Chapter 1577 Extra: The Duke of Jin is Very Busy (Part 2)
Outside the door, the woman was at a loss.
As soon as Tan Qu opened the door, the woman disregarded etiquette and grabbed his wrist, pleading, "Dr. Tan, please save my son."
"Is it your son? Madam, don't worry, let me see him." Hearing that it was only the reincarnated body that was in trouble and not someone else, Tan Qu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. Qi Shan and his daughter exchanged glances and then followed.
The family, whose members were half-reincarnated true spirits, wasn't extremely wealthy, but they had managed to accumulate some savings. Their ancestors had been a family of farmers and scholars, and the family had experienced ups and downs over the previous generation before finally settling down here. At the beginning of the new era, the head of this family planned to take all their savings to the new capital, Huangting, to develop their career. At that time, Huangting had nothing but opportunities everywhere, but their plans were disrupted by their newborn son.
This child has intellectual disabilities.
If they were to venture out to develop their careers, the child might not survive the arduous journey and die halfway there. Furthermore, he was betting his entire fortune on a future at Huangting; if things didn't go well, where would the money for the child's medical treatment come from? After much deliberation, he decided to give up.
Perhaps it was a blessing from heaven, but although the son with a brain disorder was a bit slow-witted, he was obedient and sensible from a young age. Even when he was still an infant, he was not very troublesome. As he grew up, he was not as mischievous and naughty as his peers. He would even take the initiative to take care of his younger siblings.
Even more fortunately, a doctor moved in next door.
Although Dr. Tan is away from home most of the year, spending anywhere from a month to ten days at a time, he always examines his mentally challenged son, prescribes expensive medications based on their names, and tutors his school-aged son whenever he returns...
Dr. Tan truly has the heart of a healer.
When her son suddenly fell into a coma, the woman immediately thought of him.
The woman asked, "Dr. Tan, how is my child?"
Tan Qu examined the pulse and had a general idea of what was going on, but figuring out how to smooth things over would take some effort: "How many days has your son had a high fever?"
The woman wasn't quite sure either.
"I...I don't know...I really don't know."
She was on the verge of tears when she said this.
My family has been busy with business at the shop during this time.
Although her son is mentally challenged, he is not completely ignorant. Over the years, her husband and she have taught him many common sense skills, such as how to fetch water, boil water, and start a fire, how to cook, do laundry, put on shoes and clothes, not to talk to strangers, and not to open the door for strangers.
They are barely able to take care of themselves in daily life.
The couple felt comfortable letting him live alone at home.
In addition, I asked my neighbor of more than ten years to keep an eye on things.
She didn't know how long her son had had a high fever. When she came home, she found him sleeping soundly and wouldn't wake up. Touching his forehead, she discovered his temperature was alarmingly high, and she couldn't rouse him no matter how much she called. Thinking about this, she felt even more remorseful. She shouldn't have been so careless; she should have taken her child to the shop to care for him. If she had looked after him nearby, she wouldn't have been unaware that her child had been home alone with a high fever for so many days.
Tan Qu gently comforted her.
"Don't blame yourself; it may be a blessing in disguise."
A glimmer of hope appeared in the woman's bewildered eyes: "Is it a blessing or a curse? Dr. Tan, what do you mean by that?"
Tan Qu said, "This high fever has inadvertently given your son a chance to regain his senses. The physician with such skills is my fellow disciple and is currently in the Phoenix Court. My suggestion is to stabilize his temperature first and take him to the Phoenix Court for treatment as soon as possible. Time is precious and should not be delayed. If we miss this opportunity, I'm afraid he may never have a chance to recover. Madam, please make a decision as soon as possible."
The woman asked nervously, "How much will it cost?"
Tan Qu: "Money is not necessary. Your son is a rare patient with a special condition. If fellow disciples can cure him, they can gain fame from it. For the sake of reputation, we can treat your son for free."
The woman was overjoyed and wept, nodding repeatedly in agreement.
Another problem has arisen.
Because they were pressed for time, none of the family members could accompany their mentally challenged son to the Phoenix Court for medical treatment. They had no choice but to entrust the child to Doctor Tan, whom the whole family trusted. Before taking the child away, Doctor Tan reassured them: "Your son's brain disease is congenital, and the lesions are deeply rooted. It cannot be cured in just three or five courses of treatment. The entire process may last two or three years. During this time, I will contact your wife through the postal service to inform her of your son's recovery progress. If you miss him, you can come to the Phoenix Court to see him anytime."
The woman wiped away her tears.
Tears welled up in her eyes, making her tongue taste bitter: "Huangting is too far away from here. A round trip takes more than a month. The family can't make a living without someone, and the children can't be left alone either..."
Although life was much better after the country was at peace than during the chaotic times, and the whole family had no problem with food and clothing, she and her husband wanted their children to continue the family tradition and send all the children who could study to school. This caused their previously comfortable life to become difficult. A seven or eight-year-old child is considered a qualified laborer for a family. Sending a child to school means losing a laborer. Wouldn't the pressure of life brought about by taking time off work to study fall on the adults?
Neither she nor her husband could accompany their child to Huangting for medical treatment.
"What is Dr. Tan doing?"
Tan Qu handed the heavy money bag to the woman.
"Consider this a reward on behalf of my fellow disciple. If he can gain inspiration from your son's illness and break through in his medical skills, your son will be a hero. Isn't it only right to reward a hero? You have many expenses at home, so please accept it."
The woman declined twice, but eventually accepted it.
They were extremely grateful to Tan Qu.
Carefully putting away the money: "This humble woman will definitely get a longevity plaque for Dr. Tan, hoping that God will grant you good health and all your wishes."
Tan Qu: "..."
This is completely unnecessary.
No parents would bow to their children; they fear it would shorten their lifespan.
With a few persuasive words, Tan Qu successfully got the reincarnated body to follow him. Without further ado, he turned around and put the reincarnated body onto the carriage.
Qi Miao: "..."
This was the first time she had ever seen Uncle Tan lie. To be fair, no matter how kind-hearted he might be, he was still a scholar at heart, and lies came easily to his lips: "Uncle Tan, are you really going back to the Phoenix Court?"
Tan Qu said, "Why bother with that?"
Seeking medical treatment and medicine is all a lie to my mother.
He naturally went to the neighboring county to rent a small house to prepare for the exam.
Qi Miao: "Then this 'Uncle Tan'..."
“Yuanliang has been free lately, hasn’t he? He’s on his annual leave, so let him help look after things so I don’t have to worry about him.” Tan Qu sighed, picked up the [Fifteen-Year Examination Questions Collection of the Medical Temple] and continued to study it, soon entering a state of complete absorption.
Qi Shan: "..."
He turned to look at the half-reincarnated body of his best friend.
The reincarnated being's fever had subsided, and he was sitting quietly in the corner of the carriage. When Qi Shan's gaze fell upon him, he seemed to sense it, looked up, and stared blankly for a long time before revealing a pure and friendly smile.
Qi Shan rubbed her temples: "This is to make me raise a child."
Tan Qu had been plotting this for a long time.
The house rental was completed in just one day, and I moved in.
The Fang family had been saved by Tan Qu. When she heard that Dr. Tan was coming to stay for six months, Fang Ya immediately took out the most cost-effective house, personally handled all the procedures, and ordered someone to send some daily necessities for emergency use. The rest could be purchased in the city the next day.
Thank you!
Fang Ya quickly waved his hand, "It should be me thanking Mr. Tan."
The courtyard was small, with only three rooms. Qi Shan and his daughter each had a room, while Tan Qu shared a room with his reincarnated self. He rolled up his sleeves and patted Qi Shan, who was refusing to move with her hands tucked into her sleeves: "Come and get to work."
"don't want."
Not to mention that Qi Shan has held a high position of power and enjoyed a life of luxury for many years, he also had a lot of bad habits in the past—after following the Lord to establish the family, he almost never did any housework himself, so naturally he wouldn't do it now. It's other people's business if they want to do it.
Qi Miao: "Uncle Tan, I'll do whatever it takes to help you."
Tan Qu said, "You don't need to spoil him."
Qi Shan: "..."
Cleaning the entire courtyard was quite a task, and the reincarnated self also lent a hand. With everyone working together, the three (or four?) finally managed to make it habitable before dark. Qi Shan went straight to sleep, while Qi Miao and Tan Qu left their rooms lit all night.
Qi Shan: "..."
These doctors are a bunch of lunatics, they're really terrifying.
Because Qi Miao had to tutor Tan Qu in his final entrance exam preparation, he had no time to pay attention to Qi Shan. He also had no official duties to keep him occupied, so he could only pick up his old hobby. While he was painting, his half-best friend's reincarnation sat quietly in a corner not far away, sometimes staring blankly into space, sometimes fidgeting with his sleeves, hair, and hair accessories, and taking turns biting a few fingers.
More often than not, he would quietly approach Qi Shan to see what he was doing.
The seventeen-year-old reincarnated body was pampered by his family, still sporting a touch of baby fat on his face. When intently gazing at the painting, he would unconsciously puff out his cheeks. He wasn't entirely incapable of causing trouble; before committing any mischief, he would carefully observe whether Qi Shan was alert, then, believing his actions were flawless, he would secretly dip his finger in ink and, mimicking the patterns on the painting, scribble and draw in "secluded" corners...
Apply it from the floor to the walls.
Then he applied the paint from the wall onto his clothes, arms, and face.
Finally, they even ruined Qi Shan's hem.
Qi Shan: "...I'll teach you."
The reincarnated body had no experience in painting, not even knowing how to hold a brush. No matter how hard he tried to imitate, he could only scribble nonsense. Qi Shan had no choice but to give up on the paintbrush and teach him how to use his fingers: "There's a formula; if you follow me, you'll master it."
The reincarnated being tilted its head, as if listening attentively.
Qi Shan recalled her master's "insights" on painting.
"An old man named Ding owes me two balls."
"I said I'd pay it back that day, but he said he'd pay it back in four days."
Before long, a strange old man's head appeared on the snow-white drawing paper. Similar drawing techniques were used for apple trees, bushes, triangular roofs, four-cornered houses, and rectangular chimneys. As for drawing people, it was even simpler: a round ball for the head, a triangular body, forked arms and legs, a short crew cut for men, a ponytail for women, and small twin ponytails for little girls.
Of course, this is already an advanced drawing technique for the master.
She mostly draws stick figures.
A head dotted with ink, and a torso and limbs resembling tree branches.
I remember last year's New Year's gifts. The Lord said, "This year's New Year's gifts need to be given with more thought. We don't need to emphasize our company culture anymore. We've already given out bedding sets, rings, scarves, necklaces, hair ornaments, earrings, and waist ornaments... We have nothing left to give this year..."
Qi Shan, do you know her well?
To get straight to the point: [What does my lord desire?]
Shen Tang: [Why not bestow a painting instead of a handwritten inscription?]
She pulled out a portrait that was supposedly of Qi Shan.
Qi Shan: [This is...your subject?]
Shen Tang puffed out his chest confidently: "Yes, look how similar they are! They're practically identical! I'm thinking of working for a few more decades, then handing the reins to Ru Gui. After I retire, I'll take some time to draw up our story and pass it down through the ages! Future generations won't have to read dry history books to learn about our history, how wonderful!"
Praying for good: [...]
Will one achieve lasting fame while simultaneously becoming a laughingstock for eternity?
He had always known his lord's painting skills were terrible, but he couldn't believe that someone in this world... or rather, a god, could have secretly studied for decades and still be so awful. It wasn't a rapid improvement, but rather no progress at all. Qi Shan smiled slightly: "My lord, you wouldn't want our decades-long bond of loyalty between ruler and subject to crumble like this, would you?"
He can die, but he cannot die.
Shen Tang pursed her lips: "I thought you would agree."
Praying for good: [This is also for the sake of the Lord's wisdom in future generations.]
The terrible drawing skills that Qi Shan could criticize were actually very useful to Tan Qu, who had no foundation whatsoever. The next day, when Tan Qu returned from his house call, he opened the door, paused, immediately took a step back, closed the door, and then opened it again.
From top to bottom, from inside to outside.
It was completely filled with Old Man Ding's things.
Tan Qu: "..."
Not only the courtyard walls, but also the wooden pillars and even the roof beams inside the house.
This is truly being drawn into Old Man Ding's world.
_(:з」∠)_
"Where are they? Where are the two of them?"
Tan Qu inquired about Qi Miao, who was equally astonished by Old Man Ding's art.
Qi Miao handed over the letter in her hand.
This is the note my father left when he went out.
He took the children out to sketch.
Not only that, if outsiders curiously ask why his reincarnated self doesn't seem very bright, Qi Shan will sigh deeply, instantly transforming into a single, elderly widower raising a child with a brain disorder, his wife having died early, and him single-handedly caring for the child. Every time he tells this story, Qi Shan garners a lot of sympathy, and even gets an extra bunch of scallions when he takes his best friend to the market.
That's a bunch of scallions!
"Sigh, you have to hang in there for the sake of the child."
"Yes, life goes by very quickly."
Qi Shan always wore a stubborn, innocent, and widower-like smile.
Tan Qu, who now has a cheap widower father: "..."
In the end, Qi Shan and the reincarnated body washed away the old man's headache-inducing house together. While washing it, the reincarnated body was noticeably depressed, seemingly very upset that his independently created painting had been rejected. But he quickly recovered his cheerful demeanor because Qi Shan had kept his discarded sketches of old man Ding and used her wealth to have a local embroiderer make a headpiece for him. Tan Qu: "..."
Time flies like water, never to return.
The frequency of his reincarnated self experiencing unexplained high fevers is increasing.
Another problem is Tan Qu's increasingly uncontrollable body.
Forget about passing the medical entrance exam, he couldn't even hold a silver needle properly. Until one day, while drying herbs with Qi Miao, he turned around and the whole world spun around, his consciousness plunging into endless darkness. The world was eerily quiet, and no one answered.
He felt as if his mouth and nose were blocked by some kind of liquid.
They struggled desperately with their hands and feet.
In his hazy consciousness, some familiar men and women vaguely appeared before him, their voices seeming to come from afar. He was like a soul trapped in a puppet, unable to control his body no matter how hard he tried, and could only watch helplessly.
After an unknown amount of time, feeling gradually returned to my limbs.
When he opened his eyes, what he saw was a roof beam covered with paintings of Old Man Ding.
"woke up?"
Tan Qu turned his stiff neck and looked in the direction of the sound.
"Guilong? What are you doing here?"
Yu Hai: "Of course, it's because I was lucky."
A quick calculation revealed that the merging of Tan and Qu would be happening soon, so he decided to come and check. Unexpectedly, no sooner had he arrived and drunk a few sips of hot tea than the person who had been unconscious for over half a month slowly awoke. The person recognized him immediately, meaning he had regained his memories.
Tan Qu sat up and the first thing he saw was Old Man Ding's sleeve.
His lips twitched: "Where's Yuanliang?"
“My daughter ran into troublemakers, and he was called over.”
(_)
(End of this chapter)
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