Chapter 141: I Regret It
“Tell me, what do you want by dragging me to town so early in the morning?” Cui Shi sat in the courtyard behind his own medical hall, looking at Lin Xin who was lying on the lounge chair rocking herself half-asleep, and asked.
“What do you mean what do I want? Didn’t I give you the ginseng? Don’t you boast that your medical skill is unmatched in the world? How come you can’t make the Yangrong Pills?” Lin Xin shot back without even opening her eyes.
“You bratty girl, who said I can’t make it? It’s just that a few medicinal herbs need some consideration, that’s all. You think it’s that easy?” Cui Shi blew on his beard, saw that it was getting late, and quickly urged Lin Xin to cook, “This old man is old anyway, missing one meal doesn’t matter, but can you bear to let Nan Nan and Tao Tao go hungry together?”
“I can bear it, why couldn’t I? You’re all in cahoots, so why shouldn’t I?” Lin Xin said stubbornly with her mouth, but still got up and walked into the kitchen.
“See that?” Cui Shi took over the lounge chair, pointing at Lin Xin’s figure in the kitchen and said proudly to Lin Nan and Lin Tao beside him: “This girl has a mouth harder than stone, but a heart that’s extremely soft, especially after she considers someone one of her own—she doesn’t want them to suffer even the slightest grievance! Heh heh, good thing this old man is smart and got in with her early, otherwise where would all this good food come from!”
“Master,” Lin Nan looked at the smug little old man helplessly and said: “Can’t you stop always bullying my older sister? She’s almost as good as the cook at your home. You’re satisfied with her cooking, so why badmouth her!”
“Hahaha…” Cui Shi laughed loudly upon hearing this, pointing at Lin Nan from afar, then tilting his head to look at Lin Tao: “See that? This old man just said a couple of truths, and he immediately gets unhappy and protective,” After saying that, he felt a bit gratified and sighed: “At least you’ve got a conscience, your older sister didn’t dote on you for nothing.”
“Of course. When I grow up, I’ll definitely repay my sister well.”
“When I grow up, I’ll repay Auntie too.” Before, no matter what Cui Shi said, Lin Tao had always looked disinterested, but after hearing Lin Nan pledge his loyalty, he perked up and immediately repeated it.
“Pfft~” Cui Shi had just taken a sip of tea into his mouth when he spat it out. He looked at Lin Tao with a complicated expression. Lin Tao’s face was exceptionally serious, leaving him a bit at a loss for words. He quietly glanced at the busy figure in the kitchen, silently lighting a candle for her in his heart. This was the Crown Prince for sure. It was good that he had feelings for the girl, but he wondered what the Emperor would think if he knew.
After lunch, Lin Xin arranged for the two little ones to take a nap and spontaneously sat in the courtyard helping Cui Shi sort medicinal herbs.
“Run into trouble?” After she mixed up two different medicinal herbs for the seventh time, the exasperated Cui Shi finally asked.
“…Not really,” Lin Xin thought for a moment and said, “Mo Ziyuan hopes I’ll go to the Capital City with him, and I agreed, but now I’m a bit regretful.”
“Regretful?”
“Regretful,” Lin Xin nodded firmly, then gave Cui Shi a dead-fish-eyed stare, “You stinky old man, let me ask you—why did you give up being the Head of the Imperial Medical Academy and run off to this backwater place to be a rundown doctor, getting squeezed out with no business?”
“How do you talk?” Cui Shi discontentedly thwacked her with the small herb hammer in his hand, then let out a long sigh, “The Capital City is a prosperous place! But who knows how many people get dazzled by that prosperity, change their nature, and end up neither human nor ghost.”
“So what’s good about the Capital City?” Lin Xin sighed along with him, propping her cheek and tilting her head to look at him, “Before, Mo Ziyuan told me you’d be going back this time too, and I was puzzled. Since you’re leaving, why jump back into that pit of fire?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Cui Shi looked at the herb hammer in his hand, his gaze becoming deep and distant, “Things are different now than before. The one in charge now is that person, so I’m thinking while these old bones of mine can still move, we should leave a name in the annals of history too!”
“Ah?” Lin Xin stared at him in disbelief, as if watching a fool taking shape.
“Haha, scared you, huh!” Cui Shi saw her stunned expression and laughed heartily, “I was teasing you.”
Lin Xin looked at him speechlessly as he slapped his thigh and chuckled foolishly, unable to figure out what was so funny.
After laughing enough, Cui Shi restrained his expression and said to Lin Xin: “My lifelong bad habit that’s hardest to change is being stubborn. Back then, the Late Emperor made me Head of the Imperial Medical Academy, blocking too many people’s paths. Then, for a prescription I gave Imperial Consort Feng, another doctor insisted my medicines were all potent ones—able to cure but harmful to the body.”
At this point, a bitter smile appeared on Cui Shi’s face: “At the time, Grand Tutor Feng bribed most of the doctors in the Imperial Medical Academy, and they all backed that doctor’s claim. In the end, the Late Emperor and Grand Tutor Feng compromised, and I was kicked out of the Imperial Medical Academy!”
“So you’re going back this time to prove your prescription right again?” Lin Xin asked curiously.
She couldn’t help being curious. So many years had passed; those people might have long been silenced. And even if he won now, what would it achieve? So many years wasted.
“Pretty ridiculous, huh!” Cui Shi gave a self-mocking laugh, “But I’m just not reconciled!”
Lin Xin nodded, “Then go. If that person is still alive, smash the prescription in his face and ask which herb was too potent! If not, brew a bowl according to your recipe and drink it yourself—see if he still dares say it harms the body!”
Cui Shi was immediately torn between laughter and tears, glaring at her, “You only come up with bad ideas. Can medicine be drunk casually?”
“Hehe,” Lin Xin grinned, “Don’t you want to prove your medicine is fine? This is the simplest way.”
“Alright, stop fooling around.” Cui Shi rolled his eyes, “I’ve said my piece, now it’s your turn. Tell me! Why don’t you want to go to the Capital City?”
“Do I need to spell it out? Look, even in our village there are so many troubles. In the Capital City, there’d be even more! Besides, you know I’m not one to take a loss. If someone troubles me, I’ll hit back. What if I run into someone I can’t afford to provoke?”
“Actually, you just don’t want to meet Young Master Mo’s family!” Cui Shi said, hitting the nail on the head.
Lin Xin moved her mouth but in the end said nothing.
Cui Shi was right; she really didn’t want to meet Mo Ziyuan’s family. She had to admit the current social reality—marriage required matching families. Though she didn’t think herself inferior, in these ancient people’s eyes, her background was utterly unworthy. Being with Mo Ziyuan was like her ancestors’ graves smoking green—her taking a huge bargain.
“Sigh! His family really aren’t easy people, especially that stepmother of his, who schemes all day to let her own son inherit the Duke’s Mansion, blowing who knows how many pillow winds to Young Master Mo’s muddleheaded dad. If you enter their household, you might really end up at a disadvantage.” Cui Shi thought about it, but this matter seemed to have no good solution.
