Wounds always hurt when they scab over, but she’s been smiling a lot more lately.
Lin Danqing said, "Younger Sister Lu, there’s a celebration at the Medical Officer Institute later to congratulate the candidates selected to be Imperial Physicians this year. Let’s go together."
Chang Jin hadn’t lied; the medical officers who went to Su Nan to fight the epidemic were indeed promoted three levels upon examination. Chang Jin had already added Lin Danqing’s name to the list of candidates selected to be Imperial Physicians. Should Lin Danqing pass the assessment at the end of the year, he would truly become an Imperial Physician.
For a newly appointed Imperial Medical Officer, this was an astonishingly rapid promotion.
Lin Danqing was also very satisfied, having shown Lu Tong his plans, striving to enter the Imperial Apothecary in one year, become a Chief Physician in two years, and surpass Chang Jin within three years to take on the position of Envoy himself.
Lu Tong expressed her support without hesitation.
"Chief Physician Chang just said to me yesterday that he hasn’t seen you in a long time. Let’s go together and have him pick up some good medicinal materials for you at the Imperial Apothecary," she offered.
Lu Tong shook her head and replied, "Not today. Mr. Miao is leaving, and I want to see him off."
"Mr. Miao is leaving?" both Ji Xun and Lin Danqing were surprised: "When did this happen?"
"It was decided earlier. He didn’t want me to tell you or for you to see him off," Lu Tong said with a smile. "The teacher has his considerations, so I didn’t mention it."
On hearing this, Ji Xun and Lin Danqing both felt a hint of melancholy.
After all, they had participated in a medical banquet together, and that elderly healer also had profound insights into medical principles.
As they were speaking, the sound of horse hooves approached from outside the Medical Bureau. A vermilion-wheel carriage stopped at the entrance, and immediately after, someone lifted the carriage curtain, sat inside the carriage, and when seeing Lu Tong looking over, waved her hand slightly.
It was Pei Yunmeng arriving.
"Oh, is Marshal Pei here to pick you up again?" teased Lin Danqing, "I’ve heard that on the days he doesn’t have to stand guard, he comes to West Street every evening to escort you home. The Commandant of the Palace Front Office has become the unpaid patrol guard of West Street, but I hear that the security there has improved a lot; residents don’t even have to lock their doors at night."
She said this mockingly, while Lu Tong remained silent, simply picking up her medical kit to sling over her back, hastily explaining a few things to Lin Danqing, and finally said, "I’m going to see Mr. Miao off first. Next time I’ll come and talk to you about matters of the Medical Bureau."
Lin Danqing waved his hand, "Go on then, and send Mr. Miao my wishes for a smooth journey."
Ji Xun looked toward the outside, where the figure of the woman running toward the carriage was cheerful. As she reached the carriage, the man reached out to support her arm, pulling her into the carriage, and then glanced over, nodding slightly to him as a greeting before letting down the curtain.
Ji Xun lowered his eyes.
They truly seemed to be a couple deeply in love.
...
Inside the carriage, as Lu Tong settled herself, Pei Yunmeng passed her a cup of tea.
Lu Tong took a sip of the tea and asked, "Why have you come so early today?"
This was a bit earlier than the time she had previously agreed with Pei Yunmeng.
"I didn’t need to conduct martial training today, and there was nothing pressing at the office. Additionally, seeing Old Miao earlier would give you more time to talk with him," he explained.
Mentioning Old Miao made Lu Tong sigh deeply in her heart.
Miao Liangfang had decided to return to Miao Family Village.
Half a year ago, when Lu Tong first returned to Shengjing and resigned her position as a Medical Officer at the Medical Officer Institute, Miao Liangfang had seemed hesitant to speak to her.
It was after her engagement to Pei Yunmeng had been settled that Old Miao, one afternoon in a medical hall, hesitantly revealed his plans to Lu Tong.
"Xiao Lu, it’s been over twenty years since I’ve been back to Yunling; I don’t know what Miao Family Village looks like now," he said.
He tapped his disabled leg and continued, "I stayed in Shengjing before because I held resentment and was unwilling to accept my fate, nor did I have the face to simply return like that. Now that I think about it, it was cowardly."
"The past has passed, and the truth has settled. I want to go back and see how things are at home. They must be worried, not having heard from me for all these years. I plan to open a new medical practice in Miao Family Village. The village can’t compare to Shengjing, which is teeming with talented people in the medical field. I want to take the medical skills I’ve learned in Shengjing back to Yunling so that those barefoot doctors there can save lives just like the medical officers in Shengjing," he said.
"Xiao Lu," he looked at Lu Tong, "I never brought this up before because the medical hall couldn’t do without a Resident Doctor. But now that you’re no longer a Hanlin Medical Officer, and I see that you’re devoted to medical practice, I can leave with peace of mind."
Lu Tong wanted to persuade him to stay, but she didn’t know what to say. She understood all too well the desire of a traveller who had been wandering for over twenty years to return home; she really had no reason to stop him.
But no matter when, she always found it hard to prepare for farewells.
Her downcast expression did not escape the notice of her companion. Pei Yunmeng drew her closer, comforting her in a gentle voice: "Don’t be sad; it’s not like you won’t see him again in the future."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
