Chapter Nine: I've Been Waiting for You for a Long Time

Chu Yun explained, “Second Uncle, I wasn’t a doctor before, it’s true. But I had a dream, and in the dream, an immortal taught me exquisite medical skills. Now, not only am I a doctor, but I am a skilled doctor. I really treated people, earned silver, and bought these delicious dishes. If you don’t believe me, you can go to the Ten-Mile Fragrance Inn and ask around, see if it’s true.”

Chen Ping was stunned at these words.

His first instinct was to think Chu Yun was lying.

But Chu Yun spoke with such conviction that it didn’t seem false.

He recovered and asked, “Are you telling the truth?”

Chu Yun smiled and took out the three taels of silver given by Jiang Lin and Luo Feng, showing them to Chen Ping. “Second Uncle, look, this is the silver the patients gave me for gathering herbs for them. If what I said wasn’t true, where would I get three taels of silver?”

Chen Ping was even more shocked upon seeing the silver in Chu Yun’s hand.

Three taels of silver was a considerable sum. As a constable at the town’s yamen, his annual salary was just a little over three taels, with occasional rewards for catching thieves or solving cases. Ordinary people had even less. As for someone like Chu Yun, a notorious ne’er-do-well, it was utterly impossible for him to have so much silver.

Chen Ping came to his senses, nodded, and looked at Chu Yun seriously. “You rascal, since you’ve had such fortune, to be taught medical skills by an immortal in your dreams, you must live upright from now on and cherish it. Don’t let the immortal down.”

Chu Yun replied with a smile, “Second Uncle, don’t worry. The immortal said that if I keep acting like I used to, he’ll take back my medical skills.”

Chen Ping laughed heartily at this. “Ha! In that case, I’m completely at ease.”

Then he turned to Yang Liu’er. “I heard Chu Yun was going to sell you to the Red Delight House. I truly wanted to take you away. But you spent a night here, and even if nothing happened, I fear no one would believe it, and it would be hard to find another good family. I genuinely regret marrying you to him, but seeing things turn out like this, I’m actually quite pleased. I hope you and Chu Yun live well together.”

Yang Liu’er nodded and said, “As long as Chu Yun doesn’t sell me to the Red Delight House, I’ll live with him, wash his clothes, cook for him, and bear him children.”

Chen Ping smiled slightly and looked at Chu Yun again. “Chu Yun, yesterday Liu’er married you, and you dreamed of an immortal, gaining medical skills. I believe Liu’er brought you luck, so you must cherish her. Don’t abandon her just because you’ve made something of yourself, understand?”

Chu Yun smiled and replied, “Understood, Second Uncle.”

He then gestured toward the dishes on the table. “Second Uncle, if you haven’t eaten, please join us. You’ve looked after me for so many years, treated me like your own son, and I’ve never properly honored you.”

Chen Ping gazed at the delicious dishes, unable to resist. “Very well, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

Chu Yun quickly fetched two sets of bowls and chopsticks for the table, and said to Yang Liu’er, “Liu’er, I’ve already eaten, sit down and eat.”

Yang Liu’er stared blankly at Chu Yun, not daring to move.

Chen Ping said, “Liu’er, don’t worry. With me here, this rascal won’t do anything to you.”

Hearing this, Yang Liu’er finally got up and sat at the table.

At first, she handled her chopsticks carefully, picking only a little meat at a time.

Once she realized the food really was delicious and Chu Yun had no intention of stopping her, she began to wolf it down.

Chu Yun, seeing this, smiled. “Liu’er, slow down, don’t choke. Rest assured, from now on we’ll have plenty of good food every day.”

He turned to Chen Ping, “Second Uncle, you’re welcome here anytime to eat with us.”

Chen Ping rolled his eyes. “You rascal, don’t just focus on eating and drinking well. Now that you’ve earned money, you should fix up this house. It leaks wind and rain—how can Liu’er live here?”

Chu Yun smiled. “Alright, Second Uncle, I understand.”

He truly felt the original owner’s house was too shabby and needed repair. Still, he only planned a simple renovation for now, intending to build properly once he invented cement.

After watching Chen Ping and Yang Liu’er eat for a while, Chu Yun stood and said, “Second Uncle, Liu’er, take your time eating. I’m off to gather herbs.”

Chen Ping replied coolly, “Go ahead.”

Yang Liu’er glanced at Chu Yun but said nothing.

Clearly, her opinion of Chu Yun hadn’t changed yet.

After Chu Yun left, Chen Ping remarked, “Liu’er, I feel Chu Yun is entirely different today. If I hadn’t seen him every day and knew his appearance hadn’t changed, I’d suspect he was a different person. I think he really intends to change, so you should live well with him from now on.”

Yang Liu’er nodded in silence.

Meanwhile, Chu Yun arrived at the largest pharmacy in Chu Family Town.

Seeing the shop owner, he was taken aback—it was none other than Boss Wu whom he’d met at the Ten-Mile Fragrance Inn.

No wonder his hands were covered with sores and he had toxins in his body; he must have spent years handling all sorts of medicinal ingredients, indulging in rich food and drink, neglecting his health.

Boss Wu’s lips curled in a sly smile upon seeing Chu Yun.

He had been waiting for Chu Yun.

He’d heard the story of Chu Yun, the ne’er-do-well, dreaming of an immortal who taught him medicine—a tale that filled him with envy and jealousy, and also some fear he might truly be ill.

But he consulted a medical officer from the Witch Doctor Sect, who assured him his body was perfectly healthy and warned him not to be deceived.

Compared with the tale of a ne’er-do-well, he trusted the medical officer’s word.

He figured Chu Yun had tricked Jiang Lin out of a tael of silver.

But since Jiang Lin was a baron, no matter how Chu Yun tried to fool him, he would still need to buy herbs.

As the owner of the largest pharmacy in Chu Family Town, Chu Yun would inevitably come to him for ingredients.

So Boss Wu had been waiting, determined to pocket the tael of silver Chu Yun had gotten from Jiang Lin.