Chapter 51: The Same Dream?

After Ji Yun left, Wu Ming also strolled to the backyard.

He sidled up to Meng Yutong, who was squatting on the ground busy at work, winked and whispered curiously, "Master, when you came back tonight, what were you whispering about with that tea shop owner at the door? You seemed so reluctant to part, like you couldn't bear to be apart."

Meng Yutong was carefully picking up the young ginseng seedlings that had been laid out on the ground, preparing to transplant them into the moist soil that had been loosened during the day.

Without looking up, she casually replied, "I didn't say anything, just thanked him for his hard work today, accompanying me up the mountain to gather herbs."

Wu Ming curled his lip, looking unconvinced: "Don't try to fool me! I noticed that kid's gaze towards you was a bit off; he was practically bubbling with ingratiation! He's definitely up to no good!"

"You're overthinking it." Meng Yutong was completely focused on the delicate herbs in her hands, her movements were extremely gentle, and she didn't take his words to heart.

"No way!" Wu Ming became even more enthusiastic, even bringing up his ally, "Just now in the room, I was talking to Physician Ji about it, and Physician Ji's expression... hey, I think he also thinks that's the case."

“We saw it all! He Haochuan might just be eyeing you, sir, because you're so capable and beautiful, and you run such a big clinic. He probably wants to be a live-in son-in-law!”

He went on and on, completely oblivious to Meng Yutong's slightly furrowed brows.

Bai Zhi, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward, grabbed Wu Ming by the back of his collar, and dragged him out impatiently: "You talk too much! You're as noisy as a cicada in a tree! Can't you see the young lady is busy with important matters? Hurry up and come out!"

The two of them pulled and tugged as they left the courtyard, and the backyard finally returned to peace.

Meng Yutong let out a soft breath and focused all her attention on what was in front of her.

She carefully planted the last purple snow ginseng in the soil, and then carefully spread the moist moss block wrapped around the roots, which she had specially brought back from the cliff of Phoenix Mountain, on the soil around the plant.

Those purple ginsengs were still young, their slender purple stems topped with a few small leaves covered with silvery-white down, trembling timidly in the evening breeze, appearing exceptionally delicate and fragile, as if they might lose their vitality at any moment.

Meng Yutong stretched out her fingertip and touched the trembling leaf very lightly, her voice so low it was as if she were talking to herself, "Don't worry, from now on, you will be the most precious."

Her tone was soft, and as soon as she spoke, it dissipated into the cool night breeze of early summer, leaving no trace.

About half an hour later, after finishing up the various matters at the clinic, Meng Yutong and Bai Zhi returned to the Meng residence.

The Meng residence was located south of Chaotianmen, near Tongjiang Bridge. Several wells were dug within the residence, from which water was drawn daily.

Even so, after returning to the manor, Meng Yutong still had Bai Zhi and Granny Wu give her a serious instruction: everyone in the manor must drink only well water in the coming days, and it is strictly forbidden to use water from the Jade Belt River. They should also try to avoid buying cooked food and snacks from street vendors and eateries.

After arranging the matter properly, Meng Yutong felt a little relieved and returned to her Xingtao Courtyard to rest.

In the stillness of the night, the fatigue from climbing the mountain to gather herbs during the day washed over her limbs like a tide. However, despite her extreme exhaustion, her mind was unusually clear, her thoughts were in turmoil, and she found it difficult to fall asleep.

She first recalled this time in her previous life. At that time, there were less than two months left before her wedding with Ji Yun. She was mostly kept at home by her grandmother, learning to manage the household affairs and preparing for the wedding. She was so busy that she rarely went out.

It seems there has been no news of water pollution causing widespread diarrhea in the city.

It seems that the discovery was made early and the response was timely, so it did not cause too much panic and thus did not reach the inner chambers of the house.

Thinking this way, she felt a little more at ease. But just to be on the safe side, she still planned to go to the clinic tomorrow and prepare more medicine for treating diarrhea to take back to the mansion, just in case. She also wondered if the family pharmacy had enough of the various medicines; she would have to find some time to discuss this with her grandmother.

She turned over, and then thought of the purple ginseng that had been successfully transplanted that day.

It was early summer, and the weather would only get hotter. Although the shady side of Zhaoyutang Courtyard was nice, it couldn't compare to the cool, humid environment of Phoenix Mountain, shrouded in mist.

When there is free time, a simple shed needs to be built in that corner and covered with light-blocking fine linen to simulate the shady and damp microenvironment it needs to grow in order to ensure its survival.

Unfortunately, she didn't know the origin of the great plague that later swept through Lin'an. If she had known beforehand, perhaps she could have taken preventative measures and saved many more lives...

Her thoughts raced like wild horses, a jumble of random ideas. It wasn't until late at night that sleepiness gradually crept in, dragging her into a deep slumber.

On the Ji family's side, someone was suddenly awakened from a long dream.

Ji Hongye suddenly sat up, his breathing heavy and unsteady. The movement stirred the quilt, disturbing Li Wan, who was already fast asleep beside him.

It was pitch black all around, with only a faint sliver of moonlight filtering through the window screen. Li Wan got up, her fingertips touching her husband's sweat-dampened undershirt. Her heart tightened, and her voice was still sleepy: "What's wrong? Are you having a nightmare?"

Ji Hongye's heart was still pounding wildly, and it took him a long time to calm down. He turned around, took his wife's hand, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Wanwan, that dream you mentioned last time... I just had it too."

He paused, as if recalling the details of the dream, his tone growing increasingly solemn: "That girl from the Meng family did indeed marry Yun'er. A year after their marriage, you and I moved to Qinglan Temple for quiet cultivation and never came down the mountain again. Until... until the next time we heard news from the manor, it was the devastating news of Yutong's death."

Upon hearing this, Li Wan was also deeply shaken. The dream was so vivid; she had experienced it firsthand, and all the details, emotions, and even the helpless grief were as if she were reliving it all.

She always felt that it was no ordinary nightmare, and that something was amiss. But later, the dream stopped, and as time went by, that sense of unease gradually subsided.

But now, Hongye has also had the exact same dream?

This is too bizarre and coincidental.

"How could... how could both of us..." Li Wan's voice trembled, "Could it be that it wasn't a dream, but...?"

"Perhaps it was because you explained things to me in too much detail last time that I listened to it so intently and have been thinking about it ever since."

Ji Hongye forced himself to remain calm. Noticing that his wife's fingertips were slightly cold and her face must have been deathly pale in the dim light, he tried to comfort her, deliberately softening his tone: "Don't overthink it. We're both here safe and sound now. A dream is just a dream, it can't be taken seriously."

He spoke his last sentence very softly, as if he were not only comforting his wife, but also trying to convince himself.

He was always the calmest and most analytical person in the family, so Li Wan felt a little relieved and stopped dwelling on the bizarre dream.

The two lay down again, and Li Wan nestled into her husband's arms. She changed the subject, her voice muffled in his bedclothes: "Have you noticed that Yun'er seems a little different these days?"

“I heard from Yunzhou that he has been visiting Zhaoyu Hall quite frequently lately, which is unlike his usual self. Perhaps the method you suggested last time really worked. He must have developed some feelings for Yutong. Otherwise, given his aloof and indifferent nature, why would he take such good care of her?”

Ji Hongye put his arm around his wife and said in a low voice, "This child has carried too many burdens in his heart over the years. The things that happened back then can't really be blamed on him. But even so, everyone, including himself, still harbors a grudge that's hard to let go of. He went from being such a free-spirited and unrestrained person to what he is today... The hardships he endured are beyond what outsiders can understand."

Li Wan didn't reply, but simply hugged her husband tighter.

Ji Hongye clearly felt that the collar of his clothes had quietly become warm and damp.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Wan's breathing finally became even and long, and she fell asleep again.

Ji Hongye, however, was wide awake. In the darkness, he recalled past events, his thoughts surging like a tide.

Not long after Ji Hongye and Li Wan got married, they had their first child. He named the child "Zhao," which means "bright as the sun and moon, virtuous and fragrant," hoping that he would live a bright and upright life, be kind and skillful, and bring glory to the Ji family.

As expected, Ji Zhao lived up to the couple's high expectations. From a young age, he displayed extraordinary intelligence and composure, as if his name truly reflected the auspiciousness of his birth name, and he was surrounded by a warm and clear radiance.

He was exceptionally gifted and remarkably talented. During his first birthday celebration, his little hand grasped a yellowed medical book without hesitation. At five, he could recite "The Properties of Medicinal Herbs," at seven, he could identify the properties of hundreds of herbs, and at ten, he could stand quietly by and observe his grandfather taking pulses, occasionally even offering a few insightful observations that would make the old man nod slightly.

Ji Huaijin was a strict and taciturn man who devoted himself to the medical profession. Although he had risen to the position of Director of the Imperial Medical Academy and had the merit of compiling medical books for posterity, he was deeply worried that the Ji family's medical skills would not be inherited because Ji Hongye had no interest in this profession. This was a great regret in his life.

Fortunately, Ji Zhao came into the picture. Since his birth, Ji Huaijin has devoted his life to this eldest grandson, teaching him with great care and dedication, wishing he could pass on all his medical knowledge in an instant.

And Ji Zhao never disappointed. He was gentle and calm, intelligent and reasonable, and from birth he carried all the expectations and love of the Ji family.

However, fate played a cruel trick on him. Ji Zhao was born with a heart ailment, which was extremely difficult to treat. It prevented him from running and jumping, from overexerting himself, from getting wet in the rain or getting cold, and from experiencing any significant emotional fluctuations...

For this reason, the attention and care that the whole family poured into him was beyond measure, to the point of being extremely cautious and apprehensive.

Ji Yun, Ji Hongye's second son, was completely different.

From a young age, he was mischievous and unruly, disliked restraint, and had little interest in dry medical books and classics. It seemed that he was born to be the opposite of Ji Zhao, which caused him and his wife a lot of headaches.

When Ji Yun was young, Li Wan once asked him with a smile what he wanted to be when he grew up. Without hesitation, he answered loudly, "I want to be a hunter! Riding horses and shooting arrows every day, chasing deer in the mountains and forests, that's what I call carefree and majestic!"

Li Wan shook her head helplessly. Although Ji Hongye sighed inwardly, he could only comfort her, saying, "It is enough that the Ji family has Zhao'er to carry on the family name and bring glory to the medical profession. As for Yun'er, since he has no such intention, there is no need to restrain him too much. It is enough that he is safe, happy and content and has a smooth life."

Their almost laissez-faire attitude did, to some extent, give Ji Yun a level of freedom that other children could only dream of.

However, this freedom is accompanied by a noticeable, diluted level of attention.

Unsurprisingly, the entire family's focus fell entirely on Ji Zhao.

Ji Hongye was not entirely unaware of these things before, but he always felt that it was alright for boys to be raised more roughly, so he simply let it go.

Until that dream that was all too real.