El paisaje es como una pintura

Capítulo 13

Tian Er replied, "Besides our family's, there are two other estates on the mountain. One family's owner is surnamed Yang, and the other's is surnamed Li. They only came to visit once before having this road carved out. Young master and madam, don't be fooled by the width of this road. People who aren't from this mountain wouldn't even know this road exists. There are large groves of trees blocking the way at the entrance."

Xiao Yuan leaned out to look at the roadside and saw that there were indeed dense trees along the way, making it seem as if the road had been carved out of the forest. "It's hard to believe that Auntie found such a secluded place." She smiled at Cheng Mutian and said, "It's perfect for certain people to hide in."

Tian Er continued, “My family is originally from Kaifeng. My grandfather’s generation was terrified by the war, so we moved to the south and found this place. It just so happened that Aunt Chen wanted to buy land for Madam’s dowry, so I recommended this place to her.”

War? Xiao Yuan was in a daze when she heard Cheng Mutian sigh behind her: "Don't be fooled by my family's history of coming and going from the sea. Actually, our ancestors were also from Kaifeng. When my grandfather was alive, he always lamented: 'It has been more than seventy years since I came to the temporary capital (Lin'an, the secondary capital of the Southern Song Dynasty) with the court. I don't know when I will be able to return to my hometown.'"

Speaking of which, Xiao Yuan's ancestral home in her previous life was also Shandong. When the topic of recovering the northern lands came up, she looked sad: "Er Lang, will the imperial court move north in recent years?"

Cheng Mutian patted the carriage wall with some excitement: "I heard that they are raising troops, and there should be some movement in the next year or two." After saying that, he became very sad, "It's just a pity that I am disabled and cannot go to the battlefield."

Xiao Yuan climbed into the car, patted his back, and comforted him, "There are plenty of people who can't go to the battlefield. It's good that you have the heart. It's the same if we donate more money and food. Besides, we're going to recover lost territory, not fight against the Jin invaders. You should be cheered up."

Hearing this from outside the carriage, Tian Er nodded repeatedly: "Madam is very wise and right. If there is such an opportunity, I would like to ask Madam to grant me a few months' leave so that I, Tian Er, may have the opportunity to personally reclaim my hometown."

Xiao Yuan wanted to say that this Northern Expedition was bound to fail, and no one could stop the great wheel of history, but when she saw the heroic spirit bursting from the face of the peasant Tian Er, she couldn't bring herself to say it and could only nod slightly.

The oxcart traveled for a whole day, finally arriving at the village just as dusk was falling. Xiao Yuan jumped off and looked around, remaining silent for a long time. The scenery in this mountain valley was beautiful, the air fresh. But that little village... why was it just a thatched cottage?

Cheng Mutian waited in the carriage for half a day without hearing any movement. He struggled to lift the curtain and looked out. He laughed, "This villa is interesting. Good."

Xiao Yuan turned her head and glared at him: "Of course it's good. Dad could never find a place like this."

Tian Er scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Young Master, Madam, I didn't know you would be staying here, so I didn't build a big house. But there's plenty of timber in the mountains, so it'll be easy to build. I'll find some farmers to start construction tomorrow."

Xiao Yuan nodded. She instructed him to take men to carry Cheng Mutian into the house. She then told the maids to go in and check the house and prepare the bedding. Several farm women were already waiting at the entrance of the thatched village. Xiao Yuan was exhausted from the journey and didn't have time to ask any questions. She first told Aunt Tian to take them downstairs to cook.

The thatched hut had three rooms at the front, all connected to each other. She walked to the leftmost room and touched the mat Cheng Mutian was sitting on. "Luckily, I brought it from home. Otherwise, you would have found it uncomfortable."

Cheng Mutian pointed to the bed: "There's only a thin quilt, how are you going to sleep? Tonight, move my mattress to the bed and we'll sleep together."

"How can you sleep? You can only lie on your stomach," Xiao Yuan said, covering her mouth with a laugh.

The thatched hut was not soundproof, and Tian Er, who was in the outer room, heard this and said, "Madam, although it is a bit harsh in the mountains, the weather is cool, so there is no need to worry about the young master's wound getting infected."

Xiao Yuan was delighted to hear this, rewarded Tian Er with one hundred coins, and personally brought water to wipe Cheng Mutian's body.

Before long, Aunt Tian brought the food up with her people. Xiao Yuan asked in surprise, "The food is ready in just fifteen minutes?"

Aunt Tian placed a bowl of scrambled eggs in front of her. "Madam, there's not much good food in the mountains. Tomorrow, tell them to go catch rabbits and hunt deer."

Xiao Yuan glanced at the small table. There was a bowl of leafy greens, a bowl of stir-fried bamboo shoots, and scrambled eggs in front of her. There were only three dishes in total.

Seeing that she remained silent, Aunt Tian quickly said, "Madam, I just said that there was too little food, but they said that this is already a good meal for guests."

Xiao Yuan was taken aback. This was supposed to be a good dish? "What do they eat on a regular basis?"

Aunt Tian glanced at the village woman next to her, who lowered her head and replied, "We usually eat wild vegetables, and we have to exchange the game we hunt for grain."

Xiao Yuan asked curiously, "The vegetables we eat are all delivered from the farm. Don't you grow more green vegetables here?"

The woman added, "The soil on the mountain is poor, so we can't grow those kinds of things, but the wild vegetables are plentiful."

Xiao Yuan remained silent for a while, then ordered Aunt Tian to get some money to distribute to the farm women who were helping with the cooking. She took a clean large bowl, filled it halfway with brown rice, added some of various vegetables, and after thinking for a moment, poured all the scrambled eggs into it.

She held the bowl and fed Cheng Mutian, sighing, "I really thought this place was a paradise, but I never expected it to be so bitter. I am truly ashamed."

Cheng Mutian swallowed a mouthful of rice with difficulty. "Why are you ashamed? What does it have to do with you?"

Xiao Yuan watched him swallow hard and choke, then smiled and handed him some water: "Let's not even talk about how these are all farmers on my estate. If they don't have enough to eat, it's because I, the estate owner, am incompetent. Just look at how hard you're working to swallow this coarse rice. I should think of ways to make the estate produce more money."

"Alright, I'll go up the mountain tomorrow to check on the forest and give you some ideas." After saying that, Cheng Mutian swallowed his food in a few bites and urged Xiaoyuan to go out and eat.

Xiao Yuan forced herself to eat half a bowl of rice soaked in tea. She then had someone bring the vegetables to the maids who only had wild vegetables to eat. She also called someone in to move Cheng Mutian, along with his cushion, to the bed. After finishing all her tasks, she was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as she got into bed.

The next day, as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Cheng Mutian laughing at her: "This bed is so hard, and it even smells. How can you sleep on it?"

Xiao Yuan patted the fairly thick cushion: "I didn't sleep as well as this when I was in the manor. I'm nothing like you, a pampered young master."

Since it concerned his mother-in-law, Madam Jiang, Cheng Mutian couldn't say anything more. He could only bring up the matter of the forest again. Xiao Yuan knew that he was good at making money, so she quickly helped him wash up and eat breakfast. She thanked him for his hard work and had someone carry him to the edge of the forest on the mountain.

Chapter Thirty: Two-Legged Sheep

Cheng Mutian sat by the edge of the forest and looked out. He saw that the whole mountain was covered with fir trees, with only a few clumps of bamboo sticking out on the nearby hillside. He patted the tree trunk and asked Tian Er, "These fir trees look quite old. Who planted them?"

Tian Er replied, “Young master, have you ever heard of this: Planting cedar trees for twenty years ensures the marriage of one’s children; the cedar tips are used to fence gardens, and the cedar bark is used to cover houses; cedar wood is used for pigsties and cattle pens. This cedar forest was originally planted by a gentleman as dowry for his daughter, but after his daughter died young, he was afraid that seeing the trees would remind him of her, so he sold it to us.”

“We can’t wait twenty years. The farmers are all short of food and clothing. Let’s cut it down and plant something else,” Xiao Yuan suggested after listening for a while.

Cheng Mutian smiled but remained silent, only pointing to the opposite hilltop and telling Tian Er to look: "Grow more bamboo over there, and specialize in collecting bamboo shoots to sell in the city."

Tian Er hesitated and said, "Young master, it's not that we haven't thought about selling this, but the mountain road is too far, and a day isn't enough for a round trip. If we want to rest in the city, we don't have the money to stay at an inn."

Cheng Mutian nodded in agreement. After returning home, he discussed the matter with Xiaoyuan for half a day and decided to send a message to Ren Wu, asking him to prepare a small warehouse to collect bamboo shoots from the mountain village. As for the sales channels, he would leave it to Cheng Fu. If the villagers couldn't return home late, they could squeeze into the rooms where the shop assistants lived for the night, and Ren Wu would be responsible for taking care of them.

After hearing this idea, Tian Er nodded repeatedly: "This method is excellent. We don't need to worry about not being able to sell all the bamboo shoots in one day. We can collect more, bundle them up, and transport them downstream like timber. We will definitely earn more than usual."

Xiao Yuan was overjoyed to hear that they could travel by water, and immediately ordered Tian Er to take care of it as soon as possible. She also told the villagers to plant more bamboo on the hillside. After finishing this matter, she breathed a sigh of relief. Remembering Cheng Mutian's mysterious smile by the woods, she asked, "Er Lang, why don't you tell them to cut down the cedar trees and sell them, and plant some other things?"

Cheng Mutian glanced at her and said seriously, "We also need to think about our children."

Xiao Yuan blushed deeply, wishing she had never asked that question. She turned and went out to call Aunt Tian, blaming her for not preparing an invitation. Cheng Mutian suppressed a laugh and said, "The owners of those two estates aren't here. Where are you going to visit them? Besides, this isn't Aunt Tian's business."

Xiao Yuan glared at him, "Even if he's not there, we still have to be polite. We should at least send him an invitation."

Aunt Tian was cooking. Hearing this, she wiped her hands on her apron and came over, saying, "What Madam says is true. We should prepare invitations and send them over. Those two gentlemen have sent invitations before when they came."

Xiao Yuan hurriedly instructed Cai Lian to write a note and asked Aunt Tian to deliver it. She came in and glared at Cheng Mutian again, but couldn't help laughing—she used to tease A Xiu, but now that she was married, she felt even more shy. The two looked at each other and laughed. They then affectionately discussed how many children they would need to have to spend all the money from the three or four acres of cedar forest. After a while, Cai Mei came in to call for dinner. Xiao Yuan, however, suggested that the table be moved to the inner room so it would be easier to feed Cheng Mutian.

Today's lunch was much more substantial than last night's. Wild boar meat was added to the bamboo shoots. Chives were added to the eggs. There was also a large, plump fish. Xiao Yuan noticed a large bowl of meat and bones in the center, but couldn't identify it. Cai Lian pointed to the window and called her to look. "This is the raccoon meat that little boy Sun Dalang from the courtyard brought over this morning. Don't underestimate him, Madam; many adults can't catch raccoons as well as he can."

Cai Mei was a landlord who rarely commented on others. Her high praise for him must have a reason. Xiao Yuan smiled slightly. "Very well, I'll give her face." "Speaking of which, you're a small farmer on the estate now. Let's invite you in for a look."

Cai Mei knew Cheng Mutian didn't want anyone to see him, so she instructed Sun Dalang to stand outside and speak. Xiao Yuan fed Cheng Mutian a boneless piece of raccoon meat and asked, "I've heard that raccoons are very intelligent. How did you catch it?"

Sun Dalang was only eight or nine years old, but his words and actions were extremely composed. He first bowed to Xiaoyuan before answering, "Madam, catching a raccoon is actually very easy. First, smoke it at the entrance of its burrow, then dig another hole and place a net there. The raccoon can't stand the smoke and will inevitably try to escape through the burrow, running headfirst into my net without any effort."

Xiao Yuan praised, "It's remarkable that you're so wise and well-mannered at such a young age. Did your parents teach you that?"

Sun Dalang's answer surprised Xiaoyuan. It turned out that his father was a scholar who had finally escaped from the Jurchen territory in the north, but unfortunately caught a cold and died a few years later. His mother, unable to make a living with him and his sister, had no choice but to sell the whole family to the village.

Since the Jurchen invasion, such incidents have been numerous. Xiao Yuan could only sigh and ask Cai Mei to bring him some money. Unexpectedly, Sun Dalang said, "Madam, I don't want money. I only ask that you and young master give me some medicine, otherwise my sister will also die of illness."

Xiao Yuan was very puzzled: "The medicinal herbs all come from deep in the mountains. What can't you pick?"

Cheng Mutian finally caught Xiao Yuan in a moment of foolishness and hurriedly said, "What use is it if he can't prescribe medicine even if he has the herbs?"

Xiao Yuan blushed secretly upon hearing this and hurriedly asked Cai Mei to fetch the doctor they had brought. Seeing that Sun Dalang was poorly dressed and only had a pair of tattered straw sandals on his feet, she said with heartache, "It seems that your life here is not much better. Why did you have to come south?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Dalang burst into tears, crying, "My grandfather was captured by the Golden Dog and made into a 'fire-making machine.' My father was afraid that our whole family would become 'two-legged sheep,' so he risked his life to come south."

Xiao Yuan had also heard of the so-called "two-legged sheep." It was said that when the Jin army invaded the south, the officials, soldiers, and civilians had no food to eat, so they salted the dead and dried them into dried meat. Young women were called "not envious of sheep," children were called "and bones rotten," and old and thin men were called "re-fired," meaning that such human flesh was old and needed more fire.

Cheng Mutian thought the same as Xiaoyuan, his eyes red and his teeth clenched as he said, "Our Song soldiers were forced to eat human flesh by the Jin dogs. We never expected that the Jin dogs would not only occupy our cities, but also eat our people alive."

Although young, Sun Dalang was quite knowledgeable. With tears in his eyes, he said, "We are only forced to eat the dead, while those golden dogs eat living people alive."

As the two were talking, Cai Mei arrived with a doctor. Xiao Yuan quickly told Sun Dalang to take the doctor to treat his sister, and also had Cai Mei pack a large bag of food and clothes to take with her. After seeing Sun Dalang off, Cheng Mutian sighed, "I wish I could train a whole army and march north." Xiao Yuan hurriedly covered his mouth, "How can you say such a thing? Be careful you don't lose your head."

Cheng Mutian realized he had spoken out of turn and remained silent for a while before saying, "In Lin'an City, ordinary people, as long as they don't have no rice to eat at home, send their children to private schools to learn a few words. I think that child is very good, but he has to go up the mountain to catch a raccoon to exchange for money for his sister's medicine."

Xiao Yuan was very curious that Cheng Mutian could actually show kindness, so she suggested setting up a private school in the manor. Unexpectedly, Cheng Mutian looked her up and down as if she were a monster and said, "I just want to teach Sun Dalang a few words, but you want to make such a big fuss. These servants' children are destined to go hunting in the mountains. What good will it do them if they learn to read?"

Although Cheng Mutian's words were unpleasant, they were also true. Right now, the children in the village were probably only thinking about filling their stomachs, and had no interest in attending the private school. Xiao Yuan smiled self-deprecatingly and put the matter aside.

Chapter Thirty-One: Tuberculosis (Part 1)

Two days later, Tian Er led his men to survey the terrain and feng shui. They selected a location in the valley, nestled against the mountains and facing the water, and came to consult Xiao Yuan: "Madam, the feng shui master said that the place is surrounded by mountains and water, which is not only good feng shui but also a natural courtyard, saving a lot of trouble. If you want to build another garden in the future, you can draw water from the stream to the west, which will be very convenient."

Xiao Yuan pondered the words "natural courtyard" for a moment, then smiled with satisfaction. She then asked Tian Er about some customs and taboos related to building a house. Seeing that his master was asking questions, Tian Er naturally told her everything. He immediately explained the customs of starting construction and raising the roof beam, and asked Xiao Yuan to choose an auspicious day to break ground.

Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "You've driven the oxcart all day and specially invited a feng shui master, so why do I need to pick an auspicious day? Just tell me whichever day you want." Tian Er accepted the order and left. He picked a day as the feng shui master suggested and then led his men to cut down trees and build houses.

No sooner had Tian Er left than Cai Lian came to ask how to treat the farmers who had helped build the house. Xiao Yuan, feeling sorry for them who ate only wild vegetables, instructed, "Have someone transport more grain into the mountains. Everyone who comes to help should be fed their fill." She then quietly instructed Cai Lian to give extra grain to those with elderly people or children at home, so they could "sneak" some home to take back. No sooner had Cai Lian left than Cai Mei arrived.

When asked what she wanted for dinner, Xiao Yuan got up and went to the inner room to ask Cheng Mutian, who instructed her, "Bring some wild vegetables and meat, and make some wontons like the ones eaten on the Winter Solstice."

Cheng Mutian laughed and said, "You're even busier than when you're at home."

Xiao Yuan lifted his clothes to apply medicine and said, "That's right. There are four departments and six bureaus at home that have trained him well, so I don't need to worry about it. It's said that home is a thousand times better than going out. We're still on our own estate, and we feel like we're missing out on everything."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Mutian regretted his rash actions, which had forced Xiaoyuan to suffer in the deep mountains with him. He hesitated and decided to move back.

Xiao Yuan carefully applied the ointment to his wounds. She thought that if they hadn't moved to the cool, deep mountains, the wounds would have festered in the hot weather outside, and the consequences would have been unimaginable. Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth and said, "We have money and manpower. What can't we earn? Let's build a paradise here."

Cheng Mutian felt relieved when he heard her say that. "Once I'm healed, I'll accompany you to travel around and see if we can find any other ways to make money."

As the two were talking, A-Yun brought in a letter and said with a smile, "Aunt Chen is really worried about Madam. We've only been here a few days, and the letter has already come." Xiao Yuan saw that she had read the cover and her heart stirred. She said to Cheng Mutian, "You said you wanted to teach that boy Sun Dalang. Isn't he a ready-made teacher? My four maids, even A-Xiu who got married and Caiju who was sent away, can all recognize several thousand characters. Teaching him should be more than enough."

Cheng Mutian nodded, and Xiaoyuan then instructed Ayun to teach Sun Dalang a few characters each day. After receiving the letter, she read it once and then selected some parts to read to Cheng Mutian, mainly telling him not to worry about the shop and the ship, and to focus on recovering from his injuries. After listening for a few sentences, Cheng Mutian laughed and said, "Do I have to pick and choose the best parts of a family letter to read? Is there anything I can't hear?"

Xiao Yuan felt relieved when she heard him refer to it as a "letter from home." She quickly explained, "It's just some troubles from your aunt. There's no point in telling you. Don't take it to heart."

Cheng Mutian wasn't one to meddle in gossip. But having been bedridden for several days, he was getting restless. He propped his head up and thought, "Your aunt is now living an upright life. She has a house and money. What could she possibly have to worry about? It must be that Shen Changchun, whose marriage is still far from settled."

"Is Cheng Erlang really so prescient?" Xiao Yuan paused for a moment before saying, "It's that Shen Changchun. I don't know what he did to offend my aunt. She swore that she wouldn't let him into the family, no matter who she married."

Cheng Mutian said, "Your aunt is now considered to be from a wealthy family. Countless people are eager to marry into her family. It's not a bad thing that she didn't marry Shen Changchun. That poor man is not worthy of her."

Even if it's her own birth mother, when it comes to matters of the heart, no one else can help. She has to decide for herself. Xiao Yuan carefully folded the letter, then wrote a few more replies. She personally took it to Tian Er, asking him to select the best, tenderest bamboo shoots to pack with it, and send it to the Chen residence along with the letter. Tian Er took the letter and tucked it into his pocket, laughing, "It just so happens that we have bamboo shoots to put down with the water today. But this letter is important and can't be packed with the bamboo shoots. I'll go down the mountain and make another trip."

Xiao Yuan nodded, thanking them for their hard work. She walked a few steps along the stream. She saw that the villagers' thatched huts were built on the mountainside not far from the valley floor, encircling the valley along with the surrounding mountains. Aunt Tian was already preparing dinner, but the villagers were still working and hadn't returned. There wasn't a wisp of smoke rising from the small thatched huts. She was thinking of going up to the field ridge to check on Cheng Mutian after he recovered when she heard someone calling her from behind. Turning around, she saw it was the doctor Zhao they had brought.

Before he could even put down his medicine box, Zhao Langzhong said breathlessly, "I just came from Sun Dalang's house. I just diagnosed her sister with tuberculosis. I see that the thatched houses of the villagers are all right next to each other. Madam, you'd better have the Sun family move to another place, otherwise the whole village will not be spared."

Xiao Yuan was shocked. Tuberculosis was an incurable disease at this time, and it was contagious with just a cough. Without thinking it over, she solemnly entrusted Zhao Langzhong: "The lives of the entire village are in your hands. You are a doctor, so just do what you should do, just don't mistreat them."

Dr. Zhao hoisted his medicine box onto his shoulder and ran quickly to Sun Dalang's house to explain the situation. He suggested that the patient move to another place, and that Sun's mother could take care of him every day. He originally thought that Sun's mother would cry and make a fuss, but to his surprise, she was very sensible and took the initiative to say: "My daughter is still young. Even if I die, I will go with her. But harming the lives of people in the village would be a loss of our good karma. Anyway, there are no tigers or wolves here. Why don't you help my daughter and me find a mountain valley to live in? Dalang can just hang down the rope for food every day."

Dr. Zhao greatly admired Madam Sun's actions and personally led people to build several thatched huts in a flat valley, where the mother and daughter moved in. After finishing his work without stopping, he returned and reported to Xiao Yuan, saying, "Madam, I have carefully examined Sun Dalang and everyone else in the village, and no one else has contracted the disease. Please rest assured, Madam."

Xiao Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him repeatedly, and instructed him to deliver the medicine to them on time. "Remember to teach Aunt Sun to cover up and bury the phlegm that the patient coughs up, and to eat from a separate bowl with the patient. Also, make sure to boil the utensils that the patient has used before using them, so that she doesn't catch the disease herself."

After seeing off Doctor Zhao, she instructed Cailian, "Remember to send firewood and rice every day, and call Sun Dalang over again." Cheng Mutian overheard everything from inside the room and called to Xiaoyuan, "You handled it very well. The villagers live nearby, so we should be more careful." Actually, Xiaoyuan was very reluctant to let her and her daughter move away and live alone, but she understood that although she knew how to take precautions, she couldn't guarantee that the villagers would do the same. The children in the village were unsupervised during the day, and she was especially afraid that they would go to play with the sick, and if tuberculosis spread, she would feel even more guilty.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Tuberculosis (Part Two)

Soon, Sun Dalang arrived before Xiaoyuan and knelt down before she could speak, thanking her for saving the lives of everyone in the village. Xiaoyuan looked at him coldly; the child's expression was sincere and didn't seem fake. She was secretly amazed and called him up, asking, "Did your mother teach you all this?" Sun Dalang shook his head: "Our family fled here. If it weren't for the kind people in the village who took us in, we would probably have starved to death long ago. It's one thing that we can't repay their kindness, but how can we harm them?"

Xiao Yuan was secretly amazed that a child under ten years old could have such insight. She allowed him to go with Cai Mei to deliver meals to his mother and sister every day. She also asked him if he got along well with A Yun. Sun Dalang was very willing to learn to read with A Yun, so he nodded emphatically. Xiao Yuan then called A Yun over and asked her to take care of Sun Dalang.

The mountain climate was pleasant, and Cheng Mutian's injuries healed faster. By the time the roof beam was being raised, he was able to sit up with the help of a cushion. Xiao Yuan had someone carry him to the door of the new house that was being built. After listening to the villagers recite the roof beam raising incantation, he took some money for the cakes and threw them onto the roof beam himself.

Cheng Mutian was in high spirits, knowing he would soon be able to leave the thatched hut. He said to Xiaoyuan, "The roof-raising ceremony must not be taken lightly. Have someone set up a few tables of wine and invite the whole village to come and eat." Xiaoyuan responded and quickly called Aunt Tian to give the order. A dozen or so large round tables were set up in front of the house, and large bowls of meat and wine were crammed full. The mountain people didn't care about the rule of men and women not sitting at the same table. The whole village, young and old, rushed over and ate until their faces were flushed.

Xiao Yuan and Cheng Mutian stood by and watched with amusement, finding the food delicious even to themselves. Just as they were about to return and have a drink themselves, Cai Mei asked, "Why isn't Doctor Zhao here?" Xiao Yuan looked around the table; the villagers and the people they had brought from the city were all there, even Sun Dalang was holding a bowl. But Doctor Zhao was nowhere to be seen. After a moment's thought, she instructed Cai Mei, "Doctor Zhao probably doesn't want to sit at the same table with them. Why don't you invite him to eat with the young master?" Cheng Mutian and Doctor Zhao were already acquainted, otherwise he wouldn't have brought him up the mountain alone. Therefore, he had no objection to Xiao Yuan's arrangement. However, Xiao Yuan, after returning to her room and sitting down, laughed again, "I said I wanted to invite Doctor Zhao to eat, and that girl Cai Mei is all smiles."

Cheng Mutian silently calculated for a while and said, "Speaking of which, Doctor Zhao has been coming to our family's pharmacy for two or three years now. He must be in his early thirties this year." Xiao Yuan saw that the maids were not around and asked, "He is over thirty and still not married?" Cheng Mutian shook his head and said, "He was married and had a son. I heard that he got tuberculosis and both he and his son died."