RYEY – Chapter 225 Disfigured

Jiang Meili didn’t understand what Cheng Qiao meant, yet she didn’t dare ask further. She could only watch as Cheng Qiao left calmly and openly, leaving her at a loss about what to do.

After some thought, she decided to squeeze her way over to see what was going on. Just as she forced her way past two people, a burst of startled screams suddenly erupted from the crowd ahead, making Jiang Meili jump in fright.

The people retreating in panic pushed Jiang Meili back to the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative. Anxious, she asked what had happened. Seeing that she was wearing a green military uniform, someone quickly replied,

“Someone fainted—she’s from the song-and-dance troupe.”

Jiang Meili was startled, yet her heart leapt with excitement. Could it be Liu Xiaojuan? After all, many troupe members had come out shopping today.

Instinctively, she wanted to squeeze forward, but Cheng Qiao’s words echoed firmly in her mind: don’t go near Liu Xiaojuan.

“Comrade, you came with her, didn’t you? Hurry and take her away—there are too many people here.”

Another shop assistant, standing on a stool, spotted Jiang Meili in her green military uniform at the doorway at a glance. Thinking quickly, Jiang Meili told the assistant that she was going to find a military doctor.

Hearing that she was fetching a military doctor, the assistant felt relieved. If someone from the song-and-dance troupe collapsed here, it would be no small matter—if blame came down, none of them would be able to bear the consequences.

Li Bing was hiding in the shadows. He had come specifically to protect Cheng Qiao. If anything went wrong, he would never allow Cheng Qiao to suffer. Seeing her come out safely, he gave an almost imperceptible nod, then turned and left as well.

Jiang Meili ran back to the song-and-dance troupe in one breath, found the troupe’s designated doctor, and told her about Liu Xiaojuan. The doctor grabbed her medical kit and rushed out.

The supply and marketing cooperative wasn’t far from the troupe—only about a twenty-minute walk. Moreover, the designated doctor had a bicycle. When everyone saw a woman in a green military uniform with a white coat draped over it rush in, they quickly made way.

The designated doctor was a woman around thirty years old. Her family had originally been a lineage of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, but her grandfather had been farsighted. He had donated a large portion of their assets early on and sent the only gifted granddaughter in the family into the song-and-dance troupe as its designated doctor.

“Captain Liu, how are you feeling?”

“Shen Ying, you’re here… My stomach hurts, my head hurts, my eyes hurt, and my face hurts.”

Shen Ying put on her spotless white gloves and pried open Liu Xiaojuan’s eyes to take a look. Her pupils were already somewhat dilated. Catching the smell of alcohol on her breath, Shen Ying immediately knew she had been poisoned.

“Everyone, make way—I need to induce vomiting.”

Shen Ying first took out a bottle of saline from her medical kit and forcibly poured it into Liu Xiaojuan’s mouth. After Liu Xiaojuan swallowed the entire bottle, Shen Ying dragged her out to the open space in front of the cooperative.

“Captain Liu, forgive me.”

Shen Ying stomped hard on Liu Xiaojuan’s stomach, then quickly stepped aside. As expected, Liu Xiaojuan curled up in pain, and a large mouthful of vomit sprayed out.

Wearing a mask, Shen Ying carefully examined the vomit, but found nothing that could have caused poisoning. She couldn’t help frowning.

Standing some distance away, Jiang Meili already understood what was going on. Cheng Qiao had actually poisoned Captain Liu. But how had she done it? It was incredible.

Jiang Meili struggled to suppress the joy in her heart, worried that Shen Ying might notice her expression. She hurriedly lowered her head. Thank you, Cheng Qiao. Thank you for helping me get my revenge.

After vomiting, Liu Xiaojuan was clearly more alert. She then sat on the back seat of Shen Ying’s bicycle as they headed toward the military district hospital.

Jiang Meili naturally followed behind. Out of the corner of her eye, Liu Xiaojuan saw Jiang Meili hurrying anxiously after them, and the suspicion in her heart was completely dispelled. It must have been something bad she’d eaten.

At the military district hospital, Liu Xiaojuan underwent emergency gastric lavage, followed by careful examinations. Yet no toxins were detected in her body, which left everyone puzzled.

“Shen Ying, are you sure she was poisoned?” a doctor asked.

For a moment, Shen Ying didn’t know how to answer. Her grandfather had always taught them to keep a low profile and not seek the limelight. With that thought in mind, Shen Ying firmly shook her head.

A few days later, military doctors came to Liu Xiaojuan’s ward. Seeing that her energy and spirits had clearly improved, they regretfully told her that there was no way to perform reconstructive surgery on her face.

Liu Xiaojuan froze. What was wrong with her face? But there was no mirror in the ward. She grabbed Shen Ying’s clothes and demanded that she bring a mirror for her to see.

Shen Ying shook her head. She had deliberately kept mirrors away. Liu Xiaojuan’s face was truly ruined—one side of her cheek appeared to have been contaminated with sulfuric acid and had already been corroded.

Now everyone knew that Liu Xiaojuan had indeed been poisoned, but no one could make sense of it. If it was external poisoning, why were her internal organs also slightly corroded? If it was internal poisoning, why were there injuries on the outside as well?

“Liu Xiaojuan, what did you eat that day? How did you end up fainting?” a doctor asked.

Liu Xiaojuan calmed herself and carefully recalled the events of that day. Jiang Meili had said in the dormitory that the supply and marketing cooperative had received some corduroy fabric, and she wanted to buy some to make clothes. She even borrowed cloth ration coupons from everyone.

Liu Xiaojuan had been cautious, saying she was out of coupons. But when Jiang Meili went out, she followed her anyway, clearly stating that she wanted that piece of fabric and telling Jiang Meili to lend her the coupons first.

Jiang Meili was clearly unhappy, but Liu Xiaojuan put on a stern face—she knew this tactic worked well on Jiang Meili. Sure enough, Jiang Meili obediently took out the coupons.

The two of them went to the supply and marketing cooperative together. Unexpectedly, it was packed with people, and many were fighting over that piece of fabric. She grew anxious and forced her way inside.

Right—someone seemed to have bumped into her face. But she hadn’t paid attention to who it was. In a crush of people, no one would notice who exactly had collided with them.

“Someone touched my face, but I don’t know who.”

The doctors exchanged glances. Even if someone brushed her face, there wouldn’t have been time to poison her—Liu Xiaojuan wasn’t a corpse. But inside, Shen Ying felt as if a stormy sea had been stirred.

She remembered her grandfather once saying that when a person’s medical skills reached a certain level, they could act without restraint—killing or saving someone was merely a matter of intent.

It seemed Liu Xiaojuan had offended someone. That person hadn’t wanted her dead, but had spared her life, leaving her to suffer on—cruel enough.

“Where’s Jiang Meili?” Liu Xiaojuan suddenly asked.

She had just thought of Jiang Meili, wondering whether this matter had anything to do with her. Trembling, Jiang Meili edged in from the doorway, her small face pale with fear.

“Captain Liu… I really, really don’t know what happened. You squeezed in, but I didn’t—I didn’t go in at all.”

The anger on Liu Xiaojuan’s face subsided as she looked at Jiang Meili. Yes—she knew Jiang Meili’s character well. She didn’t have the guts, nor the ability, to do such a thing.

“Captain Liu, someone is here to see you,” a doctor said loudly as he walked over.

“Who’s looking for me? Let them come in.”