Chapter 809 - 778: The Courtyard House
Not only did Jin Xin Hui guess where Che Shixiong went, but Xu Chunliang had already figured out that this guy would come.
Just before nine in the morning, Che Shixiong called, asking where Xu Chunliang lived.
Xu Chunliang was currently at Ji Jiajia’s courtyard house, training her in the Spiritual Snake Eight Steps, and sent the location to Che Shixiong.
Ji Jiajia, sweating profusely, took the opportunity to rest for a while while he was on the phone.
Xu Chunliang said, "Did you handle what I asked you to do?"
Ji Jiajia nodded, "I sent a bodyguard, Master. Why did you buy so much medicine?"
Xu Chunliang smiled, "It’s none of your business, don’t ask."
Ji Jiajia rolled her eyes, "Didn’t you already arrange for me to study medicine in Dongzhou? By the way, are you going to teach me personally?"
Xu Chunliang said, "I’m usually quite busy, so I definitely can’t teach you personally."
"Oh, I see now. You plan to send me to Dongzhou and then ignore me. You’re such an irresponsible man."
Xu Chunliang said, "Greedy beyond measure leads to disaster. Don’t forget who helped you gain the freedom you have now."
Ji Jiajia said, "Freedom? The freedom I want is to be carefree, not constrained by anyone. Don’t think I don’t understand. You’ve colluded with Hua Zhuyue, just changing the form to monitor me."
Xu Chunliang said, "Go if you want, if you think my arrangement is bad, you can go back to Shuren for classes. I’ll contact Hua Zhuyue to arrange more bodyguards for you."
"Master, Master, I was wrong, okay?" Ji Jiajia knew she couldn’t take advantage of the situation. If she annoyed Master too much, he might actually become heartless.
When Che Shixiong arrived, he brought gifts: two jars of pickled vegetables and a case of liquor.
Xu Chunliang thought it was considerate of him. For people from their side, these gifts were already quite grand. Anyway, what he wanted was not this.
Ji Jiajia saw Che Shixiong for the first time, looked up at him, and asked about his height. Che Shixiong honestly answered, "Two meters and two." Ji Jiajia looked at Che Shixiong and then at Xu Chunliang, laughing, "Master, standing next to him, you look like Wu Dalang."
"Get out!"
Ji Jiajia happily prepared to leave, and Xu Chunliang asked her to take the pickled vegetables and liquor inside.
Che Shixiong looked around, clearly wanting to find a place to talk privately.
Xu Chunliang said, "There’s no one else here. Just say whatever you want."
Che Shixiong deeply bowed to Xu Chunliang.
Xu Chunliang said, "Don’t do that. We Chinese find it offensive."
Che Shixiong said, "Thank you, Mr. Xu, for the prescription. After taking the medicine, Xinhui’s situation improved somewhat."
Xu Chunliang said, "You actually dared to let her take it. Aren’t you afraid I might poison her?"
Che Shixiong said, "Mr. Xu is not that kind of person."
Xu Chunliang laughed, "Let me guess, you must have questioned my intentions, but the boss lady thinks I’m sincere and trustworthy. She actively asked to try it, right?"
Che Shixiong was secretly surprised. How did he know? This person is really something, no wonder Huang Youlong considers him a major enemy.
Xu Chunliang pointed to the stone table in the courtyard, "Come over and have a cup of tea."
Che Shixiong followed Xu Chunliang to the stone table and sat down. Xu Chunliang poured him a cup of tea, and Che Shixiong took it with both hands: "Thank you!" Today, he had to ask for help, so his attitude was more humble than ever.
Xu Chunliang said, "How was the situation after taking the medicine?"
Che Shixiong truthfully explained the situation.
Xu Chunliang nodded after hearing the explanation. At this moment, Ji Jiajia’s bodyguard returned, having prepared the medicine as Xu Chunliang requested.
Xu Chunliang had him give the medicine to Che Shixiong.
Che Shixiong was initially unsure how to ask for the prescription, but Xu Chunliang had prepared everything without waiting for him to speak. Looking at the large package of medicine before him, Che Shixiong felt grateful. If Xu Chunliang truly cured Jin Xin Hui, how could he possibly thank him enough? Sending any amount of pickled vegetables and liquor would never express his gratitude.
Xu Chunliang said, "Based on the situation you described, the patient’s exterior has opened, lung qi is dispersing, cold is expelled externally, and true yang is reviving, so her cold sensation in her limbs has been alleviated. I’ve prescribed this second formula for her, mainly including ephedra, wild ginger, dried ginger, cornelian cherry, scallion, Goryeo ginseng, and of course, the most important is aconite."
Che Shixiong now hears of aconite without the initial dread, respectfully asking, "I heard that aconite is poisonous, so why use it heavily?"
Xu Chunliang said, "Aconite has the effect of restoring yang, aiding yang, dispelling cold, and relieving pain. In traditional Chinese medicine, there’s a significant school called the Fire God Sect; have you heard of it?"
Che Shixiong nodded, knowing Huiren Hall is the Fire God Sect. Could Xu Chunliang be mentioning the Fire God Sect to get me to disclose some information?
Xu Chunliang said, "The Fire God Sect is truly proficient in the use of Aconite. In fact, all medicines have varying levels of toxicity. Take your Goryeo ginseng, for instance; if consumed excessively, it could cause problems."
Xu Chunliang handed Che Shixiong two prescriptions. Start with the first one, and after finishing, report the results to me. Once I agree, you can proceed to the next course of treatment. Some medicines might be hard for you to find, so I’ve arranged for someone to prepare them for you all at once.
Che Shixiong said, "How much, I’ll transfer it to you right away." He addressed Xu Chunliang with formal language.
Xu Chunliang chuckled, "You treated me to a barbeque. Consider these medicines as payment for the meal."
Che Shixiong knew very well that the value of these medicines far exceeded last night’s barbeque. Moreover, he invited Xu Chunliang reluctantly, so perhaps Xu Chunliang has other tasks he wants me to handle?
Che Shixiong said, "Mr. Xu, I must clarify that if you want me to act against Mingde Group, I can’t comply."
Xu Chunliang laughed heartily, "Che Shixiong, don’t worry. I’m not helping you; I’m helping the boss lady."
He looked up at the sun and said, "You should hurry back to prepare the medicine. Remember to add 2000 ml of cold water, simmer to extract 600 ml. Take it three times, and choose to take the medicine when the sun is strongest before noon to support the righteous Qi. Each dose should be mixed with 50 ml of ephedra juice; stop taking it after sweating."
Che Shixiong nodded repeatedly, and Xu Chunliang further cautioned, "Pulmonary disorders are fraught with challenges and the course of the disease can be quite recurrent. Don’t become overly optimistic if the illness shows improvement. Before the Yang Qi is stabilized, don’t let your guard down."
After thanking Xu Chunliang, Che Shixiong left. On the way back, the more he thought about it, the stranger it felt. He hadn’t helped Xu Chunliang at all, yet Xu Chunliang assisted him. Was it Xu Chunliang’s benevolent heart as a healer, or did he have other motives? But he hadn’t asked for any insider news, just inquired about the whereabouts of Huang Youlong and Lu Taiyin.
Jin Xin Hui has a good eye for people. Since even she says Xu Chunliang is not the type to fuss over petty matters, it must be true. Unknowingly, Che Shixiong’s hostility towards Xu Chunliang completely dissipated.
Xu Chunliang had already called Lin Sijin yesterday, asking to meet her. During the May Day holidays, Lin Sijin wasn’t at work, but she happily agreed to Xu Chunliang’s meeting request.
Xu Chunliang invited her to Ji Jiajia’s courtyard for a visit and, worried that Ji Jiajia might speak offhandedly, he arranged for her to leave beforehand. He also had Hua Zhuyue bring over two chefs from the hotel to prepare lunch for Lin Sijin.
Xu Chunliang specifically consulted Ye Changyuan in advance since Lin Sijin eats vegetarian, so today’s meal was entirely vegetarian.
When Ye Changyuan found out Xu Chunliang wanted to invite Lin Sijin for a meal, he immediately advised him to abandon the idea. Lin Sijin usually refuses invitations to meals. But to Ye Changyuan’s surprise, Lin Sijin agreed. It seems the appeal of young men is indeed stronger than an old face like mine.
As Lin Sijin entered the courtyard, she observed its layout. In this location, the price of such a courtyard could be worth over a billion. Unexpectedly, Elder Ye’s foster grandson turned out to be a hidden wealthy person.
Xu Chunliang approached Lin Sijin with a smile, "Aunt Lin, this house isn’t mine. I borrowed it from a friend."
Lin Sijin said, "It seems you’ve put quite a bit of effort into today’s meal."
Xu Chunliang invited Lin Sijin into the dining area.
Lin Sijin said, "Had I known, I wouldn’t have come."
Xu Chunliang said, "Aunt Lin, don’t misunderstand. I invited you just to chat casually."
Lin Sijin said, "We’ve only known each other for a few days, and it seems we don’t have much common ground for conversation."
Xu Chunliang said, "We do share a common topic regarding the preservation of traditional culture."
Lin Sijin said, "That wouldn’t require such a grand gesture. I’ll definitely have someone thoroughly investigate the Huiren Hall matters. Whether you treat me to a meal or not doesn’t change anything. If they indeed have issues, no amount of persuasion on your part will help. If they’re clear, I will speak on their behalf without you needing to say anything."
Xu Chunliang said, "I certainly won’t have Aunt Lin do anything against principles. I just discovered some situations that I wanted to discuss with you."
Lin Sijin nodded, and Xu Chunliang instructed the dishes to be served.
The waiter began serving, starting with four cold dishes: gorgon fruit, architect mushroom, elm fungus, and blueberry yam.
Seeing that all were vegetarian, Lin Sijin thought to herself, this young man put in an effort, knowing I eat vegetarian, hence the vegetarian feast.
Despite thinking Xu Chunliang’s arrangement was somewhat overly formal, since she was here, she couldn’t just walk away, especially as it was mealtime. They substituted tea for wine.
Lin Sijin took a bite of the gorgon fruit; it was delicate in texture, pleasantly chewy, made with premium sago and sweet peas, complemented by the fragrance and smoothness of camellia seed oil, offering an excellent taste.
Xu Chunliang introduced this dish as having the effect of dispelling dampness.
The yam puree was extremely fine and sweet to the taste.
Elm fungus, akin in shape to common fungus, is thicker with a meaty texture, elastic, and flavored with a peppery ma taste.
Though Lin Sijin is knowledgeable, the delicacy of today’s vegetarian meal left her quietly admiring.
Fine ingredients can relax one’s mood, and Xu Chunliang could tell from Lin Sijin’s expression that her guardedness was gradually easing. Xu Chunliang didn’t immediately bring up Huiren Hall but spoke of Ye Qingya instead.
"I noticed Sister Qingya looks a lot like Aunt Lin."
Lin Sijin said, "Of course, she’s my daughter. It’d be strange if she didn’t resemble me."