Chapter 200: Chapter 93: The Scholar Bids Farewell_1
For ten consecutive days, Lu Tong stayed in Prince Wen’s Mansion.
Although the poison inside the newborn girl had not been completely expelled, the toxicity ceased to spread due to her separation from the mother. Given time and medicinal care, it was not impossible for her to recover fully.
Pei Yunshu also gradually began to get better.
Nobody knew what Pei Yunmeng had done, but during those ten days, no outsiders were allowed to enter Pei Yunshu’s yard, not even Prince Wen himself.
Once the mother and daughter were out of immediate danger, Lu Tong made a trip back to West Street.
Du Changqing had not seen Lu Tong since the Mid-Autumn Festival, and despite hearing about the incident from Yin Zheng, he remained anxious. Only when he saw Lu Tong return unharmed did he feel the weight lifted off his heart.
Lu Tong changed into a clean, plain white silk gown and freshened up. She lifted the curtain, only to be greeted by Du Changqing’stretched, anxious face.
The bookkeeper was pacing in the shop, grumbling: "I always knew that those named Pei were bad luck; I just didn’t think it could be this bad. You were just delivering medicine, and yet you ran into such trouble. You are young and don’t know better. Despite their high status and appearance, they’ve got a carriage full of problems." He sighed with a pained expression, "Let’s just hope you don’t run into trouble without reaping any benefits."
Lu Tong interrupted him, "While I was away from the medical center, did anything happen?"
Du Changqing was startled and slapped his forehead, "Right, I almost forgot..."
Before he could finish, someone called out "Doctor Lu" at the entrance of the medical center.
Lu Tong looked up to see a man in worn scholar’s attire and a blue headscarf standing at the door, holding several green fish and looking at her with an embarrassed smile.
It was, in fact, Wu Youcai.
Du Changqing leaned in and whispered to Lu Tong, "This Scholar Wu has come to the medical center several times looking for you since he resurrected. You weren’t here the previous times, and I was just about to mention it when he conveniently showed up."
Scholar Wu walked into the inner shop somewhat abashedly, lifting the green fish in his hands, "I intended to give two fish as a gift to Doctor Lu for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Ah Cheng said that Doctor Lu was out on a medical visit and only returned today."
Yin Zheng hurriedly took the green fish and didn’t forget to pull along Du Changqing and Ah Cheng into the small courtyard behind the entrance. She only said to Lu Tong, "Miss, we haven’t sorted the herbs that were drying in the yard; we’ll go sort them, and you can come help after you finish speaking with Brother Wu."
Du Changqing turned his head, glancing suspiciously at Lu Tong and Wu Youcai, but ultimately said nothing and followed Yin Zheng into the courtyard.
The felt curtain fell, and only Lu Tong and Wu Youcai were left in the inner shop.
Lu Tong stood in front of the cabinet and assessed the person before her.
Wu Youcai still presented the humble demeanor of a scholar, his clothes worn but clean, just as when they had first met, though he appeared to have mended his purse many times and insisted on paying with pieces of silver.
The scholar was destitute, yet he maintained his dignity without seeming servile or haughty.
Wu Youcai was also looking at Lu Tong.
Today was a clear day, and the sunlight slanted from the sky across the street, illuminating a small area in front of the dim shop. The young female doctor was bathed in a patch of golden light, looking warmer and less indifferent than usual. She was like a glimmer of light that suddenly appeared in the dark, a compassionate and gentle Bodhisattva.
Her gaze was calm, and she did not betray a trace of shock as she looked at him—despite the fact that he should have been a "dead man" at this time.
"Did Doctor Lu know beforehand that I would rise from the dead?" Wu Youcai eventually asked softly.
She looked so serene, unlike other people who were frightened, as if she had known all along that this scene would unfold before her eyes.
Lu Tong did not answer his question, but simply asked, "Do you feel any discomfort in your body?"
Wu Youcai shook his head.
He had woken up in a black coffin ten days ago, nearly driving crazy the scholars who had come to his spirit hall to keep vigil. Official Hu fainted on the spot, almost needing the black coffin which had been prepared for Wu Youcai.
After the scholars started wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves, Blind Man He from West Street was summoned to exorcise ghosts and subdue demons. From a distance, Blind Man He sized him up, brandishing his peach wood sword and chanting some incantations before stroking his beard, shaking his head, and sighing regretfully. He said that the Wu Family, being kind and having accumulated much merit, was spared by Yama as Wu Youcai’s allotted lifespan had not yet ended, prompting the minor ghosts to swiftly return him to the world of the living.
Led by Old Master Xun, the members of the poetry society rejoiced for him sincerely, Blind Man He took his payment and gave Wu Youcai a few talismans to ward off bad luck. Wu Youcai stood amidst the noisy crowd, feeling both bewildered and absurd.
He was clearly already dead. He remembered swallowing poison in the cell, that instant when the sharp pain began at his heart and slowly spread, like a drowning person unable to grasp the last straw, helplessly watching as he sank into darkness. An overwhelming fear rushing from all sides roared to drag him into the depths of an even deeper hell.