TTLJDFL Chapter 59

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After parting ways with Chen Xiran, Li Jin headed toward Xinglintang. Having eaten meat pies at mid-morning, he wasn’t feeling hungry yet.

“Should we… catch up to him?”

“Of course! Hurry, we can’t keep delaying this apology.”

Li Jin was unaware that behind him, three to five students carrying books and writing materials were discussing their plan to apologize.

“We should have done this during Mid-Autumn Festival, but you all insisted that Li Jin had forgotten about it, so we let it slide.”

“It’s my fault. After apologizing today, I’ll treat everyone to a meal at Baishi Restaurant.”

Though they were all students, it was clear they came from well-off families, as they could afford books and high-quality paper.

Meanwhile, Li Jin still copied his own books by hand and wrote on bamboo paper. A stack of high-quality xuan paper cost a tael of silver—an expense he couldn't yet afford.

As Li Jin reached the alley where Xinglintang was located, he noticed that it wasn’t a main street and saw few people besides those seeking medical treatment.

Suddenly, voices called out from behind.

“Li Jin! Brother Li, wait for us.”

Li Jin stopped and saw a group of familiar faces—Mr. Song’s students and his former classmates.

“Brother Li, we came here specifically to apologize for what happened last year at Piaoxiang Courtyard.”

Li Jin had no memory of that event. In truth, he had no desire to recall anything related to courtesans.

He had cut ties with that past, clean and absolute.

“Last year, we were ignorant. We knew you liked beautiful women and were fond of the courtesan, so we got you drunk and had you loudly declare that you would divorce your spouse and marry her.

Because of this, your reputation suffered. We’ve felt guilty ever since…

Today, we’ve come to formally apologize.”

Li Jin stood still, silent. This apology had come far too late.

However, this situation also reflected the original Li Jin’s character. Had he conducted himself with dignity, people might have dismissed the incident as a youthful joke.

But the original Li Jin had been reckless, making it easy for others to believe the rumors.

Since taking over this life, Li Jin had redefined himself through his actions and hard work. The gossip had faded, and no one brought up the incident anymore.

His future in the imperial examination remained unaffected.

Even if someone mentioned it now, others would step in to dismiss it, saying that he had been a brash youth but had long since reformed.

After all, he had never actually gone through with a divorce, and anyone who inquired would find that he treated his spouse with great care.

Seeing Li Jin remain silent, the group grew uneasy.

“Brother Li, we were wrong. We’re even willing to go to Piaoxiang Courtyard to clarify everything.”

Li Jin stopped them. “That won’t be necessary. This matter is long past, and bringing it up again serves no purpose.

I accept your apology, but we will go our separate ways from here.”

He did not say he forgave them. After all, the ones truly harmed were the original Li Jin and Qin Muwen.

But Li Jin figured that the original owner was long gone, and Qin Muwen likely wished to never hear of Piaoxiang Courtyard again. It was best to leave the past in the past.

Watching Li Jin’s departing figure, one of them asked, “Did he forgive us?”

“Apologizing this late… We should be grateful he isn’t holding it against us. Let’s not expect forgiveness.”

"Hey, how come I never noticed before that Li Jin looks so intimidating when he puts on a stern face? It's even scarier than when Mr. Song holds the discipline ruler."

Li Jin went to Xinglintang. The regular patients there recognized him and greeted him warmly.

"Doctor Li is here! Will you be seeing patients today?"

Zhou Gui quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Doctor Li is just here to take a break. Don't get your hopes up."

Zhou Gui took Li Jin’s basket and placed it in the inner hall. Doctor Wu was still diagnosing a patient, so he let Zhou Gui speak to Li Jin first.

"Doctor Li, this morning we sold eight digestive pills in total. Three people came to buy them—two of them each bought two, earning us eight wen, while the other bought four, earning us seven wen. Altogether, we made fifteen wen in profit.

"Although Doctor Wu and I kept promoting the effectiveness of the pills, many people still feel that decoctions are more reliable than pills. Most just inquired and didn’t actually buy."

Li Jin said, "No rush. It takes time to build trust."

Seeing how calm Li Jin was, Zhou Gui scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly. "After hearing about its benefits from you, I just wish everyone would take some home. Maybe I'm being too impatient."

Li Jin said, "I'll bring another thirty pills tomorrow. Once we start selling out quickly, then we can say the business is truly established."

"Understood, I'll follow your lead."

Since there were still leftover medicinal ingredients from the previous day, Li Jin didn't buy any more. After checking on the sales situation, he went home.

In the afternoon, when he arrived home, the young man was unusually not busy in the kitchen or the yard.

Li Jin set down his basket and went to the bedroom, where he found the young man sitting on the bed, making a lined jacket for him.

He hadn't started sewing yet—just comparing the fabric and cotton to measure the amount needed.

The outer layer was made of store-bought cotton cloth, while the inner lining was rougher fabric. There was just enough material left to make a small padded coat for the little one, using cotton cloth for both the inner and outer layers.

Children have delicate skin, and since the child was a "ge’er" (a delicate male with the ability to bear children), he needed to be raised with extra care.

Li Jin washed his hands, changed into a clean outer robe, and sat by the bed. The young man gave him a gentle smile before continuing his work.

Li Jin’s hands, still cool from washing, slipped into the bedding and found the hem of the young man’s clothes, moving upward.

Qin Muwen paused, his eyelashes fluttering rapidly, like the delicate wings of a butterfly—fragile yet breathtakingly beautiful.

He murmured softly, "Ah Jin, I still have to cook later."

But he didn’t stop Li Jin’s movements.

Li Jin’s hands reached his waist and began massaging it, pressing with just the right amount of pressure.

He had noticed in the morning that the young man had unconsciously rubbed his waist, and now he simply wanted to relieve his soreness.

After all, if Qin Muwen's legs weren’t aching and his waist wasn’t sore today, he probably wouldn’t have chosen to sit on the bed instead of working.

At first, Qin Muwen tensed up at the unexpected touch. But when he realized that it was genuinely comforting, and that Li Jin wasn’t doing anything improper, he relaxed.

His ears turned red—he had thought...

Fortunately, Li Jin didn’t seem to notice his earlier misunderstanding. Otherwise, he really would have wanted to crawl into a hole in embarrassment.

Seeing that Qin Muwen had relaxed so much that he had stopped working, Li Jin simply let him lie down. "Anywhere else that hurts?"

Qin Muwen pointed to the other side of his waist.

Li Jin massaged him for about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea. By then, the young man was so comfortable he was nearly dozing off.

To Li Jin, Qin Muwen looked like a well-behaved Samoyed—soft, fair-skinned, and irresistibly endearing.

But he had no intention of teasing him now. Instead, he pulled the blanket up for him and said, "If you're tired, take a nap. I'm going to practice my calligraphy."

Qin Muwen was indeed very sleepy. He mumbled, "I still need to finish the jacket," but before he knew it, he had already fallen asleep, making Li Jin chuckle.

He knew that the young man had woken up early that morning, so it was no surprise that he was exhausted now.

Li Jin practiced his calligraphy and then worked on his painting skills for a while.

By the time the sun began to set, the sounds of men returning home from the fields—whistling and chatting—could be heard outside.

Li Jin went to Li Dazhuang’s house to borrow a mortar and pestle, which would make grinding hawthorn and medicinal ingredients much easier.

The stone jar at home was heavy but too small, requiring him to grind everything little by little. With the borrowed tool, the task would be much simpler.

Li Dazhuang said, "This morning, when Zhuzi and I went to town to sell firewood, we heard the tea house scholar reciting your poem!"

Li Jin smiled. "It was just an impromptu composition."

"I'm just a simple man—I don't understand poetry. But I know that if so many people are talking about it, it must be good!

"We don’t need the mortar and pestle for now, so you can use it as long as you need. Just return it when you're done."

"Thank you, Brother Dazhuang."

That night, Li Jin didn’t tease Qin Muwen again. His husband had just as many responsibilities as he did, and Li Jin couldn’t bear to let him suffer through household chores with sore muscles.

The next morning, as he was heading out, he said, "I’ll be back a little late today. If you get hungry, eat without me, alright?"

Qin Muwen nodded. "You shouldn't overwork yourself either, Ah Jin."

Li Jin raised an eyebrow. "Are you worried about me?"

"Mm!"

Li Jin pulled him into a warm embrace and kissed him deeply. Then he chuckled. "I’m off."

Qin Muwen stood in place, dazed, thinking—was the farewell kiss moving from the forehead to the lips now...?

Today was the last day that the scholar at the tea house would be reciting local scholars' Chongyang Festival poems. Which ones the townspeople would remember was out of the storyteller’s hands.

But it was clear that among all the Chongyang poems this year, the one that stood out the most was Li Jin’s pastoral poem.

It captured the daily lives of most farmers and, rather than forcing a grand conclusion, left room for deeper reflection. The more people read it, the more they appreciated its meaning.

After class, Li Jin went to the tea house, ordered a pot of tea, and waited for Huang Yiling to arrive.

The waiter recognized him as Doctor Li from Xinglintang and refused to accept payment no matter what. Instead, he enthusiastically led him to a window seat.

"If our shopkeeper knew that I dared to charge you for tea, he would definitely deduct my wages."

It was an unspoken rule that the teahouse did not charge doctors from Xinglintang. Although Li Jin was no longer practicing at Xinglintang, he had previously prescribed throat-soothing medicine for the storyteller, and there was still some goodwill left.

Li Jin said, "Thank you."

When Huang Yiling arrived, he carried xuan paper and ink, as well as a package that looked quite familiar to Li Jin.

Seeing Li Jin glance at the package a few times, Huang Yiling, wanting to deepen their friendship, took the initiative to explain, "This is a new digestive pill from Xinglin Hall.

Yesterday, Mr. Huang had a poor appetite, and Dr. Wu recommended this medicine. I bought a few pills.

It worked really well, so I hurried back today to buy more."

Author's Note:

Li Jin: ??? Hiding one's achievements and fame.

T/N: Thank you for the support, it's a big help really🌸🌸🌸