Chapter 1 The Amazing Lychee Garden (Part 1) Yu Qi, Uncle. ...

They had only been in Nanjing for a little over ten days when spring was beginning to arrive. A light mist hung over the courtyard, and the clouds drifted by like tiny, fleeting stamens. The sky was like white flowers embroidered on blue silk, a monotonous and lonely scene.

Jiuli had only ever heard people talk about how prosperous and bustling Nanjing was. Now that he had just arrived, he couldn't stay at home and kept thinking about seeing for himself what this vibrant and bustling city was like.

As soon as she opened the front gate, a boy of about her age was standing right outside. Meeting her head-on, the boy glared at her in surprise. "You're up to no good, where are you thinking of going again?"

Jiuli felt a little guilty and immediately chuckled, "Not far, let's go to the street and take a look."

She had an innocent, naive face. Thanks to the Yu family's careful upbringing, she was an orphan but had never experienced the hardships of orphanhood. Her eyes shone with a hint of cunning, which was innate. Fortunately, a touch of shrewdness in someone so inexperienced is endearing, so there was no need to worry about her being bullied.

However, Du Zhong grew up with her, so how could he not know her? She was a master of lying!

He wore a smug, knowing look on his face as he chuckled and slipped inside. "You think you can mess with me now that I've caught you red-handed? You just want to go out for a stroll!"

Jiuli glanced at him, knowing he couldn't leave even if he caught her, so she had no choice but to follow him back into the courtyard. "Did your uncle send you back to get the medicine? I've prepared everything; Aunt Qing is dressed up in the backyard."

There was an epidemic breaking out in two counties of Nanjing recently, and it was for treatment that they moved from the countryside of Suzhou to Nanjing. They had barely settled into this house when Yu Qi left her behind and took Du Zhong to see a doctor at Liyuan Garden.

In Liyuan, I heard that over a hundred people suffering from the plague were moved there for centralized treatment. They were all seriously ill, and they wouldn't be allowed to return until they were cured. Naturally, the government also provided assistance, procuring the necessary medicinal materials from the pharmacies run by the doctors who treated them. Although the Yu family's pharmacy hadn't opened yet, they had already obtained all the necessary medicinal materials and were making a considerable profit.

Entering the second courtyard through the moon gate at the corner of the corridor, one sees large round winnowing baskets covering the entire courtyard, with various medicinal herbs drying everywhere. Even the roof of the Wu King's Pavilion is filled with medicine baskets, and the overwhelming smell of medicine, though familiar, has a refined and rustic fragrance.

There was a pear tree under the corner of the west corridor, its branches covered in white blossoms, petals falling in profusion. Jiuli, finding the room too cold and the sun too hot, moved a medicine basket aside and sat down under the tree.

She was wearing a thin fox fur cloak, and seeing that she couldn't go out, she took it off and draped it over the railing. She leaned back on the Wu King's chair, gazing at the sun in the shadow of the pear blossoms, wondering what the situation was like on the other side of the lychee garden.

She clicked her tongue and said, "Yes, I'll go to the Lychee Garden with you this afternoon."

“No way,” Du Zhong refused outright.

"You can carry all that medicine by yourself, can you?"

Du Zhong pointed behind his shoulder with a smile, "Hehe, a mule cart followed me back."

She could only sit up straight and glare at him, her eyelids rolling upwards, her lips twitching as if she were cursing.

It was originally a Vice Minister Zhao who personally went to the countryside to invite Yu Qi. If he could not cure the disease, not only would Yu Qi's reputation as a "miracle doctor" be in jeopardy, but how could they have the face to stay in Nanjing? Wouldn't they have to return to the countryside in disgrace?

Even though you live in a big house in the countryside, it's still the countryside, quiet and lonely.

But Yu Qi seemed to love that quiet place. In fact, the reason he refused to come to Nanjing was because he couldn't resist the pleas of Vice Minister Zhao and the persistent pestering of Jiu Li.

Jiuli was at an age where she loved excitement. Growing up in the countryside, although she lived a life of luxury, she had been living a quiet life for too long. The mere mention of the world outside the countryside was like a ticking time bomb, an irresistible urge to explore. When Vice Minister Zhao went to invite her, he first tried to coax her, knowing that if he could get her involved, Yu Qi would have no choice but to come.

She was worried that she would have to go back home if she couldn't cure the disease. "My uncle has been at the lychee orchard for ten days without anyone to help him. I wonder how tired he must be. It would be good if I could go and help him."

Du Zhong's expression changed drastically, and he raised his voice, saying, "What do you mean by 'no help'? Wasn't I a helper?!"

Jiuli chuckled, "You really have the nerve to say that. After all these years of studying, you still can't tell the difference between real and fake medicine, and you even try to cheat drug dealers. What can we expect from you?"

Du Zhong studied medicine under Yu Qi for many years, but unfortunately his aptitude was mediocre and his skills were not refined. He has not yet graduated and cannot practice medicine in the clinic. He still only assists Yu Qi.

Many of his colleagues in Suzhou had already mocked him for being stupid and clumsy. Now, after being stabbed by Jiu Li, he was furious and crossed his legs and laughed, "You are more capable than me, but you are a girl. No matter how capable you are, you can't go out to treat patients. Otherwise, why didn't Master take you with him when he treated the epidemic at Liyuan? You can only wait patiently for your marriage proposal."

Jiuli was of marriageable age, and lately she had often heard these people say such things, which annoyed her. She put her hands on her hips as if she was about to curse. Seeing that the situation was not right, Du Zhong pretended to slip away.

She quickly pulled him back, softening her tone slightly, "When exactly will the authorities release your family?"

Du Zhong squinted and sat down again, saying lazily, "This illness comes on quickly but goes away slowly. Yesterday, the imperial decree arrived, and the government dared not neglect it. They will not release us until we are completely cured. Both the doctor and the patient will have to stay in Liyuan for some more days, at least another half month."

She quickly calculated in her mind that it must have taken at least a month. She had never been separated from Yu Qi for so long before.

Yu Qi used to never leave home to treat patients for more than half a month, and he always stayed within the jurisdiction of Suzhou Prefecture. He refused to go to any further places, no matter how much people begged him, he would only refuse with one sentence: "I have elderly and young children at home, and I can't get away."

People say that doctors are benevolent, but in Jiu Li's opinion, Yu Qi is not a benevolent doctor, nor a charitable person. His only good deed in his life was picking her up.

Therefore, he often had an excuse for charging exorbitant consultation fees: "I have a beautiful daughter, and I can earn hundreds of taels of silver a month."

These days of separation are truly unbearable. She stood up and said again that she wanted to go to the Lychee Garden with him. Just then, she saw the steward leading two men dressed as officials to the backyard to carry medicine. The two men glanced at her from afar and their expressions showed amazement.

Du Zhong, used to this, glanced at them, then looked back at Jiu Li's face, leaning against the railing and putting on an experienced air, "Don't run around recklessly. This Nanjing city is not like our countryside. There are many bad people here, and bandits and kidnappers are everywhere!"

Jiuli rolled her eyes. "How much of the world have you seen? Don't try to fool me."

"This isn't my opinion, it's what my master told me. He knew you wouldn't behave yourself when you first arrived in this dazzling place!"

She had no choice but to change her attitude, smiling as she sat down next to him, nudging him lightly with her elbow, and handing him a small amount of silver, saying, "If you allow me to come along, this money is yours."

His eyes lit up, but he still turned his face away. Jiuli glared at him a few times, then went into the room and took out a sachet, throwing it into his arms. "Here, take this too. I mixed some herbs in it. Wearing it will keep you from attracting mosquitoes."

Du Zhong considered that even if he didn't agree to her now, he couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't sneak away. If his master found out, it would be even more troublesome. He might as well agree to her request. "You can go, but you can't let your master see you. You have to stay close to me. Also, you have to change into my clothes. If anyone asks, just say you are a servant of the Yu family."

When Jiuli came out after changing her clothes and putting on a turban, she was still the same. Her beautiful oval face was adorned with jewel-like eyes, and her cheeks had a faint pink hue. She was still a fair-skinned and tender girl.

Fortunately, the Liyuan Garden had taken precautions against disease. Those who went in not only had to drink antiviral medicine, but some were so afraid that they covered their faces with veils. Du Zhong simply grabbed a piece of white cloth and haphazardly covered her face, making her look less like a young lady and more like a frail pageboy. She probably could get away with it.

But her eyes were still dazzlingly bright, and Du Zhong pressed her head down, "Lower your head!"

Although an epidemic was raging in Nanjing, the authorities were able to cover it up, and it hadn't yet reached the point of causing widespread panic. Those unaware of the situation continued with their lives, and the streets remained as bustling as ever in early spring. As a former imperial capital, Nanjing was even more lively than Suzhou, with its elegant buildings exuding a sense of grandeur.

That Liyuan Garden was such an estate. It was said to have originally belonged to a local gentry. A few years ago, one of the gentry's daughters died there. A female Taoist priest who was practicing Buddhism came to divine the future and said that the garden was originally an ominous place.

Later, the local gentry moved elsewhere and wanted to sell the garden, but the price was not right and the sale was delayed. Recently, due to an epidemic, the government requisitioned the garden and gathered the seriously ill people there.

Although there are many houses in the garden, the people and their belongings have long been moved out. Nowadays, the only people coming and going are government officials and doctors and pharmacists. Even the patients' families are not allowed to come and visit.

Jiuli followed them through the side gate, looking around. It was quite similar to their house in the Suzhou countryside, with the same wisps of smoke rising from the water and winding streams and bridges.

The medicine preparation and decoction area was located in a small courtyard, which appeared to have originally been a kitchen. The north room was a large stove room, still used for cooking. Many medicine stoves were placed under the eaves, where clerks from various pharmacies were stationed.

Although many doctors were consulted, the government ordered that Yu Qi be the head of the family, and all the current prescriptions were written by Yu Qi. As Yu Qi's apprentice, Du Zhong was more proud among the staff. As soon as he entered, he put on airs and ordered everyone to fetch the medicine.

Just as things were getting chaotic, a servant at the gate greeted them, "Mr. Yu, why have you come in person? We have men here to look after things, there won't be any problems."

Jiuli peeked through the crowd and saw Yu Qi stepping through the door. He was wearing a dark green gauze robe with a white lining and a round neck. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and there was a small mole under the right eyebrow, just above his eye socket, which made his eyes look deeper and reflected a faint light from below.

He usually wore this slightly weary and serious expression. His skin was fair, and he hadn't shaved much lately, with a ring of light blue stubble on his chin, which made his seriousness seem much more somber. She was a little uncomfortable at first glance, and suddenly felt a strange resentment towards him.

His gloomy and listless demeanor contrasted sharply with her vibrant energy, as if separated by mountains and seas.

When the apprentices and shop assistants saw Yu Qi, they had no choice but to pay their respects, whether they wanted to or not, since he was now the head physician. Jiu Li hurriedly followed the crowd, bowing and scraping. After finishing her greetings, she also slipped under the eaves, picked up a medicine stove, and squatted down with her back turned. She kept touching the white cloth covering her face, afraid that Yu Qi would recognize her.

Du Zhong, feeling guilty, hurriedly greeted Yu Qi with a smile, "Master, the medicine has all been delivered. It was all prepared according to the prescription you wrote yesterday. I checked it at home, and it can't be wrong."

The courtyard was filled with the smell of medicine, but as soon as Yu Qi took a breath, he could smell a familiar fragrance in the air. It was not the fragrance of perfume powder or spices, but rather an indescribable scent, like the elegance of grass and trees, or the sweetness of stream water.

He glanced behind Du Zhong, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips, but his expression remained impassive. He bent down and picked up the medicine packets from the basket to examine them. The paper wrapped with the medicines had markings on it, clearly the work of Jiu Li.

Although Jiuli was spoiled by Old Madam Yu and became somewhat willful and arrogant, she was ultimately considerate. She was afraid that the servants who packed the medicine were illiterate, so she drew a mark to make it easier for them to get an advantage.

Yu Qi put down the medicine, dusted off his hands, and asked, "Did the fish catch all of this?"

Du Zhong hurriedly replied, "Uncle Fengqiao is busy with the shop's procurement and doesn't have time to help. Xiaoyuer has gathered everything himself."

He nodded slightly. "Have all the medicinal herbs for the shop been delivered?"

"Everything is ready, but the medicine cabinet we ordered hasn't been delivered yet. Uncle Fengqiao said it could be delivered to our house this evening. He asked if Master is going back to check the goods?"

"I won't go back. I'll let Fengqiao inspect it himself. It's just a few medicine cabinets. Can't he even inspect them properly?" Fengqiao is an old steward who has worked for Yu Qi for many years, and he trusts him to get things done.

There was no word for a moment. He turned to the side, his eyes glancing at the small figure huddled under the eaves.

Over the years, Jiuli outwardly feared him, but secretly took advantage of the old lady's favor to do whatever she wanted, knowing that even if he was angry with her, he had no way to do anything about it.

She took the opportunity to glance at him. The warm afternoon sun made his eyes appear clear and bright. The mole under his right eyebrow was like a speck of dust, a flaw in his otherwise beautiful face, yet adding a strange allure. He looked a little thinner and slightly haggard, mostly from overworking here.

A note from the author:

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Thank you for reading!

I've started a new story. It will be updated every night at 10:30 PM before it becomes a paid novel.

My next book might be "The Phoenix's Mistake," or it might be a contemporary romance called "Don't Love Her." Please add it to your favorites!