Chapter 62 The Immortal in the Hermitage (05) Give him a kiss.
On their way home in the afternoon, Old Madam Wei specifically instructed Wei Hong to escort her and Jiu Li. So Wei Hong followed their carriage all the way to Liuli Street. Jiu Li was so hot on the way that she was parched. As soon as she got off the carriage, she didn't care about anything else and rushed to the back to have some tea.
Upon entering the cave, she saw Du Zhong lying prone under the blazing sun, seemingly engrossed in something. Approaching to investigate, she discovered a small table on the ground, covered with paper and pens. He was bent over, copying a book. He had often been punished by Yu Qi for copying books as a child, and had even been made to kneel in the snow. This was the first time he had been punished in this way, and it had been many years since Yu Qi had done so.
She knelt down, her skirt billowing, and looked at him with amusement. "What terrible thing did you do today to make your uncle so angry?"
Just then, Xiuzhi brought him a bowl of chilled plum juice and said, "Stop asking. It's all about Yuqing cooking medicinal soup. Master thinks he was the one who instigated it. Besides, Fengqiao and Yuqing are not young anymore. How can we punish them? So he only punished him by making him copy books here."
"Uncle knows? Did his Uncle Xu Fengqiao take his pulse?"
"Who would dare to take his pulse? Nobody dared to utter a single word all afternoon!"
Du Zhong, his face flushed and drenched in sweat, grabbed the plum juice and gulped it down in a few mouthfuls. Wiping his mouth, he said to Jiu Li, "This matter was originally discussed and agreed upon by all of us. I can't be the only one punished here! Why? Just because I'm a man and young, can I take it? Now that you're back, go and say a word for me and ask Master to let me up. I've been kneeling for over an hour!"
Jiuli, however, was preoccupied with other matters. "Now that Uncle knows, did he tell you how he is? Is there any hope for him?"
Du Zhong rolled his eyes in frustration. "I don't know if he can be saved, but I do know that if he keeps getting this sun, I'm doomed! Stop nagging and go plead with Master!"
"Sister Guo, bring me a bowl of plum juice first. I'm so thirsty. I'll eat first and then we'll talk." Jiu Li stood up unhurriedly.
Du Zhong couldn't help but glare at her with hatred, "You're just going to stand by and watch me die!"
"I didn't say I wouldn't help, it's just that I'm so thirsty right now that my throat is burning. If you want to plead for my life, you'll have to wait until I have a glass of water."
After she slowly drank the plum juice, she went forward again. It turned out that the old lady was leading Wei Hong and talking to him in a separate room of the shop, while she was eavesdropping outside the gauze-covered counter. Wei Hong not only spoke politely, but also had a kind of honest and reserved manner. Although Yu Qi did not like him very much, she did not say anything to him and just kept talking to him perfunctorily.
When Fengqiao saw her eavesdropping at the door, he quickly flicked his tongue at her and waved. When she walked to the counter, he said with a worried look, "Let me tell you, the master is angry. Don't provoke him today."
Jiuli glanced inside while lowering her voice, "Did you ask whether Uncle is sick or not?"
Fengqiao shook his head with a gloomy look on his face. "It's all your fault. I don't think the master is sick. If he were sick, wouldn't he know to prescribe his own medicine?"
"Hey, you didn't say that a few days ago!"
"I was tricked by you two brats!"
As they were talking, they saw Wei Hong come out from inside to say goodbye. Jiu Li waved to Feng Qiao, walked towards him, and smiled, "You're leaving already?"
The old lady came out and said, "Girl, see them out. Second brother, come home with your grandmother whenever you have time."
The old woman had originally intended to keep her guest, but after talking for so long inside, she hadn't heard Yu Qi utter a single word about inviting Wei Hong to stay. She sensed the strange and subtle atmosphere between him and Jiu Li. She knew perfectly well what she should do, but everything she did was only done with Yu Qi's permission. She was an extremely timid and cowardly mother, but that was how she was born, and she couldn't do anything about it. With that, she went to the backyard.
Wei Hong said to Jiu Li, "I know you and the old lady must be tired. I'll come to visit another day."
"You brought us back under the scorching sun, so we should at least let you stay for dinner before you leave."
He smiled shyly and hesitantly, looking like he wanted to stay, but since Yu Qi hadn't said anything about keeping guests, he didn't dare to agree on his own.
Yu Qi watched them from inside. He saw that Wei Hong looked quite embarrassed and avoided eye contact, while Jiu Li just stared at him openly. He suddenly felt strangely relieved. She didn't like men who were so downcast. She always liked challenges and liked to overcome difficulties. He knew that she didn't like things that were too easy or too convenient for long.
He was initially worried that Wei Hongzhen would try to persuade her to stay, but seeing this, he didn't rush to stop her. Instead, he leisurely picked up his tea and stood outside talking with them.
Jiuli glanced into the green gauze-covered cabinet out of the corner of her eye, then felt bored and could only see Wei Hong out, watching him ride away. She stood in front of the street for a while, her heart feeling lost and bewildered under the scorching sun.
After a while, she returned to the shop, slowly wandered into a private room, and casually picked a chair to sit down. She leaned against the back of the chair, stretched out her long legs, and stared at the intertwined floral patterns on her embroidered shoes, remaining silent, yet feeling tormented in the silence.
As if sensing her discomfort from her silence, Yu Qi spoke first with a half-smile, "Why didn't you change your clothes when you came back? It's so hot outside, you must have sweated a lot, your clothes must feel sticky and comfortable."
"Aunt Qing is boiling water for me. I'll take a bath and then change my clothes."
He placed the teacup aside, saying, "Just to give you a bath, the firewood at home will cost a lot."
Gradually, the two of them returned to normal. She glanced at him, forced a smile, and walked to sit at the head of the table. "Please get up, Xu Duzhong. If you keep kneeling, you might get heatstroke."
"He drank a lot of herbal tea and ate several large bowls of plum juice. How could he get heatstroke? I think his head needs to be exposed to the sun to dry properly, otherwise he'll just be thinking about useless things."
Jiuli pouted slightly, "He's just worried about your health. We're all doing this for your own good."
Yu Qi sneered, "Do I look like I'm sick to you?"
"How can you tell?" she thought to herself, glancing at him twice.
Stimulated by her skeptical look, he unusually became slightly agitated, "I'm perfectly fine!"
That's not something you can tell; only he himself will know if it's good or bad once he closes the door. Jiuli said with a crooked mouth, "Then why don't you ask Uncle Fengqiao to take your pulse?"
"Why would I take your pulse if you're perfectly healthy? What kind of good person would go to a doctor for no reason?" Yu Qi held his breath and suppressed his anger. "Don't make wild guesses in the future!"
Jiuli was still worried. After a moment of silence, she whispered, "Please don't keep this from us just to save face."
"Stop talking!" he sighed.
Seeing his expression, she feared he would get angry if she continued, so she had no choice but to stop. But since he didn't ask Wei Hong, she felt it was pointless to sit there any longer, so she went into the courtyard and called Du Zhong to get up, and secretly relayed his words to the old lady.
The old lady thought that Yu Qi was, after all, a doctor. If he were truly ill, he would have taken medicine himself long ago. Perhaps they were just worrying unnecessarily. She gradually relaxed and sighed that the Bodhisattva of Qinglian Temple was indeed efficacious. Regardless of whether Yu Qi was sick or not, the incense burned today had resolved the family's troubles. She couldn't not go and burn incense to fulfill her vow. Besides, she had already made an agreement with Madam Gu to have Yu Qi examine her child's pulse.
But she didn't dare tell Yu Qi, and instead pushed it to Jiu Li, saying, "If you just act cute and charming, your uncle will agree to go. If I tell him, he'll scold me for making promises I shouldn't have."
Jiuli was secretly delighted. This time, no one else would come along, not even Du Zhong. Just her and Yu Qi would go to Qinglian Temple together, enjoying a peaceful day of fun. Why not? She told Yu Qi about it after dinner.
The next morning, the two hired a carriage and carried a box of incense and candles to Qinglian Temple. Yu Qi could tell from the box that Jiu Li was going to the Bodhisattva to fulfill a vow, and he felt helpless. He hadn't been sick or injured, but now he had become the Bodhisattva's benefactor. When he looked at Jiu Li, she was lifting the curtain and looking outside, smiling, chattering to him about how beautiful the scenery of Qinglian Temple was and how delicious the vegetarian food was.
"However, if you want to eat better, you'll have to pay extra. Do you have any money on you? I don't have a penny on me because I find my purse too cumbersome."
He sighed and laughed, "There's no such thing as free food in this world, not even in the realms of gods and Buddhas. I know you can't get used to the food cooked in those big pots and stoves."
The implication was that preparations had been made in advance. Jiu Li recalled that one year when the old lady celebrated her birthday, he hired a troupe of actors to perform in the countryside. They set up a tent on the village and held a continuous feast, inviting the entire village to eat and watch the show. For three consecutive days, no food was cooked at home, and the whole family ate together at the stage. She only enjoyed the first meal and complained that the food cooked in the big pot was not good. However, everyone in the family was busy in the tent, and there was no one to help. Yu Qi had no choice but to roll up his sleeves and cook for her himself. That's when he learned to cook a few dishes.
She's always been a handful. He'd be frowning and tending the fire under the stove, while she'd be clinging to his back and making a fuss. He finally lost his patience, moved a small stool over, and yelled at her, "Sit properly!" She sat for a while, then couldn't sit still anymore, fidgeting and leaning to one side. The fire in the stove grew stronger, singeing a lock of her hair. That day, she held her hair and cried. Instead of comforting her, he snapped at her and said, "Serves you right."
Jiuli found it amusing and covered her mouth, chuckling to herself.
Yu Qi didn't know what she was laughing about, but even the smallest thing made her happy. He was too lazy to ask, so he just smiled along with her. Suddenly, he remembered Quan Shanheng's dying words, as she tightly held his hand and said, "Since you promised to take her with you, you must treat her well for the rest of your life!" Although he had never raised a child, he felt that he had not failed her.
"Uncle, you have a nosebleed!" Her expression suddenly changed.
He raised the back of his hand to wipe his nose, and sure enough, there was a patch of blood. Jiuli quickly handed him a handkerchief, "What happened?!"
It's all because of the "nourishment" they've given me these past few days! He was furious just thinking about it. He glanced at her indifferently and said coldly, "Try taking a few more doses of nourishment for a while."
Jiuli quickly sat down next to him, tilting her head to look at his nose, still a little suspicious, "Could it be that he's too weak to tolerate good nutrition?"
He closed his eyes, leaned against the wall, and sighed, "Stop making me angry. Let me live a few more years."
"Oh." She had no choice but to stop asking, took the handkerchief from his hand, folded it, and raised her hand to wipe his nose.
She was wiping very lightly, but for no reason, it irritated Yu Qi. He grasped her wrist, half-opened his eyes, and glanced down at her, his lazy gaze gradually taking on a predatory edge. Jiu Li's heart pounded, her face flushed. Perhaps she was delirious from the heat, and in her dizziness, she somehow mustered the courage to suddenly press her lips to the back of his hand and lightly touch it, all under his gaze.
It should be a kiss, right?
They were both startled, but neither showed excessive surprise or panic. He simply released her wrist, let his hand hang down, and sat up slightly. He knew very well that he couldn't take this kiss seriously at this moment. Like some terminally ill people, hiding it from him might lead to a miracle, while knowing the illness would only cause him great distress and worry. He could only treat it as an accident, neither asking nor saying anything, letting it pass quietly.
Jiuli was initially embarrassed and flustered, but after waiting a while and seeing that he didn't say anything, she felt very disappointed. Her heart gradually calmed down, and the storm caused by the shock just now was stuck in her chest, turning into a feeling of suffocation.
She gradually felt that it was almost impossible to breathe inside the car, so she turned her head and pulled back a curtain. "We're almost at Qinglian Temple."
Yu Qi heard her voice tremble slightly, and when he turned around, he saw tears welling up in her eyes. His heart ached, and after careful consideration, he said in a deep voice, "I promised your mother that I would raise you to adulthood and ensure your safety for the rest of your life. I cannot break my promise to her, nor can I be a bad person."
Jiuli understood immediately, and suddenly turned her eyes to stare at him resentfully, "Do you think you're so great?!"
He gave a wry smile. "I may not be considered a good person in other people's eyes, but I can't let you down."
"You're the one who's wronging me right now!"
He saw the light and shadow flickering deep in her eyes and was involuntarily moved, but he knew clearly that she was still too young and had a long road ahead of her, with countless wonderful possibilities waiting for her. There was no need for her to bear too much gossip for a moment of impulse.
“‘The present moment’ is just a fleeting instant. You are only seventeen, and you have a long life ahead of you. You must plan for the future.”
So he already knew all along! She had been foolishly agonizing over how to test him and make him understand her heart! She felt even more resentful, tears welling up in her eyes, her gaze almost pleading, "I don't want to plan for the future! I just want to be with you for the rest of my life."
He avoided looking at her. "But I can't not think about you. How long can you stay with me? I'm much older than you, and besides, most men die younger than women. I'll definitely die first. After I die, you'll still have twenty or thirty years to live. You don't have to wait until you're old. When you're still young, you'll be pointed at and criticized wherever you go. Then you'll blame me for deceiving you when you were naive. You'll think I'm selfish, despicable, and shameless."
She quickly stuffed her hands into his half-curled palms, "I won't, I definitely won't!"
He smiled and said, "I will. Just saying these things makes me feel ashamed. Please don't mention it anymore. It will pass naturally in a while."
What she couldn't get over, she had to trace back carefully. Even she herself didn't know when her attachment to him began, let alone how this attachment had become excessively distorted day by day, finally becoming deformed. In short, it couldn't possibly be as simple as he made it out to be. If only she could just wait, then why had she become increasingly ill over the past ten years?
He casually patted the back of her hand twice to comfort her. Jiuli, however, pulled her hand away and smiled sarcastically, "Don't pretend to be kind. You don't look kind at all."
He feigned a lighthearted chuckle, "So, what kind of person do you want me to be?"
She held back the tears welling up in her eyes, stared at him fiercely, and uttered, "I hate you!"
He was genuinely laughing at how childish those words were, his tone unconsciously softening and becoming indulgent, "Fine, hate me then."
Jiuli glared at him fiercely, turned her face to the window, and drew back the curtains. Sunlight and green shadows swept across her face, making a teardrop-shaped gem on her cheek sparkle like a gemstone. He raised his hand and wiped it away, his smile fading slightly. "It's better to hate me for a while than to hate me for a lifetime."
She suddenly couldn't hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.
These tears couldn't withstand the scorching sun, and by the time they arrived at Qinglian Temple, the tears on her face had dried completely. Yu Qi ordered the driver to carry the box into Qinglian Temple, and the two of them followed. Soon, a receptionist saw the box and brought a young nun to the entrance. Jiu Li recognized the receptionist as none other than the young nun Jingyue from that day.
Jingyue recognized her as well and immediately stopped smiling. "It's you again."
Jiuli was already unhappy, and seeing her like this, she didn't give her a friendly look either. "It's me, so what? Does that mean I'm not allowed to enter the gates of your Qinglian Temple? I came here carrying incense and candles."
Jingyue had already noticed that she was a young lady from a wealthy family. People from such families must be delicate and pampered. She must be tired after traveling such a long distance, so she instructed the young nun to carry her things into the hall first, and impatiently asked according to the rules, "Shall we offer incense first or rest first?"
Jiuli wasn't that sincere, so he said coldly, "Let's rest first, clean out a superior room, and have some good tea."
"How good of a tea do you want? Our temple only serves ordinary tea. If you want something better, you'll have to go to a teahouse."
Yu Qi had just paid the fare outside the door when he came in. He saw that Jiu Li's face was tense, with her arms crossed and her face turned to the right. He then saw that the little nun was the same, with her arms crossed and her face turned to the left. He found it funny that the two of them were the same age and had the same temper.
Suddenly, a soft "Jingyue" was heard from afar as someone approached. It was Abbess Jingzhen. Jingzhen recognized Jiuli immediately and put her palms together, saying, "So it's the female bodhisattva from the Yu family. Why didn't you send someone to the temple first to let us know so this humble nun could make preparations?" Upon seeing Yu Qi, she was slightly surprised, "And who is this?"
Jiuli returned the greeting and said, "This is my uncle. He's here to treat Madam Gu, who lives here."
Jingzhen nodded in response, "Madam Gu has taken the young master and the maids for a stroll in the neighborhood. They probably won't be back until later. Please come inside and rest for a while, both of you."
He immediately ordered Jingyue to lead the two of them to a guest room, which, coincidentally, was on the west side, right next to Madam Gu's room. This room was larger than the one on the north side last time, with two additional rooms on either side. One side had a daybed, and the other had a canopy bed, presumably to accommodate larger groups of guests. However, the lighting was not as good as the room on the north side. Jiuli glanced at Yu Qi, deliberately trying to make things difficult for him, and started to complain.
Jingyue's face darkened further upon hearing this. "This temple isn't your private property. It's good enough that there's a room for you to rest. Why are you being so picky? The room you stayed in the other day was already taken. We Buddhists believe in the equality of all beings. Just because your family is rich doesn't mean people will give way to you. Don't you understand the principle of first come, first served?"
"I didn't say I wanted anyone to give way to me." Jiuli rolled her eyes and sat down at the octagonal table. "Go, bring us tea. We've been thirsty all the way here. We want cool tea, not scalding hot tea."
Jingyue said in a distorted voice, "I'll just have to bring it over and let it cool down yourself."
After she walked out the door with her neck held high, Jiu Li was even more furious and sat down silently. When she saw Yu Qi sitting in the chair above her without saying a word, just looking around the room, she picked up a teacup from the table and pretended to smash it. Yu Qi glanced at her and laughed, "Go ahead and smash it. I'll pay them for it later."
She angrily put the teacup down again, glared at him fiercely, and said "I hate you" again, like a fish spitting bubbles underwater, gurgling without any power.
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Author's Note: Thank you for reading. My hand has been hurting these past few days, so the word count has been a bit low. I'll try to keep it at around 6,000 words in the future.
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