Chapter 33 Find Me Tomorrow

Meng Yutong clenched her fists, her delicate brows furrowing, a perfectly measured look of surprise quickly forming on her face. Her clear eyes widened slightly, filled with a hint of confusion: "Young Master Ji can't eat hawthorn?"

She immediately smiled, her tone natural and fluent, without a trace of panic: "Perhaps it was just a coincidence. The 'Er Chen Tang' I drank just now had a bitter taste from the hawthorn in it, which was really hard to swallow. So when I asked Bai Zhi to buy it again, I specifically told her not to put this in, not because I knew that you, young master, had a dietary restriction."

She remained calm, and her reasoning didn't seem unreasonable.

Ji Yun's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, but he finally nodded, his tone calm: "You are a thoughtful young lady. May I stay here with you some guidance?"

He stopped asking about the hawthorn, and Meng Yutong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Young Master Ji, this place is messy and not suitable for entertaining guests. Please move to the backyard. The drinks will be here shortly. You can leave after you have your drinks.”

Meng Yutong's attitude had changed drastically. Her tone was earnest, and she turned to the side, gesturing towards the backyard, indicating that Ji Yun should go with her.

She led him back to the well and asked him to sit on the old bamboo chair beside it. Ji Yun did not refuse; with a slight flick of his white robe sleeves, he calmly sat down on the chair.

As he moved, his sleeve brushed against a rough pottery bowl that hadn't yet been put away from the edge of the well.

The bowl was empty, with only two slanted shadows of trees visible; the hawthorn that Meng Yutong had described as unpalatable was nowhere to be seen.

"Miss Meng, do you like astringent foods?" He turned to look at her. Meng Yutong had just sat down when she heard this and looked up at him, somewhat puzzled.

Ji Yun picked up the empty bowl and gently handed it to her, looking at her with a leisurely air. "These hawthorns don't seem as unpalatable as you described."

He raised his voice slightly at the end, pointing directly to the empty bowl, "This drink seems to suit Miss Shihe's taste."

I didn't see the embarrassment or awkwardness I expected on her face. Instead, Meng Yutong naturally took the bowl and said frankly, "Since we've already bought it, it would be a waste not to eat it."

“Young Master Ji, last time at the Ji residence, you thanked me for saving the young master and said you owed me a favor…” She held the rough pottery bowl in her hands, hesitating to speak.

But those dark eyes were fixed on Ji Yun's face, their thoughts obvious.

Ji Yun's lips curled slightly, revealing a very faint smile. He leaned back leisurely, the bamboo chair creaking softly, subtly increasing the distance between them by a few inches.

“The young lady has a very good memory.” His voice was cold. “However, the young lady also said that day that this was a favor in return for the umbrella, and that neither of us owed the other anything, so there was no need to worry about it. I wholeheartedly agree.”

His words were clear and his sentences were reasonable, easily deflecting Meng Yutong's offer of "favor".

Meng Yutong's expression hardened. Suppressing the urge to smash the ceramic bowl in her hand at him, she forced a smile and said, "Young master, you are mistaken. At that time, I said that because I didn't want you to feel burdened, and because I really had nothing to ask of you. But times have changed."

She leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and said earnestly, "Right now, Yutong is indeed in dire need, and I hope that Young Master Ji will not hold a grudge."

Originally, these two seats were where Meng Yutong and Bai Zhi sat, resting and chatting in the courtyard, with the two chairs placed very close together.

Although Ji Yun intended to keep his distance, the two were only about half a palm's width apart. Meng Yutong's slight leaning closer instantly compressed the already cramped space.

From a distance, her slightly forward-leaning upper body, amidst the hazy moonlight and swaying tree shadows, seemed to unintentionally lean against Ji Yun's calmly seated embrace.

A night breeze swept by, and a strand of her hair at her temple even brushed lightly against the front of his moon-white robe.

Ji Yun's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and a faint ripple finally crossed his usually calm and unwavering eyes.

He slightly lifted his eyelids, his gaze as still as water, gently enveloping her. "What Miss Meng seeks is to use my name to make a recommendation."

Meng Yutong nodded quickly, her eyes gleaming with undisguised anticipation.

"The person who made the recommendation also bears responsibility. If the young lady makes a mistake and causes trouble in the future, I, the person who made the recommendation, will also be implicated."

Moonlight filtered through the branches of the old persimmon tree, casting irregular, pale silver spots of light. The shimmering light and shadows avoided the usual coldness and somberness in his eyes, dancing before them as if coating him with a hazy, earthy charm.

However, the moment the sound came out, it was like a bucket of cold water being poured over one's head, instantly washing away that illusory warmth.

Meng Yutong quickly came to her senses; it was just an illusion after all.

“Young Master has personally witnessed my medical skills, and I have also come out on top in this assessment.” Meng Yutong met his gaze, neither humble nor arrogant, her voice calm and resolute.

"Does the young lady think," Ji Yun's lips curved into a very faint arc, almost blending into the moonlight, an arc that did not reach the depths of her eyes, but instead made her gaze even deeper, "that with just a few minor skills, one is enough to live up to the name of a physician and save lives?"

The tone of her voice clearly carried a faint hint of mockery. And this mockery was different from that of those who had recently ridiculed her for opening a medical clinic as a woman. Those were merely narrow-minded, trapped in worldly conventions, judging people by their gender. They questioned her abilities and identity, shallowly concluding she would not succeed with their limited worldly perspective.

Ji Yun, having witnessed her medical skills, still harbored doubts. At this moment, his doubts were not about the superficiality of "a woman practicing medicine," but about Meng Yutong herself.

Just then, Bai Zhi and Yun Zhou each carried a cup of drink and entered through the main hall.

Upon hearing the sound, the two of them tacitly stopped breathing and returned to their positions, their expressions unchanged.

Yunzhou presented the ceramic bowl in his hand to Ji Yun, "Young master, please try it. Baizhi said this drink tastes very good."

Ji Yun took the rough earthenware bowl, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip. The warm liquid slid down his throat, carrying a slightly spicy and warm sensation that soothed his lungs and calmed his mind. A drop of dark brown liquid quietly slid down the corner of his lips.

Yunzhou was busy drinking her own portion and didn't pay attention to him.

Just as Ji Yun was about to get up, a pale pink silk handkerchief, carrying a faint, delicate medicinal fragrance, was handed to him.

Her slender fingers holding the handkerchief were as white as jade, and her voice was clear and indifferent when she spoke.

“Young Master Ji,” Meng Yutong began calmly, “for a physician, superb medical skills are the foundation of their profession, but certainly not the only requirement. Observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation, human understanding, and even composure in the face of danger are all essential qualities for a physician. If you have any doubts,” she said, her eyes shining as she looked directly at Ji Yun, “you may examine me in person. If I am unfit for this position, you may withdraw your recommendation. However…” she paused slightly, her tone earnest yet firm, “I earnestly hope that you will grant me a chance to prove myself.”

Ji Yun's brow twitched. He took the handkerchief, gently patted it on the corner of his lips, then slowly got up and walked outside.

As he reached the passageway connecting the main hall and the courtyard, he paused slightly without turning around, but his clear, cold voice reached Meng Yutong's ears distinctly:

"Tomorrow at 3:45 PM, bring your medical kit and find me at Ji'an Hall in the back alley of Qingfeng Tea House."

After speaking, he did not linger and walked straight out of the inn.

Yunzhou hurriedly swallowed the drink in his mouth and quickly followed.

Meng Yutong quickly walked two steps to the door, and facing that tall and straight figure, said from afar, "Thank you, Young Master Ji!"

Ji Yun stepped out of Jufu Inn, but instead of turning right to Wangxian Bridge to go home, he turned left and headed towards the deserted beverage shop across the street.

Shop owner Wang Yong was busy removing the door panels and tidying up his stall when he saw customers arrive. He quickly cupped his hands in apology and said, "Esteemed guests, I'm really sorry, it's getting late and the shop is closing. Please come back tomorrow."

Ji Yun's gaze swept across the shop's furnishings, landing on a corner. "Shopkeeper, this isn't for drinks. May I ask if you have any leftover hawthorn flakes used in the Er Chen Tang drink?"

Although Wang Yong was surprised, he still nodded and replied, "Yes, yes, if you need some, I'll pack some for you right away."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Yunzhou paid the bills behind him, then followed Ji Yun away carrying a small bag of dark red dried hawthorn pieces.

“Young Master,” Yunzhou couldn’t help but ask, “don’t you always refuse to eat hawthorn berries?”

Ji Yun continued walking, his voice calm: "Try it and tell me how it tastes."

"Huh?" Yunzhou's lips twitched slightly. Although he didn't understand, he still opened the oil paper package as instructed, pinched a few pieces of hawthorn and put them in his mouth, chewing them vigorously.

"Hmm... It's sour with a slightly sweet aftertaste, the flavor is acceptable."

Does it have a bitter taste?

He smacked his lips, then grabbed a small pinch and stuffed it in. "It doesn't taste bitter at all, and it's quite appetizing."

Ji Yun unconsciously stroked the soft pink handkerchief in her sleeve with her fingertips. A cluster of peach blossoms was exquisitely embroidered on the corner of the handkerchief, and the faint herbal fragrance emanating from it was exactly the same as the scent of her sachet, with a gentle soothing power.

His long, slender eyebrows slowly furrowed.

When exactly did this eldest daughter of the Meng family begin to act so strangely?

*

Not long after Ji Yun left, Meng Yutong also returned to the mansion.

After washing up, she lay in bed with the embroidered peach blossoms casting sparse shadows on the blue satin canopy, their flickering light following the candlelight, and her thoughts drifted away with them.

She learned that Ji Yun was allergic to hawthorn in the second year after their marriage in their previous life.

In the thirty-seventh year of Jinghe, in winter, there was heavy snow.

That day was the anniversary of Granny Gui's death. After finishing all the chores during the day, Meng Yutong took out two jars of hawthorn wine that Granny Gui had personally brewed for her from the bottom of her trunk at night. She warmed one jar, sat alone under the lamp, and sipped it quietly.

At that time, she and Ji Yun had been married for over a year.

Despite having gone through many things, their relationship has become increasingly like a dry well, without any waves or ripples, with only the words "treating each other with the utmost respect" remaining.

Like strangers living under the same roof.

She is human too. She has been upright and reserved for too long, and that string has been stretched to its limit.

Tonight, she longs to temporarily shed her shackles, seeking only the tranquility of a jar of wine. When the wine is gone and dawn breaks, she will still be the impeccable wife of the Ji family.

Unexpectedly, the entire jar was emptied, and he became so drunk that he lost consciousness. He had no idea how he got back to his bed.

He didn't get up until the afternoon of the next day. When he got up, he heard from the servants in the room that Ji Yun had asked for leave that day.

Her heart sank. She quickly washed up and went to peek into the study. There he was, leaning against his desk, his neck and the back of his hands covered in red rashes. He looked sickly and tired, yet he was still engrossed in reading medical books. Only then did she realize that he couldn't tolerate even a trace of hawthorn.

But... she clearly remembered finishing that jar last night. How did he come into contact with that hawthorn-flavored substance?

With this question lingering in her mind, she turned back to tidy the chests and cabinets and discovered that another jar of wine was missing. The maid in the room said that Ji Yun had ordered someone to take it away.

She then understood that Ji Yun might not have known the wine was made from hawthorn, and had drunk some, which caused the rash.

From then on, she kept that detail in mind.