LIGHTNOVELWORLD 76
Chapter 76
When they entered, Xu Qingsheng was taking the pulse of an elderly man with a focused expression, worry faintly etched between his brows, oblivious to their presence.
Behind the elderly man, there were still seven or eight people lined up, stretching all the way to the door.
He Ze and Lin Yu exchanged a glance and waited quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone. However, an alert apprentice noticed them, smiled, whispered a few words to a nearby colleague who was preparing medicine, and quickly approached them. “Brother Lin, what brings you here?”
Ah, so they knew each other.
“Did something happen to Uncle Zhang? I’ll go inform Master.”
“No, Dad has been much better lately. I came with…” Lin Yu glanced at He Ze and, noticing the teasing look in his eyes, blushed and hesitated to continue.
“I know, I know. Master said you got engaged. This must be Elder Brother He from the He family, right? I’m Huang Qi. You can call me Huang Qi, just like Master does.”
“Huang Qi?”
“Yes, Huang Qi. It’s good for boosting energy, protecting the liver, and nourishing yin…” Huang Qi instinctively started counting on his fingers. He looked no more than eleven or twelve years old, with a naive, endearing appearance.
He Ze and Lin Yu couldn’t help but smile. When another apprentice called out, Huang Qi scratched his head, gave them an apologetic look, and returned to the counter.
“Uncle Xu took in two apprentices. Don’t be fooled by Xiao Qi’s appearance. I heard Uncle Xu say he memorizes medical books and prescriptions very quickly.”
“Yes.” He Ze nodded, sensing Lin Yu’s approval. Even if he wasn’t naturally talented in medicine, hard work could make up for it.
They waited for about half an hour before Xu Qingsheng finished with his last patient. During this time, Huang Qi brought them two wooden stools.
“What’s the matter? Why are you here? Is something wrong with your dad…?” That couldn’t be right. During his time in He Family Village, he had checked Zhang Su’s pulse several times and found no issues.
Xu Qingsheng was a bit anxious, his voice rising slightly.
“Uncle Xu, you’ve misunderstood. I came with He Ze to see you.” Lin Yu quickly waved his hand, and the three of them went into the inner room.
The inner room was just a small resting area, with a bed, a desk, and a few stools, nothing more.
He Ze briefly explained what had happened the previous day and his reason for coming. Once Xu Qingsheng realized it had nothing to do with Zhang Su, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, his tone carried a hint of anger when he spoke again, “Those Lin family people are truly shameless! That nearly one acre of bai zhi you planted took everything you had. This is just…”
Lin Yu glanced at He Ze, his expression a mix of guilt and anger, but he remained silent.
“Talking more won’t help. I should have been more cautious before to prevent Lin Dazou from exploiting the situation. Fortunately, it didn’t cause a major disaster. The plants were pulled out not long ago, so if I take good care of them over the next few days, they should recover.” As he spoke, He Ze subtly held Lin Yu’s hand.
The Lin family and Lin Yu were separate entities in He Ze’s mind.
“Let’s hope so,” Xu Qingsheng sighed and then asked, “You said the plants had insects? What kind?”
“Yes, a type of green caterpillar with eye-like spots on it,” He Ze recalled. “I’m not sure what species it is, so I came to ask you.”
“Curled leaves and eye-like spots? That’s not an insect, but the larval stage of a certain colorful moth. I heard from medicinal herb merchants that these larvae feed on the tender leaves of bai zhi. They don’t eat the roots, but if left for a while, the bai zhi will die. Luckily, you discovered it early,” Xu Qingsheng said, relieved.
“Uncle Xu, is there a way to kill the pests?” Lin Yu stepped forward, looking even more anxious than He Ze.
“Methods… A common one is to sprinkle lime powder in the field. It’s effective against pests and should work on these larvae too. However, it might harm the soil quality and affect the medicinal properties of the bai zhi. I’ve heard that some herb merchants in An County use a sugar-vinegar solution to kill pests, but I don’t know the specifics,” Xu Qingsheng explained.
“Sugar-vinegar solution? To make an acidic or alkaline liquid?”
“Yes, sugar-vinegar solution. You see, bai zhi is not only a medicinal herb but also a fine spice. Its leaves and stems have a fragrance that, though faint to us, attracts these larvae. The sugar-vinegar solution can mask this scent, but I’m not sure how they use it to kill pests,” Xu Qingsheng paused. “I know a few herb merchants in town. I’ll ask around for you in the next couple of days.”
“Thank you, Uncle Xu.” He Ze responded gratefully while pondering Xu Qingsheng’s words about the fragrance attracting larvae.
After finishing their business, they bid Xu Qingsheng farewell. At the door, Xu Qingsheng seemed hesitant to speak. He Ze, sensing his thoughts, said, “Uncle Xu, come back to the village with us this afternoon. Lin Yu and I need to look around a bit more, and we might return late. You can ride back with us.”
“This…” A glimmer of hope appeared in Xu Qingsheng’s eyes.
“It’s settled then. We’ll come back to find you,” He Ze concluded, pulling Lin Yu along without waiting for Xu Qingsheng’s response. As they rounded a corner, Lin Yu glanced back, “Is Uncle Xu…?”
“You’re silly. Uncle Xu wants to see your dad, so he might as well travel with us,” He Ze said, hinting that Xu Qingsheng’s rented house in the village was close to Lin Yu’s home and that he often passed by it deliberately.
Leaving Xu Qingsheng behind, they headed towards the Yu Family’s restaurant. It was still early, so they passed by the restaurant without going in, navigating through the streets to the academy where He Ze had once studied.
“Why are we here?”
“To buy something,” He Ze raised an eyebrow.
His predecessor didn’t like studying, so the house lacked pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, necessitating this trip. He already had a plan regarding He Youcai.
They stopped in front of a shop next to the academy. Lin Yu glanced inside and saw many books, though he couldn’t read the characters.
“Buying books?” He rarely saw his husband read, but he remembered that his husband was a genuine scholar.
Lin Yu stared at He Ze, his eyes sparkling.
He Ze originally intended to buy some paper and pens, but seeing Lin Yu’s eager interest and thinking of something, he picked out several books introducing the local customs and a few elementary primers for children.
“By the way, Xiao Yu, who gave you your name?” He Ze asked suddenly, opening a book and seeing the character “Yu” on a page. He looked at the character, then at Lin Yu.
“The sun shines brightly during the day, the moon shines brightly at night. ‘Yu’ means bright and splendid, and it sounds like ‘jade,’ which is warm and translucent. The saying goes that a gentleman is like jade. This name doesn’t seem typical of someone from He Family Village.”
“Name? My dad said that when I was born, my father took me to the town to have a scholar name me,” Lin Yu replied without hesitation. The only two characters he could read and write were his own name, something his dad repeated often when he was young.
“So that’s how it is.”
He Ze pulled out a copy of “Thousand Character Classic,” hesitated for a moment, and asked the shop assistant to prepare two more sets of pens, ink, and inkstones before packing up and leaving with Lin Yu.
By noon, they returned to the restaurant to have lunch and collected the payment from Manager Yu for the stories sold earlier. They spent the afternoon shopping, carrying so many items that their hands were full by the time they returned to Xu Qingsheng’s clinic.
He Ze drove the cart while Lin Yu and Xu Qingsheng sat in the back. Hearing Xu Qingsheng indirectly inquire about Zhang Su, He Ze and Lin Yu exchanged a glance and chuckled, spurring the ox forward.
The cart reached the village at dusk. He Ze deliberately handed more items to Lin Yu. “Your dad is not well; take these back. If you can’t carry them all, let Uncle Xu help you.”
“Yes, yes, let me help!”
Xu Qingsheng was very accommodating. Before Lin Yu could take the items, Xu Qingsheng had already grabbed half of them, stroking his beard and walking ahead.
Lin Yu: “…”
“Uncle Xu is a good person. If your dad accepts him, he won’t be mistreated,” He Ze said, gently pinching Lin Yu’s ear and rubbing his hair. “The busy festival season is over, and my father is anxious. The construction of the new house has resumed, and it should be completed before the flower shop opens.”
Lin Yu tilted his head back, prompting a chuckle from He Ze. “It’s still a bit slow. Why don’t you come home with me tonight?”
Lin Yu: “…”
He stared wide-eyed at He Ze.
“Who told you to ignore me before? One day apart feels like three autumns, you know? It’s so cold, and there’s no one to warm my bed,” He Ze sighed, feigning pitifully.
Blushing, Lin Yu grabbed the items from He Ze’s hand, glared at him, and quickly followed Xu Qingsheng.
He Ze leaned against the cart’s railing, watching his figure fade into the distance, a smile lingering on his face for a long time.
Having lived through two lifetimes and nearing thirty, he felt like a young boy, deeply infatuated in a way he never imagined possible. He wanted to keep Lin Yu close, to integrate him into his own life completely.
Integrate… Images from a vivid dream on New Year’s Eve flashed through his mind, darkening his gaze. A surge of heat pooled in his lower abdomen, making him embarrassingly aroused.
What a mess…
“No, it’s just that Father went to the clan leader again today. When he came back, I asked him a couple of questions, and Dad seemed to get a bit closer.”
He Ze: “…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Seeing He An’s puzzled expression, He Ze gritted his teeth.
You fool, if you don’t speak up, Dad will have to!
“You go keep Dad company. I’ll talk with Father. I bought a pound of fresh ribs. We’ll cut some radish and stew it later.”
With that, He Ze patted He An on the shoulder and walked straight to He Youcai, rolling up his trousers and sitting down. “Father, what did the clan say? Are they going to handle it or not?”
“The clan leader sent someone to find Lin Dazou yesterday but couldn’t find him. He said we should wait a couple more days while they discuss how to handle it. They’ll definitely give us an answer.”
“That’s good.” The money he had sent earlier wasn’t in vain.
“Exactly, those Lin family people…” He Youcai seemed about to curse but then remembered his yet-to-be-married son-in-law and held his tongue.
In his view, his family had no real connection with the Lin family. Lin Dazou pulling up their medicinal plants was likely because of He Ze’s engagement to Lin Yu. If word got out and reached Lin Yu, it could cause unnecessary trouble.
He Youcai took the smoking pipe out of his mouth and knocked it on the stone mill, producing a steady tapping sound. The pipe was made of bamboo, durable and resistant to cracking, but it had turned black from years of use, making it look unpleasant.
He Ze snapped out of his thoughts and went inside, returning with a four-cornered, carved elmwood box.
“Father, take a look at this.”
“What is it?”
He Youcai took the box from He Ze’s hands, glanced at him suspiciously, and then slowly untied the red string on the box. When he saw the contents inside, his expression turned complicated, and he muttered, “Why did you buy this? Have you run out of places to spend money?”
“Father, it wasn’t me who insisted on spending this money. Dad mentioned it to me several times before the New Year, so I thought of it yesterday and brought it back.”
“Your Dad said that? What did he say?” Li Shi had always hated him smoking. How could he let Xiao Ze buy him a new pipe?
He Youcai glanced at He Ze with mild annoyance, not exposing his son’s intentions, seemingly curious about what kind of story he would come up with.
“Dad heard from Uncle Xu that smoking is very harmful to health, especially since you’ve been using this pipe for seven or eight years without changing it. The thick layer of tar inside will eventually ruin your health if this continues.”
“Dad originally wanted you to quit smoking altogether but realized you hadn’t managed to quit in nearly twenty years. So, he thought of getting you a better pipe instead. He even asked Uncle Xu several times about the best materials.”
He Ze wasn’t making this up. Dad Li not only wanted to get He Youcai a new pipe but had also thrown away his hidden stash of strong tobacco, replacing it with milder tobacco leaves. He Youcai just hadn’t noticed yet.
When he does…
He Ze didn’t want to think further about that. After a pause, he continued, “Father, Dad doesn’t like you smoking mainly because of your health. Grandfather and Granddad feel the same. We’re all family; don’t take it to heart.”
He Youcai didn’t respond, staring blankly into the distance, lost in thought.
He Ze took the pipe from the box. The pipe stem was made of copper, and the mouthpiece was a vibrant green jade, dazzling He Youcai’s eyes. “How much did this cost?”
He Ze smiled without answering, pulled out half a pouch of tobacco from He Youcai’s waist, and mimicked his usual routine, packing the tobacco into the pipe and lighting it in the kitchen.
“Father, give it a try?”
He Youcai took it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a mouthful of white smoke. His furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
“Not bad, right? Dad just lit the fire for it.” Seeing He Youcai look up at him, He Ze squatted down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Father, you’re a strong man. Don’t be so petty. No matter how upset you are, it’s not dad’s fault, right?”
“It’s not that I’m blaming your dad…” He Youcai sighed and took another deep drag.
“I know, you’re blaming yourself. But this isn’t your fault either.” Seizing the moment, He Ze spoke candidly. “For so many years, you’ve been the one supporting our family through thick and thin. It doesn’t matter what Grandfather and Granddad say, or what Uncle and Uncle-in-law say. What matters is what Dad, Xiao An, and I say. In our hearts, you’re irreplaceable.”
His words were heavy, each one striking a chord with He Youcai. “Father, don’t let Dad worry.”
Upon hearing this, He Youcai’s expression softened, and he slowly turned to look at He Ze.
The young man before him had inherited his mother’s good looks, with the rugged features of a man. Unknowingly, his son had truly grown up. In comparison, he felt that he hadn’t been a good enough father.
“Alright, I understand. Don’t worry.” He Youcai lowered his head, chuckling softly, his eyes tender as he watched the two figures moving in the kitchen.
Seeing his father like this, He Ze couldn’t help but smile. However, he continued, “Father, how’s the carpentry going these days?”
They had addressed the symptoms; now, it was time to tackle the root cause. He Youcai had been deeply troubled and was stuck in a rut after this latest incident. Although he seemed to have let it go, there was still a knot in his heart.
As a son, he should help his father find peace. Remembering the blank scrolls he brought back today, He Ze’s eyes gleamed with determination.
“It’s alright. It’s the beginning of the year, and after the Lantern Festival, I’ll probably be quite busy for a while,” He Youcai said, his interest seeming to lift a bit as he recalled the recent influx of orders for wooden items. He then added, “Your nineteenth birthday is coming up soon. Time really flies.”
“Yeah, it really does.” Unconsciously, He Ze realized he had been in this world for almost six months.
It felt like a dream, a beautiful dream.
And since it was a beautiful dream, he wouldn’t allow anyone to ruin it.
That night, under the sparse stars and the bright moon, after all the oil lamps in the courtyard were extinguished, He Ze, holding Wang Fu, quietly left the courtyard and headed straight to the western mountains where the bai zhi was planted.