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On the other side, after greeting the steward, Wei Dong mentioned that a relative of his needed to go to Mincheng to see a doctor. So they had to take a detour.
As they set out, it was clear the steward couldn't part from Wei Dong and his group of sturdy brothers.
Each of them was tall and broad-shouldered, their imposing figures making them look particularly unapproachable, deterring potential bandits from attempting a robbery.
After all, it was a matter of mutual assistance. Besides, they weren’t dragging things out the whole way; they would simply pass through Mincheng city, which wasn’t too far off.
Considering Wu Qiang’s health condition, they traveled with frequent stops along the way, arriving a day later than planned.
Fortunately, they made it into the city before the gates closed. Wei Dong didn’t waste any time. He took the letter written by Old Wen, asked for directions, and set out to find the place.
They knocked on the door for quite some time before it finally opened, revealing an elderly man with white hair and beard.
The old man was momentarily startled upon seeing Wei Dong. His eyes betrayed a mix of confusion and strong wariness.
Although it wasn’t completely dark yet, the dim light made it easy to mistake the large man suddenly appearing at the doorstep for a potential bad guy.
The old man, trembling slightly, asked cautiously, “Young man, have you come to the wrong door?”
Wei Dong shook his head, trying to relax his expression to appear less intimidating.
He took out the envelope from his pocket, glanced at the writing on it, and asked, “Sir, is your surname Wu?”
The elderly man standing in the doorway nodded his head.
“I’ve come all the way from Houshan Village in Yongning Town, Xiquan County, Jing’an Prefecture, Longzhou, specifically to find Doctor Wu. This is a personal letter from an elder in my family,” Wei Dong explained, handing over the letter.
“Ah, no, that’s not me. The person you’re looking for should be my master,” the old man said after taking the letter. He looked Wei Dong over and asked, “Are you a relative of Lord Wen?”
Wei Dong nodded. “Yes.”
The old man visibly relaxed. His master often corresponded with a few close friends, and he assumed this was another delivery of a letter from an acquaintance.
“Young man, come on in. My master is in the backyard tending to some freshly harvested ginseng. I’m sure he’ll be delighted to see you.”
Wei Dong turned to glance at the mule cart parked outside the door and gave a slight nod. “Please wait a moment, sir. I need to settle my family first.”
The old man was taken aback. “Family? You’re not just here to deliver a letter?”
“No, I’m here to seek medical treatment,” Wei Dong admitted truthfully.
Hearing this, the old man quickly said, “Then come in, all of you. Don’t wait outside.”
But Wei Dong shook his head and replied, “That’s not necessary. Let me meet with Doctor Wu first, and then I’ll invite them inside.”
He had his reasons for this. After all, showing up unannounced to request medical assistance was already somewhat presumptuous. If his group entered the courtyard immediately, it might unsettle the people inside, making them feel unsafe.
That said, Wei Dong himself standing there probably didn’t help anyone feel at ease either, but there was nothing he could do about that.
Wei Dong sighed. Communicating with people had always been much easier when his husband was around. If his husband were here, he wouldn’t even need to say a word. Everything would be handled effortlessly.
Thinking about his children again, Wei Dong realized that his plans to travel the mountains and rivers with his husband were probably still far off.
While his mind wandered through these random thoughts, his steps closely followed the old man. Despite his advanced age, the elder moved briskly and steadily, his gait light and sure-footed.
Wei Dong narrowed his eyes slightly, concluding that the old man likely knew martial arts—and perhaps was even quite skilled.
That made sense. Someone who could casually invite a stranger inside like this must have some solid confidence in their abilities.
Sure enough, as they entered the courtyard and walked a short distance, Wei Dong noticed several elderly figures. Like the man leading him, these individuals were all advanced in age, and their eyes were filled with caution and suspicion.
However, none of them spoke. The man guiding Wei Dong raised his hand and gestured to the others, signaling something.
Wei Dong could immediately sense that their gazes softened slightly, becoming less cold and wary than before.
Raising an eyebrow, Wei Dong thought to himself that these elders were impressively vigilant.
The courtyard was expansive, and it took nearly fifteen minutes for the old man to lead him through it.
The backyard revealed a large medicinal herb garden. Many of the plants had already sprouted, and despite the dim lighting, Wei Dong’s sharp eyesight allowed him to recognize several of them.
Having used various medicinal herbs frequently at home, Wei Dong had gradually become more familiar with identifying them.
Seeing an old man in a short jacket squatting down and carefully loosening the soil with a small spade, Wei Dong quickly deduced that this vast herb garden was likely tended to personally by the elder.
“Master, a young relative of Lord Wen has arrived,” the guide called out.
Wei Dong remained standing where he was, watching as the elderly guide quickly walked over and bent down to speak to the man working in the herb garden.
Doctor Wu turned his head upon hearing the guide’s words, his gaze initially sweeping across Wei Dong’s waist and midsection before tilting his head back to look further up.
When he finally took in the full sight of Wei Dong, the elderly doctor nearly lost his balance and stumbled backward.
Thankfully, the guide standing beside him reached out just in time to steady him.
Doctor Wu dusted off his hands, propped himself up by his knees, and stood upright.
“You’re Old Wen’s nephew?” He eyed Wei Dong up and down with disbelief. “That old fellow has a nephew this... big? You don’t look related at all.”
The guide handed over the letter, and Doctor Wu took it, tearing the envelope open and pulling out the folded paper inside. He shook it out and squinted to read the contents.
But the dim lighting proved too much for his aging eyes, and after a long moment of struggling, he sighed. “I’m getting old, I’m no good anymore.”
He waved his hand, motioning for Wei Dong to follow. “Come inside; we’ll talk there.”
Wei Dong followed the two men into a nearby small hut, which seemed to be a place where Doctor Wu would rest after working in the herb garden.
The room was modest in size but filled with various items. Shelves lined the walls, neatly arranged with jars and bottles of different sizes, each labeled with names.
Wei Dong only gave the shelves a quick glance before withdrawing his gaze, refraining from further scrutiny.
The old servant lit two lamps in the room, instantly dispelling the dimness and filling the space with light.
Doctor Wu sat down, unfolded the letter, and began to read. After a moment, he chuckled lightly and looked at Wei Dong. “You’re the head of the household he’s been staying with?”
Wei Dong nodded. “Elder Wen has been living in my home, and we’ll care for him in his old age until his final days.” He said nothing more than that.
Doctor Wu gave a slight nod of approval before asking, “Where is your relative?”
“In the mule cart at the entrance,” Wei Dong replied.
“Bring them in, and let me see what’s wrong,” Doctor Wu instructed, giving a nod to the old servant.
Wei Dong was about to stand and call for his family himself, but the old servant stopped him with a single glance.
Sitting back down, Wei Dong could sense that Doctor Wu still had more questions for him.
Sure enough, after taking two sips of tea, Doctor Wu suddenly asked, “In his letters over the years, he’s always said your home is wonderful. Is it really that good?”
Wei Dong hadn’t expected this question. He thought the doctor would be more concerned about his old friend’s health.
Nevertheless, he nodded and replied, “In some ways, it may not compare to here, but when it comes to meals, everything suits Elder Wen’s taste. My husband’s cooking is exceptional.”
Doctor Wu nodded thoughtfully, letting out a soft “Oh.”
However, inwardly, he couldn’t help but think: At his age, no matter how good the food is, how much can he really eat?
At the Wei family estate, Tang Xu stood with his hands on his hips, his beautiful eyes blazing as he stared at Elder Wen, who was holding a small plate in one hand and a flaky egg yolk pastry in the other, about to take another bite.
Unable to hold back, he reminded him, “You’ve already eaten five of those!”
Old Wen swallowed the bite in his mouth, sipped some floral tea to rinse it down, and then said calmly, “This egg yolk pastry is excellent. I like it.”
Tang Xu let out a cold laugh. “It’s not just ‘liking’—you’ve already had lunch, and yet you’ve eaten five more of these. Old man, I’ve told you before, you can’t eat like this. What if you feel unwell later?”
Old Sun, sitting nearby, chuckled as well. Setting his own plate down and wiping his mouth, he added with a teasing tone, “You heard him. Next time, if you don’t behave, you won’t get any.”
Old Fu, standing off to the side, gave a light cough to stifle the laughter that almost slipped out.
Tang Xu let out a slow, steady breath.
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