Chapter 341: Chapter 133 Plot_4
But now they say that he should practice medicine here.
Although the tone of voice was teasing, the words were very serious.
Miao Liangfang curled his fingers slightly, feeling that deep in his silent, gray heart, something was being roused by the spring thunder, sprouting from the soil and coming back to life.
Seeing him, Du Changqing furrowed his brows, "I know my offer is good, but you’re not so moved that you’re crying, are you? Tsk, could you wipe your nose? It’s dripping on the floor!"
The middle-aged man’s eyes were blurred with tears as he fumbled with a handkerchief to wipe his face, while indignantly retorting, "Sob... That’s drool!"
Lu Tong: "..."
Du Changqing: "So, are you going to do it or not?"
"Yes!" said Miao Liangfang, and realizing he’d shouted with too much vigor, he quickly added, "For little Lu’s sake."
Du Changqing rolled his eyes: "Hmph."
...
The day went by with him giving instructions and packing his bags.
After dusk, Du Changqing returned home with Ah Cheng, Miao Liangfang also left, Lu Tong closed the doors of the medical hall, and lifted the felt curtain to enter the courtyard.
It was March again, the chill of the spring night lingered, yet the courtyard was much livelier than the desolation when he first arrived.
On all four corners of the eaves hung hexagonal wind chimes that Ah Cheng had bought from the lantern market. When the wind blew, the chimes rang out clearly. A large jade-green toad-shaped lantern sat under the plum tree by the window, its bulging eyes comically staring at the people below, casting a serene glow on the bluestone ground beneath the tree.
A breeze brought in a faint scent of soapberry from the laundry hanging in the courtyard, spreading it all over the place. In the corner, there was also a pile of pickled meat and goose eggs gifted by Widow Sun, with the red cloth still tied to the gift basket, occasionally tempting the night cats to sneak in over the wall for a steal or two.
And then there were the camellias and spring orchids that Yin Zheng had planted...
In just a year, this place had become more and more like the yard of the Lu Family in Changwu County.
It made leaving stir a hint of reluctance in one’s heart.
Yin Zheng came in from outside, saw Lu Tong standing there lost in thought, walked over with a smile, gathered the laundry that had been drying in the yard, and while doing so said to Lu Tong, "There was sunshine today, it’s better to let them dry before heading to the Medical Officer Institute. Not sure if these clothes are enough, perhaps we should ask Tailor Ge to make a few more sets..."
Lu Tong was going to the Medical Officer Institute, and Yin Zheng had started making her socks and undergarments well in advance, preparing a few extra sets for the season. Her sewing wasn’t exactly the best, but she drew beautiful patterns, which even Tailor Ge envied when he saw them.
Lu Tong entered the room, where Yin Zheng was neatly folding the laundered clothes, and placing them one by one into the bundle that Lu Tong was to take with her.
"By the way, miss," Yin Zheng said while folding clothes without even looking up, "the Qingfeng Guardsman from the Palace Front Office brought over a wooden box. I don’t know what’s inside, but I’ve placed it on your desk for you to check later. It might be a congratulatory gift."
Lu Tong looked behind her and saw on the desk by the window, indeed, there was a wooden box, which was not finely crafted and even excessively plain.
After a moment of silence, Lu Tong turned around and walked to the desk, opened the cabinet at the feet of the desk, and took out a box—that was the two hundred taels of silver Du Changqing had given her today.
She took the two hundred taels of silver and walked over to where Yin Zheng was folding clothes.
Seeing her approaching, Yin Zheng stopped her movements, hesitantly asking, "Miss, what are you doing?"
Lu Tong placed the box in her hands.
"I’m going to the Medical Officer Institute," Lu Tong said. "Du Changqing’s allowance for you is not much. If you don’t want to stay here, you can take this silver and leave."
"... Leave?"
Yin Zheng was stunned, then shook her head, "I’ll just wait here for your ladyship’s days off, in case there’s something I can help with..."
"There’s no need to wait for me. What happens to me in the future has nothing to do with you," Lu Tong said calmly. "We were mere passersby who met by chance. When our shared journey comes to an end, it’s best to part on good terms."
Yin Zheng’s eyes suddenly turned red: "My life was saved by you, Miss..."
"You’ve repaid me for saving your life with your help this past year; you don’t need to carry this debt," Lu Tong interrupted.
Yin Zheng bit her lip, struggling: "Are you trying to drive me away, miss?"
Lu Tong didn’t speak.
Yin Zheng looked at the person in front of her.
The woman sat in front of the bed, her expression cold and indifferent; even the lamp light couldn’t add a touch of warmth to her lovely eyebrows and eyes. Since Yin Zheng had known Lu Tong, she seemed to have always been like this, forever maintaining this estranged distance from others.
But Yin Zheng knew that Lu Tong was not a person without feelings. A person without feelings would not carry her back to the mountain from the cold and eerie Chaos Burial Mound. A person without feelings would not diligently take care of her wounds, personally preparing and applying ointments to that body even a brothel madam would disdain.
She had never looked down on herself because of her status as a woman from the fireworks, but instead, she was extremely patient.
Yin Zheng was not a fool; she clearly understood Lu Tong’s cold words were said out of fear that she would be burdened by a sense of obligation. The so-called rush to send her away was also out of hope that she would not be bound by gratitude.
Knowing the truth of the matter was one thing, but hearing it and feeling hurt was another.
Yin Zheng lowered her head, softly "hmmed" in response, stood up, and said in a low voice, "I understand."
She got up to leave, but just as she reached the door, Lu Tong called out to her.
A flicker of joy appeared in Yin Zheng’s eyes. Was this a change of mind?
She turned around, only to see Lu Tong walk up to her and stuff a heavy box into her bosom:"You forgot the silver."
Yin Zheng: "..."
Clinging to the box, she stamped her foot lightly in annoyance and turned to leave.
After Yin Zheng left, the room returned to its previous silence.
A half-packed bundle still lay on the bed. Lu Tong walked over to the edge, carefully folding and packing the remaining garments.
Yin Zheng was meticulous. In addition to clothes and socks, she made more than a dozen velvet flowers and silk handkerchiefs of different, yet uniform colors. Those bright crimson and purple flowers looked exceptionally dazzling in the dim light, crowding before one’s eyes.
The room felt even colder and lonelier.
Lu Tong lowered her gaze to those velvet flowers and watched them for a long time before slowly reaching out and carefully putting each flower into her pouch.
Then she rose and walked to the table to take the box that Yin Zheng had said Qingfeng had brought over, and placed it under the lamp.
With a "clack," the lid of the box was opened.
Four palm-sized porcelain jars laid side by side in the wooden box. Lu Tong picked one up and felt a depression at the bottom. Looking closely, she discovered it was a discreetly carved surname.
All four porcelain jars were engraved with a surname.
Lu Tong’s hand gripping the jar tightened.
Pei Yunmeng had not broken his promise, and just as he said, he had found and brought her family’s graveyard soil anew.
However...
The small Buddha cabinet in the room was entirely empty. Since the white porcelain Guanyin had shattered, Lu Tong had not bought a new Guanyin statue to worship. She was about to leave this place, and there would be no need to continue offering incense here in the future.
The divination made by Blind Man He on West Street for her was written as follows: "In face of a worthy opponent, hide your tactics; in the game of black and white, undetected at the time." It hinted at thorny struggles and potential upheavals within.
She wasn’t afraid, because no matter where she went, her family would always be with her.
In the spring nights in Shengjing, street drums faded at the beginning of the hour, and a mild wind blew scattered the chill.
The woman lowered her head, her fingers gently caressing the cold porcelain jars with tenderness. Her expression was one of loving reluctance, akin to a traveler about to leave home, listening to the last admonishments of relatives, her facial features conveying peace.
"Father, Mother, Sister, Second Brother, rest assured," she answered seriously, almost like a vow, word by word.
"I will plan well."
End of Volume One·Bitter Regret of the Flower Season