004 Seeking a miracle doctor
Madam Yuan was quite worried about Yuan Chongjing's condition, and when she heard that some noble young men from the capital had come to visit him, she became even more anxious.
She rushed over as soon as those people left. Seeing that Yuan Chongjing's face wasn't as pale as she had imagined, and even had a rosy glow, Madam Yuan was slightly relieved: "Jing'er, how are you feeling today? You look much better. They didn't disturb your rest, did they?"
He looks good? That's all because he was angered by Li Yang!
Yuan Chongjing was still annoyed with her, but he had to admit that Li Yang's judgment was indeed sharp. Just as she said, his mother was easily influenced and believed everything she heard. She had a short temper and would explode at the slightest provocation. There were some things that others couldn't ask him directly, but he could easily find out from his mother.
"Mother, I'm fine," Yuan Chongjing comforted her. Seeing Li Yang still standing there in a daze, he took the opportunity to be sarcastic: "What are you standing there for? Can't you see that your mother and I have something to talk about? Why don't you go out?"
Li Yang paused for a moment after being yelled at, then slowly moved towards Madam Yuan, looking weak and helpless.
Madam Yuan couldn't help but feel sorry for him, and reached out to pat Yuan Chongjing's arm: "Are you courting death? How can you talk to your wife like that! I think it's because she treats you too well that she's raised you to be so spoiled."
Li Yang stood behind her, sticking out her tongue triumphantly at Yuan Chongjing.
She put her hand on Madam Yuan's shoulder and said in a seemingly understanding tone, "Jing-ge, I know you can't remember the past and it makes you sad. It's okay, Mother and I are here today. Just tell us what's on your mind, and we'll tell you everything we know."
“Yes, yes, that makes sense,” Madam Yuan agreed. “Jing’er, what do you want to ask?”
Yuan Chongjing gritted his teeth, no longer caring about saving face for her, and looked at Madam Yuan, asking, "Mother, you know that we didn't get along when I was at the academy. Why did I suddenly marry her? Is there some hidden reason behind this?"
"This..." Madam Yuan hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Li Yang, whose expression remained unchanged, before replying with difficulty, "To be honest, I don't know the details either. I only remember that you suddenly received a transfer order to take up your post in Chenzhou. I was worried about you going alone for so long, so I wanted to find some people to serve you. Later, your grandmother said that Yang'er was a good person, and you agreed, so your father went to the Li family to propose marriage. You left the day after the wedding, and the following year, you had Xiao Taozi. Then, last year, your grandmother passed away, and the three of you returned from Chenzhou."
Upon hearing this, Li Yang looked at Yuan Chongjing with some worry. Not being able to see his grandmother one last time before she fell seriously ill was a deep regret in Yuan Chongjing's heart. He was still young at heart, and hearing such a sudden concern might be too much for him to bear.
Yuan Chongjing, too, instinctively retorted, "Grandmother passed away? Isn't she at my aunt's house in Tangshan right now?"
After saying that, he realized that this happened when he was eighteen. Now he is twenty-three years old. Five years have passed, and his grandmother couldn't possibly live in Tangshan forever.
Madam Yuan said, "She passed away suddenly at night. The doctor said that your old lady was already quite old, so it was a happy death."
Madam Yuan didn't want to talk about this. For some reason, of her three children, apart from her eldest son, whom she raised herself and was close to, her second son Yuan Chongjing and her youngest daughter all had a very good relationship with the old lady, especially her youngest daughter, who could almost be said to have been raised by the old lady.
When the old lady was alive, Madam Yuan was always suppressed by her, having to think twice before doing anything, and her life was far from pleasant. Only in the last year, after Lord Yuan, did Madam Yuan have the highest status in the mansion, and only then did she begin to live a more comfortable life.
The eldest daughter-in-law in the household, though she's a bit scheming and prone to taking advantage of others, is still very respectful to her mother-in-law. The second daughter-in-law, though she can't have a grandson, is devoted to her second son. During the past two weeks that he's been in a coma, she's stayed by his bedside without taking off her clothes, which even breaks her own heart.
Madam Yuan didn't want any new women to come into the household; if one of them turned out to be a shrew, she would be the one to suffer in the future.
Fearing that her words yesterday might make Yuan Chongjing overthink, she explained, "Son, what I said yesterday was all nonsense. I was misled by your sister-in-law. Don't overthink it. You know your grandmother well; if she says someone is good, then they must be good. I also like Yang'er very much. If you act impulsively and treat her badly, I won't stand for it."
Yuan Chongjing was immersed in grief over his grandmother's passing and did not hear her words for a moment.
Seeing this, Li Yang comforted him, saying, "A child raised by his mother will surely be a sensible person. Brother Jing wouldn't do that, so don't worry, Mother."
Madam Yuan felt a warm glow in her heart from her coaxing. She took Li Yang's hand and helped her sit down, then placed Yuan Chongjing's hand in Li Yang's: "Don't worry, Mother. You two are both good children, and you will surely live happily ever after. As long as you two are of one mind, no hardship can defeat you!"
Li Yang nodded obediently and firmly, "Mmm!"
Madam Yuan smiled with satisfaction. Turning around, she saw Yuan Chongjing still in a daze, his face filled with sorrow and grief. She advised him, "It's been more than a year. You should let it go now. All good things must come to an end. Look at Donghai back then. Although it was gone, you soon found your beloved Beihai. So, Jing'er, you must believe that your grandmother will be watching over you from heaven and protecting you and Yang'er."
Yuan Chongjing finally regained some of his senses. He stared blankly at Madam Yuan and asked incredulously, "Donghai... is gone?"
The emotion in his eyes was so obvious that even Madam Yuan, who was usually oblivious, noticed it. She looked at him questioningly, then glanced at Li Yang: "Ah...is...is it...gone?"
Li Yang frowned secretly. Despite all his calculations, he had overlooked Madam Yuan.
Madam Yuan also realized something was wrong. She said to Li Yang apologetically, "You kept it from him? You can't blame me for this. It's your fault for not telling me beforehand."
Li Yang sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. She was now absolutely certain that her mother-in-law was there to hold her back!
Seeing Yuan Chongjing's bloodshot eyes staring at her, his resentful gaze seeming to pierce her, Li Yang gave a bitter smile and said to Madam Yuan, "The princes just came and brought quite a few gifts. The steward is registering them and putting them into storage. Mother, why don't you go and take a look? In case anyone damages these valuables."
Madam Yuan knew she was making excuses for herself, so she immediately accepted the offer: "Alright, alright, I'll go right now."
After she left, Li Yang quickly thought of a way to deal with the situation. On the surface, she remained calm and composed, slowly poured herself a cup of tea, took a small sip, and as if she had just noticed his expression, asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yuan Chongjing immediately retorted angrily, "Why did you lie to me!"
Li Yang took a sip of tea: "It's not exactly a lie. Donghai's parents did come looking for him and took him home."
However, what they took away was a corpse.
Yuan Chongjing slammed the quilt draped over his lap, his voice thick with sobs: "You're still trying to deny it! Li Yang, is there not a single word of truth in your mouth!"
Li Yang's eyes finally showed some emotion. She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and explained, "Your body is still very weak. I originally planned to wait until you were better and your emotions were more stable before we talked about it."
Yuan Chongjing didn't want to bring it up again, trying hard to suppress the sadness and reluctance in his heart, and focused on the most important question: "What exactly happened back then?"
“I’m not quite sure either,” Li Yang said, then, seeing that he was about to get angry again, she quickly added, “Really. Do you think that given our relationship back then, it would have been good enough if you had given me a nice look, let alone told me your secret?”
Yuan Chongjing didn't say anything more. She was right. He was angry when he saw her back then, and it was a miracle that the two of them could have a calm conversation. How could he possibly tell her something so important?
It seems that to know what happened back then, the first thing to do is to restore our memories.
But every time, whether intentionally or unintentionally, whenever he thought about the past, his head felt like it was being pierced by tens of thousands of silver needles. It was the same now. Yuan Chongjing reached up and rubbed his forehead, gradually increasing the pressure, trying to quell the pain.
Li Yang immediately saw through his intention and stopped him, saying, "I knew you and Donghai went to another place, and then you came back alone. You were injured at the time, so something must have happened. These things are dangerous, which is why you didn't tell me."
As she spoke, she stood up and quietly walked to him, pleadingly saying, "Brother Jing, while you're suffering from amnesia, let's forget all these dangerous things. From now on, let's settle down in the capital and become minor officials. Let's raise Xiao Taozi safely and healthily, and live a simple life with our parents and family, okay?"
Yuan Chongjing released his hands and looked at her. His eyes were even redder than before, filled with dense red blood vessels: "Li Yang, we've been married for five years. I thought you should know me by now."
His ambition lay elsewhere; he harbored lofty aspirations, desiring to serve the imperial court and revitalize the Yuan family.
His father was lazy and content with a position as a supervisor in the Ministry of Rites. His elder brother followed the city guards, patrolling the capital day after day, also lacking ambition. If Yuan Chongjing didn't rise to power soon, the Yuan family would have no chance of ever rising again in the capital.
Li Yang already knew all this.
But she just wanted to try, to take a gamble, to gamble that Yuan Chongjing, who at this time only had the memories of being eighteen years old, did not have any feelings for the country or the world, nor any idea of revitalizing the family, and that he was just a smart but arrogant young man.
Unfortunately, she lost.
Li Yang felt somewhat powerless, as if she knew the road ahead was full of hardships and dangers, but when she reached the fork in the road, even though there was a broad road for her to choose from, she could only choose the rugged and unknown path.
She lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long time before resigningly saying, "Doctor Tao said that the Divine Doctor Ghost Hand will be coming to Kyoto soon, and I will go and ask him to treat you. For now, don't think about anything and just take good care of your health."
Yuan Chongjing looked at her and said in a low voice, "Is there anything else you're lying to me about?"
Seeing him frown in annoyance, Li Yang smiled smugly: "Yes."
"You!" Yuan Chongjing was furious, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry. He could only ask coldly, "What is it?"
Li Yang blinked: "I'm not telling you!"
Yuan Chongjing gritted his teeth: "Fine, Li Yang, you just wait. I'll definitely find something really, really important to lie to you about in the future."
Li Yang: "Okay, I'll be waiting."
***
Two days later, Dr. Tao sent word that the legendary doctor, "Ghost Hand," had arrived in Beijing!
Li Yang found the address provided by Doctor Tao and stood in front of a magnificent mansion. He knocked on the door with some skepticism.
That makes sense. He's a legendary doctor, so he must charge a lot for his consultations. It's understandable that he would build a large courtyard for his own enjoyment.
The knocking went on for a long time, until Li Yang was about to give up, when she finally heard a woman's voice from inside: "Who is it in the middle of the day? Can't a person get some sleep?"
The sound is delicate and crisp, like a stream flowing over a fine jade slab, carrying a pleasant quality that instantly makes one feel good.
The vermilion wooden door was opened from the inside, and Li Yang saw that the person who came in was a beautiful young woman. She had a tall and straight figure, a light-colored gauze scarf around her neck, and wore a silver-embroidered pleated skirt. Her features were delicate, and her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom.
Li Yang had never seen such a beautiful person before.
She was a little stunned until the person snapped their fingers in front of her, which brought Li Yang back to her senses. She then saw the person smile with satisfaction, their tone slightly smug: "Stunned, aren't you?"
Li Yang nodded and apologized earnestly: "I have never seen such a beautiful lady before. I was a little distracted for a moment. Please forgive me."
"It's nothing, it's just pretty things, everyone likes to look at them." The woman smoothed her hair that fell over her chest and said coquettishly, "Who are you looking for when you knock on the door?"
Praise should be kept to a minimum; any more would seem contrived. Li Yang withdrew her envious gaze and said sincerely, "I heard that the legendary healer, Ghost Hand, lives here. I have a patient at home, and I would like to ask him to take a look."
The man paused for a moment, muttering to himself, "How annoying. I just arrived this morning, and the news has already spread so quickly."
After she finished speaking, she frowned and looked at Li Yang, her gentle expression immediately turning cold: "Ghost Hand does not see guests, please leave."
Seeing that she was about to close the door, Li Yang immediately reached out to stop her: "Big brother, please help me pass on a message. My husband is really very ill. And I guarantee that Ghost Hand will be interested in hearing about his condition."
Upon hearing this, the man's expression changed drastically, and he angrily roared, "Who are you calling 'big brother'! She's a girl!"
However, her voice was no longer as gentle as before; it even had a deeper tone and sounded more exasperated.
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