Chapter 20: Chapter 19 Wu Xiaosi_1
Time passed like flowing water, and in the blink of an eye, it was March, with the weather growing warmer day by day.
The willows were green, and the poplar flowers floated endlessly, beautiful women and scholars by the Luoyue Bridge enjoyed their outings non-stop, admiring the famous flowers, gathering good friends, and the streets were never short of fancy carriages and riders, with their gold saddles vying for the road, decorating Shengjing with a patchwork of reds and greens, a vibrant and beautiful time.
With more people out and about, Chun Shui Sheng was selling well. Lu Tong piled the tea jars into a small tower and placed it at the very front of the wooden table at Renxin Medical Hall, and had Yin Zheng write a piece of calligraphy to hang on the wall behind the table.
Many of the scholars who came to buy the medicine tea would arrive at the medical hall without first noticing the tea, their gazes instead drawn to the calligraphy on the wall.
"Sitting quietly without weariness, a lone guest arrives, with a bottle of spring water to brew tea. A few plum trees greet the early spring, fine rain, and gentle breezes gaze upon the fallen flowers." Someone stood at the entrance of the medical hall, muttering the lines of poetry on the wall, then exclaimed in a low voice, "Good writing!"
Lu Tong looked up to see a middle-aged man dressed in the garb of a scholar, wearing a square scarf and a blue long gown that had been washed white, with patches hidden at the elbows. The man appeared to be somewhat embarrassed and, with a flush on his face, asked Lu Tong, who was in front of the medicine cabinet, "Excuse me, Miss, do you sell Nasal Congestion Herbal Tea here?"
Lu Tong didn’t say much, only gesturing to the small mountain of jar tubes, "One jar, four taels of silver."
The man appeared to be dressed in poverty and looked to be in poor health; a jar of tea costing four taels of silver must have been expensive for him, yet upon hearing the price, he took a deep breath and withdrew a worn pouch of indistinct shape from within his chest, shaking out a handful of jumbled and broken silver pieces.
Ah Cheng took them to weigh, and it was exactly four taels of silver to the fraction, so Lu Tong gave him a jar of the tea and instructed him, "Drink it two to three times a day. One jar of tea can be divided and brewed over five or six days."
The scholar nodded in acknowledgment, tucked the tea jar into his chest like a treasured possession, and then slowly walked away.
Once he had left, Yin Zheng watched his retreating figure with some puzzlement, "That man looks like he is short on silver, why did he still come to buy such expensive tea? Isn’t he just adding to his own burden?"
Lu Tong followed her gaze for a moment, then looked down to rearrange the jars, whispering, "Perhaps it is for someone he holds dear in his heart."
...
After leaving West Street, the scholar made his way around the temple entrance and entered a fresh fish market.
On one side of the market there were dozens of fish stalls filled with the smell of fish and blood. By this time, the market was closing. He carefully made his way around the dirty blood and fish scales on the ground and turned into a thatched cottage.
The cottage was very run down, but it had been swept clean. Hearing someone approach, an elderly woman’s hoarse voice came from inside, "My son?"
The scholar replied with a simple "Ai", set down the tea jar, and hurried inside to help the person up.
This scholar was named Wu Youcai, a learned man with some talent, but for some reason, he had always been a little short of luck with the examinations. Repeatedly failing to pass, he was now middle-aged and still had nothing to show for his efforts.
Wu Youcai’s father died early on, and his mother single-handedly raised him by selling fish. Perhaps due to overwork, a few years ago, Mother Wu became seriously ill and had since been bedridden. After the New Year this year, her condition worsened. Wu Youcai sought good doctors far and wide; they all said it was like the oil was running out in a lamp, just a matter of days.
Wu Youcai was a filial son. After initial distress and sorrow, he did everything he could to fulfill his mother’s lifelong wishes. One day he would buy her a bowl of flower soup, the next, a piece of clothing. When he wasn’t studying, he also slaughtered fish to earn some silver coins. He had some savings, and these days, he spent a lot, all in order to bring a smile to his mother’s face.
Mother Wu was gravely ill, often in a daze, sometimes lucid, sometimes confused. Recently, her lucid moments were becoming fewer and farther between; she hadn’t recognized her son for a long while. A few days ago, she told Wu Youcai she wanted to go to the riverbank to see the willow flowers.
Seeing the willow flowers was not difficult, but Mother Wu always had nasal congestion, especially in the spring when she couldn’t do without a handkerchief. Just then, Wu Youcai heard his scholarly friends who had returned from the peach blossom festival say that there was a medical hall on West Street selling a special herbal tea that was remarkably effective for nasal congestion. Moved by this, Wu Youcai decided it was worth the high price of four taels of silver for a jar if it could fulfill his mother’s wish.
He carefully portioned the tea, slowly brewed a small amount for nearly half a day in the family’s porcelain pot, poured it into a bowl, and when it had cooled to a warm temperature, he fed it to his mother spoon by spoon. After drinking, his mother felt drowsy and dozed off in a confused state. Wu Youcai then went outside to take care of the fish that he hadn’t managed to deal with during the day.
After drinking this tea for three days, early on the third morning, Mother Wu once again regained her clarity and clamored to go to the riverbanks to see the willow flowers. Wu Youcai carried his mother on his back, took a handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose, and took her to the riverbanks by the Luoyue Bridge.
On both sides of the riverbank were pavilions for visitors to rest. Wu Youcai and his mother entered one to sit down. He let his mother lean against him and tentatively began to move the handkerchief away from her face, little by little.
Mother Wu didn’t show any signs of discomfort.
Wu Youcai’s eyes gradually lit up.
This Nasal Congestion Herbal Tea, it really works!
The stream of visitors on Luoyue Bridge was unending, thousands of fresh greens rustled by the wind, drifting aimlessly. For a moment, Wu Youcai was lost in the view. Ever since his mother fell ill, he spent his days selling fish and looking after her, and his nights were spent studying by lamplight. It had been a long time since he had a moment of leisure to enjoy the scenery, and only now did he realize, quite unexpectedly, that spring had come again.
"This is willow flowers, isn’t it?" someone spoke beside him. He turned his head and saw his mother looking at the smoke-like willows on both sides of the riverbank with a rare clarity in her eyes.
A sour feeling rose in Wu Youcai’s heart, nearly bringing tears to his eyes, as he softly said, "Mother, these are willow flowers."
Mother Wu slowly turned her head and looked at him intently for a while, as if she was just recalling who the person before her was: "You’re Youcai."
She actually recognized him! Wu Youcai grabbed his mother’s hand, feeling its skeletal thinness, and choked up as he said, "It’s me, mother."
With the riverbank’s new willow trees lush and green, the woman’s hair looked as silver as the light of the trees. Mother Wu smiled and patted his hand the way she did when consoling him as a child after being scolded by his teacher. She consoled him softly, "Thank you, my son, for bringing mother out to see the willow flowers."
Wu Youcai was overwhelmed with sorrow.
His mother did not notice his expression, and continued to smile while looking towards the distant smoke-like willows: "Speaking of which, when you were little, you loved to fly kites on the riverbank. Every time we crossed Luoyue Bridge, you would always pester your father to buy you a colorful kite."
Wu Youcai’s voice was choked with sobs as he agreed.
Back then he was still of an age without worries, his father was still alive, and despite her nasal congestion, his mother would wrap a handkerchief around her face and accompany father and son to the riverbank, complaining while holding his kite behind him.
After his father passed away, his mother worked at the fish market, dealing daily with the fishy smell of fish scales. He was determined to study hard and make a success of himself, putting aside any time for play or leisure. It was only upon hearing his mother’s words today that he realized that strolling on the riverbank with his mother chasing the breeze and the young grass was something that happened over twenty years ago.
Wu Youcai finally couldn’t help but burst into tears.
Looking at his mother’s hunched and withered body, he cried, "It’s all my fault, mother. I’ve been so unfilial, I haven’t achieved any position of success to bring you comfort. You’ve suffered for so many years for my sake, and as your son, I have nothing to repay you with, only reading useless books and still failing to achieve success in examinations..."
A hand gently caressed his head.
The woman’s smile was warmed with affection, tinged with sadness, as she looked at Wu Youcai and said softly, "My son, don’t speak like that. When it comes down to it, it’s your father and I who are useless, having nothing of value to leave you. Studying is your ambition, but recognition and official positions are ultimately external possessions. All I hope for is that my son is safe and healthy—that alone is a blessing."
"I never went to school, but I understand the truth that good things come through hardships. My son is talented, and sooner or later he will make a future for himself, there’s no need to brood over the present."
Wu Youcai sobbed uncontrollably.
The woman laughed again, saying, "Besides, what do you mean by nothing to repay? Haven’t you already given me a great gift?"
Wu Youcai was startled.
Mother Wu pointed to her nose, laughing with a hint of sigh, "The herbal tea you bought works wonders. For so many years, it’s the first time your mother has been able to come to the riverbank to see the flowers so comfortably. Don’t be sad. Take a good look at the scenery. Tomorrow, come with me again, and we’ll buy a bowl of hot pig’s feet to eat!"
Wu Youcai wiped away his tears and smiled, "Yes."