Chapter 202: Chapter 93: The Scholar Bids Farewell_3
This place had indeed damaged his spirit.
Wu Youcai looked at Lu Tong. "Where is Doctor Lu?"
Lu Tong paused.
Wu Youcai gazed at the person in front of him.
In truth, at this point, whatever Lu Tong’s purpose was in using him, it no longer mattered. Regardless, she had fulfilled his last wish completely.
Now that the fraud in the imperial examination had been exposed, and all the powerful figures who oppressed the scholars had been punished. After he came back to life from death, a few coroners from the Ministry of Justice had examined him thoroughly and found nothing out of place, all clicking their tongues in amazement. So, he adopted the story of "Yama letting a person go" that Blind Man He told him, not wanting to cause Lu Tong any more trouble.
He was grateful to her, for cruelly showing him the truth in this muddled and terrible world, for finding a way for him to live. He was even more thankful for that medicine which feigned death, allowing him to cling to life at the brink of death, and giving him the opportunity to turn back.
He was reborn.
Perhaps the Wu Youcai from West Street Fish Market, preoccupied with petty achievements, had died. The one who lived on was the real Wu Youcai, the one he wanted to be.
Silence lingered in the store for a long time.
After a while, Wu Youcai’s voice broke the silence.
"Whatever Doctor Lu wishes to do, Youcai only hopes that everything goes well for Doctor Lu, and that her wishes are fulfilled."
The words came from the heart, sincere and genuine.
In this world, each person has their own path and their own hardships. There is no need to probe or inquire; he only needed to know that Lu Tong was the hand extended to him in his direst moments, like the Goddess of Mercy who saves those in distress. That was enough for him.
"I appreciate your kind words," said Lu Tong.
Lu Tong lifted her head and smiled at him. "Also, I wish for you, sir, no more troubles in the future, to meet all the good people in the world, to read all the good books, and to see all the beautiful landscapes."
While saying this to him, despite her smile, her eyes glinted with a touch of melancholy, as if she was seeing someone else’s shadow through him, an underlying sadness present.
Wu Youcai was startled but then burst into hearty laughter. It was a rarity to see him laugh so openly, given his usually gentle and reserved nature. He then stopped laughing and bowed deeply to Lu Tong with all seriousness.
"Thank you, Doctor Lu."
He took his leave, his silhouette not as humble and stooped as usual, but rather free and spirited. The white-washed hem of his gown fluttered in the autumn breeze, fiercely dazzling in the golden sunlight, carrying an air of a young man’s carelessness.
Lu Tong watched his retreating back for a long time, until the sunlight filtering through the plum trees at the door no longer flickered, until her eyes grew sore from watching, and then Du Changqing’s voice came from behind her.
His tone was strangely quaint, "Why the lingering attachment? One might think he’s your own brother."
Lu Tong collected her thoughts, but he kept pestering her. "Today you saw Scholar Wu come back to life and didn’t even bat an eye. Did you know in advance?"
"Mm, I heard about it at Prince Wen’s Mansion."
Du Changqing scoffed, "Just heard about it? You didn’t have a hand in his resurrection?"
Lu Tong remained unmoved. "Hasn’t he said it himself? His rightful lifespan isn’t over, and Yama doesn’t take good people. I don’t possess such skill."
"Which Yama is so just and enlightened? He’s more sensible than any official in the mortal world. There used to be a kidnapper on West Street who lived until ninety-eight. Why didn’t they drag her down?"
Unusually astute, he kept on pressing Lu Tong, "Don’t fool me, young master. Is there any secret between you two that I, your employer, shouldn’t hear? I want to know now!"
Lu Tong, irked beyond measure, saw Yin Zheng and Ah Cheng come out from the courtyard. They set aside the winnow used for drying herbs and grabbed Du Changqing’s sleeve. "Master, didn’t you say that once the lady returns we’d go for a feast at Renhe Restaurant? When will you arrange it?"
Upon hearing this, Du Changqing’s body jerked. "Indeed, I almost forgot the important affair!"
On the fifteenth day, he had made reservations at Renhe Restaurant for a feast, but due to Lu Tong’s extended stay at Prince Wen’s Mansion that lasted ten days, he had to cancel the banquet at the very last minute. However, the deposit for the reservations was non-refundable. After much haggling by Shopkeeper Du, the owner finally agreed to wait until his schedule cleared up to lay out the entire feast again.
Now that Lu Tong had returned, they could finally enjoy the hard-earned meal.
He said, "Since everyone is here, let’s pick a time to have the feast. How about tomorrow?"
Lu Tong pulled back the felt curtain. "Let’s wait a few more days."
"Wait again?" Du Changqing was speechless and grumbled, "Suit yourself if you don’t want to go!"
Lu Tong ignored his complaints and walked straight back to her little courtyard.
The small courtyard was as clean as it had been before she left; Yin Zheng loved cleanliness and swept it daily. Lu Tong entered the room, walked to the small Buddha shrine, and took out some incense sticks to light.
Amid the swirling smoke, the little statue of the Buddha looked serene, its countenance filled with compassion.
She spoke softly, uncertain whether she was speaking to herself or someone else.
"It won’t be long now..."
"Just a few more days."