Since Ma Bing arrived at the Kaifeng Prefecture, the herb garden suddenly became lively.
People who originally feared being caught and scolded by Wang Heng began mustering their courage to come in.
First came Yuan Pei and Huo Ping, then Xie Yu, followed by Yuan Yuan, A De…
The courtyard, which should have aged along with its current master, once again brimmed with vibrant energy.
Wang Heng was quite satisfied.
Just watching this group of young people chatting and laughing, he even felt a surge of vitality springing from some unknown corner of his previously aging body, stirring him with a restless eagerness.
His sons and grandsons came to visit and clearly noticed the transformation in father and grandfather, thanking Ma Bing several times.
Ma Bing held a favorable impression of this three-generation family, though she thought the grandson was a bit simple-minded.
Upon learning that she frequently followed them to crime scenes, the young doctor Wang immediately displayed an expression of shock and pity, as if to say, Doctor, how could a young lady do such things?
So he promptly offered that if Ma Bing needed help, the Wang family could assist in recommending her to noble households as a private physician.
That way, she wouldn’t have to travel about tirelessly.
However, before he even finished speaking, sharp glances like blades shot in from all directions.
Good one, trying to poach our Kaifeng Prefecture’s staff, huh?!
Before the Kaifeng Prefecture group could lash out, young doctor Wang was already subjected to a double scolding by old doctor Wang and Wang doctor. Then Wang Heng took off his shoe and chased the young man away, spanking his behind all the way.
“What a shameless brat! Absolutely no sense of propriety!” Wang Heng leaned against the wall with one hand, pointing at him, then lifted his raised foot to kick his son, “What are you staring at? Go pick up your father’s shoe!”
As he spoke, doctor Wang had already picked up his father’s shoe but hesitated to come forward. Upon hearing this, he quickly waddled over.
Wang Heng pressed his hand on his son’s head for balance and took the opportunity to rap his knuckles on his son’s crown a few times, “Look at this! Look at the fine son you raised!”
With such a useless fellow, how could he ever hope to enter the Imperial Medical Bureau?
He’d be lucky if he wasn’t devoured alive by palace staff!
Doctor Wang also felt somewhat disheartened.
It was probably because several generations of the Wang family had achieved too much success, making life for the younger generations inevitably too comfortable. Once someone grows up in luxury, lacking hardship, they naturally appear carefree and insensitive.
Just now, it was only because the Kaifeng Prefecture people were tolerant; try that elsewhere and see what happens?
Wang Heng sighed, “With this attitude, forget about entering the palace for the next three to five years. You might as well give up this hope early.”
Doctor Wang understood this.
But then, how should they proceed?
Meanwhile, Xie Yu was pouring tea with a teapot when he suddenly said, “He just needs some on-site training.”
Everyone turned their gazes toward him in unison:
How ruthless!
Xie Yu acted as if he didn’t notice.
No one had ever dared to poach his staff right in front of him, and Xie Yu didn’t deny feeling somewhat displeased. But he did speak from experience.
Young doctor Wang’s medical skills were certainly beyond reproach, trained as he was in a medical family, but he was simply too naive, too idealistic.
That wouldn’t do; it’s one thing to suffer personally, but bringing disgrace to the entire clan would be a major problem.
Xie Yu held Wang Heng in high regard and, with several years of camaraderie at the Kaifeng Prefecture, didn’t wish to see him having to beg for his descendants in his old age.
Upon hearing this, both Wang doctors suddenly saw the light.
Wang Heng gritted his teeth, “I’ll write a letter!”
Having spent many years in the Imperial Medical Bureau, his connections were formidable. He could ask an old friend serving as a local official elsewhere to take that youngster under his wing!
There was no need for deliberate hardship; just let him see the people’s lives and understand the hardships of the world.
As for social graces, once he was away from home and without senior relatives to clean up after him, after suffering a few setbacks, he’d learn.
So Wang Heng immediately went to write the letter, and his son specially came forward to apologize.
Xie Yu said indifferently, “Senior Doctor Wang is too polite. Your son’s innocent words and childlike remarks won’t bother the Kaifeng Prefecture, nor will Ma Bing.”
Innocent and childlike words…
Such expressions might be passable when referring to a five or seven-year-old child, but the problem was that young Wang was almost older than this young Master Xie!
Senior Doctor Wang blushed with embarrassment, unable to help but sigh: we all raise sons, so why the difference?
Across from him, Ma Bing watched the exchange between Xie Yu and Senior Doctor Wang and once again realized that he was indeed a born leader.
With just a few words, he managed to settle the matter while leaving the Wang family indebted.
“What are you daydreaming about?” Suddenly, a cup of tea appeared before her, not the usual steeped tea, but one where the tea foam had been shaped into floral patterns on the tea broth.
Ma Bing immediately fell in love with it.
How was one supposed to drink this?
Tea drinking was popular in the Great Lü Dynasty, mainly divided into two schools: one steeping whole tea leaves, the other the more refined art of tea-whisking.
Xie Yu didn’t strictly belong to either school, yet he mastered both.
This was the first time anyone had seen him prepare whisked tea outside his home.
Ma Bing lavished praise on him, and Xie Yu’s face visibly softened, his lips curling upward despite himself, though he humbly replied, “It’s nothing special.”
Yuan Pei: “Hehe.”
Tu Yao, understanding their exhaustion from the recent case in Donghe County, granted three days off, so everyone gathered in the herb garden idly for these days, quite comfortably.
In the afternoon, Yuan Yuan arrived, her steps not as light and quick as usual, somewhat dejected.
When she entered the gate, she didn’t even praise Wang Heng’s roses as she normally would!
This was a serious situation.
The group of men found it awkward to ask a young girl about her feelings, so they quietly gathered to the other end of the courtyard, leaving only Ma Bing to talk with her.
Yuan Yuan initially held back, unwilling to speak, but eventually, probably unable to contain herself any longer, she puffed her cheeks angrily and said, “My family… my family wants to arrange a marriage for me…”
The warm summer breeze blew, intensifying the fragrance of the roses manifold, making the air almost dizzying.
Ma Bing was taken aback, then smiled, “That’s good news.”
Marriage was a serious matter; any decent family would start looking early, otherwise good matches would be snatched away.
Thinking about it, Yuan Yuan was almost fifteen, so the Yuan family must have been secretly watching for some time. Now mentioning it to their daughter indicated they had a general candidate in mind and were checking her opinion in advance.
Yuan Yuan suddenly turned to look at her, her deer-like eyes filled with surprise, realization, and frustration, her small hands clenched tightly.
“I… I absolutely don’t want an engagement!”
Her eyes reddened, her little face flushed with emotion, her lips trembling slightly, clearly extremely resistant to the matter.
Ma Bing only then realized the seriousness of the problem.
This wasn’t just a tantrum or shyness; she genuinely disliked it.
“Why not?” She wanted to reach out and hold the girl’s hand as she usually did, but the girl dodged as if burned.
Ma Bing was stunned, Yuan Yuan was also stunned, both feeling somewhat awkward.
“I… Ma Sister…” Yuan Yuan’s face lost most of its color, murmuring, wanting to say something but hesitating.
Ma Bing smiled, “It’s okay.”
After a pause, she added, “Don’t be afraid. Your parents love you so much. If you really have something you’re unwilling to do, just tell them.”
As long as there was a reasonable reason, judging from how much the Yuan couple loved her, they certainly wouldn’t force her.
“I!” Yuan Yuan’s chest heaved violently, staring straight at her, her eyes blazing with an intense light, as if two fires burned within.
She clearly wanted to say something, but the words seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, preventing her from opening her mouth.
Ma Bing looked at her in surprise, gradually beginning to understand from her gaze.
Could it be…
Ma Bing’s heart trembled violently.
“You…” Her feelings were extremely complex; she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.
She had never known this little girl harbored such deep feelings.
How sincere, yet how heavy.
She couldn’t bear it.
Knowing she understood, Yuan Yuan suddenly burst into tears.
How could she tell her parents about this? How could she speak it aloud?!
This soft girl suddenly gathered astonishing courage within her, trembling as she said, “How… how could I possibly discuss marriage?”
A heart can only hold so much, and she had already filled it with someone so good; how could there be room for anyone else?
Ma Bing felt an enormous shock.
No one could remain unmoved when faced with such sincere and intense emotion.
But she couldn’t respond.
She even dared not show the slightest bit of regret or reluctance, dared not give the other person even a shred of lingering hope.
Being evasive was the choice of cowards; when you know you can’t bear certain precious things, it’s best to harden your heart, otherwise, you’d ruin that person, even an entire family.
“Sister…” Yuan Yuan whispered tearfully, trying to reach for her hand.
This time it was Ma Bing who avoided her.
Yuan Yuan’s eyes widened, her outstretched hand frozen mid-air, trembling pitifully, looking utterly miserable.
“I won’t use the excuse that you’re still young and don’t understand,” Ma Bing sighed, speaking earnestly, “But Yuan Yuan, I…”
She had tasted the pain of national and family grievances at a very young age and understood too well how sincere and passionate children could be. Because of their sincerity, such feelings were especially precious and intense.
Merely denying and avoiding would only bring harm.
“Yes, because…” Yuan Yuan suddenly interrupted her, standing up and glancing toward where Xie Yu was.
Was it because of Director Xie?
She wanted to ask that, but she also knew that once the words were spoken, there would be no turning back. Even for the sake of the entire Yuan family, she couldn’t openly ask such a question.
Meanwhile, Xie Yu, who was talking with Wang Heng, seemed to sense something and actually looked in this direction.
Yuan Yuan’s hand hanging by her side suddenly clenched tightly, bit her lip, then gave Ma Bing one last deep look before turning and running away.
Her skirt violently swept across the flowerbed, knocking the plants there completely down. It took quite a while before they struggled back up, continuing to sway under the scorching sun.
Many petals that should have remained on the branches fell to the ground.
Ma Bing hesitated before chasing after her, “Yuan Yuan?!”
“Miss Ma.” Xie Yu had somehow appeared beside her, “When people feel distressed, perhaps they prefer to be alone.”
He looked in the direction Yuan Yuan had gone, his eyes narrowing slightly.
That little girl…
Ma Bing’s steps abruptly stopped.
Yes, even if she chased after her, what could she possibly say?
Judging from the situation, the Yuan family must be waiting outside. In broad daylight, nothing serious would happen.
Ma Bing took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
This was the first time she found the fragrance of the roses too sweet, almost suffocating.
She even felt slightly dizzy.
Since childhood, she had carried too many burdens that ordinary people could hardly understand. She believed she had long since learned to handle most difficulties in the world with ease, but she never expected…
“It will be okay,” Xie Yu said softly.
Ma Bing felt somewhat doubtful, “Really?”
Xie Yu’s gaze was almost uncharacteristically gentle, yet possessed a strange power of persuasion, “It will be.”
In one’s life, one will encounter many unexpected difficulties, but no matter what, one must keep moving forward. Therefore, so-called predicaments will eventually pass.
Ma Bing sighed deeply.
As she exhaled, a large part of her body seemed to be hollowed out.
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