Resplendent – Chapter 458

Chapter 458 — A Moment of Leisure Amid Busy Days

Yue Yuan had once visited this residence with Gu Xiao to get familiar with the place, so the couple both recognized her. The elderly couple had no children, and living in such a large courtyard made the place feel a bit lonely. When they heard that the Lin mother and son were arranged to stay here by their young mistress, they warmly bustled about, helping with everything.

Lin Nuo declined Uncle Fu’s offer to let them stay in the east wing; he insisted on living in the front courtyard’s side rooms together with the Fu couple. 

Yue Yuan couldn’t persuade him otherwise, so she had no choice but to let him be.

Not long after Lin Nuo moved in, several workers from Jimin Pharmacy arrived with a delivery of medicinal ingredients. Among them were the materials and full set of components needed for the Four-Processed Xiangfu formula he had been practicing. 

Elder Doctor Liang from Jimin Pharmacy even came personally to examine Madam Lin, prescribed her medicine, and told her to collect it from the pharmacy—all free of charge.

Madam Lin was deeply grateful. In her room, she set up a longevity tablet for her son’s employer and offered incense every day, praying that the Bodhisattva would bless this kind-hearted person with safety and peace.

Lin Nuo threw himself into the production of the Four-Processed Xiangfu with complete dedication, nearly forgetting to eat or sleep. He had great talent in pharmaceutical preparation, and with Gu Ye’s guidance, he quickly mastered and became proficient in its methods. He then began practicing making charred xiangfu.

From that point on, the front courtyard of the Gu residence was constantly enveloped in smoke and the smell of roasting herbs. The first time he made a batch, the fifth-rank official living next door thought the Gu residence had caught fire. He brought his sons and several servants rushing over, only to find that it was the little apothecary preparing medicine. He left with a laugh and a shake of his head.

Afterward, Lin Nuo even made a special visit to apologize for disturbing the neighbor, feeling deeply embarrassed. People of this era were very tolerant toward apothecaries. The fifth-rank official politely walked him out and said that neighbors should look out for one another. That was only natural.

The method for making Charred Xiangfu looked simple, but it was anything but simple. First, the heat in the furnace had to be controlled with precision. Second, the timing of the stir-frying needed to be exact. And finally, the moment of sprinkling water had to be done at just the right instant.

Lin Nuo wasted more than ten jin of xiangfu but still hadn’t grasped the trick. When Gu Ye found herself free and remembered her little apprentice, she wandered over and learned that he had been stuck on the Charred Xiangfu step for quite some time. She personally prepared a batch, explaining as she demonstrated, teaching him hand-in-hand.

If Lin Nuo still failed to learn after that, he’d truly be hopeless. Right in front of Gu Ye, he made several more attempts, managing to succeed three times out of five. 

Gu Ye patted him on the shoulder and told him to keep practicing and not to worry about wasting ingredients.

Mastering both the Four-Processed Xiangfu and the Charred Xiangfu techniques meant that his pharmaceutical skill had advanced yet another level. As expected, having a master’s guidance made all the difference. He had struggled on his own for more than two years without a shred of progress, but now with his master’s pointers, his pharmaceutical skills were advancing by leaps and bounds.

Lin Nuo treasured this rare opportunity. He was like a dry sponge thrown into water, desperately soaking up everything he could. Seeing that he had good talent, Gu Ye taught him several other intermediate-level processing techniques as well.

He practiced day and night, and within the few days remaining before the Great Pharmacists Convention, he thoroughly absorbed and mastered everything his master had taught him. He was determined not to embarrass his master in the apothecary examination!

Meanwhile, Lady Jun has been very unhappy these past few days! As the convention approached, her daughter had become increasingly busy—busier even than her father and her several brothers who served in official posts! Every morning she left early, and only returned at dusk, sometimes even later.

Because there were mild sedatives mixed into her medicine, she was still asleep when her daughter left. And by the time her daughter came home, she was already asleep again.

She had gone a full three days without seeing her beautiful, adorable daughter! But she couldn’t afford to hold her daughter back, so she could only vent her frustration on her husband. 

Chu Bufan felt sorry for his wife, but their daughter was either at a pharmacists’ gathering or being taken by her master to visit senior figures in the pharmaceutical world every day. He seldom got to see his daughter, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He used the voice of their youngest son to voice a few mild complaints. Coincidentally, Gu Ye was also tired of putting on a polite facade with certain pharmacists, so she pushed aside all her other affairs that day to stay home and accompany her mother.

After taking the special medicine prepared by her daughter for five days, Lady Jun’s symptoms of blood deficiency had noticeably improved. Yesterday, Chief Physician Zhang had checked her pulse and was surprised at the speed of her recovery, further admiring Gu Ye’s pharmaceutical skills.

Early that morning, Gu Ye had arrived at Rong’an Garden to accompany her mother for breakfast, and now, while the sun was still gentle, she was helping her mother take a walk in the garden.

Rong’an Garden had a main hall seven rooms wide, with five side rooms on each wing, a rear annex, and a two-story rear pavilion. Inside the garden, a rockery made of Taihu stones stood next to a square pond, where the lotus flowers had withered and the leaves were shriveled. By contrast, the branches and leaves of the crabapple trees by the pond in the west garden were lush and verdant.

Lady Jun pointed at the crabapple trees and smiled: “Your father planted all of these himself. In spring, the crabapple blossoms are so bright it’s like a sea of red clouds, attracting bees and butterflies—it’s quite lively and beautiful.”

Then she led her daughter to a plum grove: “In winter, when the snow presses down on the red plum blossoms, a subtle fragrance drifts through the air. There’s a small octagonal pavilion with a pointed roof in the grove, which is perfect for viewing the plums. When winter comes, you could host a plum-viewing banquet and invite your friends. Alas, our residence hasn’t held a banquet like that in over ten years!”

“Mother, I see the chrysanthemums in the garden are blooming beautifully. Once you’re feeling better, we could have a chrysanthemum-and-crab feast, admire the flowers while enjoying the crabs. It will surely be lively. Mother, walking in the garden every day is good for your health. Seeing all these flowers and plants will lift your spirits, and your body will recover faster.”

Seeing the faint sweat on her mother’s forehead, Gu Ye helped her sit at the Guanlan Pavilion by the lake. The koi in the water, seeing movement, swarmed toward them. Gu Ye took the fish food from her maid and fed the koi at the pond’s edge.

Knowing her daughter disliked the heat, Lady Jun sat beside her, fanning her with a hand fan. Watching her dip her fingers into the water to tease the fish, she smiled affectionately: “As long as my treasure is by my side, I’m happy. No illness matters anymore! Most of my sickness is in my heart anyway.”

“Your daughter will always stay by your side, so you can be happy every day!” Gu Ye nestled into her mother’s arms, unwilling to leave the warm embrace. She was never meant to be a delicate young lady confined behind closed doors. Now that she finally had free time to stay with her mother, she naturally wanted to find ways to make her happy.

Lady Jun held her soft, fragrant daughter in her arms, laughing so hard that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes showed: “That won’t do. They say that grown daughters shouldn’t be kept at home too long, or staying too much will only breed resentment. When boys come of age, they should marry; when girls grow up, they should wed. In just a few years, my treasure will be putting on her wedding dress and becoming a happy bride!”

“I won’t marry! I want to stay with you forever, Mother. Father can still provide for me!” Gu Ye buried her head in her mother’s embrace, grinning, “If Father ever retires, won’t I still have my brothers?”