She hadn't spoken her hometown dialect in a long time, and even she felt that her accent sounded a bit strange.
"Have you had lunch yet?" the mother continued. "You must have lunch; you can't let your stomach get sick from hunger."
"Let's go eat." Liu Zhi raised her hand to shield her eyes, waiting for her mother to get to the point.
"Your grandma hasn't been feeling well these past few days. She keeps saying she's dizzy and has chest tightness," the mother said softly.
"You must take the Wenxin Granules on time." Liu Zhi was tired of her mother's preamble. She crushed the clod of earth and continued to wait.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, and then the voices became even softer.
“Your brother needs tutoring fees at school these days, and your grandma needs to go to the hospital,” the mother said. “Your dad and I are having a tough time…”
Grandma's illness was a pretense; her real intention was to ask for tutoring fees for her younger brother. Liu Zhi knew her mother's tricks all too well.
"I just paid my rent recently, and my salary won't be deposited into my account until next month." Liu Zhi turned to face the sun. "I might not even have enough money. Tell me how much I'm short first."
"Your grandma spends about a thousand yuan a month on medicine, and your dad's prescription this month..."
“I know, I know,” Liu Zhi interrupted her. “So how much is still missing?”
"More than two thousand."
Liu Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and said calmly, "I'll transfer the money to you."
"Okay, okay, okay," the mother said hurriedly. "You must take good care of yourself over there."
"Your dad and I are counting on you now!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhi felt a surge of resentment. She took a deep breath and forced herself to suppress this emotion.
She turned her back and hung up the phone, then looked up irritably, her eyes meeting Meng Yang's.
Meng Yang's eyes were clean and clear, and his gaze upon Liu Zhi was always pure and kind.
Liu Zhi's anxiety subsided somewhat.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Meng Yang turned from the main road to this spot. "I was wondering why this back view looked so much like yours."
Liu Zhi put the phone in her pocket. "I just received a call."
"Could you pick me up tonight?" Meng Yang pursed his lips. "I want to go to the medicinal herb market."
"good."
Last weekend, Liu Zhi tried to teach Meng Yang how to drive an electric scooter, but Meng Yang failed miserably as soon as he tried, even falling down halfway through. Luckily, he was wearing thick winter clothes, so his down jacket got dirty, but he was alright. After that, no matter how much Liu Zhi tried to persuade him, Meng Yang refused to get on the scooter.
Meng Yang also contributed half the money to buy the electric scooter, so Liu Zhi felt obligated to help out.
Liu Zhi appeared at the entrance of the affiliated hospital on time in the evening.
Meng Yang quickened his pace, avoiding the crowds as he headed towards Liu Zhi.
The temperature dropped particularly quickly in the afternoon. Meng Yang rushed to Liu Zhi, panting and leaning on his knees.
Are you cold?
"fine."
Liu Zhi's nose was red from the cold, and Meng Yang didn't believe her nonsense. Meng Yang stuffed a hand warmer into Liu Zhi's hand, grabbed her sleeve, and walked towards the side of the road.
"Where's the electric scooter?" Meng Yang looked around but couldn't find it.
"You're going to the medicinal herb market on an electric scooter?" Liu Zhi's voice rarely showed any emotion.
Meng Yang usually takes the subway and then transfers to a taxi. Riding the electric scooter was just an excuse to lure Liu Zhi here, and Liu Zhi's words made Meng Yang feel embarrassed, as if he had been exposed.
"Why don't you go back first?" Meng Yang rubbed his cheeks. "I'll take the subway."
"I'm going out for a walk to clear my head." Liu Zhi stuffed the hand warmer back into Meng Yang's pocket. "Let's go."
It was rush hour, and the subway station was packed with people. Liu Zhi held onto the handrail, standing upright.
Meng Yang usually hates hanging from the handrails; his arms get tired after a while because he's short. Just when a spot finally became available, an old lady popped out from the side, and Meng Yang had to pull back the step he had just taken.
Liu Zhi was looking at her phone when she suddenly reached out and grabbed the metal frame. Meng Yang tried to imitate her, but found it exhausting.
"How about we eat out for dinner for the next few days?" Meng Yang said to Liu Zhi, tilting his head back.
“I’ve cooked at home,” Liu Zhi replied, bowing her head. “We need to hurry and eat here; otherwise, we’ll have to take a taxi back.”
Meng Yang nodded and followed Liu Zhi out of the subway door.
Having studied in the capital for so many years, this was Liu Zhi's first time visiting a traditional Chinese medicine market. Compared to the rows of cold, impersonal skyscrapers, this place felt much warmer.
The time-honored Chinese medicine shops here are crammed onto one street, each decorated in a classic style. Meng Yang skillfully navigates the alleyways, searching for what he wants from shop to shop.
The packaging of the Chinese medicine was still very old-fashioned. As Liu Zhi carried the medicine bag on the street, she suddenly felt as if she had traveled back to the Republic of China era.
As dusk settles, the streets are deserted.
Meng Yang stood at the entrance of the pharmacy, pulled up the white hood of his down jacket, and wrapped his scarf around his neck again, covering two-thirds of his face. Liu Zhi also untied his scarf and folded it back up along the creases.
Liu Zhi's way of wearing the scarf was simple and crude: she folded it in half, tucked one end into the other, and left her mouth and nose completely exposed.
"Aren't you cold wearing that?" Meng Yang raised an eyebrow at Liu Zhi.
"fine."
"Here, give me the scarf." Meng Yang opened his palm.
Liu Zhi obediently untied it and placed it in her hand.
"Lower your head," Meng Yang said. "I can't reach it."
Liu Zhi obediently lowered her head and peered out.
Meng Yang folded the scarf over and finally tied it into a knot. Half of Liu Zhi's face was covered; it was warm, but it also lost its aesthetic appeal. Meng Yang, on the other hand, was quite satisfied with his work and tightened the knot a bit more.
“I can do that too,” Liu Zhi said in a muffled voice.
"But you don't prick it like that," Meng Yang said, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Is it warm?"
“It’s warm…” Liu Zhi replied.
...
On the way back, the subway was much less crowded. Meng Yang finally stopped holding onto the handrail and sat close to Liu Zhi, her calves shorter than Liu Zhi's.
“Your legs are so long.” Meng Yang stared at Liu Zhi’s long legs.
"It's alright." Liu Zhi turned her head to look at her.
“My legs and upper body are split 50/50,” Meng Yang said with a pained expression. “It’s all my dad’s fault for having such short legs.”
"It's about the pants." Liu Zhi tugged at her black pants. "Black makes you look slimmer and your legs look longer."
Meng Yang has an inexplicable obsession with her figure and appearance. Despite having a great figure, she insists on comparing leg lengths with taller people; despite being a pretty and gentle girl, she craves a mature and sophisticated aura.
Liu Zhi had been used to her being like this since high school.
Meng Yang had just finished complaining when her phone vibrated. When she opened it, she saw it was a message from her father.
"My dad's urging me to get my professional title soon." Meng Yang scrolled through the messages and sighed.
“I’ve already applied,” Liu Zhi said. “I’ll become the chief resident on Monday.”
The Capital Medical University Affiliated Hospital requires resident physicians to serve as chief resident physicians for one year before being promoted to attending physician. Liu Zhi and another chief resident physician take turns working 24-hour shifts and are not allowed to leave the ward during their shifts.
Meng Yang felt he couldn't endure the hardship, so he wasn't particularly interested in getting a professional title.
When Liu Zhi said it so casually, Meng Yang was stunned for several seconds.
When I got home, the food was already cold.
Meng Yang carried the medicine bag back to his room, and Liu Zhi called him to eat after heating up the dishes.
The door wasn't closed, and Liu Zhi stood sideways and knocked on the door.
No one answered.
"Meng Yang?" Liu Zhi called out.
"Here, here!" Meng Yang's voice came from the inner room. "Come in a little further."
At the far end of the room was a small storage room with a small window that connected to the balcony. Liu Zhi had hung clothes to dry on the balcony but hadn't noticed anything strange about the folding window.
Inside the storage room was a small medicine cabinet, resembling a miniature version of a traditional Chinese medicine shop. Meng Yang squatted in front of the cabinet, carefully categorizing and arranging the purchased Chinese medicines.
Liu Zhi bent down, picked up the last few oil paper packets from the ground, and asked, "Where should we put these?"
There were no labels on Meng Yang's small medicine cabinet, making it impossible for "non-professionals" to determine its placement.
"I'll be frying these bags later, so I won't leave them here." Meng Yang took the oil paper package and stood up.
The room is decorated in a Western style, and the door to the storage room is hidden; when closed, it blends in with the wall.
There was almost no smell of Chinese medicine in the room. Unlike traditional Chinese medicine shops that sell herbs in bulk, Meng Yang lined each drawer with desiccant paper and rewrapped the herbs in oil paper after each use.
Meng Yang took out her precious clay pot, washed it, and put it on the shelf.
"Help me brew some Chinese medicine, use that ceramic pot inside," Meng Yang said, pointing to the cupboard.
Following Meng Yang's instructions, Liu Zhi took a ceramic pot and soaked the Chinese medicine. "Dr. Meng, should we rinse it again?"
"No need, soaking for half an hour will be fine. You can wash the dishes while I brew the medicine later." Dr. Meng planned out the time in a strategic manner.
Meng Yang opened the rice cooker and unexpectedly scooped out a spoonful of porridge. "Why didn't you cook rice today?"
“I asked other doctors in the department, and they think your way of eating is healthier than mine.” Liu Zhi took the bowl and spoon from Meng Yang and ladled out some porridge.
"It's rare to see you agree with my idea," Meng Yang said with relief. "Dr. Liu has changed a lot."
Liu Zhi hummed in agreement.
After dinner, Meng Yang brewed medicine for nearly an hour, and the smell made Liu Zhi's nose tingle with bitterness.
"What kind of prescription is this?" Liu Zhi asked.
"Chai Chen Jian," Meng Yang replied, "is for moisturizing the lungs and relieving coughs."
When the topic of cough relief came up, Liu Zhi's throat suddenly started to itch. She coughed twice, covering her mouth and nose, and watched Meng Yang pour out the Chinese medicine.
“It also helps with phlegm.” Meng Yang pushed the porcelain bowl in front of Liu Zhi. “Drink it when it’s cold.”
--------------------
Author's Note: