Chapter 48 Encounter at the Clinic

Chapter 48: An Unexpected Encounter at the Clinic

Around noon, Madam Li arrived with Granny Jin, both carrying two large lunchboxes filled with lunch.

The Old Accountant, who had worked at the Li Family Clinic for many years and was roughly Madam Li’s age, was quite familiar with her. Seeing them, he joked, "Well, well, the Second Young Master is seeing patients at the clinic, but I've rarely seen him receive such special treatment!"

Madam Li wasn't embarrassed by the remark. She simply replied, "The weather's warmed up, so I'm just taking a stroll and delivering lunch along the way."

She and Granny Jin opened the lunchboxes and laid out the dishes one by one. The Second Young Master washed his hands and came over, showing no sign of annoyance. He even called his younger brother and his husband to come eat while the food was still hot.

All the siblings doted on their youngest brother, who suffered from poor health, and they considered their mother’s favoritism perfectly understandable.

Jian Ru helped the Second Young Master put away his mask, and after washing their hands, they both came over to sit down.

The two older women had already eaten before coming, so they sat nearby, watching the others eat.

Madam Li sat behind her youngest son, occasionally asking, "Were you tired this morning? Did you wear enough layers?" She also took a look around the clinic, making sure the tightly sealed window gaps were firmly closed before she felt at ease.

That day, Madam Li repeatedly "dropped by for a stroll," paying two more visits in the afternoon.

By the time of her third visit, it was already mid-afternoon.

She didn’t say much, but went to the accounting room to look over the account books. She called Jian Ru over to join her, asking from time to time whether he understood this part or that.

After a while, she glanced outside at the sky but didn’t rush anything.

After she did this a few times, Jian Ru understood.

He found an excuse to step out and waited in the Second Young Master’s clinic. When the patient had left to have their prescription filled, he leaned in and whispered something in the Second Young Master’s ear.

After listening, the Second Young Master smiled and nodded.

Once he had tidied up, the Second Young Master went to tell his mother that they were ready to head back.

Madam Li was indeed delighted. She stood up, said goodbye to Jinfeng, and they headed home together.

Madam Li had already taken a significant step, suppressing her worries and concerns to allow him to practice at the clinic. The Second Young Master understood that she couldn't let go completely all at once—she needed time to adjust gradually.

Having been busy at the clinic all day, Jian Ru hadn't yet studied characters or practiced writing. After dinner and a walk, he had to make up for it.

Jian Ru had been copying the Second Young Master’s characters for some time, but his own handwriting wasn’t very similar.

At first glance, the structure looked somewhat similar—it could barely be called elegant, but it was far from ugly. He applied more pressure with the brush, resulting in thicker strokes. Lacking patience, he finished his strokes quickly and abruptly, creating a uniquely distinctive style.

The Second Young Master saw this but didn’t impose the strict standards he had set for himself during his own practice. He thought Jian Ru’s writing was just fine—the writing matched his personality, very much in keeping with Jian Ru’s character.

As Jian Ru learned more characters, he, like the Second Young Master, could hold a book and read at bedtime. He had always envied the Second Young Master’s reading habit, and now that he could do it too, he was thrilled.

He even set a daily goal for himself: to read at least five pages, not one less.

Before bed, he and the Second Young Master sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the headboard, each with their own book. Whenever Jian Ru encountered an unfamiliar character or a sentence he didn’t understand, he would ask right away.

At one point, Jian Ru pointed to a line in the book and asked, "‘Rather be upright yet lacking, than be… than be what?’"

The Second Young Master pointed to the characters and read slowly, "‘Than be wicked and have excess.’ This saying advises people to restrain themselves and pursue goodness, not to let utilitarian motives overcome moral principles."

Jian Ru nodded and continued reading.

As he read, he gradually slid down, resting his head on the Second Young Master’s lap.

The Second Young Master looked down at him and reminded, "If you’re tired, stop reading. Lying down like that is bad for your eyes."

Jian Ru acknowledged him but didn’t move for a long time.

The Second Young Master set his book aside and leaned down to help him up.

Jian Ru didn’t dare put all his weight on the Second Young Master’s arms, so he obligingly sat up.

But instead of letting him sit back beside him, the Second Young Master wrapped an arm around him, drawing him close, using his own body as support so Jian Ru could read comfortably.

In this position, he couldn’t hold another book, so he simply read the same one with his husband, occasionally explaining things to him.

After reading for a while, perhaps because the position was too comfortable, Jian Ru’s eyelids grew heavy. Soon, the Second Young Master gently took the book from his hands, and Jian Ru closed his eyes and fell asleep.

As the Second Young Master settled him into bed, Jian Ru’s eyes fluttered open, as if he were about to wake up, mumbling, "I can’t sleep yet—I’ve only read two pages."

The Second Young Master bent over to tuck him in, whispering soothingly, "You've been very good and hardworking. Your teacher grants you a day off—sleep well."

Jian Ru murmured with half-closed eyes, "Strict teachers breed talented students."

The Second Young Master replied, "One day won’t make a difference. We’ll be strict again tomorrow."

With weakening resolve, Jian Ru closed his eyes completely and fell into a deep sleep.

The Second Young Master wasn’t sleepy yet, so he sat beside him and continued reading. After a while, his husband turned over in his sleep, then turned back again, tugging at his own collar.

Seeing this, the Second Young Master got out of bed, found a hand fan, and lay on his side, resting his head on his hand as he fanned him.

This time, Jian Ru finally slept soundly.

The Second Young Master covered his stomach with the edge of the quilt, making a mental note that he would need to visit a clothing shop near the clinic tomorrow to pick out lighter, more comfortable clothes for his husband.

The next day, Jian Ru had a new sleeveless vest—soft, lightweight, and smooth fabric, with exposed arms and coverage for his abdomen. It kept him much cooler while sleeping, and he liked it very much.

That day, the Second Young Master continued seeing patients in the clinic, while Jian Ru, following Madam Li’s instructions, learned accounting from the Old Accountant.

In the afternoon, an assistant mentioned that the pharmacy area was swamped and asked for help from the accounting side. Jian Ru told the assistant to go ahead, finished organizing the accounts he was working on, informed the Old Accountant, and went over to help.

He assisted with measuring and weighing medicines. When the rush had mostly subsided, he stepped out from behind the counter to return to the accounting room and saw a woman in her fifties staring at him in astonishment.

Jian Ru was surprised but greeted politely, "Aunt Chen, is something wrong? Are you here to see a doctor?"

Aunt Chen took two steps forward, her eyes still wide with surprise. "I’m here to get some herbs for stomach troubles for my grandson," she said, looking him up and down. "Jian Ru, it really is you! You’ve changed so much—I thought I’d mistaken you for someone else!"

Jian Ru smiled, glanced down at himself, and said, "Not much has changed. I’m still the same."

Aunt Chen shook her head. "How can you say that? It’s been a while since I last saw you. Your face is so fair now, almost glowing, and you’ve gained weight—not skinny like before."

She studied Jian Ru’s face, puzzled. "Even the scars on your face seem lighter. You’re looking better, child."

Jian Ru still felt uncomfortable being praised openly, especially about his appearance, which had always been a sensitivity. Embarrassed, he tugged gently at Aunt Chen’s sleeve and stepped aside with her to talk.

By then, Aunt Chen had gotten over her initial surprise. "When I saw you earlier, I wasn’t sure it was you, so I asked the assistant nearby. He said you’re one of the owners of this clinic? The Village Head said you went to town to find work. How did you end up owning this place?"

Jian Ru shook his head. "I’m not really the owner."

Aunt Chen said, "That’s what I thought. You’ve only been in town for about half a year—how could you make enough to buy such a large clinic so quickly? So, are you working here as an assistant?"

Jian Ru shook his head again. "Aunt Chen, I married into the Li family."

He had previously kept it from the villagers, afraid that while things were up in the air, he would stir up unnecessary trouble. Now that he had been seen, and since he would frequently run into fellow villagers while working at the clinic, there was no need to continue hiding it.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Chen widened her eyes again, scanning Jian Ru’s obviously expensive clothes and glancing at the people coming and going in the clinic. She said enviously, "Jian Ru, you really are fortunate."

Jian Ru remained silent. Among those who had once gossiped behind his back, saying he was a cursed loner who brought misfortune to his parents, it was quite possible that the very person standing before him was one of them.

Jian Ru was running out of patience with her and said, "Aunt Chen, if you need medicine, the counter is over there..."

But Aunt Chen grabbed his hand and asked in a low voice, "Have you heard about what happened to Zhang Jiao’s family?"

Hearing this, Jian Ru was momentarily stunned before replying, "I haven’t been back to the village in a long time. I don’t know what’s happened."

Aunt Chen looked at him reproachfully. Jian Ru understood her thoughts. Given how close he and Zhang Jiao had been, others likely saw him as heartless for leaving after Zhang Jiao’s misfortune and no longer helping to care for Zhang Jiao’s mother as he once did.

However, Jian Ru didn’t care about the villagers’ opinions. He refused to suffer for the sake of a hollow reputation.

Aunt Chen sighed and said, "Zhang Jiao’s mother died last month."

Hearing this, Jian Ru wasn’t particularly surprised. The old woman had always been in poor health and wasn’t long for this world. Besides, Zhang Jiao’s older brother was unfilial and wouldn’t have treated her well.

Jian Ru was more concerned about something else. He glanced back toward the Second Young Master’s clinic and, seeing him busy with his head down, quietly asked Aunt Chen, "Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Jiang Maocai in a long time either. Has he been back to the village recently?"

Aunt Chen replied, "I was just about to mention him. That lad hasn’t been back for quite some time either. They say he’s working in the city, but according to his family, he sends letters home every now and then. The most recent letter said he won’t be back until the end of the year."

Aunt Chen went on chattering about various village matters, but Jian Ru, preoccupied with his own thoughts, barely listened to her.

Bored by her chatter, Aunt Chen began looking around the clinic again and asked, "The Li family has two sons. The older one is already married—did you marry the younger one?"

Jian Ru nodded.

Aunt Chen’s face instantly showed an "as expected" expression. She probed further, "I’ve heard that the Li family’s Second Young Master has always been in poor health and rarely goes out?" In her mind, she was already picturing a frail, sickly man, thinking that Jian Ru’s fate was still unfortunate. Even though the Li family was well-off, if his husband were to die young, a lone man with no one to back him up would surely be bullied by his in-laws.

She also thought to herself, no wonder the Li family was willing to take him in—it must be to marry him off to care for a sickly husband.

Jian Ru had no desire to discuss the Second Young Master with anyone. Frowning, he fell silent, wanting to send her away.

But Aunt Chen was just getting warmed up, even bringing up topics like the "three obediences and four virtues."

Jian Ru’s patience had run out. His face darkened, and he said sharply, "Are you here to get medicine for your grandson or to gossip—"

Before he could finish, Aunt Chen abruptly stopped talking, her mouth hanging open as she stared fixedly behind him.

Puzzled, Jian Ru turned around and saw that the Second Young Master had unexpectedly emerged from the clinic and was walking toward them.

Tall and slender, he moved gracefully in his long robe, his black hair and fair skin standing out. As he approached, he glanced in their direction. An employee passing by greeted him, "Second Young Master."

The Second Young Master nodded in acknowledgment.

Just before he reached them, a faint, elusive scent drifted over. The Second Young Master blinked his long lashes, slightly lowered his head to remove the mask from his face, and looked up with a gentle smile at Jian Ru. Then, turning to Aunt Chen, he asked in a soft, refined voice, "Xiao Ru, is this an old acquaintance of yours?"