Chapter Twenty-Two: Finally Awake

Li Zhao took the medicine packet from Xie Qingtang’s hand with the utmost care, as if he were holding the most precious thing in the world. In his mind, it truly was.

“Oh, there’s one more thing I almost forgot. This sachet will help Mr. Gu sleep and aid his recovery,” Xie Qingtang said, producing a pre-prepared sachet from behind her and placing it in Li Zhao’s hand.

Strangely, Li Zhao couldn’t detect any fragrance from the sachet and looked puzzled. Xie Qingtang smiled and explained, “This sachet only releases its scent at night. It promotes restful sleep and helps restore the body’s functions. Just hand it over to Mr. Gu.”

“Yes, Miss Xie,” Li Zhao replied respectfully, nodding. Then, clutching the precious medicine, he left Cishan Hall.

He headed to the rear courtyard, where Grandpa Xie was already asleep in his room. Xie Qingtang checked his pulse, nodded slightly, and prepared to use the newly acquired ginseng to nurse her grandfather back to health.

At the same time, another matter had to be addressed: finding a housekeeper for her grandfather. At that moment, Xie Qingtang thought of an acquaintance, though she would need Gu Xiujin’s help.

It was only then that she realized she seemed to need Gu Xiujin’s help for everything she did, and her brow furrowed slightly.

“Strength is what I need most right now,” Xie Qingtang murmured. Just then, Zhou Jinfan burst into the courtyard, his face alight with excitement. “Boss, there’s a patient!”

Ever since the possessed patient had been cured by Xie Qingtang the previous day, the local residents’ impression of Cishan Hall had improved somewhat, and so a patient had come today.

Xie Qingtang nodded and went to see the patient. It was just a common cold, nothing serious. She prescribed some medicine, and the patient left.

Meanwhile, Li Zhao, treating the medicine packet as a priceless treasure, returned to the Gu family villa. Gu Xiujin took the sachet from his hand and remarked, “Xie Qingtang made this specially for me?”

“I believe so. Miss Xie said the sachet only releases its fragrance at night,” Li Zhao replied from the side.

Gu Xiujin’s expression softened a little. He nodded and instructed Li Zhao to go decoct the medicine, as it would take quite a while—just in time for his dinner.

“I almost forgot—I still need to talk to that woman about dissolving the engagement,” Gu Xiujin muttered absently as he held the sachet, a barely perceptible curve lifting the corner of his mouth.

Back at Cishan Hall, Xie Qingtang watched her grandfather finish his medicine before he drifted into a deep sleep. She looked at him expectantly. “I hope to see some effect by tomorrow.”

“This ginseng must be at least a hundred years old. If there’s no effect at all, it would be a real waste of such a fine herb,” Zhou Jinfan grumbled, pursing his lips.

Xie Qingtang cast him a cold, indifferent glance, set the bowl aside, and casually pulled a thick introductory pharmacopeia from the bookshelf, tossing it into his arms. “Start with the basics. Memorize this book for me—I’ll give you three days.”

Staring at the hefty medical tome in his hands, Zhou Jinfan’s jaw nearly dropped. He managed to keep it together and protested, “What? Just three days to memorize this whole book? That’s impossible—my brain isn’t a computer!”

“If you can’t memorize it in three days, then there’s no need for you to study medicine with me,” Xie Qingtang replied with no room for argument. If his aptitude was so limited, she would seriously reconsider teaching him medicine.

After all, those who learn medicine can save lives, but they can also do harm.

The corners of Zhou Jinfan’s mouth twitched as he gazed at the thick book in his hands, realizing he’d have to pull an all-nighter.

The next morning, Xie Qingtang was in the rear courtyard, performing a series of unusual movements. Zhou Jinfan, with dark circles under his eyes, emerged from his room and saw her, his eyes full of curiosity.

“Boss, what are you doing? Is that yoga?” he asked, studying her strange movements.

Xie Qingtang exhaled gently, opened her eyes slightly, and replied, “This is the Five Animals Frolics from traditional Chinese medicine. It strengthens the body, draws in the pure energy of heaven and earth, and fortifies oneself. You don’t even know that?”

“I’ve heard of it, but never seen it. Your movements don’t look quite like the ones described in medical books, though. There’s something different about them—more natural, somehow,” Zhou Jinfan said, scratching his head. He vaguely recalled reading about it in medical texts, but Xie Qingtang’s version seemed more intricate.

Walking towards the front yard, Xie Qingtang said, “This is the original form of the Five Animals Frolics; very few people still know it now.”

“Really? Boss, could you teach me?” Zhou Jinfan’s eyes lit up, though it was unclear what he was plotting. Xie Qingtang ignored his request and instead tossed a rag into his arms, instructing him to clean Cishan Hall.

She herself returned to the rear courtyard, washed her face, and went to check on her grandfather.

“Grandpa, how are you feeling today?” Xie Qingtang helped her grandfather sit up. Today, he was much more lucid, and his eyes shone with excitement as he said, “Tangtang, is that you?”

That simple word—Tangtang—unlocked memories sealed away for over a decade. All the happiness of childhood flooded back, and Xie Qingtang’s heart ached slightly as she nodded.

“Grandpa, I’m sorry for leaving you here alone to suffer so much. Shao Siming is a vicious man, and I will make him pay for what he’s done,” she said, gripping his hand tightly and speaking with resolve.

Her grandfather’s trembling hand caressed her face as he said, full of affection, “Tangtang, enough talk. Let me have a good look at you. You’ve grown up, truly grown up.”

“Yes, Grandpa, I’ve grown up. I won’t let anyone bully you again,” Xie Qingtang replied, covering his hand with hers. The two of them spoke at length in the quiet room.

As for the hardships she had suffered in the mountain village, Xie Qingtang didn’t mention them to her grandfather. She didn’t want him to worry. She only said that it was all in the past, and that Shao Siming would pay for what he’d done.