Song Zihe waved his hand and said, "We'll discuss that later. Song Hao's decision to stay or leave is entirely up to him. As long as nothing interferes with his studies, that's fine."
Du Qingmiao said, "Mr. Song, may I take a look at Hao'er's room, even just to see the things he used?"
"It's in the back courtyard, go see for yourselves," Song Zihe said, pointing with his finger.
"Thank you!" Du Qingmiao said gratefully. She stood up and pulled Qi Yannian away.
The couple entered Song Hao's room. Looking at the neat and simple bedroom, Du Qingmiao excitedly stepped forward and stroked the bedding on the bed and the books on the wooden table, as if she were caressing her own child. Tears welled up in her eyes again.
“Brother Nian, Hao’er has been away from us for fifteen years, and we don’t know how much he has suffered,” Du Qingmiao said, choking back tears.
"He has not only grown into a young man, but has also achieved great success in his studies. All our hard work has not been in vain. Everything we have today is thanks to Hao'er, and I will repay him for it all in the future," Qi Yannian said with emotion.
"We've let Mr. Song down so badly," Du Qingmiao said guiltily.
"There was no other way back then. We could only do that. We'll do our best to make up for it in the future," Qi Yannian sighed.
"We went too far back then, and we really let them down..." Du Qingmiao said with remorse.
"Don't mention this again!" Qi Yannian hurriedly interrupted his wife, glancing warily towards the door before shaking his head and lowering his voice. "That was an accident in the whole plan. An accident! You know, it wasn't our fault. Remember, never let Hao'er know about this, otherwise we will lose him forever, all our hard work will be in vain, and we will fail our ancestors' wishes. Let this secret of the Heavenly Medicine Sect remain in our hearts forever."
Du Qingmiao nodded with a complicated expression, then asked, "Since you already knew about Hao'er's whereabouts, why did you only tell me so late? If I had come back a few days earlier, I would have met Hao'er already. We wouldn't be so close yet unable to recognize each other now."
Qi Yannian said, "A year ago, when Hao'er turned eighteen and should have completed his mission, I went to Baihe Town to find him, but he and Song Zihe had already left and disappeared without a trace. Later, rumors spread that the supreme medical treasure, the Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure, had appeared in the modern era. During the investigation, I learned of their whereabouts, but at the time I didn't dare to confirm that it was Hao'er, because I didn't believe that Hao'er could be the protagonist of this miraculous event. This matter was too complicated. After Gu Xiaofeng of the Life and Death Gate finally confirmed that Song Hao was the Hao'er we had been separated from for fifteen years, I ordered the Tianyi Group to stop its secret acquisition of the acupuncture bronze figure in order to reduce the danger to him. But it was too late. Various forces were vying to investigate this treasure and couldn't stop. I had no choice but to ask Gu Xiaofeng to do everything he could to protect him."
"Fortunately, Hao'er was lucky enough to meet his Taoist master, Xiao Boran, in time. He used another replica of the acupuncture bronze figure to carry out a plan to switch the pieces and deceive the world, diverting and diluting the attention on Hao'er in the martial arts world. However, he is still in danger, and I have asked the Life and Death Gate to do everything they can to protect him. I also want to take this opportunity to pave a successful path for Hao'er."
"Poor Hao'er, how could he have gotten involved in such trouble!" Du Qingmiao shook her head sadly.
"Right, with Gu Xiaofeng secretly protecting him, he should know where he is now," Du Qingmiao suddenly realized.
"Yes!" Qi Yannian nodded and said, "But now is not the time for us to acknowledge Hao'er. Please be patient for a while. Song Zihe is right. It is not advisable to disturb Hao'er in his current situation. Let him learn something first, and then we will explain everything to him at an appropriate time. Don't worry, Hao'er is our Hao'er, and no one can take him away from us."
"If I had known that Hao'er would face these dangers and troubles today, I would never have let him leave us back then," Du Qingmiao said regretfully.
"It's just another accident. But with Gu Xiaofeng from the Gate of Life and Death around, he'll be safe. I promise you, I'll bring Hao'er back to you in perfect condition in the future, and our family will never be separated again!" Qi Yannian comforted him.
"When that time comes, I will hold Hao'er tightly in my arms and never let him leave my side again!" Du Qingmiao picked up a medical book that Song Hao had once read on the table, hugged it to her chest, and said affectionately. Her impression of Song Hao was still that of a four-year-old child fifteen years ago. The love between a mother and child in this world is perhaps the greatest.
That evening, the train carrying Song Hao and Tang Yu slowly pulled into a city station. The two disembarked and followed the bustling crowd off the platform. Night had fallen, the city lights were just coming on, and the entire city was enveloped in a dazzling, dreamlike atmosphere.
Song Hao and Tang Yu first found a hotel and booked two rooms for the night. After putting down their luggage, they went out and had a meal at a restaurant. With nothing else to do afterward, they strolled along the street. They came across a night market, bustling with people. The two of them casually walked in.
The street was lined with stalls selling local delicacies, such as meat skewers, cold noodles, stinky tofu, and spicy soup, which made the two of them drool and regret going to that restaurant first. Fortunately, they still had some room in their stomachs, so they found some more appetizers to eat.
The two ate as they walked, trying anything they hadn't yet tasted. Their stomachs were full, but their eyes were still open, and they happily ate their way through the streets, full of enthusiasm.
I stumbled upon a street stall where a Mongolian man was squatting, selling tiger bones. Half a tiger skin was prominently displayed, and a pile of tiger bones from various parts were arranged beside it. One of the tibias even had a sharp claw attached to its end, making it clear that it was a tiger.
Upon seeing this, Song Hao exclaimed in surprise, "Tiger bone is a precious medicine, extremely rare in the world, and it is also a rare and protected animal whose hunting is strictly prohibited by the state. How come it's being sold at a street stall?"
Tang Yu laughed upon hearing this, "Do you recognize real tiger bone? Why don't you try to tell if it's real or fake?"
Song Hao said, "Of course, as long as it's genuine, no matter how many years old the bone is, it will retain its oily properties. When I was young, I knew all kinds of medicines and I saw genuine bone in the warehouse of the local medicine company."
As Song Hao spoke, he squatted down, picked up a piece of what he claimed was tiger bone, and lightly scratched the back of his hand with its broken tip. He couldn't help but chuckle, tossed it aside, picked up a few more pieces to examine, and shook his head at the Mongolian man, saying, "Brother, you're just 'borrowing a tiger's power'! You're using yak bone to deceive people. How could it have the effect of real tiger bone!"
The Mongolian man's face turned pale and then flushed as he angrily said, "If you're not going to buy, then leave. Don't talk nonsense and delay my business."
Song Hao said, "These bones of yours are prickly and don't have the lubricating properties of real tiger bone. Putting them here to sell as real tiger bone is just cheating people. If they were real tiger bone, I would buy them all, no matter how many you have."
Upon hearing this, the Mongolian man stood up, gripped a Mongolian knife at his waist, and said fiercely, "Kid, are you looking for trouble?"
Seeing this, Tang Yu stepped forward, picked up a thick, long bone, and with a forceful movement, broke it in two. He then snorted coldly and said, "Want to fight?"
The Mongolian man saw that the pretty young woman among the two men was even more imposing than the man; she had casually snapped a hard cow bone in two with her delicate hands, clearly a skilled fighter. He inwardly cowered, no longer acting arrogantly, and muttered, "I'm just trying to make a living, don't bully me!"
"Hehehe!" The Mongolian man's embarrassment made a bystander burst out laughing.
When Song Hao turned his head, he saw a tall, elderly man with completely silver-white hair standing there, sneering.
Chapter Seventy-One Old Classmate
Seeing Song Hao looking at him, the old man said calmly, "Young man, you are quite knowledgeable! You can even identify real tiger bones. There is a folk method to test this: throw real tiger bones to a dog, and even the fiercest dog will be scared away."
“The ancients certainly had this method of verification!” Song Hao ignored the Mongolian man and stepped forward to the old man, saying, “Old man, you also understand this kind of thing!”
“Things are different now! Tigers are on the verge of extinction, and tiger bone, a medicine with miraculous effects in dispelling wind and clearing the meridians, is even harder to find. That’s why these fake and deceptive tricks have come up.” The old man said, turning and walking away.
Seeing that the old man spoke with an air of expertise, Song Hao assumed he knew something about medicine. He pulled Tang Yu along and followed the old man, saying, "Some people have tried to find substitutes, and after testing, they found that the components in common cow and horse bones are not much different from those in genuine tiger bones, thinking they could be used as substitutes. But this is a misconception. Some plants and animals in the world can be used in traditional Chinese medicine because of their chemical components, which have a corresponding medicinal effect. Others, however, are used for their natural properties. Spring blossoms and autumn fruits, the changing seasons—even the same thing can have vastly different medicinal properties."
The old man, slightly surprised, stopped and scrutinized Song Hao before nodding approvingly. "Indeed," he said, "this is why modern people cannot truly understand traditional Chinese medicine. True medicinal properties are not merely the chemical properties of a substance, but also its natural properties. Of course, these natural properties are difficult to describe in a few words, and not something ordinary people can comprehend. Take a tiger, for example; it possesses the majesty of a king. If you simply place a piece on the ground, all beasts will flee in fear at its scent. It's not without reason that people often use it to ward off evil. Some scoundrels use tiger oil on their hands to steal from fierce dogs; even a ferocious Tibetan mastiff will submit obediently before them, daring not to bark or cause alarm, as easily as taking something from a bag. Furthermore, the ancients often used 'rootless water' and 'constantly flowing water' as medicinal guides, achieving remarkable results. A cup of plain water—how can it have medicinal uses? This is because it utilizes its natural properties. It's the intention of the healer! How many can understand this!" The old man finished speaking and turned to leave.
"Sir, wait a moment. My name is Song Hao. May I ask where you work? I'll definitely visit you sometime when I have the chance," Song Hao called out from behind.
Upon hearing this, the old man turned around and said, "Young man, discussing such topics with an old man like me will not benefit you. You should do something practical while you are young. There is no place for you to discuss philosophy in old age." After saying this, he shook his head and left.
Song Hao stood there, staring blankly at the old man's retreating figure. Tang Yu saw this and nudged him, saying, "He's already gone, what are you staring at!"
Song Hao sighed and said, "Within ten steps, there will surely be fragrant grass; within ten rooms, there will surely be brave warriors! This is indeed true! Dragons and tigers can be hidden everywhere!"
"It's a pity they see you as young and inexperienced, and that they can't reason with you, so they ignore you," Tang Yu said with a smile.
"To discuss philosophy in old age! Too late!" Song Hao shook his head and sighed.
"You've read too many medical books and ancient texts, and you're always talking nonsense. If only you lived in ancient times, you'd definitely be a great scholar! You'd be able to go to the capital to take the imperial examination and become the top scholar without a problem," Tang Yu said with a smile.
"Alas! It's not that I'm clinging to the past, but modern people have drifted away from the cultural atmosphere of ancient China and lost the special sense of understanding that allowed them to grasp its mysteries. This has led traditional Chinese medicine to its current predicament, and it's undoubtedly one of the reasons. Ancient things are not necessarily backward; they may be the most direct way to reveal the essence of things and their original state. However, it's a pity, but things are truly different now!" Song Hao sighed deeply.