The Eldest Brother is Handsome but Sick. - Chapter 13

“He’s suffering from a sudden rush of blood to the heart! Quick, press his Tanzhong point! Bring the Gentian Liver-Purging Decoction!”

“Senior Brother can’t swallow the medicine!”

“He’s vomiting blood!”

“This won’t do. Qingyan, go fetch my silver needles.”

“Young Master…”

So noisy. What is happening?

Did someone come to Sansheng Hall to cause trouble again?

Yan Jin wanted to get up and see, but his body felt incredibly heavy. Even moving a finger felt like lifting ten thousand mountains. He tried many times without success; every effort felt hollow, as if he were punching cotton.

Am I dreaming?

Thinking this, he even found the strength to smile inwardly. What a nightmare, he actually heard his Master’s anxious voice. His Master usually spoke in a soft, wine-soaked drawl; for her to be this frantic, something major must have happened.

Could he handle it? All these years, even after putting in all his heart and soul, he had only managed to keep the people of Sansheng Hall fed. Now, he couldn’t even look after the clinic, and as for home…

Ah, he remembered now. His father had passed away.

Ultimately, his abilities were limited. If only he had a healthy body, Pah! What was he thinking? Decades had passed; why start complaining to the Heavens now? He was regressing in his old age!

But then again, if this wasn’t a dream… was he dying?

Wow! So, a person really does see a “lantern show” of their memories when they’re about to die!

The System was crying.

He felt bad for her, a girl following someone like him must have been exhausted. Once he was dead, she could return to her own world. He heard she was quite popular among Systems; she’d surely live a good life.

Yan Jin’s thoughts drifted in and out as his consciousness began to dissipate.

Suddenly, a sob echoed by his ear, like a clear bell ringing through the chaos. His mind snapped back to clarity.

His junior siblings were crying. The ones he had raised with his own hands. They hadn’t grown up yet. There were still many things unfinished at Sansheng Hall. And the Yan Family, he had to go back and see.

He couldn’t make it in time for the funeral, but he had to go to the old man’s grave to tell him he was still alive.

The room erupted.

“Eldest Senior Brother is awake! Quick, bring the medicine!”

His vision was a sticky, crimson mess. Yan Jin blinked a few times before he could see his surroundings.

He was in his own room. Xia Qingyan and Lin Jiebai were crying until their faces were a mess. Steward Wang was kneeling by his bed, wiping away tears. Beside him was a pool of blood, likely what he had just vomited.

Thanks to the release of that mouthful of blood, he could finally catch his breath.

Yan Jin hurriedly told Steward Wang to stand up and took the medicine, drinking it slowly. Once finished, he spoke to Yin Zhushuang, who was sitting on the small kang by the window: “Thank you, Master.” Because he was weak and his voice was hoarse, he had to speak much louder than usual to be heard.

Yin Zhushuang still smelled of alcohol. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were a mess, her expression showing an unspeakable exhaustion. It was clear Yan Jin had terrified her into a forced state of sobriety.

She rubbed her temples and waved a hand. “Save it. Don’t speak; that broken-gong voice of yours is depressing to listen to.”

Yan Jin pulled his pale lips into the ghost of a smile and asked Lin Jiebai: “Is the carriage ready?”

“It’s ready. Everything you need for the road has been packed inside. The carriage is at the door, ready to leave at a moment’s notice.” Lin Jiebai turned away to wipe his tears, struggling to suppress the sob in his voice. “But Senior Brother, your body can’t handle this right now…”

“I’m fine.” Yan Jin shook his head. He tried to prop himself up to get out of bed, but Lin Jiebai lunged forward and shoved him back down.

“I told you, you can’t move yet!” Lin Jiebai said urgently. “If you must go now, then take me with you!”

“Alright, calm down. I won’t die,” Yan Jin replied, half-amused and half-sad. “Stop talking nonsense. Who would look after Sansheng Hall?”

Lin Jiebai fell into a sullen silence. He wanted to say that Sansheng Hall had their Master and Senior Sister and if all else failed, it had Su Huai. but seeing the look in Yan Jin’s eyes, he swallowed his words.

The room fell into a sudden silence.

Suddenly, Xia Qingyan, who had been in the corner, stepped forward. She wiped her eyes and said, “Senior Brother, go in peace. I will look after Sansheng Hall.”

For the person who usually stayed silent during major crises to speak up startled everyone in the room. Under the weight of their gazes, Xia Qingyan retreated a step and added in a small voice, “With everyone’s help, of course.”

The room remained quiet.

Suddenly, Yan Jin laughed. “Alright. I’ll leave Sansheng Hall in your hands.”

“I suspect I’ll be away for a long time. Once I’m gone, remember to send Grandmother Li’s medicine up to Wofo Mountain every five days. She’s been bedridden lately; I fear her condition might worsen. Go visit her often.”

Xia Qingyan, clearly not expecting him to say this, stammered a reply: “Yes, Senior Brother.”

Yan Jin continued: “The final shipment of herbs hasn’t arrived yet; Third Brother, keep an eye on that. The new ledgers are on my desk; the old ones are in the accounting room. Remember to keep accurate records.”

“It’s almost time for the free clinic. Don’t forget while I’m away. the villagers are good people, though they can be a bit blunt. If something happens, don’t lose your temper with them.”

“Qingyan, take care of yourself. You’re steady; keep a close eye on things. Master… don’t drink so much anymore. It truly harms the body.”

“If anything, major happens at Sansheng Hall, you must write to me. For daily matters, consult each other. The officials have always been on good terms with us; you can ask them for help if needed. There’s also Boss Chen from the pharmacy and Sister Qi from the Peony Pavilion, if things get truly dire, just go into the street and shout. The neighbors will help.”

Yan Jin rambled through a long list of instructions. Finally, he said: “Stay well and wait for my return. I, will also do my best to stay alive.”

He was such a bastard. After all those serious instructions, his final sentence pierced everyone’s heart, filling them with a wave of guilt. They hurriedly promised to do everything he asked; even Yin Zhushuang gave a slight nod.

“Woof! Woof!”

Beside the carriage, Little White Plum was pawing at the wheels, jumping up and down in distress. Yan Jin wasn’t taking the dog with him this time not because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t look after it on this journey. It was better for the dog to stay at Sansheng Hall rather than suffer the bumpy road.

Xia Qingyan picked up the dog and said, “Be careful on the road.”

Yan Jin nodded, his gaze sweeping one last time over the plaque that read “Sansheng Hall.”

Tinkle—

the carriage bell rang as they jolted forward. It was time for the midday meal, and the streets were incredibly lively. The driver tightened the reins, slowing the horse to a walk.

As they turned the street corner, the sounds of the market reached a fever pitch. Vendors with carrying poles, shouting shopkeepers, and patrolling guards passed by the carriage like a flowing stream. A waiter at a roadside tavern was pouring hot wine for a customer from a large copper kettle; in the rising steam, Yan Jin’s vision blurred.

He closed his eyes and asked, “Uncle Wang, how was my father at the end?”

Steward Wang sighed softly. “The Master went peacefully. I suspect he’s finally seen the Mistress.”

Yan Jin nodded. After a long silence, he said, “He finally got what he wanted.”

“The Young Master is right.”

“And the extended family? I suspect they’re causing a ruckus.”

At this, Steward Wang’s grief turned to fury. “Those despicable small-minded men! As soon as the Master passed, they began carving up the Yan family’s wealth and lands. They’ve picked the family clean until it’s a hollow shell! That was the Master’s life’s work! Young Master, you must find a way to take it back. To think, if only you hadn’t left home…” He cut himself short and sighed again. “Why did you never come back?”

Yan Jin looked at him and smiled. “Uncle Wang, since I woke up, you haven’t offered a single word of concern for me. We truly have grown distant.”

“Young Master, how could you say that?” Steward Wang froze. As if remembering something, he looked down and murmured, “The Master had a difficult life these past few years.”

Yan Jin did not respond.

Lin Jiebai, worried that he might catch a chill, had placed a heater in the carriage and lined it with thick quilts. Normally it would have been fine, but today it felt stifling like the summer rain in the south, humid and heavy with the smell of earth. It was bitter and hard to endure.

He threw back the carriage curtain, wanting a breath of fresh air.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past, and he heard someone calling him—

“Brother Yan! Brother Yan!” The voice was familiar; it was Li Danian.

Yan Jin hurriedly poked his head out. A short distance ahead, Li Danian was waving his arms frantically, shouting something in distress.

He couldn’t hear clearly. The carriage swept past Li Danian. Yan Jin caught a glimpse of the boy’s red-rimmed eyes and realized with a jolt of panic that something had happened at Wofo Mountain. He gripped the window frame, wanting to tell the driver to stop.

The carriage jolted. He stumbled and fell inside the carriage, his lips trembling, but no sound came out. His throat felt as though it were being throttled by an invisible hand, unable to squeeze out even the simplest word.

A wave of nausea and dizziness hit him. He struggled to get up, wanting to grab Steward Wang and have him tell the driver to stop. But Steward Wang simply held him steady and cried, “Young Master! We cannot wait another moment! The Master is waiting for you; you cannot be delayed by other people and other matters!”

Behind them, Li Danian was running after the carriage, sobbing: “Brother Yan! Brother… Grandmother Li! Grandmother… has passed away…”

The carriage sped up. The wind swallowed most of the boy’s words, but Yan Jin knew exactly what had happened.

As the two voices overlapped in his head, a metallic taste of blood surged in his throat.

He sat there in a daze, his mind roaring. His vision blurred with a thick fog. He shoved Steward Wang’s hand away, intent on going out to stop the driver himself.

But the moment he pulled back the carriage curtain, a figure burst into his sight.

Even though his vision was failing, Yan Jin knew exactly who it was.

Standing by a pastry shop, Su Huai was holding a food box likely containing the treats Yan Jin loved most. When their eyes met, Su Huai even had the remnants of a smile on his face.

But that smile vanished instantly. The food box crashed to the ground, scattering pastries everywhere, but Su Huai didn’t even notice the people around him trying to help. He just stood there, staring fixedly at Yan Jin, until the carriage sped past and out of sight.

That gaze was nothing like his previous tenderness. it was as cold as the winter when Su Huai had first gone missing.

I’ve abandoned him again.

A sharp pain pierced Yan Jin’s heart. His throat constricted, his blood surged to his head, and his vision turned a solid red. He didn’t realize the carriage had actually stopped. He reached out dizzily, trying to grab the driver’s clothes to force him to stop, but his hands grasped only empty air.

He just wanted; he just wanted to say goodbye. To give a few more instructions. He had arranged everything for everyone else at Sansheng Hall how could he just leave Su Huai like this?

And Grandmother Li… she was gone. What would happen to Li Danian and the orphan children? Who would look after them?

He couldn’t see anything anymore. His consciousness faded again, his fingers clutching at the air twice before he collapsed. Just before his head hit the carriage wall, Steward Wang caught him and laid him back down.

“Oh my, what’s wrong with Physician Yan?” the driver asked, hurrying to check. “He needs a doctor! Let’s head back to Sansheng Hall and wake him up.”

“No. He has urgent business,” Steward Wang replied as he laid Yan Jin flat. He spoke to the driver: “Whip the horses. We’ll find a doctor in the next town.”