Herbal Hut.
"Wh... what?"
Zeng Niu and Zhou Shi, two of Qingyun Village's elites who had been baffling beaten up badly today, were currently in the Herbal Hut seeking relief from their pain...
But after hearing Doctor An's words, the two of them nearly had their jaws drop to the floor.
"This old man is too advanced in age. After a serious illness, my hands can no longer hold a needle steady, so I can no longer administer acupuncture. However, I have a direct disciple, the son of the late Great Leader, Lin Xiaoning. If it were some difficult and complicated illness, he might not be certain, but for the two of you, who merely have stagnant blood inside your bodies, with Ning Ge'er's methods, he can naturally administer acupuncture to dissolve the stasis — his needle touches and the problem is gone."
"Lin Xiaoning, he... he's your disciple, Grandpa An?"
Zhou Shi said, biting his tongue, while Zeng Niu's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
Generally speaking, medicine and martial arts were not separate fields — not that everyone who learned martial arts understood medicine, but rather that the process of learning martial arts inevitably required a doctor.
Not to mention that having a doctor perform massage and pour wine to promote blood circulation could make martial arts training twice as effective with half the effort.
More importantly, in the process of practicing martial arts, bloodshed and injury were unavoidable, and when going on an expedition to plunder, if one didn't get injured, that could only mean one hadn't put in any effort!
The more severe the injury, the more effort one had put in. A body full of scars was a body full of honor and glory!
But if one got injured and there was no doctor to treat them, then...
One would probably turn into a pile of white bones before ever growing into a badge of honor.
Now that Doctor An was already advanced in years, and Lin Xiaoning had become his disciple, wouldn't the mountain stronghold's Herbal Hut have to be handed over to Lin Xiaoning's hands in the future?
Thinking of the relationship between themselves and Lin Ning, Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu felt everything go dark before their eyes!
Their whole lives seemed shrouded in darkness — how could this be?
Originally, their injuries weren't too severe. Those who practiced martial arts all had strong resistance to blows, and it wouldn't take more than a few days of rest to heal completely.
But tomorrow, there was going to be a major commotion at the mountain stronghold — this would be the first proper expedition for second-generation mountain bandits like themselves.
It was of great significance!
Even among mountain bandits, seniority mattered. If they missed such an important operation, how could they ever hold their heads up among their peers afterward?
Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu felt the seriousness of the matter more and more, and begged Doctor An again and again, but to no avail. Their hearts felt utterly miserable.
After coming out of the Herbal Hut, the two exchanged glances. Zeng Niu, being a bit more straightforward, asked Zhou Shi, "Brother Shi Tou, what do we do now?"
Zhou Shi's face was full of gloom. After thinking it over, he said, "Let's go find Brother Xiao Zhi and have him think of a way..."
Zeng Niu understood what he meant well enough — Zhou Shi probably wanted Fang Zhi to act as a go-between.
The two said nothing more and headed toward the Fang family's Clear Stream Courtyard.
The Lin family's Ink Bamboo Courtyard, the Tian family's Green Pine Courtyard, the Fang family's Clear Stream Courtyard, the Hu family's White Tiger Hall, the Deng family's Pear Blossom Garden...
These elegant names had actually all been given by Lin Ning's mother, Madam Ning.
.....
"Brother-in-law, catch!"
In a small, not particularly large courtyard, Lin Ning stood on the roof, laying bundles of big Buddha's Hand broad leaves over the sparse patches.
Originally, he'd only planned to patch up the leaking spots, but seeing how thin the thatch on the roof had become, he simply decided to re-lay the whole thing.
There was a grove of big Buddha's Hand trees on the eastern hill, and picking the leaves was quite simple. Lin Ning, Little Jiu Niang, Cui'er, and Little Gray — three people and a dog — had carried back quite a lot of them, and by now Grandma Liu's roof was nearly finished.
Lin Ning caught the Buddha Hand leaves that Little Jiu Niang tossed up with all her strength, and after laying the last patch, he jumped straight down from the eaves.
Grandma Liu had boiled some tea and brought it out in a coarse porcelain bowl, saying to Lin Ning with some unease, "There's no tea leaves left at home, only some boiled water, cooled down. I've washed the bowl several times too, so don't mind it, dear..."
Lin Ning smiled as he took it, drained it in one gulp, and said, "Grandma Liu, if there's ever anything you need in the future, just send someone to tell me. I'm an idle person in the mountain stronghold, no good at scholarship or martial arts, but I can manage small tasks like this."
Grandma Liu was so moved she nearly shed tears, and she showered him with praise for quite a while.
Little Jiu Niang listened with a beaming smile, and Lin Ning accepted the praise with a smile for a while before taking his leave.
Grandma Liu wanted to keep him for a meal, but hearing that Lin Ning still had to go help at Aunt Qi's house, she let him go.
Standing before the wooden gate, watching Lin Ning lead Little Jiu Niang by the hand, with Cui'er and Little Gray gradually disappearing into the distance, Grandma Liu felt an indescribable stirring in her heart.
They always said a prodigal son's return was worth more than gold, and it was truly no lie.
But the Lin Ning who had won Grandma Liu's favor was naturally no prodigal to begin with.
Aside from that whole incident with Great Leader Tian's confusing case, the worst reputation Lin Ning had ever had in the mountain stronghold was being "good for nothing" and having an off-putting personality.
He had never done anything seriously wrong. Sure, he'd once called her "old beggar hag," but hadn't he changed for the better now?
Could a child not be allowed to make a mistake or two? Children just didn't know any better...
Among all the young men in the mountain stronghold, which of them fetched water and repaired roofs for her the way Lin Ning did?
Thinking of this, Grandma Liu felt she ought to do something — she had to set things right for such a good child!
.....
Clear Stream Courtyard.
The reason Clear Stream Courtyard bore that name wasn't because there was actually a clear stream around the Fang family's residence.
In the whole of Qingyun Village, only Ink Bamboo Courtyard had a spring and a clear stream.
It was because, as the only person in the mountain stronghold who was fond of reading, Fang Lin had once been so envious of Ink Bamboo Courtyard's thousands of bamboo stalks and the little stream winding around the residence.
Unable to obtain what he desired, Madam Ning had given his residence such a name instead, to console him...
Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu were out of luck — when they arrived at Clear Stream Courtyard, Fang Lin happened to be giving Fang Zhi a lecture on "ideology and politics."
"Dad, didn't you dislike Xiao Ning before too?"
"He truly was good for nothing before, but looking at him recently, he's genuinely made progress — a great deal of progress, in fact."
"But how could a person suddenly turn over a new leaf like that? Don't they always say one's nature is hard to change?"
"I'm not entirely sure why Ning Ge'er suddenly became so sensible. Perhaps he's read more books and finally had an awakening... But regardless, this is a good thing either way. What's even rarer is that he knows himself, understands his own position, yet doesn't meddle in the mountain stronghold's affairs. Do you know how much wisdom that takes?"
"But Dad, I..."
When Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu entered and overheard this conversation, they immediately wanted to turn and run, but Fang Lin had already spotted them and called out, "Stop right there!"
"Oh! Second Uncle, you're home? I didn't notice just now..."
Zhou Shi held no grudge over being reprimanded by Fang Lin before — they'd all been used to getting scolded since childhood — and now put on a shameless smile as he flattered him.
Zeng Niu followed with a muffled greeting, "Second Uncle."
Both of them had bruised faces and swollen noses, looking rather wretched.
Fang Lin glanced at their expressions and snorted, "Instead of going to properly tend to your injuries, what are you two doing running over here?"
Hearing this, Zhou Shi's face filled with embarrassment as he recounted what had happened at the Herbal Hut.
Fang Lin gave a cold smile upon hearing this. "Then haven't you two come to the wrong place?"
Zhou Shi said with a bitter face, "Second Uncle, this whole mess just started today. If we go seeking treatment at his door right now, wouldn't that be like slapping our own faces? Besides... Second Uncle, has Lin Xiaoning really become Grandpa An's disciple? Since when? We haven't heard a word about it before."
Hearing this, Fang Lin's face remained unmoved, though in truth he was puzzled as well.
Ever since the Tian Hu incident, he had personally arranged to monitor Lin Ning's whereabouts, including the day Zeng Niu tracked him to the Cliff of Contemplation...
But he had never heard that Lin Ning had studied medicine under Doctor An.
Could it be that Doctor An was deliberately toying with Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu like this?
Fang Lin knew well that Doctor An had received great kindness from Lin Ning's father and grandfather, and it wouldn't be surprising if he chose to vent some anger on Lin Ning's behalf...
However, although today's incident had been suppressed for now, it would inevitably leave some negative aftereffects.
This was also why Fang Lin had always taught his son Fang Zhi in this way — aside from someone as exceptionally talented as Tian Wuniang, Fang Zhi was the foremost among the younger generation of Qingyun Village. If he could get Fang Zhi's thinking straight, things would be much easier.
It was just that, since this opportunity had presented itself, there was no harm in trying...
Thinking of this, Fang Lin said in a deep voice, "Do you think your Grandpa An would deceive you? Even if he did, why didn't you stop to think about why he'd deceive you?" As he spoke, he turned to look at Fang Zhi and barked, "You tell them."
Fang Zhi's face had gone somewhat pale by now. Hearing this, he sighed inwardly, but on the surface he answered respectfully, "Grandpa An received a great deal of kindness from Xiao Ning's father and grandfather. If he's deceiving Shi Tou and A Niu, it's most likely because he's displeased that they've been bullying Xiao Ning, and wants to teach them a lesson."
Fang Lin nodded upon hearing this, then turned back to look at Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu, lowering his voice. "A Niu struck so hard last time that many people in the stronghold are already unhappy about it. And you two, instead of learning from that, went and shouted about fighting and killing today, calling him a beast over and over... I say the two of you are the real muddleheaded little beasts! Let me tell you — if this bad influence isn't dealt with, the hearts of the stronghold will scatter, and sooner or later something big will happen! Now tell me yourselves, what should be done?!"
Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu turned pale as they listened. After all, they were still young men not yet twenty, hardly a match for the bluffing of an old hand like Fang Lin who had spent decades steeped in the jianghu.
Still, they weren't without a sense of responsibility. Zhou Shi gave a bitter smile, an air of tragic resolve about him, and said, "Fine, fine, Second Uncle. Your nephew won't become a sinner against Qingyun Village. I'll go get stepped on by him once more. If that still doesn't satisfy him, he can beat me as he pleases — I won't say another word."
Zeng Niu, breathing heavily, said in his muffled voice, "Me too!"
Fang Zhi, being the smarter one, glanced at his father with some exasperation, paused, then said, "I heard from Father that Xiao Ning has changed a lot recently, quite different from before... Fine, I'll take you two there."
Seeing the disbelieving looks on Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu's faces, he, as their elder brother figure, stepped forward to take charge.
After speaking, he turned back to look at Fang Lin, his eyes seeking permission.
Fang Lin nodded and cautioned him, "The future of the stronghold ultimately depends on you all. Our generation has supported each other up to now, but some have died, others have grown old — how the stronghold fares from here on is up to you. It's not just about martial arts skill, but more importantly, disposition and breadth of heart. And from what I can see, although Xiao Ning was once good for nothing and narrow-minded, he was still young back then. Now that he's grown up, he's become very different. Ah, if only Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law were still alive to see Xiao Ning finally amount to something — how wonderful that would be..."
With that, he left first, leaving the second-generation bandits, who now had no fallback plan whatsoever, with bitter looks on their faces.
Today, playing the part of the grandson, they were resigned to it...
.....
Aunt Qi's house.
Lin Ning, Little Jiu Niang, Cui'er, and Little Gray — three people and a dog — had just brought over a load of Buddha Hand leaves and were about to go fetch a second load when they saw Fang Zhi, Zhou Shi, and Zeng Niu arrive, having tracked down their whereabouts.
Lin Ning's expression stayed calm, showing neither joy nor anger, while Cui'er's big face showed some worry. Little Jiu Niang, however, looked somewhat surprised and said, "Brother Xiao Zhi, Brother Shi Tou, Brother A Niu, why are you all here?"
The three of them didn't answer right away, but instead all stared together at the sizable pile of Buddha Hand leaves heaped in the courtyard, their expressions extremely complicated.
Yesterday they had also heard about Lin Ning fetching water for the lonely elderly in the stronghold, but they'd been half-doubtful, assuming he was up to some trick again.
But now, seeing the Buddha Hand leaves on the ground with their own eyes, and having just overheard Grandma Liu, while passing by the terrace, praising Lin Ning to a group of elderly folk in the stronghold, they couldn't help but believe it — this Lin Ning really had changed...
Even Zeng Niu, who had personally witnessed Lin Ning's face twisted with vicious, malicious intent as he tried to push the miserably wailing Little Jiu Niang off the Cliff of Contemplation, now felt a bit muddled, doubting himself — could he really have seen wrong that day?
Maybe it really was possible...
Hadn't Little Jiu Niang also been screaming repeatedly today, with Lin Ning's face looking malicious too? And yet it turned out the two of them had just been fooling around together...
But still, that day really hadn't looked like fooling around.
Several thoughts churned through the three of their minds, and seeing the strange looks Lin Ning and Little Jiu Niang were now giving them, Fang Zhi hurriedly spoke up. "Xiao Ning, Grandpa An said you're his direct disciple — is that true?"
Lin Ning responded flatly, "It's true. Something wrong?"
The three of them were greatly astonished at this, looking Lin Ning up and down several more times before Fang Zhi finally stated his purpose. "Xiao Ning, look, Grandpa An is quite advanced in age now and can no longer administer acupuncture. Tomorrow there's a major event at the stronghold that can't be delayed — do you think you could take a look at Zhou Shi and Zeng Niu...?"
Everyone's eyes fell on Lin Ning's face at once. Even Little Jiu Niang looked at him with anticipation — she desperately hoped Lin Ning and Fang Zhi's group could reconcile. If both sides who treated her so well could get along, she'd gladly go without eating meat for an entire day!
And yet, everyone watched as Lin Ning slowly shook his head...
.....
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