Chapter 16 An old friend comes to promise us that we shall be born today, right now! ...

Because of Yuan Shu's usurpation of the title, Lü Bu of Xuzhou sent Chen Deng to Xudu to express his gratitude.

Cao Cao had not yet summoned him. The Minister of Works' office was still discussing how to balance the treatment of Chen Deng and Lü Bu. Xun Yu suggested that they test his attitude the next day before discussing it further.

Guo Jia never intended to get involved in such matters. As usual on his days of free medical consultations, he went to the market after leaving the Sikong Mansion.

But today I came up empty-handed again.

Just as he was thinking to himself that it wasn't too late and wondering why Yi hadn't waited for him, an old woman selling steamed buns called out to him.

Guo Jia saw her beckoning him over and smiled broadly: "Is the Grand Master looking for the Madam? Today, the Madam... didn't come alone."

Guo Jia looked puzzled: "What does this mean?"

The old woman tugged at Guo Jia's sleeve, stood on tiptoe, and whispered excitedly, "A handsome young man came up ahead. When he arrived, he sat down next to the lady, and the two of them were chatting and laughing."

Look...they're so close!

"Intimate?!" Guo Jia's heart skipped a beat, and her scalp tingled. She immediately began to search her mind for any other men in the city with whom she had an "intimate" relationship.

"That's right, that young master even helped with the medical treatment later."

Finally, he helped his wife pack up the stall, and then... his wife took him in the direction of your house!

The old woman clicked her tongue twice, her eyes full of mockery towards Guo Jia.

Can you help me see a doctor...?

This word gave Guo Jia a bit more confidence, and he could roughly guess who it was. However, he was still somewhat displeased. He bid farewell to the old woman and hurried home.

In the first month of the fourth year of the Chuping era, Guo Jia suffered from hemoptysis due to poisoning for the second time. Deng Zhao and Deng Jie, a brother and sister, accompanied him day and night and traveled to Hua Tuo's medical clinic in Qiao County. The first person to be treated was a young man.

The young man had a certain arrogance about him. He was the sixth disciple of Hua Tuo, who stayed at his medical clinic at the time, and his name was Chen Xuan (Chen Lingde).

Around the time Deng Jie became an apprentice, the boy assumed that Deng Zhao was arbitrarily marrying his sister to a poor scholar in order to gain upward social mobility because he dressed so well. He kept hovering around Deng Jie, implying that he was from a respectable aristocratic family.

Guo Jia was truly agitated and distraught. Forgetting his previous worries that he was "doomed," he pulled Deng Jie aside and began to call him by his childhood name, thus transforming their "family-approved betrothal" relationship into a "heartfelt engagement."

Chen Xuan, true to his noble character, remained steadfast in his treatment of the two men after learning the truth. It was only during a battle of wits with Yuan Shu's spies that he confessed that he was actually Chen Gui's youngest son and that his apprenticeship to Hua Tuo was due to his elder brother Chen Deng's frequent chest tightness.

After that, he and Guo Jia became good friends who could help and tease each other.

Even on the day Guo Jia lost control of his bladder, he stopped Deng Jie and helped Guo Jia bathe himself.

Guo Jia will never forget this kindness.

After that, a young lady from a noble family surnamed Zhao was separated from her family and ended up at the medical clinic. During her time with Chen Xuan, she developed feelings for him. Guo Jia and Deng Jie tried to bring them together, which led to their marriage.

It's a bit of a regret that we haven't been in contact since we parted ways in the first year of Xingping.

Today, with Chen Yuanlong arriving in Xuzhou, and being able to have a "close" joint consultation with Deng Jie, the only one who could be there is Chen Lingde.

Guo Jia arrived at the house but hadn't entered yet. The courtyard gate was open when he heard that familiar voice coming from inside: "Junior sister, Guo Fengxiao lets you live in a place like this?"

Is he stingy, or is Cao... cough, what stingy?

"I'm sorry, it's Jia who's stingy!" Guo Jia knocked on the courtyard gate and strode in.

Upon hearing Guo Jia's voice, Deng Jie greeted him with delight, "Fengxiao, Sixth Senior Brother has actually come to Xudu!"

“Brother Fengxiao, uh, now you should call me Grand Master of the Imperial Academy!” Chen Xuan turned around, strode forward, and looked Guo Jia up and down. “Junior Sister has taken good care of you. You look much better!”

Guo Jia also raised his hand in a gesture of respect, saying, "Of course, thank you for your thoughtfulness."

Seeing that Guo Jia was happy, Deng Jie invited them to sit down first, and then went to dig out a jar of wine.

"Wait a minute." Guo Jia stopped her. "I'll go and bring out the Nine Brewed Spring wine. It's a rare treat for your brother to come, so please enjoy yourself."

The three of them sat close together under the table in the front yard.

Chen Xuan's previous disdain was replaced by a feeling of longing.

"Dining together at such a crowded table... reminds me of my days at the medical clinic."

Guo Jia poured him wine: "It seems that Brother Lingde is now enjoying a very high status at home!"

Chen Xuan waved his hand, "After all, we live in the same city as my two elder brothers, and Ayu's family is also here, so we can't be impolite."

He drank a cup of Jiu Yun Chun, squinted his eyes, and let out a long sigh, "This is the Jiu Yun Chun that Minister Cao presented? It's quite potent."

Guo Jia also drank a cup, "When did your brother Lingde leave the medical hut?"

Deng Jie followed up with concern, asking, "Yes, how is Master doing? Has Senior Brother kept in touch?"

Chen Xuan put down his wine cup, his face showing respect, "Six months after you left, my father summoned me home."

I correspond with my eldest brother.

My master is in excellent health, but he hasn't taken on any new disciples, saying he's focusing his energy on perfecting the Qingnang Manual.

He leaned back on the table and lowered his voice, saying, "I heard that Minister Cao intends to recruit him into his household. You might even get to see him!"

Deng Jie's eyes lit up. "Really? If I could see my master again, I would definitely study under him again!"

After several rounds of drinks, two more dishes were served.

Fueled by the aroma of Jiu Yun Chun wine and the joy of reunion, the atmosphere became increasingly relaxed and lively.

The three chatted about the past of the medical clinic, recounting how Guo Jia had plotted to help the clinic's inhabitants fight off spies, and also about the amusing story of how the two of them brought Chen Xuan and Zhao Yu together, their laughter filling the air.

As Chen Xuan became more tipsy, his cheeks flushed, and he started talking more.

"Brother Fengxiao, Junior Sister, you two have been married for over two years, not to mention you lived together in the medical hut back then, so why... is there still no news?"

He glanced meaningfully at Deng Jieping's flat stomach, "My son can already write!"

Deng Jie's face instantly turned bright red, both embarrassed and annoyed. She clutched her lower abdomen and scolded, "Chen Liu! What nonsense are you spouting again! Don't cause trouble!"

These words struck a nerve with Guo Jia, and coupled with Chen Xuan's ill-intentioned gaze, a sense of unease welled up inside him.

"Don't be so smug!" He gulped down a full glass of wine, then pressed himself against Deng Jie when she was completely off guard, exhaling a breath of alcohol as he said, "We'll have a baby today, right now! We'll have ten or eight of them, making you green with envy!"

As he spoke, he rubbed against Deng Jie. Deng Jie, seeing Chen Xuan staring at him with a look of amusement, pushed him away, saying, "Senior brother is watching! What kind of behavior is this? Get up!"

Guo Jia buried his face and shook his head, increasing the force. Seeing the situation, he was about to push Deng Jie to the ground, using his hands to protect her head, and pushed her down in front of Chen Xuan.

He looked up to kiss Deng Jie, who panicked and started hitting him wildly, yelling, "Guo Fengxiao! Don't be so drunk!"

Seeing Deng Jie's expression change from shame to anger and his struggle, Chen Xuan quickly got up to pull Guo Jia away.

Guo Jia was initially reluctant to let go, but the moment he met Deng Jie's tearful eyes, he suddenly relaxed, pretending to be limp as Chen Xuan dragged him away. Even as he was laid on the table, he muttered to himself, "Give birth to ten..."

Once Deng Jie was free, he immediately sat up, sighed as he looked at Guo Jia's tightly closed eyes, and said to Chen Xuan with a guilty expression, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, senior brother. It's just that my house is small and there wasn't enough room for you..."

Chen Xuan nodded in understanding, cupped his hands and said, "Alright, alright, I'll head back now. I've troubled you two any longer."

The word "go back" made Guo Jia's eyes light up. He jumped to his feet. "Yes, yes, yes, hurry up! We need to go back and have a baby!"

As he spoke, he pushed Deng Jie inside.

Deng Jie was furious and tried to kick him out: "What, is this never going to end! I think you should leave too!"

She shoved Guo Jia toward the door, saying, "Go! Go! Anyway, following your senior brother won't leave you stranded on the streets!"

With a "bang," he and Chen Xuan were locked out of the door.

"You're such a handful..." Chen Xuan turned around helplessly, "This is the first time I've ever seen my junior sister get angry, you really are..."

But Guo Jia looked clear-headed. He even straightened his clothes, smiled slightly at Chen Xuan, and raised his hand to lead him, saying, "Brother Lingde, let's go!"

Where is there even a trace of drunkenness?

Chen Xuan's eyes widened: "You...you're not drunk?"

Then, as if realizing something, she said, "So, you wanted to see my brother... You even schemed against my junior sister and me?"

Guo Jia grinned, "A spur-of-the-moment idea, a spur-of-the-moment idea!"

She put her arm around his shoulder and pushed him forward, asking, "Where's the inn? Is it in that direction?"

After meeting Chen Deng, Guo Jia walked home feeling refreshed.

He originally had no intention of getting involved, but since such an opportunity has presented itself, it would be beneficial to find out the visitor's intentions beforehand and make a decision tomorrow.

When he returned to the alley, it was already completely dark. The gate of the Guo residence was wide open, and candles were lit inside, waiting for him.

"Are you happy?" Guo Jia stepped into the front yard.

"Have you finished your business?" Deng Jie stood up to greet him.

Guo Jia choked, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hide it from you."

“This is your business, I won’t blame you…” Deng Jie lowered his eyes and walked past him to close the door, “but you shouldn’t have been so rude in front of your senior brother just now.”

Guo Jia rested his head on the back of her head and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "What you say is true. It was indeed Jia who was impolite."

"But the moment I saw him, I remembered how he deliberately distanced himself from us at the clinic under the guise of being my 'senior brother,' and even other people were saying that he and you were 'intimate' at the market today..."

Deng Jie couldn't help but chuckle, raising his hand to touch his face. "You're talking nonsense again. Senior brother has been married for so many years, and he and Zhao are deeply in love. What does it have to do with me?"

As she spoke, she turned around and wrapped her arms around Guo Jia's neck. "Besides, wasn't the reason I brought him home to see you?"

Guo Jia nodded, "Yes, yes, Jia understands."

But even though I understand, just like you said, even knowing you're mine still makes me feel a little uneasy.

He raised his eyes and gave Deng Jie a playful look, then glanced at her lips twice. "He did say one thing right... How about we try again?"

Seeing the strange look in his eyes, Deng Jie immediately covered his lips as he leaned in, "When, when has there ever been a quiet day!"

Guo Jia kissed her hand, gently grasped it, and brushed it away. "I don't care, I'll just give it a try..."

A few days later, Chen Deng was appointed as the Prefect of Guangling and was about to leave Xuzhou to return to his post.

Guo Jia and Deng Jie went together to see them off.

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Deng went to inspect the convoy first.

Guo Jia seized the opportunity and pulled Chen Xuan aside to whisper, "Brother Lingde, Brother Yuanlong is going to Guangling with a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. Will you... accompany him?"

Chen Xuan shook his head: "Not for the time being. My two elder brothers are still in Xiapi, and I now have my own clinic in Xiapi, so I don't want to leave anytime soon."

Upon hearing this, Guo Jia smiled with satisfaction: "Oh? Staying in Xiapi then..."

Chen Xuan had a sudden realization and immediately understood the calculation in his eyes. "Brother Fengxiao, you're not hiding it at all now, are you?"

"That cunning smile... do you want me to be your spy in Xiapi?"

Guo Jia's smile became even more candid. "That's right, that's the intention!"

Your practice of healing the sick and saving lives in Xiapi City is excellent; you are well-informed yet inconspicuous!

Now, how much wealth will I bestow upon you? Or perhaps fertile land and a fine house?

"Stop! Stop!"

Chen Xuan raised his hand to interrupt him, "You should save your meager gifts for your junior sister!"

No wonder he lives such a simple life…

While complaining about Guo Jia's small, dilapidated house, he took out an exquisite ebony plaque from his sleeve and handed it to Guo Jia.

Guo Jia turned it over to examine it and found the two characters "Junda" engraved on it. This was the name of his disciple at the medical clinic, and it seemed that his medical clinic also used this name.

"If needed, send someone with this to the clinic in the west of the city to find me."

He paused, then added, "But let me make this clear first, I don't do anything that involves blood."

Guo Jia bowed and thanked him, saying, "Of course, your kindness is truly admirable!"

"Don't give me that!" He patted Guo Jia on the shoulder. "I'm leaving now. Take care and look after your junior sister."

Chen Xuan boarded the carriage and bid farewell to Guo Jia and his wife once again.

The wheels rolled on, kicking up dust, carrying the Chen brothers away.

Watching the convoy disappear into the distance, Deng Jie leaned closer to Guo Jia and looked up curiously: "What were you talking about with your senior brother for so long? Did he give you something?"

Guo Jia had already put away the wooden plaque, and looked at his wife with his usual playful expression, "I... asked him for the secret to having a child!"

"You're always so unruly!" Deng Jie lightly punched him as he tried to run away, but was caught by him.

"This time it's for real, should we try again?"

I won't listen to your lies!

Deng Jie pushed him away and ran away, with Guo Jia chasing after him.

The two joked and played like children, dispelling the sorrow of parting from their old friend.