Chapter 2 The Shocking Lychee Garden (Part Two) What a fool! ...
I heard that this garden has nothing but buildings, and even the beds for doctors and patients are made on the spot. Although it is temporarily isolated from the world, it is still divided into different classes. Ordinary patients just use a door plank as a bed and their families send them bedding.
There were also patients from wealthy families who secretly bribed the yamen runners to occupy a room by themselves. They would have a carved canopy bed brought from their own home, where they could sleep comfortably and just like at home. They even had no shortage of servants. According to Du Zhong, many of the medicine-brewing staff would rush to serve them and would receive a reward.
The doctors' beds were provided by the government; they were neither good nor bad, but barely enough to keep them warm. Fortunately, Yu Qi was not a person who cared much about food and clothing. He had a poor family background when he was young and had traveled around a lot during his teenage years, so he had experienced hardship before.
He had a stern face because he was too lazy to deal with people in officialdom. Jiu Li knew that he had just heard the yamen runners talking to him, as if some people had come to the yamen again. No wonder he had come here to avoid them.
"Didn't the fish start nagging to go out for a stroll?" Yu Qi suddenly asked, his voice seemingly carrying a light, airy laugh.
Jiuli's heart pounded twice, and she quickly and obediently turned her head away.
Du Zhongyue was more afraid, so he forced a smile onto his face and shook his hands in the air repeatedly, "No, no! She's very well-behaved at home. Uncle Fengqiao and Aunt Qing are keeping a close eye on her. When I got back, I saw her embroidering in the room."
Yu Qi casually lifted the new sachet hanging from his waist. It was made of azure soft satin, and although it was embroidered, the threads were crooked and messy, and it was impossible to tell what it was about. However, the spices inside were exquisitely matched.
He let go, his smile fading. "No progress whatsoever."
Jiuli turned her head to stare at his back, feeling resentful and angry. She was never cut out for it, yet he insisted on keeping her indoors to learn those unimportant tasks!
“You two should switch places,” Yu Qi added.
Du Zhong smiled sheepishly and scratched his head. Yu Qi looked at him coldly for a moment, but he was also helpless. He had no choice but to change the subject again, "Tell Feng Qiao when you go back tomorrow that now that you're in Nanjing, find a well-mannered, knowledgeable woman to serve the young lady. He'll be busy with the shop in the future, and he probably won't be able to take care of the housework. Having an extra person can help with the housework."
Jiuli, who overheard this in secret, frowned. It wasn't about finding someone to serve her; it was about finding someone to restrain her! Since they moved to Nanjing, they only brought Uncle Fengqiao and Aunt Qing with them among the servants. The others stayed in the countryside to keep the old lady company.
Having finally escaped the mother and maids who served her, she thought she was like a sparrow released from its cage, but who knew that she would become a wild crane entering a cage again!
She was eager to get up and retort, but then she thought that if he caught her in the act, wouldn't that be a perfect excuse to discipline her? So she held back and just kept fanning herself fiercely, leaving the waiter across the street with a smudged face.
The waiter glared at her, and she didn't dare to utter a sound. She quickly buried her head in her hands.
Fortunately, at that moment a yamen runner came into the courtyard and invited Yu Qi, saying, "Our county magistrate has arrived and would like to invite Mr. Yu to come over and have a talk."
The county magistrate himself came, so one would expect some respect. However, Yu Qi never took officials seriously. It is said that a divine doctor must be arrogant, and he was no exception. He always had two types of patients he would not treat: those in officialdom and those who could not afford the treatment.
His return to Nanjing to treat the epidemic was purely by chance; he had fallen into the trap set by that Vice Minister Zhao. Otherwise, according to his own desires, he should have remained in the countryside forever, never to be seen again.
Seeing that he remained unmoved and was still bending over to examine the medicinal herbs, the yamen runner stepped forward again and bowed, saying, "Our county magistrate has come to inquire about the patient's condition. His family has some influence in Nanjing and knows Vice Minister Zhao. Mr. Yu, you can't refuse this favor."
Yu Qi picked up a slice of medicine and examined it, not taking it seriously. "With Doctor Xu and the others here, they don't necessarily have to see me."
The constable said with a fawning smile, "Now that you're in charge of prescribing the medicine—knowing you're a good friend of Minister Zhao, even Minister Zhao has to give you face—but since our lord has already arrived and is here on official business, what do you think—"
Yu Qi glanced again at the slender figure squatting under the eaves, thinking that if he didn't leave, her legs would probably go numb from squatting there. It was better to leave.
He put down the pills and softened his voice to instruct Du Zhong, "Tell Yu'er that once things are settled here, I will naturally take her out for a good stroll. She is not allowed to go out alone."
Jiu Li's heart skipped a beat again. Did he know she was coming? Otherwise, why would he speak in this tone?
He was always cold and sarcastic when he spoke to people, and even his laughter was unfriendly. Although he treated Du Zhong well, he wouldn't be this gentle. There was a hint of helplessness in that tenderness. She knew him too well; he only spoke like this when he had no other choice.
Du Zhong was secretly alarmed. He quickly nodded and escorted Yu Qi to the courtyard gate. He then turned back in and saw a servant cursing Jiu Li, "Where did you come from? You're so blind! You slapped me all over with dust!"
Jiuli quickly stood up, bowed to apologize, and deliberately raised his voice, "I'm really sorry, I fanned it too hard for a moment. I was just worried because the fire wouldn't catch fire."
"The one taking the medicine isn't in a hurry, but why are you, the one brewing it, in such a rush?" The shop assistant stood up and sneered. "I saw you come in with the Yu family's medicine, so I thought you were a Yu family employee? I heard the Yu family's pharmacy hasn't opened yet, and I've never seen a lackey like you rushing to work. How much are they paying you?"
It turned out that the government had issued an order that even the business of selling medicinal herbs should be prioritized for the Yu family's pharmacy. The Yu family was a newcomer and was getting such attention, which naturally caused resentment among those in the industry, both those above and those below.
These workers had often secretly schemed against Du Zhong, and Du Zhong had long harbored resentment. Upon hearing this, he knew it was a veiled insult, so he went to pull Jiu Li away and said, "What do you care how much we're paid? We'll earn more than you anyway!"
The apprentice muttered under his breath, "Someone who hasn't learned anything after all these years as an apprentice is now taking advantage of his master's power to order people around."
But Jiu Li, with her sharp ears, knew that Du Zhong only allowed her to bully him and wouldn't allow anyone else to. She jumped up in the middle of the courtroom, saying, "Who is it that's acting like a slave? Working like a cow for a month to earn a pittance, and instead of standing up for yourself, you're already arguing for your master! I've heard that the eunuchs in the capital have always worked like this. I think you're even better than them. Why don't you cut off your own descendants and go work in the capital? Maybe you'll have a bright future!"
As he spoke, he crossed his arms, turned to the side, and then glanced at the person with a cold smile, "But judging from your appearance, you're not exactly blessed with children and grandchildren, so you'll save yourself the pain of a knife."
Everyone couldn't help but laugh. "What a sharp-tongued kid! He looks young, but he's got a sharp tongue."
The waiter was furious and pushed aside the eucommia tree to strike, but suddenly he heard someone laugh, "So this place is quite lively."
Looking back, I saw a man dressed in brocade robes, not yet thirty years old, with a face full of pimples, some red and some brown, glistening with oil, and looking somewhat sickly. He must be a patient staying here.
This man must be quite wealthy; upon seeing him, everyone crowded around to greet him.
"Is Master Lin well?"
"Wow, you look much better."
"Even if you recover, you still need to be careful. This illness is most aggravated by catching a cold. The weather isn't warm yet, and it looks like it's going to get worse. You should go back inside and rest. If you need anything, just tell the servants."
The official Lin ignored them. It was still chilly in early spring, yet he held a folding fan in his hand, which he didn't open, merely to appear cultured. He used the fan handle to push aside the people in front of him, his gaze fixed on Jiu Li in the distance.
After watching for a while, he walked over to Jiuli with a grin, "New here? Whose is he? He looks quite handsome, a rare find indeed!"
Jiuli felt uncomfortable because of the lewd look in his eyes and his clingy, greasy body. She stepped aside, but he chased after her with a grin: "You have such a big face, you won't even answer my questions. Perfect, I'll have you bring the medicine to me when it's ready."
Hearing the strange laughter of the crowd, Jiu Li's heart skipped a beat, and she began to understand. She had heard servants say before that there were thieves and prostitutes in this world, and that there were also people who could have wicked thoughts regardless of gender. She guessed that this person probably had the same interest and was looking at her as a pretty young medicine boy, intending to harass her.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she didn't say much, and could only pretend to be stupid and point her finger at the tip of her nose.
The official Lin smiled and leaned close to her, as if breathing into her ear, "It's your own good that you bring me medicine; they usually compete to bring it to me."
Seeing this, Du Zhong quickly stepped in and shielded Jiu Li behind him, saying, "Why don't I deliver it to the master?"
Lin Guanren's forehead tightened instantly. "Go away! Don't meddle. He said he'd deliver it, so he'll deliver it!"
Nine Carp was incredibly annoyed, but she suppressed her frustration for the time being, smiling and nodding in agreement. In her heart, however, she secretly grumbled, "He's really asking for trouble by running into someone like this!"
After the official left satisfied, some people still stared at Jiu Li with strange smiles, their gazes even more unrestrained than before, laced with lewdness and contempt, yet also revealing a hint of jealousy. At first, Jiu Li didn't understand what they were jealous of, but gradually she realized that delivering medicine to this official was probably a lucrative job, and they were willing to suffer a loss for the reward, behaving so undignifiedly as men.
Du Zhong quickly pulled her to a corner, saying, "You're here now, you've seen it all. You should go home quickly. I think Master noticed you came along, and for all that little favor you did for me, he's made me get punished again!"
Having finally come out, how could she go back so easily? She turned away, "Didn't you hear? That Mr. Lin asked me to deliver medicine. Hey, which room does he live in?"
Du Zhong nearly exploded with rage. "Why don't you get out of the way! Let me tell you, that Lin Mo is no good person. He's just a bully in this lychee orchard because of his family's wealth. I think he deserves to die of illness!"
Jiuli turned her head and asked curiously, "How do you act so domineeringly?"
"Hmph! In this garden, anyone with a decent appearance, regardless of gender, he either verbally harasses or physically assaults them. If he encounters someone who is stubborn and refuses to comply, he will call the yamen runners to coerce them."
"Why are the constables helping him instead of teaching him a lesson?"
Du Zhong sneered, "You think you're naive? Let me tell you, the most dangerous things in the world are wealth and power. Money can make the devil turn the millstone."
"Is there no law anymore?!"
"Since ancient times, the law has always favored the rich. Look at your exaggerated reaction. No wonder your master doesn't allow you to go out freely. If you encounter such a rogue, you should avoid him at all costs."
Jiuli pouted, then glanced at his handsome face and smiled knowingly. "Why are you so angry? Did that Master Lin take advantage of you in some way?" She nudged him lightly with her elbow. "Perfect, I'll stand up for you this time."
Du Zhong gritted his teeth in frustration, "You really have a way with ideas. It's a good thing I'm not a girl, otherwise you would have ruined my reputation long ago."
Just as the medicine was ready, someone called out, and Jiuli, ignoring any attempts to stop her, hurriedly went to put the medicine into a basket. Du Zhong had no choice but to accompany her.
Just as he stepped out of the kitchen courtyard, he saw her take a packet of medicinal powder from her bosom, open the basket, and shake it all into a bowl. He quickly asked, "What is this?"
Jiuli laughed, "I've just concocted a new laxative; let's see if I can't make him die from diarrhea!"
Why do you carry laxatives with you?
She couldn't tell him that she brought her along specifically to punish him, just in case he changed his mind on the way. She just giggled and looked at both sides of the fork in the road, "Which way?"
Unexpectedly, halfway through the journey, the sky suddenly turned overcast, and the weather was still chilly despite the warm weather. By chance, I ended up on a mossy path, with towering green bamboo on both sides. The forest was suddenly filled with mist, and the wind made the bamboo rustle. The horizontal branches and leaves looked like human arms tearing and wrestling, blocking out even the overcast sky and preventing any light from getting in. It felt like entering a spider's web, and the scattered raindrops looked like spider webs.
Jiuli couldn't help but shiver, shrugging her shoulders. "Why does this garden feel so gloomy?"
Du Zhong leaned closer and said, “With over a hundred patients here, the yin energy is naturally heavy. Moreover, I heard that a two- or three-year-old girl died in this garden before. She fell to her death in this bamboo grove. Look,” he pointed to the low slope in the grove, “she fell right on that rock, so this area is haunted by infant spirits.”
The rock wasn't tall; it was used to decorate the bamboo grove. The garden had been abandoned for a long time, and now it was covered in moss. On top of it, a small pebble weighed down several pieces of talisman paper. From a distance, they looked like ordinary yellow talismans and ink talismans, but it was unclear how long they had been there, as the paper had faded. Around the rock were several piles of ashes from burning paper, and a few burnt incense sticks were crookedly stuck in the damp soil. Even from a distance, one could almost smell the pungent odor of the paper and wax.
Jiuli was skeptical, but her voice involuntarily lowered as if afraid of startling someone, "It's just another hoax. My uncle always says there are no ghosts in this world, or if there are, it's just that people have guilty consciences."
Du Zhong said in a low voice, "Master sometimes doesn't keep his word. We shouldn't easily believe in ghosts and gods, but we also shouldn't completely disbelieve them."
Just as she was about to refute him, a gust of wind blew by, and a bamboo pole drooped down and lightly tapped Jiu Li's back, like a child playing a prank. Startled, she forgot her sharp tongue and hurriedly grabbed the basket and pulled Du Zhong along, walking quickly forward.
A note from the author:
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Thank you for reading.
Age: Male lead is 28 when he appears, female lead is 17 when she appears.
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