Chapter 417: Chapter 153 His Nervousness_3
Xiao Zhufeng took the document, glanced down for a few moments, his gaze slightly moved, "...it’s actually still here."
The person in front of him changed clothes, poured himself a cup of hot tea, took a sip with his head down, and upon hearing this, said, "Can we report back now?"
Xiao Zhufeng nodded and asked again, "You weren’t seen at the Medical Officer Institute, were you?"
The motion of drinking tea paused, and Pei Yunmeng stared at the tea leaves bobbing in the cup, "No."
Xiao Zhufeng nodded, then asked, "Was Doctor Lu also not there?"
The young man suddenly looked up, "What do you want with her?"
His reaction was unexpectedly intense, which even made Xiao Zhufeng pause for a moment. Then he said, "I just feel like every time you manage to meet her in the most unexpected places. I thought, given your intertwined fates, you might bump into her today as well."
Speaking up to this point, Xiao Zhufeng suddenly halted and looked at him suspiciously, "You didn’t see her, so why do you look guilty as a thief?"
Pei Yunmeng’s expression shifted slightly, as if stung by a word in that sentence, and he snapped, "Aren’t you just bored?"
Then he put the tea cup back on the table with annoyance, "Take the stuff and report back yourself." Then he turned and left.
Xiao Zhufeng: "..."
This person wasn’t usually so temperamental. It was just a single sentence; he didn’t know what was said wrong to cause such an outburst.
He stored the household register properly and said coldly, "Utterly nonsensical."
...
The wind from last night disturbed the people in the medicine warehouse, but it couldn’t disturb the morning sun.
The next day dawned sunny, with gentle breezes and warm sunshine. New swallows flitted around the willow branches at the entrance of the Medical Officer Institute, vying in splendor with the springtime.
There was no need to visit Jin Xianrong for a diagnosis this morning, and there was nothing pressing at the Palace Marshal’s Mansion, so Lu Tong got up a bit later.
Just as she finished washing up, she saw Lin Danqing carrying a large bundle entering from outside.
Lu Tong’s gaze swept over the bulging luggage behind her and asked, "Are you going out?"
Lin Danqing nodded, "Yes, I have today off. It’s been two months since I came to the Medical Officer Institute, and I haven’t been home once, so I’ve saved up two months’ worth of days off." Then, as if remembering something, she glared at Lu Tong, "Young Sister Lu, have you forgotten about your day off today?"
Lu Tong was stunned for a moment.
Imperial Medical Officers who had houses in the Capital City didn’t need to stay overnight at the institute. She and Lin Danqing were exceptions, spending nights in the dormitory. Those who stayed earned an extra tael or two of salary a month, but the two of them weren’t staying for the extra pay.
Lu Tong did it to be closer to Qi Yutai, while Lin Danqing’s reasons were unknown.
The tradition of two days off per month at the Medical Officer Institute had been in place for a long time, but since entering the institute, Lu Tong had been inundated with various tasks and hadn’t requested time off like Chang Jin did. She had thought to save up for a full month off, but that was delayed because of Qi Yutai. If Lin Danqing hadn’t mentioned it, she might have completely forgotten about taking days off starting today.
Seeing Lu Tong silent, Lin Danqing thought she had some difficulty and thus came over, taking her arm, "Young Sister Lu, why don’t you come to my house? Our estate is very big. Come back with me and I’ll show you my Golden Silk Cat Embroidery Ball. She’s very pretty and will act coy when people visit; you’ll definitely like her."
Lin Danqing knew that Lu Tong was alone in the Capital City. Although she had previously sat at the West Street Clinic, the clinic’s young owner wasn’t related to Lu Tong, so he couldn’t be considered family. Others would go home during their days off, but since Lu Tong’s home wasn’t in Shengjing, if she left the Medical Officer Institute, she wouldn’t have anywhere else to go. It would be better to go back with her to the Lin Family.
Lu Tong came back to her senses and politely declined, "No need, I am going back to West Street."
"Really?" Lin Danqing peered at her complexion, still reluctant, "Don’t be polite with me!"
Lu Tong smiled and shook her head.
After several unsuccessful attempts to invite her, only giving up when a servant from Lin Family urged her from a carriage outside, Lin Danqing then reluctantly carried her luggage out. Her heart set on returning home, she hopped and skipped out the door; even her silhouette radiated happiness. Lu Tong looked on and couldn’t help but smile as well.
But as she smiled, her expression gradually became solemn again.
She stood up, went to the wooden cabinet in the room, and bent down to lift a bundle out of it.
The bundle was flat, not holding much. Before coming to the Medical Officer Institute, Lin Danqing had brought five large wooden chests full of clothes, snacks, storybooks, and an assortment of items, as if moving house. Lu Tong, however, was different; aside from a few garments and velvet flowers, the four porcelain bottles sent by Pei Yunmeng, Du Changqing’s capital, she only had the bag of silver pieces stealthily given to her by Yin Zheng.
She hadn’t spent a piece of that bag of silver and had saved it carefully.
Lu Tong picked up the bundle and, slinging her medicine box on her back, opened the door and walked out.
Outside, the spring was enchantingly beautiful, with apricot blossoms fluttering down like snow under the sunny sky as the breeze blew. She looked up, the warm sun poured down from above her head, making her squint her eyes slightly.
It’s been a long time since I returned to the clinic...
I wonder how Yin Zheng and the others are doing now?