Chapter 80 When to go to the capital
Upon hearing this, Qi Huaijing chuckled and couldn't help shaking his head.
Speaking of his hometown, Lidong remembered something else.
"Third Master, when are we going to the capital?"
When Bai Lu heard this, she also sat on the steps.
"Yes, I haven't been back to the Yue family for a long time."
The three of them grew up together, and although they were master and servant in name, they were indeed close friends.
They knew that Qi Huaijing always had his plans in mind and must have made up his mind. They were both waiting for him to say something definite, but he kept turning the plain white teacup in his hand back and forth and didn't say anything for a long time.
Although Qi Huaijing owned the Qi family shop in Guangling City, he hardly ever worried about it. Firstly, the shop was too small to be worth it, and secondly, his half-brother was always keeping an eye on this little family business... The shop in the capital was his real property.
Last year, he had hardly been to the capital for a whole year, and all the transactions in those shops were handled by the shopkeepers. If there was an important matter, the shopkeepers would send their trusted confidants to travel between the two places and ask him to make a decision.
He has stayed in Guangling City for too long.
At the beginning of the new year, there are a lot of things to do in the shop, checking the account books, inspecting the source of goods, dealing with business partners... Sooner or later he has to go there in person to deal with the various things that have been piling up for a long time.
The moonlight was cold, and Qi Huaijing slowly drank a sip of hot tea.
"I'm going to the capital in early February."
Qi Huaijing looked at Chen Tang who was feeding grass to Ah Hui under the moonlight and added another sentence.
"But I won't go to Yue's house. I'll have someone clean up my house in advance."
Lidong didn't say anything and Bailu nodded.
After feeding Ah Hui, Feng Xi took Chen Tang to look at his own medical record box.
The latest medical record was written by Chen Tang. It was written on the finest Xuelang paper and had exquisite hairpin-shaped handwriting, which was in stark contrast to the old and sloppy medical records.
"Thanks to your help, my old man saw this medical record and not only did he not beat me, he also praised me a lot."
Chen Tang smiled, "It's just a piece of cake."
As she spoke, she picked up the medical records from previous years and took a look at them.
The handwriting of the elders in the Feng family is better than Feng Xi's. Chen Tang flipped through the pages one by one and was very surprised.
"Your medical records are so detailed, well-documented, and extensive, and they have been accumulated over so many years. They should be classified and compiled into a book. If they can be published in the future, it will also be a meritorious service to pass on to future generations and save lives."
Feng Xi gave a puzzled smile.
"That's all... these? It's just a bunch of broken books. I only flip through them when I have free time. They're not really good stuff."
Shen Tang looked at the pile of medical records and was silent for a moment.
They were not created by famous doctors, nor did they use precious medicinal materials, and they did not treat high-ranking officials. Instead, they were the real record of three generations of a family practicing medicine in the streets for decades.
Medicine attaches great importance to record-keeping. Maybe a piece of torn paper may contain a life-saving prescription that ordinary people have been longing for.
She lowered her brows, stroked the yellowed pages of the book, and sighed.
"It's a pity that ordinary people who want to get rid of diseases and disasters go to temples to burn incense and pray for the Buddha's blessing. But these words that can really help people get rid of diseases and disasters are buried in this old box, year after year, day after day, rotting into ashes."
Feng Xi didn't understand this kind of sighing about the people and the world, and patted her shoulder comfortingly.
"It's not a pity. My family only knows how to heal illnesses. Even if we put the five of us together plus Lidong, we still don't have enough material to publish a book."
Chen Tang closed the old book, turned around and asked with a smile: "Then are you in need of a friend who has free time, is enthusiastic, and has edited a book before?"
Feng Xi folded his arms and looked at her with a smile.
"No, I have such a friend, but I don't want to trouble him to do this. First, there are too many books in this book. I have read and flipped through them for so many years, but I haven't read them all. Second, ..."
She smiled openly.
"Secondly, I don't believe anyone would spend money to buy this kind of book. It's obviously a losing business. Maybe they would lose a hundred taels of silver in vain. Why bother?"
Chen Tang looked back at Qi Huaijing sitting in the moonlight, then turned back and blinked.
"What a coincidence! Your friend is not short of money either."
On the way home, Chen Tang was very excited and told Qi Huaijing about the big job he had just taken on.
After hearing this, Qi Huaijing ignored her all the way.
Shen Tang reached out and grabbed his belt, telling him not to walk so fast.
"Husband, why are you angry? Anyway, I have nothing to do during the long days, so I just use this as a way to kill time and practice calligraphy, just like I did when I sorted out those medical records a while ago. It's not that tiring, and it won't..."
She asked several times in a row, and when they were almost home, Qi Huaijing finally told the truth.
"If you feel bored on your free days, you can have many pastimes. Burn incense and arrange flowers, watch plays and listen to music, play backgammon and chess... but you don't like any of them! What you like most is reading, writing, and rummaging through piles of waste paper. You like it so much... that you don't even want to eat."
Shen Tang frowned and stared at his eyebrows.
"So, you're angry because of this? Because my preferences are different from others?"
“…”
The bright light of the full moon reflected on her peaceful face, and Qi Huaijing didn't know how to express his feelings for a moment.
Because of her unusual preference, she reminded him again and again that Chen Tang should indeed marry a scholar.
But, it's not her fault.
Love or not is always beyond people's control.
Just like he loved her.
"...No, that's not it. It's because when you get busy, you don't eat much, go to bed late, and you lose a lot of weight. Now you have to be busy so much and for so long! And you never take good care of yourself..."
Chen Tang nodded in understanding, his eyes narrowed into a crescent-shaped smile.
"This is indeed not something that can be done in a short time. Maybe it will take several years to finish, and maybe there will be no results after all the hard work... But I can assure you that if you just treat it as a pastime, it won't affect your meals and you will go to bed on time. Don't be angry, okay?"
Qi Huaijing snorted lightly, took her hand, and continued walking forward.
"Who would believe empty words? Give me a written agreement and put your fingerprints on it. I also want to find a middleman to act as a guarantor..."
Shen Tang smiled and agreed.
When they reached the gate of the Qi family, the two were still arguing about this matter when they met a large group of people coming out of the side door.
It turned out that Mrs. Yue's troupe had just finished a show. The actors still had heavy paint on their faces and were busy carrying their headgear and boxes, and were being led out by the old housekeeper.
As soon as they came over, the old housekeeper greeted them, and everyone stopped what they were doing and greeted the Third Master and the Third Madam in unison.
Qi Huaijing hummed but didn't stop.
Chen Tang smiled and nodded towards the crowd, but in the dim moonlight, he caught a glimpse of a slender, crouching figure that looked familiar, yet unclear.
Just as she was about to take a closer look, Qi Huaijing had already pulled her over the threshold of the Qi family's gate.
"... After thinking it over, I decided to let Ah Zhen come forward to guarantee it. If you can't do it, I will kill it and drink the cat soup."
Chen Tang retracted his gaze, turned around, and raised his voice slightly.
"Then you really have to be more careful in the future..."
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