Seeing that Doctor Chen still harbored kindness in his heart had prompted her to stage this scene, though Lin Yue had not held much hope to begin with.
That the green lingzhi could sell for six taels of silver was truly beyond her expectations. Regardless of whether Doctor Chen had swindled her, it was no small sum. Even if things did not pan out, it was enough for her to purchase some gear and flee.
Pondering it over and over, Lin Yue felt that the matter with Doctor Chen still held some chance. Even Liu Bei had to make three visits to the thatched cottage to recruit his strategist; if she wanted to take him as her master, she had to show her sincerity one way or another.
Should she bring out the blood lingzhi?
Judging by the thickness of the blood lingzhi's cap, the stoutness of its stalk, and its size, its age had to be quite old, and it could surely fetch an even higher price than the green lingzhi.
On top of that, rarity gave things value. For the sake of money, Doctor Chen would probably reconsider...
Lin Yue indulged in wishful thinking.
The sun had already set by the time Lin Yue returned to the Lin family home, where she was thoroughly scolded once more. Fortunately, she pulled out ten copper coins in front of everyone and placed them before her grandfather, stopping everyone's mouths.
At the dinner table, the adults talked about money and the children's marriages—money was needed everywhere.
Lin Yue only drank wild vegetable soup, keeping silent without a word.
A few days later.
Doctor Chen, who was bringing out herbs to dry in the sun at the medicine shop, instinctively furrowed his brows when he caught sight of a certain figure.
“Doctor Chen, I'm here to sell herbs.”
With business at his door, Old Doctor Chen could hardly turn her away. Peering into the basket, he blinked his turbid, aging eyes and strained to look closer, his heart jolting in shock.
The old physician's trembling hand reached toward the blood lingzhi, but just as he was about to touch it, the blood lingzhi suddenly pulled back, vanishing from his sight.
Looking up, the girl in short-sleeved coarse hemp was hugging the basket, looking at him with a calm expression. Her dark eyes were exceptionally deep, revealing persistence yet carrying an adult's profound solemnity.
Old Doctor Chen had a premonition that something was about to happen.
“Let's talk in the back!”
The moment they reached the back courtyard, the old physician immediately beckoned. “Come, let this old man see.”
Doctor Chen gently took out the blood lingzhi, which was slightly larger than a palm. Examining the clear, flowing grain across the blood lingzhi and sniffing its unique aroma, he lightly pressed a finger against the underside of its cap. When he lifted his finger, the indentation seemed to seep fresh, sweet blood, making one's mouth water.
Doctor Chen's pupils contracted sharply, his beard trembling along with him as he exclaimed, “Could this be the legendary immortal blood lingzhi?!”
“Immortal blood lingzhi?” Lin Yue immediately thought of something, excitement surfacing on her face.
The old physician murmured to himself, “Legend has it that an immortal's blood dripped onto a lingzhi, dyeing it crimson as blood, hence the name immortal blood lingzhi. Only those with profound blessings can find it. It not only bolsters vitality and solidifies the foundation, enriches qi and nourishes blood, relaxes sinews and clears meridians, and dispels evils and wards off calamity, with long-term consumption lightening the body and staving off aging, but can also alleviate critical illnesses and recall the souls of the dead.”
Lin Yue's focus was on the first part. “Do immortals really exist?”
The old physician shattered her illusion, caution in his eyes. “A legend! This old man was speaking of a legend! An immortal blood lingzhi is the finest of all lingzhi. Although this stalk has only fifty years of growth, its medicinal efficacy rivals that of a century-old blood lingzhi!”
Doctor Chen placed the lingzhi back into the basket and stroked his white beard, complex emotions filling his eyes.
Lin Yue had been watching the shifts in his expression all along. The moment she caught the spark of human greed in him, she gained some confidence and immediately spoke up.
“Doctor Chen, I'll give this blood lingzhi to you if you let me stay as a medicine apprentice.”
Lin Yue did not know the market prices, but judging from what he had said, this blood lingzhi was worth at least dozens or even a hundred taels. Using it to seek shelter was more than enough.
Doctor Chen lowered his gaze to look at the basket held out before him, then raised his eyes to study the girl whose gaze was full of determination. Even though he had explained it so clearly, she still seemed unable to see the true value of this blood lingzhi. Was she clever, or was she foolish?
The old physician felt deeply torn inside. He was already sixty years old; his son possessed no talent for medicine and could only gather herbs, while his grandson had not studied thoroughly and was not yet able to stand on his own two feet.
If he could obtain a blood lingzhi and consume it, he might live a few years longer, allowing him to teach for a few more years so his medical skills would not lose their succession.
Yet this girl's situation was rather troublesome. If he helped her, others would say he ruined this marriage, tarnishing his reputation. Furthermore, he had some friendship with Scholar Wu; how could he disrupt the marriage of his son?
“This old man cannot accept such a thing. Take it away, take it away.”
“Doctor Chen, the blood lingzhi is so valuable. If you don't take it, I won't know who else to give it to. If I take it home and my family takes it to the county seat to sell, it could easily invite calamity, even implicating anyone connected to it.
“I think it's best left in Doctor Chen's safekeeping. That way, the blood lingzhi can be put to good use.”
Lin Yue's words carried a faint trace of a threat, but it was also the truth—if Doctor Chen did not want it, she had no idea how to handle this lingzhi.
The old physician was shocked once again. There was no cowardice or timidity in her eyes; instead, she laid out reasons that could not be refused in such a lucid, structured manner. First the green lingzhi, then the blood lingzhi—for someone so young to possess such mature intellect, she was nothing like a child raised in the impoverished backwaters.
“Very well,” the old physician sighed and waved his hand.
The girl before him remained silent, then suddenly dropped to her knees before him with a thud, giving the old physician a fright.
“Thank you, Doctor Chen, for saving my life.”
With a look of worry on his face, Doctor Chen said, “Get up. As for the matter of the blood lingzhi—”
“We cannot tell them.” Before Doctor Chen could finish, Lin Yue chimed in. “Since I've given the blood lingzhi to you, everything is entirely at your disposal.”
Doctor Chen nodded in approval, and the two immediately began discussing how to handle the matter.
Most of the time, only Doctor Chen and Chen Ping were at the medicine shop. Since Lin Yue was a woman, staying here and spending long periods around outside men would harm her reputation. Thus, they decided to establish an adoptive kinship between the two families. However, establishing adoptive kinship required a reason...
After working out the details, Lin Yue returned to Lin Family Village.
A few days later, Lin Yue went up the mountain and made another trip to the small town, returning only when the sun went down. Amidst the scolding, Lin Yue told her grandfather, the head of the household, that she was going to be a medicine apprentice at the medicine shop.
Grandfather wore a look of disbelief, and even the three men chatting nearby—her father and uncles—looked at her with reproachful eyes, as if looking at an idiot.
“How could Doctor Chen possibly let you become a medicine apprentice?”
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