Chapter 167
Duan Ning ate a hot meal in a side hall of the medical pavilion. Several guards who had come ahead to deliver messages and gifts for Fu Xiang also had a hearty meal with her. The master and servants were treated to a bath and changed into clean clothes. Duan Ning then found Meng Jing with high spirits, rolled up her sleeves, and said with great enthusiasm, "What do you need me to help with? Just tell me!"
It was already night, and both Man Jiangxue and Yin Qiu were fast asleep and in stable condition, so there weren't many people left in the medical pavilion. Since Lu Huaiwei moved in, Meng Jing had also been staying here. She took turns on duty every night and could only sleep for two hours during the day. She was exhausted at this moment, but when she saw Duan Ning volunteer, she didn't stand on ceremony and instructed her, "The herbs over there are for Senior Sister Lu. Please grind them into powder and then divide them into medicine bottles."
Duan Ning said "No problem," ran to the millstone, sat down, grabbed a handful of herbs and threw them in, then imitated the other disciples and began to work on them in a very professional manner.
With her back to her, Meng Jing was busy preparing medicine for Man Jiangxue and Yin Qiu. She said, "This time, we really owe a debt of gratitude to Miss Duan for saving Yin Qiu's life. I've already had a guest room prepared for you. You can leave after Yin Qiu wakes up tomorrow and thanks you."
Duan Ning said, "It's nothing, no need to thank me. But how's your injury?"
Meng Jing said, "I have fully recovered. Thank you for your concern, Miss Duan."
"That's good," Duan Ning said, making a mess of the herbs, but still feeling quite capable. "Your Yunhua Palace is really plagued by misfortunes. Today someone is being chased, tomorrow someone is being framed. It's gotten to the point where I don't dare to come here anymore."
Meng Jing turned and sat down at the table, weighing the medicine as he said, "I thought you were just acting on a whim, but I didn't expect you to actually want to enter the palace to become an apprentice. Will Master Duan agree?"
Duan Ning said, "It would be a miracle if he agreed. He made me run around doing errands so that I would become familiar with the family business before we could discuss anything. But this trip north is the last one. If I do a good job, he might agree to let me come here. But with this heavy rain and the delay caused by Yin Qiu, I don't know if my shipment will be delivered on time."
Meng Jing glanced at her and said, "If it's overdue, it's understandable, and I'm sure Master Duan won't blame you—you have to cut the herbs first, otherwise they can't be ground up."
"Oh, where should I cut it?" Duan Ning looked around and noticed a pair of scissors beside him. "Use this?" he asked.
Meng Jing asked, "You carry a guillotine; do you know how to use it?"
Duan Ning then grabbed the pile of herbs again and stuffed them under the guillotine, saying, "What's so difficult about using this? It's as simple as chopping vegetables!"
Seeing her clumsy movements, making a mess of the medicinal herbs all over the ground, and instead of picking them up, she was stomping on them, Meng Jing couldn't help but sigh and said, "It's clear you've never chopped vegetables before... These herbs aren't expensive, but don't waste them. Be careful and try not to spill them."
Duan Ning said "Oh," and quickly picked up the herbs from the ground. Meng Jing, seeing this, rubbed his forehead and said, "They're already dirty, so don't bother with them. In this kind of weather, even if you wash them clean, they won't dry and will easily get moldy... Don't put them in the grinding trough."
"Oh, oh, oh..." Duan Ning responded repeatedly, and without saying another word, he picked up the millstone and rushed towards the door.
The disciples inside the room were dumbfounded.
What is she going to do...?
"Senior Brother Meng told her she didn't want it anymore, so she just threw it away! Haha!"
"But there are still quite a few clean ones in that millstone! Oh dear, this pampered young lady who has never lifted a finger can't do this kind of work. Senior Brother Meng, please tell her to stop making trouble."
"Never lifting a finger? That millstone is made of pig iron, yet she lifted it with one hand. What young lady of a wealthy family could do that?"
The disciples burst into laughter.
Meng Jing slightly curled her fingertips and tapped the table, immediately silencing her disciples' laughter. Duan Ning returned carrying the grinding trough and resumed chopping the medicinal herbs with the cleaver. This time, she did it quite well, and she said smugly, "Very good, very good! Practice makes perfect! It seems that besides being a martial arts prodigy, I'm also a good candidate for medicine!"
The disciples couldn't help but chuckle, but they were mindful that she had saved Yin Qiu and didn't want to mock her openly. Meng Jing frowned as he watched her wield the guillotine with such force, and stood up, saying, "Alright, I'll do it. This blade is very sharp; you might accidentally hurt your hand."
A faint medicinal fragrance wafted over. Duan Ning looked at Meng Jing's face illuminated by the candlelight, smiled, and said, "Worried about me? You've got a conscience. I've suddenly become your and Yin Qiu's savior, so you'd better treat me well!"
"Don't worry," Meng Jing said, "I will never forget such a great kindness. Since you wish to enter Yunhua Palace, I will convey your message to your martial aunt once she wakes up."
Duan Ning had been waiting for her to say this, so she happily agreed and worked even harder. However, she was clumsy and had never done such things before. At home, besides eating, drinking, and having fun, her main activity was horseback riding. After an hour, she caused quite a bit of trouble, drawing complaints from the disciples, who dared not say anything in front of Duan Ning. Meng Jing had no choice but to find another task for Duan Ning, and only then did the disciples sigh and complain to Meng Jing.
"Senior brother, let her go back to her room to rest. Everything was going smoothly, but now that she's here, she's just creating more work for everyone."
"Yes, senior brother, we appreciate her kindness, but since she is a distinguished guest, let's not have her stay here to help out."
"Speaking of which, this person is really strange. She was clearly arrogant and rude in Yaodingcheng before, but after a while, she seems like a completely different person. It's really strange."
"Didn't you hear her say she wants to come to our palace? Before, in Yaodingcheng, she used her family's wealth and power to make things difficult for us. Now that she has something to ask of us, she naturally has to lower her stance a bit."
...
The soft whispers around her made Meng Jing feel uneasy for some reason. She looked up from her desk and saw Duan Ning cleaning up the herbs she had spilled by the door through the window screen. She lowered her voice and said, "Don't gossip about others. As a distinguished guest, you should be more tolerant." As she spoke, she glanced in the direction of Yin Qiu and said with a slight self-deprecation, "When I was a child, I was even more unruly and rude than her, but some people treated me kindly. No one is perfect, so let's all be more forgiving."
She spoke calmly, without any hint of criticism, but the disciples felt ashamed and respectfully agreed, refusing to comment on Duan Ning any further.
After Duan Ning finished sweeping the floor, Meng Jing had prepared the ointment. The two of them walked together to Yin Qiu's bedside and sat down. Meng Jing then rolled up Yin Qiu's sleeve and patiently and meticulously applied the ointment to her abrasions.
The girl's skin was fair and smooth, covered with wounds of varying depths. The dried blood made her arm appear even more delicate and white, which, in Duan Ning's eyes, possessed an unnatural beauty. She recalled when she first met Yin Qiu in Yao Dingcheng; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was breathtakingly beautiful. But now, looking at Meng Jing's focused profile, she found her to be delicate and pretty, with red lips and white teeth. She possessed both the beauty of a young woman and the handsome features of a young man—simply beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
She was even more eye-catching than Yin Qiu.
Duan Ning couldn't help but smile, and jokingly said, "Men and women shouldn't touch each other. Even if you're a doctor, shouldn't you at least be a little more discreet?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Jing chuckled softly and said, "Didn't you already know whether I'm male or female?"
Duan Ning was taken aback and asked suspiciously, "How do you know I know?"
Meng Jing said, "You saved me in Cang County. When I woke up, I was given medicine and my clothes were changed. How could you not know that?"
Duan Ning suddenly realized and asked, "Then why did you dress up as a man?"
"I was forced by life's circumstances," Meng Jing said. "My parents arranged things this way when I was young. After they passed away, I came to Yunhua Palace. I've long been used to being a man, and after so many years, it's hard to change back."
Hearing her mention her parents, Duan Ning paused for a moment, then asked, "What about the man in black who harmed your parents? Is he dead?"
Meng Jing shook his head: "Not yet, he's locked up in the torture chamber."
"He's still not dead?!" Duan Ning exclaimed. "You're really patient. If it were me, I would have killed him with one sword that day. How can you still hold back from killing him now?"
Meng Jing said, "With the overall situation at hand, we cannot only care about our own interests. Although Senior Sister Ye is dead, the mastermind behind the secret guards' actions has not yet been found out. Keeping him alive may still be useful." After saying this, she looked up at Duan Ning and said, "I am not kind-hearted, nor am I indecisive. When the time comes, I will kill that person without hesitation."
The image of the black-clad man's tragic state in Cang County flashed before Duan Ning's eyes. He raised the corners of his lips, stared at Meng Jing for a while, and suddenly said, "Hey, you like Yin Qiu, don't you?"
Meng Jing paused in applying the medicine.
"When I saw you so badly injured in Cang County, still worried about Yin Qiu's safety, I guessed something," Duan Ning said with interest. "And then, considering that you came to our Duan family and challenged my father for her sake, the outcome became even more obvious. Young man, you like her, but does she even know it?"
Meng Jing looked at Yin Qiu, who was sleeping peacefully, and frowned slightly. After a long while, he said, "She... probably doesn't know."
“But I found out,” Duan Ning said, “I’m going to tell her!”
Meng Jing chuckled, took out a bandage and wrapped it around Yin Qiu's neck, saying, "Do as you please, she won't believe you anyway."
"So certain?" Duan Ning said, "What if she believes it?"
“Then I’ll poison your food,” Meng Jing said. “I’m narrow-minded, extremely vengeful, and very vindictive. If you betray me, you’ll have to pay the price.”
Duan Ning chuckled softly and teased, "I can see that. But I like your personality. However, you're too cowardly to love but too afraid to hate. Tell her! What if Yin Qiu likes you too? I think you two would be a good match."
Meng Jing hesitated for a moment, then said calmly, "Impossible, she already has someone she likes."
Duan Ning immediately asked gossipily, "Really? Who is it!"
“If you want to know, ask her when she wakes up,” Meng Jing said. “I don’t want to gossip.”
Duan Ning smiled mysteriously: "Is that so? Then you'll just have to find someone else to like."
Noticing the meaningful look in her eyes, Meng Jing was slightly puzzled and said, "It's not like I'm changing clothes, how can I just change whenever I want?"
"You have to be able to take it and let it go. You have to be more carefree in life," Duan Ning said emotionally. "If something is set in stone and you can't get it, don't keep thinking about it. If you hang yourself on a tree and refuse to come down, no matter how many people pass by, they can't save you."
Meng Jing pondered her words for a moment, sensing something unexpected, and couldn't help but ask, "...What do you mean?"
Duan Ning stepped onto the pedal, leaned closer to Meng Jing, looked directly at her and said, "What I mean is, don't waste your time on Yin Qiu, you might as well like me instead."
Upon hearing her words, Meng Jing's expression changed slightly, and she looked Duan Ning up and down, saying, "It seems you didn't drink any wine last night."
“I haven’t eaten,” Duan Ning said. “I’m serious. To tell you the truth, I had my eye on you back when Yao Dingcheng was around. At first, it wasn’t for any other reason than that you were good-looking. I’m the kind of person who judges people by their appearance, and I don’t even give a second glance to those who aren’t good-looking. But after getting to know you, I found that you’re quite interesting and very much to my liking. So, how about you consider it?”
Meng Jing was speechless and choked with emotion, unable to utter a single word.
"But I was just saying that, and I don't mean to force you into it," Duan Ning said. "Romance between men and women has always relied on mutual consent, and I know that. Before coming here, I went to Mingyue Tower and met Fu Xiang. I asked her about your background. If you are willing, then if you marry me, you will become the next head of our Duan family. It's better than working at Yunhua Palace, isn't it?"
Meng Jing had long been accustomed to being courted in Yunhua Palace over the years, and was always surrounded by beautiful women, but she had never encountered Duan Ning so directly. While feeling greatly embarrassed, Meng Jing also found it amusing, saying, "It's not even a done deal yet, and you're already talking about marriage. Don't you know I'm a woman just like you?"
“Yes, I know, but that doesn’t matter. You can like Yin Qiu, and I can like you too, right?” Duan Ning said. “The wealthy families who want to marry into our Duan family could line up from the east gate to the west gate of Yaoding City, but they’re all just after our family’s wealth. I know what kind of reputation I have in Yaoding City. Few arrogant young masters would even look at me, and those who do are just opportunists. I don’t want to marry those hypocrites, and I’m not interested in men, but I can’t get past my father. Compared to them, you’re perfect for marrying me. What I’m saying makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?”
Meng Jing was speechless after a long while, and finally said helplessly, "You know very little about me, so how do you know I'm not the kind of person who tries to climb the social ladder?" She paused, and then said, "Do you know Yin Qiu's parents? They didn't end up well."
“They are them, and we are us,” Duan Ning said. “Admittedly, their situation is somewhat similar to ours, but in essence, we are different. And there is no enmity between us, is there?”
“But feelings are not a game,” Meng Jing said.
“But feelings can be cultivated,” Duan Ning said.
"Feelings..." Meng Jing felt powerless, experiencing for the first time the feeling of being unable to handle someone. "Feelings cannot be faked, nor can they come easily. I secretly decided a long time ago that I would never marry. Miss Duan, it is my honor to have your favor, but we are very different in many ways. I am not a good match for you. Since Miss Duan is a free-spirited person, I think she will not hold a grudge. Let's not mention this matter again. If I have offended you, I apologize here."
"No offense, no offense!" Duan Ning waved his hand with great magnanimity and straightened up. "It's just that you rejected me too quickly. Are you really not going to reconsider?"
Meng Jing shook his head and chuckled, saying, "Miss Duan, please forgive my bluntness, but you like someone more for their appearance than their inner qualities. A person's appearance is like a flower that blooms and fades, and there will always be a day when it withers and ages. Moreover, there are many people in this world who are outstanding in appearance. You can like me today, but you can like someone else tomorrow. Marriage is a serious matter, especially since you have such a noble status. You should be even more careful in choosing a suitable husband."
Duan Ning stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Are you implying that I fall in love with every girl I meet? Oh dear! I'm not that kind of person! It's true that I like good-looking people, but I know better than anyone what kind of person I should marry! If it were someone else who heard me say this, they would be eager to come to my house to propose marriage, but you directly rejected me, which means you don't care about my family's wealth. So you're not a vain person, and I'd be even more at ease if you married me!"
This girl was impervious to reason and had her own set of principles; no matter what others said, they couldn't change her mind. Meng Jing understood her reasoning well, so he simply stopped talking to her about it and abruptly changed the subject, ordering Duan Ning, "...There are two kinds of medicine bottles, red and white, on that counter over there. Pour the medicine inside together, then mix it with the decoction next to it and bring it to me."
Duan Ning glanced at her and obediently did as she said, but he didn't stop talking and continued to coax her, "But what you said makes some sense. What if I fall in love with someone else one day? You never know. But no matter what, you're a woman disguised as a man, and you have no parents. You're perfect for being a live-in son-in-law in our Duan family, just like that Yin Xuan. Why don't you do me a favor? You can pretend to marry me, and you can like whoever you want. I won't interfere with you, and you shouldn't interfere with me. We'll treat each other with respect, keep clear boundaries, and pretend in front of others. We'll still be friends. Is that alright?"
Meng Jing thought to herself that only Duan Ning could come up with such a crazy idea. She pretended to be deaf and focused all her attention on bandaging Yin Qiu's wounds, ignoring Duan Ning.
Fortunately, Duan Ning was thick-skinned. Seeing that Meng Jing ignored her, she didn't feel embarrassed. She stood in front of the counter and said to herself, "Just think about it again. You won't lose out if you buy it. If you're worried about something else, I can promise you that after we get married, I will never touch you or sleep in the same bed with you. Am I being fair?"
Meng Jing was distracted by her series of astonishing remarks and couldn't concentrate. It was hard to ignore her. Meng Jing had no choice but to say helplessly, "...Miss Duan, let's talk about it tomorrow. There are many injured people in the medical pavilion. Don't disturb their rest."
“They’ve all passed out, who can hear me?” Duan Ning said. “I have to continue my journey tomorrow. I’ve already said all this and you still won’t agree, so of course I have to hurry up and persuade you more! You think I’m annoying, right? But I don’t want to shut up. Let’s talk this out.”
Meng Jing rubbed her temples. Unable to get rid of Duan Ning's pestering, she had no choice but to fall silent again and focus on taking Yin Qiu's pulse, ignoring her.
Duan Ning kept rambling on and on, pouring the medicinal soup into the powder. She chattered on and on, not caring whether Meng Jing was listening or not, talking with great enthusiasm. Meng Jing felt as if a swarm of flies had entered the room, making her temples throb. Just as she was about to suppress her emotions and tell Duan Ning to shut up, she saw Yin Qiu beside her suddenly let out a muffled groan. Instantly, a layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and there was even a hint of blood about to overflow from the corner of her lips.
Meng Jing was startled and quickly stood up, supporting Yin Qiu's shoulders and gently shaking her, calling out, "Yin Qiu?"
"My God! What kind of medicine is this? It stinks!" Duan Ning suddenly yelled. "This medicine you asked me to prepare is probably not fit for human consumption!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a strange stench quickly spread, filling the entire room in an instant. The disciples outside, drawn by the smell, came over and exclaimed in alarm, "Senior brothers! What are you doing in there?!"
Meng Jing turned to look at Duan Ning, and saw that her medicine bowl was filled with something black and murky, like old silt dredged from the bottom of a pond. Meng Jing glanced around expressionlessly, then noticed that none of the bottles and jars on the counter were properly sealed, and asked, "I told you to use the medicine from the red and white bottles, how many did you use?"
Duan Ning was stunned. Looking at the medicine bottles, she said, "Oh, it seems like we've used them all..." Oh no! She had been so focused on talking to Meng Jing that she had unconsciously poured out all the medicine from those bottles!
The disciples hurriedly opened the doors and windows to let in fresh air. Meng Jing felt a tightness in her chest and then felt a warmth on the back of her hand; blood from Yin Qiu's lips was already dripping onto her hand. Seeing this, Meng Jing quickly grabbed Yin Qiu's wrist, but while taking her pulse, she sensed something unusual. Her thoughts raced, and she suddenly looked up at Duan Ning, saying, "This medicinal smell seems to be stimulating the Gu poison in Yin Qiu's body. Take the things out first!" As she spoke, she immediately picked up Yin Qiu around the waist and hurriedly left the place, rushing to another room that hadn't been affected by the smell.
The disciples immediately scrambled to their feet. Duan Ning hurriedly carried the bowl of medicine outside and poured it into the rain. Sure enough, once the odor was neutralized, Yin Qiu gradually calmed down. Meng Jing was overjoyed and said to his disciples, "Quickly, go and fetch Master! Tell him that there might be a way to cure Yin Qiu's Gu poison!"
Previously, they couldn't pinpoint the location of the Gu poison in Yin Qiu's body, so they couldn't find a cure. But just now, Meng Jing clearly sensed the signs of the Gu poison. Perhaps Duan Ning accidentally concocted a medicine that affected the Gu worm. If they study it further and try more, they might be able to develop an antidote!
"Then, does that mean I've done a good deed?" Duan Ning stood at the door, his face beaming.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
