Under the early summer sun, a tall man walked in from outside.
She was in her thirties, wearing a long, thin, duck-egg blue robe with a dark blue belt embroidered with cloud patterns around her waist. Her hair was as black as ink, her eyes were bright, and her smile was so warm and friendly that it made people feel like they were basking in a spring breeze.
The face in his memory was so similar to the one before him that Li Lao Er trembled with excitement.
He wanted to speak, wanted to call out "Big Brother," but before he could open his mouth, tears streamed down his face.
The old man and the middle-aged man, who were about to speak with him, were both startled by what they saw.
"Brother, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
The man who came in from outside was bowing and exchanging pleasantries with the shopkeeper and tea drinkers when he heard the commotion and looked over.
Upon seeing Li Lao Er's reaction, he was clearly taken aback, frowning and tilting his head slightly.
The teahouse owner, who knew him well, quickly asked, "Master Wang, is your headache coming on again?"
Master Wang gave a wry smile, took a deep breath, and replied, "I'm suddenly feeling a little unwell. Don't worry, bring me a pot of fresh tea, put it in..."
He thought for a moment and then pointed to Li Lao Er's table, "Put it there. That brother is a new face. I'll join in the fun and say a few words."
The shopkeeper responded loudly, and the old man and the middle-aged man quickly got up, smiling as they welcomed Master Wang to sit down beside them.
Li Lao Er had already wiped away his tears and suppressed all his excitement and elation.
He was raised by his older brother, so there's no way his older brother wouldn't recognize him. Judging from this, his older brother must have forgotten everything.
Soon, the four of them sat down, and tea was served.
Master Wang bowed respectfully and asked Li Lao Er, "This brother looks unfamiliar. Are you from Jiangbei?"
The old man quickly replied, "We've been talking for a while now. This brother really is from Jiangbei. He was looking for a job and wanted to travel around, so he ended up here."
Li Lao Er also replied, "We originally lived in the north, but when the barbarians invaded, we moved here with them."
For some reason, Master Wang's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Brother, do you know any good doctors in the capital? Are there any with good reputations who have come here with us?"
Li Lao Er hesitated, wondering whether to reveal the identity of Doctor Zhang, when the middle-aged man asked, "Master Wang, is your headache getting worse?"
Master Wang waved his hand and sighed, “My headache is an old problem, but I can still bear it. I’m inquiring about doctors for my youngest son. He was born weak and is constantly getting sick, both big and small. This time he caught a cold and hasn’t fully recovered after half a month. I was thinking of asking around for doctors from the north. They say that doctors from other places are better at treating patients. Maybe if we try a different doctor, he’ll get better.”
Everyone nodded. Master Wang raised his hand to refill Li Lao Er's tea and said, "Brother, where is your hometown? I felt a sense of familiarity and closeness when I saw you. Perhaps we were friends in a past life."
"My hometown is Junyang County, southwest of Kyoto." Li Lao Er toasted Master Wang with a teacup instead of a wine bowl.
Everyone thought he was polite and courteous, but only he knew that he was respecting his elder brother, whom he had missed and thought about for many years.
"The gentleman just asked a question, so I trust him. I won't hide it from you, I do know a miracle doctor."
Master Wang was pleasantly surprised to hear this, and the old man and the middle-aged man also laughed and said, "What a coincidence! Master Wang asked casually, and we brothers are really able to help."
Li Lao Er nodded and replied, "I've been traveling around a lot lately since I've had nothing to do. A few days ago, I went to a place called Suijintan, about thirty miles northeast of Xindu. They've built a hot spring resort there, and it's very beautiful."
The three men, including Master Wang, nodded. "We have indeed heard of such a place. It is said to be a place where people from other places settled down, and they discovered a hot spring. There was even a dispute over it that led to a commotion in the imperial court."
"It's finished so quickly? I haven't heard of anyone going there. Let's go visit for a few days when we have some free time."
"It's said to have been open for more than half a month. The hot springs there are very good. If you have back pain or a cold, you can soak in the hot springs and sweat it out, and you won't need to take any medicine."
Li Lao Er spoke simply, without any exaggeration, which made people more willing to believe him. He continued, "Most importantly, there is an old doctor in Suijin Beach whose medical skills are quite remarkable. Originally, even in the capital, ordinary people couldn't get him to treat them. Now that he has settled in Suijin Beach, he occasionally takes pulses and prescribes medicine. Recently, many wealthy families have gone to the hot spring resort just to have this old doctor take their pulses."
"Really?" Master Wang was overjoyed. The old man and the middle-aged man were also surprised. "Then Master Wang should really give it a try. Even if we can't get the miracle doctor to help, soaking the child in the hot spring will only do good and no harm."
Master Wang nodded, stood up and bowed deeply, thanking Li Lao Er sincerely. After exchanging a few more words, he hurriedly went home.
Clearly, he went back to discuss it with his family and was preparing to try his luck at Suijintan.
Li Lao Er slowly picked up his teacup, watching Wang Yuanwai's retreating figure, and finally felt a little more at ease.
As noon approached, the old man and the middle-aged man were about to head home. Li Lao Er went out with them, declined their suggestion to have tea together in the future, and hurriedly hired a carriage to leave the city and return home!
As always, Broken Gold Beach was bustling with activity. Amidst the rising mist, guests chatted and laughed, swam, and sat by the pool drinking tea, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
After walking around and finding nothing serious, Li Lao Er quickly returned to the new village.
Grandma Li didn't go to the fields to weed today. She just cooked two bowls of dumpling soup, cracked two eggs, and had a simple lunch with her granddaughter.
Right now, straw mats and small mattresses were laid out under the eaves. Jiayin was holding her belly and trying to fall asleep, occasionally raising her little hand to shake the golden bell.
The old lady found it amusing, patted her granddaughter's soft hair, and scolded her playfully, "You little money-grubber, you like gold bracelets so much! When the family gets their New Year's bonus, Grandma will buy you a pair!"
"No, read to my older brother!" Jiayin grinned, showing her little white teeth, and climbed over into her grandmother's arms.
Grandma Li held the chubby little girl, her heart filled with sweetness. "Oh my, my lucky little girl! She's so young and already knows how to care for her brother. We'll support her brother's education first, and when you grow up, we'll have him buy you a gold bracelet."
Just then, Li Lao Er returned. Upon entering and seeing his mother, he called out to her.
"Mother, I've found my eldest brother! That person really is my eldest brother!"
Grandma Li hugged her granddaughter with delight and suddenly stood up, but because she stood up too quickly, her vision went black and she almost fell to the ground again.
Fortunately, Li Lao Er stepped forward in time and helped his mother up. Looking down at his niece's large, frightened eyes, he felt even more guilty.
"Mother, it's my fault, it's my fault. I was too happy and too hasty."
"Oh, never mind that. Tell me quickly, what happened to your older brother? Didn't he come back with us?"
Grandma Li was afraid of dropping her granddaughter again, so she held her granddaughter in her arms and kept her close.
She craned her neck to look outside the courtyard gate, but saw no one in sight, and was disappointed again.
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