Qin Zhao and Jing Li stayed in the county town.
After learning that Qin Zhao might be able to help him deal with the flood, the county magistrate's attitude towards them changed instantly. Not only did he ask them to move out of the shabby inn, he also arranged a quiet courtyard for them to live in.
The people in the county soon knew that Qin Zhao was not in good health, so even the county government would not let Qin Zhao go, and they had to visit him directly. If Qin Zhao had not insisted on not wasting money and manpower, the county magistrate would have even wanted to ask several doctors to live in the small courtyard.
—As if he treated Qin Zhao as some kind of rare object that would break if touched.
But even so, Jing Li couldn't help but worry.
The river conditions in the entire downstream area are complicated and time is tight. It is far more difficult to completely eradicate the flood than to deal with the situation in Linxi Village.
How could Qin Zhao hold on with that body
Jing Li brought the medicine and knocked on the study door.
No one answered.
He sighed and walked in.
There were quite a lot of people crowded in the small study. Qin Zhao sat upright in front of the desk, while several officials working in the county government stood beside him in an orderly manner.
Ordinary people are always a little timid when facing officials, but this is not the case with Qin Zhao at all.
He seems to have an innate nobility. He is gentle and polite to others, neither humble nor arrogant, but his every move shows the ability and confidence to control the overall situation.
It's like... he was born to be a person in power.
Jing Li was a little absent-minded. Pei An pointed at the map in front of Qin Zhao and asked, "...Mr. Qin, do you mean to completely change the river course from here? The amount of work is far beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Sir, would you consider it again-"
Qin Zhao: "I have said that the best way to control water is to drain it rather than block it. Diverting the water here can slow down the flow."
"But we only have half a month..."
"Qin Zhao." Jing Li cleared his throat and interrupted, "You should take your medicine."
He couldn't help in any way and could only be responsible for making medicine for Qin Zhao every day and reminding him to take the medicine on time.
Qin Zhao paused and said to Pei An: "I have explained the method of flood control clearly. If you think it is inappropriate, we should seek help from others."
"No, no, no, where can we find someone at this critical moment?" Pei An said, "I will convey the master's meaning to the adults right away, and will come to bother you tomorrow."
Jing Li escorted them out of the yard.
When Qin Zhao returned to the study, he had finished drinking the medicine and was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed.
Jing Li walked over and said unhappily, "We agreed to come for two hours every day, but you always delay a lot of time."
Qin Zhao pressed his brows tiredly and chuckled, "What can we do about this? The county has its own considerations. It's not like our own village where we only have to consider how to avoid disasters."
Jing Li: "What do you mean?"
Qin Zhao opened his eyes and pointed to the map in front of him: "They want to solve the flood at the lowest cost."
Jing Liming came over.
It's still about money.
The amount of disaster relief funds allocated by the prefecture was fixed, but how much would be spent was uncertain. The less was spent, the more money went into the county magistrate's pocket.
It has been like this since ancient times.
Qin Zhao sighed: "That dog official..."
He retracted his gaze and looked at Jing Li: "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at you for being able to curse." Jing Li said, "So is there any way to save more money?"
"I only consider what is the most beneficial way for the people." Qin Zhao said calmly, "Building water conservancy projects and diverting the river will not only slow down the water flow, but also facilitate irrigation downstream."
Jing Li: "Will that dog official agree?"
Qin Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly and tilted his head to look at him.
Obviously, he can curse people very smoothly.
Qin Zhao said: "It depends on whether he wants money or the official hat."
"Anyway, I want his money." Jing Li winked at Qin Zhao, "He'll be rewarded handsomely."
Qin Zhao chuckled: "Money-obsessed..."
Qin Zhao still looked very tired. Jing Li helped him to the bedroom and laid him down. He said, "The medicine at home is out again. Shall I go buy some for you?"
Qin Zhao nodded: "Okay."
Although Qin Zhao still refused to tell Jing Li what disease he had, he never concealed the prescription from Jing Li.
After all, in the past, people usually bought medicine in pairs, so it was impossible to hide it.
Now that they have arrived in the county town, Qin Zhao has to spend a lot of energy on water control every day, so the task of buying medicine naturally falls on Jing Li.
Jing Li had followed Qin Zhao to buy medicine so many times that he already knew by heart which medicinal materials were needed and how much of each was needed.
There were five or six medical clinics in the county town, and countless small herbal medicine shops. Jing Li simply did not go to the medical clinic, but went directly to several herbal medicine shops, and soon bought all the herbs he needed.
Only the last medicine is missing.
Jing Li walked out of the pharmacy carrying a bunch of medicines, muttering quietly: "There were some a few days ago... What's wrong with this county? The goods are not as complete as those in the town. I have to go to the third store now."
"Young master, are you looking for Amaranthus?" A voice came from beside Jing Li.
He turned his head and saw an old man in extremely tattered clothes.
He was sitting on the stone steps in front of the drugstore, wearing a dark gown full of patches, carrying an old medicine box on his shoulder. His hair was disheveled, but his eyes were the only thing that was bright and compelling.
Jing Li didn't answer for a moment, and the old man smiled again: "The weather has changed a lot recently, and many people in the city have caught a cold. This black amaranth grass is in short supply and has been sold out a long time ago. You can't find it in these pharmacies and clinics."
Jing Li frowned: "How do you know what medicine I'm looking for?"
The old man said, "I noticed you just now. You went to three of the drugstores connected here but still couldn't buy any medicine. As far as I know, these drugstores have a full range of herbs. Unless you are looking for some rare herbs, the only ones you have are the black amaranth grass that has been sold out recently."
Jing Li asked again: "Then do you know where I can buy it?"
The old man nodded: "I know."
"Old man, are you talking nonsense here again?" The clerk of the medicine shop came out and said to Jing Li, "Young master, ignore him. This old man is a lunatic. He keeps saying that he is a rare and miraculous doctor and has treated the emperor of the dynasty."
The old man interrupted unhappily: "It's not the current emperor, it's the late emperor!"
Drugstore clerk: "Get lost! Don't delay my business!"
The old man was chased down the stone steps, but he was not annoyed. He smiled and said to Jing Li: "Young man, if you want black amaranth grass, come with me. I know a medicine shop that still has some left."
After saying that, he turned around and walked away without caring about Jing Li's reaction.
He seemed to have an old injury on his right leg and walked with a limp.
Although the old man looked crazy, Jing Li could feel that he had no ill will towards him. He hesitated for a moment and followed him.
The old man took him into a small pharmacy deep in a narrow alley.
As soon as I walked into the door, I heard a young boy's voice: "Grandpa Xue, where have you been again? I've been looking for you everywhere!"
A handsome young boy ran out from the inner room. When he saw Jing Li, he was stunned for a moment and asked awkwardly: "Are you...are you buying medicine?"
The boy was about the same age as Jing Li, with delicate features. Jing Li also noticed that he had a small bright red mole at the corner of his eye.
That is Shuang'er's unique symbol.
The old man said, "My dear grandson, this young master wants to buy some black amaranth grass, go get it for him."
"Ah... OK!" The boy nodded and hurriedly ran to the medicine cabinet to look for it.
This pharmacy is much smaller than those on the street. The wall on one side is full of medicine cabinets, and the air is filled with the strong aroma of herbs.
There was only a table and a few simple chairs in the lobby.
The old man led Jing Li to sit on a chair.
"My grandson is easily shy, please don't blame me, young master," said the old man.
It was the first time Jing Li saw the real Shuang'er, so he naturally didn't feel offended. Instead, he thought the boy looked quite cute. He looked away and asked, "Is this... your medicine shop?"
"No, it's his."
Jing Li: “?”
"The child's family died early, and he inherited this medicine shop alone. I am just staying here temporarily and teaching him medical skills." The old man said simply.
He looked at the medicine bag at Jing Li's feet and asked with a smile, "Young Master, who did you buy these medicines for?"
"I..." Jing Li hesitated for a moment, tilted her head and whispered, "My husband."
His ears turned red after he finished speaking, but the old man didn't notice it and continued, "Your husband's illness... has probably been going on for some time, right?"
Jing Li was startled: "You..."
The old man said leisurely: "South Star Seed, Ghost Tooth Grass, Yellow Rattan, Dugui... Do you want me to continue?"
All what he said were the medicines that Jingli bought today.
Jing Li asked: "Are you following me?"
"Nonsense, who is following you?" The old man said disdainfully, "I can smell these herbs of yours, why would I need to follow you?"
Jing Li fell silent.
The old man looked at his expression and said slowly, "Young Master, although I don't know where you got this prescription from, please forgive me for being frank. It is better not to take this medicine unless it is absolutely necessary."
Jing Li: “Why?”
"Although the ingredients in this recipe are all common herbs, when combined together, they become a... slow-acting poison."
When Qin Zhao woke up, Jing Li was not in the room.
The yard was silent. Qin Zhao pressed his sore brows and sat up.
You just went to buy some medicine, why haven’t you come back yet
Qin Zhao took the clothes hanging beside the bed and put them on. Just as he was about to go out to look for someone, he saw several medicine bags piled on the table.
It was indeed the herbal medicine he needed to take.
Qin Zhao frowned, pushed the door and walked out.
The courtyard the county magistrate gave them was not small, divided into an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard. The outer courtyard had a study and a main hall for receiving guests, while the inner courtyard was where the bedrooms, kitchens and other daily necessities were located. Opening the bedroom door, there was a small garden outside.
There are rockery and green trees in the yard, as well as a lotus pond.
Qin Zhao stood in front of the house and called softly, "Xiao Yu?"
A bubble appeared on the calm surface of the pond.
Qin Zhao: “…”
He walked to the edge of the pond, squatted down, and saw the bright red koi hiding at the bottom of the lotus leaf: "What are you doing hiding here?"
The little koi wagged its tail, but instead of coming out, it hid further inside.
Qin Zhao: "Come out quickly, there's mud at the bottom of the water. Don't you hate getting dirty?"
No response.
After a while, a small head popped out from between the lotus leaves and spoke in human language: "... I'm thinking about something."
Qin Zhao asked: "What are you thinking about?"
"I can't tell you for now." The little koi fish waved its fins and whispered, "I need to think it through first."
Qin Zhao smiled helplessly, still very patient: "Then can you come out and think about it?"
"cannot."
Qin Zhao said again: "Then... can you tell me, I will think with you?"
“No.”
Quite stubborn.
Qin Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and didn't ask any more questions. He went to the inner room, brought out a chair, picked up a book and sat down by the pond: "Then I'll stay here with you until you've made up your mind, okay?"
The little koi didn't answer. Its bright red tail slapped the water surface, then it turned its head and dived back into the water.
Qin Zhao really stopped asking questions and opened the book to read.
Jing Li looked at him quietly through the water.
Qin Zhao's complexion was still very bad, even the hand holding the book was pale and thin, as if he was very weak.
Jing Li recalled what the old man surnamed Xue had said.
"You don't believe it? Then let me ask you, is your husband deficient in both Qi and blood, and physically exhausted? And does he need to take medicine every day, otherwise he will have a high fever and his limbs will be weak?"
"All medicines are poisonous. Even ordinary tonic medicines will leave toxicity in the body after years of use, let alone this medicine."
"If you ask me, it's better to stop taking the medicine as soon as possible, so as to avoid the poison entering the lungs and becoming incurable."
…
Jing Li didn't know whether he should believe that person.
According to that person, Qin Zhao became so weak because of the side effects of taking this medicine for many years. But if there was something wrong with the medicine, why did Qin Zhao still take it
He is obviously a very skilled doctor, so can't he see that the medicine is poisonous
Or... he already knew it, but had to do this because of his illness
Jing Li has always had an inexplicable trust in Qin Zhao. Qin Zhao can always handle everything properly. If he decides to take medicine, it must be because there is no other way.
He also said that it was inconvenient for others to know his prescription, so he bought the medicine separately.
He obviously knew that this medicine was special.
What kind of illness did Qin Zhao have that required such a harmful medicine to treat
Jing Li didn't dare to ask easily.
Qin Zhao never wanted to talk about his illness, and Jing Li himself had concealed something from him, so he had no right and was unwilling to press him.
Besides, what if the old man was just talking nonsense to scare him, wouldn't it make Qin Zhao upset if he said it out loud
And he accidentally let someone discover the prescription...
Qin Zhao would probably think that he was useless and couldn't even do this little thing.
The little koi spit out a string of bubbles at the bottom of the water.
The fish are so worried.
But the little koi couldn't even worry about it, because it started to rain soon. And Qin Zhao refused to leave him outside, saying that if Jing Li refused to come in, he would stay here with him.
In the end, Jing Li had no choice but to compromise and let Qin Zhao carry him back to the house.
“Is it really clean? Why do I feel like there’s still mud…” Jing Li sat obediently on the stool and let Qin Zhao help him wipe his hair.
Qin Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "I washed it for you three times, and you washed it twice yourself, it's already very clean."
This little guy is afraid of getting dirty but still chooses to hide in the lotus pond.
Jing Li smelled the hair and could only smell the refreshing scent of soapberries, which made him feel a little relieved.
Qin Zhao asked: "Have you thought clearly about what you are thinking about?"
Jing Li lowered his head: "Not yet..."
"It's okay, take your time to think about it." Qin Zhao helped him dry his hair, turned around and hung the handkerchief back to its original place, and said in a calm voice, "Except for whether you like me or not, you can take your time to think about the rest. I won't force you."
"I didn't mean to hide it from you, I just--" Jing Li's voice stopped abruptly.
He looked up at Qin Zhao and blinked his beautiful eyes blankly: "...Ah?"