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墨書 Inktalez
Xing Ruyi stepped out and immediately saw the scholar standing there. Their eyes met, and the scholar smiled shyly, "Ruyi, hello!"
"Didn’t you go home? Could it be that your home is right next to this Yamen?" Xing Ruyi asked, pointing to the walls on either side of the Yamen, with nothing but emptiness outside.
"Miss, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that when I came out just now, I thought about how my brother and sister-in-law have been poisoned for quite some time. Although my parents are anxious, they are not in a hurry at this moment. If I run back now and someone else comes to ask you to see a patient, based on your kind-hearted nature, you definitely wouldn't refuse. What would I do then? So, I decided to just stand here and wait."
"It seems like there's no way around it!" Xing Ruyi chuckled and shook her head. "Let's go; we’ll check out your home."
"Should I prepare any medicinal herbs? I can go buy them right now," Chang Tai said, raising the box in his hand. Five hundred taels of silver is not too heavy, but it feels burdensome when held.
"Not for now; I still don’t understand the specific condition of the patient. Even if I went to buy something myself right now, I wouldn’t know what to get," Xing Ruyi said, noticing how Chang Tai was drawing attention while holding that box of silver. She bent down and smiled, "Brother Chang, are you so eager because you think this silver is a hot potato?"
"Isn't it a hot potato? Otherwise, let Young Master Yin take it; after all, he is your husband, and he should be better at handling these purchasing matters than I am."
"That’s not necessarily true!" Xing Ruyi squinted at the fox. "This one at home only cares about my matters; for everything else, he’s indifferent. If you ask him to haggle with someone, it would be easier to let him just rob them instead."
The fox glanced at Xing Ruyi and said, "Is this the image I have in your eyes?"
"Absolutely!" Xing Ruyi replied without blushing or skipping a beat. "Let’s think about it—since coming to Luoyang, have you ever spent money on anything?"
The fox pouted slightly, hinting at Xing Ruyi's outfit from the Luoyang Embroidery Workshop.
"Excluding my clothes! Just now, you only cared about my matters."
"That's enough!" The fox walked over to Xing Ruyi's side, slightly lowered his head, and smiled lightly. "Other people and other matters have nothing to do with me."
Xing Ruyi jumped up and ran to Chang Tai's side, pointing at the fox and saying, "See? I wasn't wrong earlier; he really does look like a fox!"
"I think you have a very good relationship with Young Master Yin," Chang Tai said awkwardly, taking a step back. Perhaps realizing the distance between herself and Xing Ruyi, and knowing that there could be no future for the two of them, Chang Tai constantly reminded herself to maintain a certain distance from the Fox Demon.
The scholar, waiting anxiously nearby, felt that the atmosphere among the three was somewhat delicate. He cleared his throat and asked, "Ruyi, why do you call this young man a fox? Is it because his surname is Hu?"
"No! My husband’s surname is Yin, not Hu. The reason I call him a fox is that he is very cunning and has an extremely handsome appearance, just like the legendary fox spirit!"
"Fox spirit?" The scholar murmured, "Aren't fox spirits usually female?"
"Of course not all of them are female; otherwise, how would the fox clan reproduce?" Xing Ruyi patted the scholar's shoulder. "Being studious doesn't mean being rigid. As a scholar, you mustn't be so narrow-minded."
The scholar lowered his head, his cheeks turning red.
Upon arriving at the scholar's home, Xing Ruyi first checked on the condition of his brother and sister-in-law. The brother was doing relatively well; he had only eaten a small amount of sesame oil stir-fried pig liver and was currently feeling bloated, but it hadn't affected his daily life too much. However, the sister-in-law's condition was much more serious; having consumed too much sesame oil stir-fried pig liver—also known as Guanyin soil—her stomach was nearly full. At present, she couldn't keep anything down, her complexion pale with a hint of yellow; she wouldn't last much longer.
According to Xing Ruyi's usual method of treating illnesses, she would first use her Ghost Eye to examine the patient's condition. If it could be resolved, she would use her ghostly hands to remove the problematic part. Removing their stomachs wouldn't be difficult; the challenge lay in how they would live afterward. As a second option, she could make an incision in their stomachs to extract the Guanyin soil. However, performing such a procedure would likely terrify this family into madness or make them think they were dealing with a monster. After much consideration, she decided to use the most reliable yet simplest method.
"Brother Chang, please go to the pharmacy and buy me some Gourd Seeds, Rhizoma Paridis, Changshan, and other medicinal herbs. Also, could you ask my aunt to find some scallions for making soup?" After finishing her request, Xing Ruyi thought for a moment and added, "And please also get licorice and musk as well. A small package of each will suffice. Additionally, I need a clean room to prepare these medicines into pills for the patients."
"If Ruyi doesn't mind, my study can be borrowed for your use. It’s just a bit cramped."
"As long as there's enough space for me to move around. However, I will be making medicine, so inevitably there will be some medicinal smell left behind. Scholars are particular about such things; would you mind?"
The scholar's expression changed slightly, and he bit his teeth before saying, "It's just a study; how can it be more important than my brother-in-law's life? Besides, it's only the smell of some herbs. We can just open the windows for a few days to air it out."
"That's good!" Xing Ruyi said, secretly pinching the wrist of the scholar's sister-in-law and gently tapping her stomach without leaving a trace. Although it was just a light tap, it secretly injected a bit of ghostly energy. The scholar's sister-in-law's face changed, and she let out a painful groan before rolling over and retching out a pair of clumps of filth.
"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!" Cries of alarm erupted. "Ruyi, please take a look at what happened to my sister-in-law!"
"She's just throwing up. Don't worry; not only will she be fine, but she will also feel more comfortable."
"Parents, don't panic. This young lady is right; my sister-in-law feels a bit better now." The scholar's sister-in-law forced her mouth open to say this much before weakly lying back down.
Chang Tai moved quickly, and with these herbs, the usual apothecaries had them in stock. Moreover, it was the constable from the government office who went to buy them, so they naturally didn't dare delay. Not only was there plenty of medicine, but there were also some extra items included.
"These herbs only cost three taels of silver in total, and there's still so much left. How should we dispose of it?" Chang Tai handed the medicine to Xing Ruyi while lifting the box of silver coins. Although he was a martial man, carrying this box of silver back and forth made him feel tired. He didn't feel at ease handing it over to someone else. Five hundred taels might just be enough for a feast for wealthy families, but for ordinary people, it could allow them to live comfortably for two years. If they saved some, they might even manage for eight to ten years.
"According to what Lord Xie suggested earlier, distribute it to those in need. As for how much to give each family, I suggest between one to five taels. After all, these are families used to being poor; receiving too much silver at once might not be a good thing. Furthermore, helping in emergencies is different from helping the poor; Brother Chang should have an understanding of this."
"I understand your point." Chang Tai replied and prepared to leave with the box.
"Brother Chang, please wait a moment." Xing Ruyi walked up to Chang Tai, opened the box, and took out ten taels of silver from the middle. She handed five taels to the scholar. "This is compensation for using your study. Additionally, as a scholar, you should always keep some spare silver on hand for buying paper and ink. I see that you are a well-mannered and clear-headed scholar; you naturally understand my intention in giving you this silver."
After finishing her words, Xing Ruyi handed the remaining five taels of silver to the scholar's parents: "This five taels is for you two elders. But it's not a personal gift; it's meant for your son’s wife to nourish her health. Your son should be earning money outside; his health is important. Your daughter-in-law is the pillar of the family—taking care of children and looking after you both—she has been diligent in her duties. After this ordeal, it's inevitable that she will have some lingering health issues; you both need to take extra care of her and be understanding. Of course, this five taels isn't much, but it can buy some meat to improve your meals."
The two elders exchanged glances with each other and hesitantly accepted the silver coins.
Xing Ruyi turned around and returned to Chang Tai's side. While covering the box, she heard Chang Tai ask, "Why do you want to give them silver?"
"Not just them; those poisoned diners should receive some as well, as a form of compensation from the government. Although it is under the name of the government, the silver is coming from you, Brother Chang. Naturally, they will remember your kindness. Also, these silver coins should be exchanged for smaller denominations at the bank. Even if it's just one tael of silver, a large piece and several smaller ones are perceived differently by the common people. No matter how large the silver is, one piece is still considered little. If we give them a few more pieces, they will feel like they have received a lot. As for the others, regardless of their wealth or poverty, one tael is sufficient. Our silver is hard-earned; we need to use it sparingly."
"I understand your point; I just don't see why you want to give them silver. This family may not be wealthy, but they have enough food and clothing," Chang Tai said, deliberately glancing at the elderly couple and the scholar to ensure his whispers wouldn't be overheard.
"The reason for giving the scholar silver is that he saw us come out of the Yamen and knows you have silver in hand—indeed, a whole box of it—and he understands that aside from medical expenses, this silver is meant for charity. Although he is not a bad person and isn't impoverished, scholars usually have broader minds. Right now, at this moment of need, he won't ask anything from us, but later on, that might change. Scholars are eloquent and can twist words easily. By giving him some silver, even if it's just a little, it helps to silence him.
As for the scholar's parents, they aren't bad people overall. However, Brother Chang, have you noticed that among all the residents in this courtyard, Sister-in-law has the worst living conditions? The brother doesn't count since he is often away and only returns occasionally. The parents live in the main house out of filial piety; there’s nothing to say about that. But even the scholar's room is much better than Sister-in-law's. Clearly, despite her hard work at home, Sister-in-law holds the lowest status in the family. But that's understandable in our Golden Tang Dynasty; after all, not everyone can be spoiled like my family's fox.
Moreover, look at their clothing. The parents may not wear fine silk or satin, but their fabric fits well and appears to be of decent quality from a shop. The scholar naturally wears only the best from home. Now take a closer look at what Sister-in-law is wearing: her outer garment is old and ill-fitting—clearly made by her mother-in-law—and although her inner garment is new, it’s made of coarse linen.
Additionally, I heard from the scholar that his parents are getting older and prefer vegetarian food; that's why they didn't eat the stir-fried pig liver at the shop. But look at all the meat available in that kitchen! The scholar's siblings seem to have sensitive stomachs; they can't eat ordinary pork or beef—let alone dragon meat! The scholar himself has mentioned he doesn’t like offal, yet there are clearly two plates of appetizers in the kitchen—one being chicken liver. Among them all, only the scholar's father smells of alcohol.
Thus, it seems that his parents don’t actually prefer vegetarian food; rather, they are putting on an act in front of their eldest son to pretend they enjoy eating vegetables and avoid meat. As for that daughter-in-law, she may not genuinely like stir-fried pig liver either; when I examined her earlier, I noticed marks on her arms as if someone had pinched her secretly. Beneath those marks were some old wounds—possibly inflicted by her father-in-law or mother-in-law."
"So you were hinting at something earlier?" Chang Tai sighed softly. "I didn't expect that even among common people there would be so much intrigue and pressure."
"Parents only have one heart; with two sons, there will always be favoritism towards one. The eldest son may be diligent and hardworking but has calloused hands from laborious work. His skin is darker; though strong in build, he appears quite thin. One shoulder is higher than the other; he likely does work that requires shoulder strength—perhaps as a porter or dockworker carrying loads. Although his clothes and shoes are new, take another look at their stitching and fabric—they're from last year at best. If he isn't wearing second-hand clothes he's reluctant to wear regularly until visiting home for family gatherings.
His wife surely knows this too; pay attention to what's on their bedside table—newly made undergarments and an unfinished outer garment lie there. Though the fabric isn’t exceptional, you can tell effort was put into its craftsmanship."
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