Chapter 30: Retreating to Advance

Ji Hongye pulled his wife into his arms and whispered in her ear, "Yun'er, that child, seems to be obedient in everything, but in reality, he is the most stubborn at heart. Once he has made up his mind, there is often no going back."

"As parents, we should know that the more we try to force a relationship, the more he will avoid it. When it comes to love, he will only truly cherish it when he himself has developed feelings for it."

He recalled the past, his eyes softening slightly: "When he was little, I took him hunting and gave him a small bow. I bought it casually as a toy for the child, thinking he'd only play with it for a couple of days before getting tired of it. Unexpectedly, a few days ago I found it at the very back of his study cabinet, wrapped up tightly. Actually, this child used to love archery and horseback riding; over time, you and I had almost forgotten..."

"Is that so?" Li Wan felt a pang of sadness as she listened to him recount these past events. Over the years, she had indeed shown far too little care for Yun'er.

The rainy night eight years ago seemed to reappear before her eyes.

Yun'er knelt on the cold bluestone steps of Songtao Courtyard, his whole body soaked in sweat, his voice hoarse but each word resounding: "Grandson is willing to carry on his elder brother's will, take over the family business, study medicine, do good deeds, and help the world and save people."

He grew up overnight, no longer the mischievous, carefree, and reckless person he once was. Like a flower bud withered by frost, he remained quiet and silent.

He became taciturn, and his eyes always held a coldness and aloofness far beyond his years.

His world seemed to consist only of obscure medical texts and that grand aspiration, with no other distractions whatsoever.

She was not unaware of Ji Yun's dramatic transformation.

At that time, I was heartbroken and preoccupied with my own problems, so how could I have the energy to take care of him?

And so, the mother and son seemed to drift further and further apart.

Ji Hongye tightened his grip slightly, pulling Li Wan into his arms. His voice was steady and deep as he comforted her, "Both of them are people of principle. Since the annulment of the engagement is a fait accompli, rather than trying to cover it up, it's better to let it spread. If they are truly destined for each other, things will take a turn for the better. If not..." He gently stroked his wife's hair, his tone soft, "Then... let nature take its course."

Li Wan leaned against her husband's chest and nodded gently, "Then let's try it this way for now."

*

Four days later, Meng Yutong returned to her residence to rest after completing the medical examination for the day.

In the afternoon, she led Bai Zhi to the "labor market" in the south of the city and selected several young day laborers who were quick-witted and had kind faces.

At three quarters past noon, Meng Yutong led a group of people to Jufu Inn.

Looking from the outside in, the inn's lobby was completely empty, with all the tables, chairs, and utensils moved to the backyard.

Wu Lin was currently rolling up his sleeves and diligently scrubbing the tables and chairs by the well.

If he were to open a clinic, these square tables and long chairs would be useless. Wu Ming thought he should pack them up and put them in the warehouse in advance, so that he could sell them as scrap furniture and make some money later.

Meng Yutong entered the inn, where Bai Zhi and the day laborers were waiting in the lobby.

"Brother Wu Ming," Meng Yutong called out.

Upon hearing the sound, Wu Ming stopped what he was doing, dropped the rag, and hurried out of the backyard, smiling as he said, "Miss Meng is here! My grandfather is resting upstairs. Shall we start working now?"

"Hmm." Meng Yutong nodded, took out a scroll of drawings from her sleeve, and unfolded it on an empty counter in the lobby. The lines on the drawings were clear, and the layout of the clinic was vividly depicted on the paper:

"The front hall should be divided into two: a spacious consultation room facing the street, with a '回' shaped screen in the middle to separate the men's and women's areas, which must be quiet and clean. A row of camphor wood medicine cabinets should be built along the wall behind the consultation room, with the cabinet doors tightly sealed and camphor placed inside to prevent insects and pests."

"Passing through the back door of the clinic, in the original small courtyard, two independent brick buildings were built: one was the medicine decoction room, which needed to have high windows to draw in the wind and a separate flue to prevent the medicine fumes from mixing and disturbing the patients; the other was to be used as a medicine storage room, where the floor needed to be paved with blue bricks and the wall base needed to be coated with tung oil to prevent moisture, and the precious medicines needed to be handled in a particularly good manner."

"As for the guest rooms upstairs," she pointed to the second-floor corridor, "the layout and furniture remain the same. In the future, if patients come from afar or have mobility issues, they can rent them as temporary resting places for a small additional fee, which will also be convenient for medical treatment."

Wu Ming nodded repeatedly upon hearing this: "Miss, you have thought this through! People who come from outside the city to seek medical treatment often suffer from having nowhere to stay. If they can rest near the clinic, it will save them the trouble of traveling."

“I need to trouble you with something else, young man,” Meng Yutong handed him the drawings, “Please have you procure all the necessary equipment: a pulse pillow, a medicine grinder, a guillotine, a steelyard, etc. The budget is about thirty taels. Also, remember to have a proper ‘apricot flag’ ordered from the ‘business owner’ so we can hang it above the entrance when we open.” She gestured to Bai Zhi, “Just ask Bai Zhi for the money.”

Meng Yutong turned to the foreman and clearly explained the key aspects of the brick house construction, medicine cabinet building, and ventilation ducts. Finally, he asked, "Based on this plan, can the project be completed within the specified timeframe?"

The leader of the day laborers calculated for a moment, then looked troubled: "Young lady, this job is not small. We need to build houses, make cabinets, and also take into account ventilation and moisture prevention... All in all, it will take at least ten days."

"Ten days?" Meng Yutong frowned slightly, her mind preoccupied with the opening. "Could it be even sooner? The wages can be increased accordingly."

“Miss, it’s not that I’m making excuses,” the foreman of the day laborers said with a wry smile, rubbing his hands. “This is already a very tight schedule. If we rush it any further, the work will be shoddy and may delay your important business.”

Just as Meng Yutong was about to speak again, a loud voice suddenly called out from outside the inn: "Miss Meng! We've finally found you!"

The people inside looked in the direction of the sound and saw two people standing at the door: one with a dark complexion and a burly build like an iron tower, was Cui Dacheng; the other was lean and wiry, with eyes that darted left and right, was Mei San.

Meng Yutong asked in surprise, "Brother Cui? Third Brother Mei? Didn't you already return to Qinzhou with Young Master Liu? What are you doing here?"

The two men felt a surge of warmth in their hearts from those two calls of "brother".

Mei San grinned and strode in: "Young Master took the goods to Pingjiang Prefecture, and the transaction went very smoothly. He was worried about you, Miss, and feared that you might offend those playboys because of us, so he specially sent the two of us on horseback back to Lin'an to see if you had any difficulties and if you needed our help."

Cui Dacheng replied in a booming voice, "Exactly! Whatever you need, young lady, we brothers will do without hesitation!"

Mei San glanced around at the scene in the hall, the patterns on the counter, and the troubled-looking laborers, and immediately understood: "Is the young lady planning to turn the inn into a clinic? Is she having trouble with the construction schedule?" He patted his chest and said, "Leave it to us brothers! Seven days! No, five days! We'll make sure it's all done perfectly for you!"

Cui Dacheng added in a simple and honest manner, "Don't look down on us for being rough and rough, young lady. Back in Qinzhou, we did all sorts of jobs, from escorting goods and guarding houses to repairing buildings and hauling goods and driving carts. We know the ropes and the ways!"

Bai Zhi, startled by Cui Dacheng's loud voice and imposing manner, quietly tugged at Meng Yutong's sleeve and whispered, "Miss, these two strong men look...so fierce, what do they do for a living?"

Cui Dacheng, with his sharp ears, chuckled and said, "Hey! Don't be afraid, little sister! We may be a bit rough around the edges, but we have warm hearts!"

Mei San couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "Who's talking to you like 'we'? You're scaring the little girl!"

Meng Yutong smiled and whispered a few words to Bai Zhi about the Eight Treasures Workshop, reassuring her, "It's alright, they're friends."

She then turned to Cui and Mei, her expression sincere: "You two are kind and generous, and I am deeply grateful. But is it too much of a trouble for you to do this?"

"What are you saying, young lady!" Cui Dacheng waved his hand dismissively. "It's our honor to be able to help you, young lady!"

Seeing that the two men were sincere and that they were clearly more reliable than temporary workers, Meng Yutong stopped refusing and readily agreed: "In that case, I'll have to trouble you two brothers!"

Wu Ming, ever quick-witted, stepped forward and said, "Since you are Miss Meng's friends, you are also my honored guests. If you don't mind, please stay upstairs in this inn for the time being, so that things will be more convenient."

Cui Dacheng clasped his hands in a fist and said, "No need to trouble yourself with accommodation. We have a place to stay outside the city, but we'll have to wait for our young master to return."

The group exchanged pleasantries.

Mei San picked up the blueprint from the counter, studied it carefully for a moment, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and nodded, saying, "Excellent plan, young lady! Don't worry, following the blueprint, it will be completed in five days!"

He turned to the foreman of the day laborers and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Brother, if you are short-handed, we can help you. We will pay you your wages in full, without fail."

When the leader of the day laborers saw that strong reinforcements had arrived and that his wages were no longer a concern, his worried expression vanished, and he readily agreed.

After several days of silence, the Jufu Inn finally began to renovate, with the clanging of construction materials.

Looking at the busy crowd, Meng Yutong felt much more at ease and reassured.

Bai Zhi, standing to the side, was somewhat worried: "Miss, the list of candidates for the medical examination should be posted by 5 PM, right? For some reason, my heart is pounding so hard, I'm really flustered."

Meng Yutong looked up at the sky. The sun was shining warmly in the late afternoon, its golden rays bathing the bluestone slabs in front of the inn in a bright light, and gently enveloping her, bringing her warmth.

A gentle smile played on her lips as she spoke softly:

"Although the final question in this exam tests the symptoms of 'bloating, vomiting, and insomnia,' which is novel and different from the questions set by medical institutions in previous years, it is unlikely to have been written by the head of the academy. However, the previous questions are all basic and standard. You can rest assured," she said calmly, looking at Bai Zhi. "Just wait patiently. Once the list is released, the medical staff will send someone to deliver the medical credentials."

"With you saying that, my heart is at ease. I'm just waiting for the doctor's card to come to my door."

Meng Yutong smiled and nodded, then instructed, "Go to Qinglai Restaurant across the street and find Aunt Sun. Ask her to prepare a few tables of decent food and drinks, with a good mix of meat and vegetables, plus two jars of good wine. When we take a break from work, invite everyone over for a meal. Consider this a reward for a hard day's work."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhi's eyes lit up immediately, and she replied crisply, "Yes! This servant will go right away!"

After saying that, he walked briskly across the street and headed straight for Qinglai Restaurant.

At the entrance of the restaurant, Grandma Sun was leaning against the door frame, craning her neck to look towards Jufu Inn.

What on earth was Ding'er doing with all that banging and clanging? Her face was full of curiosity.

Seeing Bai Zhi approach, Aunt Sun quickly averted her gaze and greeted her with a smile, "Oh, Miss Bai Zhi! Would you like some dinner?"

The two had greeted each other a few times and were already familiar with each other.

Bai Zhi pointed to the opposite side, "Please prepare a few tables of good wine and food! About ten people, including the workers and craftsmen, will come over when they're done."

Aunt Sun readily agreed, writing it down quickly, but couldn't help but lower her voice and take a step closer to ask, "Miss Baizhi, tell me the truth, is Jufu Inn making such a fuss, all that clanging and banging, not planning to open the inn?"

This Granny Sun is the most gossipy person.

Bai Zhi straightened her back, her face filled with pride: "No, it won't be open! My young lady wants to convert it into a clinic. Once it's all set up, we'll choose an auspicious day to open for business."

"A... a clinic?" Aunt Sun's eyes widened in surprise, her voice rising several decibels. "Is it your Miss Meng who's opening a clinic?"

Her mind was in turmoil: an unmarried young woman opening a clinic in public? How could this be proper! Did she really have the ability to heal the sick and save lives? Or was she just fooling around?

Besides, no matter how bad the business is at the inn across the street, there are always a few guests who come to her place for a meal, which is at least some income.

If this place is really turned into a clinic, who would want to eat next to a medicine vat? The place will be deserted from now on, what will become of it!

A host of doubts and concerns arose.

Seeing her ever-changing expression and unfocused gaze, Bai Zhi called out again, "Auntie?"

Grandma Sun snapped back to reality and forced a slightly stiff smile: "Oh! Oh! Opening a clinic is good, saving lives and doing good deeds! Please sit for a moment, young lady, I'll go to the back to get things arranged!"

After saying that, she fled into the kitchen as if escaping, leaving Bai Zhi standing there, blinking her eyes in confusion.

Author's Note: Because of the deadline on Thursday, the next chapter will be updated at 11 PM on Thursday night.