The footsteps from outside grew closer.
A man dressed in a blue-gray robe entered, with a broad forehead and refined features. He carried a medicine box on his shoulder. As he stepped into the room and felt the warmth inside, he furrowed his brow momentarily before smoothing out his expression.
“General,” the man greeted as he followed Luo Yan into the west side room, offering a slight bow to Shen Hanxing.
Shen Hanxing nodded, indicating for Luo Yan to take the medicine box.
The man handed the box to Luo Yan, then looked at the young woman sitting on the soft couch. After a moment of thought, he deduced her identity: “You must be the General’s wife. I am Qi Ye, a physician who resides here to attend to the General’s medical needs.”
Qi Ye bowed, and Lin Xingxue stood to return the gesture.
“Just now, I overheard someone mention the Witch Medicine Valley. Could it be that Madam is a descendant of the Witch Medicine Valley’s practitioners?”
Qi Ye seemed quite interested in the Witch Medicine Valley. Since Wu Tong was not very knowledgeable about this matter, Lin Xingxue wrote down the details on a piece of paper and handed it to Qi Ye.
Her great-great-grandfather entered the Witch Medicine Valley as an apprentice at the age of ten, and spent ten years there learning medicine. However, a great fire destroyed the Witch Medicine Valley, forcing everyone to flee.
During those chaotic times, even the reclusive Witch Medicine Valley could not escape disaster.
The young apprentice[1], after ten years of growth, used his medical skills to heal and save people during that chaotic time. He became an unknown itinerant physician until he passed away many years ago.
Due to various reasons, Lin Xingxue never had the opportunity to learn medicine, and all that remained from her ancestors was this recipe for Calming Pills.
Qi Ye read the note and sighed softly: “In such chaotic times, your ancestors practiced medicine and helped others. Though they were unknown, their contributions were significant.”
With the current peace, many people have forgotten the era of famine and chaos that existed before the founding of Dongning.
Practicing medicine and healing in such times was not easy.
Qi Ye returned the paper and looked towards Shen Hanxing.
Shen Hanxing toyed with the Calming Pill, feeling Qi Ye’s unwavering gaze on him. Qi Ye did not bother to conceal it, and towards the disobedient patient before him, he had no choice but to say, “General, please move to the east room.”
“Mhm,” Shen Hanxing responded lightly, putting the Calming Pill back and turning to Lin Xingxue. “What did you and Grandmother discuss last night?”
They had been in there for quite a while, so it was likely that they discussed something behind his back.
He had intended to ask last night, but Lin Xingxue fell asleep too quickly, and he didn’t get the chance to speak.
Lin Xingxue paused in her work with the herbs, then casually placed them into the mortar, shaking her head in refusal to answer.
It couldn’t be said; it was a secret.
Shen Hanxing narrowed his eyes and tapped the table. “Not going to tell me? Remember, I still have one more chance to punish you. Think carefully before you answer.”
Lin Xingxue remained resolute and shook her head again.
Seeing that he couldn’t pry the information from her and with Qi Ye still watching intently, Shen Hanxing decided to set the matter aside for the time being.
Lin Xingxue breathed a sigh of relief as he left.
Last night, the old madam’s questions were something she would neither forget nor reveal.
That was her promise; she would honor it and never betray it.
Shen Hanxing followed Qi Ye into the east side room, placing his wrist on the pulse cushion for Qi Ye to take his pulse.
Qi Ye examined Shen Hanxing’s pulse for a while, his brow slightly furrowed. When he withdrew his hand, his tone was less than pleasant: “The gu zhong[2] are too active, and the bone-burning toxin needs to be suppressed further. You woke up too early this time; the medicine isn’t as effective as I anticipated. Tonight, you need to take a medicinal bath, and tomorrow you must visit the Cold Mountain Ice Spring. No excuses.”
Qi Ye had come back early specifically because Shen Hanxing had awakened sooner than expected.
Qi Ye understood Shen Hanxing’s character well. If he wasn’t given firm instructions, Shen Hanxing wouldn’t follow them.
Despite this, Shen Hanxing still asked, “Can’t it be delayed by another day?”
“Not possible,” Qi Ye said, unwilling to haggle. He felt the temperature in the room and added, “I had warned the General that the room should not be too warm. Keeping it so will only make you more uncomfortable[3].”
“More pain, so what? The more pain there is, the more it proves that one is still alive,” Shen Hanxing replied, unconcerned, as if the parasites devouring him from within were not affecting him at all.
“General Shen,” Qi Ye’s tone grew more serious.
Shen Hanxing adjusted his sleeves and looked down at his legs, which seemed to be more of a decoration now, and replied lightly, “I understand your point. But whether it’s suppressed now or not, come spring, I’ll still suffer; it’s just that the suffering has been brought forward a bit. Rest assured, I don’t intend to die yet.”
Qi Ye sighed lightly, not bothering to persuade further. While packing up his medicine box, he said, “If it weren’t for that great fire, there might be a remedy for the parasites in the Witch Medicine Valley. Unfortunately…”
Unfortunately, in the chaos of the times, the thousands of books organized by the ancestors of the Witch Medicine Valley were all reduced to ashes, and the descendants scattered far and wide. Now, just sixty years later, the once-renowned Witch Medicine Valley has now become merely a legend.
Shen Hanxing heard his lament and snorted lightly, “Your master has yet to develop an antidote, so there’s no need to wish for a few old books.”
“True,” Qi Ye nodded. He finished packing his medicine box and returned to his Autumn Water Courtyard to continue reading medical texts.
When Shen Hanxing returned to the west side room, Lin Xingxue was lounging on the couch reading a book. Seeing him enter, she nervously closed the book, though her expression remained calm.
Shen Hanxing wasn’t curious about what she was reading. He simply repeated his earlier question, “What did Grandmother say to you?”
Shen Hanxing clearly wasn’t ready to let the topic drop easily, so Lin Xingxue had prepared a response in advance.
She took a piece of paper and wrote: Grandmother said that my husband has had a hard time these years and asked me to treat him better.
This statement was partly true and partly false, and Shen Hanxing didn’t believe it.
He didn’t need others to treat him well, nor did he need a delicate girl to do so.
He wasn’t weak to that extent.
After several attempts to pry an answer, Shen Hanxing realized Lin Xingxue was determined to keep silent. Seeing no point in pressing further, he turned to return to his study.
Lin Xingxue quickly grabbed his sleeve, looking at him with some difficulty. She hesitated, unsure whether to speak, but seeing Shen Hanxing’s growing impatience, she handed him a gift list.
The list detailed the gifts to be prepared for their return visit tomorrow.
Upon seeing the list, Shen Hanxing understood Lin Xingxue’s intention immediately. He casually tossed the list back and said, “Think the gifts are too few? Have Luo Yan add some more, take them from my storeroom.”
Realizing he had misunderstood, Lin Xingxue shook her head and hurriedly wrote in his palm: Will you accompany me back?
The young woman’s fingers trembled slightly, her heart unsettled.
She was both fearful and expectant, cautiously watching Shen Hanxing.
Shen Hanxing withdrew his hand, slowly clenched it, and then turned away without looking back, saying, “I have things to do.”
Lin Xingxue was slightly taken aback. She stood stunned for a while, then lowered her eyelashes and retrieved the gift list. She appeared calm, but her sadness seemed to overflow.
She was also a newly married young woman who hoped her husband would treat her well and accompany her back to support her.
However, she hadn’t even had a chance to ask him before being rejected.
As dusk settled, the orange evening light slanted through the window lattice.
Lin Xingxue looked at the touch of orange on her dress hem, trying to imagine it as a fairy. She picked up a brush to paint, as if truly immersed in this activity.
She didn’t want to think too much and sought something to occupy the empty time.
When Wu Tong quietly entered, she was lost in thought, ink dripping from the brush and blurring the painting.
It seemed that she had suddenly come to her senses. She gazed at Wu Tong and smiled faintly as if nothing had happened.
Tonight was the first day of the month, and the streets would be lively with a lantern festival, including Nuo opera and dragon and lion dances.
Previously, Lin Xingxue never had the opportunity to go, but now she had no mind for it.
Shen Hanxing had left in the afternoon, and she didn’t know where he had gone, only that he wouldn’t return tonight.
During the winter, night fell quickly. As she had stayed up late the previous night, Lin Xingxue washed up early and went to bed.
The chaise lounge had not yet been replaced, and tonight she still slept on the big bed. Except the outer side was empty, leaving her curled up inside, wrapping herself like a cocoon.
She did not sleep soundly.
In her dreams, she saw bizarre scenes and heard people talking. The voices were both male and female, old and young, all muttering that she was a burden, that she shouldn’t have been born, that she was a mistake.
Lin Xingxue woke up from the dream, wiped the corner of her eyes, and found a few tears.
She seldom had such dreams nowadays and didn’t really care about the Lin family’s attitude. However, in her dream, there were still two voices that struck her heart deeply, making her cry in sadness.
Lin Xingxue calmed her emotions, got out of bed, and went to pour herself a cup of tea.
Tonight, the moon was covered by clouds, and the room was barely illuminated. She groped her way forward, thinking she was near the table, when suddenly someone pulled her wrist back.
Unable to resist the force, she staggered back, reaching out just in time to catch herself on a handrail.
She was deeply startled, instinctively pushing the person away, only to catch a whiff of a slightly sweet medicinal scent.
In her memory, medicine was always bitter; she had only smelled this slightly sweet medicinal scent on one person before.
Lin Xingxue’s actions halted. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the figure before her gradually became clearer.
She felt cold drops on her hand, and the touch was extremely icy. It was then she realized that the hand holding hers was as cold as ice.
“Can you see clearly now?” Shen Hanxing guessed she had finally adjusted to the darkness when he saw her pause. He pointed to the fire striker, indicating she should light a candle.
The room lit up, and Lin Xingxue turned back, only to see Shen Hanxing still damp, his hair wet as if he had just bathed. But his aura was extremely frigid, and his complexion was not good.
Lin Xingxue hurried forward, taking a towel to dry his hair. Shen Hanxing let her fuss over him for a while before taking the towel and tossing it aside, murmuring tiredly, “Sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow.”
Get up early?
Lin Xingxue stared at Shen Hanxing, not daring to ascertain his meaning.
Seeing her still standing there dumbfoundedly, Shen Hanxing lazily asked, “What? Don’t you want me to go back with you?”
This time, Lin Xingxue understood. She widened her eyes, puzzled by Shen Hanxing’s change of heart.
She didn’t know that when Shen Hanxing had left in the afternoon, he had turned back to look at her.
Through the beaded curtain, he looked at the young woman on the chaise lounge. The young woman’s back appeared lonely and desolate. Even though her face was not visible, her sadness was palpable.
In the end, she cared whether her husband would accompany her back, yet she didn’t know how to plead with him more. Instead, she just curled up alone in her sorrow.
She was indeed foolish.
Hu Li (aka Fox)’s comment: HOW DARE HE CALL HER FOOLISH 💢
Anon: Although he did call her foolish, he did consider her feelings. That’s a win in my book. 🎉
[1] Ling Xingxue’s great great grandfather
[2] refers to a type of parasitic creature, often depicted as insects or small animals that cause harm or manipulate their hosts
[3] AWWWW, he heated up the room for Lin Xingxue despite knowing that it would aggravate his condition
[4] referring to Lin Xingxue’s sister-in-law, specifically the wife of Shen Hanxing’s brother