Chapter Sixty: The Scholar

Chapter Sixty: The Scholar

Fan Mansion's incidents were unknown to Lu Tong.

Early in the morning, not long after Renxin Medical Clinic opened its doors, a customer arrived at the shop.

It was a middle-aged man wearing a square cap, dressed in an old, washed-out robe, and his black cloth shoes were caked with mud. His appearance suggested he was a poor scholar.

The scholar looked flustered and pale, as if he had run all the way, panting heavily.

Yin Zheng was sweeping the entrance when she saw him and put down her broom, asking, "Sir, are you here to buy medicine?"

Lu Tong glanced at the man, recognizing his familiar features. Before she could speak, the scholar rushed in, grabbed her sleeve over the counter, and pleaded earnestly, "Doctor, my mother suddenly fell ill yesterday and can't eat or even speak now. Please, have mercy and save her life!"

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

At this hour, Du Changqing had not yet arrived. Besides Lu Tong, only Ah Cheng and Yin Zheng were in the shop. Yin Zheng hesitated, considering the stranger was a man and Lu Tong was a young woman; it might be dangerous for her to go alone.

Ah Cheng recognized the scholar and whispered, "Isn't that Brother Wu?"

Lu Tong turned to ask, "Do you know him, Ah Cheng?"

The young apprentice scratched his head, "He's Brother Wu from the fish market on West Street. Master Hu often mentions him." Moved by the scholar's plight, he urged Lu Tong, "Doctor Lu, please take a look. I'll explain to the owner when he arrives."

The scholar stood at the door, wanting to come in but hesitant, pleading with red eyes, "Doctor..."

Without a word, Lu Tong fetched her medical bag from the courtyard, slung it over her shoulder, and told Yin Zheng to follow her, saying, "Let's go."

The scholar was stunned for a moment before bowing repeatedly in gratitude and leading the way. Yin Zheng followed behind, whispering, "Miss, shouldn't we ask Mr. Du to come along?"

Lu Tong had been at Renxin Medical Clinic for a while, treating Dong Shao Ye's illness within the clinic. Du Changqing never allowed her to make house calls alone, saying that two young women in Shengjing might encounter unfamiliar situations and potential dangers.

Yin Zheng's concern was valid, but Lu Tong simply shook her head, "No worries."

She stared at Wu Xiucai's hurried back, recalling where she had seen him before.

A few months ago, shortly after Chunshuisheng was first made, this scholar had visited Renxin Medical Clinic once, gathering a few taels of silver from an old pouch to buy a dose of Chunshuisheng.

That medicinal tea must have been expensive for him, as he hesitated at the shop entrance for a long time before finally deciding to buy it. Thus, Lu Tong remembered him well.

As they walked, the scholar explained, "Doctor, my name is Wu Youcai. I live in the fish market on West Street. My mother said she felt unwell last night and had a severe cough. Despite my efforts to help her, she couldn't eat or drink anything this morning. I know it's against the rules to ask you to make a house call, but your clinic is the only one still open on West Street. I had no other choice."

Though exhausted and haggard, his tone remained composed, and he still apologized to Lu Tong, showing he was a polite person.

Lu Tong responded gently, "It's fine."

She knew Wu Youcai wasn't lying.

Since Chunshuisheng was taken over by the official pharmacy, for some reason, Xinglin Hall had ceased operations. Wu Youcai had nowhere else to turn for a doctor on West Street except her.

In times of desperation, one seeks any help available, especially when there's no other option.

Wu Youcai, frantic and unsteady, stumbled several times as they walked. Reaching the end of West Street, they turned past the temple and entered a fish market.

The market had dozens of fish stalls, reeking of fish and blood. At the end of the stalls, Lu Tong saw a thatched cottage.

Although the house was dilapidated, it was clean. A small yard surrounded by a fence housed a couple of chickens pecking at seeds, which flew away upon seeing visitors.

Wu Youcai rushed into the house without waiting for Lu Tong and Yin Zheng, calling out, "Mother!"

Lu Tong and Yin Zheng followed him inside.

The humble room was cluttered with various items. A cold, dark brown medicinal soup sat in a pot on a stove near the entrance.

By the window, a thin quilt hung halfway off the bed, which Wu Youcai quickly adjusted. Lu Tong approached and saw an elderly woman lying on the bed, eyes closed, emaciated, and gray-skinned, looking lifeless.

Wu Youcai choked up, "Doctor Lu, this is my mother. Please save her!"

Lu Tong checked the woman's pulse and felt a heavy heart.

The woman was at death's door.

"Doctor Lu, my mother..."

Lu Tong set down her medical bag, "Don't speak. Open the windows, bring the oil lamp closer, and step back."

Wu Youcai complied, placing the oil lamp beside the bed and standing far away in a corner.

Lu Tong called Yin Zheng over to help prop up the woman, pry open her teeth, and pour some warm water into her mouth. After half a bowl, the woman coughed twice, showing signs of waking. Wu Youcai's face lit up with hope.

Lu Tong opened her medical bag, took out golden needles wrapped in velvet, and began carefully administering acupuncture to the elderly woman.

Time passed relentlessly, but Lu Tong's actions seemed slow to Wu Youcai.

The scholar stood far away, hands clenched tightly, eyes bloodshot, watching Lu Tong intently, sweat rolling down his forehead.

After what seemed like an eternity, as the sun moved from the front to the back of the house and cicadas sang louder in the trees, Lu Tong finally withdrew her hand and the last needle.

The woman's complexion improved slightly, her eyelids fluttering as if about to wake.

"Mother—"

Wu Youcai, a mix of joy and sorrow, rushed to the bedside, wiping away tears as he called out to his mother.

His heart had been filled with despair, thinking his mother would surely die today, but now, he felt immense relief and happiness.

Behind them, the woman moaned softly, and Wu Youcai sobbed quietly. Lu Tong stood up, leaving the touching scene to the reunited mother and son.

Yin Zheng, who had been on edge, finally relaxed, helping Lu Tong pack up her medical bag and smiling, "Today was quite a scare, but thankfully, Miss, your medical skills saved her. Otherwise, such a sight would have been heartbreaking."

The sight of this mother and son struggling to survive always evoked sympathy in people's hearts.

Lu Tong was also moved. After packing up the medical bag, she turned to leave but suddenly paused as her gaze swept over a corner.

There were many books piled up in that corner.

This humble abode was almost completely bare, with only a bed, a cracked table, and two wobbly wooden stools. The few other items were old and broken, either rusted or chipped, which would surely be discarded by Du Changqing as worthless trash if he saw them.

Yet, in this nearly empty shack, all the corners were filled with stacks of books. They were piled high like steep mountains, truly astonishing.

A scholar's...

Lu Tong stared at those towering stacks of books, her expression somewhat peculiar.

This was a scholar's room.

She was so engrossed that she didn't even notice Wu Youcai approaching until his voice startled her: "Doctor Lu?"

Lu Tong looked up to see Wu Youcai standing before her, his eyes tense.

Lu Tong turned to see the old woman had fully awakened but still appeared weak and dazed. Yin Zheng was giving her water to moisten her lips.

She withdrew her gaze and said to Wu Youcai, "Let's talk outside."

The house was small, and once they stepped out, it was much brighter. The chickens, unaware of their master's recent brush with death, were leisurely basking in the sun on a straw pile.

Wu Youcai looked at Lu Tong, half grateful and half hesitant: "Doctor Lu..."

"Do you want to ask about your mother's condition?"

"Yes."

Lu Tong paused before speaking: "Your mother's illness is severe; her pulse is weak and feeble. You've already consulted other doctors, so you must know it's just a matter of time."

She did not deceive Wu Youcai; such false hope would only deepen his pain in the end.

Lies cannot change reality.

Wu Youcai's eyes immediately welled up with tears after a brief moment of relief: "Doctor Lu can't help either?"

Lu Tong shook her head.

She was a doctor, not a god. Besides, saving lives was something she wasn't particularly skilled at.

"She has at most three months left," Lu Tong said. "Take good care of her."

Wu Youcai stood there for a while, wiping away his tears before responding.

Lu Tong returned inside and wrote a few prescriptions for Wu Youcai to get medicine for the woman. Although these medicines couldn't cure her, they could make her last few months more comfortable.

Before leaving, Lu Tong had Yin Zheng secretly place the consultation fee back on the table.

The fish stall, reeking of fishy odor, gradually faded into the distance behind them. Yin Zheng and Lu Tong walked back to the Medical Center in silence. Upon their return, Du Changqing was lounging in a chair eating black jujubes. Seeing them, he jumped up from his seat.

Earlier today, when Du Changqing arrived at the Medical Center and found Lu Tong and Yin Zheng absent, he thought they might have run away. It was only after Ah Cheng explained the situation that he didn't report it to the authorities.

He asked Lu Tong, "Ah Cheng said you went to treat Wu Xiucai's mother. How is she? Is everything alright?"

Yin Zheng replied, "The situation was quite critical, but Miss managed to save her. However..."

However, someone so ill was counting down the days until the end.

After hearing Yin Zheng's words, Du Changqing sighed, his eyes filled with sorrow.

Seeing him like this, Lu Tong asked, "Do you know Wu Youcai?"

"Everyone on West Street knows him," Du Changqing waved his hand. "Wu Xiucai from the Fresh Fish Market, known for his filial piety."

Lu Tong thought for a moment and then asked, "I saw many books in his house. Is he planning to take the imperial exams?"

"What planning? He takes them every time," Du Changqing spoke of Wu Youcai, unsure whether it was pity or something else. "Unfortunately, his luck isn't good. Everyone used to think he could become a top scholar, but he hasn't passed the exams after all these years."

Du Changqing couldn't help cursing the heavens: "Why can't this world open its eyes?" As he spoke, he turned to see Lu Tong lifting the curtain to enter the inner courtyard, and immediately pointed at the curtain in frustration: "Why won't you let me finish talking!"

Yin Zheng shushed him: "Miss is tired from the consultation today. Let her rest."

Du Changqing finally relented.

In the inner courtyard, Lu Tong entered the room, put away the medical bag, and sat down at the desk by the window.

On the desk were paper and writing tools. Since it was daytime, no lamp was lit, and the green bronze lamp shaped like a lotus leaf looked like a blooming lotus, elegant and captivating.

In Wu Xiucai's humble abode at the Fresh Fish Market, there was also such a bronze lotus lamp.

Lu Tong felt a slight stirring in her heart.

Scholars often kept such a lotus lamp on their desks, symbolizing the hope of plucking the golden lotus in the future. Many years ago, Lu Qian's desk also had one.

Back then, in Changwu County, Lu Qian often studied late into the night during spring, and his mother would bring him honey cakes to prevent hunger. Lu Tong would sneak in unnoticed, climb onto her brother's desk, and claim the honey cakes for herself, much to Lu Qian's annoyance: "Hey!"

Sitting on Lu Qian's desk, her legs dangling and swinging, she argued, "Why are you having a midnight snack without us?"

"Who's having a midnight snack?"

"Then what are you doing?"

"Studying."

"What book needs to be read at night?" Lu Tong stuffed honey cakes into her mouth and picked up the lotus lamp to examine it, "What a waste of lamp oil."

The young man, in a fit of anger, laughed and snatched the bronze lamp back: "What do you know? This is called 'a green lamp and yellow scrolls accompany longer nights,' 'hastening the lamp to pursue fame and fortune!'"

Hastening the lamp to pursue fame and fortune...

Lu Tong lowered her eyelids.

The Wu Youcai she had met today was a scholar who had taken the exams several times.

If Lu Qian were still alive, he would have reached the age to take the exams for his future as well.

Father has always been strict, and over the years, the books piled up at home. They must be like those of Wu Youcai, with nowhere to place them. The lamp on the table in the Lu family's home in Changwu County would burn even longer than it did during those spring nights.

But Lu Qian is dead.

He died in the Ming Prison of the Shengjing Criminal Court.

Lu Tong couldn't help but clench her fists.

Yin Zheng had once helped her inquire about the situation. In the Criminal Court, the execution process for condemned prisoners was the same as elsewhere. If there were family members, they could pay to retrieve the remains. Otherwise, the bodies were taken to the back of Wangchun Mountain and buried hastily.

Lu Tong later visited that graveyard at the foot of Wangchun Mountain. There, the wild grass stretched endlessly, and everywhere were bones left by wild animals. A faint scent of blood lingered, and a few stray dogs stood at a distance, watching her with tilted heads.

Standing in that desolate field, she felt her blood turn cold, unable to accept that the carefree and bright youth from her memories now lay buried in such a muddy and desolate place, alongside countless other dead prisoners and dismembered remains.

She couldn't even identify which of the countless graves held Lu Qian's remains.

He died alone like this.

The cicadas' chirping in the courtyard sounded distant and desolate, while the summer afternoon sunlight fell harshly on faces, bringing no warmth, like a suffocating nightmare.

Until a voice broke through the oppressive dream—

"Doctor Lu, Doctor Lu?" Ah Cheng stood before the curtain between the courtyard and the shop, shouting loudly.

Lu Tong turned around in confusion, her eyes still filled with a daze.

Yin Zheng, who was washing her hands in the courtyard, walked over, lifted the curtain, and invited Ah Cheng inside: "What's wrong?"

"There's someone at the shop who wants to buy medicinal tea. We've sold out the tea on the tables outside, and Master Du asked you to bring some more from the storage room."

"The storage room" referred to the kitchen in the courtyard, where Lu Tong sometimes prepared extra medicinal tea in advance to avoid running out.

Yin Zheng acknowledged and, as usual, asked, "Which household is placing the order?"

Recently, Lu Tong had started keeping a register to record the names of customers buying medicinal tea. Du Changqing had said it was too troublesome, but Lu Tong insisted on doing it.

The young apprentice, hearing this, beamed with excitement: "This time, it's a big shot! Someone from the residence of Fan Zhenglian, the detailed examiner of the Court of Trial, is waiting outside!"

Yin Zheng paused mid-step toward the kitchen.

Lu Tong suddenly raised her eyes.

The Guanxia Banquet was still some time away. Even if Madame Dong was willing to help at the banquet, it would take a while for Lady Zhao, Fan Zhenglian's wife, to fall into their trap.

She had prepared herself for a long wait, but unexpectedly, it seemed heaven had seen the Lu family's misery and brought this good news early.

Ah Cheng didn't notice their unusual reactions, still excited. Fan Zhenglian, the detailed examiner of the Court of Trial, was known as "Fan Qingtian" in the Imperial City! Who would have thought that someone from his residence would come to their remote medical center to buy medicinal tea? If this news spread, all the merchants on West Street would envy them!

After a moment, when Lu Tong didn't respond, Ah Cheng finally realized something was amiss. "Miss Lu?"

"No need to get it."

Ah Cheng was stunned and looked at Lu Tong instinctively.

The woman stood by the table, gazing at the bronze night lamp in the corner, her eyes flickering with a fleeting sorrow.

After a long pause, she spoke.

"Tell the Fan family that we're out of medicinal tea."