Chapter 59 The Lament of a Passionate Woman (Part Nine) Your heart is burning with desire, you're longing for spring...

A disciple surnamed Song?

The group of people under the eaves looked at each other, and then one of them gestured with his chin toward the other side of the rain curtain: "Are you talking about that Young Master Song who came back to the mansion with our Seventh Master?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yue followed the man's gaze and looked back, only to see water droplets everywhere like mist, a vast expanse of white, with no sign of anyone.

The man continued, “Given his stature and surname, Song, he must be the one who can’t escape. I saw him head towards West Street again. It’s quite strange that the young master surnamed Gu didn’t go with him today.”

"That's strange. I've seen them like conjoined twins, inseparable every day, and I rarely see either of them go out alone. Could it be that these two had a quarrel today and had a falling out?"

"That doesn't make sense. This morning I heard Sister Li say that the man surnamed Song came out of Master Gu's room early in the morning. They were so intimate, how could they have had a falling out?"

As the conversation dwindled, Chu Yue turned around and nodded to everyone, saying, "Thank you."

Having said that, he turned slightly, opened his umbrella, and headed towards the gate of the mansion.

Seeing the man trudging alone in the rain, the servants under the eaves exchanged bewildered glances. Then, one of them chuckled and said, "These days, I've never seen a master so eager to see his apprentice."

"It's no wonder that these otherworldly beings are so detached from worldly affairs. They even have to ask others where their disciples are. If they don't know, they just think they're not familiar with the place."

"Of course we're not familiar with each other. Hey, didn't you just say that Song Langjun was an imposter? Why aren't you saying that now?"

"I was just bored and wanted to make things a little more interesting..."

"You're the best at gossiping. If someone hears you and reports it to the master, we'll send you away and see if you still gossip about others."

"..."

Oh, ancestors! He'll never dare to do it again.

The fine rain, brushing against the new willows, gathered into glistening, plump beads, which, after being swept by a ginger-yellow oil-paper umbrella, fell to the ground with a "pitter-patter".

Gu Lianzhou stopped in front of Liu Dai's door, shook his umbrella casually after closing it, leaned it against the door, and stepped inside.

"Distinguished guests have arrived; I am sorry for not greeting you properly." The man behind the desk did not look up when he heard the noise, but focused on studying the various medicinal herbs on the table with the medical book in his hands.

It's raining in the spring, so it's not a good time to go out. The fresh herbs I picked yesterday might get moldy if I don't take them out to air them out.

Therefore, it was already quite remarkable that he could spare the time to say hello.

Gu Lianzhou remained silent, walked forward, sat down on the falcon-shaped stool next to Liu Dai, glanced at the messy table, found a gap, and rested his wrist on it.

Liu Dai's fingers trembled as she held the medicinal herbs. Her gaze slowly shifted to the slightly bulging blue veins on the wrist, and then, as if she had seen a ghost, she looked up at Gu Lianzhou and asked, "What do you mean by this?"

Didn't I refuse to let him take my pulse? Why is he acting so strangely today, actually coming to my door on his own initiative? Could it be that he's feeling so unwell that he can't bear it anymore?

Feeling bewildered and helpless, yet also itching to try his hand at the sight of that pale wrist, Liu Dai suddenly felt restless and uneasy.

"Brother Liu, I implore you to treat me." Gu Lianzhou's expression was solemn, and his voice was as if he had swallowed a mouthful of fine sand, making one's eardrums itch.

"Wait a moment." Liu Dai sat up straight, swept the medicinal herbs on the table aside to make room, and then asked solemnly, "When did you start feeling unwell?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of confusion flashed in Gu Lianzhou's eyes. After a long silence, seeing that the 'benevolent doctor' across from him was gradually losing patience, he said uncertainly, "It has been about a while now, let's say a month."

Liu Dai continued, "Where do you feel unwell?"

Gu Lianzhou lowered his eyes to avoid the burning gaze from across the room, took a deep breath as if he had made a tremendous decision, which made Liu Dai's heart pound with fear.

“In my heart,” he replied.

"In your heart?" Liu Dai pressed, "Is it a feeling of unease, or a dull ache in your chest?"

Gu Lianzhou shook his head and said, "No, it's just that... my heartbeat is sometimes a little irregular."

"Ah, that's an irregular heart rate." Liu Dai rolled up his sleeve, pulled out a piece of cloth from his cuff, folded it, and placed it under Gu Lianzhou's wrist before taking his pulse.

After touching him in silence for a moment, Liu Dai's knuckles curled slightly. He withdrew his hand, looked at Gu Lianzhou, and said with a complicated expression, "Your heart is burning with desire, Brother Gu. Are you lovesick?"

Without giving Gu Lianzhou a chance to defend himself, he continued, "Your pulse is restless, like boiling water in a cauldron. Your ministerial fire is running rampant, and your mind is unsettled. Who are you thinking about when you don't sleep at night?"

Two questions in quick succession left Gu Lianzhou speechless, his face turning pale. After a moment of silence, he hesitated and asked, "Is there no other possibility?"

Liu Dai put away the cloth used for taking pulses, and shook his head upon hearing this, saying, "It is fortunate that your body is fine, but now that spring is approaching, you should return to your hometown to find a husband for yourself."

What is the logic behind this?

Gu Lianzhou still held a sliver of hope, "But I have no one I fancy, so how can Brother Liu make such a judgment?"

“I was trained by Qingyunxi. I learned to take pulses when I was three years old. I have been practicing for twenty years now, and I generally don’t make mistakes. If I do make a mistake, it’s because you are in the miasma and don’t know it.”

At this point, Liu Dai raised his eyebrows slightly, "Brother Gu, since you are already of age, what is there to hide? If you like a girl, be more proactive. Don't keep it bottled up inside for too long, as it will do you no good."

He's usually not this talkative, but when it comes to arranging marriages, he suddenly becomes quite talkative.

Gu Lianzhou was in a state of distress, and hesitated for a long time before finally asking in vain, as if he had lost all his strength: "Dr. Liu, do you have a prescription to relieve these symptoms? Please write one for me."

"Of course." Liu Dai took out paper and pen and wrote a long string of words on it in a flamboyant style. Gu Lianzhou took a closer look and saw several familiar medicinal herbs.

“Coptis chinensis, Scutellaria baicalensis, Gardenia jasminoides…” He read aloud the words from the ink, then looked at Liu Dai suspiciously, “What kind of prescription is this?”

Liu Dai smiled and said, "I'll first prescribe a detoxifying soup to clear your heat and relieve your heart palpitations, then I'll prescribe a yin-nourishing heart-tonifying pill..."

After teaching Gu Lianzhou some methods to clear heat, Liu Dai could no longer suppress his smile. "This condition is common in teenagers around sixteen or seventeen years old. It cannot be cured by medicine alone. In my humble opinion, the one who tied the knot must untie it. Brother Gu, you... take care of yourself."

Gu Lianzhou didn't want to listen or dare to think about it. He took the bundle of medicinal herbs and walked silently out the door, filled with regret.

Had he known Liu Dai would say that, he would never have left the house today, even if it meant being beaten to death. Now, he has no choice but to swallow the bitter pill and dare not utter a word in his defense.

Yearning for spring? Yearning for whose spring?

This is worse than killing him.

After walking for a while with his head covered, Gu Lianzhou suddenly heard Liu Dai's shouts behind him. He stopped and turned around, only to see the man inside the door jumping up and down, his mouth opening and closing, looking anxious.

"Umbrella! You didn't take the umbrella!" Liu Dai looked at Gu Lianzhou in the rain, bent down to pick up the oil-paper umbrella by the door, and said with exasperation.

This person has probably lost their soul.

Getting the person wet is secondary; what's absolutely crucial is keeping his medicinal herbs dry!

-

Because of the rain, West Street was deserted today, with only a few people hurrying by with umbrellas.

Song Qiling arrived at the "Old Huang Tea House" from yesterday, went inside and sat down, and saw the owner throw a handkerchief over his shoulder and come over with a plate of dried fruit.

"My lord, what would you like to drink today? We just received a batch of post-rain Longjing tea; would you like to try some?"

Seeing how enthusiastically he recommended it, Song Qiling figured it must be good tea, so he nodded and said, "Bring a pot."

"Alright, sir, please wait a moment."

A short while later, the shopkeeper returned with steaming hot tea, carefully placing it on the placemat and saying considerately, "Be careful, it's hot."

Song Qiling thanked him, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, shopkeeper, is that white-bearded storyteller coming today?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper straightened up, clenched his fists at his waist, turned to look at the rain outside the door, and said with an embarrassed smile, "To be honest, I only gave this 'Cranny with the White Beard' a place to tell stories because I saw that he was quite old and lived alone, which made life difficult for him. I didn't ask him to tell stories every day; it was all up to his mood. It's raining outside today, and the roads are slippery, so it's not advisable to go out. I suppose he won't be coming."

That's how it is.

Song Qiling nodded: "I understand."

She had gone out today to clear her head, but upon entering this teahouse, she inexplicably recalled the story of "Locking the Wutong Tree." She was quite curious to know how the princess later took revenge on that cold-hearted prince consort.

Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating, and she probably won't be able to hear it today.

However, enjoying the rainy scenery and drinking hot tea was indeed very relaxing, making her trip out worthwhile.

Before she knew it, half a pot of tea had been drunk. Song Qiling calculated the time and found that it was around 9:00 AM. Looking outside, she saw that the rain had stopped and sunlight was peeking through the clouds, making the sky as blue as if it had been washed.

Just as I was about to head home, a familiar figure appeared at the door.

The old man, carrying a bamboo basket, stepped over the threshold, muttering as he went inside, "I'm late today."

His body was hunched over, but his voice was full of energy.

The visitor was none other than the white-bearded storyteller.

Song Qiling picked up the teapot and poured herself another cup of tea.

"You've finally arrived! A customer at the teahouse has specifically requested to hear you tell stories today!" The shopkeeper took the basket and winked at Song Qiling. "Look at how much business you've brought to our shop."

Upon hearing this, the storyteller followed the innkeeper's gaze and saw that it was the young man who had sat under the shade of the tree yesterday. His old, dim eyes curved into a smile, and he said, "Young friend, didn't you complain that my stories weren't good? Why have you come again today?"

Song Qiling put down his teacup, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the old man, and said with a smile, "The first volume of the story really made my heart burn with rage. I wished I could rush into the story of 'Locking the Wutong Tree' and kill that painted-skin ghost with my own hands. That's why I spoke so wildly. I've come to have tea today for the second volume of the story."

A glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes. "Sir, you said yesterday that good and evil will be rewarded in the end, and that karma is a cycle. I wonder what kind of retribution that prince consort ultimately received?"