Chapter 522: Chapter 186 Recognizing Each Other
A stormy night, rivers soared tumultuously.
Garden blooms throughout the city were swept away by the winds, and after the rain cleared up the following day, the early morning was cool and crisp,
On Qinghe Street in South City, which bustled all night, the day seemed somewhat quieter. It was still early, the alleyways serene, when the deliberately crafted wooden door of a tea house to the east creaked open, and a seventeen or eighteen-year-old young man stepped out.
He was clad in a green round-necked brocade robe adorned with contrasting floral patterns, his steps light, his brows and eyes relaxed, resembling a vibrant young willow, and he held a purple wooden box in his hands as he made his way toward the red horse tied at the entrance.
Duan Xiaoyan had come to pick up white jade.
On Huangmao Hill, Lu Tong was chased and bitten by Qi Yutai’s vicious dog, inadvertently dropping a medical kit which Zhizi later found.
Although it seemed like a meritorious deed had been accomplished, the foolish dog got too excited, its mouth was not tight enough, and the medical box slipped, tumbling out a piece of white jade.
The jade’s lustre was warm and its carving delicate; at a glance, it was clearly valuable. Moreover, as it was kept inside Lu Tong’s medical box, it was obviously a precious object.
So on the flawless beauty of the jade, a brand new crack became glaringly conspicuous.
The question then arose—
Was the jade pendant shattered by Zhizi, or was it smashed by that vicious dog from the Qi Family?
The officers from Palace Front Office looked for a long while but could not figure it out.
What’s more, one of the culprits, the fierce dog, was already dead; without it to offer proof, there was nothing more to say.
This blame could only be borne by the Palace Front Office.
Pei Yunmeng then asked Duan Xiaoyan to take the jade to Master Lu at the Tiangong Workshop on Qinghe Street for repair.
Master Lu’s craftsmanship was exceptional. He could restore broken porcelain and colored glaze to appear brand new, with no traces of cracks visible, but the waiting period was long, the price high, and one had to queue up.
Sometimes, during peak seasons, waiting for half a year was a common occurrence.
However, Pei Yunmeng had past dealings with Master Lu, so there was no need to wait in line, but the price was not reduced by a single cent. Duan Xiaoyan thought that the silver Pei Yunmeng paid could have bought another new piece of jade for Lu Tong. Why not simply give him a new one? After all, even if the broken jade was repaired without a trace, it had still been broken.
"Just do as you are told." His own master replied to him like this,
Even with a hint of impatience.
Duan Xiaoyan had no choice but to let the matter go.
He secured the wooden box, mounted his horse, and galloped all the way to the entrance of the Medical Officer Institute. Having dismounted, he spoke to a young boy by the entrance and then made his way into the Medical Officer Institute.
During the day, the medical officers were all busy, with some on duty and others verifying medical prescriptions. Because he was pleasant-looking, sweet-talking, and from the Palace Front Office, he called out "brother" and "sister" as he passed by, and the medical officers greeted him warmly in return.
It was his first visit to the Medical Officer Institute, and he was not very familiar with the way, so after asking an elderly medical officer and learning that Doctor Lu had gone to the pharmacy room early in the morning, he headed toward the small woods as the elderly medical officer had directed.
It was still early morning, sunlight spilled through the gaps in the trees like flickering gold. Duan Xiaoyan squinted at the sight and suddenly remembered something. He quickly took out the purple wooden box from his bosom.
When he had gone to Qinghe Street in the morning, it had still been too early, and the Tiangong Workshop was dimly lit. He had only glanced hurriedly and didn’t know if Old Man Lu truly repaired it so seamlessly that no flaws could be spotted with the naked eye. Now that the weather was clear, it was a good time to examine it carefully in the sunlight. If he could spot any defect...
He would have to ask for a refund!
Duan Xiaoyan opened the wooden box which was lined with deep red velvet, and a round piece of white jade inside shone brilliantly.
He stopped and took the jade out, holding it above his head, aligning it with the sunlight shining through the gaps in the branches. Looking up at the sun, he inspected the jade carefully.
The jade pendant was smooth and lustrous, and the High Scholar Playing Zither Picture carved on it seemed almost lifelike. On closer examination, the entire jade was intact and exquisite, without a single flaw to be found.
Duan Xiaoyan rubbed his eyes and looked several times over, still unable to determine where the original crack was. He couldn’t help but murmur to himself, "It truly is seamless, isn’t it?"
He was so engrossed in looking that he did not notice someone approaching from behind. The person drew nearer, glanced at the white jade he was holding up, and suddenly fixed their gaze on it.
"You..."
It was only then that Duan Xiaoyan realized someone had passed by. He turned around and saw a young man in a medical officer’s robe standing before him, who was handsome and looked vaguely familiar.
"Doctor... Doctor Ji."
It took him a while to remember who this person was.
The son of Master Ji, the Hanlin Academician, who was renowned for his young age and praiseworthy medical skills.
Duan Xiaoyan had no acquaintance with Master Ji’s son. He greeted him and then stepped aside, indicating the other should go ahead.
But Ji Xun did not leave.
He kept staring at the white jade in Duan Xiaoyan’s hand, his expression somewhat peculiar, "Young Master, may I have a look at that Jade Jue in your hand?"
Duan Xiaoyan was momentarily taken aback, then scratched his head and replied with a touch of embarrassment, "Sorry, Doctor Ji, this jade doesn’t belong to me; it’s Doctor Lu’s from the Medical Officer Institute. It’s someone else’s personal belonging; I’m not the owner and shouldn’t show it to others so casually." He thought for a moment, "Anyway, since you both work at the Medical Officer Institute, if you want to see it, you should ask Doctor Lu directly."