“He is my enemy, you still want to save him?”
Huaishu Alley is adjacent to Canyi Street, where most residents work in dyeing and weaving. They often leave their doors open to welcome customers during the day and close them at night for peace. Many workshops supply specific cloth merchants regularly.
Thus, upon entering Huaishu Alley, one can see new cloth swaying in the breeze over low walls, smell the faint bitter scent of boiling dyes, and hear the rhythmic sounds of weaving. The women washing clothes in the yards laughed softly as they walked by.
A woman who knew Ah Chun called out from a distance, “Silly Ah Chun, is your brother feeling better?”
Ah Chun nodded vigorously, pulling Yu Jinnian’s sleeve to show them, saying, “He’ll get better, he’ll get better! He can cure my brother.”
The women giggled, not really caring about Ah Chun’s brother’s illness, just amused by Ah Chun’s naivety. A bold and lively woman holding a brightly colored new cloth ran out to block Ji Hong, laughing, “Young master, come and choose! This double palace silk is beautiful!”
The other women crowded around, “Why buy from her? I have better ones!”
Common silkworm cocoons are spun by a single silkworm, but double palace cocoons are spun by two, producing double palace silk, which requires high skill due to its tangled, thick threads and many knots. Its unique texture and higher price make it popular among noble ladies.
The women blocked their way completely. Ji Hong looked at the shiny red silk in one woman’s hand, actually reaching out to touch and feel it, as if considering buying it.
The woman selling cloth urged, “Buy it! Make a dress for your lady at home!”
Ji Hong glanced up, comparing. The boy’s fair skin and small stature would indeed suit red. But now wasn’t the time to choose cloth. He took the boy’s hand and walked forward, saying, “Sorry, I don’t have a lady at home.”
Yu Jinnian added, “Neither do I, thank you, thank you, but I really don’t want any…”
The women dispersed reluctantly. As they walked far, the women watched them holding hands, finally realizing, shouting persistently, “It’s okay not to have a lady! Buy a set for this young master, it will look good!”
Ji Hong glanced at Yu Jinnian, saying, “They have good taste.”
Yu Jinnian didn’t understand, asking, “What did you say?”
Ji Hong casually replied, “Nothing.”
Yu Jinnian looked at him puzzled, then gave up and asked Ah Chun, who was following them closely, “What’s wrong with your brother?”
Ah Chun looked up at the sky. His mind was unclear, barely understanding his own situation, let alone others’. After struggling for a while, he finally said, “My brother feels very hot. He said his head hurt a lot a few days ago. I tried to massage it, but it didn’t help…”
“Brother hid the money. I didn’t have much left, hired a doctor, and spent it all. But brother didn’t get better, started vomiting everywhere, and wet the bed last night. I had to wash the quilt for a long time…”
The boy pouted, clearly unhappy about washing the quilt.
Meanwhile, Yu Jinnian listened intently, his expression becoming serious. He stopped in his tracks, deep in thought.
Ji Hong also slowed down, asking, “What did you think of?”
“Something’s wrong!” Yu Jinnian’s face changed, and he started running, realizing he didn’t know the way. He returned, grabbing Ah Chun and urging, “Hurry, your brother is in trouble!” Ji Hong also tried to run but was stopped by Yu Jinnian, “You walk properly, I don’t want to save two patients!”
Ji Hong: “…”
Ah Chun, scared by the news about his brother, held back tears and ran ahead, leading Yu Jinnian.
Huaishu Alley wound deep, leading into a small side alley. The second door on the right was Ah Chun’s home. Yu Jinnian, disregarding any formality, pushed the door open and rushed inside. To his surprise, the seemingly modest house from the outside opened up into a spacious courtyard. A narrow stone path led from the main gate to the central house, flanked by flower beds filled with various flowers, including marigolds and cyclamen that Yu Jinnian could recognize.
The courtyard was predominantly filled with chrysanthemums of various sizes and colors, creating a spectacular display of delicate petals and subtle fragrances.
Yu Jinnian admired the garden for a brief moment before hurrying towards the house.
As he pushed open the door to the sickroom, he was immediately hit by a nauseating stench, the smell of unwashed bedding left to fester for days. Instinctively holding his breath, Yu Jinnian entered, while Ah Chun, seemingly unaffected, ran straight to the bed and shook the figure lying there, calling out, “Brother, brother! I’ve brought a doctor! Wake up and let him see you.”
Yu Jinnian quickly followed to examine the patient.
His attention was first drawn to a long sword hanging on one side of the bedpost. Before he could take a closer look, the man on the bed suddenly jerked and vomited all over the floor.
Ah Chun hurried to wipe his brother’s face with a cloth, but before he could finish, there was the sound of liquid dripping from the bed’s edge. Ah Chun traced the source to find that his brother had wet himself. Undeterred by the mess, the young boy moved to clean up when his brother’s neck stiffened, and his right side started convulsing.
Yu Jinnian’s alarm bells rang, and he quickly pressed down on the man’s arm, feeling the scorching heat. He immediately checked the man’s temperature—sure enough, it was a high fever. He then tried to examine his eyes but found the room too dark to see anything. Looking around, he called out, “Ah Chun, bring a light!”
After several calls with no response, Yu Jinnian turned to see Ah Chun sitting paralyzed on the floor, terrified by his brother’s sudden seizure. Yu Jinnian nudged him with his foot and raised his voice, “Ah Chun, get a light!”
Ah Chun snapped out of his daze, scrambled to the table, lit a candle, and handed it to Yu Jinnian, crying, “Will my brother be okay? Is he going to die?”
The candle’s light was weak, and Ah Chun’s panic made it even harder to maintain focus. Yu Jinnian moved the candle closer to see better, sternly ordering, “Stop crying and be quiet.”
Ah Chun covered his mouth, tears streaming down his face, his delicate features scrunched up in distress. He whimpered, “I’ll be quiet. Just please heal my brother…”
“Can you see me?” Yu Jinnian asked the man, tapping his shoulder. “Look here.”
The man’s convulsions gradually ceased. He stared blankly ahead before slowly moving his eyes to Yu Jinnian, trying to speak but unable to.
At least he had some reaction despite the high fever, which gave Yu Jinnian a bit of relief. He grabbed a pen from the table, lifted the man’s blanket, and scraped the sole of his foot with the pen’s back. The man’s right toes spread apart, indicating a positive reflex. However, his left side was weak, unable to lift even slightly.
After feeling his pulse and checking his tongue, Yu Jinnian’s expression darkened. His suspicions were confirmed—the man likely had viral encephalitis.
“How many days has he not eaten? And how many days since he last relieved himself?” Yu Jinnian asked.
Ah Chun stifled his sobs, recalling, “He could sit up and drink soup a few days ago. Yesterday, or maybe the day before, he started vomiting everything. He hasn’t had a bowel movement for several days…”
Yu Jinnian asked, “What is your brother’s name?”
Before Ah Chun could answer, the courtyard gate creaked open. Yu Jinnian glanced out the window and saw Ji Hong entering. Ji Hong paused to inspect the flower beds, frowned, and then quickly approached the house.
Seeing Ji Hong, Yu Jinnian felt a bit of relief and called for his help.
The patient had a red tongue with a yellow, greasy coating and a rapid, slightly slippery pulse, indicating phlegm-damp obstruction above and heat accumulation below. It seemed there were signs of wind-stirring fire, requiring an urgent method to clear the intestines and reduce the heat, pulling the fire and phlegm downwards.
Ji Hong quickly stepped into the bedroom, the gentle aura he previously carried replaced by a chillingly stern presence. He stood by the bed, looking down at the foul-smelling, sick man, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
“Ji…” Yu Jinnian started to speak.
With a sharp clang, Ji Hong drew the sword hanging by the bed. Ah Chun instinctively felt fear but still moved to protect his brother, only to be shoved aside, falling to the ground. He then saw Ji Hong pointing the sword at his brother, shouting, “Jing Zhong!”
The man, already delirious from illness, faintly awakened at the sound of the voice beside his bed. Instead of showing fear, his eyes welled up with tears. He struggled to sit up, his hands reaching out into the air as he cried out hoarsely, “Second Young Master, Second Young Master…”
Hearing himself addressed as “Second Young Master,” Ji Hong’s hand holding the sword trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth and said, “Cowardly, disloyal scoundrel, how do you even have the face to live in this world?”
With that, he swung the sword down.
Yu Jinnian had never seen Ji Hong so furious. He had always thought of Ji Hong as cold and indifferent, his joy expressed with a mere slight tug of the lips, and his anger with a gentle furrowing of the brow—a demeanor as serene and colorless as a white orchid on a high mountain. This current version of Ji Hong was beyond Yu Jinnian’s comprehension, leaving him momentarily frozen, unable to react.
When he finally came to his senses, Ah Chun had already gotten up from the ground and lunged forward, pushing Ji Hong’s sword away and shielding Jing Zhong with his own body. He wrapped his arms around Jing Zhong’s neck and cried, “You can’t hurt my brother! My brother is Ah Chun’s treasure!”
The boy’s simple mind was like a single, unwavering thread. At this moment, he hated Ji Hong for pointing a sword at Jing Zhong, and equally hated Yu Jinnian for coming with Ji Hong. “You go away! Brother doesn’t want your treatment…” However, he was also very scared. His palm had been cut by the blade, and though he felt the pain, he didn’t know what to do, whom to turn to, or even dare to look back at the sword still pointing at them. He could only kneel by the bed, clinging to his brother.
Jing Zhong’s eyes would occasionally focus, calling out incoherently for “Ah Chun” or “Second Young Master.”
Because of Ah Chun’s sudden intervention, Ji Hong’s sword strike missed. Ah Chun’s desperate push caused the sword to shake in Ji Hong’s grip, nearly losing its aim and almost slicing Yu Jinnian’s ear.
The chilling sword brought Yu Jinnian back to reality. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Ji Hong on the other end of the sword and said, “…Are you going to cut me too?”
“Jinnian? I—” Ji Hong was taken aback, terrified, and quickly moved the sword away, stepping forward to check if Yu Jinnian was hurt. But before he could touch the boy, Yu Jinnian stepped back to avoid him.
The room was so quiet that only Ah Chun’s soft sobbing could be heard.
They had come to treat and save a life, but the situation had turned awkward.
Yu Jinnian turned back to check on Jing Zhong’s condition, then coaxed Ah Chun to the side before picking up paper and pen from the table. Shaking them in front of a sullen Ji Hong, he said, “Whatever past grievances you have, settle them after he’s recovered. What’s the point of bullying a dying man? Once I see a patient, they are mine. How can you try to kill my patient in front of me?”
Ji Hong held his sword tightly, his grip so firm that his knuckles turned white. When he looked at Yu Jinnian, his eyes showed an indifference he had never displayed before. He said in a deep voice, “If I tell you he is my enemy, will you still save him?”
To leave someone to die was something Yu Jinnian couldn’t do. He lowered his eyes and sighed, “I… must save him.”
“Very well, Yu Jinnian.” Ji Hong spoke each word coldly and precisely. He tossed aside the sword, grabbed the pen from Yu Jinnian’s hand, and spread the paper on the small square tea table.
Somehow, the way Ji Hong called him by his full name today brought an inexplicable sense of fear and unfamiliarity to Yu Jinnian, as if the name wasn’t his own. Unable to meet Ji Hong’s eyes, he stared at the ground and recited the prescription—a modified version of Minor Chengqi Decoction: “Two qian of raw rhubarb, one qian and two fen each of Magnolia officinalis, bitter orange, and ginger…”
Ji Hong lightly waved his sleeve, lifted the pen, and wrote with swift, elegant strokes, like flowing clouds and running water.
He threw down the pen and left.
“Ji Hong…” Yu Jinnian called out weakly, but there was no response. Ji Hong only stopped when he reached the corner of the flower bed. Yu Jinnian watched his retreating figure for a moment before looking down at the prescription. Ji Hong’s handwriting was the most free-spirited Yu Jinnian had ever seen, utterly unlike his usual meticulous and restrained style.
Yu Jinnian folded the prescription, along with some silver, and handed it to Ah Chun. “Do you know how to get the medicine? Follow this prescription, quickly. Don’t delay even for a moment.”
Ah Chun hesitated, “But brother said we shouldn’t spend other people’s money casually…”
“When your brother gets better, he can pay me back.” Yu Jinnian gave Ah Chun a gentle push. “Go quickly!”
Ah Chun nodded vigorously and ran off to get the medicine.
When Yu Jinnian looked back at the courtyard, Ji Hong was gone. Alarmed, he quickly stepped outside, scanning around but hesitating to chase after Ji Hong, not wanting to leave the convulsing Jing Zhong alone. In his many years of practicing medicine, both in his past and present lives, he had never faced such a dilemma.
Chasing after Ji Hong would be irresponsible to the patient, but not chasing him made Yu Jinnian feel even more stifled and distressed.
He hesitated at the doorway, feeling as though a heavy stone was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
In his moment of indecision, he glanced up and noticed that the previously tightly closed door of the west wing was now slightly ajar, with a faint, flickering light seeping through, as if from a candle. Yu Jinnian thought to himself that it seemed odd for such a spacious house to be occupied by only Jing Zhong and Ah Chun, and wondered what the remaining empty rooms were used for.
Before he knew it, he found himself standing at the door of the wing.
A gust of cold wind blew in, widening the gap in the door. Yu Jinnian stood outside, peering through the gap into the room. Inside, he saw an altar room filled with candle stands. In the center was a table with some snacks and seasonal fruits.
The altar held a single, lonely spirit tablet, making the large room seem even more desolate.
In front of the tablet stood a tall, slender figure, back facing Yu Jinnian. The person’s hands hung by their sides, staring fixedly at the tablet, appearing lonelier and colder than ever, as if the cold wind could pass right through them.
Yu Jinnian stood at the door, dumbfounded, for a long time, his shadow stretched long into the room, making it obvious he was there.
Ji Hong knew Yu Jinnian was standing there but didn’t turn around. He let Yu Jinnian stand in the cold wind until he heard the boy sneeze and sniffle. Only then did Ji Hong turn his head slightly, glancing at him indifferently.
That glance made Ji Hong waver. He knew Yu Jinnian was soft-hearted, focused on treating and saving patients without any distractions. Yet, he had tried to force the boy to choose between him and the patient. Although Yu Jinnian had won, the boy’s face showed such sadness and loss, as if it wasn’t Ji Hong who was abandoned, but Yu Jinnian himself.
What was the point? It was a lose-lose situation, and no one gained anything. Moreover, how could Yu Jinnian be blamed for something that happened over ten years ago?
“I didn’t mean to spy on you…” Yu Jinnian clasped his hands uneasily, seeing no response, he turned to leave, saying, “I know you’re upset, so I’ll leave. Don’t be angry.” He shifted his feet, adding, “It’s very cold here, don’t stand too long—”
“Come back,” Ji Hong interrupted him.
“Huh?” Yu Jinnian was startled, then walked back cautiously, “What is it?”
Ji Hong paused, finally stepping aside to reveal the full view of the altar. Half of his face was hidden in the dim light, making his expression unreadable. He extended his hand towards Yu Jinnian, “You’ve always wanted to know about me, right?”
Looking at the pale, slender hand, Yu Jinnian hesitated, feeling timid, “Actually, I didn’t really want to know that much…”
Ji Hong said, “Then come in and find out.”
“…Oh, alright.” Yu Jinnian stepped forward, crossing the threshold. Though he didn’t know who the spirit tablet was for, he felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness and fear. He kept his head down, not noticing the uneven brick on the floor, and almost tripped, but Ji Hong quickly steadied him, preventing him from falling.
His knees barely regained balance when Ji Hong’s gentle voice came from beside him.
“No need for such a big bow. Look up, this is likely my second brother.”
Author’s note:
Young Master Ji: I didn’t get to kiss Niannian today, not happy.
Thanks for the translation!!