Chapter 65 Demanding the Sachet
Seeing Ji Yun suddenly agree, Meng Yutong's face showed a hint of surprise, but she quickly recovered and smiled, "It is our honor that Physician Ji would do us the honor."
The group then closed the clinic's doors and crossed the street in twos and threes to reach the Qinglai Restaurant across the street.
Sun Guifang had already quickly set up a large table in the hall, and several steaming, fragrant dishes were already on the table. Although they were not delicacies, they were home-style dishes that were delicious and appealing.
Moreover, after Meng Yutong's guidance and reminder last time, Zhang Guifang's cooking skills seemed to be improving day by day. Looking at the sumptuous meal on the table, everyone's appetite was whetted.
Everyone found a seat and took their places.
Meng Yutong was pulled by Sun Guifang to sit down in the main seat facing south. Just as she was about to get up, everyone told her not to move, as there weren't so many rules here.
Sun Guifang was extremely enthusiastic. Standing beside her, she kept putting food into her bowl with serving chopsticks in her hand: "Dr. Meng, please try this braised pork. I simmered it over low heat for an hour today! And this stir-fried vegetable dish, it's the freshest... You must be exhausted today, eat more to nourish yourself!"
Liu Sijun sat on the other side of Meng Yutong, poured himself a glass of wine, took a small sip, and found it to be pleasantly sweet and sour with a light flavor that could relieve fatigue. He then naturally picked up another empty glass, filled it for Meng Yutong, and handed it to her with a smile, saying, "Tongtong, you've been busy all day, why not have a drink to relax!"
Ji Yun wasn't particularly familiar with the people here, and his aloof personality made the others hesitant to strike up a conversation with him. So they naturally gave up the other side of Meng Yutong's seat.
Ji Yun remained calm and sat down in the empty seat.
Just then, Liu Sijun handed over the wine cup he had poured and placed it in front of Meng Yutong's bowl.
"Doctor Meng has overworked himself today and is deficient in qi and blood, so he should not drink alcohol. It would be better to drink some warm soup or hot tea."
Ji Yun glanced indifferently at the glass of wine in front of Meng Yutong, and then reminded her, "When I came to Zhaoyu Hall yesterday, I seemed to see that Young Master Liu was not a good drinker. His words and actions were quite inappropriate after drinking. In my opinion, it would be best if Young Master Liu did not drink that wine."
The atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze.
Liu Sijun has a low alcohol tolerance and even worse drinking manners, something Cui Da and Mei San know all too well.
But Liu Sijun was the kind of person who "had a low alcohol tolerance but a strong addiction and was especially afraid of being provoked." The more people said he couldn't hold his liquor, the more unconvinced he became, and he had to prove himself.
Therefore, when they used to eat together, Cui Da and Mei San would usually let him have his way when he got into a good mood, and they would just take extra care of him afterwards.
However, today, Ji Yun has so bluntly and directly pointed this out in public, which Liu Sijun, with his temperament, absolutely cannot tolerate.
Sure enough, Liu Sijun became indignant upon hearing this and called out, "Brother Ji!"
Although the two had a brief argument in the afternoon, Liu Sijun, being a generous and easygoing person, didn't take it to heart.
But to say that he couldn't hold his liquor would be absolutely unacceptable. He almost stood up, raising his voice, "Looking at your frail and thin appearance, you don't seem like someone who can drink! We men of Qinzhou are all capable of drinking! If you don't believe me, let's have a contest right here and see who's the real deal!"
Ji Yun didn't even lift his eyelids. He slowly picked up a soup spoon, scooped half a bowl of fish soup, and said in an extremely cold voice, "I still need to see a doctor tomorrow, and I have no interest in that."
Liu Sijun's punch, which was full of power, seemed to have hit a piece of light cotton, leaving him with nowhere to land and instead making his chest feel stuffy.
He glared at them, angrily sat back down, looking utterly dejected.
Seeing this, Meng Yutong turned to Liu Sijun and gently advised, "Brother Liu, you've been busy all day and exhausted, so instead of drinking alcohol, why not have some hot soup to warm your stomach, relieve fatigue, and calm your mind?"
As she spoke, she ladled out a bowl of soup and placed it in front of him.
Liu Sijun's expression softened slightly. He smiled at Meng Yutong and glanced at Ji Yun with a hint of smugness: "Tongtong knows how to talk."
There was an unmistakable hint of sarcasm in those words.
Ji Yun, however, seemed not to have heard of this and showed no sign of anger.
He simply reached out and gently moved the glass of plum wine in front of Meng Yutong to his own side, then replaced it with the soup he had just ladled.
When Meng Yutong picked up her chopsticks to eat, she discovered that the wine cup in front of her had been replaced with a bowl of warm soup. She glanced at Ji Yun beside her in surprise.
Ji Yun did not look at her, but continued eating as usual.
Meng Yutong was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Thank you, Physician Ji."
Everyone was starving, and they quickly devoured all the food on the table.
After the meal, Meng Yutong gestured to Bai Zhi to settle the bill with Sun Guifang. Although Sun Guifang declined and made polite excuses twice, she eventually accepted the bill happily.
After Liu Sijun and his companions had eaten and drunk their fill, they said goodbye to Meng Yutong and left Peach Blossom Street.
Meng Yutong turned to look at Ji Yun, who was standing quietly to the side, and was about to ask him if he was planning to return to the Ji residence.
Unexpectedly, Ji Yun spoke first, his tone as calm as usual, but the content surprised her: "I just noticed that there are still vacancies on the second floor. I wonder if I could stay here for the next two days? It would be convenient for me to take care of Li Jing's condition nearby."
Meng Yutong was taken aback, and said tactfully, "The conditions in the clinic are simple, with only basic living necessities. It is far less comfortable and complete than your residence. I'm afraid Physician Ji will not be used to it."
Ji Yun shook his head, his expression indifferent: "I am not such a particular person. If Doctor Meng finds it inconvenient or abrupt, then please pretend I never mentioned it. However..."
He hesitated for a moment, then carefully chose his words, “But if Li Jing wakes up at night and finds himself in an unfamiliar environment, he may become emotionally unstable and cause trouble again. If I, Ji, am by his side, I may be able to calm him down in time, so as not to disturb Doctor Meng and the patients in the clinic.”
His words make sense. Li Jing is eccentric; if he woke up in the middle of the night to find himself on his "enemy's" territory, who knows what kind of trouble he would cause. Having his cousin stay and look after him is indeed the best way to save trouble.
Meng Yutong quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind, and then nodded in agreement: "Very well. It just so happens that there is an empty room next to Prince Li's house. Although the furnishings are simple, it is clean. Moreover, it is at the end of the corridor, which is quieter and may be more to the liking of Physician Ji."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered in Ji Yun's eyes. He nodded and said slowly, "Thank you, Doctor Meng, for your thoughtful consideration."
So the group returned to Zhaoyutang together. After returning to the clinic, they tidied up a bit and prepared the herbal medicine for several seriously ill patients to take that night. It was already quite late.
A crescent moon hung high outside, the night was cool and clear, and a gentle breeze carried a chill.
Tomorrow will likely be another busy day, so everyone washed up and went back to their rooms to rest.
Meng Yutong returned to her small room. She had just taken a bath, and her long, black hair, not yet completely dry, was casually draped over her shoulders.
She had slept for a while during the day and didn't feel tired at all, so she sat by the window, lit an oil lamp, and quietly began to read.
A gentle breeze drifted in through the latticework window, bringing a touch of coolness. Outside, the chirping of insects rose from the grass, weaving together a somewhat noisy yet strangely comforting sound.
Amidst the rhythmic chirping of insects, she suddenly heard several clear knocks on the door.
"Who is it?" Meng Yutong closed the book, got up and walked towards the door.
A familiar, clear, and cool voice came from outside the door, "Dr. Meng, it's me."
She opened the door a little bit and leaned against the door frame.
Ji Yun stood alone outside the door, wearing a borrowed gray-blue cloth shirt. His posture was upright and unrestrained, like a lone pine tree standing in the wind. When he looked at her, his handsome features appeared even more detached and otherworldly in the night.
A faint hint of surprise flashed across Meng Yutong's eyes. She then asked, "Physician Ji, is there something wrong with Prince Li?"
She wore a light purple nightgown, the fabric soft and the cut loose, the cuffs and hem fluttering gently in the breeze, which accentuated her slender figure, making her look like an aster quietly blooming under the moon, pure and elegant.
Her long, damp hair cascaded down her shoulders like a deep, dark waterfall, making her unadorned face appear even more pure and fair, yet possessing a captivating charm.
Ji Yun's gaze lingered on her for a moment before shifting away, and he shook his head slightly: "It's not about Li Jing. To be honest, I also have a bit of a problem with where I sit, making it difficult for me to fall asleep. I apologize for bothering you, but I wonder if Doctor Meng could do me a favor and sell me a calming sachet?"
Meng Yutong naturally agreed to such a trivial matter.
"Please follow me, Physician Ji." She closed the door behind her and led him to the main hall.
The moment the door opened, Ji Yun caught a glimpse of the books spread out on the table inside her room out of the corner of his eye; he was all too familiar with those indigo covers.
The two walked side by side, and he asked casually, "Was Dr. Meng just looking through a book on pharmacology?"
Meng Yutong nodded, "When I have nothing to do, I just flip through a few pages. Old Master Ji's medical skills are profound, and his insights into the properties and pharmacology of medicines are unique. His discussions are incisive and insightful. Every time I read his books, I feel that I benefit greatly and have a sudden enlightenment."
She spoke sincerely, with genuine admiration, saying, "In comparison, what I know is only the tip of the iceberg, and there are still many questions to be answered and much to learn."
Upon hearing this, Ji Yun's lips curved slightly, revealing a faint yet genuine smile of approval: "Dr. Meng is too modest. With your talent and comprehension, you have already far surpassed your peers. Given time, as you accumulate more knowledge, you may also be able to write books and share your insights with the medical community, just like your grandfather, so that the name 'Meng Yutong' can resound throughout the medical field."
Meng Yutong felt as if something had gently bumped into her heart; the four words "writing books and establishing theories" suddenly stirred her emotions.
She had never dared to imagine the future like this before. She was already very gratified to have opened Zhaoyutang and seen it gradually get on the right track. Her only thought was to run the clinic well and make it into the top ten on the official selection list next year. That was her greatest wish.
But Ji Yun's casual remark just now gave her a new idea.
What a blessing it would be if she could compile all her life's learning and insights into a book and pass it on to future generations to help people and save lives!
A surge of longing quietly welled up within her, making her heart skip a beat.
However, this thought only flashed through her mind before being suppressed by reason. She had only been practicing medicine for a short time, and her experience still needed to be accumulated and refined. Writing books and establishing theories was something that great masters could do, something she could not easily achieve at her current level.
In those few short steps, her mind was already filled with a myriad of emotions.
As they spoke, the two had already reached the front hall.
After Meng Yutong walked to the counter, she bent down and took out a bamboo basket from below, placing it on the counter. Recently, the clinic has been busy treating patients with diarrhea, so Bai Zhi had put away non-urgent items such as sachets and placed them here temporarily.
She looked at Ji Yun standing outside the counter, and gently pushed the basket toward him. Inside, various sachets of different colors and embroidery were piled up: "Physician Ji, please choose whatever you like."
Ji Yun stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the riot of colors, a rare, faint hint of distress appearing in his eyes.
He looked up at Meng Yutong again and said naturally, "There are so many colors and patterns that it's dazzling. Would you be so kind as to ask Doctor Meng to help me choose one?"
"What color does Physician Ji prefer?" Meng Yutong asked as she reached into the basket and rummaged through it.
Ji Yun watched her movements quietly.
I noticed that she had her head slightly lowered, and her long, thick eyelashes fell quietly like butterfly wings, casting a soft shadow under her eyes. Occasionally, they would tremble gently as she rummaged through the trinkets, like a graceful butterfly.
A faint ripple flickered in his eyes, as if he were merely observing casually, and he answered nonchalantly:
"Purple."
Meng Yutong continued rummaging through the items, then asked, "What about the patterns? What kind of patterns does Physician Ji like?"
The sachets in the baskets are all meticulously embroidered, with a wide variety of patterns, exquisite fabrics, and delicate embroidery. The birds, beasts, insects, fish, flowers, and auspicious patterns are all lifelike.
Only one stood out, looking out of place among them.
It was a plain white brocade fabric with a pattern embroidered crookedly with purple silk thread. You could barely make out two asymmetrical wings, which seemed to be a... butterfly.
The stitches were clumsy and the shape was immature; it was clearly a semi-finished product.
Ji Yun's gaze lingered on the unique sachet for a moment, examining it carefully, before he suddenly asked, "Are all these sachets made by Miss Bai Zhi?"
Meng Yutong nodded, her tone filled with affirmation for Bai Zhi: "Bai Zhi is clever, skilled in embroidery, and quick-witted. All the sachets sold in the shop are embroidered by her."
Upon hearing this, Ji Yun seemed to understand and nodded slightly. He raised his slender fingers and tapped on the half-finished sachet that Meng Yutong had tossed aside, his tone seemingly carrying a hint of interest, "This one will do."
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