Tao Hong and Liu Lu softly greeted and promptly bowed.
Divine Doctor Pu pointed at the little girl who was lying on the window frame chuckling, her limpid eyes were completely embellished with fragments of cheerfulness that seemed to make her vivacious and adorable, “This is the pitiable and delicate younger sister that you mentioned? I must be dim-sighted from old age. There are arrogant and wilfulness, where is the feebleness? As a matter of fact, she is outstandingly formidable. Look, she even made people run away in panic!”
Yu Pin Yan did not respond but directly strode across the courtyard door and softly called out, “Xiang’er.”
The lively little girl who was laughing just now, pursed her lips, blinked her eyes and burst into tears with little reddishness appearing on her upturned nose. She stammered and stuttered out a single word, elder brother. Seemingly appeared very pitiful and if it was not by chance to have unexpectedly witnessed the scene of her making people run away in panic, one would really think she had suffered an extremely huge grievance.
This time, the delicateness could truly be seen. Divine Doctor Pu was startled with the little girl’s rapid facial changes skill.
“Elder brother, elder brother, you are back at last. I miss you so much.” She cried out with half her body leaning out the window frame and raised both her hands up for a hug.
This was the first time someone welcomed him home with such a warm and enthusiastic manner. Yu Pin Yan’s cold and solemn face turned awfully soft, he promptly hastened his steps and yelled, “Don’t move. Beware of falling out.” He strode into the room and carried the little girl who had been constantly in his mind. Weighing her in his arms, he softly laughed, “Abundant and look very well. Must have obediently eaten your meals.”
This affectionate intimacy gave Yu Xiang the illusion as if she had never separated from her elder twin brother. She calmly gazed at Yu Pin Yan for a while then stretched out her hands to stroke his hardened face and distressfully remarked, “Elder brother seems to be getting thinner. This official mission must be extremely arduous.”
All the hardships were now considered insignificant with just a concerned greeting. Yu Pin Yan shook his head with a smile and weighed the little girl again before gently putting her down on the divan.
Yu Xiang tugged the lower hem of his coat and pointed outside the window, “Who is he, elder brother?”
Divine Doctor Pu was clicking his tongue in wonder while enjoying the sight of the courtyard filled with flowers and plants. The placement of these flowers and plants were not carefully planned out as they were just simply placed on any available empty space. The plants were luxuriant and flourishing revealing a kind of disorderly wilderness beauty. From the first glance, one would think nothing about it, but the second and third glance onward, one would be captivated by this vibrant sight.
This little girl did have some personality and the courtyard was like its owner. Divine Doctor Pu inwardly nodded his head. When he heard Yu Xiang’s inquiry, he walked towards the window and smilingly replied, “I am a doctor who was invited by your elder brother to treat your legs. You can call me Divine Doctor Pu.”
Truly shameless, introducing himself as Divine Doctor. Yu Xiang smiled and addressed him, Divine Doctor Pu.
Divine Doctor Pu nodded his head in satisfaction and said, “I do have a rule. I will only treat one person once this lifetime. Originally, I have agreed with your brother to treat you, thus you have used up the one and only chance. However, the Crown Prince was infected with the plague and your brother gave the only chance for your treatment to the Crown Prince. As I have saved the Crown Prince, hence I can’t save you anymore as the chances for both of you were already used up. Do you understand what I said?”
Yu Xiang’s smile did not diminish, but Yu Pin Yan’s expression was frigidly cold. He originally thought that Divine Doctor Pu might have a change of heart and was willing to treat Xiang’er when he insisted to follow him home. As it turned out, he was just here to ridicule and to sow discord between Xiang’er and himself. If he had known earlier, he would have crossed this old man out!
He gripped his younger sister’s pale fingertips and softly said, “I am sorry, Xiang’er. Elder brother will definitely seek a better doctor for you someday.”
“In this world, besides me and Master Ku Hui, there is no one who can cure her. Where are you going to find a better doctor?” Divine Doctor Pu was full of arrogance.
Yu Pin Yan glared at him intensely and wanted to chase him out when Yu Xiang returned his grip. Smilingly she said, “Elder brother should not apologize to me. The Crown Prince is the monarch and elder brother is the subject, hence it is the subject’s duty to be loyal to the monarch and naturally, ought to save the Crown Prince. Based on righteousness, it is thanks to the Crown Prince numerous assistance that enable elder brother to successfully inherit the title and keep the Marquis manor from falling apart. One should do its utmost to repay the bestowment of such great benevolence. Based on sentiment, the Crown Prince and elder brother grow up together with a profound friendship. I am nonetheless safe and sound when the Crown Prince was critically ill so the Crown Prince must be treated first. Elder brother did the right thing, so why are you apologizing?”
Yu Pin Yan looked at her astoundingly and was speechless for a while. He truly didn’t expect Xiang’er to be this understanding.
Divine Doctor Pu exclaimed oddly, “Aiya..can it be that both you brother and sister had conferred these words in advance? You, this little girl seriously do not want your leg cured or are willing to be a disabled your whole life?”
“Isn’t there still Master Ku Hui? There is still time, so it’s not urgent. It’s alright even if we can’t find him, my elder brother will protect me. I don’t need an outsider to worry for me.” Yu Xiang pulled on Yu Pin Yan’s sleeve and asked, “Don’t you think so, elder brother?” If she was provoked by this person’s instigation and got estranged with Yu Pin Yan, she would have been the world’s number one fool.
Yu Pin Yan laughed boisterously and hugged the little girl in his arms, rubbing her and declared, “Of course elder brother will protect you for a lifetime.”
Divine Doctor Pu’s only great pleasure was to sow discord and watched the good show from the sideline. Not only were both brother and sister not making a scene at this moment but were more affectionate than before. He immediately vented out his anger and waved his hand to leave, but instead was attracted by a small pot placed beside the window.
“Is..isn’t this frost dewdrops?” His fingers trembled.
Frost dewdrops grew in the most extreme cold highland and resembled a bunch of ice but was actually a kind of plant. It would only bear a small vermilion fruit every few decades and this fruit was the main ingredient for the making of frost dewdrops pill which detoxifies hundreds kinds of poison. Every year many pharmaceutical establishments would hire people to pick these fruits from the extreme northern highland but often return empty-handed. One frost dewdrops pill would now be sold at an exorbitant price, however, this pot of frost dewdrops plant not only grew well in a warm region but bore five vermilion fruits. This was most truly unimaginable!
Divine Doctor Pu shifted the pot left and right for inspection. After repeatedly checking it, he finally determined that this was indeed the frost dewdrops plant!
“Ai, so it’s called frost dewdrops? Such a nice name!” Yu Xiang hugged the flower pot into her bosom, to avoid being snatched by someone.
Yu Pin Yan used an astounding gazed to reckon this frost plant which had flourished in summer.
“You actually don’t know it’s progeny? How exactly did you grow it?” Divine Doctor Pu twitched his mouth.
“Grandmother gave me a lot of seeds. I throw them all into the flower nursery for germination. Once sprouted, I would transfer each plant into the little flower pots then water it everyday and let it bask in the sun, that’s how it grows.” As this was a parallel world, Yu Xiang had never seen many of those plants before, thus she could only depend on this kind of awkward way to grow them. However, it was quite baffling as all the seeds which she personally scattered would successfully sprout. She was rather confused herself too.
“Watering? Basking in the sun? It can grow this way?” Divine Doctor Pu felt he would faint away soon. Frost dewdrops take root in the layer of ice that doesn’t need water and is afraid of sunlight. Was this plant really the frost dewdrops? He now started doubting his earlier judgement.
He thrusted his face up and asked, “Little girl, can you let me have another look? Just one look.”
She was not afraid he would snatched it away with her elder brother here. After a moment of slight hesitation, she placed the flower pot onto the windowsill and warned, “This plant is very pretty and absolutely special. It will emit a white glow in the night. You have to be careful that not even a single leaf falls off.”
Divine Doctor Pu was still hesitant and was now undoubtedly certain after hearing that it would emit white glow. He tried to suppress the acute beating of his heart and softly asked, “Little girl, can you sell this potted plant to me? I can pay any amount.” This could be a mutated frost dewdrops that could endure the warm weather. He would bring it back to raise and maybe able to cultivate more. It was really a precious treasure!
“What do you want it for?” Yu Xiang rolled her eyes.
Yu Pin Yan contentedly sipped the hot tea and slowly explained, “Frost dewdrops only bear one vermilion fruit every twenty years and can be used to make frost dewdrops pill that detoxify hundreds kinds of poison. The market price for one vermilion fruit is valued at ten thousand gold.”
Yu Xiang’s eyes brightened but was soon calmed down again and she asked, “If I sell it to you, will you cure my legs?”
At this moment, Divine Doctor Pu wished he could scratch the wall but could only shake his head in distress, “I can’t. I’ve made an extreme oath and if I broke my master’s order, I would land myself in the animal reincarnation cycle for my next life. But….” He leaned on the windowsill with a hopeful look, “I can teach you a set of unique massage techniques to prevent your legs muscle from shrinking. Once the muscle turns necrosis, even if you find Master Ku Hui, he can’t cure you too.”
Yu Xiang pondered about it for a moment before showing an odious smile, “Sorry. I do know the massage techniques. I am not selling this potted plant.” She had been paralyzed for twenty five years in her previous life. She still remembered dozens of effectual massage techniques and didn’t need others to teach her.
Divine Doctor Pu was extremely grief-stricken when he heard those words, but his spirit instantly restored with the little girl’s next words.
“But, I can give you four vermilion fruits if you agree to three of my terms.”
“What terms?” Divine Doctor Pu cautiously asked. He could see that this little girl was extremely smart and would not suffer any shortfall.
“First, give me three frost dewdrops pills after you’ve made it. Second, provide one treatment to my grandmother and third, provide one treatment to my elder brother. Feasible? If you agree, you can now take it away.” Yu Xiang bent her fingers and reckoned.
“Yes, I agree. You just wait. I will be back very soon.” Divine Doctor Pu immediately agreed as these three terms did not violate his principle. He then sped off to purchase an ice-jade box to store the vermilion fruits.
“Elder brother, these three pills are for you, grandmother and me each.” Yu Xiang squinted her eyes and grinned like a sneaky cat, then continued, “The remaining vermilion fruit and the plant will be dedicated to the Crown Prince and to be presented to the Emperor. Our Marquis manor cannot afford to raise such a valuable thing, but merely got it by chance.”
Yu Pin Yan rubbed the top of the jet-black hair of the little girl and lowly chuckled, “My Xiang’er is getting smarter and sensible.”
“You just found out now? Exceptionally intelligent is specially used to describe me.” Yu Xiang pointed the tip of her own nose.
Peal of hearty laughter could be heard from inside the room calling out to the passing-by servants who repeatedly cast sidelong glances over. Since the demise of the Old Marquis, it had been a very long time since the Young Marquis had ever laughed this way without restraint.
In the main courtyard, when the Old Madam had gotten the information, she was flabbergasted for a moment. She had sent someone to randomly purchase a bag of seeds for Xiang’er and unexpectedly raised the frost dewdrops? This was truly remarkable!
Ma Momo exclaimed with a big smile on her face, “Aiya, getting three frost dewdrops pills and Divine Doctor Pu’s two promises is equivalent to five more lives.” She shook her palms and lamented softly, “Second Miss is truly blessed!”
Old Madam sighed deeply, “Xiang’er is good, filial and sensible. Even though she is not my Marquis manor’s lineage, she is no different than the biological granddaughter. She is extremely brilliant to even think of tributing the plant out. It’s a pity her legs are paralyzed. It’s not easy to have invited Divine Doctor Pu, but the opportunity was given to the Crown Prince…..”
After a moment of taciturn, Old Madam heaved a deep sigh, “My Marquis manor eventually does owe her!”
It was not good to continue the words anymore so Ma Momo merely continued thumping the Old Madam’s thigh.