Chapter 60 The Immortal in the Hermitage (Part 3) Xu Bai stumbled upon her on the street with someone…
Du Zhong, who had been pondering how to approach Yu Qi on his way home, arrived just in time for dinner. At the dinner table, he frequently glanced at Yu Qi, but Yu Qi didn't notice, focusing instead on listening to the old lady's account of the Wei family's situation. It turned out that the master and mistress of the Wei family had both passed away, leaving only the old couple and their two grandsons. The four of them now lived in about twenty rooms, employing about twenty servants. They owned both a business and land, and lived a very comfortable life.
Old Wei could be considered the head of the Nanjing pharmaceutical industry. Although Yu Qi disliked his cunning and shrewdness, to be fair, how could anyone do business if they were honest and simple? Let alone make the business big.
The old lady then smiled and said, "I think their garden, though not large, is very tidy compared to the Qi family's, and the house is also very clean. You can tell from this that their servants are diligent, which shows that Old Madam Wei is good at managing the household. That old lady is two years older than me, but she is more energetic than me and easy to talk to. Most importantly, my grandfather has always doted on his grandchildren, unlike my in-laws who can't tolerate any imperfections."
As Yu Qi listened, he secretly observed Jiu Li's expression. She sat across from him, focused only on eating, as if nothing was happening to her. The rouge she had applied that morning still lingered on her face, making it impossible to tell whether she was happy or not. Perhaps the Wei brothers were quite nice, and she had gotten along well with them that morning and didn't dislike them?
He was momentarily lost in his appetite and didn't blindly respond to the old lady.
Xiuzhi chimed in, "I used to work for their family, and their old lady was truly a very kind person."
Du Zhong turned his face around and asked, "You even did chores for their family?"
Xiuzhi nodded, holding the bowl. "Last year, when Old Madam Wei celebrated her birthday with a big banquet, her family didn't have enough hands, so they hired a few people. I also helped out at their house for two days. After the banquet ended in the evening, there were some untouched dishes left. The old lady told us to take them home to eat. I also got a bowl of shrimp and mixed vegetables stew and half a roast goose. She was afraid that some of the snacks that people gave us would go bad if we couldn't finish them, so she shared some with us as well."
The old lady laughed and said, "That's rare. Even if you can't finish it, few people would use it for such a worthless favor. It shows that she is truly kind. I saw that she also has a Bodhisattva statue and scriptures in her room. She seems to be someone who often eats vegetarian food and chants Buddhist scriptures."
She was quite satisfied with the Wei family. As she spoke, she turned to look at Jiu Li, recalling the endless praise Old Mrs. Wei had given Jiu Li that morning—it had truly made this old woman from the countryside proud! Unlike Mrs. Qi, who, despite her supposed noble upbringing, held herself in high esteem and looked at Jiu Li with a critical eye. In her opinion, wasn't the girl she raised one a rare gem? She was the one who was picky, not the other way around. In comparison, she felt the Wei family was much better than the Qi family.
Jiuli had already put down her bowl and was eating a slice of watermelon. Noticing her loving gaze, she smiled at her while holding half a slice of watermelon.
Seeing her eyes sparkling as they gazed at the bright red, juicy watermelon, Yu Qi coughed and said, "Watermelon is cooling in nature, eat less of it."
Jiuli rolled its eyelids and turned around, then took a big, painful bite of the watermelon!
She didn't hear a word of what was said at the dinner table because Yu Qi hadn't said a word. After the meal, she pulled Du Zhong back to the room and hurriedly asked him what he had talked about with Zhang Da at the teahouse that day, and whether there was another case. Du Zhong just stammered and made excuses to avoid her. She sensed something was wrong, forced him to sit on the bed, pulled the round stool in front of the dressing table over and sat down herself, staring at him fiercely, as if she wouldn't let him leave until she said something.
Du Zhong remained tight-lipped, saying, "Oh dear! This is something you really shouldn't be asking about."
"What's going on? Why can you listen to this but I can't? I don't believe it!" Jiu Li rolled her eyes, then her face lit up with excitement. "Has some kind of case happened?"
"Oh no!"
If it's a case, there's no reason to hide it from her. Jiu Li thought for a moment, then softened her tone, "Is it related to your uncle? I noticed you kept glancing at him while we were eating."
Du Zhong hurriedly laughed and said no, but Jiu Li could tell from his smile that he was lying, and it must be about Yu Qi! She put her hands on her hips and said, "You'd better tell me soon, otherwise if I find out from somewhere else, I'll never talk to you again, and don't ask me for help if you ever need anything!"
He looked troubled, afraid that she would actually do what she said, and also afraid to ask Yu Qi himself. He wanted to find someone to embolden him, so after much hesitation, he could only whisper in her ear, "Master is ill."
"You're the one who's sick!" Jiuli immediately scolded him, but when she turned her face away and saw that his expression didn't seem like he was talking nonsense, she was also a little skeptical. "What illness? Did you take Uncle's pulse?"
"How could I dare! It was Brother Zhang who told me."
"Tell me what illness you have!"
He leaned closer and whispered, "It's a man's disease."
Seeing that she still couldn't guess, he hurriedly said, "Anyway, you know a bit about medicine and have read a lot of medical books since you were young, so I have nothing to hide. Besides, this concerns our master, who is our elder. At this point, I—"
"Stop rambling on, just say it!" She interrupted him impatiently, a growing unease in her heart. But before he could speak, she had already guessed what was going on. She had recently become more aware of the feelings between men and women, and having read medical books since childhood, she had also seen some information about male diseases in those books. Although she wasn't an expert, she could tell from his somewhat embarrassed expression that something was amiss.
"Think about it, why has Master never married and never been close to women? Since ancient times, no man has ever been immune to lust. When have you ever seen Master lingering over women? Isn't that self-evident?"
Jiuli was startled for a moment. She had thought of all the reasons why Yu Qi hadn't married for so long, but this was the only one she hadn't considered. This gave her a hint, and it was actually quite possible. She glanced at him sideways, "Brother Zhang isn't a doctor, how would he know?"
“Although Brother Zhang is not a doctor, he is a man, and a married man at that. Who would have more experience in this kind of thing than him?”
Speaking of experience, among the men in the family, Fengqiao is the best! Jiuli thought for a moment and said, "His opinion doesn't count. We should ask Uncle Fengqiao. Hey, go and call Uncle Fengqiao to your room and ask him quietly."
Du Zhong then strolled outside the shop and, seeing that Feng Qiao was free, quietly called him back to his room. Once the door was closed, he spoke of the matter, and Feng Qiao, equally surprised, exclaimed, "Really? I haven't seen Master take any tonics. But it's not without reason; Master is too abstinent. Besides, once a man is over twenty-five—"
Du Zhong, being a man himself, was naturally a little nervous and hurriedly asked, "How have things been since you turned twenty-five?"
"The older a man gets, the more of these diseases he will have. If it's mild, you can treat it with supplements. If it's severe, it's hard to say. He may not even be able to recover with supplements. Actually, it's nothing serious. It's just like how people get wrinkles as they get older."
Du Zhong muttered, "But Master is not even thirty years old yet."
“There’s no sure thing, and some people are born with this kind of disease.” Fengqiao sat by the round table, raising his thumb and worryingly stroking his mustache. “Actually, I thought about this a few years ago and secretly worried about the master, but I didn’t ask him. Our master seems to look down on idle people, but he actually cares a lot about his reputation.”
“Then we have to think of a way. Our family treats the sick and saves lives, we can’t just leave our sick family members unattended, can we? Uncle Fengqiao, you’ll have to explain this to my uncle and persuade him to take his medicine.”
“Me, go and tell her? No, no, no—” Fengqiao waved his hands and shook his head. “I think the old lady has to persuade him. After all, she is his mother. Yes, the old lady has to tell her. I think you, as the younger generation, should pretend you don’t know. I’ll have your Aunt Qing tell the old lady.”
After the discussion was settled, Du Zhong returned to the room to tell Jiu Li. Jiu Li agreed to let the old lady speak to her, as it was only natural for a mother to care about her son's health.
The next day, Yuqing secretly told the old lady. Although the old lady thought so too, she didn't dare to ask Yuqi. Helpless, she secretly discussed with Fengqiao that he should first get some medicinal herbs for men to nourish themselves, and have Yuqing cook medicinal dishes for Yuqi to eat for a while and see.
Furthermore, the old lady was getting on in years and was a country woman. Whenever she fell ill or suffered a misfortune, besides consulting a doctor and taking medicine, her first thought was to pray to the gods and Buddhas for protection. Therefore, she instructed Yuqing to prepare some incense, candles, and yellow silk. On this day, she took ten taels of silver, hired a carriage, and hired people to carry the things, and took Jiuli to Qinglian Temple to burn incense. Her purpose was twofold: first, to pray for Yuqi's good health, and second, to pray for Jiuli's smooth marriage.
Jiuli guessed the old man's intention, since it concerned Yu Qi's hidden illness. Although she didn't ask, she naturally had to go. However, she didn't know where Qinglian Temple was, and why the carriage had stopped in front of the Wei family's gate after traveling for so long.
Upon seeing that there was also a carriage tied to the gate of the Wei family, with two servants and a box, and a horse, she guessed that the Wei family was also going to Qinglian Temple to burn incense.
The old lady said, "How would we know of any efficacious temples in Nanjing? Luckily, we asked Old Lady Wei, and she said that Qinglian Temple is a nunnery, and it is the most efficacious. You can get whatever you ask for. Last year, before the eldest son took the exam, she went to the nunnery to pray, and sure enough, he passed the exam and became a scholar!"
Jiuli thought that praying to gods and Buddhas might not necessarily work, but it wouldn't do any harm either. Since they said it was effective, she might as well sincerely pray. It was just a matter of spending a few dollars. So she nodded, "Then I must burn some incense for my uncle."
The old lady looked at her suspiciously. Did she also know about Yu Qi's illness? But that wasn't surprising. Everyone in the family except the eldest son knew, though they all kept it to themselves. The old lady held her hand and sighed, "Your uncle—I, as his mother, have truly let him down."
This made Jiu Li think of how pitiful Yu Qi had been. At such a young age, his own mother sold him to a traveling doctor, leaving him homeless and without a stable place to live. Although she had never heard him mention his master, he wasn't necessarily a kind person. If he had treated him well, why would he have kept quiet about it? During the years he followed him, Yu Qi had endured countless beatings and scoldings. As she thought about it, her eyes reddened, and the anger she had felt towards Yu Qi gradually dissipated.
She grasped the old lady's hand in return, saying, "I will never argue with my uncle again."
Seeing her eyes redden, the old lady didn't know what to say. She knew it was a good thing to feel sorry for Yu Qi, but she worried that her concern wasn't genuine from a younger person's heart. She could only anxiously raise her hand to pat her head, "Good girl—"
Shortly after, Old Madam Wei, having finished tidying up, hurried to the door and specially brought the second son of the Wei family to the carriage to pay her respects. When Old Madam Yu saw that she had brought him alone, she knew that the Wei family had made a decision to have this second son discuss marriage with Jiu Li.
Jiuli was about to get out of the car to pay her respects to Old Madam Wei, but Old Madam Wei wouldn't let her get up. She laughed and said, "Don't bother getting in and out of the car. We'll get in right away. Your car will follow behind mine. We'll be there in a little over an hour." As she spoke, she stepped aside and instructed her grandson, "Second brother, quickly give the things you prepared to Xiaoyuer."
The second young master, named Wei Hong, was a vibrant, pale-faced youth who, despite having learned business from his grandfather for two years, had not yet acquired the shrewdness of a merchant and was not disliked. He smiled brightly and presented a small box to Jiu Li, saying, "These are the candied fruits that you liked after trying them at my house last time. I asked the kitchen to prepare some so that you might be bored on your journey and could have them as a snack."
Jiuli didn't know how to refuse, so she took it and placed it on her lap. "Thank you."
His face immediately turned red, and he lowered his head and smiled, "You're welcome."
Grandma Wei laughed and playfully slapped him, "Don't just stand there, get on your horse! Your horse will be right next to Grandma and the others' carriage. Tell them a few jokes to cheer them up."
He said "Oh" twice and then walked away to ride his horse. Old Mrs. Yu watched him leave, then quickly turned to call out to Old Mrs. Wei, "Old sister, I'll get off and ride in your carriage too, so we can talk more easily."
So Jiuli sat alone in the carriage. After a short while, she heard a knock on the window. She lifted the curtain and saw Wei Hong riding on horseback, handing her a bunch of bright green grapes.
Jiuli, unsure where he had placed the grapes, looked him up and down with a puzzled expression. He noticed and smiled shyly, “These grapes were in a box, along with some fresh peaches and melons, all washed clean. Do you want some? If so, I’ll ask them to get some.”
The fruit was originally meant to be offered to the temple. Jiuli said, "If I eat it for a while, what will I offer to the Bodhisattva?"
He scratched his head and laughed, "I've brought a lot, so I'm not worried."
Seeing that he always spoke with his eyes down, as if he dared not look at her, Jiu Li couldn't help but find it amusing. She accepted his kindness and said, "I'll just eat this bunch of grapes. Thank you for your trouble."
As luck would have it, that day Xu Bai, accompanied by two clerks and Zhang Da, went outside the city to welcome the newly transferred county magistrate. As he rode his horse through the streets, he glanced around and seemed to see Jiu Li sitting in the carriage that had been there before. He turned his head to look, and sure enough, it was Jiu Li, chatting and laughing with a young gentleman on horseback outside the carriage, though the gentleman was not Du Zhong, whom he did not recognize.
Although he hadn't visited the Yu family in the past two weeks, he had heard rumors that the Yu family was looking for other families for Jiu Li. The meaning couldn't be clearer: they didn't think much of the Qi family. Just two days ago, Mrs. Qi was still angrily complaining at home about this, "They didn't think much of us, and we didn't think much of them either. They're just a pharmacy owner. Anyway, our social status isn't compatible, so let's just forget about it and pretend we never had any intention of getting involved."
But since Xu Bai had already made up his mind, how could he just let it go? He originally wanted to discuss it with his two wives again, but before he could, he ran into Jiu Li chatting and laughing with people on the street today.
He frowned and beckoned Zhang Da forward, asking, "Have you been to the Yu family recently?"
Although Zhang Da shook his head, he smiled and said, "But Du Zhong came to my house the day before yesterday, sat for a while, and talked for a while."
What have they been busy with lately?
Zhang Da glanced at his expression, thinking that he would find out sooner or later even if he didn't tell him, so he said, "It's just that I'm busy with the shop's business, and also, I heard that I've found a family for Xiaoyuer."
Whose house is it?
"It's the family of Master Wei, who runs a pharmacy. They have two grandsons, one a scholar and the other who works with Master Wei in the business. Neither of them is married."
It turned out they were from the same industry. Xu Bai didn't say anything more, but gripped the reins tightly. His body swayed slowly with the horse's hooves, and the swaying seemed to have knocked over the bottle of vinegar in his heart, making him feel both sour and angry.
Meanwhile, Jiu Li and his party arrived at Luli Street on the east side of the city, then turned onto a narrow path. The path widened as they walked, and houses were few and far between. They occasionally saw pedestrians. Jiu Li asked Wei Hong and learned that if they continued along this path, they could leave the city. No wonder the sun shone on the secluded forest, and the vegetation grew thicker. They noticed that most of the baskets carried by the tourists were filled with incense and candles, indicating that Qinglian Temple was quite popular. The temple was hidden in this semi-urban, semi-rural area. Upon reaching the temple, the view opened up, and opposite was a large pond. Willows drooped along the banks, and orioles sang. Lotus flowers were planted in the pond, and several young nuns and some worshippers were rolling up their trousers, picking fresh lotus roots. Their cheerful chatter was quite pleasant.
Tall bamboo groves lined the temple side, concealing a high yellow wall. Above the main gate hung a black lacquered plaque inscribed with the temple's name. The abbess and two middle-aged nuns were already waiting on the stone steps. The abbess, Jingzhen, was about forty years old, wearing a monk's hat and a brown, wide-sleeved, sea-green robe. She had a thin, wiry figure with narrow eyes and half-closed eyelids. Her thin lips held a kind smile, giving her a somewhat bodhisattva-like appearance. Seeing Old Madam Wei alight from the carriage, she slowly stepped forward, put her palms together in a gesture of respect, and softly uttered "Amitabha."
The two old ladies returned the greeting, and Old Lady Wei laughed heartily, "I see that your pond has just sprouted lotus roots, so I'll have to ask you for a vegetarian meal today!"
Jingzhen smiled kindly and said, "As soon as I received the old lady's letter this morning, I ordered someone to prepare a meditation room for the old lady to rest in. Would the old lady like to offer incense first or have a cup of tea to rest?"
“Of course, we should offer incense to the Bodhisattva first.” After saying that, Old Mrs. Wei pulled Old Mrs. Yu over and introduced her to the abbess, “This is my new old friend. She was originally from Suzhou, but her family moved to Nanjing this year. She asked me which temple was efficacious, and as soon as I told her, she was so busy today that she dragged me here to burn incense.”
“With such sincerity from you, benefactor, you will surely be blessed by Buddha.” Jingzhen nodded to Old Madam Yu, then looked behind her and stopped when she saw Jiuli.
Jiuli glanced at her and hurriedly bowed with a smile behind her, but she forgot to return the greeting, staring at Jiuli as if she were in a trance. Jiuli gradually became uncomfortable under her gaze and greeted her loudly again. Only then did she react and said with a smile, "This young lady is truly beautiful with delicate features, like mountains and water, and has a rare and elegant demeanor."
After she finished speaking, the group followed her into the temple gate, past a large cauldron, and into a large courtyard several tens of feet wide. On both sides were dense ginkgo trees, just beginning to turn yellow. When the wind blew, some leaves fell in a flurry, like a sky full of yellow butterflies. Behind the ginkgo trees were some side halls. On the left were the Guanyin Hall, the Ksitigarbha Hall, and the Maitreya Hall, where many pilgrims were going in and out. On the right were the lecture hall, the scripture hall, and the relief hall, where nuns were giving lectures and interpreting fortune sticks for the pilgrims. In front of the courtyard were several stone steps, leading to the huge Mahavira Hall, which housed the Three Jewels Buddha and the Twenty-Four Devas. There were arched doorways on each side of the hall.
After offering incense in each hall, the group emerged from behind the main hall into a large courtyard. Monks' quarters lined both sides, and directly opposite were the kitchen and a spacious, bright dining hall. A towering ginkgo tree stood in the courtyard. As Jiuli walked through the courtyard, she heard the slow, rhythmic tapping of a wooden fish drum coming from one of the monks' quarters. Drawn to her, she turned her head to look into a half-open door on the left. Inside, she saw a young nun, around twenty years old and without a monk's hat, meditating with her eyes closed at a table. She was immediately struck by her beauty; even with her head shaved, her features were even more striking.
Just then, the nun opened her eyes and saw her from inside the door. She glanced to the side, and then a half-grown nun walked to the door and closed it.
The abbess Jingzhen turned her head and saw Jiuli looking at her with her face turned to the side. She smiled and said, "That is my little disciple Huixin's room. She is the head of the temple. I am getting old, and I will pass the position of abbess to her in the future."
Grandma Wei chimed in, "Last month, Master Huixin came to my house to deliver the scriptures for me. I noticed she didn't look well and said she had caught a cold. Is she feeling any better now?"
Jingzhen nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, Grandma. I took two doses of medicine last month and am much better now."
As they spoke, they walked to a doorway next to the dining hall. They could vaguely see flower shadows inside. Following Jingzhen inside, they found themselves in a large courtyard shaded by lush greenery. There were six guest rooms on three sides, half-hidden behind various colorful vines and strange rocks. Jingzhen led the four of them around a half-height Taihu rock and into a room. The room was furnished like a wealthy man's residence, with all kinds of furniture. However, unlike other places where vases and antiques were displayed, the long table under the main wall was covered with several white porcelain Buddha statues.
There was a set of tables and chairs in front of the long table. The two old ladies went and sat down, their legs dangling. Jingzhen asked Old Lady Wei, "Would you like to have your meal in the guest room or in the dining hall in front?"
The elderly people love lively gatherings. When they came in, they saw that there were many worshippers eating in the dining hall, so the two old ladies went to eat there. Jingzhen then told the four of them to rest for a while, and she took her leave to order vegetarian food.
Soon, a young nun brought over several bowls of tea. Wei Hong took them at the door, placed them on the table, first offered two bowls to the two elderly ladies at the head of the table, then returned to the table and brought out a bowl for Jiu Li, placing it in front of her, and said softly, "Be careful, it's a little hot."
Jiuli smiled up at him, and his face immediately turned red. He dared not look at her, and sat down facing the head of the table. "The two old ladies must be tired from walking, right?"
Grandma Yu said reproachfully, "It's good to take a walk. When I was in the countryside, I would stroll around the vegetable garden every day. But since I came to Nanjing, I don't know anyone here, and I don't know many people. I don't walk around much anymore. I just sit in the house all day. My legs are stiff from sitting."
Grandma Wei laughed and said, "Now that we know each other, why worry about not having places to visit? You can bring your grandchildren to my house often, since I'm just sitting at home doing nothing anyway."
"Of course, you should also bring your second brother to my house for a visit often."
Wei Hong smiled sheepishly, turned to look at Jiu Li, and took the box he had put away for her when she got off the train from the table and put it in front of her. "The vegetarian meal will probably be a while, so please have some snacks first."
Jiuli always felt that he had a bit of a refined foolishness about him, so she teased him with a smile, "If you're telling me I'm full now, how am I going to eat vegetarian food later?"
Wei Hongyi's face turned bright red, making the two old ladies laugh non-stop.
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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