Chapter 41: I owe you a thousand tears (3) I found you.
The old doctor in the hall saw this and his expression suddenly changed. He quickly stood up and waved his hand, "Quick, quickly carry the person to the couch in the inner room."
Everyone worked together to place Lu Guanque on the couch. The old doctor came forward, first felt the temperature on his forehead, then held his breath and carefully took his pulse.
The pulse is chaotic, rapid and weak, like fog, rain, and wind.
The wind blew in from the window, and the old doctor's face grew graver. Uncle De stood by, anxiously waiting, his palms sweating.
After a long moment, the old doctor slowly withdrew his hand, sighed, and said in a deep voice, "This young man's illness is truly serious."
"He's caught a cold from the outside, and the evil has invaded his body, causing a persistent high fever. This is already extremely serious. Even more frightening is that his excessive worry, grief, and anger have damaged his heart meridians."
The old doctor paused, shook his head, and continued, "I'm going to be frank. Even if this young man can survive, he'll be seriously injured and suffer from future problems."
"Our master has only this one child. If he is gone, how can I explain to our master?" Uncle De looked at Lu Guanque, almost heartbroken.
"Ah... maybe if I take good care of myself in the future and stop getting upset and sad and angry, I'll feel better."
"Really?" Uncle De said sadly.
"Of course it's true." The old doctor's face was serious. "But... if he continues like this, he will probably vomit blood continuously. By then, there will be no way to save him."
Uncle De was terrified when he heard this and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I've written it all down. I hope you can save my son. It's really not easy for him to come here from a thousand miles away."
"A doctor's heart is like a parent's. I will do my best."
The old doctor walked to the table, picked up his pen and was about to write a prescription, but suddenly stopped, his face showing difficulty: "However, to treat this disease, we still need a few herbs, such as Laoshan Ginseng Root and Angong Niuhuang Pills..."
"It just so happens that these herbs in my shop ran out a few days ago, and the new stock hasn't arrived yet..."
Uncle De said anxiously: "What should we do? My son's illness can't wait."
The old doctor hesitated for a moment before saying, "Don't worry."
"Three blocks away, there's a 'Guangdetang', a well-known, time-honored establishment in Yanjing. They have the most comprehensive selection of medicinal herbs, and the doctor, Dr. Chen, who runs it, is a very kind person. I'll send one of my apprentices over to Guangdetang right now to borrow a few herbs for this emergency. We'll make sure the patient's condition isn't delayed."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, doctor." Uncle De didn't know which clinic it was, he just wanted to save Lu Guanque's life.
The old doctor nodded and immediately called a clever little pharmacist over, carefully explaining the names and quantities of the required herbs.
He instructed, "Hurry up and go to Guangde Hall and find Doctor Chen or Manager Liu. Tell them that we have a patient who needs urgent care."
"I understand, Master!" The little pharmacist agreed, took the prescription, and ran faster than a rabbit.
Guangde Hall was filled with the aroma of medicine. Meng Xuanli was lowering his head, carefully weighing a portion of Poria cocos on a scale.
At this time, a young medicine apprentice rushed in, his eyes rolling around as if he was looking for someone.
"Are Doctor Chen and Granny Liu here?" The little pharmacist's voice was very clear.
Meng Xuanli raised his head and saw a stranger. He said softly, "Grandma Liu has gone to the back storehouse to check the herbs. Doctor Chen is seeing patients in the back hall."
"What's the matter, little brother? Do you want to get some medicine? Or do you want to see a doctor?" She was now gradually becoming familiar with the affairs of the library.
The young pharmacist didn't see Granny Liu and Doctor Chen, and he saw Meng Xuanli wearing pharmacist's clothes, and handed over the prescription in his arms.
He whispered, "Sister, I'm from the clinic up ahead. My master asked me to borrow some medicine urgently. We just have an emergency patient who needs help."
Meng Xuanli took the prescription, looked at it, and asked, "Emergency? What's so urgent?"
She noticed that the prescription contained some old mountain ginseng roots, which are medicinal herbs used to treat critical illnesses.
The little medicine apprentice was young and could not keep his words to himself, so he lowered his voice and said, "This is terrible."
"He was a young man from Dongdu, but he fainted before he even entered our clinic. His face was frighteningly pale. My master said it was due to excessive worry, which damaged his heart meridians. It was truly dangerous."
Dongdu? Young Master? Heart damage?
Meng Xuanli's fingers suddenly tightened, and an ominous premonition came over him, like a dark cloud looming over the city.
She forced herself to remain calm and curiously asked, "From Dongdu? What does that person look like? How old is he? Is there anyone else with him?"
The young medicine apprentice tilted his head and thought for a moment. "As for his appearance... even though he was so sick, he was still very handsome. It's just that his face was too scary. He's probably in his early twenties, I can't say for sure."
"As for the people who followed, there were quite a few, and one of them was an old man whose eyes were almost swollen from crying."
Handsome? In his early twenties? With an elderly man?
Meng Xuanli's pupils suddenly shrank, his hands softened, and the freshly weighed Poria cocos fell to the ground with a "pop".
"Ah!" The little medicine apprentice was startled and asked, "Sister, what's wrong with you? Are you okay?"
Meng Xuanli's heart pounded, and she hurriedly bent over to pick up the scattered Poria cocos. Immediately, she lowered her voice and feigned composure, "It's nothing, my hand just slipped."
Meng Xuanli stood up slowly, not daring to look at the little pharmacist's eyes.
She lowered her head and quickly walked to the medicine cabinet. While taking out the medicine according to the prescription, she explained, "I just remembered that there was an epidemic in Dongdu a few days ago."
"I heard it was very dangerous and many people died. I didn't expect that someone would rush to Yanjing... It's really..."
She paused and said dryly, "It's really not easy."
The young medicine apprentice also nodded, and said suddenly: "No wonder that person was so seriously ill, so this is the reason."
Meng Xuanli didn't ask any more questions. He swiftly wrapped the herbs and handed them to the apprentice: "Take them quickly. Don't delay the treatment."
"Okay, thank you, sister." The little pharmacist took the medicine bag, smiled gratefully, turned around quickly, and disappeared from her sight.
Meng Xuanli stood stiffly where he was, his back against the cold medicine cabinet, feeling a deep memory coming from his heart.
He is here.
He actually came.
And he's so seriously ill.
Is it because of her?
This thought flashed by like a meteor and was immediately suppressed by Meng Xuanli.
No, I can't be soft-hearted anymore.
He is Lu Guanque, he is used to lying to her, he is used to pretending to be gentle and pitiful.
This is his self-torture tactic.
Can……
But what if it’s true?
What if he died because of her, wouldn't she be charged with an additional crime?
Meng Xuanli covered her head and forced herself not to think about it. What did it have to do with her whether he came or died?
He was so decisive when he killed others, and now he is about to die of illness. This is his retribution.
What about her? Should she run away again?
But where could she escape to? Under heaven, it was the king's domain. She had finally found peace and stability; if she fled again, her future would be even more difficult.
Besides, she is alone, how long can these banknotes last?
Meng Xuanli exhaled, suddenly not wanting to leave. She wanted to lie to him again. She could hide for a few days. Maybe after a few days, he would leave.
Having made up his mind, Meng Xuanli sorted out his thoughts and walked towards the main room where Chen Yuemian was seeing patients.
Chen Yuemian had just sent a patient away and was washing her hands. Seeing Meng Xuanli come in, her expression slightly different from usual, she said softly, "Madam Li, what's going on?"
Meng Xuanli lowered his eyelashes and said apologetically, "Mr. Chen, there's something urgent going on back home in the countryside that I need to... need to go back and deal with. I'd like to ask for seven days' leave. Is that okay?"
"Seven days?" Chen Yuemian was a little surprised and looked up at her.
She remembered that this Madam Li came to Yanjing alone to live with her relatives. Her relatives had passed away. She had only been in Guangde Hall for a short time. Why did she want to go back home?
Although Chen Yumian had some doubts in his heart, he saw that she seemed to be hiding something, so he did not ask any more questions. He pondered and said, "There's been a lot of work going on in the museum recently... Well, since you have something to do, it's better not to delay."
"After seven days, be sure to come back on time."
"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Chen." Meng Xuanli bowed quickly, feeling a little relieved. "I'll be back as soon as I finish my business."
After requesting leave, Meng Xuanli didn't dare stay any longer and immediately left Guangde Hall. However, she didn't go home directly. Instead, she went to the grocery store and bought some headscarves and strong potions.
In the evening, Meng Xuanli returned to the courtyard she rented and closed the doors and windows.
She faced the blurry bronze mirror, gritted her teeth, dipped a clean cotton cloth in the potion, and carefully and evenly applied it on her lips and cheeks.
But after a moment, a burning pain suddenly hit her. She looked in the mirror and found that her lips had become red and swollen, and her cheeks were also covered with small rashes.
Meng Xuanli put on a headscarf, and a hint of determination flashed in her eyes. With such an appearance, even if she stood directly in front of Lu Guanque, he would not recognize her.
I hope his illness can hold him back, I hope his people will not come here, I hope he will leave after seven days.
#
After being drowsy for a few days, Lu Guanque slowly opened his eyes and saw Uncle De's worried face.
His body still felt weak from the high fever. He moved his cracked lips, but no sound came out.
Uncle De saw him wake up, rushed to the bedside, and choked with sobs, "Master...you are finally awake. The old doctor said that you have injured your foundation this time, and you must not be sad or angry anymore."
"Otherwise, otherwise your life will be..." Uncle De didn't dare to continue speaking and just kept wiping away his tears.
Lu Guanque's eyes were empty as he stared at the ceiling, as if he had heard nothing.
He remembered that in the past, Meng Xuanli would often lie in bed and stare at the curtains like this, as if looking at a kite, full of hope and despair.
At that time, had she already thought about leaving...
Just as he was stunned, he heard brisk footsteps outside the door. The young pharmacist who went to Guangde Hall to borrow medicine walked in with a bowl of freshly decocted medicine.
He smiled and said, "Sir, it's time to take your medicine."
Uncle De quickly took the medicine bowl, blew on it carefully, and handed it to Lu Guanque.
Lu Guanque glanced at her indifferently and wanted to refuse, but the instinct for survival in his heart, or rather, the obsession to find her, made him stand up and take the bowl of medicine.
When the bitter medicine entered his mouth, Lu Guanque frowned and forced himself to hold it back, not spitting it out.
The young pharmacist watched from the side and smacked his lips, saying, "Good medicine tastes bitter. Young Master, if you drink it, you might be cured in a few days. Besides, the main ingredients in this prescription were borrowed from Guangde Hall and are the most effective."
Guangde Hall?
There was a flicker in Lu Guanque's eyes. He remembered that he seemed to have heard these words before he fell into coma.
Seeing that his face wasn't as pale as before, the young pharmacist thought he was feeling better, so he started chatting, laughing, "Last time you were seriously ill, and the clinic was in urgent need of some medicine. I ran to Guangde Hall to borrow some. Their manager, Granny Liu, wasn't around at the time, so a sister got the medicine for me."
Sister? Help me get the medicine?
Lu Guanque closed his eyes and felt a sharp pain in his heart, which was the lingering pain of his illness.
He remembered that Meng Xuanli had read medical books for a while because of his illness and seemed to be very knowledgeable about medical principles...
Could that woman be her?
Lu Guanque suddenly turned around, looked at the little medicine disciple, and asked hoarsely, "What does that woman look like?"
The little medicine disciple didn't expect him to be interested. After thinking for a moment, he whispered, "She's...she's pretty. Anyway, I've never seen a woman as pretty as her."
"Eh?" The little medicine apprentice blinked as he suddenly thought of something. "Master, why are you asking the same question as that sister? She also asked me what I looked like..."
She asked the same question.
Then she must be guessing who she is...
She is the only one in Yanjing who can make such a guess.
He handed the medicine bowl to Uncle De, lifted the quilt, and said, "Thank you very much. You can leave first."
The little pharmacist touched his head and left with the medicine bowl.
Lu Guanque has never been a reckless person and has great patience for everything. Even the initial matter of the substitute marriage was something he was confident about and had under control.
But now, his palms were sweating, and he felt that his patience had been torn to pieces by her torture. Once he heard the news about her, he was like a frightened bird, suddenly awakened, and began a frantic pursuit.
Thinking of this, Lu Guanque couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly, he looked at Uncle De and said without question, "Uncle De, go and ask around near Guangde Hall immediately... Remember, don't alert anyone. If you have any news about her, come back and tell me immediately."
Uncle De didn't dare to be negligent and bowed quickly: "Yes, I will go right away."
Uncle De left in a hurry. Lu Guanque felt relieved. He sighed deeply and lay down again, his eyes surprisingly bright.
He was finally... going to find her.
This time when he goes back, he will try a different approach and never let her escape.
no way.
#
He stayed indoors for six consecutive days and there was no sign of any searches in the streets.
Inside the house, Meng Xuanli looked at himself in the mirror. His lips were red and swollen, and his cheeks were slightly dry. Although it looked scary, he was actually almost healed.
The salt and grain were all gone, so she had to go out and buy some.
Meng Xuanli took a deep breath, put on a long veiled hat, and was about to push the door open to go out, but someone knocked on the gate of the courtyard.
Her heart skipped a beat. She cautiously walked to the door and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"
A familiar voice came from outside the door: "Madam Li, it's me, Granny Liu."
Granny Liu from Guangde Hall?
How did she find this place?
Meng Xuanli was shocked and confused, but the voice was correct. After hesitating for a moment, he opened the gate.
Granny Liu was carrying a small basket and smiling, but when she saw Meng Xuanli's face, her smile suddenly froze.
She was shocked. "Oh my God... Madam Li, what's wrong with your face? What happened?"
Meng Xuanli smiled slightly and said vaguely, "Thank you for your concern, Grandma."
"I went to my hometown in the countryside a few days ago. Maybe I was contaminated by some dirty pollen, so I became like this when I came back. I really can't face people." She deliberately lowered her voice.
Granny Liu heard this and took a closer look. Seeing that the "allergy" was both urgent and severe, she sighed and said, "Poor thing! It must be so uncomfortable."
"I'll talk to Mister Chen later and ask her to prescribe some heat-clearing and detoxifying prescriptions for you to apply. I hope it doesn't leave any scars."
"Thank you, Grandma." Meng Xuanli murmured her thanks, wanting to send her away quickly. "Grandma, you came today, is it...?"
Only then did Granny Liu think of the important matter and a smile appeared on her face again.
She looked at Meng Xuanli carefully. Although she could not see her full appearance clearly through the veil, she remembered that this Lady Li had a very distinctive appearance and a calm and gentle temperament.
She leaned closer and said eagerly, "Madam Li, I came here today because I have something good in mind for you."
Meng Xuanli frowned, not knowing what she was trying to say.
Granny Liu continued, "You're all alone in Yanjing, without any relatives or friends. Even though you have a job at the clinic, it's not a long-term solution."
"When I saw you, I felt like I was compatible. I wanted to find you a good marriage so you would have someone to rely on in the future. Don't you agree?"
Propose marriage?
Meng Xuanli was surprised. He had just settled down. If he talked about marriage, he was afraid it would cause a lot of trouble...
Meng Xuanli bit her lip and looked up. She saw that Granny Liu was sincere and caring. Suddenly, she remembered that when she was in Guangde Hall, Granny Liu took good care of her. The refusal that was on the tip of her tongue was swallowed back.
After a moment, she forced a smile and said softly, "Mother-in-law, it's kind of you. Li Xuan appreciates it."
"It's just that my mother passed away young, and my father passed away last year. According to etiquette, I still need to observe a three-year mourning period. During this period, it is really not appropriate to talk about marriage..."
To her, whether her father was alive or not did not make much difference; it was just an excuse at the moment.
But instead of being disappointed, Granny Liu smiled even more happily. She waved her hands and said, "I thought it was a big deal, but it turned out to be this."
"It's only natural to observe mourning. I, your mother-in-law, am not someone who doesn't understand etiquette. Let's arrange the marriage first, and then officially get married after the three-year mourning period is over."
Before Meng Xuanli could make an excuse, Granny Liu suddenly turned around, waved towards the alley entrance, and shouted in a loud voice, "Brother Lian, come here quickly. Why are you standing so far away?"
Meng Xuanli was startled and looked in the direction she was looking. He saw a young scholar in white clothes, with a gentle appearance and a shy face.
Granny Liu pulled him over and pushed him in front of Meng Xuanli, her face full of smiles: "Mrs. Li, look, this is my son, Liu Lian."
"He who passed the imperial examination a few years ago and is now studying hard, preparing to take the exam next year, is the most humble."
She turned to her son and said, "Brother Lian, this is the Lady Li I often mentioned to you."
Liu Lian hurriedly made up his mind, not daring to look at Meng Xuanli, and said gently, "I'm Liu Lian, nice to meet Madam Li."
Meng Xuanli was completely frozen. Even through the veil, she could feel the embarrassment and difficulty.
No wonder Granny Liu was so nice to me, it turned out that this was her plan, and... she even brought her son here directly?
Granny Liu looked at the two people in front of her, and she became more and more satisfied. She smiled and said, "You two can talk first. I'll go to the West Market to buy some fresh fish and cut some meat. I'll make you a delicious meal tonight."
After saying that, without waiting for the two to react, she turned around and left with the basket.
Meng Xuanli looked at the courteous Liu Lian in front of him and said helplessly, "Then...then you come in first."
Liu Lian closed the door nervously and followed her into the yard.
Meng Xuanli maintained her composure and pushed the tea in front of him: "Mr. Liu, please have some tea." Her voice sounded a little muffled through the veil.
Liu Lian took the teacup and said gently, "Thank you, Madam Li."
After a moment, he tried to break the silence and asked, "What does Madam Li like to do on a daily basis?"
Meng Xuanli was absent-minded and responded casually, "Nothing, just reading a book and tending to the flowers."
Liu Lian seemed to have found a common topic. He mustered up the courage and looked at her: "I'm almost there... Actually, I've seen you a few times when I went to Guangde Hall to get medicine for my mother." After he finished speaking, his ears turned red.
There was a flash of surprise in Meng Xuanli's eyes, and then she said lightly: "Really? I don't have any impression." She now just hoped that Granny Liu would come back quickly and end this ridiculous meeting.
The atmosphere turned cold again.
Meng Xuanli felt uneasy and tried to find a way to avoid the awkwardness. She stood up and said softly, "This tea is a bit crude. I'll go get some better."
Having said that, she turned and walked towards the door.
However, she was distracted and felt unwell yesterday, so she didn't notice the threshold.
The moment his toes tripped, Meng Xuanli screamed, lost his balance, and was about to fall forward.
"Be careful!" Liu Lian exclaimed and stood up, just in time to hold Meng Xuanli's arm.
As the two of them were in a hurry, Meng Xuanli's veil was knocked off and her veil slipped off, revealing her red and swollen face.
Liu Lian was shocked when he saw her like this.
Meng Xuanli bit her lip, her ankle aching so much that she couldn't even stand. She held onto Liu Lian's arm and whispered, "I've sprained my ankle. Please, Master Liu, give me a hand..."
"Yes, you have to sit down first." Liu Lian didn't care about being surprised, and hurriedly supported her and carefully led her to the chair.
During the whole process, the two of them were very close to each other, which inevitably seemed a bit intimate to outsiders.
Just as Meng Xuanli sat down on the chair, the courtyard door was pushed open from the outside.
Both of them thought it was Granny Liu coming back, and they breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, subconsciously looking towards the door.
However, what caught my eye was not Granny Liu's smiling face.
A dark shadow was blocking the doorway. Against the sunlight, one could not see the face clearly. One could only see the figure swaying slightly, emitting a cold and terrifying aura.
The courtyard was dead silent.
Suddenly, a familiar voice broke all the silence.
"Ali, I found you."
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The author has something to say: I will post it first and fix bugs later. I plan to start tomorrow and update at 7 am.
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