Di Xiu and Teng Yao Chang Niangzi lived under the same roof, but they didn't talk much on weekdays. One lived in the east wing and the other in the west wing, and they ended up being nodding acquaintances.
He stayed at the clinic as an apprentice and quickly mastered the task of decocting medicine, living on a meager salary.
He doesn't usually spend much money; his clothes are all made from scratch, and he mostly eats self-service food, yet he still has a surplus.
Most of the time, Madam Chang did not go out, focusing only on brewing wine and doing embroidery. Sometimes, when Di Xiu saw that Madam Chang was running out of needles and thread, he would bring her some.
Over time, when Chang Niangzi occasionally needed something, she would give him money to help her carry it.
Aside from that, there was no other interaction; both demons preferred quiet.
001 kept an eye on Xu Chengzong's study progress whenever she had free time, calculating the time, and becoming more and more anxious.
Xu Chengzong was not a genius, and after wasting so many years, he finally began to lose his composure after persisting for more than a month. He began to doubt whether he could pass the imperial examination and win the heart of the beauty.
In fact, the fact that he was able to persist for more than forty days surprised even the county magistrate and his wife, as well as his teacher. When they saw him begin to slack off, they had a feeling that it was just as expected.
It's astonishing that he could remain so head over heels in love at first sight for so long, even 001 was surprised.
Just when everyone thought the deal was definitely off, things took a turn for the better.
There was a very philanthropist in the county who was overjoyed to have a great grandson. He held a banquet and invited many people, including the county magistrate's family and the Meng family. Xu Chengzong went there excitedly, but Meng Liniang did not attend.
Xu Chengzong had expected to see his sweetheart at the banquet, but he didn't. When he asked Meng Fangxu, the other party didn't give him a friendly look and even seemed inexplicably angry. If it weren't for the sake of the great philanthropist, they might have gotten into a fight.
Xu Chengzong panicked and hurriedly asked what was wrong. It was only when Meng Fangxu's servant let slip that he learned she was ill.
Xu Chengzong could no longer sit still, so he drove the carriage to the Meng family. After turning a corner, he remembered that he needed to find a doctor. When he passed Ren'an Hall, he got off and took one away.
Dr. Huang was about to finish his shift when he became the lucky one. He was kidnapped before he could even grab his medicine kit.
001 told Di Xiu about this, and the latter asked, "What happened to Meng Liniang?"
"Xu Liang's appointment letter arrived four days ago. He's the assistant magistrate of Tong County. I don't know much about Tong County, but it seems pretty good. The Meng family thinks Xu Chengzong has no chance of passing the imperial examination and wants to marry Meng Liniang to Xu Liang. After hearing this, Meng Liniang started a hunger strike the night before last."
001 pondered for a moment, then said, "Why do I feel like this script is so similar to the timelines we've worked on before?"
Di Xiu felt a headache coming on, thinking that shouldn't a true love be about mutual growth and becoming better together? Had he misjudged someone?
Meng Fangxu rushed home and saw that Xu Chengzong had brought a doctor. He also heard Qiuju say with red eyes that the young lady refused to eat. After hesitating for a while, he let her in.
Qiuju told the maids inside to lower the gauze curtains before welcoming Doctor Huang in. Xu Chengzong instinctively wanted to follow, but before Meng Fangxu and the maids could stop him, he pulled his legs back, leaned against the door frame, and listened intently to the sounds inside.
Doctor Huang had come before and, after taking Meng Liniang's pulse again, sighed and said that a mental illness requires a mental cure.
Meng Fangxu glared at Xu Chengzong, who immediately caught the glare. His lips trembled, and he felt both pleased and ashamed. He was pleased that his feelings were not one-sided, but ashamed that he had actually considered backing down.
Unable to hear any movement from inside, he grew anxious and couldn't help but call out into the house, "Li Niang, I, Xu Chengzong, swear to heaven that I will marry no one but you in this life. If I break this vow, call me..."
Meng Liniang, who had been lying on the bed silently weeping with dim eyes, regained her vitality upon hearing this voice. She wanted to speak up to stop him from making the poisonous oath, but she was too weak to do so and could only let out a muffled cough.
"...struck by lightning, his lineage will be cut off."
001: "What a poisonous oath!"
Meng Fangxu, Doctor Huang, and others were also shocked by his solemn oath.
A faint sobbing sound came from behind the gauze curtain. Qiuju noticed that she was trying to get up and quickly went to help her. Meng Liniang reached out to lift the curtain, but then remembered that she had not washed and was not clean, so she lowered her hand weakly and called out sadly, "Xu Lang".
"Xu Lang, why do you do this to yourself?"
Xu Chengzong's eyes reddened as he stared unblinkingly at the screen blocking his beloved's view. His heart was filled with tenderness, and he wanted to ask her why she had to do this.
After saying a thousand words, he finally said, "Li Niang, please take good care of yourself. Once I pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, I will welcome you into my home in grand style."
Meng Fangxu frowned, wanting to ask him what would happen if he failed the exam, but Xu Chengzong suddenly reddened his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "If I fail the exam, I will be a dishonest person. Why would you ruin your body for a dishonest person like me, Li Niang?"
“Xu Lang…”
"Miss! Something terrible has happened! Miss has fainted!"
Qiu Ju exclaimed in surprise, and Xu Chengzong was startled. He stepped into the room, but Meng Fangxu pulled him back and hurriedly asked Doctor Huang to take another look.
Dr. Huang: "He fainted from hunger."
When Meng Liniang woke up again, it was already evening. She remembered the voice she had heard before she fainted, and her face showed a shy and happy expression. Just as she was about to ask Qiuju, she saw her mother sitting at the head of the bed, and her eyes immediately dimmed.
Madam Meng, seeing the change in her expression, stroked her tear-streaked temples and sighed, "You only met Xu Chengzong once, how could he have captivated you so much? For him, you've even harmed your health like this? You've also met Xu Liang, isn't he a million times better than him?"
Madam Meng took her to Xu Family Village under the pretext of relaxing, and they met Xu Liang there.
“Mother, you see Xu, the scholar, as a gentleman, but I see Xu Jinshi’s hands covered in scars.” Her voice was as light as smoke, as if it would dissipate with a breath.
Madam Meng was taken aback, trying hard to recall Xu Jinshi's hand, but she could only remember a haggard woman with an old face and gray hair.
Meng Liniang slowly moved her body, laboriously raised her hand, and placed it on her mother's right hand, gently rubbing her thumb against a very shallow scar on the back of her hand.
“Mother, this is what you burned when you made longevity noodles for Father’s thirtieth birthday. Xu Jinshi has a lot of these, with new ones stacked on top of old ones.”
Madam Meng trembled, her gaze falling on the back of her hand, and said in a hoarse voice, "A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen."
“I don’t understand these things, Mother. I don’t want to become Xu Jinshi.”
Madam Meng was defeated by her glistening tears. Holding her hand, she gave in completely: "Fine, I agree. As long as Young Master Xu is sincere, I will agree to your marriage regardless of whether he passes the exam or not."
Meng Liniang burst into tears, pressing her forehead against her mother's hand, and choked out, "Mother, I'm sorry, your daughter is unfilial."
Madam Meng also started crying.
After a while, there was a knock on the door. She stopped crying and said stubbornly, "Young Master Xu is still here. If you eat properly, I will allow you to see him."
Meng Liniang was taken aback, and then a faint color returned to her pale face.
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