Picked Up a Sickly Little Husband - Chapter 4

Xie Ling had no intention of hiding the truth from Shen Ziqiu. After all, if not for the unexpected incident with Shen Ziqiu, he would never have discovered the Spirit Field in his own courtyard.

“The purple flower you picked is aconite,” Xie Ling said plainly. “If eaten raw, it causes chest tightness, shortness of breath, and vomiting. But its processed root can be used to save lives. However… I only planted it yesterday.”

Shen Ziqiu immediately understood. His eyes widened as he stared at the flower in his hand. “Doctor Xie, are you saying it matured overnight?”

Xie Ling nodded, confirming Shen Ziqiu’s words.

But he had already decided to move back to the village with Shen Ziqiu. How could he take the Spirit Field with him?

As if answering his thought, the field vanished right before their eyes. A moment later, it reappeared as Xie Ling willed it.

It seems I can take it with me after all.

“Doctor Xie, could you get me a knife?”

Curious, Shen Ziqiu leaned closer to examine the Spirit Field. His long hair accidentally got caught on a plant. When he tried to pull away, the tug caused a sharp pain. The hair was tangled too tightly for him to unravel, so he asked Xie Ling to cut it free.

Xie Ling gently moved Shen Ziqiu’s hand away from his hair and focused on the tangled mess. Traditional Chinese medicine required immense patience. Whether it was taking a pulse or performing acupuncture, a physician had to settle their mind and feel the patient’s condition deeply. Xie Ling worked with steady care, and slowly, the long strands of hair loosened, freeing themselves from the stubborn weed stems.

“Thank you,” Shen Ziqiu murmured, feeling a wave of embarrassment as he tried to gather his long hair. He hadn’t washed it in days, and the dried bloodstains on the strands made him feel unclean and uncomfortable.

Even without hearing Shen Ziqiu’s thoughts, Xie Ling could read the awkwardness on his face. He had Shen Ziqiu bring two stools out into the courtyard to bask in the sun, claiming it would aid his recovery.

Xie Ling then slipped into the kitchen and returned a moment later carrying a basin filled with hot water. He set it on one of the stools. “A’qiu, let me wash your hair for you.”

Basking in the warm sunlight, Shen Ziqiu had been drifting into a comfortable daze. He felt Xie Ling approach and instinctively shifted over, inviting him to join him in the sun. But instead, Xie Ling held out the basin of hot water.

“No need, Doctor Xie. I can wash it myself,” Shen Ziqiu said.

Xie Ling gently dipped Shen Ziqiu’s long hair into the warm water. “Your injury is on the top of your head where you can’t see it. If you touch it haphazardly, I’m afraid you’ll reopen the wound. It’s a small matter. You wouldn’t want me to have to treat your head again, would you?”

Xie Ling’s words worked perfectly. Shen Ziqiu fell silent and obediently followed his instructions.

Out of Shen Ziqiu’s line of sight, Xie Ling narrowed his eyes and smiled. This man is so considerate. It seems I’ve found his weakness.

Xie Ling patiently soaked every strand of hair. He added soap pods to the basin and rubbed them repeatedly until the water turned slightly viscous and foamy. Only then did he fish out the pods.

Avoiding Shen Ziqiu’s wound, he gently spread the hair apart. The black tresses looked like willow branches in the water. Xie Ling’s long-fingered hands ran through the hair, pressing acupoints on Shen Ziqiu’s head to help him relax.

He’s washing my hair and telling me the secret of the Spirit Field. Doctor Xie is so good to me. I must keep this secret and never let anyone else find out, or they might harm him.

Though Shen Ziqiu had lost his memory, he wasn’t ignorant of the ways of the world. If word of the Spirit Field got out, powerful people would surely try to seize it. Doctor Xie himself would be accused of being a demon and thrown into prison.

The safest thing to do was to keep it hidden. Yet Doctor Xie trusted him completely, without a moment’s hesitation.

Xie Ling’s eyes glinted. Shen Ziqiu hadn’t reacted much to the news of the Spirit Field. He had assumed that as an ancient person, Shen Ziqiu wouldn’t be able to comprehend such a thing.

So, the other man only remembered the good things he had done, and was already thinking about how to protect him.

Xie Ling helped Shen Ziqiu wash his hair, then sat on a nearby stool and watched as Shen Ziqiu used a towel to dry his own hair.

Shen Ziqiu tilted his head slightly to pull his long, wet hair to one side. Water droplets trickled down the strands, sliding into the collar of his robe and pooling in the hollow of his collarbone. It looked like a small pond with a fish swimming in it.

Xie Ling’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He seemed to be craving something.

Over the next few days, Xie Ling conducted several experiments. He discovered that the Spirit Field’s special properties only affected medicinal herbs. Ordinary plants still grew according to their normal cycles, which explained why he hadn’t noticed it before.

Xie Ling harvested and collected the mature herbs. Since traditional Chinese medicine often required nine steamings and nine sun-dryings, and he didn’t have a suitable steamer, he could only take the fresh plants to the village to exchange for money.

Before leaving, Xie Ling took a small portion of the ginseng and brewed it into a tonic for Shen Ziqiu to drink.

When Xie Ling handed him the ginseng tonic, Shen Ziqiu’s expression remained calm, as if he were receiving ordinary medicine. Xie Ling only mentioned that Shen Ziqiu had lost consciousness the last time he’d been fed ginseng, so he was unaware of it. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

As they exchanged the bowl, Shen Ziqiu’s fingers brushed against Xie Ling’s for a fleeting moment.

How should I settle the score with Doctor Xie? Should I really do as he says and marry him as his husband?

The thought jolted Xie Ling so much that his hand trembled, and the medicinal soup splashed onto the back of his own hand. Knowing how precious the medicine was, Shen Ziqiu lowered his head and licked the liquid clean from Xie Ling’s skin.

His pale eyes held a hint of confusion. “Doctor Xie? The medicine spilled.”

The amnesiac Shen Ziqiu seemed to have no sense of boundaries. He only cared about wasting the precious medicine, completely unaware of the turmoil his actions stirred in Xie Ling’s heart.

Xie Ling fought to compose himself, forcing his gaze away from Shen Ziqiu’s lips. “Sorry, I was lost in thought. I need to go to town for a while, but I’ll be back before dark. In the future, if the medicine spills, just let it go. It’s dirty.”

Shen Ziqiu protested, “You’re not dirty, Doctor Xie. I don’t mind. I just didn’t want to waste the medicine.”

To prevent Shen Ziqiu from being taken advantage of by others due to his naivety, Xie Ling insisted, “If it’s wasted, it’s wasted. If it ever spills on someone else, remember not to do what you did today.”

Shen Ziqiu’s eyes shone with clarity as he asked, “I wouldn’t do it for anyone else. But does that mean I can’t do it for you either, Doctor Xie?”

Shen Ziqiu’s question left Xie Ling speechless. You can only do that once you truly love me, he thought.

He shook his head.

Shen Ziqiu always listened to Xie Ling. Seeing his insistence, he didn’t argue further even though he didn’t understand. He drank the ginseng soup in one go.

Over the past few days, Xie Ling was surprised to find that the herbs grown in the Spirit Field had a much better healing effect than ordinary ones. His ankle, which would normally take two weeks to heal, was already much better after just three days.

Although running and jumping still bothered him slightly, he could walk normally now. After Shen Ziqiu gave him a few reminders, Xie Ling put on his basket and left the mountain.

Xiejia Village had not only Doctor Li’s clinic but also a drug merchant who specialized in collecting herbs from the mountains and reselling them in town. This time, Xie Ling was heading to his shop.

The clerk behind the counter was lazily crossing his legs. When he saw it was Xie Ling, he half-opened his eyes before letting them droop again. The “old” Xie Ling used to bring them common herbs that weren’t worth much, barely earning enough copper coins to survive. The clerk assumed Xie Ling had just dug up some more junk. If he left it too long, they probably wouldn’t even buy a single plant.

Xie Ling placed the basket on the counter and took out the herbs one by one. “Aconite, dried ginger, licorice root, Chuanwu, and Banxia. Do you buy these?”

Hearing the names of the herbs, the clerk uncrossed his legs and finally looked at the items on the counter. They were exactly what Xie Ling had listed, no tricks involved.

The herbs were of exceptional quality, especially the Banxia.

The clerk was bewildered. Banxia, named for its midsummer maturity, was impossible to find fresh in late autumn. Yet Xie Ling’s specimens looked as if they had just been dug from the earth.

Just a few days ago, the County Magistrate’s son had fallen ill, and they desperately needed fresh Banxia. The clerk and the shopkeeper had searched everywhere to no avail. Now, after all their fruitless efforts, it had simply walked through the door.

Suppressing his excitement, the clerk decided to take advantage of Xie Ling’s apparent ignorance of herbal medicine. Keeping his expression neutral, he held up five fingers. “These are common herbs. I can only give you fifty copper coins for them.”

The old Xie Ling would have been thrilled by such a high price. But the soul now inhabiting Xie Ling’s body was far from easily fooled. Without a word, he swiftly gathered his herbs.

Seeing Xie Ling’s actions, the counter clerk rushed to stop him. He had finally found a fresh Banxia plant, and he couldn’t let Xie Ling leave with it. Regardless of whether Xie Ling could hear him, he shouted, “Don’t go! We can negotiate the price!”

Xie Ling read his lips and shook his head, not stopping his hands as he packed the herbs. “Your offer isn’t sincere. These herbs are of high quality, and Banxia is especially hard to find in autumn. I have no reason to stay here.”

The clerk was stunned. He hadn’t expected Xie Ling to recognize the quality of the herbs or know the proper harvest season for Banxia. He had tried to skim some profit off the top, but now he was shooting himself in the foot. If he had known, he would have offered Xie Ling the full price from the start.

Now, he was desperate. The shopkeeper had already pressured him several times. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and beg, “Big Brother Xie, we’ve known each other for years. This Banxia really is hard to find. How about this? I’ll give you one tael of silver for it.”

The shopkeeper had set the maximum price at 800 wen. Fearing Xie Ling would truly leave, the clerk added his own monthly salary to the pot, offering the high price of one tael of silver.

Xie Ling wasn’t very familiar with the prices of ancient medicinal herbs, but seeing the shop assistant’s pained expression, he knew the offer was high. He lowered his head in thought for a moment before finally agreeing to sell.

After leaving the shop, Xie Ling weighed the silver in his hand and smiled with satisfaction. This merchant offered the highest price in Xiejia Village, so he had planned to sell the herbs here all along. He had only pretended to leave earlier to take advantage of the assistant’s desperation. As expected, his gamble paid off, and he sold the herbs for a high price.

Xie Ling walked around the village again, looking for a suitable house. He and Shen Ziqiu were moving back, so they first needed a place to shelter from the wind and rain.

After searching for half an hour, Xie Ling found a courtyard house he liked. However, the landlord’s rent was beyond his budget. At 600 wen a month, it would eat up more than half of the silver he had just earned.

There were cheaper houses available, but Xie Ling didn’t want to give up on this one. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw an osmanthus tree in full bloom in the corner, its tiny flowers dotting the wall.

Suddenly, he thought of Shen Ziqiu.

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