Chapter 59 Great Tonic

Chapter 59: A Big Boost

Cheng Ge saw those three large ginseng roots, grinning from ear to ear. To show his sincerity, he had even dug out his last-resort savings, his "coffin money."

And just now, Cui Ji said he wasn't involved with those pretty ladies in the side courtyard.

With so many wives, there's no way nothing happened...

Cui Ji was tall and burly, oozing machismo—no way he's gay.

As far as Cheng Ge knew, Cui Ji went to the battlefield alone at fifteen and, after the war stabilized, was stationed at the border for years.

The border had scarce supplies, harsh winds, and sand, and conditions were brutal.

On the battlefield, injuries and bleeding were common, like this time when Cui Ji got wounded in the leg by the Beidi people.

With that in mind, it was most likely a physical problem.

He couldn't help but glance at Cui Ji several times. He looked wiped out, with a sickly complexion—probably weak kidneys.

If that were the case, everything made sense. It wasn't that he wasn't involved with the ladies, but that he couldn't perform.

Thinking about it that way was pretty pitiful—like a eunuch surrounded by hot women, powerless, really sad.

And he himself had been laughing and joking with the sisters-in-law right in front of him, acting all lovey-dovey—what a jerk!

At that moment, Cheng Ge's guilt hit its peak.

But now, saying anything was useless. All he could do was make it up to him and help his buddy get his mojo back!

He gently reached out, supporting Cui Ji's hand holding the ginseng.

Urging softly, "There's still some soup at the bottom. Finish it up.

I simmered this forever, all the goodness is in here. Don't waste it."

Cui Ji: "???"

Cui Ji looked at the hand on his wrist, a smudge of ash on the back, and his fingers tensed up.

After a two-second hesitation, he downed the rest of the soup, his face unreadable.

He instinctively reached for a cup to pour some tea to get rid of the weird taste, but Cheng Ge stopped him.

"Wait, this is cold. I'll make you a fresh pot."

"No..." Cui Ji tried to stop him, but Cheng Ge was already gone.

Cui Ji watched Cheng Ge hustle out, then looked at the three large ginseng roots in the pot, still looking dazed.

Soon, Cheng Ge came back with a fresh pot of tea, pouring Cui Ji a big cup. "Here, try my new tea. You'll love it."

Cui Ji eyed the tea, knowing it wouldn't be good. Reluctantly, he took it and sipped.

But one sip, and Cui Ji's face changed instantly. He held it in his mouth, couldn't swallow or spit.

Then Cheng Ge leaned in, concerned, "How is it?"

Cui Ji tensed up. They were way too close.

Cheng Ge's thick lashes fluttered, stirring a restless heat in him.

He forced himself to swallow the tea despite the discomfort, leaned back, avoiding the closeness, and reached to open the teapot.

Inside was a thick layer of ginseng slices and red goji berries, packed tight.

Cui Ji didn't know what to say, just stared at Cheng Ge.

Seeing his intense look, Cheng Ge figured he was touched again.

"I got this from the butler. Next paycheck, I'll get you more."

"Didn't you say you were gonna treat Eldest Young Master Lin to baked chicken with your paycheck?"

Cheng Ge: "..." How'd you know that?

"You don't need to do these things yourself; let the servants handle them." With that, he pushed the teapot aside.

Cheng Ge chuckled, thinking Cui Ji was just being polite, when his gaze suddenly fell on the other's wrist.

A deep bite mark was clearly embedded in the skin, the red flesh turned outward, looking quite alarming.

Feeling Cheng Ge's stare, Cui Ji instinctively pulled his hand back into his sleeve, but the next second, Cheng Ge grabbed it.

The candlelight flickered, casting their shadows slantwise on the window.

Cheng Ge poured medicinal powder onto the wound and wrapped it with gauze.

————

Of course, Cheng Ge's signature soup might have been too potent. That very night, Cui Ji couldn't bear it.

He tossed and turned in bed, as if crossing the Flaming Mountain.

Unable to help it, he had someone prepare cold water and soaked for half the night before barely recovering.

The next morning, he looked even more haggard.

Seeing him like this, Cheng Ge's guilt surged again. He thought his tonic soup wasn't strong enough, the medicinal effect too weak.

So he began scouring for all kinds of potent supplements, planning to give Cui Ji another round of nourishment.

One day, Cheng Ge specially asked Qiao Fangxu to bring him venison and over ten pounds of deer blood. Enthusiastically, he started brewing another soup.

He stood by the pot, eyes fixed on the bubbling broth, as if envisioning Cui Ji regaining his vigor after drinking it.

When Cui Ji returned from work, he accidentally fell into the trap and immediately started bleeding profusely.

Cheng Ge sat in the courtyard, chin in hand, replaying where he had gone wrong.

"It must be that his body can't handle the supplement. I've heard that if someone hasn't eaten meat for a long time and suddenly indulges, their stomach can't take it. Cui Ji must be like that..."

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He decided to change his approach, taking it step by step.

Pen in hand, he began scribbling on paper, planning out Cui Ji's diet.

Cui Ji had an ice pack on his forehead, feeling utterly shattered.

Cheng Ge, while writing, picked up a cloth to wipe Cui Ji's nosebleed, his expression deadly serious.

The steward walked in, holding a letter. "Master Cheng, a letter has arrived from the south."

Cheng Ge quickly took it—it must be from his parents; it had been some time since their last letter.

The envelope was thick, and Cheng Ge opened it full of anticipation, but the more he read, the more his brow furrowed.

Every line showed concern for Cheng Ge, yet underneath, there was a clear sense of exhaustion and helplessness.

At the very end, a faint line read: "Seeing how hard life is for the people, I can't sleep at night.

Now that you hold the seal and draw the emperor's pay, you must remember that every grain of rice and every thread of cloth comes from the people's hard labor. Never forget our family's values of integrity and thrift."

Cheng Ge read the letter from start to finish again, silent.

Then, kind of out of nowhere, he asked, "Any recent news from Yuanzhou?"

The steward paused, thought for a moment, and shook his head. "Yuanzhou suffered from floods some time ago. The Emperor sent a lot of people over, but no news of anything unusual."

Cheng Ge's face turned serious when he heard that. He thought of the letter's words and felt a sense of unease.

But maybe he was overthinking it. He asked for several sheets of letter paper and wrote pages upon pages.

Finally, he bent down, pulled out three hundred taels of silver notes from under his shoe, carefully tucked them into the letter, sealed the envelope, and handed it to the steward. "Appreciate it."

That money was from the last time his parents sent him an allowance. Cheng Ge still had some silver on him, so he hadn't spent it.

And since he wasn't the original person, it didn't feel right spending that money. It was better to return it and make life a little easier for the elderly couple.

"Master Cheng, you're too kind." The steward took the letter and withdrew.

Cheng Ge looked at Cui Ji and let out a soft sigh.

Then he lowered his head, crossed out the deer antler slices, and replaced them with goji berries.