"Professor, you can’t be talking about Mr. Zhang, can you? Would he even agree to this?" If he remembered correctly, the professor had just gotten into an argument with the man the day before yesterday. It had made Mr. Zhang so angry that he declared he would refuse to treat him next time.
Mr. Mu glanced at Chi and nodded with a smile. "That’s exactly who I mean. That old geezer is utterly ruthless. If I have Jiu study under him, maybe she can get him to put a little less coptis root in my prescriptions next time. That stuff is so damn bitter." Whenever he mentioned the man, Mr. Mu was filled with grievances.
Bai Jiu was a bit confused. She wondered why the old man had suddenly gotten angry mid-conversation. Fortunately, Chi noticed her bewilderment and hurriedly explained the love-hate relationship between Mr. Mu and Mr. Zhang.
Bai Jiu didn’t know about anyone else, but after hearing the story, she was utterly dumbfounded. She felt like she had just latched onto a massive pillar of support.
"Teacher is afraid of drinking medicine?" She never would have thought that an old man would be so averse to taking medication.
Chi shook his head. "It’s not that he’s afraid. It’s mostly because the professor never listens to advice, so Mr. Zhang adds extra coptis root to purge his internal heat. He says the professor is too hot-tempered on a daily basis. That’s how the two of them ended up in their current standoff." He also felt helpless about it. Who would have thought that a dignified research professor would throw a tantrum over taking medicine?
Seeing Chi sell him out, Mr. Mu let out an angry cough. "Chi, you sure have a lot to say today. Have you finished the assignment I gave you last time? Being a soldier isn’t just about having brute strength; you need some brains, too."
Seeing her teacher like this, Bai Jiu knew better than to press the issue. She looked at him ingratiatingly. "Teacher, where exactly are you feeling unwell? Why don’t I check your pulse?" Fortunately, she possessed the original owner’s theoretical knowledge, so she could at least give it a try.
After shooting Chi a loud harrumph, Mr. Mu placed his hand on the table. "Here."
Bai Jiu calmed herself and placed her fingers on her teacher’s pulse. While she checked it, the others nearby didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly, afraid of disturbing her. Gao Zhijun and Chi didn’t dare to move because they had been scolded by Mr. Zhang countless times for that exact thing and had now developed a habit of keeping still. Xiuxiu and Zhengyang didn’t dare to move because they were shocked that their mother knew medicine. They had been with her for so long, yet they had no idea.
Fortunately, the pulse-taking ended quickly.
"Teacher, there are no major issues with your body, but you do have quite a few minor ailments. You need to pay attention to your health regimen," she said. In truth, she didn’t dare tell the whole truth. Her teacher’s body was severely depleted. Coupled with his age, his organs were beginning to fail. She arrived at this conclusion not only through the original owner’s theoretical knowledge but also from her own medical expertise.
Hearing Bai Jiu’s conclusion, Mr. Mu shook his head inwardly. He knew his own body better than anyone else, and it was absolutely not just a few minor ailments as she claimed.
"In a couple of days, I’ll take you to see Old Zhang," he said. If she wanted to learn, she could learn from him. However, traditional Chinese medicine probably wouldn’t see a resurgence anytime soon. She would need to be patient and calm her mind.
Fortunately, she was a driven person. He had a feeling about Zhijun’s future growth; if she couldn’t keep up with him, he feared the Lin family might end up following in Zhijun’s footsteps later on. It wasn’t that he hadn’t worried about it, but knowing that Zhijun and his wife hadn’t been living together for long, he had held back from saying anything. Seeing her like this now brought immense comfort to his old heart.
"Then I will have to trouble you, Teacher." Bai Jiu truly wanted to learn traditional Chinese medicine, and since her teacher had made such an arrangement, she naturally had no objections.
Mr. Mu waved his hand. "We’re family; there’s no need to be so polite."
That night, Bai Jiu lay in bed, unable to sleep for a long time. She tossed and turned, her mind preoccupied with her teacher’s condition.
"What’s wrong?" Gao Zhijun sensed her restlessness and pulled her into his embrace, turning her to face him. "I noticed you were distracted during dinner. Is something on your mind? Or are you worried about studying medicine under Mr. Zhang?" As her husband, how could he not notice her changes? Since she hadn’t said anything, he hadn’t asked, knowing that she would tell him if she wanted to.
Bai Jiu couldn’t sleep. She slipped out of Gao Zhijun’s arms, sat up, and leaned against the headboard.
"Do you know about Teacher’s illness?" she finally couldn’t help but ask.
Gao Zhijun sighed. So that was why she had been zoning out.
"I know. Teacher’s illness is very serious. Mr. Zhang said that if he doesn’t rest and recuperate properly, it will shorten his lifespan." He had been right there when Mr. Zhang said those words, so how could he not know? This was also why he had immediately agreed when she chose Beijing City.
Bai Jiu understood now. No wonder her teacher had that expression when she gave her pulse diagnosis, and no wonder he had immediately set a time for her to start studying medicine.
"Can’t Teacher step down?" People were emotional creatures. She didn’t have an overwhelming sense of righteousness and was perhaps a bit selfish. If her teacher continued fighting on the front lines in his current condition, he probably wouldn’t have many years left. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, she remembered how well he had treated her, so she wanted him to retire and rest.
Hearing the distinctive concern in her tone, Gao Zhijun also sat up and held her hand. "In another two years. Teacher has some important scientific research projects on his hands, so he can’t step down just yet. If..." If someone could step up to take his place, then Teacher would be able to rest. But the reality was that there was no one. There were some things he couldn’t tell her, so he could only comfort her like this.
"I understand." It was true that she herself wasn’t particularly righteous, but she couldn’t demand that others abandon their own sense of duty either. That was something she couldn’t bring herself to do.
"I’ll study medicine diligently under Mr. Zhang," Bai Jiu declared, her desire to learn traditional Chinese medicine surging once more. With her current medical knowledge, she couldn’t help her teacher. The only thing she could do was master traditional Chinese medicine, nurse him back to health, and help him live a few more years.
Mr. Mu was a man of his word. After giving Mr. Zhang a heads-up, he took Bai Jiu to the man’s home.
"So the old geezer is here. I thought you wouldn’t be able to find the door," Mr. Zhang immediately fired at Mr. Mu upon opening it. Over the years, Mr. Mu had constantly avoided him just to escape drinking medicine. Thinking of this made him want to blast the man to pieces.
Bai Jiu stood awkwardly behind Mr. Mu.
"I don’t have amnesia, so why wouldn’t I be able to find the door? You think I’m like you, forgetting this and that every other minute?" Without waiting for an invitation, Mr. Mu strode right in.
Bai Jiu felt incredibly awkward.
"Hello, Mr. Zhang," she was forced to greet him on her own.
Mr. Zhang looked Bai Jiu up and down, then pulled a long face and gestured for her to enter. "Come in."
Bai Jiu carried a housewarming gift in her hand. While not overly expensive, it was decent enough. She followed Mr. Zhang to the sofa in the living room.
"Sorry for intruding on my first visit," she said, placing the items on the coffee table.
Mr. Zhang stroked his beard in satisfaction. "You’re a reasonable one, unlike this brute."
Within a few sentences, the two old men started bickering again.
At that moment, a kindly woman walked down the stairs.
"We have guests. Why didn’t you call me?" She was Mr. Zhang’s wife. Due to her poor health, she had been resting upstairs and had only come down after hearing the commotion.
Seeing his wife, Mr. Zhang stopped arguing.
"Why did you come down? You haven’t fully recovered yet. You need to rest more," Mr. Zhang said, immediately stepping forward to support her. He couldn’t help but gently scold her.
The woman had a gentle demeanor.