MTL - Denghuaxiao

Chapter 164 Painting

 After Grain Rain, Shengjing ushered in the Beginning of Summer.

In the courtyard in front of Si Li's Mansion, peonies and hydrangeas are blooming a lot, with red, purple, and brilliant blooms. The already gorgeous mansion is even more decorated with hundreds of crimson lanterns, which are brilliant in color.

 As soon as it enters the rainy season, the ground in Shengjing seems to have never been dry. Jin Xianrong took off his slightly heavy spring shirt and changed into light and cool single clothes. He walked to the front of the house, took out a fragrant pill from the silver jar, lit it carefully, and moved it to the incense burner.

The lid of the incense burner is closed, and a thin stream of green smoke is exhaled from the cow's head, accompanied by a fragrant fragrance.

Jin Xianrong lowered his body, got closer and took a big sip. He closed his eyes with satisfaction and savored the taste.

He had only a few mouthfuls of talent, and someone came in behind him.

The visitor was dressed in gorgeous clothes and looked slightly tired. Jin Xianrong turned around, said "yo", and then smiled and said: "Yutai is back."

 The visitor is Qi Yutai.

 A few days ago, Qi Yutai felt unwell and took leave to go home again.

 He has taken leave every now and then to go home this year, and Jin Xianrong has long been accustomed to it. When he first learned that Qi Yutai came to the Ministry of Household Affairs, Jin Xianrong was quite surprised. He thought that with the power of the Qi family, Master Qi should never arrange such a vacant position for his son. Now it seems that Jin Xianrong has to admire the foresight of this old master.

With Qi Yutai's sick body, wouldn't it be very life-threatening to arrange any busy errands?

 The department of household affairs is now just like a decoration. Whether Qi Yutai is there or not, there is not much difference.

It’s no wonder that people can become great masters. They have a far-sighted vision than others.

However, with this thought in his heart, there was still no lack of flattery and concern on his lips. Jin Xianrong smiled and said: "...Is everything better this time? You still look a little tired. Yutai, don't be too impatient. Brother, I am alone in the household affairs." You're still busy... The top priority is to heal your body. If you have a headache and fever here, how can I explain it to the Grand Master..."

He was so flattering every time, Qi Yutai dealt with it perfunctorily, went back to his room, and sat down at the table.

 The closed door blocked out Jin Xianrong's flattery and Qi Yutai's disdain.

After being locked up in the mansion for a few days, he was already in a irritable mood. When he returned to Si Li's Mansion, Jin Xianrong kept talking about "Master Taishi", which always made people upset. If his father hadn't been watching him closely during these days, he should have gone to Fengle Building to "relax and relax".

Qi Yutai felt agitated for no reason.

The nameless fire could not be suppressed. He sat up straight and reached for the jar on the table. When the lid of the silver jar was opened, he couldn't help but be stunned.

The jar is full of Lingxi Xiangxiang pills, stacked one on top of another, forming a pile like a hill.

Qi Yutai couldn't help but look at the door.

In the past days, whenever he came home from leave, and when he came back in a few days, all the fragrant pills in the silver jar would have been wiped clean. Jin Xianrong loved petty gains, and Lingxixiang was expensive. He always stole a few of them when he wasn't paying attention, along with the precious tea leaves sent by the Qi family.

Since it was a matter of looking up but not looking down, even though Qi Yutai despised his behavior, she did not say it explicitly and still acquiesced. After all, the Grand Master's Mansion has no shortage of money to buy incense. Using small favors to buy Jin Xianrong, so that Jin Xianrong can sometimes do more convenient things in the household department, is a business that is sure to make money without losing money.

He was ready to face the empty jar. Even before he came back, he had brought a new jar of Lingxi Incense. Unexpectedly, Jin Xianrong changed his temper. The jar of incense pills remained untouched and remained on his desk. .

Qi Yutai felt strange and couldn't help getting up, opening the door and walking outside to the hall.

Jin Xianrong was lying on the mahogany lounge chair in the main room, leaning back with a booklet from the Ministry of Household Affairs on his knees. He was listening to the sound of rain outside the window with his eyes half closed, looking very comfortable.

In front of him, there was a copper incense burner placed on the desk. A green cow was waving its tail, and thin green smoke was exhaled from the cow's head. It was different from the usual heavy aroma, and it was fragrant and sweet.

 This is not the scent of Lingxiang.

 Qi Yutai was a little startled.

Jin Xianrong, who was lying on the chair, noticed someone beside him. When he raised his eyes, he saw Qi Yutai suddenly standing in front of him. He was startled and almost fell off the chair. He said, "Yutai, what are you doing?"

Qi Yutai came back to his senses and pointed to the incense burner on the table: "Servant, have you changed the incense?"

"Huh?" Jin Xianrong didn't expect him to talk about this. He was dumbfounded and then said: "It's been replaced by... Yutai, does the fragrance smell good?"

Qi Yutai came closer and took a closer sniff.

 Lingxi incense is made from expensive materials and is rich and fragrant, but perhaps after smelling it for many years, even the most amazing aroma becomes mediocre. The ingredients used in Jin Xianrong's fragrance should be ordinary. At first glance, it smells tacky and cheap. However, after tasting it carefully, you will feel that it is beautiful and sweet, like a ripe fruit in summer. It is full and dripping, and it looks particularly fresh in this rainy season.

Even his irritability was dissipated.

“…smells good.” Qi Yutai nodded and said disapprovingly: “Where did the minister buy it?”

This incense is certainly not as valuable as Lingxi Incense. Perhaps on a whim, Jin Xianrong bought cheaper incense pills at the Fragrance Pharmacy to change the taste.

Hearing this, Jin Xianrong showed a mysterious smile.

 He coughed lightly and lowered his voice: "This fragrance is called 'Pond Spring Grass Dream'."

“‘Pond Spring Grass Dream’?”

"It is difficult for a young man to learn from an old man, and an inch of time cannot be taken lightly. Before I realize the dream of spring grass in the pond, the autumn leaves have already sounded in front of the steps." He shook his head and recited a few words, and his smile also showed a bit of wretchedness, "This is specially prepared for me by Medical Officer Lu There are several medicinal materials in the fragrant pills. If a man smells this fragrance too much, it will replenish qi and blood, which is good for him."

"Yutai," he patted Qi Yutai on the shoulder and advised him earnestly: "You are young now and don't understand, but young people get old easily, so you must cherish it."

His words were vague, but Qi Yutai understood.

A few days ago, I heard that Jin Xianrong suffered from renal cystic carbuncle. Medical officers from the Medical Officer's Hospital came several times. It seems that the new fragrant pills were prepared by the female medical officer for Jin Xianrong's renal cystic carbuncle.

He should have scorned cheap ordinary fragrant pills, but by some strange coincidence, Qi Yutai inexplicably remembered what the female medical officer said when he saw her last time.

“Lingxi incense calms the mind and can relieve insomnia. However, long-term use of this incense will inevitably lead to dependence. If used for a long time, it will be counterproductive.”

“Master Qi, you might as well try to use this incense less sometimes to avoid becoming addicted and harming your health.”

From a young age, what he eats, uses, and does is all arranged by his father.

 From the servants around him to the incense used in the house, the father chooses everything, and he has no choice.

This book is nothing. People of noble birth like them should always use the best and most expensive ones.

However, at this moment, Jin Xianrong was holding his pot of cheap incense, he was overjoyed and looked like a treasure, but he felt unhappy when he saw it.

Is this fragrance really that good?

 Better than Lingxiang?

Qi Yutai didn't know because he had only used Lingxi Incense since he was a child.

 Having no choice and not wanting to choose are two different things.

He inexplicably began to feel depressed again, as if there were some nasty mice running around in his head, with tiny claws tickling his heart, and then he became even more irritable.

He took two steps, then suddenly turned back, hesitated, and said to Jin Xianrong: "Servant."

Jin Xianrong’s smile has not yet faded: “What’s wrong?”

 Qi Yutai stretched out his hand.

 “Give me a few too.”

 After a pause, he narrowed his eyes: "I want to try it too."

 …

 After the beginning of summer, as soon as the day passed, it started to rain at night.

The sound of drums could be heard faintly outside the hospital, intermittent.

A figure ran through the corridor outside the door in the rain, stopped in front of the door of a room in the dormitory, and knocked lightly.

Lu Yan opened the door, and Lin Danqing, wearing a raincoat, stepped in from the door.

 “What are you doing?” Lu Zhen was slightly stunned.

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Lin Danqing made a silence gesture to her, closed the door and whispered: "Doctor Chang is sleeping. Let's keep our voices down, so as not to be caught by him." He quickly walked into the house, took off his raincoat, and left. Go to the window, close the window, put the things in your hands on the long table in front of the window, and call Lu Yan: "Look-"

 Lu Zong walked over.

Under the dim light on the table, there was a bamboo basket as big as a dustpan. I don’t know how Lin Danqing lifted it. It was full of hot cooked food.

Even Lu Zhen was stunned for a moment.

The food in the medical hospital is light, but Lin Danqing is picky. He often likes to secretly buy some late-night snacks from outside to eat. However, because he is afraid of being discovered by Chang Jin, they are only small things such as marrow cakes and snacks. They are not as busy as tonight. It's almost like setting up a banquet in the dormitory.

Lin Danqing didn't pay attention to Lu Yan's expression. He happily reached out and took out stacks of cooked food from the bamboo basket, such as cooked beef, spicy feet, pork jelly, mafu chicken skin, salted peanuts... They were all dishes to go with wine. Finally, He took out two small jars covered with red paper.

She held a small jar in one hand and held it up high for Lu Chen to see: "Green plum wine from Shengxing Winery! I specially waited in line for an hour to buy it, and it cost me half a fortune just to run errands! It's so precious, tonight You and I each have one altar!"       Lu Xu: "..."

Green plums are fresh when they are cooked in wine cups. May is the time when green plums are ripe. The supply of green plum wine in Shengxing Winery exceeds the demand. Unexpectedly, there are two cans in front of me.

Lin Danqing stuffed a jar of green plum wine into Lu Xun's arms and said with a rather domineering look, "This is yours."

He nodded again at the altar in front of him: "This is mine!"

Lu Zong looked at the wine jar in his arms, then looked at Lin Danqing, and asked in confusion: "What happened?"

 “What’s the matter?”

 “Why did you drink suddenly?”

Lin Danqing blinked: "No reason!"

She sat down at the table, gave Lu Zhen a pair of chopsticks, pulled out the wine stopper from the altar, and said with a smile: "We work very hard in the hospital during the day, and we also eat the tasteless food from the hospital. Vegetarian food is too hard. Naturally, I have to be kind to myself."

 “I’m in a good mood today, I’ll treat you.”

Lu Zhen then sat down at the table. Looking at Lin Danqing's high-spirited appearance, he thought for a while and said, "Have you made the antidote for 'shooting in the eyes'?"

 “Cough cough cough—”

Lin Danqing only put a plum into his mouth. He almost choked on Lu Zhu's words, so he hurriedly drank a sip of plum wine to suppress the itching in his throat. After a long while, he looked at Lu Yan in amazement: "Sister Lu, are you able to read minds? How come you know everything?"

Lu Zhen was also a little surprised.

These days, Lin Danqing goes out early and comes back late. Except for duty, he spends most of his time in the pharmacy in Houlin. Lu Yan saw that the medicinal materials she was making were no longer all antidote ingredients, but some slightly poisonous ones. He guessed that what he said last time had an effect. Lin Danqing was trying to use poison to fight poison to create an antidote for "shooting the eyes". medicine.

 I didn’t expect her to make it so quickly.

"However, it's not like I made an antidote." Lin Danqing smiled sheepishly, "I just changed a few of the medicinal materials. Because I am not familiar with poisons, the medicinal materials I changed were more conservative. Who knew -" She His eyes moved, "The newly made medicine actually has some effect. Although it cannot completely detoxify, it is already somewhat improved compared to the previous time when it had no effect."

“Sister Lu,” she grabbed Lu Huan’s hand, her joy was beyond words, “You are right, fighting fire with fire really works!”

 She looked very excited.

"It turned out that I was too attached to the medical theory of the Imperial Medical Bureau, and I finally lost my courage. However, through your reminder this time, I probably understand the direction of detoxification. Now I have it in my mind, but there are still a few missing flavors that are hard to find. The medicinal materials. After I find all the medicinal materials, I will write down the prescription. Sister Lu, please help me check if there are any mistakes." Lin Danqing said with a smile.

Lu Zhen nodded: "Okay."

She knew that Lin Danqing had always been smart. In fact, had it not been for the Spring Examination of the Imperial Medical Bureau, she had found a trick in the 'Examination' section and had an advantage. In fact, Lin Danqing should have been ranked first on the red list of the Imperial Medical Bureau's spring examination.

Lin Danqing appears to be carefree and playful, but in fact he is extremely good at medical science. Otherwise, he would not have figured out the key and found the antidote to "shooting in the eyes" in just a few days.

It’s raining, and the drizzle is knocking on the window. I can feel the chill of the rainy night through the window. Lu Zhuo uncorked the wine in front of him, and the fragrance of green plum wine suddenly filled the tip of his nose.

She thought for a while and said, "But who are you making this antidote for?"

Lin Danqing paused while picking up vegetables.

Lu Zong looked at her quietly.

Being so urgent, so serious, using all your energy and methods, worrying about gains and losses to the point of losing all sense of proportion. Unless the person who is poisoned has a close relationship with you, it would be difficult to do this.

 The person Lin Danqing detoxifies must be very important to her.

The lights were dim, and the girl wearing only her middle coat was leaning on the low couch. She didn't say anything, and silently took a sip of the plum wine in front of her. The plum wine seemed to be too sour, and it made her squint her eyes. It took her a while to recover, and she sighed. : "It's not that good. It's just mediocre. How dare you charge me so much money? It's not as good as the sweet syrup of three Tong Bans on the street!"

 Lu Yan was silent.

She picked up a piece of pork jelly and stuffed it into her mouth, and said nonchalantly: "My aunt was poisoned."

 Aunt?

Lu Zhen was slightly surprised.

Lin Danqing smiled, held his chin and sighed: "You didn't expect that, I am a concubine in the family."

Lu Zong moved his lips, but in the end he said nothing.

Lin Danqing is warm and hearty, generous and bright. She can cry and laugh when she wants. Everyone in the Medical Officer's Hospital treats her well. Lu Zhu has always thought that Lin Danqing is favored by everyone because of her father, who was once a medical officer. This is the only way she can't. Only a family that lacks love can raise a daughter as bright as the sun.

 But I didn’t expect that Lin Danqing was actually a concubine.

"My aunt is a dancing girl who was given to my father by someone else. My mother is a lady from an official family. I have two brothers who are legitimate brothers. I am the youngest daughter in the family." Lin Danqing stretched out his chopsticks and poked a piece of cooked beef. , stared at the piece of beef for a long time.

"My father is a good man and a good father, but he is not a good husband." She thought for a while, then shook her head: "No, he should be considered a good husband, but he is just my mother's husband. My aunt is with him In her eyes, she is a concubine of low status, a 'gift' given by a friend but difficult to accept."

“My aunt was born in poverty and was sold to the Ya people by my grandfather and sent to the Central Plains. Because she was born well, she was finally bought by a wealthy family. She was carefully raised and given to my father as a favor gift.”

 Lu Yan was silent.

 In the palaces of high-ranking officials, it is common to send beauties to each other to express their feelings.

"When my aunt was sold, she accidentally ate the 'eye-shooting' poison because she resisted the dentist. There were no symptoms at first. It was not until a few years after giving birth to me that she gradually developed symptoms. My father tried to detoxify her, but Nan There are many kinds of poisons in Xinjiang, and my father's medical skills are only mediocre among the medical officials. For many years, my aunt's eyes became blurry day by day, and her eyes were in unbearable pain every time the poison occurred."

Lu Zhen asked: "So you studied medicine to understand your aunt's poison?"

Lin Danqing laughed.

She said: "Sister Lu, have you ever heard of a doctor's curse?"

 “What curse?”

Lin Danqing spoke softly: "Those who study medicine will never be able to save the people they want to save."

 Lu Zhen's heart trembled.

Lin Danqing raised his head and took a sip of wine, his eyes a little blurry in the night.

“In the beginning, I really studied medicine because I wanted to detoxify my aunt.”

"I thought, since my father can't cure it, I will cure it myself. Anyway, I learned how to read in school, and there is no shortage of medical books at home, so there is no harm in learning."

 “My father and mother never care about me.”

The green plum wine was so sour that it made her mouth taste bitter. Lin Danqing reached out and brushed the wine stains from the corners of his lips with the back of his hand.

 The Lin family is different from other wealthy families.

Although she was a concubine, she had never been treated harshly. There is no constant intrigue between mother and aunt. Others said that mother and daughter were extremely lucky to meet such a kind family.

 But Lin Danqing doesn’t think so.

 Compared with kindness and tolerance, she thinks it is more of a kind of disregard.

ˆDisregarding unimportant people and things, such as pet cats and dogs.

Although her mother and brother-in-law never treated her harshly, they were not kind to her either, as if there was a slight barrier between them.

This is understandable. No one can be without grudges against a person who has separated from his husband and father's favor.

 But her father also treated her lightly.

He will ask Lin Danqing how she is eating and wearing, and whether she needs money, but he will not stay with her for as long as he did with his two brothers. Just like he would ask his servants to take good care of his sick aunt, but he was not willing to bother to develop the antidote for 'shot eyes' for his aunt - he was obviously a doctor himself.

 A person's love is generally obvious. He loves whomever he is interested in.

 The father does not love their mother and daughter.

“When I was a child, I heard that my father intended to arrange a marriage for me.”

“The other party has a clean character and family background, and everyone who knows the inside story says it’s a good match, but I feel scared.”

After a long silence, Lin Danqing spoke.

“I’m afraid that if I leave, my aunt will be the only one left.”