Chapter 279: Chapter 279: The Delivery Blunder
279. The Vegetable Delivery Mix-Up
With that, he placed the vegetables and fruits on the table.
Zhao Zhitong said, "Teacher, these are produce from our home garden. It’s our way of showing our appreciation. Please do take them."
Yuan Wenkang looked at the basket full of fresh vegetables and fruits, his eyes crinkling with amusement. These children are indeed sincere, he thought, stroking his beard. "Okay, I accept your thoughtfulness."
Zhao Zhitong, seizing the moment, asked, "Teacher, I often see patients at my grandfather’s medical clinic. Can I come to the academy to seek your advice when I encounter a problem?"
Yuan Wenkang stroked his beard and chuckled, "Of course, you can. This place is always welcoming to anyone seeking knowledge."
The trio exchanged glances, their faces showing excitement. Yuan Wenkang had just agreed that Zhao Zhitong could visit the academy.
They all said in unison, "Thank you, Teacher."
Lord Zhang, who was playing with his chess pieces, was very pleased with these sincere and unpretentious children. He hoped that they would stay true to their initial ambitions and strive for progress.
After receiving a few more pieces of advice from the elders, Zhao Zhitong and her friends left the dean’s courtyard.
Once Zhao Zhitong and her friends had left, Lord Zhang laughed, "Come on, let’s play another round!"
Yuan Wenkang teased, "Another round? Isn’t the reason for your visit to recruit students?"
Lord Zhang waved his hand dismissively, "Ah, no rush, no rush. That can wait. I’ll win a round against you first!"
Yuan Wenkang laughed, "Haha, then you might be stuck here today."
Having said that, he instructed, "Bamboo, take these vegetables to the kitchen. Let the cook prepare them. Lord Zhang and I will have some drinks."
Bamboo came forward, picked up the basket, hesitated for a moment, and then reminded, "Teacher, you must take care of your stomach."
Yuan Wenkang waved his hand dismissively, "I’ll only have a few sips. It won’t be a problem. Besides, isn’t there that prescription the young girl gave me? Later, you can go down the mountain and fetch the medicines according to this prescription."
Bamboo took the prescription, tucked it into his robes, nodded his agreement, and prepared to take the vegetables to the kitchen.
Just then, Yuan Wenkang remembered something and called out to him, "Ah, wait, aren’t there some wild fruits? I haven’t had them in quite a while. Wash them and bring them up."
Bamboo responded, "Yes, Teacher."
Bamboo then left with a basket of valuable vegetables to the kitchen.
After a short while, Bamboo came back with a plate of fruits. These were little crab apples, which were commonly found in the mountains, not something rare.
After a while of playing chess, Lord Zhang laughed, "I’m sure I’ll win this round."
With that, he casually picked up a fruit and began to eat. When he took the first bite, he found the fruit incredibly sweet!
"Hmm, Old Yuan, you need to try this. This fruit is just divine!"
But after taking the second bite, he suddenly felt something was not right. Moments later, he looked at the small fruit in his hand in disbelief!
By then, Elder Yuan had also eaten one, nodding in agreement, "Indeed, these taste even sweeter than the carefully cultivated fruits. These fruits from that young girl’s hometown are really sweet."
After saying that, he noticed that Lord Zhang’s face seemed a little odd, so he asked, "What’s wrong, Old Zhang?"
Lord Zhang said in disbelief, "This fruit... I think I’ve had it before."
Lord Zhang paused to remember, then suddenly exclaimed, "Yes, that’s the taste! At the Lantern Festival banquet at the court, the gift that Prince Liang presented to the emperor was such a fruit, which he claimed to be a ’holy fruit.’"
"I was fortunate to be gifted one by the emperor. It was just as sweet, and after eating it, I felt invigorated. According to Prince Liang, this fruit, just like the medicinal vegetables, has the power to strengthen the body, promote health, and prolong life."
Yuan Wenkang had never tasted medicinal vegetables or the ’holy fruit’, but he had heard of them. Puzzled, he asked, "Are they exactly the same?"
Lord Zhang was uncertain as well, "I’ve only tasted one."
Just then, Yuan Wenkang suddenly took a few deep breaths, surprised, "Hey, I think my nose has cleared up."
Immediately, he stood up and moved around a bit, then said to Lord Zhang, "The fatigue is gone; it seems my cold is gone as well."
Lord Zhang’s eyes widened slightly, "Then there’s no mistake!"
No wonder he had found the young girl a little strange; she clearly said that Elder Yuan had a cold today. Although she diagnosed the gastric ailment during the medical consultation, she did not mention the cold at all.
He had thought the young girl had simply forgotten about the cold, concluding in his heart, It really is a child’s nature.
Now, however, he understood. Because she brought a basket of medicinal vegetables and holy fruits, after eating them, the cold would naturally heal, and there would be no need for further medication.
Realizing this, he hurriedly jumped from his chair, disregarding the chess game, and dragged Yuan Wenkang out, exclaiming, "Quick, quick, to the kitchen! That basket of vegetables might just be medicinal vegetables. If the cook squanders them, it would be a terrible waste!"
Lord Zhang was not one to care much about material things. But when it came to fine food, he was rather particular, especially nutritious food such as medicinal vegetables, which he had only had the luck to taste occasionally. The taste was superb.
Now, thinking that the precious basket of produce was about to be squandered, he felt such a pang of distress, muttering, This mischievous girl, sending such good stuff and not saying a word!
And so...
An unusual scene unfolded in the dean’s courtyard at the Taiyi Academy...
Two old men were seen sprinting across the courtyard towards the small kitchen... to snatch a cabbage from the cook’s hand just as it was about to go into the pot...
——
Zhao Zhitong had no idea what was happening at the dean’s residence. It was just three quarters past nine in the morning when they left the dean’s courtyard.
Seeing that it was still early, the trio decided to take a stroll through the academy before heading for the main entrance. They spoke and laughed as they descended the mountain.
Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue were curious about the new friend Zhao Zhitong wanted to introduce.
Qiao Muchen asked, "Tongtong, you said you saved a scholar the other day?"
Zhao Zhitong nodded, "Yes. He was nearly killed by that evil Niu Baishun. I saved him and brought him home. When he woke up, he said he was a scholar and was planning to go to the capital for the imperial exams next year."
Zhao Yue scratched his chin, "What does a scholar look like?"
Qiao Muchen stated nonchalantly, "What can he look like? Two eyes, a nose, and a mouth."
Zhao Yue: "..."
As they spoke, they headed towards De Ren Tang Clinic.
When they arrived, the medical clinic was not busy. Ding Chenguang was sitting at the entrance to the clinic, writing something very seriously.
Zhao Zhitong whispered, "There, that’s him."
Zhao Yue raised his eyebrows and looked at Ding Chenguang, "He seems quite talented."
The three of them moved closer and saw that Ding Chenguang was not writing but drawing.
It could not be denied that this Ding Chenguang was indeed multi-talented; he was skilled in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
When the three of them approached, they blocked the light, prompting Ding Chenguang to look up. He immediately greeted them with a smile, "Miss Zhao, you’re here? And these two gentlemen are?"
Zhao Zhitong then introduced everyone to each other with a smile.
"A pleasure to meet you." Ding Chenguang set aside his brush, cupped his hands in salute towards Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue, and said politely, "I’ve often heard Miss Zhao mention the two of you. Now that I see you, indeed, you both possess remarkable demeanor. It’s no wonder that you became scholars at such a young age."
Facing Ding Chenguang’s enthusiastic compliments, Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue responded very courteously.
"You flatter us. It is you who are truly impressive, Mr. Ding."