Chapter 30 The Hypocritical Petty Man
Yong'anfang.
The Zhou family's house was pitifully small, consisting of only one main house and two side rooms. The three rooms enclosed a flat courtyard in the middle, and two vegetable gardens were enclosed by bamboo fences in the courtyard.
The vegetable seedlings in the field have been neglected lately, and their leaves have turned yellow and they are drooping.
Inside the west room, Zhou Fuling, who had just been captured, was curled up on the floor.
Zhou Fuling didn't leave the west room all day, not because she had given up on escaping, but because Zhou Changchun had ordered Zhou Qi to tie her limbs, making it impossible for her to move an inch, and she couldn't even stretch out her hands.
To prevent her from causing any further trouble, and also to make it easier to have someone take care of her, Zhou Changchun had Zhou Qi remove the doors from all three rooms. This way, Zhou Qi could keep an eye on her father in the main house and her younger sister in the west house simply by standing in the courtyard.
In despair, Zhou Fuling thought that if her father insisted on forcing her to submit to Liu Yuanwai, she would have no choice but to die so that she could go to the underworld and reunite with her mother as soon as possible.
Inside the main house on the north side, Zhou Changchun lay on his side on the couch, repeatedly rubbing his numb thigh with his right hand.
Zhou Qi came in carrying a jar of ointment, lifted the blanket and sat down next to her father, preparing to change his dressing.
Zhou Changchun stared at the medicine jar, pulled the blanket back over himself, and said impatiently, "The external wounds have long since healed, why bother with such expensive ointment? If this medicine really had the miraculous effect of bringing withered trees back to life and regenerating severed limbs, I would have been rich long ago!"
Zhou Qi hesitated for a moment, then put the ointment aside.
My father's medical skills are already second to none in the city. If he can't even heal himself, then his legs are truly useless.
Zhou Changchun glanced outside the courtyard and said unhappily, "Fuling still doesn't understand?"
“My younger sister is in the prime of her youth, yet you want her to remarry the wealthy man. Anyone would find that unbearable,” Zhou Qi said in a low voice.
"Even you're siding with her," Zhou Changchun said, exasperated. "That Master Liu is an official, after all! If it weren't for his preference for young girls, do you think we'd have any chance of marrying into the Liu family?"
"Weren't our family doing quite well before?" Zhou Qi thought of her mother when she talked about the past, but she was afraid of upsetting her father, so she spoke softer and softer.
"You have practiced medicine for many years and are deeply trusted by the neighbors. Chunhuitang has one of the best reputations in the capital. There are so many students in the clinic waiting to inherit your mantle... I really don't understand, what is our family lacking? Why do we have to rely on this Master Liu?"
"If you enter the Imperial Medical Bureau, even if you are just a medicine-pounding apprentice, that is still an official position!"
Zhou Changchun spoke hastily, coughing several times as he leaned on the bed, before continuing, "The knowledge of medicine is as deep as the ocean, and in my years of practice, I have relied more on experience and luck. Only after entering the inner palace can you glimpse how high the mountains are and how vast the sky is!"
Even though he spoke earnestly, Zhou Qi's reaction was as if he hadn't listened at all.
Zhou Changchun abruptly changed the subject: "Do you know how I embarked on this path of practicing medicine and saving lives?"
Zhou Qi raised his head slightly, looking completely bewildered.
"As you know, our family is not native to Chang'an. Back then, when the Great Liang and the Northern Yan were at odds, the northern lands were ravaged by war. The grain of the people was confiscated for military pay, and many adult men were sent to the army. In order to avoid the imperial court's conscription, your grandfather took me to hide in the mountains and forests, far away from the world, and made a living by growing and collecting medicinal herbs. This is my first connection with medicine."
Zhou Changchun gazed into the distance, his thoughts drifting back to decades ago.
"However, all the land under heaven belongs to the emperor, and where in the four seas is there a true paradise? In the forty-fourth year of Jingcheng, the imperial messengers still found us. Your grandfather was old and escaped the calamity, while I had just come of age and was forced to join the Youzhou army."
This was a story Zhou Qi had never heard before.
"So my father served in the army..."
"That's a battlefield! Swords have no eyes. One moment you're laughing and joking with a strong young man, the next you're lying on the ground, covered in blood." Zhou Changchun chuckled as he spoke, perhaps laughing at how little his son knew about him, or perhaps laughing at his own youthful recklessness.
“I didn’t want to die, so I lied to the general, saying that I could heal wounds and cure diseases. The general thought he had found a talent and immediately transferred me to be a military doctor so that I wouldn’t have to risk my life on the battlefield. In fact, I don’t know anything about medicine. I just had dealt with herbs for a few years and knew a little about how to distinguish their properties.”
Zhou Qi's eyes widened in shock. "No one in the army noticed?"
"To cover up this colossal lie, I forced myself to study medical books all night long, and gritted my teeth to treat the wounds of those soldiers who were missing arms and legs. I observed their reactions and prescribed medicine accordingly, and somehow managed to save a few lives."
"After the war was over, everyone in the Youzhou army was rewarded, and I also received a lot of money, enough to settle down and start a business in Chang'an."
Zhou Qi was puzzled: "Then why didn't Father join the Imperial Medical Academy back then?"
"That's because I know my medical skills are shallow," Zhou Changchun said helplessly. "It's fine to use my knowledge of medicinal properties on some ordinary people, but if I cause an accident in front of the powerful and wealthy, my whole family will lose our lives."
He looked at his son, who was gradually showing signs of maturity, and said earnestly, "Aqi, you are different from me. You have been exposed to medicine since childhood and have seen hundreds and thousands of patients before you even came of age... You have the opportunity to become a proper physician."
Zhou Qi hesitated and looked away. After a long while, he murmured, "Fu Ling hasn't eaten or drunk anything for two days and two nights. If this continues, I'm afraid something will happen to her."
After some thought, Zhou Changchun realized that Zhou Qi's concerns were not unfounded. The Zhou family's desire to climb up the social ladder to Liu Yuanwai was based on Fuling's connections. Without Fuling, the Zhou family's ties with Liu Yuanwai would be severed. In any case, they could not allow Fuling to continue her suicide attempts.
"Within a radius of five miles, she trusted Wang Lanying the most."
Before Zhou Qi could react to what her father meant, he instructed her: "Go to the back alley and invite Wang Lanying over. Ask her to be a mediator. If this matter succeeds, she will be considered the master's matchmaker, and she will receive her share of the benefits."
…
Two months have passed since the Zhu family held their banquet. Zhu Yishan has sent invitations to the Yu family several times, hoping to invite Miss Yu to go on a spring outing or to the garden, but he has always been refused.
The Zhu family's private school had a more flexible schedule, unlike the rigid schedule of the traditional academy. So he simply chose an auspicious day and personally went to the Yu family residence to look for the person.
So when Yu Mingshu returned from the academy in the evening, he encountered an uninvited guest at the alley entrance.
Zhu Yishan recognized the Yu family's carriage and his eyes lit up. "Miss Yu!"
Before Yu Mingshu could react, Yu Dan's expression changed drastically, and he went into a state of alert, holding the curtains inside the car window tightly.
"Sister, that sounds like Zhu Yishan's voice."
Yu Mingshu stared at his hand pressed against the window, secretly wondering to herself.
When did Zhu Yishan ever offend Yu Dan?
"I'll get out of the car and go take a look," she said.
Yu Dan quickly stopped her, lowering his voice and saying, "Sister! You're dressed as Yu Erlang now, can you let him know about this?"
What he really wanted to say was: This guy surnamed Zhu is no good.
"He's already here, where can I hide?"
Yu Mingshu was quite composed. She pushed Yu Dan's hand away and jumped off the carriage, only to see Zhu Yishan standing at the street corner waiting for her.
Zhu Yishan's round-necked brocade robe, with its moon-white color and a hint of light blue sheen, was dazzling. This color actually made people look darker, but the man's outstanding features made up for the lack of color in his complexion.
"Brother Yishan, what brings you here?"
The face was vaguely familiar, but the person was dressed in unfamiliar men's clothing, had an unfamiliar hairstyle, and even their features were somewhat unfamiliar.
Zhu Yishan stared at her for a while before tentatively calling out, "Miss Yu? Is that you?"
"It's me."
Yu Mingshu smiled generously and explained, "You know how hard it is for my mother to support the Yu family on her own, so I dress as a man and do odd jobs at the bookstore to help ease the burden on the family."
Zhu Yishan then suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. My sister has had a hard life all these years. I only regret that I didn't know sooner..."
"So what if you know?" Yu Dan said irritably, jumping down from the carriage and silently keeping his elder sister behind him.
Zhu Yishan didn't quite understand why he was so hostile towards him. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "If I had known earlier, I definitely wouldn't have let my sister suffer like this."
"Sweet talk," Yu Dan scoffed.
“This is not just empty talk.” Zhu Yishan glanced at Yu Mingshu’s reaction. “Our two families are already the closest. If we become even closer through marriage, I will support my sister Mingshu, so why would she need to work for someone else?”
Such an affected and pretentious tone.
Yu Mingshu felt a chill.
The last time they met, she thought Zhu Liulang was handsome and considerate. Why has he become so greasy this time?
She avoided Zhu Yishan's gaze, saying, "Although I do regard my brother as my own brother, even brothers need to keep clear accounts. I am not a woodworm, how can I rely on my brother to support me?"
She emphasized the words "brother" very much, and as long as Zhu Yishan was of sound mind, he would definitely understand what she meant.
Zhu Yishan understood Yu Mingshu's meaning, but he didn't understand what she was thinking.
The Yu family's situation has become so difficult that she, a woman, needs to go out and earn money to support the family. Why would she refuse a good marriage offer that is offered to her?
If it weren't for Uncle Yu's past kindness to my father, given the Yu family's current circumstances, it would have been impossible for them to form a marriage alliance with the Zhu family.
Zhu Yishan's eyes were full of disdain, but he thought he had hidden it well.
Yu Mingshu sneered inwardly, but pretended not to know what he was thinking and politely asked, "I haven't asked what brings you here today, brother?"
Zhu Yishan glanced back at the carriage behind him. Inside were several boxes of precious medicinal herbs, which his mother had asked him to deliver, specifically instructing him to give to Madam Wu.
It seems there's no need to bring it out now.
"It's nothing important. The servants said the lotus flowers in Taiqing Pond are in bloom, and I originally wanted to invite Miss Yu to go boating on the lake and admire the flowers." Zhu Yishan put away his eager smile. "Judging from what you just said, Miss, you must be unable to make it."
Yu Mingshu lowered his eyes and said with feigned regret, "I really don't have the time, and I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you, brother."
“In that case, I shall take my leave.” Zhu Yishan took two steps back, his tone cold and distant. “Please convey my regards to your aunt for me.”
The sixth son of the Zhu family still had some gentlemanly manners. After saying goodbye, he didn't rush to leave but stepped aside to let the Yu siblings pass.
As they passed each other, Yu Dan murmured, "Such beautiful scenery should not be wasted. It would be just as good if Liu Lang and Miss Mei went together."
Zhu Yishan's expression changed slightly. He wanted to ask him how he knew about Mei Xiang, but the other man pulled Yu Mingshu away quickly.
He clenched his fists tightly, his brow furrowed.
No wonder Yu Mingshu was cold towards him and rejected him so decisively.
Yu Dan took a few steps and then looked back at the street corner. Seeing the Zhu family's carriage leave, he said to Yu Mingshu, "This man greeted us with a smile and was very enthusiastic. But after saying a few words, he became cold and hard as iron. He is obviously a hypocritical and scheming villain."
Yu Mingshu thought this was a good idea.
It's better not to pester someone after being rejected than to keep pestering them when they don't understand what you're saying.
Just as they arrived at their doorstep, Aunt Wang suddenly appeared out of nowhere, craning her neck to look into the alleyway, and then looked at the Yu siblings with a gossipy expression.
"Ming Shu, who was that handsome young man just now? I've seen him coming to your house looking for someone these past few days. Could it be that good things are about to happen?"
Yu Mingshu said helplessly, "There's no good thing coming soon, it's just that our fate is coming to an end."
It took Aunt Wang a while to realize which character it was, and she looked surprised.
"Why? I see he's dressed in fine clothes and has a noble air about him. If you don't hurry up and grab this young man, he might be snatched up by other girls tomorrow!"
Yu Mingshu scoffed: "His family is large, with ten siblings. Whoever likes this family can take it. I certainly can't handle it."
Aunt Wang was speechless.
Such a prosperous family is indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Yu Mingshu's gaze fell on the red cloth bundle tucked under Granny Wang's arm. "Auntie, who are you matchmaking for this time? Did it work out this time?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
