Chapter 67. She has a kind heart.
In the early morning, the soft morning light seeped quietly into the room through the latticed windows. The clear chirping of birds outside the eaves filled the air, carrying a vibrant sense of life.
A cool breeze drifted in from the second-floor corridor, gently stirring the slightly stuffy air inside and bringing with it the fresh scent of the plants in the courtyard.
Li Jing opened his eyes groggily, looked around blankly, and found himself in a very unfamiliar and shabby environment.
The interior furnishings were extremely simple, consisting of only a table and a chair, made of rough wood and in an old-fashioned style.
The bed beneath him was narrow, covered with a plain but stiffly starched quilt. A strong, bitter medicinal smell permeated the air, mixed with a faint, sour, putrid odor.
He struggled to sit up, feeling dizzy and empty inside, with a vague, inexplicable pain in his buttocks. He instinctively rubbed it, his expression growing increasingly blank, and called out, "Shi Yu? Shi Yu!"
Shi Yu was watching the medicine stove in the small kitchen downstairs. He had just poured the decocted medicine into a bowl when he heard someone calling from upstairs. He quickly carried the bowl upstairs, pushed open the door, and saw Li Jing sitting up. His face lit up with joy: "Your Highness! You've finally woken up!"
Li Jing was brought to Zhaoyutang yesterday. Due to a sudden high fever, persistent diarrhea, and delirium, he spent most of his time lying on the bed in a coma. Occasionally, he would struggle to get up, but the pain was excruciating. He would force himself to go to the toilet, but he was still in a daze. Now that he has woken up, his memory of yesterday is hazy.
Shi Yu hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, when you returned from outside the other day, you must have been greedy and ate some unclean drinks from a street stall, which made you sick and caused you to fall ill. The Princess was extremely worried and specially invited Physician Ji to come to the residence to treat you."
"Physician Ji said you have a severe case of dysentery, and ordinary medicines are unlikely to be effective quickly enough. You need to be brought to Zhaoyu Hall for treatment. Yesterday at noon, Yunzhou and I brought you here for accommodation. Fortunately, Doctor Meng at this clinic has some special medicine for your condition. I gave you three doses, and now you are finally conscious!"
As he spoke, he handed the warm bowl of medicine to Li Jing, saying, "Your Highness, please drink this medicine while it's still hot."
Li Jing frowned, looking at his attendant with disbelief on his face: "Where did you say? Zhaoyu Hall?" He wondered if he had misheard.
Shi Yu nodded firmly: "It is indeed Zhaoyutang, the clinic of Doctor Meng Yutong. Yesterday, Physician Ji personally brought you here, and he stayed here last night to take care of you!"
Li Jing's gaze swept around the simple house again, his expression changing rapidly, from surprise and bewilderment to a complex and indescribable look, his eyebrows twitching a few times.
He stopped asking questions, grabbed the bowl of medicine, tilted his head back, and gulped down the dark brown liquid. Instantly, an indescribable, extreme bitterness filled his mouth, shooting straight to the top of his head, making him shudder. Only then did he fully wake up and accept the unbelievable reality before him.
She...she actually agreed to let him stay at Zhaoyutang for treatment...
She has a kind heart.
"During the two days I've been recuperating here, has she... come to see me?" Li Jing, having recovered from the ordeal, looked at Shi Yu with a hint of barely perceptible expectation on his face.
“Of course I’m here!” Shi Yu nodded immediately.
A clear look of joy flashed across Li Jing's face.
Shi Yu added, "Physician Ji came twice yesterday, and then again this morning at dawn. He inquired in detail about the young master's condition and was very concerned. He instructed me to take good care of him."
The fleeting hint of joy quickly turned into a cold glare as she swept her eyes over Shi Yu. "You idiot! Was I asking about my cousin? How could I not know he cares about me?"
Li Jing was so angry that his liver hurt. He felt that it was a waste of breath to talk to this blockhead, so he moved his body back and deliberately put on a nonchalant look. "I'm asking about Doctor Meng of Zhaoyutang."
Shi Yu blinked, looking completely bewildered: "Dr. Meng? What happened to her?"
Li Jing was so angry that she kicked him, but the movement was so big that it aggravated her own body, and she felt a burning pain in her buttocks.
He grimaced and leaned back on the pillow, clutching his backside, his face full of exasperation: "I'm asking about Meng Yutong! Has she come to see me?!"
Shi Yu, clutching his injured leg, hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, Doctor Meng did indeed visit you yesterday. She specifically inquired about your condition and left only after seeing that you were sleeping peacefully."
Hearing this, Li Jing's expression brightened somewhat. He then pressed on, "Is she seeing patients downstairs now?"
Shi Yu nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing this, Li Jing instinctively reached for the covers and got out of bed. Before he could move, Shi Yu hurriedly stepped forward to stop him: "Young Master, you're not fully recovered yet, where are you going?"
"Get out of my way!" Li Jing impatiently pushed him away. "I'm going downstairs for some fresh air. This room is stuffy and smells like medicine!"
Shi Yu then remembered something and hurriedly said, "The Princess Consort instructed that if the young master is able to get out of bed, it would be best for him to return to the manor to recuperate. This small clinic is bustling with all sorts of people, and you certainly won't be used to staying here. Now that your fever has subsided, why don't we go back to the manor in a while, so that the Princess Consort won't worry about you day and night?"
"I'm not going back!" Li Jing glared at him, her tone resolute. "If you dare go back and say another word to my mother, you'd better watch your legs!"
Having said that, he straightened his slightly disheveled robes, mustered his weak strength, and put on a proud and imposing posture before pushing open the door and heading straight downstairs.
It was still early, with the first rays of dawn breaking through the darkness. The clinic had not yet opened its doors, but the courtyard was already bustling with people, who had begun their busy day early.
Bai Zhi and Wu Mingzheng took out the medicines stored in the pharmacy one by one and carefully spread them out on bamboo baskets in the courtyard to dry. On the other side, Meng Yutong was bending over in the small garden behind the pharmacy, carefully watering and loosening the soil for several precious purple ginseng plants.
Familiar voices came from the other end of the lobby. Liu Sijun and Cui Da and a few others returned from outside, carrying several large bags of steaming buns and mantou, which they had just bought from the market. The aroma was irresistible.
They placed the food on a stone table in the courtyard and called out to everyone to have breakfast first.
Upon hearing this, everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around.
"Tongtong, don't be busy, come over and have something to eat!" Seeing that Meng Yutong hadn't moved yet, Liu Sijun strode over, took the water ladle and hoe from her hands very naturally, and gently pushed her shoulder towards the stone table, "Leave this to me, you go first."
Meng Yutong carefully instructed, "The amount of water must be controlled; just enough to slightly moisten the surface soil. Do not use too much."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Liu Sijun readily agreed and skillfully took over the care of the ginseng seedlings.
Meng Yutong then turned around and stepped out from the shadows by the corner of the wall. Unexpectedly, after taking only two steps, she caught sight of a figure hidden at the top of the stairs.
The man, dressed in a royal green brocade robe, had half his body hidden in the shadows of the corner of the wall, peeking into the courtyard as if searching for something.
Meng Yutong stepped forward slowly and asked in a gentle voice, "Young Master Li, are you feeling much better?"
Li Jing was completely taken aback when she suddenly appeared behind him, and he was startled so much that he turned around abruptly.
When he saw that it was Meng Yutong, he was stunned for a moment. He opened his mouth, but hesitated and finally managed to squeeze out, "I...I came down to find Ji Yun."
Meng Yutong understood and patiently explained, "The physician has important matters to attend to in the hospital, and Physician Ji left in a hurry early this morning. If Your Highness is not in a hurry, you can rest in your room first. He should be back around noon."
Upon hearing this, Li Jing seemed to secretly breathe a sigh of relief, and his tone relaxed: "Well... it's not anything urgent. I was just asking casually."
"Miss, breakfast is getting cold, please come and have some!" Bai Zhi called out from the other end of the line.
Meng Yutong responded.
The enticing aroma of steamed buns filled the courtyard. Li Jing's gaze involuntarily drifted to the stone table, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he quietly swallowed.
Meng Yutong noticed his little gesture and asked, "Your Highness has been ill for two days and must not have eaten properly. Would you like some with me?"
"I...I'm actually not that hungry." Li Jing glanced at the several burly men from Qinzhou beside the stone table, and subconsciously recalled the humiliating memory of being easily subdued by Cui Da like a chicken last time, and felt a chill in his heart. Although his stomach was empty, he did not dare to step forward for the moment.
“Your Highness’s stomach is still recovering, so it’s really not advisable to eat too much of these greasy foods.” Meng Yutong readily agreed, her tone still gentle but with a hint of aloofness. “I’ll have someone send a bowl of light white porridge to your room later.”
After speaking, she nodded slightly and turned to walk towards the lively stone table.
Li Jing stood frozen in place, opening his mouth in vain, but not knowing what reason to use to call her back.
He lowered his head, somewhat dejected. Her words, though polite, clearly carried a hint of coldness. Was she... still somewhat annoyed with him?
But upon reflection, I realized that I had indeed done many terrible things in the past, so it seemed only natural for her to be disgusted with me.
This is so annoying!
Meng Yutong had already taken her seat and was having dinner with everyone, chatting and laughing, creating a harmonious and warm atmosphere.
He alone huddled in this corner, caught in a dilemma. Normally, he would have already turned and returned to his spacious and comfortable palace; his room was large, his bed soft, and he could have anything he wanted to eat.
Why should you have to put up with other people's attitudes and smell this medicine here!
Shi Yu had also slipped downstairs at some point, peeking out from the stair railing and cautiously suggesting, "Young Master, perhaps... we should go back to the manor?"
"Who asked you?" Li Jing was already annoyed, and upon hearing this, he immediately vented his anger on him. He flicked his sleeve, gave him a cold glare, and then turned around and strode upstairs to the strange-smelling guest room.
Shi Yu stood there, stunned.
His young master has always been pampered and spoiled, never having suffered any hardship. How can this clinic compare to the environment in the manor? I don't know what's wrong with him. Now that he can get out of bed and walk around, why is he still lingering here instead of going back?
I can't figure it out.
Shi Yu could only sigh helplessly and quickly followed.
After Li Jing returned to the room, Bai Zhi whispered to Meng Yutong, "Miss, when is that Prince Li leaving?"
Meng Yutong: "He'll probably leave in the next couple of days. He's used to a life of luxury, and he probably won't be used to living here."
Bai Zhi pouted.
"What's wrong?" Meng Yutong was amused by her expression.
“His stomach is indeed weak; even Old Man Wang next door can't go to the toilet as often as he can. I saw his servant empty the chamber pot yesterday and again this morning.”
"Bai Zhi! We're eating!" Wu Ming picked up a steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth.
Meng Yutong smiled and said, "Everyone gets sick, so you can't blame him."
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