TTLJDFL Chapter 50

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The newcomers were none other than Scholar Huang and Huang Yiling.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Huang Yiling had come to Xinglintang for medicine. After drinking the medicine prescribed by Li Jin, the usually frail Huang Yiling ended up being the only one among Scholar Huang’s students who hadn’t taken a sick leave.

This shocked Scholar Huang. Even his wife, before going to bed each night, would comment, “Yiling still hasn’t caught a cold today.”

Scholar Huang found this amusing and frequently reminded her, “You shouldn’t say things like that in front of Yiling.”

It wasn’t that they were jinxing him—it was simply a fact that he had a weak constitution.

In past years, Huang Yiling was either the first to catch a cold or among the first group of students to fall ill.

No matter what, he was always among the first to request sick leave.

This year, however, he surprised everyone. When his elder brother came to town to sell firewood, he specifically brought him a padded jacket sewn by their mother to keep him warm.

But when he arrived, he was stunned to see his youngest brother standing healthily at his desk, painting.

The towering, burly man was so shocked he couldn’t speak for a long time.

Later, he found out that it was all thanks to a young miracle doctor at Xinglintang.

However, because the clinic had been flooded with patients lately, Scholar Huang had been wary of catching anything and had waited until September, when the number of patients had decreased, to bring Huang Yiling to Xinglintang.

Scholar Huang had just turned forty and still looked quite strong.

He had no major health issues—just frequent throat pain from lecturing too much and some aches in his waist and legs.

Other doctors told him that the only remedy was rest, but he simply couldn’t sit still. So he thought that perhaps this young miracle doctor might have a better solution.

However, by sheer coincidence, at the start of September, Doctor Wu returned, and Li Jin, who had only been working temporarily, naturally didn’t stay.

Thus, he and Scholar Huang ended up missing each other.

Scholar Huang had only just learned that the young miracle doctor wasn’t a permanent physician at Xinglintang but had merely been there to help.

Feeling somewhat disappointed, he asked, “When will that young doctor return?”

Doctor Wu replied, “His ambitions lie elsewhere, and he’s been busy with family matters lately. He probably won’t be coming back.”

Zhou Gui had picked up some of Li Jin’s habits over the past two months, so he asked, “Is there something urgent you needed from Doctor Li?”

Scholar Huang waved his hand and said, “It’s nothing serious—just that I have a lot of minor ailments. I heard there was a miracle doctor at Xinglintang, so I came to see him.”

Naturally, Zhou Gui wouldn’t bother Li Jin over such a matter. Besides, he had no idea that the man before him was Scholar Huang, a figure who could stand on equal footing with Li Jin’s mentor, Master Song.

Zhou Gui sighed with regret, "Doctor Li has been busy for the past months; I'm afraid he won't have any free time."

Huang Xiucai didn’t insist. After all, he had arrived late and missed the opportunity—perhaps it was simply not meant to be.

So, he let Doctor Wu take his pulse, only to hear the same old advice about resting and taking care of himself.

===

Meanwhile, Li Jin used some of his silver to buy carrot and white radish seeds, spending eight pennies.

The cucumbers in his garden had ripened, crisp and full of moisture. Since they had produced so much fruit, more than his family could eat, he picked them all and delivered a basket each to Li Daniu and Li Zhuzi’s households.

Now that the plot of land was empty, it was the perfect time for planting radishes in September. He had no intention of letting the land sit idle and grow weeds.

When Li Jin returned home, the sky was still bright. The young man knew that he wouldn’t need to go to the clinic in September, so at noon, he sat in the courtyard with their baby, soaking in the sun.

However, his gaze frequently flickered toward the entrance.

The moment he saw Li Jin, his eyes lit up instantly.

Ever since that day, the two of them had been sleeping separately. Li Jin, who usually gave him a goodbye kiss, rarely touched him now, all in an effort to prevent spreading illness and possibly infecting their child.

Babies had weak immune systems, so extra caution was necessary.

At seventeen, Qin Muwen hadn’t thought much about intimacy before. Even after marrying Li Jin and carrying their child, he had only recently started experiencing nocturnal emissions.

Physically, "ge’er" were not too different from men. They developed Adam’s apples and went through similar changes during puberty. The main differences were that they matured later—typically a few years after men—were shorter, had less body hair, could bear children, and bore distinct cinnabar birthmarks on their faces.

This was why, at first, Li Jin had treated the young man like a younger brother.

Recently, since he could no longer sleep beside Li Jin, Qin Muwen had been experiencing certain physical reactions more frequently.

During the ten months of pregnancy, it had only happened twice, but now, in just fifteen days—it had happened three times.

He felt utterly embarrassed. Fortunately, Li Jin had been preoccupied with the clinic and hadn’t paid too much attention to him. Otherwise, he would have wanted to find a hole in the ground to hide in.

Qin Muwen thought that if Li Jin were beside him, he wouldn’t have those strange dreams.

But he completely ignored the fact that, when Li Jin was with him, those dreams became reality.

And afterward, he would be too exhausted to dream at all.

===

After returning home, Li Jin placed his backpack in the study as usual.

The moment he stepped in, he noticed that his straw mat and bedding were gone. The floor had been cleaned spotlessly.

When he called Qin Muwen inside, the young man seemed nervous and unsure of where to place his hands. Li Jin didn’t mention the missing bedding. Instead, he kissed the corner of Qin Muwen’s lips and said, “This is my monthly wage, all handed over to my little steward.”

With their recent purchases of cloth, cotton, and even building materials for the house, their savings had been running low. But with Li Jin’s six taels of silver from the clinic, Qin Muwen’s little stash hidden under the blankets was replenished again.

Watching the young man carefully stow away the silver, Li Jin felt a deep warmth in his heart.

That afternoon, they once again left the baby with Li Zhuzi’s family. Li Jin took Qin Muwen to plant radishes.

The baby, already familiar with the situation, wanted his father but could only watch as his parents stole some alone time.

Planting radishes was simple—just dig the right-sized holes, drop the seeds in, cover them with soil, and after a while, the seedlings would sprout. Eventually, they would be able to pull out large radishes.

Li Jin originally planned to fetch water after planting, but Qin Muwen looked up at the sky, shading his eyes with his hand.

He said, “Ah Jin, it’s going to rain soon. Today is a great time to plant radishes—there’s no need to tire yourself fetching water.”

Li Jin raised an eyebrow and copied his movement, looking up at the sky. All he saw were clear white clouds and a bright blue sky.

He couldn’t see any sign of rain.

Qin Muwen pointed to the horizon. “It’s a bit dark over there, to the east. Right now, the wind is blowing westward, so when the dark clouds move over, it will rain.”

Li Jin followed his direction but still couldn’t make out any dark clouds.

However, he chose to trust the young man and said, “Wenwen, since you say I don’t need to fetch water today, I’ll start practicing my calligraphy earlier. That way, I’ll have more free time tonight.”

Qin Muwen hesitated for a moment before asking, “Ah Jin, do you have something planned for tonight?”

Holding a hoe in one hand and a shovel in the other, even after laboring, Li Jin still stood straight with a dignified air. Sweat trickled down his chin. Though his features still carried some youthful softness, his demeanor had already become that of a mature man.

He turned to Qin Muwen and replied, “Yes.”

At moments like this, Qin Muwen always struggled to decide whether he should keep asking.

He wanted to know what Li Jin planned to do, but he also remembered his father’s teachings: "A ge’er should not question his husband’s actions." In an era where men and ge’er had vastly different social standings, ge’er had no right to interfere in their husbands' affairs.

Li Jin, sensing his hesitation, could easily understand what was going through his mind.

A skilled physician naturally needed high emotional intelligence.

Li Jin was aware of the societal restrictions placed on ge’er, which was why, for the past few months, he had been encouraging Qin Muwen to voice his thoughts.

He wanted to cultivate an equal relationship between them.

While he did have a possessive streak toward the gentle and harmless young man, he didn’t want Qin Muwen to feel restrained in their marriage.

He desired his obedience not because of societal pressure but because Qin Muwen genuinely trusted and loved him.

Li Jin shifted his grip on the farm tools, freeing one hand to hold Qin Muwen’s.

“My little steward, if I’ve finished my writing early, what else could I possibly do tonight besides cherishing you?”

Qin Muwen felt more happiness than shyness, his cheeks adorned with two dimples that made him especially endearing.

Today, Ah Jin had already called him "little steward" twice. The first time was to let him manage the household finances, and this time… it was to let him know about Ah Jin’s plans.

Qin Muwen truly enjoyed being this "little steward."

As it turned out, Qin Muwen’s weather prediction was correct—it was indeed about to rain.

Experienced farmers could keenly sense changes in the wind direction and humidity in the air. Many of them, relieved that they wouldn’t have to water their crops tonight, sat by the village entrance chatting idly.

They watched as Li Jin led his husband home. The once slightly dull and reserved young man now seemed lively and full of spirit. Whatever Li Jin had said to him, it must have made him happy—his smile hadn’t faded the entire time.

"Li Jin, you and your husband truly make a perfect match," one of the villagers remarked.

Ever since Li Jin’s reputation as a skilled doctor had risen, so had his title as a devoted husband. At first, the villagers had found it odd, believing that no matter what, Qin Muwen was still just a ge’er—not worthy of such affection. But seeing how Li Jin remained consistently good to him, they had grown used to it and even began to openly compliment the couple.

"This ge’er is called Awen, right? Such a quiet and well-behaved child, rarely comes out to play," an elderly woman said.

"Awen, when you have some free time, bring your little one over to my house for a visit. I have a ge’er at home too, three years younger than you, about time for him to start considering marriage. You’re one of the most respected ge’er in the village—maybe you can teach him a thing or two."

Qin Muwen nodded and replied, "Alright, Auntie, I understand."

Nearby, a few ge’er who had just finished washing clothes and were carrying their basins back glanced in their direction.

They saw how Li Jin carried all the farm tools, yet still had a free hand to hold Qin Muwen’s, while Qin Muwen walked empty-handed—like a pampered young master.

Their eyes filled with envy.

The pity they had once pretended to feel for him now seemed like something from a past life.

And Qin Muwen… was growing further and further away from them.

Qin Muwen sensed the gazes on him again. Just then, an elderly villager coughed, and Li Jin stepped forward to check his pulse.

Qin Muwen turned his head and met the eyes of those ge’er.

This time, he didn’t look away.

His heart was calm.

He had the best husband in the world—so he, too, had to grow stronger, as quickly as possible.

_______

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