Getting Along (I)
The morning mist is like gauze, and the new green mountains are immersed in the haze.
He Shuzhen wiped off the dewdrops on his clothes and stood in front of Li's house again.
Under the veil of his hat, he stared at the vermilion lacquered door and gradually became lost in thought.
After bidding farewell to Li Qingshan last night, he returned to the Zen room and had been tossing and turning since then. The candle on the low table was lit until dawn, and then he looked up from his sitting position. The bloodshot in his eyes were surprisingly bright, and he finally grasped a glimmer of hope before dawn.
I was so worried yesterday that I overlooked the fact that Brother Qingshan was originally weak because of a congenital condition...
Now that he is seriously ill, it is very likely that he caught a cold after being caught in the rain and his serious illness has been triggered. Moreover, Xuan Tongzi has not been around for some time and has not treated Brother Qingshan. Naturally, we cannot jump to the conclusion that this disease is incurable.
He Shu, who had figured it out, was no longer sad about the passing of time. Looking at the dawn, he immediately decided to set out to see Li Qingshan. Before leaving, he suddenly remembered what the old woman had said to him yesterday. He really did not act like a reliable doctor.
Then his green clothes turned into a gray robe, and on his back was a large medicine box that looked very heavy but was actually empty. He pinched his fingers to turn a few pieces of bluestone into medicinal herbs and put them into the box. Now the medicine box felt heavy when it was knocked over.
Seeing that he finally looked somewhat presentable, He Shu nodded with satisfaction.
Yesterday, Brother Qingshan was very reluctant to let me help him treat his illness. It would be best if I could cure him directly without revealing my identity.
After thinking it over, he finally put on the veil.
It was still early when we arrived at Li's house. There were few people there, much quieter than yesterday.
He Shu stepped forward but was stopped by two doormen. A taller one stepped forward and said politely:
"Sir, please stay. I will inform you first."
He Shu nodded, and soon he saw the tall Men Ding leading a man who was dressed slightly better walking over.
This man looked to be about forty years old, not tall, and had a round figure. From a distance, he looked somewhat familiar. It seemed that he was the person who stayed with Brother Qingshan yesterday.
As the bloated figure approached, He Shu felt a growing sense of familiarity. He couldn't help but frown, his gaze falling on the man's waist.
A small jade button with unique carving!
This was actually the personal item that the shopkeeper Jia had worn when he had tricked him into buying books a few days ago!
He Shu's heart suddenly shook, and the vague sense of familiarity just now became sharp and piercing in an instant. A surge of anger rushed up, burning his ears.
"I am Zhao Shi, the housekeeper of the Li residence. You are here because of the notice, right? Please come with me to register first..."
He Shu clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, and swallowed back the word "liar" that was about to come out of his mouth.
"Butler Zhao... I wonder if Butler Zhao still remembers me. We met once a few days ago."
He Shu gasped, his enthusiasm suddenly cooling down. He deliberately lowered his voice and spoke sarcastically as Zhao Shi walked along the path to the registration office.
Zhao Shi's steps paused slightly, and the fat on the back of his neck tensed for a moment. He squinted and looked at the person beside him. His eyes were sharp under the veil, but he was just confused and clearly did not recognize He Shu.
"Your Excellency's veil... does look quite familiar..."
As he was about to move forward, He Shu, who could no longer bear it, stopped him and dragged him to an empty corner not far away.
"Manager Jia, how are you?"
"Why did you shave off your beard after not seeing you for a few days? Are you hiding from someone?"
"Hey hey hey, a gentleman uses his mouth, not his fists!"
He Shu tapped Zhao Shi's chin hard, frightening him so much that he retreated and bumped into the wall. His back pressed tightly against the wall, and he curled up into a ball, holding his head and begging for mercy.
"Sir, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have sold banned books privately... Please be magnanimous and forgive me!"
"Banned book?"
"Who wants to talk nonsense with you?"
He Shu disdainfully released the sleeve he was holding and lifted the veil with a sneer.
Seeing Zhao Shi's cowardly look, he was so angry that he couldn't control himself. When he thought that he had been deceived by such a coward, he felt as disgusted as if he had eaten a fly.
"Didn't I ask you back then if this 'Qi Xiang Zhi' was the complete version? How did you promise me that? Why did you lie to me? This book wasn't even finished. It caused me so much trouble for no reason, it made me..."
He Shu stopped talking, lowered his eyes, and his grip on the strap of the medicine box loosened and tightened, until the strength finally faded into a light sigh.
Immersed in his own thoughts, he frowned slightly, his gaze vaguely cast on Zhao Shi, who was huddled in the corner with his eyes rolling around, and he didn't say anything else.
"Sir, I'm not trying to quibble. I didn't even know the book was unfinished. It's really unfair..."
"Besides... I, I didn't mean it. I just couldn't bear to see my young master's painstakingly written books unable to even be published... My Lord, I can't read, but I know these books are the young master's hard work. How can I just stand there and watch..."
Zhao Shi shrank and begged for mercy, but when he mentioned "Young Master", his neck suddenly stiffened, as if his spine was straightened by an invisible hand.
"How can I just watch those filthy people slander my young master like this, saying that the book he wrote is banned? Bah! They're clearly jealous of my young master's talent!"
When his emotions were so strong, his veins bulged, and his previous cowardly look was gone.
"My young master has a good temper and doesn't mind being bullied to this extent. But I, Old Zhao, can't swallow this anger. I want everyone to see the book written by the young master!"
He Shu was startled by the sudden loud voice and took a step back, but he was suddenly stunned. He had heard what Zhao Shi said just now and realized that everything was just a coincidence.
Cause and effect in the world are entangled like vines, making it difficult to distinguish between blessing and disaster.
Suddenly, Li Qingshan's pale fingertips caressing bamboo leaves under the moonlight appeared before his eyes, and his words, "Don't pity me," were still ringing in his mind. It turned out that he was an author, and beneath his frail frame, a fire was always burning. If it weren't for his physical limitations, he would never have given up writing.
Forget it... All fate is predestined. If it weren't for this incomplete storybook, how could I have met Brother Qingshan?
He Shu's determination to cure Li Qingshan became more and more urgent. When he thought that Brother Qingshan would be healthy and safe after recovering from his illness, he felt relieved.
By then, it would be just around the corner for him to see the ending of "Knowing Each Other." The corners of his mouth curved up unconsciously, and the wooden medicine box made a light and crisp sound when his knuckles were knocked against it. Even Zhao Shi began to like it.
"Alright, I won't bother with you about this anymore. Take me to your young master's room. I want to help him heal."
"This... this is against the rules. We need to pass the qualification..."
"Um?"
He Shu's eyebrows raised, and then he thought of something. He pretended to put his hand on Zhao Shi's pulse, closed his eyes and concentrated, a golden thread disappeared into his sleeve, which was difficult for ordinary people to see.
"Your pulse is heavy and slippery, very stagnant."
He slowly opened his eyes and continued in a pretentious tone:
"I've been eating too much rich food and not exercising enough, causing phlegm and turbidity to clog my meridians. Is this causing poor qi flow, restless sleep, and a constant feeling of chest tightness, making it difficult to even turn over? My mouth tastes bitter and sticky when I wake up in the morning, and I feel bloated after just a few bites. My eyelids are always droopy and lethargic."
"Sir... what you said means that the doctor I usually see will have to come out..."
Zhao Shi looked embarrassed as he spoke, and He Shu felt a little embarrassed. So this was not enough to prove his medical skills?
He coughed lightly twice, quickly adjusted his mood, and calmly took out the acupuncture needle that had just appeared out of thin air from the medicine box, and stabbed it at the person opposite who could not dodge with lightning speed.
"Now, can any other doctor do this?"
He Shu secretly passed a wisp of true energy through his fingertips, and used the needle as a cover to pierce the acupoint, and then he quickly withdrew his hand.
He had just pierced Zhao Shi's Hegu acupoint, which could relieve his chest tightness. Combined with his own true energy, it was enough to dissipate the turbid air in a short period of time, and even his mind became clearer.
"What are you doing? Eh!"
Zhao Shi's raised arms were still hanging in the air, and his expression instantly changed from fear to surprise.
"Sir! I feel much more refreshed now."
"That's right, don't you see who I am?"
He Shu raised his face, and the corners of his lips curled up silently behind the veil.
"Can you take me to see Qing... ahem, your young master now?"
"Of course, sir."
Zhao Shi brought him to Li Qingshan's house and asked the servant guarding the door in a low voice,
"Is the young master awake?"
"He's awake. He just had his meal, but he said he didn't have much appetite and only took a few bites."
"Oh, how can this be..."
Zhao Shi was so anxious that he rubbed his hands, sweat appeared on his forehead.
"From the moment I woke up yesterday until now, Master has barely eaten a grain of rice..."
He Shu's heart tightened when he heard this. He quickly stepped forward and patted Zhao Shi's shoulder. His voice came through the veil with unquestionable urgency.
"Can I go in now?"
"Let me first inform you that if the young master is not in the mood to see guests, please follow me to the guest room to rest for a while."
Zhao Shi pushed open the door, and He Shu turned sideways and looked through the gap in the veil.
Li Qingshan leaned against the couch holding a book, with a gentle smile on his lips as he listened to Zhao Shi's report. When his eyes swept over his "doctor's" attire and paused for a moment on his veil, the smile faded. When he nodded, his fingertips unconsciously curled the pages of the book, leaving creases on the paper, and a trace of imperceptible fatigue and alienation flashed across his brows.
Seeing that he was not rejected, He Shu quietly loosened his hand hidden in his sleeve. For a moment, he even held his breath. Fortunately... fortunately, the disguise worked.
"Young Master, this miraculous doctor just gave me an injection, and my chronic chest tightness and shortness of breath were cured immediately. He will definitely be able to cure your illness too..."
As Zhao Shi spoke, he helped Li Qingshan sit on the stool next to the round table.
He Shu was afraid of being recognized, so he stayed as far away as possible, opened the medicine box and spread out a roll of acupuncture needles on the table.
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