015 Heartache
The young man said, "My master doesn't have any dietary restrictions. However, he usually eats very little, especially these past few days since returning to the capital. His appetite has been even worse, and sometimes he can't eat anything all day."
Li Yang got up and looked around the kitchen. Unlike its exquisite appearance, there were very few dishes on the stove.
Perhaps sensing her thoughts, the young man smiled innocently: "If Master doesn't eat, I'll just make do with whatever's available, so I don't usually buy groceries."
Li Yang asked, "Does the divine physician dislike eating it, or simply not want to eat it?"
The boy shook his head: "Isn't it the same?"
"It's different. If he doesn't like to eat, it's because there's nothing he likes to eat. If he doesn't want to eat, it's because he has no appetite; even if there's something he likes, he won't eat it," Li Yang said. But thinking about it carefully, the Sixth Young Master is a divine physician; he should know how to regulate appetite. So, he probably just doesn't like to eat.
He's reached the level of a divine physician, so his food, clothing, and daily necessities are probably all top-notch. He must be tired of those delicacies by now. Some simple country dishes might suit his taste.
Even if he really didn't like it, based on Li Yang's understanding of his temperament, he would appreciate her sincerity.
Without further ado, there was no time to go out and buy more groceries. Using the available ingredients, Li Yang made some congee and side dishes, steamed some small and delicate buns, and served them with some appetizing chili paste.
Just as they were carrying the needles over, the acupuncture session ended. Seeing them arrive, the Sixth Young Master deflated like a punctured balloon, leaning lazily against the pavilion railing and saying to the boy beside Li Yang, "Go and remove all the needles."
Li Yang smiled and placed the food box on the table next to the medical kit: "Thank you for your hard work, Divine Doctor. It's almost noon. I made some side dishes. If you don't mind, please have some to tide you over."
The sixth young master leaned his head against the railing, closed his eyes, and nodded: "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. That's enough for today's acupuncture. I've already written the prescription and the preparation method is included. You can go back now."
Seeing his tired expression, Li Yang helped Yuan Chongjing to his feet: "Thank you, doctor. We won't disturb you any longer."
Li Yang had been here many times and knew the way out of the mansion. She gestured for the young man to go and take care of the divine physician first, while she led Yuan Chongjing out of the mansion.
The young man thanked her but insisted on seeing them out of the mansion before returning to the pavilion: "Master, they're gone."
"Hmm." The Sixth Young Master looked tired, but maintained his original posture: "There's nothing much to do today. Go and rest when you're done. You don't need to stay here."
The boy nodded, and seeing the food box Li Yang had brought, asked, "Master, this was made by the young mistress in the kitchen. Would you like some?"
As he spoke, he opened the food box, took out the dishes inside, and placed them on the table.
The Sixth Young Master wanted to refuse, but when he smelled the appetizing chili paste, he quickly opened his eyes and looked at the plate containing it: "Did Li Yang make this?"
"Yes. These were all made by Mrs. Yuan."
The sixth young master got up and sat down at the table. He took out his chopsticks, dipped them in some chili sauce, and tasted it. It was slightly spicy, sweet, with a very light spice flavor, and also had the fragrance of scallions and a subtle, rich sauce flavor.
He had tasted this sauce at a roadside stall during his travels and loved it. Later, he asked the stall owner how it was made and offered to buy the recipe. The man couldn't provide it, saying his wife had gotten it from a friend. When he inquired about that friend, he learned that the person had moved away and disappeared.
Eating it again now feels like something lost and then regained.
The sixth young master's appetite immediately whetted, and he said while eating, "I heard that Yuan Chongjing was once sent out by the court and only returned to the capital last year. Where did he go again?"
The boy was very happy to see that he could eat again. He had inquired about Yuan Chongjing and Li Yang's affairs privately before, and upon hearing this, he replied, "It's Chenzhou."
“Yes, it’s Chenzhou,” said the Sixth Young Master. The small stall he encountered back then was located in a small county town under Chenzhou.
He finished all the dishes before reluctantly putting down his chopsticks, as if he had come back to life, regaining his cheerful and sunny demeanor: "That was so satisfying, I haven't eaten this much in ages. I need to go for a walk, or I'll definitely gain three pounds."
The boy laughed and said, "Master is just too thin. Even if you gained ten pounds, you would still be the best-looking one, let alone three pounds."
The Sixth Young Master was in a good mood and spoke to him much more gently: "Are you making fun of your master? You'll have to copy the Medical Classic one more time today!"
"No, Master! If I copy it again, I won't be able to sleep tonight. Master, please spare your disciple!"
The sixth young master ignored him, stood up, put his hands behind his back, and strolled around the courtyard smugly.
While the atmosphere was good on his side, Li Yang remained silent in the carriage on his way back to the mansion, just as always.
Li Yang took out her handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Yuan Chongjing's face: "How is it? Can you feel it?"
Yuan Chongjing shook his head. With just this simple movement, he felt as if his head was filled with a mass of blood. The pain wasn't sharp, but rather like a dull knife grinding his flesh—slow, persistent, and prolonged.
Li Yang said, "It's only the first day, so it shouldn't be effective yet. Just bear with it and wait two or three more days to see the results."
Yuan Chongjing gave a weak "hmm," and after a long while, he said, "Is this miracle doctor really trustworthy?"
Li Yang didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Given that Yuan Chongjing's safety was at stake, how could she possibly just find anyone to perform acupuncture on him, especially not on his head? Leaving aside Doctor Tao, who had sworn to guarantee its effectiveness, Li Yang had already verified the results multiple times in Beihai alone.
From the moment Bei Hai first said, "This divine doctor has real skills," Li Yang suspected that the Crown Prince was secretly arranging and orchestrating all of this.
Beihai, however, said no.
The legend of the "miracle doctor and ghostly hand" likely began to emerge more than thirty years ago. At that time, the "miracle doctor and ghostly hand" was an elderly man, probably in his fifties. Bei Hai believed that the old man was probably an imposter, because ten years had passed, twenty years had passed, and the old man remained exactly the same, showing no signs of aging.
The old man disappeared for a year. When the divine healer and the ghostly hand reappeared, his identity had changed a lot. Sometimes he was a dashing young man, sometimes a beautiful young woman, and sometimes an old man in his seventies.
When His Highness the Crown Prince encountered trouble in Yuzhou, he spent a long time searching for this divine physician. Later, he learned that the legendary physician, Ghost Hand, had passed away. He had taken on two disciples before his death, a man and a woman. The man was the Sixth Young Master they met today.
The Sixth Young Master was eccentric and capricious, and his treatment of the sick and saving lives depended entirely on his mood. Strangely enough, no matter how much His Highness the Crown Prince and the others pleaded with him, he remained unmoved, giving them no chance whatsoever.
Helpless, and having just learned that the female disciple of the divine physician had also come out of seclusion, the group turned to ask her to treat the Crown Prince.
Originally, Bei Hai had given up hope when Li Yang said he was going to find the legendary healer, Ghost Hand, for treatment. Unexpectedly, Li Yang actually managed to find him.
These things were told to Li Yang privately by Bei Hai, and now that Yuan Chongjing is asking him about them, Li Yang doesn't know how to answer him.
“It’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable saying it,” Yuan Chongjing said, noticing her silence.
Li Yang said earnestly, "I'll tell you later. Right now, I can assure you that Sixth Young Master is truly a divine healer, so you can rest assured."
Perhaps he truly believed her, or perhaps he simply didn't have the energy to think about it anymore. After returning home, he took his medicine and fell asleep.
He kept waking up and falling asleep until dawn the next day, when he finally woke up from his deep sleep.
The sun had not yet fully risen, but the rosy glow of the sunrise illuminated the room with golden sunlight, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds outside the window, instantly lifting one's spirits.
Yuan Chongjing propped himself up on the bed with his hands and then saw Li Yang sleeping fully clothed on the small bed next to his bed.
He was in a daze last night, dreaming several times that he would wake up in the middle of the night to drink water and wipe his sweat, and Li Yang would be taking care of him by his bedside.
Yuan Chongjing initially thought it was a dream, but now, seeing the exhaustion on her face, the teapot and water cups on the wooden stool beside the bed, and the two neatly folded towels, he knew clearly that it was all real.
Mother said that during the two weeks he was in a coma, Li Yang took care of him day and night. Perhaps she spent those nights, not knowing what the future held, in the same way.
For some reason, Yuan Chongjing suddenly felt a pang of sadness in his heart, a slight ache, but it was quickly dispelled by an unknown emotion and the pain subsided.
Hearing him move, Li Yang immediately woke up. Seeing that Yuan Chongjing had already sat up, she quickly asked, "You're awake. How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"
Yuan Chongjing shook his head: "It's nothing, I'm much better. You should get some more sleep."
He rarely expressed such concern.
Normally, upon hearing this, Li Yang would have been smug and then turned around and teased him back.
Yuan Chongjing was waiting for her to do that. He had already figured out how he would refute Li Yang if she became smug.
But Li Yang just gave a faint "Oh": "Then I won't sleep either. I promised Xiao Taozi yesterday that I would make her wontons this morning."
She got up, folded the small quilt on the bed, and then lifted the simple wooden bed and moved it aside. Before leaving, she unconsciously rubbed her lower back. Seeing Yuan Chongjing staring at her, Li Yang explained embarrassedly, "This wooden bed is too hard. I'll just put on a blanket later."
Yuan Chongjing suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, as if the rebuttals he had prepared just now seemed extremely petty and mean.
Li Yang quickly tidied up the room: "Brother Jing, you wait here first, I'll go call Beihai over." After she finished speaking, she left in a hurry. Yuan Chongjing waited for a while, and with Beihai's help, he got up, dressed, and washed up.
It wasn't until breakfast was being served in the hall that Yuan Chongjing saw Li Yang again. She had changed her clothes and was coaxing Xiao Taozi to eat.
They had been out all day for the past few days, which made Xiao Taozi very worried. However, they couldn't easily bring outsiders into the divine doctor's place, and Li Yang had to put in a lot of effort to appease Xiao Taozi.
After breakfast, while Xiao Taozi was preoccupied with the maid and not paying attention to them, Li Yang quietly left the mansion with Yuan Chongjing.
Yuan Chongjing had been keeping an eye on her, noticing that she had been so busy since she got up that she hadn't even eaten much breakfast.
Before leaving, he inexplicably hid a few pieces of pastry.
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