Chapter 59 The Immortal in the Nunnery (Part Two) Is Master Sick? ...
Since Yu Qi returned home after receiving his reward, Jiu Li, though filled with doubt, suppressed her curiosity and didn't ask him. In front of the old lady and others, the two pretended nothing was wrong, but privately they didn't speak to each other for several days. To be precise, Jiu Li didn't speak to him, but he acted as usual, as if he hadn't taken the words from that night to heart at all, displaying great magnanimity, which only made it clear that Jiu Li's words and actions that night were nothing more than willful and ignorant behavior.
Before they knew it, July had arrived. The scorching heat added another layer of oppressive heat. Jiu Li had nothing to do, spending her days either wandering around or sleeping at home. One day, Yu Qi came in from the shop and saw Jiu Li leaning against the railing in front of the room, one arm dangling over the edge, drowsy while holding a silk fan. Her hand slipped, and the fan fell to the ground without her noticing. He went to the outside of the corridor to pick it up. As his shadow danced in the light, she woke up, glanced at him, and then turned away, sitting there sullenly.
Yu Qi walked around into the corridor and handed the fan back to her. "I was thinking of using a few taels of the gold I received last month to make a piece of jewelry for you and the old lady. What would you like?"
Jiuli glanced at him indifferently, still tilting her head and looking down at the ground. "I don't want it. When the new aunt comes in, you can keep it for her to beat."
Yu Qi took a deep breath, about to say something, when Feng Qiao came to call him, saying that Zhao Liang had arrived, so he went out again through the corridor. Zhao Liang rarely came to the temple without a reason, so Yu Qi guessed that he had something to say, and invited him into the front hall. However, he sat in the hall, only drinking tea and commenting on the pharmacy's business and decoration, and did not say anything serious for half a day.
Yu Qi lost his patience, put down his teacup and asked directly, "When did you start beating around the bush? Just say what you want to say."
Zhao Liangfang chuckled and sighed, "You wouldn't want to hear it anyway."
"Then don't say it."
“I’ll tell you whether you like it or not.” He continued, “First, I heard that Wang Shanfeng’s affair reached the capital. The Emperor didn’t punish him severely, but only demoted him back to his hometown, barring him from employment for three years. The Emperor also sent a man named Yanshu to Nanjing to take over the position of Jiangning County. This man is unaffiliated with any party or faction; he’s neither part of the Chen brothers’ faction nor Prince Zhao’s—”
Before he could finish speaking, Yu Qi interrupted him in a deep voice, "These things are none of my business."
Zhao Liang smiled. "Alright, let's talk about something related to you. I suspect the Prince was trying to trick you with what he said last time, but since he did, I think he must be suspicious of you. Firstly, I'm here to warn you, in case you're not careful; secondly, I'm afraid you might misunderstand. I haven't told anyone about what happened before. Last time the Prince summoned me and subtly inquired about the girl Yu'er's background, I only said she was your master's daughter. I kept my mouth shut. But it's strange, why would he suspect you? Did he come to Nanjing and interact with you?"
Yu Qi said calmly, "Don't you know Qi Xubai?"
Zhao Liang thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "I knew it! So Qi Xubai was secretly in contact with him. The Prince and the Qi brothers studied together when they were young. I thought the Prince was wary of them because of Old Master Qi's affair and had stopped associating with them. It turns out it was all for the Chen brothers' benefit." After a moment, he put down his crossed legs and exclaimed in surprise, "I heard that Qi Xubai is discussing marriage with Yu'er. Could it be that he has guessed who Yu'er's mother is?"
Yu Qi had previously been reluctant to admit this to him for fear of causing further complications, but now that even Prince Zhao had noticed something amiss, there was no need to hide it from him any longer. "Quan Shanheng was a palace lady-in-waiting back then, not a young lady confined to her chambers. Most people who frequented the palace had seen her. Even if Qi Xubai hadn't seen her, Prince Zhao had. Yu'er and her mother look so alike that it's hard for anyone who has seen them not to suspect anything. I think Prince Zhao probably bumped into Yu'er by chance, which is why he asked Qi Xubai to investigate secretly."
Zhao Liang nodded, then said, "Tell me honestly, who is Yu'er's father?"
"I don't know either. I only entered the palace a month earlier than you back then."
When Zhao Liang went to the capital to take the imperial examination, he ran out of money and did not eat a single grain of rice for three days. Coincidentally, he fainted in front of the gate of the mansion that day. Just then, Shan Heng returned home from the palace. When she got off her sedan chair, she saw a person lying on the ground in front of the gate, so she ordered people to carry him into the house and asked Yu Qi to treat him.
Yu Qi was just a young man at the time. He had been trapped in the mansion for a month and was already impatient. When he saw the person on the bed dressed in rags, he mocked, "Looking at him, he's just a poor scholar. Even if I cure him, he won't have money to pay me for the treatment. Why should I save him?"
Shanheng smiled and shook her head, "You little brother, you're so young, yet your heart is as hard as stone. He doesn't have money to pay your medical fees, but do you think I don't either? Just focus on reviving him, and you'll get your share of the rewards."
Yu Qi sat down unhurriedly by the bed, took her pulse and glanced at her sideways, "You, a noble lady, have lived in a wealthy family for a long time. How could you know the dangers of the outside world? Just you wait and see. When he wakes up and sees that you are an orphan in the general's mansion, he will use sweet words to coax you to eat and dress you. Who knows, seeing your beauty, he might even trick you into marrying him. From then on, he will rise to the top and become rich overnight. This is the beautiful dream that so many poor scholars love to have."
Shanheng looked at him, both amused and exasperated. "Why do you always speak so old-fashionedly, always thinking the world is so bad? Can the outside world be more dangerous than the palace? I'll make a bet with you. If he wakes up and refuses to leave, I lose, and you can choose any valuable item in this mansion. If he wakes up and leaves, you lose, and you have to obediently call me 'sister,' okay?"
Why do you insist that I call you 'older sister'?
Shanheng tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled. "It's probably because I've never had any siblings since I was little, and I've always felt lonely. I've always envied people with many siblings. It's rare to meet such a handsome young man like you. You're not an insult to me in terms of looks or intelligence, so I wanted to recognize you as my brother. What, do you think I'm insulting you?"
Having wandered for ten years and endured many hardships, Yu Qi was never used to being treated so kindly. Therefore, he snorted coldly, remained silent, and earnestly took Yu Qi's pulse. "He is fine. He just fainted from hunger. There is no need to administer acupuncture or medicine. Just have someone prepare some good food and put it on the table, and he will wake up naturally."
Sure enough, the delicious food was served in no time. Zhao Liang smelled the aroma and jumped out of bed. Without even thinking about where he was, he ran to the table, sat down, and began to wolf down his food.
Yu Qi walked to the table and laughed at him, "You, don't you even know where you are? You eat whatever you see, aren't you afraid the food is poisoned?"
Zhao Liang, his mouth full of laughter, glanced at him and said, "Why bother with him? Even in death, I'll be a well-fed ghost!" He then picked up a plate and said, "Little brother, do you want some? If you don't, I'll eat it all off the plate."
Yu Qi ignored him and walked over to sit down on the chair behind him.
After a short while, Zhao Liang finished eating and drinking and noticed that there was a young woman sitting in the room, laughing at him with his younger brother on the head chair. Seeing that she was dressed exquisitely and that the room was magnificent, he guessed that she was the owner. He quickly wiped his mouth, stepped forward, bowed, and explained his background.
It turned out he was a scholar who had come to the capital for the imperial examinations. He had only been there a few days, but his fellow candidates had already dragged him to pay respects to this official and that official. He had spent all the money he had brought with him on gifts. He smiled bitterly to himself, “They say that under the emperor’s nose, there are noble people everywhere. These noble people are like bodhisattvas on their thrones. Once you enter the temple, you can’t help but burn incense and worship. Ah, I’ve figured it out. If you come to worship this and that, which bodhisattva should protect? I don’t have much money for incense anyway, and besides, if a god only cares about incense, I might as well not worship him. Today, thanks to Miss’s life-saving grace, I think you are the living bodhisattva I should thank. Please accept my bow. I will return and repay you when I have raised the money.” Without any hesitation, he lifted his robe and knelt down.
Shan Heng smiled and glanced at Yu Qi, as if to say that she had won. She then asked him to stand up. “Sir, you are a scholar who has entered officialdom. How dare I accept such a great courtesy from you? I have always respected people who are talented and have lofty aspirations. When I happened to see you in dire straits, how could I not help you? Please forgive my rudeness. You are already struggling to make ends meet. If you still talk about not repaying me, I will just say what you mean.”
Zhao Liang, in his desperation, swore to the heavens, "I've already been kind enough to save you, Miss. How can I let you lose money again? Don't worry, Miss. Although I'm poor right now, I can just give up my dignity and set up a stall on the street to write and draw for people. That way, I can earn some money." As he spoke, he grinned from ear to ear, "That's right, what nonsense about dignity! The knowledge in my heart is meant for the sake of the country and the people. It should be given back to the world, regardless of time or place!"
Yu Qi looked him over with a mocking gaze. "If it's being returned to the people, why charge money?"
Zhao Liang was taken aback by the question, but after thinking for a moment, he laughed and said, "You little brother, you're quite the bargainer! I'll just charge you a little less!"
Seeing that he was in dire straits, Shanheng assumed he couldn't afford a room in an inn, so she smiled and said, "In that case, I do have a few spare coins. Why don't you stay at my house for a while and write a few articles for me?"
As they were talking, a wet nurse led a two- or three-year-old girl into the room. The girl was exquisitely beautiful, her large eyes darting around the room. Zhao Liang was immediately smitten and, without caring whose child she was, picked her up and started playing with her. But the girl covered her mouth and nose and mumbled "stinky," then turned and stretched out her arm toward the dashing little brother.
So that's how they met. Jiuli stayed close to the door, listening to them recount this old story, and only then did she get a clearer impression of her mother, Shanheng. It turned out that Shanheng was a woman with a chivalrous heart and courage. She realized that she herself was somewhat like her, which was why she liked to meddle in other people's business.
As she was laughing to herself, she saw Xiuzhi turn around from the other end of the corridor, carrying tea and snacks, and wink at her.
When Xiuzhi came out, Jiuli had already slipped into the second courtyard. Xiuzhi also went in through the cave door and saw her sitting on the porch again, so she went over and sat down next to her. "Master just asked me if you were eavesdropping outside the door, and I said no."
Jiuli immediately snorted in dissatisfaction, "Since he asked, he must have guessed."
"He may have guessed it, but I can't betray you. What are you listening to?"
She smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing, I just overheard them gossiping."
Xiuzhi smiled and just then heard Du Zhong calling her from inside the room, so she got up and went inside. Du Zhong was lying on the bed with his hands behind his head, one leg bent and propped up on the bed, and the other leg dangling over his head, swinging his leg in mid-air. When he saw her come in, he quickly got up and sat down, telling her not to pay attention to Jiuli.
"Why? Did you two fight again?"
"Who wants to argue with her?" Du Zhong muttered disdainfully, sitting cross-legged. In reality, he was afraid that Xiu Zhi would keep asking outside. Jiu Li sometimes had no self-control, and if she revealed her own secrets, wouldn't she just be needlessly cursed?
He happened to overhear Jiu Li and Yu Qi's argument that night. At first, he thought Jiu Li was just throwing a tantrum, but after thinking about it carefully for several days, he felt something was off. Jiu Li kept pressing Yu Qi about getting married, as if she wasn't just afraid of having an elder to control her. He gradually realized something was amiss, and was startled. He didn't dare tell anyone, not even Jiu Li, so he could only keep it a secret for her.
Xiuzhi was completely confused. "What's wrong? You two have been acting a bit strange lately."
Du Zhong smiled and waved his hand, then took out a golden gourd from under his pillow and gave it to her. "Here's something to thank you for taking care of me all this time. You can use it to make something."
The golden gourd wasn't large, but it felt quite heavy in her hand; it was solid. Xiuzhi glanced at him, then tossed it back onto the bed. "I can't accept it. You hired me to serve you and your brother. What's there to thank me for? It's not like I don't get paid."
Du Zhong simply picked it up and stuffed it into her hand, making all sorts of excuses, "I was injured a while ago, and thanks to your meticulous care, I recovered quickly. Just consider it a reward, and don't give it back to me, or I'll lose it!"
Xiuzhi had no choice but to hold the gourd in her hand and slowly tilt her eyes to look at him.
The tender gaze made him feel embarrassed, so he casually lay down on the bed and raised a hand to shoo her away, saying, "Go ahead and do your work."
She got up and walked away, glancing back at him once more. He propped his legs up and swung them around, humming a little tune. Every now and then, he would glance down, see her standing under the curtain watching him, and quickly look up at the ceiling, as if afraid to look at her, yet trying to appear nonchalant. She found it amusing; men of this age still had the mind of children, unable to hide it, though his physique already seemed reliable. A deep sorrow welled up inside her, and she couldn't help but think of her husband, who had passed away many years ago.
Shortly after dinner, Yu Qi sat in the main room for a while, drinking tea. He then mentioned to the old lady that he had taken out a few taels of gold to make jewelry for her and Jiu Li. Upon hearing this, Jiu Li put down her teacup and said that she was a little sleepy and wanted to go back to her room to sleep for a while. Yu Qi originally wanted to remind her that if she slept now, she might not be able to sleep well for most of the night, but seeing that she was still acting so stubborn, he had no choice but to ignore her.
As soon as she went out, the old lady frowned and looked at Yu Qi's face. "Is the girl still angry?"
Yu Qi smiled and said, "It will be fine in a few more days."
The old lady finally couldn't help but say, "Girls this age are the most suspicious. I think you should marry a woman as soon as possible, and she'll naturally be fine."
Yu Qi remained silent for a long time with a stiff smile. The old lady couldn't figure out what he meant and was pondering it when Yu Qing came in with an invitation. She said it had just been delivered to the shop by the servants of the Wei family. The old lady of the Wei family wanted to invite her to bring her granddaughter and grandson to her house tomorrow to enjoy the cool air and admire the flowers, since they had planted some seasonal flowers such as lotus, hibiscus, and crape myrtle in the middle of summer and they were in full bloom. The house was also full of shade.
Yu Qi stared at the post for a long time, still unable to recall which family the Wei family was. The old lady said, "It's the residence of your pharmacy broker, Old Master Wei."
It turned out to be the old lady Wei who had previously treated the epidemic in Liyuan. Yu Qi threw the invitation on the kang table and asked, "How do you know this old lady Wei? She even sent you an invitation."
“She came to our house a while ago, but you weren’t home. She said she was just passing by and brought her two grandsons in to sit for a while.”
Yu Qi understood. It was probably because when he mentioned the marriage between Jiu Li and Qi Xubai last time, he said something inappropriate, and the old lady went out to say that she wanted to find another family for Jiu Li. Naturally, this was overheard by people in the industry first. Old Wei had taken a liking to Jiu Li in the spring at Liyuan, but at the time, he didn't pursue it because Yu Qi said he had already chosen a family. Now that he heard that she was still looking for a family for Jiu Li, he became interested again.
The old lady smiled and said, "That day I saw that his two grandsons were quite good-looking. One was nineteen and the other was twenty. They were both good-looking. One was learning medicine from his grandfather, and the other passed the imperial examination last year!"
Yu Qi could tell from her tone that she was quite interested. Moreover, if he were to say that this or that was not acceptable now, she might start to overthink things. The fact that she brought up his marriage earlier clearly showed that she was worried about Jiu Li continuing like this.
He didn't say anything more, only saying, "Then you should take the fish and Eucommia to the Wei family to take a look first."
"That's what I mean too. It's not good to be an official; it's always better to be a good match for someone of equal social standing."
The next morning, she told Jiuli to dress up nicely, saying she would take her and Du Zhong to visit someone's house. Jiuli guessed what was going on as soon as she heard this, and asked whose house it was. The old lady said the Wei family. She remembered that Old Master Wei had once probed Yu Qi about marriage in the Liyuan Garden, and she felt a little depressed.
"Did your uncle agree to let us go?" She sat in front of the dressing table, hesitating to start doing her makeup.
The old lady sat on the edge of the bed next to her, and most of her body could be seen in the mirror. She nodded at the mirror and said, "Ah, what is it that he won't agree to?"
Jiuli felt a lump in her throat, picked up a comb and began to comb her hair. She also opened her rouge box, which was unusual for her, and applied some to her face, making her lips look luscious. After putting on her makeup, she sat on the veranda to wait for the old lady, but in her heart, she only hoped that Yu Qi would come in from the pharmacy and see how much effort she had put into finding a match for someone.
Sure enough, Yu Qi came in shortly afterward, but instead of going this way, he went straight into the room through the corridor.
Du Zhong came out of the house and saw her leaning against the railing, looking across at the other side with a worried expression. He suddenly felt a pang of pity and sat down next to her to change the subject, "What do you think the Wei family invited me for?"
She turned her head and glanced at him. "Are you suggesting that you're only inviting me and the old lady? That's too obvious."
Seeing that she was still the same as before, he felt a little relieved. "Let's just treat it as a stroll and have a good meal at their place!"
She rolled her eyes. "Look at you saying that, as if I haven't given you a good meal before."
That's not what I meant.
"Hmph, I'll tell the old lady in a bit that you complained about being wronged."
"Don't deliberately misinterpret me!"
The two bickered again as they talked, and Yu Qi, listening from inside, couldn't help but smile. Ultimately, she was used to a life of ease and leisure, and the slightest trouble made her cling to it like others, thinking it a sign of maturity. She was putting on a show for herself, which startled him, fearing she would become depressed and unhappy all the time. What did he expect? He simply wanted her to be carefree all the time.
On this day, after the two of them had lunch with the old lady at the Wei family's house, Du Zhong saw Zhang Da on the way back. He jumped out of the carriage to greet him. The old lady ordered the carriage to stop by the roadside to wait for him. Zhang Da also greeted the old lady in front of the carriage, said a few words to Jiu Li, and then pulled Du Zhong a few steps away to say a few words.
Jiuli, peeking through the curtains, noticed the two men acting suspiciously. Just as she was wondering what they were saying, Du Zhong came over and said, "Grandma, you two go back first. Brother Zhang and I will go to the teahouse to sit for a while."
The old lady gave him a playful glare, "You're not even grown up yet, but you've already learned how to socialize. You want to sit in a teahouse for a while and talk about something important? You're just looking for fun! Do you even have any money on you?"
He nodded twice from outside the car, then swaggered into a teahouse with Zhang Da and ordered a pot of fine Lu'an tea. Hearing that he had ordered good tea, Zhang Da chuckled and said, "I'm honored to have you treat me today, young brother."
Du Zhong asked, "Why should I be the host?"
"Since you're worried about your family's affairs, it's only right that you treat us."
Du Zhong immediately remembered that he had said he had something important to discuss with Yu Qi. He quickly nodded and said, "Okay, okay, I'll treat you. Tell me quickly, how is my master?"
Zhang Da said mysteriously, "I can only tell you this. I dare not tell your master directly, and it's even more difficult to say to Xiaoyuer."
Stop keeping me in suspense!
"Do you know why your master is still unmarried at his age? And why he gets upset whenever this topic is mentioned?" He leaned closer, his eyes scanning the teahouse cautiously. "Your sister-in-law and I discussed it at home, and we think your master probably has some kind of illness that's hard to talk about. It's something he can't tell others, so he's neither married nor willing to be asked about it." After saying this, he turned back twice, pursing his lips.
Du Zhong thought for a while but still couldn't understand, "What exactly is the illness?"
"You're a medical student, and you're asking me?" Zhang Da sized him up, still a virgin, and clicked his tongue. "A man's problem with his manhood is probably infertility, you understand?"
Du Zhongfang understood, and upon reflection, he realized that what he said made sense. "You're right. My master hasn't married all these years, and he doesn't even have a woman by his side. You don't know, back in our hometown, he has an old woman serving him, and I even have a young maid in my room." As he spoke, he frowned again. "That's not right. My master is a doctor himself. If he had this illness, he should prescribe the medicine himself. I've never seen him take this kind of medicine."
“That’s what you call being able to heal yourself but not yourself!” Zhang Da tapped the table with his finger. “Besides, Mr. Yu has always been concerned about his image. Look at him, he’s always dressed neatly and cleanly, and he’s so handsome. Who wouldn’t think highly of him? Tsk tsk, if outsiders knew even a little bit about him, wouldn’t he lose face? That’s what you call hiding your illness and avoiding treatment.”
Du Zhong gradually came to agree, "That makes sense, that makes sense!"
“I’m telling you this specifically because firstly, you’re a man of the Yu family, and secondly, you’re knowledgeable in medicine. Although you’re a junior, you’re the only one in your family who can handle this matter. Listen to me, don’t be afraid of being scolded. After all, Mr. Yu raised you all these years, you can’t just leave him sick without treatment. Whether he can be cured or not is another matter, but you have to persuade him. That’s how you show your filial piety.”
After hearing what he said, Du Zhong couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat. He thought about how he had followed Yu Qi through thick and thin for so many years. Yu Qi treated him like his own son. Although he was strict, he never let him suffer in the slightest. How could a son hide and remain silent just because he was afraid of being scolded?
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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