Love Across Time - Chapter 24
“My parents died when I was three months old, and Uncle Leng raised us single-handedly. He managed the Shi family's business, and after my eldest brother became capable of handling things on his own, he handed it all over to him and retired to the position of steward. I originally wanted to become his godfather, but Uncle Leng refused. He strictly adhered to the distinction between master and servant. He and my father were childhood friends and sworn brothers, and their families had been stewards of the Shi family for generations. Leng Gang will be one in the future. The Leng family's ancestral precept is to protect the Shi family, generation after generation, until its extinction.”
This ancestral precept is utterly unreasonable! What kind of ancestor would expect their descendants to be slaves for generations, never able to rise up? It's certainly touching, of course; the Leng family's generations of unwavering loyalty are truly rare throughout history and across the world. Such loyalty must have come from a great favor done to the Leng family by the Shi family in some generation. But such a strict ancestral precept, with such a clear distinction between master and servant over generations, is problematic. Like this couple right now, they might end up like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, completely ruined!
Wuxia took a sip of tea and said again:
“Our Shi family was once robbed and wiped out by bandits, which is why we sent my brothers to the snowy mountains to learn martial arts.” She had no interest in talking more.
Then Su Guangping is definitely involved. Wuxia probably doesn't know much about this, so we'll ask Wuji later.
Huan'er raised an eyebrow.
"Wuxia, would you like to meet Leng Gang? And let me observe whether he has feelings for you?"
"I want to! But he avoids me."
Huan'er smiled mysteriously.
"Is there any way to make you sick immediately?"
Wuxia was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. Oh! Good heavens, only my sister-in-law could come up with something like this. But she rarely gets sick; at most, she's lost her appetite since yesterday and is a little weak.
"Just lie down right now and pretend to be sick. I'll take care of the rest. Lie down! I'm going to call someone." Huan'er pulled Wuxia onto the bed, covered her with the blanket, and then walked out. She wanted to see how the exceptionally skilled doctor Leng Gang would diagnose the problem.
She found Shi Wuji and Leng Gang in the study, deliberately avoiding looking at Leng Gang, and feigning a worried expression as she spoke to her husband:
"Wuxia is sick! You must quickly find a doctor to take a look at her. She didn't eat anything yesterday, and she looks terrible!" He tried to pull Wuji away.
Shi Wuji looked at Leng Gang with a solemn expression.
"He's the doctor right here. Let's go!"
Huan'er caught Leng Gang's worried expression! Yes! She guessed right.
The group entered the room. Wuxia burst into tears upon seeing Leng Gang, quickly averting her eyes, afraid that her deep emotions would overflow. Leng Gang stood by the bed, hesitant to move forward, staring blankly at Wuxia, who was even more beautiful and had blossomed into a celestial being than she had three years ago.
Huan'er secretly tugged at her husband's sleeve, teasing him lightly:
Wow! That's amazing! You can tell what disease Wuxia has just by looking at her!
Shi Wuji glanced at her, stepped forward, and placed Wuxia's hand in Leng Gang's. Leng Gang trembled slightly, but immediately composed himself, carefully taking her pulse. After a moment, he released her hand. "Miss's body is rather weak. I will prescribe some tonics for her to take twice a day."
Without saying a word, she was about to leave with Shi Wuji. Huan'er pulled Wuxia down, and Wuxia cried out in pain, falling off the bed.
The two men turned around quickly and saw the blood seeping from Wuxia's sleeve. Leng Gang rushed over, pulled up Wuxia's sleeve, revealing her injured elbow and several scrapes on her fair, white arm. The anxiety and worry in Leng Gang's eyes were obvious. Huan'er secretly stuck out her tongue, just in time to meet her husband's warning gaze. He caught a glimpse of Huan'er's misdeeds out of the corner of his eye.
"Is anything wrong?" Leng Gang finally asked her.
Huan'er happened to be behind Leng Gang, frantically gesturing and pointing to the code words for headache and hand pain.