Chapter 344: Chapter 134 Medicine Man_3
Lu Tong fell silent, and said, "Have you lost your mind?"
He was the Commander of the Palace Front Office, with a promising future ahead. Even with the drag of the Pei Family, the new emperor clearly favored and relied heavily upon him. Giving up his wealth and prestige for such a cause was a losing proposition.
He gave a nonchalant smile, "Anyway, you’re quite experienced in dealing with madmen."
Lu Tong remained silent.
Pei Yunmeng lay with his hands behind his head as if conversing on mundane household matters.
"The Liang Dynasty isn’t just bustling in Shengjing, you’ve also only been to Su Nan and Changwu County. Take this opportunity to travel more. It will benefit the accumulation of your medical knowledge. I’ve resolved my major concerns and have no attachments. You probably wouldn’t mind taking me along."
"I can accompany you back to Changwu County or Su Nan. If you want to continue running a medical hall, then open one, buy another residence, like planting medicinal herbs in the courtyard of Renxin Medical Hall..."
He spoke very calmly.
The wind howled outside, and the world beyond the window was bathed in moonlight. His words alone were enough to evoke longing, like a beautiful scene in spring, inspiring yearning.
Lu Tong’s eyes slowly reddened.
After she had completed everything, as she trudged toward the quagmire, quietly waiting for the muddy waters to slowly rise over her head and engulf her, at the very last moment, she saw someone running toward her.
He knelt at the shore, allowed her to see the floral shadows and lantern lights along the bank, and reached out a hand, telling her, "Come up."
She desperately wanted to grasp that hand.
But no matter what, she could not.
Tears silently streaked down her face, soaking the pillow. She lay with her back to Pei Yunmeng, suppressing the sourness in her throat, wordless.
Silence descended upon the room.
With no further sound around, Pei Yunmeng looked up and glanced at the bed, "Have you fallen asleep?"
The person on the cot did not reply, as if in deep slumber.
He lowered his gaze and then closed his eyes as well.
...
The night stretched on endlessly.
Whether it was Pei Yunmeng’s interruption or other thoughts occupying her mind, after she went back to sleep, Lu Tong had no more nightmares.
When she awoke, it was already light outside.
Lu Tong rose to find that the oil lamp on the table had burnt out, and there was no one else in the room.
She pushed open the door, and outside, the wind and snow had stopped.
Snow blanketed Luomei Peak, bending the branches of the plum trees under its weight, the entire scene a silvery white. Yet the sky remained dim, layered with thousands of thick clouds, as desolate as ever.
Lu Tong stood in the doorway, in a fleeting daze.
She had spent seven years on Luomei Peak, and had seen its snow a myriad of times. However, after just two years away in Shengjing, she felt unaccustomed to it upon her return.
Habit truly is a terrifying thing; it can change everything.
Lu Tong, holding a medicine basket, walked toward the Red Plum tree.
Lady Yun loved to plant poisonous flowers and herbs in the open space in front of the house, with the most planted under the Red Plum tree.
The vibrant herbs from before were now crushed under the heavy snow, no longer flourishing, leaving only a few deserted clumps, standing forlornly alone.
Lu Tong sighed internally.
Two years had passed, and even the most toxic herbs required careful cultivation; without someone to tend them, they would wither.
She set the medicine basket aside, knelt down, and carefully picked and stored each of the still-intact plants.
There weren’t many medicinal herbs left, and she quickly finished picking them. Just as she was about to leave, suddenly, her gaze caught a hint of vibrant color beneath the tree and she paused.
A distinct yellow stood out awkwardly amid the haphazard white snow. Lu Tong’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, she swiftly approached, bent down, and brushed the snow aside. When she saw what it was, she was stunned.
"Golden Qin?"
"How..." Her astonishment was hard to conceal.
On Luomei Peak, Lady Yun only planted poisonous plants.
Non-poisonous herbs were useless to her; there was no need to bring them to Luomei Peak.
Once, Lady Yun had received a handful of Golden Qin seeds. This flower, native to the Western Regions, was precious and non-poisonous; in fact, it could counteract heat toxins. Lady Yun wanted to throw away the packet of seeds, but Lu Tong, behind her back, rescued them.
She planted the seeds behind the house, watered them carefully and checked on them every day, but the Golden Qin stubbornly refused to sprout. Curious, she dug up the soil and found the seeds had rotted in the mud.
Lady Yun leaned in the doorway, watching her efforts with a cold smile, "Golden Qin fears the cold and loves the warmth; it won’t grow on Luomei Peak."
"Little Shiqi, why waste your energy?"
Lu Tong pressed her lips together without a word, her determination deepening.
Back then, she was stubbornly convinced that if she could grow a detoxifying herb on Luomei Peak, it would be like proving that one could defy fate. But despite many attempts and meticulous care, the seeds never germinated.