Compared with real doctors who open clinics to see patients and save lives, Su Huaijing has actually taken the pulse of very few people.
The medical skills were taught by my mother. The first "patient" was my father. The first person to try the medicine was my elder brother, the first person to try the injection was my third elder brother.
Apart from his relatives, the only people Su Huaijing had checked pulses were the palace maids and eunuchs in his own palace, and Xing Feng Liuyun who had followed him all the way. After teaching the medical skills to Bi Xin, Xing Feng Liuyun and the others would never bother Su Huaijing again.
The Queen Mother once said that he had a talent for medicine that was unattainable for ordinary people. The third brother would occasionally sneak out of the palace and come back drunk. Fearing that he would fall asleep when the Emperor was testing him on his homework, he would sneak into his brother's bedroom early in the morning with a candied haws, wake up his brother who was only six or seven years old, and ask him to give him a few injections.
Since childhood, Su Huaijing has never felt that curing diseases and saving lives is a difficult thing.
So even after he felt Rong Tang's pulse at Li Mansion in Songjing Lane, he only paused for a moment.
I didn’t want to save him at the time, but later I thought he could be cured.
But when the light of the setting sun faded in the afternoon and the torrential rain that had covered the sky in Suzhou city dissipated, all the vitality buried in the soil began to reappear. When Rong Tang curled up his body and leaned into his arms, absorbing all the heat he could, Su Huaijing was stunned.
He was very happy at first, for Rong Tang's subconscious initiative. But when he woke up from the drowsiness that had accumulated over the past few days, he saw Rong Tang still biting his lips unconsciously in his sleep, and he hesitated to reach out for his wrist.
The melody of the pulse beating on the fingertips was very clear, telling Su Huaijing clearly what kind of unbearable pain the owner of this pulse was enduring.
Birds are singing outside the houses, summer insects are coming out of the ground again, teams of soldiers are patrolling the streets of Suzhou city, collapsed houses are about to be repaired, people from the villages are setting up porridge shops with rice, and the rich aroma of rice is once again sweeping across this land of fish and rice.
But Su Huaijing suddenly felt confused.
He originally had no desire to save the world, his only goal was revenge. Later, because of the appearance of Rong Tang, he also had to stay with Tang Tang forever.
If he added something else, it would be too much of a burden and too tiring for him to bear.
But Rongtang wanted to save the world, so Su Huaijing helped him.
He originally thought that he just wanted to help Rong Tang, but when he really saw the dam drawings sent by Zhou Zihai and others, heard them talk about the conditions of the residents in the villages and towns along the way, and personally lived in the city of Suzhou during the seven days of heavy rain, and listened to the cries of the people in the city, Su Huaijing thought: It would be good if they could be rescued.
Even though the whole world misunderstood, his father was indeed diligent and loved the people. His eldest brother died resisting foreign enemies, and his third brother died suppressing civil unrest.
Even the fourth princess, the most charming and lovely person in the entire palace, jumped off the city wall only because she saw how ironic this ridiculous rebellion was.
How could there be such a coincidence in timing
There had just been a rebellion on the northern border, the crown prince had just led his troops to war, and already the princes in the south had risen up in rebellion
His good uncle, in order to ascend the throne, colluded with foreign countries to disturb the people on the border. He never thought that people are greedy and if there is a problem in any link, Da Yu will probably be handed over to others. How can he sit on the golden throne and enjoy the admiration of his subjects every day
In Su Huaijing's perspective, his whole family are heroes, so when he talked with the officials brought by Sheng Chengming every day, thinking about whether there were better solutions to the disaster problem, he was unconsciously immersed in it.
The moment the rain stopped, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, with the pen still in his hand. He relaxed his mind and fell asleep directly.
Before he passed out, he even thought that his parents, siblings, and Tangtang might be happy.
He had finally done something good since he was eight years old, and he felt a little happy about it.
But when Cong Rongtang woke up in bed and felt his pulse, Su Huaijing fell into deeper confusion.
He is a doctor, how could he not see it
How could he not see that Rong Tang endured the pain in his body every day to go to the study to remind them to eat? How could he not hear the trembling sound in Rong Tang's throat when he reminded them where they could improve more
He wanted to save the world because of Rong Tang, but in the end his little Bodhisattva fell ill.
Su Huaijing was a little confused.
What if he had taken Rong Tang's pulse at least once in these days
How did it come to this
He almost fled from the room and immediately went to look for medicinal herbs to boil a bowl of medicine for Rong Tang to recuperate.
But when he held the medicine, the herbs slipped through his fingers.
Su Huaijing was stunned for a moment, looked down, and found that his hands were shaking uncontrollably.
He finally realized a fact that he didn't want to recognize or admit.
It seems like... he can't stay with Tangtang forever.
He is the most powerful young doctor in the eyes of the Queen Mother, but it seems that he cannot save Rong Tang.
When they first met, Rong Tang said that he could only live for three to four years. Su Huaijing thought that after three or four years, he would be able to find famous doctors and precious medicinal materials all over the world to continue treating Rong Tang.
But that is not the case. No patient can remain calm even when he is shaking with pain.
No patient can stay awake every night and still smile.
There was no patient whose condition became worse after his careful treatment.
Su Huaijing didn't even dare to think about how long Rong Tang could live. He was afraid that once he thought about it, he would find that three to four years was just a luxury.
Now, smoke was curling outside the courtyard and the star curtain was slowly being drawn. He looked at Rong Tang through the white mist rising from the medicine furnace and spoke for the first time to stop him from approaching.
This didn't even feel like fainting and waking up in Songyuan. Su Huaijing felt distressed, but also angry.
This time he couldn't even get angry. If he really thought about it, he only felt panic and unspeakable regret.
What does this world have to do with him? What does Yu Rongtang have to do with him
Su Huaijing was lost in an almost insane state of contemplation and did not notice that Rong Tang stood there for a moment and then started moving again.
Su Huaijing was slightly startled and looked up at him.
Rong Tang squatted down, raised his head slightly, and reached out to grab Zhu Huaijing's hand on his knee: "What did the doctor say?"
“…” said that you would not live long.
"You didn't say I was going to die now?"
“…” He can live for three years at most.
"No?" Rong Tang curled his eyes, tilted his head and smiled at Su Huaijing. He held his fingertips with force, like pinching a child, and coaxed him in a soft voice: "If not, why are you so worried?"
Su Huaijing said nothing, but lowered his head to look at him, and saw the marks on Rong Tang's lips that were left from biting his lips unconsciously in pain in his sleep.
There was only one candle lit in the kitchen, and most of the light from the medicine furnace was blocked. There was no one else, and the outer courtyard was dim. The two of them, one sitting and one squatting, with their hands clasped, were reflected on the wall by the candlelight, so close that they were inseparable, and swayed gently with the passing wind.
Rong Tang's voice was lost in the crackling sound of the firewood: "Huai Jing, I'm actually very happy."
“…Why?” Su Huaijing finally asked.
Rong Tang smiled happily: "You have done a great thing."
Su Huaijing: “…”
There was another slight sound from the crucible. He looked away, bent down, took the small pot away from the medicine stove, took out a bowl from the cupboard, and slowly poured the medicine into it.
The already strong smell of Chinese medicine dissipated in an instant, and it was so bitter before it even entered the mouth that Rong Tang's nose and eyebrows wrinkled. He felt disgusted when he smelled it, and he felt bitter all over.
But he was concerned about Su Huaijing's mood, so he followed closely and asked quietly behind him: "Huaijing, are you angry?"
The smoke rose up and the smell of medicine permeated the air, which matched and contradicted the scent of grass and trees after the rainstorm.
Su Huaijing didn't respond. After a long while, he said in a hoarse voice, "No."
Rong Tang was stunned for a moment, neither believing nor feeling reassured. He leaned over and looked up, and was completely stunned.
Seeing a beauty under the lamp is the most thrilling thing. In these three lifetimes combined, the things that I remember most about meeting Su Huaijing are always those few things.
The profile of a peony at sunset in Songyuan.
She was leaning on the railing of the gilded building, watching the lights. She glanced over and asked him with a smile if he wanted to drink a pot of Sadao together.
In Fengyue Tower, the young man was alone, trapped by a thin chain in a small space. He looked over with determination and self-abandonment.
Twilight, river lanterns, candles…
His arch-villain is always able to transfer all the bright light sources to himself, so that when people see him, they forget to watch the lights, and when they look at him, they think of the bright moon in the sky.
And now in such a crowded and dim kitchen, Rong Tang saw Su Huaijing crying.
He wasn't heartbroken or crying bitterly, not even shed tears. There wasn't even any expression on his face. He just stood there quietly with his head lowered, letting the smoke from the medicine rise up. Then, pearl-like tears silently slid down from the corners of his eyes, leaving a trail of tears.
Rong Tang's heart trembled suddenly, and he panicked. He frantically looked for his handkerchief, but found nothing. In panic, he could only raise his sleeve to wipe his tears. His heart ached as if it was being hit with a small hammer.
No one has ever seen Su Huaijing cry. He hasn't cried since he was eight years old. Those who have seen him cry were all buried in the dust during the war.
He is cold, brutal, and cruel. To him, the lives of millions of people in the world are just chess pieces that can be swallowed up or discarded at will.
Has anyone ever seen him cry
Rong Tang was so panicked that he didn't feel the pain in his bones for a moment. All the pain was gushing out from his heart. He apologized without thinking: "I was wrong. I will never do this again. I will tell you when I feel pain in the future. I won't bear it anymore..."
He was anxious and panicked, making promises one after another without thinking. In the end, he had no choice but to beg in a low voice: "Stop crying, okay?"
In this life, he only wanted to protect Su Huaijing, but in the end, the person who made him cry was Rong Tang himself.
He felt extremely guilty. The medicine on the stove had just cooled down a little. Rong Tang reached out and touched the wall of the bowl. It didn't feel very hot, so he picked it up and drank it in one gulp without thinking, hoping to make Su Huaijing feel less sad.
But it was still hot, bitter and hot. After Rong Tang swallowed it with difficulty, he couldn't stop sticking out his tongue.
The pale bite marks on the lower lip were finally turned red by the heat. The small pink tip of the tongue probed the lips little by little. Rong Tang kept breathing out and fanning himself with his hands, trying to relieve the pain that was about to go numb.
"Tangtang." Su Huaijing suddenly called him softly, his voice becoming increasingly hoarse and deep.
Rong Tang raised his head: "Ah?"
The scene in front of him suddenly went dark. In the dim environment, the firewood in the medicine furnace was still crackling, blasting out little sparks. Su Huaijing lowered his head and kissed him on the lips, sweeping away all the remaining bitterness and heat between his lips and teeth.
The breeze outside the house blew the leaves, and inside the house, tears dripped onto Rong Tang's face, splashing water.
(End of this chapter)