Meng Zhili pursed his lips, pondering how to answer, when Meng Wan suddenly appeared and patted Chen Liu on the head. Chen Liu winced in pain, clutching his head and running behind Chen Xiong for protection.
“Master, look at her, she hit me again.”
“Too much talk, deserves a beating.” Chen Xiong didn’t hesitate for a second. Chen Liu pouted, but didn’t dare to talk back.
"This is my own brother. I was switched at birth." Meng Wan's frankness made Meng Zhili feel somewhat guilty.
Chen Liu's eyes widened as he looked the two of them up and down. "So you were kicked out of the Tang family? When did that happen? I've been keeping that room in the East Garden tidy. I'll make your bed in a bit."
Meng Wan smiled and ruffled his hair, her tone softening slightly.
"Anyway, my name is Meng Wan now, remember that."
"I've got it, I've got it." Chen Liu didn't dare to ask any more questions.
"That room..."
"It's not needed yet."
"Oh." Listen closely, and you can hear a hint of disappointment.
Meng Wan's lips never left her mouth. Meng Zhili could tell that she was in a good mood. She had never shown such a smile when she was at the Meng family. Most of the time, her smiles were fake and distant, unlike now, when she exuded warmth.
"I've got the medicine, and it's getting late, so we'll be going now. No snacks allowed, but I'll bring you something else to try next time."
"I know, I know, you little brat, you're so nagging, I wonder who you took after," Chen Xiong complained, but his tone was quite cheerful, clearly enjoying Meng Wan's nagging.
"If I find out you've secretly bought that snack for the old man again, you can expect me to send you on a day trip to a haunted house."
"I was wrong, sister, my only sister, I won't do it again, I really won't do it again." Chen Liu clasped his hands together, almost kneeling down.
"May I ask you a question?" Meng Zhili suddenly spoke up, drawing the attention of all three to him.
"There's a medicinal scent in the room and the hall. I've listed the ingredients, but I feel like I've missed one scent. If it's convenient, could you please help me with this?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiong became somewhat interested. He looked at Meng Wan, who smiled slightly, indicating that she had not instructed Meng Zhili to do anything.
What materials did you list?
“Agarwood, benzoin…” Meng Zhili listed them one by one, and could give an approximate weight of about 80-90%.
Chen Xiong nodded. "Girl, you can tell me the last ingredient."
"It's Angelica dahurica."
"Angelica dahurica?" Meng Zhili was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, but the dosage is very low. It's already quite good if you can smell it."
Meng Wan was slightly taken aback by Meng Zhili's sudden acquisition of skill points.
"You're quite accurate in describing rare medicinal herbs, but you've overlooked the common ones," Chen Xiong added. "Did you study them years ago?"
"I grew up soaking in Chinese medicine when I was a child. I learned a lot from drinking it, and I know the basics too," Meng Zhili replied respectfully.
Chen Xiong nodded, seemingly deep in thought, his gaze lingering on Meng Zhili's face.
"Did you write this yourself?" Chen Xiong took out the slip of paper. Meng Zhili immediately recognized it as the one Meng Wan had asked him to write the prescription on. He was somewhat surprised, and after replying, he looked at Meng Wan.
Meng Wan didn't say anything, and looked somewhat innocent.
"What kind of treatment?"
Meng Zhili's heart pounded when he was asked this question. He suppressed his excitement and tried his best to appear calm as he explained his thoughts.
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment. Meng Zhili dared not breathe, his lips were tightly pursed, and his handsome, slender hands were clasped together, revealing his nervousness.
"Any interest in learning something from this old man?"
Meng Zhili's pupils dilated, and he subconsciously looked at Meng Wan. Meng Wan raised an eyebrow, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
"You mean..."
"I'm an old man with no wife or children. I've seen talented kids before, but none of them are interested in this line of work." Chen Xiong glanced at Meng Wan, his words carrying a hidden meaning, but he quickly turned his gaze back to Meng Zhili.
"You're a talented kid, and you seem like a steady one. It just so happens that you need to come to me for treatment for about half a year. I'll teach you. Would you like to learn?"
Meng Zhili couldn't hide his surprise; his mouth was slightly open, and he couldn't speak for a long time. Meng Wan couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she pressed his back and bowed to Chen Xiong.
"It is my honor to be able to learn from you. I have admired you ever since I entered this field. I have read your papers and works more than ten times, and I have benefited a lot from each reading. I also plan to study traditional Chinese medicine in college. I have always looked forward to meeting you one day. I...I...I will definitely study hard and live up to your teachings."
Meng Zhili's heart was pounding, his ears were bright red, and his voice was trembling slightly.
Chen Xiong squinted his eyes, chuckled twice, and seemed to be in a very pleasant mood.
"Things happened a bit suddenly, but we still need to observe proper etiquette. Let's skip the complicated ones, but we still need to serve tea. Xiao Liu, bring the tea over."
"Yes!" Chen Liu immediately did as instructed.
He wasn't particularly talented. Although he learned from Chen Xiong, he only had a mediocre skill level. His strength lay in his efficiency and reliability in crucial moments. Although he called Chen Xiong "Master" every day, he knew his own limitations and was afraid of tarnishing Chen Xiong's reputation if he went out, so he never formally became Chen Xiong's apprentice.
Meng Wan is talented, and Chen Xiong wanted to take her on as a student, but she wasn't interested in that. So, this was the first time Chen Xiong had ever drunk the apprenticeship tea.
He squinted slightly and nodded. If it were anyone else, Chen Xiong would definitely have hesitated, but since it was Meng Wan who brought them, he was already seven or eight parts at ease.
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