For ten consecutive days, Lu Tong stayed in Prince Wen’s manor.

Though the poison in the newborn girl’s body had not been completely expelled, since she had left her mother’s womb, the toxicity no longer spread. With gradual medicinal care in the future, she might well recover completely.

Pei Yunshu was also gradually getting better.

Lu Tong didn’t know what Pei Yunying had done, but during these ten days, no outsiders entered Pei Yunshu’s courtyard – even Prince Wen couldn’t get in.

After the mother and daughter were temporarily out of danger, Lu Tong returned to West Street.

Du Changqing hadn’t seen Lu Tong since Mid-Autumn Day. Though Yin Zheng had described the day’s events to him, he remained anxious. Only when he saw Lu Tong return safe and sound did the weight in his heart finally lift.

Lu Tong changed into clean plain white silk robes and freshened up. When she lifted the curtain, she was greeted by Du Changqing’s extremely long face.

The proprietor paced circles in the shop, scolding: “I knew that Pei fellow was bad luck, but I never expected him to be this unlucky. You go to deliver medicine properly, and even that leads to such trouble. You’re young and don’t understand – don’t be fooled by these high-ranking families who all look respectable on the surface. They’re actually full of rotten affairs.” He sighed with a worried expression: “Don’t end up gaining nothing good while attracting a whole mess of trouble.”

Lu Tong interrupted him: “During the days I wasn’t at the clinic, did anything happen?”

Du Changqing was startled and slapped his forehead: “Right, I almost forgot…”

Before he could finish speaking, someone suddenly called “Doctor Lu” from the clinic entrance.

Lu Tong looked up and saw a man standing at the door wearing an old cloth robe and a blue square cap, carrying several green fish in his hands, looking at her with an embarrassed smile.

It was actually Wu Youcai.

Du Changqing leaned close to Lu Tong’s ear and whispered: “This Scholar Wu has come to the clinic looking for you several times since he came back from the dead. You weren’t here the previous times. I was just about to tell you about this when he arrived at the perfect moment.”

Scholar Wu walked into the inner shop, somewhat embarrassedly lifting the green fish in his hands: “I wanted to give Doctor Lu two fish as a Mid-Autumn Festival gift earlier. A’Cheng said Doctor Lu had gone out to see patients, and you only returned today.”

Yin Zheng quickly took the green fish and didn’t forget to pull Du Changqing and A’Cheng into the small courtyard behind the door, only saying to Lu Tong: “Miss, the medicinal materials drying in the courtyard haven’t been sorted yet. We’ll go sort them first. You can help after you finish talking with Brother Wu.”

Du Changqing turned back to look suspiciously at Lu Tong and Wu Youcai, but ultimately said nothing and followed Yin Zheng into the small courtyard.

The felt curtain fell, leaving only Lu Tong and Wu Youcai in the inner shop.

Lu Tong stood before the table and cabinet, sizing up the person before her.

Wu Youcai still had that humble scholar’s appearance – his clothes were worn but clean, just as impoverished as when they first met, yet he would still take out broken silver from a purse that had been mended many times.

A down-and-out scholar who nevertheless maintained his dignity without being servile or overbearing.

Wu Youcai was also looking at Lu Tong.

Today was clear and bright. Sunlight slanted in from across the street, illuminating a small patch in front of the dim inner shop. The young female doctor bathed in that small patch of golden light, warm and bright, less cold and indifferent than usual, like a ray of light suddenly appearing in darkness – a compassionate and gentle bodhisattva.

Her expression was calm, and her gaze toward him held no trace of panic – even though at this moment, he should be a “dead person.”

“Did Doctor Lu know early on that I would return from the dead?” After a long while, Wu Youcai asked softly.

She had seen him so calmly, completely different from others’ shock and fear, as if she had known this scene would appear.

Lu Tong didn’t answer his question, only asking: “Do you feel any discomfort in your body?”

Wu Youcai shook his head.

Ten days ago, he had awakened from the black coffin, nearly frightening mad all the scholars who had come to keep vigil for him in the mourning hall. Master Hu had even fainted straight away, and the black coffin prepared for him had almost needed a replacement.

After everyone’s wailing and crying, they had summoned Blind He from West Street to catch demons and subdue evil spirits. Blind He looked at him from afar, waved his peach wood sword and muttered incantations, then stroked his beard and sighed, saying that the Wu family was virtuous and had accumulated much merit, so since his lifespan wasn’t up, the King of Hell had shown mercy and ordered the little demons to quickly bring him back to the mortal world.

The poetry society members led by Old Man Xun were genuinely happy for him. Blind He took the money and gave him a few talismans to ward off bad luck as a bonus. Standing among the crowd beating gongs and drums, Wu Youcai only felt confused and absurd.

He had clearly died. He still remembered the moment in the examination cell when he swallowed the poison – the intense pain spreading bit by bit from his heart, like a drowning person unable to grasp the last piece of driftwood, only able to watch himself sink inch by inch into darkness as boundless terror rushed at him from all directions, roaring to drag him into deeper purgatory.

In that instant, he had felt fear of death and longing for life.

He had regretted it in that moment.

But the arrow had left the bow – how could he turn back? His last memory before death was of himself crying and struggling frantically on the ground of the examination compound, his scholarly dignity completely gone, his dying struggles exposed as if he were naked.

Who would have thought that upon awakening, he would see white mourning banners and yellow paper everywhere, with Master Hu’s familiar panicked voice outside and the poetry society members shouting in shock. In the chaos of confusion, he stood in the black coffin wearing brand new robes, gazing blankly at the golden morning sun above, as if reborn.

He had come back to life.

Wu Youcai looked at Lu Tong.

The woman stood in the medicine shop, lowering her head to organize scattered medical books. Back then, when storm clouds were gathering, she had appeared in his mother’s mourning hall with bewitching words and a cold tone, like an ill-intentioned bride ghost. But now, basking in such warm sunlight in the quiet, clean little medicine shop, she stood there with gentle eyes, creating a sense of peaceful years.

Wu Youcai said softly: “Why did Doctor Lu give me fake death medicine… was it because you guessed I would use it on myself?”

At that time, she had given the poison to Wu Youcai, hinting that he could use it to poison the chief examiner. But Wu Youcai had ultimately backed down. He still couldn’t bring himself to kill, so he used the medicine on himself with tragic determination to perish together.

Yet he hadn’t died.

Wu Youcai didn’t take Blind He’s nonsense seriously at all. The only person he could think of was Lu Tong.

Lu Tong had tampered with the medicine.

But why had she done this? Could she have guessed early on that he would take his own life? How was that possible? After all, even he himself hadn’t anticipated the decision to end his life initially.

Lu Tong casually flipped through the medical book beside her and said indifferently: “Didn’t I tell you? If it were me, I would have killed him.”

“But you’re not me.”

Wu Youcai was startled.

Lu Tong looked up at him and smiled slightly: “But you’re not me.”

Wu Youcai wasn’t her.

This scholar was loyal and honest, like most poor common people in the world – when wronged, he gritted his teeth and swallowed his blood and grievances. He wasn’t like her, who sought revenge for every slight with a cold and ruthless heart. For someone who read the sages’ books, a poor and destitute fish seller who refused to take an extra coin from impoverished old women – asking him to kill complete strangers would be too cruel.

She had never thought Wu Youcai would take his own life. She simply felt that if Wu Youcai really killed someone, setting aside how the authorities would deal with it afterward, the boundless guilt and moral anguish alone would be enough to make this honest man unable to live.

She had used him, but hadn’t wanted to kill him.

Lu Tong asked: “What about you? Do you still want to die now? And what are your plans for the future?”

Wu Youcai was silent for a moment.

Perhaps because his previous death experience had been too profound, after Wu Youcai’s “resurrection,” he had lain in bed thinking about many things.

He thought of his parents’ expectations for him in childhood, of the years of hard study and repeated failures, of Blind He telling him “Young master will surely become an official in the future.” He thought of many, many things. Finally, looking through the window at the colorful paper streamers scattered on the ground in the courtyard, he remembered what Old Man Xun had mentioned to him later – that on the night of the vigil, the poetry society members had specially performed “The Old Scholar Who Became the Top Graduate at Eighty” for him.

It was a comedy with a perfect ending. Though the wish was fulfilled, Old Man Xun had wept while telling the story.

Fame and fortune were just golden shadows floating in the air. They looked glamorous, but how many people’s entire lives were sacrificed for them without notice?

Wu Youcai collected his thoughts and looked at the woman before him.

He said: “I don’t plan to take the examinations again.”

“Why?”

Wu Youcai smiled: “Actually, I came today to bid farewell to Doctor Lu.”

Lu Tong was startled.

“There’s a cloth shop owner outside the city who wants to hire a tutor for his six-year-old daughter. He asked Old Master Hu to find someone, and Old Master Hu gave him my name card. From now on, I’ll go to his house to teach. There’s about ten taels of silver per year, enough for me to live on.”

When he spoke of these matters, his expression relaxed considerably. It seemed he had figured out many things overnight, no longer carrying the melancholy that had always shadowed him when they first met. He had become free and easy.

Lu Tong was silent for a long time before saying: “That’s good.”

The Ministry of Rites had been shaken up and down by this incident. Although Wu Youcai was an insignificant small figure, he was ultimately the source that had started it all. Though all those involved had been imprisoned and no one would seek revenge on him, when future examinations were held, Wu Youcai would inevitably be brought up.

This place ultimately brought him sorrow.

Wu Youcai looked at Lu Tong: “What about Doctor Lu?”

Lu Tong paused.

Wu Youcai gazed at the person before him.

Actually, at this point, what Lu Tong’s purpose in using him had been no longer mattered. Regardless, she had fulfilled his final wish.

Now the examination fraud had been exposed, and all the powerful people who had oppressed scholars had been punished. After his resurrection from death, he had been thoroughly examined by several coroners from the Ministry of Justice. They found nothing wrong and all marveled at the phenomenon. So he continued to use Blind He’s explanation of “the King of Hell releasing people,” not wanting to cause more trouble for Lu Tong.

He was grateful to her – grateful that in this muddled world she had cruelly torn the truth open for him to see, grateful that she had found him a way to live, and even more grateful for that fake death medicine that had let him feel attachment to life at the crucial moment and given him a chance to turn back.

Reborn.

Perhaps the Scholar Wu from West Street’s fresh fish market who had been obsessed with fame had already died, and the one who lived on was the real Wu Youcai he had wanted to be.

The inner shop was silent for a long time.

After a while, Wu Youcai’s voice sounded.

“Whatever Doctor Lu wants to do, Youcai only wishes that everything goes smoothly for Doctor Lu and that your heart’s desires are fulfilled.”

His words came from the heart, sincere and genuine.

Everyone in this world has their own path and their own suffering. There was no need to probe or inquire. He only needed to know that Lu Tong was the hand extended to him in desperate straits, the goddess of mercy who relieved suffering and hardship. That was enough.

“I’m grateful for your kind words, young master.”

Lu Tong raised her head and smiled at him: “I also wish you, young master, no more hardships in the future. May you know all the good people in the world, read all the good books in the world, and see all the good mountains and waters in the world.”

When she said this to him, though she was smiling, her gaze contained faint melancholy, as if she were looking at someone else’s shadow through him, carrying a touch of sadness.

Wu Youcai was startled, then burst into hearty laughter. He had always been gentle and reserved, rarely laughing so genuinely from the heart. He then put away his laughter and formally made a deep bow to Lu Tong.

“Thank you, Doctor Lu.”

He took his leave, his departing figure no longer humble and slightly hunched as usual, but instead free and elegant. The hem of his washed-white robes fluttered in the autumn wind, brilliant and dazzling in the golden sun, showing something of a young man’s unrestrained spirit.

Lu Tong gazed at his retreating figure for a long time, until the dappled sunlight under the plum tree by the door no longer moved, until her eyes grew sore from watching, when Du Changqing’s voice emerged from behind her.

His tone was strange: “Why so reluctant to part? Those who don’t know might think he’s your real brother.”

Lu Tong collected her thoughts, but he persistently pressed on: “You weren’t surprised at all to see Scholar Wu return from the dead today. Did you know all along?”

“Mm, I heard about it at the prince’s manor.”

Du Changqing sneered: “Just heard about it? Isn’t his resurrection from death your doing?”

Lu Tong remained unmoved: “Didn’t he say it himself? His lifespan wasn’t up, the King of Hell doesn’t take good people. I don’t have that ability.”

“Which King of Hell is so fair? He’s more reasonable than mortal officials. That kidnapper woman on West Street who specialized in abducting girls lived to ninety-eight – why didn’t they drag her down?”

For once he was sharp, following Lu Tong closely: “Stop fooling this young master. What secret do you two have that I, the proprietor, can’t hear? I want to know right now!”

Lu Tong was extremely annoyed. Yin Zheng and A’Cheng came out from the courtyard, put down the baskets for drying medicine, and grabbed Du Changqing’s sleeve: “Proprietor, didn’t you say you’d go eat the banquet at Renhe Restaurant after the miss returned? When will you arrange it?”

Hearing this, Du Changqing’s body shook: “Right, I almost forgot the important matter!”

On the fifteenth, he had arranged a banquet at Renhe Restaurant, but Lu Tong went to Prince Wen’s manor for ten days, forcing him to temporarily cancel the feast. However, the deposit wasn’t refundable. Shopkeeper Du had argued with them for a long time before the restaurant owner finally agreed to let him come again when he was free and serve the full banquet.

Now that Lu Tong had finally returned, this hard-won meal could finally be eaten.

He said: “Everyone’s here, let’s hurry up and pick a time to eat the banquet. How about tomorrow?”

Lu Tong lifted the felt curtain: “Let’s wait a few more days.”

“Still waiting?” Du Changqing was speechless and said irritably: “Go or don’t go, suit yourself!”

Lu Tong ignored his nagging and went straight back to the small courtyard.

The small courtyard was as clean as when she left. Yin Zheng loved cleanliness and cleaned daily. Lu Tong entered the room and walked to the small Buddhist shrine, taking out several incense sticks from beside it and lighting them.

In the curling smoke, the small Buddha statue lowered its brows and eyes with a compassionate expression.

She spoke softly, not knowing if she was speaking to herself or to someone else.

“Soon…”

“Just wait a few more days.”

“May you know all the good people in the world, read all the good books in the world, and see all the good mountains and waters in the world” – from “Small Window’s Quiet Records”