Chapter 68: I had a dreamless night acting. I slept very well in the second half of the night...
A dreamless night.
I slept very soundly in the second half of the night.
When Tang Zhao awoke, the faint morning light was filtering through the paper window, tiny specks of dust dancing quietly in the beams of light. She stared at the ceiling, blinked, and then propped herself up with her arms to sit up.
There was a regular knocking sound coming from outside the yard, neither fast nor slow.
She put on her coat and opened the door.
The cool air after the rain, wrapped in the scent of soil and grass, rushed towards me. The water droplets hanging from the eaves fell drop by drop on the mud steps, splashing tiny water droplets.
Walking to the corridor, the morning light just happened to overflow the courtyard wall, shrouding the familiar figure in a soft light.
His back was to her, intently repairing the wooden table that had fallen apart the previous night. The freshly planed wood exuded a crisp, woody aroma. Beneath his rolled-up sleeves, the muscles in his forearms stretched and tightened with each stroke. The taut lines of his shoulder blades were visible beneath the dark fabric, soaked by the night's rain.
Perhaps hearing her footsteps, he turned his head. In the daylight, the bronze mask appeared much clearer than it had been the night before. The intricate carvings were perfectly visible in the morning light, a stark contrast to the dark and mysterious appearance of the previous evening under the moonlight.
Tang Zhao looked away in time and pretended to straighten his sleeves.
"Did I wake you?" His voice sounded less guarded than last night.
"No." She looked at the scattered sawdust on the floor. "I usually wake up around this time."
He nodded and continued with his work, carefully hammering the last tenon into the mortise.
When Tang Zhao finished cleaning up inside and came out again, the courtyard had returned to peace. The newly repaired wooden table stood firmly in the courtyard, even the broken leg had been carefully reinforced.
She walked to the stone table and prepared to wash up. After taking a sip of salt water, she suddenly remembered - if he wore a mask all day, how would he wash up?
My eyes casually swept across the corner of the stone platform and found that a brand new small wooden basin had appeared there at some point. Inside it were neatly placed green salt, a toothbrush, a face towel, and bath beans carefully packed in a small porcelain box.
She couldn't help but look at the back of the figure wiping the tools. When did these things come from? She had no idea.
After washing up, it’s time to go out for medical consultation.
She walked to the corner of the room to get the medical kit. When she passed by him, she saw him sitting on a newly made stool with one hand casually resting on the repaired wooden table. She didn't know whether he was waiting for her or simply resting.
She walked past him without looking away, picked up the medical kit from the corner of the room, and stopped beside him, still not looking at him: "Let's go."
He didn't get up immediately, but took out a gold ingot from his pocket and pushed it in front of her: "I'm afraid I've disturbed you a lot these days, please accept this."
Tang Zhao looked at the gold ingot on the table, which shone brightly in the sunlight. "I'm not short of money."
The voice behind the mask was calm and collected: "Take it. After this is accomplished, you may have to leave this place and go far away. But I promise that you will have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life."
After it's done? What's done? How can it be done? Ah Yu, what exactly do you want to do?
Thousands of questions swirled between her lips and teeth, but ultimately, they only faded into a shadow in her eyes. She was silent for a moment, then reached out to collect the still-warm gold ingot, gently rubbing her fingertips against its edges.
"Let's go."
＊
Arriving at the market, it wasn't market day, so the streets were much sparser than yesterday. But a line had still formed in front of Tang Zhao's medical stall, with over a dozen people waiting, chatting quietly.
When she appeared with the masked Fang Buyu, all eyes were focused on the two of them, and the crowd around them suddenly became agitated.
"Who is following Doctor Tang? Why is he wearing a mask?"
"Look at him, he seems very embarrassed, his hands are twisted together, and his head is almost down to his chest..."
Wring your hands? Drop your head to your chest?
Tang Zhao turned back in confusion, only to see that Fang Buyu had completely changed his posture. Originally much taller than she, he was now deliberately hunched, almost level with her. His hands were clasped tightly in his sleeves, and his head was lowered, his hair completely obscuring the eye sockets beneath the mask.
When she stopped, he shuddered as if frightened and stopped half a step away from her.
Tang Zhao almost couldn't keep her composure. Was this really the Fang Buyu she knew? She had never imagined that this man could portray such a timid and cowardly character so vividly.
At the same time, another worry arose in his mind - how would he explain his identity to everyone later?
While she was thinking hard, the crowd's discussions continued to reach her ears:
"You don't know this, do you? Didn't Doctor Tang say before that she came to Weizhou to look for her brother?"
Tang Zhao:?
"Looking for my brother?"
"Yes. I heard from Doctor Tang that she had been separated from her brother, who she depended on for everything, and that he was suffering from social isolation. When she was examining my wife's pulse a few days ago, she even specifically asked about it..."
Tang Zhao:? ?
"That's right, I've heard Doctor Tang talk about that too. Look at this man wearing a mask. Perhaps he's not showing his face to others because of his disfigurement."
"Ah, I guess it's because of his appearance that he suffers from this social isolation. Look at him, following his sister everywhere..."
"Shh—keep your voice down. Don't let Dr. Tang hear you and get upset. It's already hard enough for these two siblings..."
Tang Zhao:? ? ?
With a complicated expression, she glanced back at her "brother," who looked incredibly "well-behaved" and "timid." No wonder he'd told her not to worry before; it turned out he'd already made all the arrangements.
Arriving at the stall, Tang Zhao first pulled out the desk leaning against the wall, carefully wiped away the remaining raindrops from the previous night, and set it flat. Then he opened the medical box and took out the pulse pillow, silver needles, and medicine books, one by one, and arranged them neatly on the table.
When everything was ready, she suddenly remembered that there was someone following her. But there were only two stools beside the medical stall - one for her to sit while consulting, and the other for patients.
She turned and walked towards the restaurant next door, hoping to borrow a stool. After taking two steps, she felt a familiar presence following her. She turned around and saw her "reclusive" brother following closely.
She had never seen him like this before, and she found it quite novel. She quickly pursed her lips to suppress the smile that threatened to overflow, and continued walking towards the restaurant.
Ever since she set up her stall here, the business at the restaurant next door has noticeably improved. The owner smiled when he saw her approaching, and after hearing her purpose, he readily had a sturdy square stool brought to her.
After settling this "brother" into a seat beside the booth, Tang Zhao officially began seeing patients. The first patient in line couldn't contain his curiosity and asked in a low voice, "Doctor Tang, is this really your long-lost brother?"
Tang Zhao nodded slightly. "That's right. My brother is a little afraid of people, so I hope you won't stare at him too much, lest he become uneasy."
The eyes behind the mask flickered slightly.
"I know, I know." The patient responded quickly.
Someone else asked, "Doctor Tang, your medical skills are so great, why haven't you cured your brother's solitary disease?"
Tang Zhao calmly replied, "My brother's illness is caused by a knot in his heart. I can only heal his physical illness."
The way she handled the situation so calmly made Fang Buyu even more curious - was she cooperating like this just because she was afraid of his threats?
She skillfully dealt with the subsequent inquiries of the curious. Gradually, everyone's attention returned to seeking medical advice, and the medical stall returned to its usual order. Everything was proceeding smoothly until a few unusual noises were heard from outside the crowd.
"Where's the goddess healer? Where is the goddess healer?"
Heavy footsteps accompanied by rough pushing sounds came from far away, and a man with a fleshy face roughly pushed through the crowd in line.
He had a fat face, his lips pouting from his cheeks, and he strode to the front of the stall with his round belly. He pulled the patient who was being treated off the stool and pushed him to the back, then sat down himself.
"Are you the female healer?" he asked gruffly.
There were dissatisfied voices coming from the back of the team: "Who is this person..."
Then several men who looked like servants came to the front and repeatedly called out to the man, "Young Master!"
Someone in the crowd recognized him: "Isn't this the son of the county lieutenant? The county lieutenant had a son in his old age, and he dotes on him to no end..."
The lieutenant's son ignored the surrounding discussions and stared at Tang Zhao, shouting, "Hey! Are you the female healer?"
Tang Zhao's face was calm, and he met his gaze without arrogance or servility: "I'm not some female healer, I'm Tang Zhao."
"Tang Zhao?"
The gaze behind the mask silently fell on the figure before him. This was the first time Fang Buyu had heard the full name of this female doctor. Normally, he'd heard people call her Doctor Tang, knowing only her last name. Only now did he learn her name was Tang Zhao.
But—Tang Zhao. This name made Fang Buyu's eyes change slightly.
The fat man shouted impatiently, "Whatever your name is, please check my pulse!"
As he spoke, he roughly grabbed Tang Zhao's wrist and pressed it against his pulse. Then he leaned in closer, his breath, reeking of alcohol, lashing Tang Zhao's cheek. "I'm constantly getting up at night, and intercourse with women...isn't smooth. All the doctors my father has found have been useless. If you can cure me, you'll be in big trouble."
Tang Zhao tried to pull her wrist back, but the other person was so strong. She could only say coldly, "Sir, even medical appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis. Please queue at the back."
The man's face suddenly darkened. "Queue? I've never known such a rule. If I ask you to take my pulse, then do it. Don't refuse a toast and then drink a forfeit! Do you know who my father is?"
The foul-smelling saliva nearly splashed onto Tang Zhao's face. She leaned back to stand, but her wrists were firmly restrained, so she could only half-bend over and say with disgust, "I don't care who your father is. You have to follow the rules when you come to see me. If you don't queue, I won't see you."
"You--" The man raised his hand in frustration, and Tang Zhao subconsciously turned his head to avoid it.
The expected slap didn't fall. A figure quickly blocked her way and protected her from behind.
Before I could see the situation clearly, I heard the fat man roar: "Who is this guy wearing a mask? Hit him!"
The onlookers were in a panic. They saw the son of the county lieutenant and several servants rushing forward, surrounding the female doctor's "brother" and raining punches and kicks on him.
The scene suddenly became chaotic.
Many people in the crowd who had received Tang Zhao's kindness shouted anxiously, "Stop fighting!"
"What should we do? Doctor Tang's brother looks so frail, I'm afraid someone might die!"
…
After a while, the chaos gradually subsided.
Sure enough, everyone saw Tang Zhao's "brother" curled up on the ground, holding his chest.
But strangely, the county lieutenant's son and several servants were in an even more miserable state - some were wailing while clutching their wrists, some were groaning while covering their chests, and some were curled up in a ball holding their stomachs.
The funniest thing was that the son of the county lieutenant, with a bruised face and nose, howled in pain, pointing at the servants and cursing: "Useless! Did you see who I hit? Look at the wound on my face!"
Several servants also blamed each other: "It's all your fault!" "Were you the one who twisted my wrist just now?" "You deserve to die! It was you who kicked me in the stomach!" ...
The onlookers finally understood what was going on and couldn't help but burst into laughter. Serves them right! It's all their own fault, one man fighting his own man!
After such a joke, the son of the county lieutenant had no face to stay any longer. He uttered a few harsh words to Tang Zhaohe and the masked figure squatting beside him, then left in a hurry with his servants.
On the other side, Tang Zhao hurriedly squatted down and supported Fang Buyu who was curled up on the ground with both hands.
"Where are you hurt?" She asked anxiously, her eyes quickly scanning his body.
"No problem." Fang Buyu raised his eyes lazily, his tone filled with disdain, "With them, they can't even touch the corner of my clothes."
But the moment he raised his eyes, Tang Zhao immediately turned his face away, and even paused his outstretched hand, with his fingertips curled up.
here we go again.
Fang Buyu's eyes darkened slightly.
Why was she always afraid to look him in the eye? What was this female healer named Tang Zhao hiding?
Despite this reply, Tang Zhao was still worried. Without further ado, she grasped his wrist and placed three fingers precisely on his pulse.
The warm fingertips were placed on the skin, and slight pressure was applied as the pulse was taken.
Fang Buyu stared at the focused profile before him, seeing her sometimes concentrating on carefully examining the pulse, sometimes frowning slightly, each expression revealing the concentration of a doctor. The faint hope in his heart was finally extinguished.
How could it be possible... Although Tiao Tiao knew some herbs back then, she had never displayed such skilled medical skills. Furthermore, this face clearly bore no resemblance to Tiao Tiao...
He gently withdrew his hand.
Tang Zhao looked at him in confusion. Just as she was about to look away out of habit, she realized that he wasn't looking at her at all. He just said calmly, "It's really okay."
The pulse diagnosis showed no abnormalities, so Tang Zhao felt relieved.
After that, the diagnosis and treatment went smoothly without any problems. It wasn't until he finished writing a prescription for an old woman with a cough and looked up to call someone down that Tang Zhao's face flickered with surprise.
The person who walked to the diagnosis desk and sat down was actually Lin Xiangli.
The flash of surprise was quickly suppressed. Tang Zhao's hand holding the pen fell on the pulse pillow and asked in a gentle voice: "Miss, are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Xiangli waved his hand slightly: "Doctor Tang, it's not me. It's an old man I took in at the orphanage. He's been having chest tightness and shortness of breath lately, especially at night. I've consulted many doctors but to no avail. I've heard you're an excellent doctor, could you please come over and take a look?"
"The workhouse?"
"Doctor Tang, you might not know this now that you're new here," Lin Xiangli patiently explained, "This is a charity that provides shelter for the elderly, children, and orphans. With government support, we've opened a third location in the city."
Looking at the face in front of him, which was full of energy when talking about good deeds, and was completely different from the haggard and helpless face lying on the sickbed in his memory, a genuine smile appeared in Tang Zhao's eyes, and he couldn't help but nod slightly.
She glanced at the five or six neighbors still waiting behind her and asked gently, "I wonder if this condition is considered an emergency? If you can wait a moment, let me treat these folks first, and then I'll go with you immediately."
"It should be so." Lin Xiangli obediently stepped aside and waited.
After the last patient left with the prescription, Tang Zhao put the silver needles and medicine books in order, closed the medical box, and carefully tied the box strap. Then he nodded to Lin Xiangli and said, "Please lead the way, young lady."
Fang Buyu silently stood up and followed Tang Zhao within three steps, like a shadow. Lin Xiangli had already heard the origins of Tang Zhao's masked "brother" while waiting, and now he just led the way, considerately not saying anything more.
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