She stamped her foot, breathed on it to warm her hands, and knocked heavily on the door.
"Who is it?" An old man's voice answered the door from inside the house.
The door creaked open, and Zhou Sangong, his back hunched and sleeves tucked in, coughed twice, looked up, and asked, "Miss, who are you looking for?"
The girl peeked into the inner room, where a stove was lit and a pot of pepper wine was warming. Apart from Zhou Sangong, the room was empty.
She smiled and said, "Grandpa, I'm looking for Doctor Xia."
Zhou Sangong stroked his beard and strolled into the house. "He's gone on a house call. It's windy outside, come inside and warm yourself by the fire."
The girl sat by the stove, took a cup of hot tea from Zhou Sangong, and asked, "When will Doctor Xia return? Medicine King Valley is so hard to find; I searched for over a month before finally finding this place."
Zhou Sangong looked out the window and saw that the snow was falling heavily, turning the world into a vast expanse of white.
"Young lady, he's been gone for half a year, and it's uncertain when he'll be back. Do you have something urgent to discuss with him?"
The young woman smiled and said, "Old man, my name is Ruoyun. I've come here to ask Doctor Xia to be my apprentice." She lowered her eyelashes slightly, her eyes turned up, and her face showed joy.
After a long silence, Zhou Sangong used a tree branch to stir the firewood in the stove.
Ruoyun asked, "Dr. Xia, where did he go?"
Zhou Sangong replied, "Perhaps he has gone on a long journey; he hasn't taken on any disciples in a long time."
Ruoyun covered her teacup with her hand and asked in confusion, "When I was young, Doctor Xia saved my life. At that time, he also had a female disciple named Qi Xiang."
Zhou Sangong paused for a moment, then looked up and asked, "Have you seen Xiao Xiang?"
Ruoyun nodded and smiled, "I'm originally from Laiyang Town in southern Fujian. When I was young, a leprosy broke out in the town, and my parents lost their lives. Later, when the epidemic became severe, the town mayor invited Doctor Xia. He worked day and night to cure many people in the town. I developed blisters at that time, and it was thanks to Qi Xiang's help that I was able to recover. Later, she fell ill, and the house she stayed in was right at the foot of the mountain. When the mountain shook, she almost lost her life."
Zhou Sangong gave a soft hum.
Ruoyun asked, "Is Qi Xiang still in the valley? Or did she leave the valley with the Divine Physician?"
Zhou Sangong added some firewood, "She didn't leave the valley with him."
Ruoyun smiled and said, "I'll go talk to her. If Doctor Xia is willing to take me as his disciple, Qi Xiang will be my senior sister."
Zhou Sangong straightened his sleeves, got up, took the pepper wine pot off the stove, walked to the window, sighed deeply, and remained silent.
Ruoyun insisted on staying in the valley to wait for Doctor Xia.
In the desolate and secluded Medicine King Valley, Zhou Sangong was happy to have someone to accompany him.
North of the valley, a desolate wasteland lay, with only withered branches and fallen leaves remaining.
On a sunny day, Ruoyun swept the snow in front of the courtyard, brewed a pot of tea, and listened to the Third Master tell stories.
The three elders said: Long ago, north of Medicine King Valley was a ten-mile-long bamboo forest, a verdant sea. The wind, you see, that big eagle on the roof beam, always loved to fly back and forth in the bamboo forest.
Ruoyun asked: "Then why is there only a desolate area now?"
The three men replied: Bamboo is all connected by roots. Two years ago, when Xiaoxiang Bamboo died, the entire bamboo forest collapsed along with it.
Ruoyun asked again: "Does that mean the Xiaoxiang bamboo of the Ehuang Nuying is in the Medicine King Valley?"
The three officials closed their eyes and said: Fate is cruel, fate is cruel.
And so it goes, winter passes and spring returns, summer gives way to autumn, and day turns to dusk.
Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.
Ruoyun was washing clothes by the stream in the valley. The weather was fine, and she hummed a couple of tunes. Turning around, she called out to Zhou Sangong's house, "Third Master, how about dumplings for lunch today?"
Zhou Sangong leaned against the doorpost, sprinkled some grain to feed Dafeng, and curled up in his arms a nine-tailed silver fox.
He bowed slightly and looked at Ruoyun. She had been in Medicine King Valley for more than half a year. She didn't have enough clothes with her when she came, so she borrowed some clothes from the south-facing room.
Although the clothes were men's robes, they were cut smaller than usual men's clothing. However, they fit Ruoyun well.
Originally, there was a female disciple in the valley who always liked to dress up as a man.
Zhou Sangong composed himself and hummed, "Fine."
Ruoyun wrung out her clothes and hung them to dry on the green stone by the stream, then laughed and said, "I heard that a theatrical troupe has come to the town outside the mountains, and it's very lively every day. The valley is so quiet, why don't we go to town to have a look tomorrow?"
The three officials paused for a moment, then remained silent.
Someone behind me asked, "You're awake?"
Her voice was as smooth as jade, penetrating the heart.
Ruoyun turned around and saw a man in plain clothes standing opposite her. His hair was tied up with an ebony hairpin, and he held a medicine box in his hand. He was handsome and gentle, staring at her in a daze.
He pursed his lips slightly, and she lowered her eyes slightly.
Ruoyun thought: When she met him five years ago, she was so young; but now, she has come of age and can marry him.
She bit her lip slightly and smiled, "Dr. Xia, I am Ruoyun. We met five years ago in Laiyang Town."
The man before her paused slightly, seemingly deep in thought: "Ruoyun?"
Ruoyun thought that it had been too long and he might not remember, so she explained again: "Back then in Laiyang Town, I contracted the plague, and you and Qixiang cured me together."
Xia Jingnan slightly furrowed his brows and said calmly, "Miss Ruoyun, what brings you to Medicine King Valley?"
Ruoyun smiled and said readily, "I want to become your disciple."
Xia Jingnan remained silent for a moment, then left with the words: "I do not accept disciples."
He strode toward the three ministers and asked, "Is the valley peaceful these days?"
Zhou Sangong glanced at Ruoyun out of the corner of his eye and said, "It's very peaceful."
Ruo Yunwan never expected to be rejected so directly after her initial attempt. She then pleaded, "Dr. Xia, I have no parents. I was once saved by you, and I only wish to do your laundry and cook for you in Medicine King Valley to repay your life-saving grace."
Xia Jingnan did not turn around, but said gently, "Miss Ruoyun, I practice medicine and save lives only as I please. Medicine King Valley is not a martial arts sect and has never intended to take on disciples. Please go back."
Ruoyun's face flushed slightly, and she stamped her foot anxiously, saying, "But Doctor Xia already has a disciple."
Xia Jingnan paused for a moment, then pushed open the door and went inside without answering.
Seeing that Ruoyun looked like she was about to cry, Zhou Sangong adjusted his sleeves and said, "Prepare some wine for lunch. The pepper wine you brewed is more fragrant than that girl's."
At noon, the three of them sat down at the table to eat.
Ruoyun occasionally glanced at Xia Jingnan, and saw that he calmly ate his meal without showing any emotion.
The three officials picked up the wine pot, poured a cup of wine, and then poured another cup for Xia Jingnan. They said slowly, "It's been a long time since anyone has played chess with me. The valley is getting more and more deserted."
Xia Jingnan picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and rested his hand on his forehead as if deep in thought.
Suddenly, Ruoyun clutched her stomach, leaned against the corner of the table, her small face scrunched up, and said in pain, "Dr. Xia, Third Master, my stomach hurts."
The three men opened their eyes wide and said, "Hmm?"
Ruoyun pretended to groan again, "Ahhhhh, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
The three men casually plucked a beard hair and said, "Eh?"
Ruoyun cried out, "No, no, I'm going to die, I'm going to die! This time I'm really going to die!"
The three officials sighed, "This..."
Xia Jingnan glanced at Ruoyun, who was frowning and looked like she was in agony.
The three men watched her with a rather gloomy expression, their chopsticks falling onto the table.
Xia Jingnan put down his cup and said softly, "Stay for now."
In a brief moment between tending to her stomachache, Ruoyun glanced at him. Seeing his gaze fixed on the distance, she pursed her lips slightly.
Clouds drift across the sky, and the sky is clear in one area, but the area to the north that used to be a bamboo grove is now only covered with yellow leaves.
A few days later, Ruoyun held a medical book and compared each herb in the flower garden with the others.
On the page next to the purple-stemmed grass, only one line was written: Fireworks intoxicate.
She didn't understand anything, so she turned around and went back into the house to ask Xia Jingnan for help.
Xia Jingnan was tidying up the medicine box at the time. He paused for a moment and instructed her, "This stuff is poisonous. Use it with caution."