?  

After some consideration, he decided to visit again, but no matter what, he could no longer gain an audience with Xue Yansheng.

Not only that, but even Xue Hanxue, who had always loved going out for fun, could no longer be met. Seeing the increasingly hostile attitude of the Xue family's gatekeeper, it almost seemed like they were about to lay hands on him.  

You Lingxiao finally realized, the Xue family had already abandoned him.  

You Lingxiao felt as if the sky had darkened, utterly hopeless. Old wounds added to new illnesses, and he collapsed in bed, unable to get up again.  

[舊傷添新病 (jiù shāng tiān xīn bìng): lit. old wounds add to new illnesses; fig. one misfortune after another]  

The other branches of the You family came daily to clamor for money, leaving the family without a single day of peace.  

Seeing the You family in such a state, Ji Yangzong secretly gloated. Though he had no personal grudge against You Lingxiao and his mother, as the village head, he ought to advise them a little.  

But he had no time for that. Instead, he rallied the village's able-bodied men and, upon hearing that the bandit unrest outside was nothing to fear from Huo Shu, prepared to transport the grain to the city.  

As the year-end approached, the bandit unrest had caused many families inside and outside the village to slaughter their livestock - some to keep for themselves, some to sell for New Year's money, and some to have funds for self-protection. In short, more families than usual were slaughtering livestock this year.  

Huo Shu naturally followed Butcher Qiao around, busy from morning to night, sometimes working at one family in the morning and another in the afternoon.