TTLJDFL chapter 37

After Xiao An left, everyone returned home, and only then did he mutter to himself, “I always feel like I’ve forgotten something.”

His family was considered a prominent household in the village, with many houses and a large yard, far more prosperous than Li Jin’s family.

It wasn’t until Xiao An saw the fan still drying on the windowsill that he remembered he had originally gone to find Ah Wen to tell him about the fan.

He didn’t expect the conversation to be sidetracked by the mirror in Ah Wen’s hand.

After that, it never really returned to the right track.

At night, Xiao An’s husband, as usual, stayed over at his place. After some tenderness, his large hand covered his stomach.

“You get along so well with Li Jin’s husband, why didn’t you learn from him?”

Xiao An, dazed, didn’t understand: “Learn what? I just learned how to make a fan.”

“Learn to have a child.”

Xiao An thought, he wants it too, but after trying so hard for so long without success, it was really heartbreaking.

After all this fuss, Xiao An wasn’t so sleepy anymore. He said to his man, “Have you ever seen a really beautiful copper mirror that reflects very clearly and brightly, with patterns carved on the side?”

“There are some in town. Why, do you want one? Probably one or two hundred wen, I can work for a few days and buy one for you.”

Xiao An was stunned.

A single mirror costs that much! He would have to do half a month’s sewing work to afford just one mirror!

Moreover, Awen’s mirror was more beautiful and more exquisite.

Xiao An thought for a moment, then said, “That kind of carved pattern is a crane, and it’s colored too. How much would that cost?”

The man at his house said, “Four or five hundred wen. I’ve seen people buy it, but it wasn’t a crane pattern.”

Xiao An said he understood, feeling inwardly moved; Li Jin really cares about Ah Wen.

Four or five hundred wen would take him a month and a half to earn with sewing.
Ah Wen finally reaped the rewards of his suffering.

Xiao An said, “I don’t want something so expensive. The mirror at home is just fine and enough for me.”

After a pause, Xiao An added, “Let’s save some money. If Dalang wants to study, we can send him to the town for school.”

Dalang is the son of Xiao An’s husband’s main wife and is seven years old this year.

Xiao An is really straightforward, and the whole family quite likes him.

His husband said, “Studying isn’t that useful. If we had more children, it might be okay to let one of them go to school. As farmers, we really can’t be all talk and no action. If we don’t farm, no one in the family will have anything to eat. Even someone as good at studying as Li Jin still has to fetch water and tend the vegetable field every day, right?”

Xiao An thought about it and realized it made sense. If there’s only one child in the family, they have to balance studying and farming—it’s exhausting.

=

When Li Jin got home, the mirror had been neatly placed on the storage cabinet by the young man.

Li Jin asked him why it wasn’t put on the windowsill; that size would fit perfectly there.

The young man said seriously, “The windowsill is easy to bump into, the storage cabinet is big, so putting it there is just right.”

Li Jin smiled and wanted to say that a bronze mirror wouldn’t break.

But seeing the young man treat a mirror so seriously, he suddenly felt a bit of pity.

This child probably hadn’t received many good things before, which is why he valued even a small mirror so much.

Of course, if Li Jin knew that the nearly flawless pumpkin bun he had wrapped that day, had been secretly eaten by the young man, he might feel even more pity.

After Li Jin finished doing push-ups and took a shower, he returned to the room. The young man had the oil lamp lit for him, waiting to sleep together.

Li Jin locked the door, blew out the lamp, and lay on the outer side of the bed. He said, “Why aren’t you sleeping first?”

The young man’s voice, sleepy and soft, replied, “I want to say ‘sweet dreams’ to you.”

Li Jin froze, his body stiff, not knowing how to react.

After a long time, long enough for the young man’s breathing to even out, Li Jin finally said, “Sweet dreams to you too.”

He is not sure if it’s just Li Jin’s imagination, but it always feels like the young man’s head is leaning more and more, until it finally rests on his shoulder. But Li Jin felt that it actually felt pretty nice, and with the occasional cicadas chirping, he truly had a good night’s sleep.

Early the next morning, Li Jin went to the teacher’s study, recited yesterday’s sutras that needed to be memorized, and laid them on the floor to dry.

Once Chen Xiran finished reciting, he would check them for him, and along the way, he could also review his own lessons.

Mr. Song may seem really strict, but for students he cares about, his concern isn’t small at all.

It seemed like he already knew what happened yesterday with Li Jin at Xinglin Hall. He even specifically praised Li Jin in front of Chen Xiran: “Able to pick up and let go, good!”

Li Jin felt a bit embarrassed. He thought Mr. Song was referring to how the original owner used to be obsessed with the top courtesan, but was very indifferent yesterday. Looks like Mr. Song thinks he’s completely let it go.

Li Jin felt ashamed and said, “The student knows his mistake.”

Mr. Song said, “Appetite and desire are natural; why be ashamed? It is just that the elegance of a scholar does not lie in romantic encounters but in the heart. I hope you remember this.”

Li Jin said, “The student will remember.”

That noon, Li Jin went to Xinglin Hall for lunch. Seeing an unexpected guest at the dining table, he felt no disturbance in his heart.

He really discovered a pattern: the meals cooked by Xinglin Hall’s apprentice Zhou Gui might be quite tasty. Yesterday, Shopkeeper Song came by, and today a thug from Piaoxiang garden showed up.

Calling him a thug was actually just that Li Jin didn’t know how to refer to this person.

Dr. Wu was a bit confused at first, but later he calmed down.

He said, “Guests are guests, so let’s have a meal together.”

Anyway, the person was already seated, so he didn’t feel right sending him away.

After finishing the meal, Da Shou took out five taels of silver, giving Doctor Wu and Li Jin two taels each, and gave the apprentice Zhou Gui onr tael. He said, “This is hush money for the three of you, thanks to the two doctors for not making a big deal out of it yesterday.”

Li Jin instantly understood—apparently, Piaoxiang Garden already knew that the top courtesan was pregnant.

That naturally meant they also knew she had visited Xinglin Hall yesterday, and even though Li Jin clearly diagnosed the pregnancy, he hadn’t said anything, protecting the top courtesan’s reputation.

When the thug finally left, he even apologized to Li Jin: “I was wrong for hitting you before, Doctor Li. Please don’t hold a grudge against me.”

Li Jin: “…It’s all in the past.”

The original owner used to get beaten up for the top courtesan, poor thing.

“Doctor Li, you are truly noble. I still want to ask—yesterday you said venereal diseases could be cured. Is that true?”

Li Jin said, “It depends. If you were infected recently and stick to the treatment for a while, it can be completely cured. But if the infection lasts about two years I’m powerless.”

The man thanked him again and said, “I might trouble Doctor Li again in the future, so please don’t mind.”

Li Jin sat back in his place and began a new day of consultations and treatments.

Today, nothing unusual happened; it’s just that the town is small, and news spreads quickly. It was only the second day of Li Jin’s consultations, but Li Zhuzi, who sold firewood on the main street, already knew about the news.

After finishing his sales, he asked his helper nearby to watch the ox cart and sneaked over to Xinglin Hall, where he indeed saw Li Jin consulting with patients.

Li Zhuzi couldn’t help but recall that earlier by the riverside, when he had twisted his ankle, Li Jin had also treated it immediately with a few manipulations and cured it on the spot.

At that time, he humbly said he only knew a little bit.

But haven’t you seen that now even Dr. Wu from Xinglin Hall is asking him questions?!

Just as Li Zhuzi was about to leave, Li Jin happened to finish his appointment and was getting ready to go home.

He saw Li Zhuzi’s back and quickly called out to him.

“Brother Zhuzi, are you here to buy medicine?”

Li Zhuzi hurriedly waved his hands: “No, no, I just heard from the neighbors that there’s a young miracle doctor from our village seeing patients at Xinglin Hall. I guessed it must be you, so I came to take a look.”

Zhou Gui quickly helped Li Jin organize his basket. After a while, when Doctor Wu leaves, he will have to learn things from Li Jin.

He also realized that although Li Jin is young, he truly has genuine talent and skill.

After Li Jin thanked him, he walked out of Xinglin Hall together with Li Zhuzi.

It just so happened that Li Zhuzi was also returning to the village now, traveling together with Li Jin. Li Zhuzi said, “You’re heading back already?”

Li Jin sat on Li Zhuzi’s ox cart, jostled by the bumps along the way, “In July, I only work for one shichen each day. Returning too late would make me worry about my husband.”

Li Zhuzi sighed, “Men, ah, making money to support the family is still the biggest responsibility. If you’re worried about him, I can have my wife go more often to help at your place.”

Li Jin appreciated the good intention, but still said, “I need to watch over him to feel at ease.”

After saying this, he was a bit taken aback himself, then added, “He’s still young, taking care of Baozi alone, I really can’t feel at ease.”

Li Zhuzi was a typical country guy and laughed, “You’re only eighteen, about the same age as your husband, don’t use his young age as an excuse.

I know people your age are most affectionate, hurry up and give Baozi a little brother, then you’ll have descendants too.”

Li Jin’s face turned red. He sat on Li Zhuzi’s ox cart, looking at the fields of wheat along the road that had already been harvested, leaving only short stubble, and pretended he hadn’t heard anything.

Li Zhuzi said, “I went through your age too. I understand.”

Li Jin finally squeezed out a sentence through his teeth: “Can we not talk about this?”

Li Zhuzi laughed heartily, thinking it was just the thin skin of youth. By the time someone got his age, they’d be a seasoned pro.

Li Zhuzi said, “You young people who just got married a few years ago are full of energy. Haven’t you noticed that the ones usually sitting by the door in the village having dinner and chatting are people my age or even older?”

Li Jin: “I rarely go out during dinner.”

Really didn’t notice.

Li Zhuzi said, “Exactly, that’s it. People in the village who are about your age also don’t go out during dinner. Youngly married, they’re always clinging to their wives, never enough time together.”

Li Jin thought expressionlessly, he and Wenwen are clearly pure every day, so why do the villagers think in such a twisted way?

Li Jin said casually, “Wenwen’s body isn’t recovered yet, can’t…”

Li Zhuzi said, “You can use your hands.”

Li Jin: “???”

This move was a bit suffocating.

You have to know that he and Wenwen had only recently started telling each other ‘sweet dreams’ every night, and before, when they slept, there was even a little dumpling in between!

Finally, Li Jin awkwardly changed the subject.

“Brother Zhuzi, do you usually come back around this time?” Li Jin asked.

“Recently, yeah, we can go back together, it’s quick anyway.”

Li Jin felt the same way. With this body, walking this much every day would inevitably make his leg muscles pretty strong.

But he obviously didn’t intend to develop legs like a gymnast’s. If he could ride an ox cart, he would take a ride.

Li Jin said, “Thanks a lot, Brother Zhuzi.”

Li Zhuzi just patted Li Jin on the shoulder: “You’re welcome.”

Li Jin felt that Li Zhuzi’s ‘you’re welcome’ sounded like he was responding to Li Jin discovering a whole new world with his own hands.

Li Jin thought, as expected, you really can’t think of people from ancient times as too innocent. Back then, without electricity or the internet to grab your attention, at night it was either sleeping or sleeping.

Of course, one ‘sleeping’ is a verb, and the other is a noun.​

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