Chapter 26 A Bowl of Medicine

Chapter 26 A Bowl of Medicine

When Jian Ru returned to the room, the Second Young Master was absent. Xiao Ning explained that Zhao Pin had called him away to help next door.

Tomorrow, Li Jinhui and Zhao Pin were to visit her in-laws for New Year's greetings. Elder Zhao of the Zhao family admired the Second Young Master's calligraphy and had long wished for him to write a piece to hang in their home.

Li Jintong was not a scholar and held no official rank, so his calligraphy wasn't inherently valuable. Elder Zhao's request was partly to curry favor with Madam Li, but it was also true that the Second Young Master wrote beautifully—his work was certainly presentable.

The Zhao family also resided in town. Though not as prosperous as the Li family, they were still better off than most.

Zhao Pin was Elder Zhao's youngest son. His mother came from a humble background and was never formally accepted into the Zhao family before her death. Zhao Pin himself was nearly abandoned to become an orphan, but Elder Zhao's mother intervened, bringing him home. However, with older siblings born to the official wife, his life was far from easy.

The neighbors were well aware of this history, as Zhao Pin's mother had once caused a scene at the Zhao household.

Later, the Li family sought a live-in son-in-law but found no suitable candidates after a long search.

Li Jinhui wasn't a peerless beauty, but she was certainly striking. She was also skilled in medicine, having already begun assisting her father with the clinic's affairs, both major and minor.

If she had wished to marry out, most families in town would have gladly welcomed her. However, recruiting a live-in son-in-law was different; more respectable families considered it a loss of face, while those too inferior were beneath Jin Hui's consideration.

Old Dr. Li had a friend who knew the Zhao family and suggested inquiring about Zhao Pin.

The message was conveyed, and Elder Zhao immediately agreed. Ever since Zhao Pin returned home, Elder Zhao had endured constant quarrels with his wife and had long wished for Zhao Pin to marry, start a family, and move out. However, his wife refused to provide any money for Zhao Pin's marriage.

Elder Zhao didn't mind the perceived shame of having a son marry into another family; after all, his other sons were already married, so it wouldn't affect anything. Moreover, becoming in-laws with the Li family was a significant social climb for the Zhao family.

When the matchmaker asked if Zhao Pin himself was willing, Elder Zhao guaranteed that he had the final say.

Thus, the matter gained traction, but Jin Hui's approval was also essential. The two needed an opportunity to meet.

It wouldn't do to make a grand spectacle of it; if things didn't work out, both families' reputations would suffer. So, the matchmaker devised another plan: on a suitable day, while Jin Hui was alone seeing patients at the clinic, Zhao Pin would go to observe her, posing as an ordinary patient. He would leave after the consultation, and any further discussion would follow later.

Old Dr. Li found the idea appropriate, and the Zhao family agreed. So it was settled.

On that day, Jin Hui had just finished treating an old woman's injured elbow and reapplying medicine. As she washed her hands and organized herbs at the counter, she saw the clerk usher a young man inside.

The man appeared to be around twenty, of average height and unremarkable features. However, his eyes were clear and bright, and his skin fair and clean, making him not unpleasant to look at. He spoke politely to the clerk, with a gentle smile.

Jin Hui glanced at him once, then again, until he approached her, bowed, and said, "I've been experiencing stomach discomfort these past few days and would like some herbs to aid digestion. Thank you, miss."

This was the pre-arranged dialogue to avoid any misunderstanding. The young man before her recited it word for word—it was indeed Zhao Pin, the youngest son of the Zhao family.

Jin Hui said nothing, simply weighed out the herbs, had the clerk wrap them, and then, ignoring him, pushed aside the curtain and returned to the back room.

Seeing Li Jinhui's cool demeanor, Zhao Pin offered a wry smile, paid for the herbs, and left with the package.

He assumed that would be the end of it, but to his surprise, the next day his father informed him that the eldest daughter of the Li family had taken a liking to him.

Six months later, the two were married.

Zhao Pin was two years younger than Li Jinhui and, having been accustomed to being bullied at home, was very mild-mannered. In the early days of their marriage, Li Jinhui enjoyed teasing him, often making him call her "elder sister" in their room. Zhao Pin was willing to do so, and it wasn't until their child grew older, and they feared the child might overhear, that they stopped.

Zhao Pin was educated and had once aspired to pass the imperial exams, but his abilities were average. After studying for many years without success, he eventually gave up.

While Li Jinhui was busy at the clinic, he managed all household affairs. The couple lived like this for many years.

After Zhao Pin married into the Li family, his relationship with his father actually improved. Elder Zhao, who valued wealth and status, underwent a significant change in attitude toward his youngest son. Even his harsh wife began to smile when she saw Zhao Pin.

Every year during the New Year, Li Jinhui would accompany him for a visit, staying just long enough for a meal—a courtesy gesture to maintain proper etiquette.

Li Jintong finished writing the calligraphy and showed it to Zhao Pin, asking, "Brother-in-law, what do you think? Is it acceptable?"

Zhao Pin examined it carefully and smiled. "Jin Tong's calligraphy keeps improving—flowing and graceful, bold yet controlled. Excellent work! I'll have it framed later and take it back tomorrow. My father will surely be delighted!"

While Elder Zhao's praise might have been flattery, Zhao Pin's compliments were sincere.

Li Jintong smiled. "You flatter me, brother-in-law. I'm just glad to be of help."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Li Jintong bid farewell and returned to his own quarters.

When he entered his room, no one was there. From the kitchen came the voices of his young husband and Xiao Ning.

Xiao Ning was asking, "Brother Jian, what are you brewing? It smells even more bitter than the previous medicines."

Jian Ru's voice sounded evasive. "It's... medicine from Mother, to... to build up Second Young Master's health."

Xiao Ning expressed surprise. "Second Young Master has been drinking nourishing medicinal porridge lately. Why brew an additional medicine?"

Jian Ru mumbled evasively, "It's the New Year... so just more nourishment, I suppose."

Li Jintong listened with a smile, washed his hands, changed his clothes, and went to the small kitchen to find them.

As he entered, he saw Xiao Ning scratching the back of his head, likely puzzled. Everyone knew meals during the New Year should be plentiful, but no one had heard of medicines needing to be plentiful too.

Xiao Ning was the first to notice the Second Young Master entering and hurriedly greeted him. "Second Young Master, you're back!"

"Mm," Li Jintong said.

Jian Ru turned to look at him and asked, "Is everything done over at brother-in-law's place?"

Li Jintong nodded. "It was just one piece of calligraphy. It was quick work."

Jian Ru was sitting on a low stool with his back to him, fanning the small medicine stove with a woven straw fan. Ever since Li Jintong mentioned he wasn't used to the large stove, Jian Ru had asked his elder sister to bring this back from the clinic, making it much more convenient for Li Jintong to brew the ointment for his leg.

The Second Young Master looked down at Jian Ru sitting there. The young man was petite, and curled up like this, he looked even smaller. His back was thin, the dip of his spine visible through his clothing, and his belted waist was slender.

Despite eating well over the New Year, he hadn't gained any weight. The Second Young Master thought to himself that after the New Year, he should prescribe some tonic for Jian Ru.

With this in mind, he bent down and took the fan from Xiao Ning's hand. "I'll take over."

Xiao Ning was perceptive. Knowing the couple likely wanted to talk, he handed the fan to the Second Young Master and left the room.

Once Xiao Ning was gone, the Second Young Master fanned the stove a couple of times. The strong, bitter scent of the medicine wafted toward him. He was about to speak when he suddenly frowned, looked down at the medicine pot on the stove, and asked, "What is this?"

Jian Ru's eyes shifted nervously. "It's... tonic." (The Chinese words for "tonic" and "kidney-tonifying" differ by only one sound, so he reasoned he wasn't exactly lying.)

The Second Young Master's gaze slowly moved from the medicine pot to the person beside him. He raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing, only uttering an "Oh."

After that, the Second Young Master became unusually silent, occasionally glancing at Jian Ru.

Jian Ru, worried about the situation, felt inexplicably guilty. Sensing the Second Young Master's gaze, he remained silent.

When Xiao Ning came back in to lift the pot lid and heat water, the Second Young Master asked, "Are you bathing today?"

Jian Ru quickly glanced up at him, then looked down again. "Mmm." Since it wasn't their usual bathing day, he hurriedly added, "There's been a lot of cooking fumes these past couple of days."

The Second Young Master simply said "Oh" again.

The medicine was still simmering gently in the pot, while the water in the large pot had already been brought to a boil.

Jian Ru lowered his head and said, "Why don't you go first?"

The Second Young Master agreed, "Alright."

Once the bathtub was moved into the room, the water was ready, and everything was prepared, Jian Ru left the room to continue keeping an eye on the medicine simmering on the stove.

By the time the Second Young Master finished bathing and called for him, just enough medicine for a small bowl had been left, cooled until warm.

He pushed the door open and entered. The Second Young Master, sitting on the edge of the bed drying his hair, looked up.

Under his gaze, Jian Ru walked over and held out the bowl of medicine from the tray. The Second Young Master set the towel aside and picked up the bowl.

Looking at Jian Ru, he asked softly, as if to confirm, "Do I really need to drink this?"

"Yes," Jian Ru replied without much thought, assuming he found the medicine particularly bitter. He pointed to the preserved fruits on the tray and added, "You can have these after."

Having received a definite answer, the Second Young Master gave him another look, then without further hesitation, tilted his head back and downed the warm medicine in one go, leaving not a single drop.

Then, he handed Jian Ru the empty bowl and watched as Jian Ru left the room.

While Jian Ru was bathing, the Second Young Master lay resting behind the bed curtains with his eyes closed. The room was heated, something he was usually accustomed to, but at that moment, he felt a little too warm.

One arm hung off the edge of the bed, while the other rested casually on his abdomen. His long hair was spread out across the pillow.

"Epimedium, deer antler, cistanche..." he murmured the names of the herbs in the medicine he had just drunk, one by one. His voice was low and unhurried, as if he were on the verge of falling asleep. When he finished, his throat moved slightly. He turned his head to the side, opened his eyes, and his gaze was clear and alert, though something smoldered in them, like a spark catching fire. With that look in his eyes, he stared at the hazy bed curtain.

Jian Ru did not know that although all the Li children were knowledgeable in medicine, each had their own specialization.

The Eldest Young Master, Li Jinfeng, specialized in injuries and trauma. The Eldest Young Miss, Li Jinhui, was competent in other areas but primarily focused on women's health. The Second Young Miss, Li Jinrong, was exceptionally talented and skilled in many areas, excelling in all of them. However, there was one area where even she sometimes asked the youngest brother for advice.

The Second Young Master, having been bedridden for a long time, had read countless medical texts and had a special interest in pharmacology and medicinal principles. By the age of three, he could recite drug names backwards. By five, he could effortlessly identify herbs and recite their properties. By ten, he was already assisting his father in writing prescriptions. Now, he needed only one sniff of a brewed remedy to identify every herb in it without error.

Outside the bed curtain, the sound of water gradually ceased.

After a rustling noise, footsteps approached the bed.

With a swish, the bed curtains were pushed aside. The young man stood there, his hair still slightly damp, and looked over.

Li Jintong's Adam's apple moved as he said, "You're all washed up."

Jian Ru nodded. "Mhm."

He let go of the curtain and, as he usually did before bed, shuffled in his slippers to the edge of the bed. He lifted his narrow feet and set them softly on the bedding right beside the Second Young Master's arm.

Li Jintong lay close, watching him—his long hair draped over one shoulder, his delicate neck exposed, and his legs pressed tightly together.

And then there was the undershirt he had said he would wait to wear until after the New Year when the shops reopened to have another one made to alternate. Yet, he was wearing it now.

The thin, smooth fabric hugged his body snugly, making his waist appear slender, warm, and soft.

His husband had done all he could. It was time for him to step up as a husband—he couldn't let his spouse take the initiative in everything.

The Second Young Master propped himself up on his elbow, sat up, and took one of Jian Ru's feet in his hand, which rested near his arm.

Jian Ru, ticklish, tried to pull his foot back but was held firmly.

He turned to shoot a complaining look at the Second Young Master. His foot remained captive, but another hand settled on his waist, applying slight pressure. Jian Ru leaned closer in response.

Their faces were now close, breaths mingling.

The Second Young Master asked, "Aside from giving you that packet of herbs, what else did Mother say?"

Jian Ru turned his face slightly away, looking to the side. "She... she said she wants us to give her a plump, healthy grandchild."

The Second Young Master's eyelashes fluttered, his voice slightly hoarse. "Then... did you agree?"

Jian Ru's face flushed deeply. Still unable to meet his gaze, he bit his lip and nodded silently.

The hand on Jian Ru's waist slid upward along his spine, gently tracing the groove under the soft, smooth fabric, coming to rest on the thin, wing-like shoulder blades.

Jian Ru's body trembled lightly.

"While I was helping with calligraphy today, Eldest Sister had brother-in-law give me another book," the Second Young Master said.

"What?" The Second Young Master's hand was so warm, and the bed curtain enclosed a fragrance Jian Ru knew and loved best. His thoughts grew sluggish.

Li Jintong's gaze drifted to his lips as he murmured, "So that's how kissing is supposed to be..."

"Ah?" Before Jian Ru could process the words, familiar lips were already pressed against his, hotter than usual.

Afterward, Jian Ru's eyes widened in disbelief. The Second Young Master, he... he... "Mmph..."

Li Jintong pulled back slightly, his voice raspy. "You're supposed to use your tongue..."