Chapter 554: Chapter 195: Couple Outfits_2
Lin Danqing also received a red paper.
Lin Danqing had arrived early in the morning since the Medical Officer Institute was closed for a ten-day break, and she didn’t need to ask for leave. Calculating the time, she came early to help.
While Du Changqing and Ah Cheng were busy outside, Lin Danqing followed Lu Tong inside the shop. The shop had been renovated, combining two rooms into one. The formerly old walls had been carefully repaired, and the new medicine cabinets were clean and shining. At first glance, everything looked brand new.
Under the medical books on the table, there were also a few volumes of books. Lin Danqing, with her sharp eyes, pulled out one and exclaimed in surprise, "Record of Twin Affections"... Younger Sister Lu, you like to read this too?"
Lu Tong paused for a moment, "Not really."
"It’s me who was reading it," Yin Zheng said with a smile, taking the book scroll from Lin Danqing’s hands, "I went to Yasi Bookstore earlier to buy fireworks and paintings, and Boss Luo gave it as a freebie. Sometimes when the medical hall is quiet, I read these storybooks to pass the time."
"Storybooks?" Lu Tong was perplexed.
Usually busy with managing the medical hall and helping with medicine preparation, she didn’t know when Yin Zheng had become interested in these.
"Yes," Yin Zheng explained with a smile, "It tells a story of a true and false daughter from a wealthy family. First marriage, then love, brother and sister in love, feigning death to escape, and ultimately reconciliation, with everyone happy in the end. It’s very interesting."
Lu Tong was blank.
This sounded a bit far-fetched.
Lin Danqing blinked, "I read this before but didn’t finish it. I stopped halfway."
Yin Zheng was puzzled, "Why? Did the story go awry later on?"
"Not exactly, it’s just that later when the female character is injured and can’t get up, the Prince jeers at the Imperial Physician, ’If you can’t cure her, you’ll all be buried with her.’ I couldn’t continue reading."
Lin Danqing shivered, "Who could continue reading that? The Medical Officer isn’t some scapegoat."
Lu Tong: "..."
Seeing Lu Tong’s indescribable expression, Lin Danqing sighed, "Actually, I used to love reading these. But later on, firstly, I was busy preparing for the spring examination, and secondly, some storybooks are just too bizarre."
"The one where the Imperial Physician has to be buried alive, at most, reflects a poor character. But some storybooks go further, describing a couple on their wedding night, doing it thirteen times..." she leaned closer to Lu Tong, whispering, "You and I are both medical students, isn’t this outrageous?"
Yin Zheng couldn’t help but snort with laughter, and seeing Lin Danqing’s glance, she quickly explained, "Perhaps the storybook authors are just making it up..."
"That’s easy to say," Lin Danqing argued earnestly, "but if the women who read these books take them as truth, thinking all men in the world are like this, they might encounter a different reality when they get married. If they think there’s a problem with their husbands, wouldn’t it destroy their marriages?"
"My ancestors always said, ’Better to demolish a temple than to destroy a marriage.’ Such a sin would be grave."
Her far-sighted worries left both Lu Tong and Yin Zheng speechless for a moment.
Amid the silence, suddenly, the sound of horse hooves approached from outside, and the joyful voice of the shop boy rang out, "A guest has come, please come in quickly!"
Lu Tong turned to look.
Under the Li Zishu tree at the doorway, a carriage had stopped. A lad in green clothing jumped down, nimbly lifting the carriage curtain, followed by a young man in blue who descended from the carriage.
The youth dressed in a light blue robe, his long hair pinned up with a jade hairpin, with bright clear eyes and a dignified yet handsome visage, was extremely well-mannered. As he stepped down from the carriage, his robes fluttered with the breeze, like ripples spreading on the surface of a lake.
In the midst of the fiery summer sun, the moment the young man stepped down from the carriage, it was as if a cool breeze swept through the bamboo forest, dispelling the stifling heat and remarkably bringing a sense of soothing tranquility.
Widow Sun and Sister Song were collecting the herbal tea distributed for free by Du Changqing at the doorstep. They both stared in astonishment. Widow Sun nudged Du Changqing’s arm and whispered, "Shopkeeper Du, who is this gentle and handsome man?"
As Du Changqing was ladling out the medicinal soup, he stopped for a moment and said irritably, "A plaster for all ills."
Lin Danqing stroked her chin and murmured into Lu Tong’s ear, "Doctor Ji, out of his Medical Officer robes, does have a certain charm, doesn’t he?"
Lu Tong remained silent, setting down the medicinal jar in her hand and turning to walk towards the entrance.
Seeing Du Changqing’s demeanor, it seemed he wasn’t planning to welcome the guest.
She had only reached the doorway and hadn’t spoken to Ji Xun when suddenly another sound of galloping hooves was heard.
This time the hoofbeats were more urgent than before. As the sound drew nearer, another vermilion-wheeled carriage stopped in front of Renxin Medical Hall, right next to the carriage under the Li Zishu tree where Ji Xun had alighted.
"Doctor Lu——"
Before the person arrived, his voice preceded him. A young man in green leaped down from the carriage, his voice buoyant, and behind him, another person lifted the carriage curtain, bending down to step out.
The onlookers turned their gaze forward.
From the carriage, a young man dressed in a light blue brocade robe alighted.
This young man was also quite handsome.
His features were not as reserved and delicate as the previous gentleman’s, but sharper and more striking, captivating the heart. Yet when he smiled, showing his nearly imperceptible dimples, it was particularly compelling.