Chapter 117
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Chapter 117: Inner Courtyard
However, after finishing reading all the books he had been given, Zhang Xiaohua realized that the content was too basic, leaving him with a feeling of not being able to quench his thirst. Using the knowledge from these books to solve the problem of the medicinal seeds not sprouting, would be delusional.
Frustrated, Zhang Xiaohua tossed the books aside, planning to only flip through them when he had nothing else to do.
Without any new books to read, Zhang Xiaohua returned to his routine of monotonous work and martial arts practice. Although he enjoyed reading, the idea of buying books just to read them didn’t appeal to Zhang Xiaohua. As the ancients said, “Books are best borrowed, not bought”, Zhang Xiaohua deeply sympathized with this saying.
He Tianshu, who had grown accustomed to seeing Zhang Xiaohua always carrying a book around, quickly noticed the change. Curious, he asked Zhang Xiaohua about it, initially thinking that Zhang Xiaohua had given up on the research due to the difficulty. However, upon hearing Zhang Xiaohua’s explanation, he didn’t quite believe it at first, but then he remembered that the person in front of him was first taught the enlightenment book <Shuowen Jiezi>. He relaxed his brows and snapped his fingers, saying: “Isn’t this easy?”
He then whispered something to Nie Xiao’er, who, while listening, kept glancing at Zhang Xiaohua with a peculiar look, which made Zhang Xiaohua’s hair stand on end. What was it? After he finished whispering, Nie Xiao’er followed his order and left. He Tianshu smiled and said to Zhang Xiaohua: “Okay, just wait I will show you my methods later.”
Zhang Xiaohua rolled his eyes and curled his lips, saying: “What kind of tricks are these? Making it all so mysterious. I’ll just wait here.”
Nie Xiao’er was gone for half a day, only returning to the small courtyard empty-handed just before dusk. Seeing that Nie Xiao’er had come back with nothing, He Tianshu was very surprised and asked: “Couldn’t you get it done?”
Nie Xiao’er replied: “Elder He said that the books of our hall are only for the disciples within the hall to read and cannot be borrowed by outsiders.”
He Tianshu frowned and said: “Didn’t you talk to Hall Master Bai?”
Nie Xiao’er gave a bitter smile and said: “I did, but Hall Master Bai didn’t pay much attention to me. He just said that you’re desperate, trying anything when you’re gravely ill. How can a child with no foundation solve the problem just by reading books? He asked me to tell you that he is also discussing this issue with the other elders in the hall, and advised you to not act recklessly.”
He Tianshu’s face alternated between green and red as he looked at Zhang Xiaohua’s eyes, feeling quite embarrassed. However, his eyes suddenly brightened as if he had thought of something. He relaxed and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, go back to your room first. I’ll bring you those books in a little while.”
Zhang Xiaohua looked at him curiously, nodded in agreement, and went straight back to his room.
Since someone was offering to find books for him to read, he certainly wouldn’t refuse.
Sure enough, not long after, He Tianshu returned with a big pile of books, laughing as he dropped them onto Zhang Xiaohua’s bed. He clapped his hands and said: “Alright, Zhang Xiaohua, I finally managed to get these books for you. Make good use of them.”
Zhang Xiaohua looked at the stack of books on his bed in surprise and curiously asked: “So many? Captain He, where did you get them from?”
He Tianshu pretended to be mysterious and said: “I, this He, have many tricks up my sleeve. How could I not solve such a small problem? Haha, just read well, Zhang Xiaohua. Don’t worry about what our Hall Master said. As I always say, if you can solve the problem, that’s great. If not, it doesn’t matter; just treat it as gaining knowledge from reading. Moreover…”
He Tianshu paused for a moment and said: “The Jianghu is full of dangers. What can a young child like you rely on? Learning more will help you survive.”
Only then did Zhang Xiaohua understand He Tianshu’s good intentions and feel deeply grateful. As the ancients said, ‘People are not plants, how can they be without emotion?’. Even though he had no familial ties with He Tianshu, the latter had taken care of him in countless ways during their time living together. Not only had he taught Zhang Xiaohua martial arts, but he had also pointed out a path for his future. It was clear that the treacherous martial world wasn’t just filled with traps and hidden arrows, there was also warmth and care.
Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “I understand, Captain He. I won’t let you down. At the very least, I’ll make sure to learn as much as I can, right?”
He Tianshu nodded and said: “It’s good that you understand. Now, go read your books. I’ll be off.”
With that, he smiled and started to leave. Zhang Xiaohua walked him to the door. Just as he was about to turn back, He Tianshu suddenly turned around and said: “Oh, right, Zhang Xiaohua, I almost forgot. How’s your martial arts practice going? It’s been a while since we last trained together.”
Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “It’s going well, Captain He. I’ve been mixing the martial arts you taught me with some techniques my second brother taught me, and I’ve been able to practice them together.”
He Tianshu laughed and said: “Not bad, Zhang Xiaohua! You’ve even started to create your own technique. That’s promising. Keep practicing, and when you get a chance, show me what you’ve got.”
Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Sure, no problem, Captain He. Anytime!”
He Tianshu said: “This time you won’t forget?”
Zhang Xiaohua replied: “I won’t. Don’t worry.”
He Tianshu said, “Alright, I’ll take a look when I have time. You should read your books now. I’m off.”
After saying this, he turned to leave the room. Zhang Xiaohua watched him go and was about to turn back when He Tianshu turned around again and said: “Oh, I almost forgot, Zhang Xiaohua.”
Zhang Xiaohua was a bit surprised and turned back, saying: “What is it, Captain He?”
He Tianshu said: “The books I brought earlier were borrowed from the Villa Mistress. When she heard that you were going to read them, she was very pleased. She said that when you finish reading these, she has more books available. You can go over and get them from Qiu Tong.”
Zhang Xiaohua was delighted upon hearing this and said: “Really? That’s great! Thank you, Captain He.”
He Tianshu laughed and said: “Why thank me? Alright, go read your books.”
With that, he turned to leave again. Zhang Xiaohua watched him go and didn’t turn back this time but quietly waited.
Just as He Tianshu was about to lift his leg to leave, he seemed to remember something and turned around again, saying: “Oh, I almost forgot, Zhang Xiaohua…”
Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua was still standing there with a smile, not having turned around, He Tianshu was taken aback and asked: “Zhang Xiaohua, why haven’t you gone to read your books?”
Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “I was waiting for Captain He to tell me something else that you ‘almost forgot’.”
He Tianshu laughed and said: “Oh, I see… It’s like this…”
Then, he had a rather strange expression, Zhang Xiaohua frowned and asked: “What’s wrong?”
He Tianshu shrugged and said: “This time, I really did forget. Never mind, I’ll tell you when I remember.”
With that, he turned and left the room.
Zhang Xiaohua still didn’t move and quietly waited until He Tianshu had gone out. Then he peeked outside and saw He Tianshu walking away, patting his forehead. After He Tianshu entered his own room, Zhang Xiaohua finally felt at ease, closed the door, and went to his bed to read.
Meanwhile, He Tianshu, back in his room, was still trying to remember what it was he wanted to say.
Late into the night, He Tianshu continued tossing and turning, furrowing his brow in thought. Just as the first light of dawn appeared in the sky, He Tianshu suddenly sat up and laughed: “I finally remembered! I wanted to tell Zhang Xiaohua not to stay up too late reading and to make sure he gets enough rest.”
With a new routine, Zhang Xiaohua was naturally lost in his new interests. Every day, he alternated between reading and practicing martial arts, hoping that these days would last forever. However, the more he read, the more he realized how complex and profound the cultivation of medicinal herbs truly was. He couldn’t help but admire those who had written so much on the subject and was immensely grateful to Li Jinfeng for teaching him how to read, to Huanxi Villa for giving him the opportunity to read these books, and to the Villa Mistress for lending them to him. Lastly, he also felt grateful to his parents for allowing him to leave home. Hmm, putting his parents at the end of the list of thanks shouldn’t get him into trouble, right? Hehehe, by the way, when he saw the Villa Mistress one day, could he mention to her if she could find a job for his parents?
As the saying goes, the more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know. Zhang Xiaohua was now in this state of mind.
As he continued reading the books He Tianshu had brought, Zhang Xiaohua felt more and more that he knew too little. In fact, he had already forgotten his primary goal, to find out why those seeds weren’t sprouting. He even started to agree with what the Medicine Hall’s Hall Master had said, simply reading a few books wouldn’t solve the problems He Tianshu and the others were facing. After all, if the solution could be found just by reading, the elders of the Medicine Hall would have resolved it long ago.
However, Zhang Xiaohua had become deeply fascinated by the magical world of medicinal herbs.
One afternoon, after finishing his martial arts practice, Zhang Xiaohua returned to his room and, as usual, picked up a book to read. It was then that he realized he had already finished all the books the previous night. Flipping through the books, he felt quite bored. Zhang Xiaohua had a habit, once he had read a book, he disliked reading it a second time. Although He Tianshu had brought many books, they couldn’t withstand Zhang Xiaohua’s day-and-night reading habits. Suddenly, Zhang Xiaohua remembered that He Tianshu had mentioned when he brought the books that if he finished them all, he could go to the Villa Mistress to borrow more and that Qiu Tong could help with that. Thinking that he hadn’t seen Big Sister Qiu Tong in a while, he decided to take this opportunity to visit her.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Xiaohua gathered up the books and went to find He Tianshu.
However, the door to He Tianshu’s room was tightly closed. Zhang Xiaohua called out for a long time from outside, but there was no response, suggesting that He Tianshu had gone out. This left Zhang Xiaohua feeling a bit troubled. He had never been to the inner villa before, and he didn’t know where Big Sister Qiu Tong was, let alone the Villa Mistress.
Just as he was about to return to his room, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly remembered that he had gone inside to visit Elder Yu last time. Elder Yu would surely know where to find them, so he carried the books and walked through the small round gate towards the inner courtyard.
After passing through a few more courtyards, Zhang Xiaohua arrived at the place where Elder Yu lived. Unfortunately, Elder Yu was also not there. Zhang Xiaohua was disheartened. What kind of day was this? He hadn’t checked the almanac, and now nothing was going smoothly.
However, since he was already inside, he decided to keep looking. If he happened to see one or two people, he could ask them for directions. After all, he was a resident of Piaomiao Villa too, so there was no need to worry about being misunderstood. But he had forgotten that the blue-robed servants and the few people from the Medicine Hall rarely entered the inner courtyard, which was mainly where the women lived.
As Zhang Xiaohua was walking deeper into the courtyard with his head down, he suddenly heard a sharp voice: “Where did this child come from? How did you end up here?”
Zhang Xiaohua was startled and stopped in his tracks. Was she talking about him?
When he turned to look, sure enough, a young woman was standing under the canopy in the small courtyard. She was holding some washed clothes, clearly about to hang them out to dry.
Zhang Xiaohua quickly bowed and said: “I’m from the outer medicinal herb fields, under Captain He Tianshu. I came here to find Big Sister Qiu Tong.”
The young woman looked puzzled when she heard this, put down the clothes, and walked over. She sized up Zhang Xiaohua and said: “Someone from Captain He’s group? I haven’t heard of you. You’re so young, how could you have come from the Medicine Hall?”
Zhang Xiaohua knew she misunderstood and thought he was a member of the Piaomiao Sect, but he didn’t want to explain too much, so he said: “I’ve only recently arrived and am not actually from the Medicine Hall. That’s probably why you don’t recognize me Big Sister. But if you could just find Big Sister Qiu Tong and come over, she’ll understand.”
The young woman found his explanation reasonable and said: “Since you’re new, you might not be aware of the villa’s rules. Without permission, you’re not allowed to enter the inner courtyard. Given your age, I’m guessing Captain He just overlooked this. But don’t do it again, if the Villa Mistress finds out, you’ll get beaten with a plank.”
Zhang Xiaohua was shocked and stuck out his tongue, saying; “I had no idea it was so serious.”
But he secretly cursed in his heart: “Captain He really should have told me this in detail. How could you send me to find the Villa Mistress on my own? Getting hit with a board on the buttocks probably doesn’t feel good. And why didn’t Tian Chongxi mention anything about this? It’s really strange.”
In fact, this was all a misunderstanding. Tian Chongxi and He Tianshu knew that Qiu Tong had brought Zhang Xiaohua into the villa, so they assumed she had already explained the rules. Qiu Tong, on the other hand, saw Zhang Xiaohua as a younger brother and naturally didn’t think there was anything to avoid. Originally, after bringing Zhang Xiaohua in, she intended to explain everything to him but was stopped by the Villa Mistress’s words, “You must strive on your own”. She completely forgot about it. Moreover, Zhang Xiaohua had spent several months recovering at the escort agency, and in everyone’s mind, he was already an “old-timer”, even though he was still quite “fresh.”
Given his young age, the young woman didn’t make a big deal of it. She simply instructed him: “Don’t go any further in, I’ll go find Qiu Tong for you.” Then quickly headed inside.
Zhang Xiaohua could only wait there, curiously observing the small courtyard. It was smaller than the one he and the others lived in, but it was kept exceptionally clean. There were even some flowers and plants growing in the corners, which reminded Zhang Xiaohua of his sister-in-law, Liu Qian. Didn’t she also love to plant flowers and plants in the courtyard?
When Zhang Xiaohua noticed the clothes the young woman was about to hang out to dry, he thought for a moment, walked over, put the books on a stone table, and washed his hands in the basin of clean water. Then he started helping to hang the clothes to dry one by one.
These were tasks Zhang Xiaohua often helped his mother with at home, so he was very familiar with them. In no time, he had finished hanging all the clothes. While doing so, he couldn’t help but think about his family back home.
Zhang Xiaohua held his books and waited at the entrance while pondering. He found it strange that, although he often missed home, the feelings weren’t as frequent when he was in the herb fields. Yet, as soon as he entered the inner courtyard, thoughts of his parents and sister-in-law surfaced constantly, what was going on?
As he was lost in thought, Zhang Xiaohua sensed someone approaching from a distance, even though there were no audible footsteps yet, he could clearly feel them. Soon enough, the young woman reappeared, bringing Qiu Tong along. Qiu Tong spotted Zhang Xiaohua from afar and cheerfully said: “So it really is you, Zhang Xiaohua! Qiu Ju said a little child was looking for me but couldn’t tell me the name. I figured it had to be you.”
Seeing Qiu Ju’s face flushed red, Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but sweat a bit. He realized she had rushed off without even asking for his name, leaving him no choice but to say: “Sister Qiu Ju was in such a hurry that I forgot to tell her my name.”
Qiu Tong laughed and said; “You’re such a considerate child Xiaohua, knowing how to cover for others. But Qiu Ju’s carelessness is known to everyone in the villa. Alright, come with me. What brings you here to see me today?”
With that, she led Zhang Xiaohua further inside.
As the two walked away, Qiu Ju’s face slowly returned to its normal color, the blush on her face fading. She cursed herself for being so careless, but as she turned to resume her chores, she noticed the clothes hanging out to dry. Her face flushed red again. That little rascal was quite diligent, taking the initiative to hang the clothes, but how can a man hang a girl’s clothes? He’s still a big boy in his teens!
Qiu Ju stood in the yard, should she take down the clothes and wash them again?
What a boundless dilemma~
Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaohua, blissfully unaware that his good intentions might have backfired, excitedly explained his purpose to Qiu Tong.
Qiu Tong was very happy to hear that Zhang Xiaohua had been reading books on medicinal herbs. She couldn’t help but affectionately pat his head as she would with a younger brother, smiling as she said: “Xiaohua, you’re really impressive! When you first arrived, you could barely recognize a few characters, and now you’re reading books. If you can truly help the Villa Mistress solve the seed issue, that would be wonderful.”
Zhang Xiaohua, ever earnest, responded: “Big Sister Qiu Tong, I owe my literacy to the Young Master Li you met last time. Oh, by the way, he came to our villa with my second brother once and even said he wanted to see you.”
Qiu Tong was momentarily surprised, then quickly understood and smiled: “Did Young Master Li ask you to tell me that?”
Zhang Xiaohua hastily clarified: “I wanted to tell you myself, but Young Master Li told me to just casually mention him. If he visits again, you can ask him yourself.”
Qiu Tong chuckled and said: “We’ll see. For now, let’s focus on helping the Villa Mistress with the seed issue.”
Zhang Xiaohua quickly added: “Young Master Li gave me a few books like these to start with.”
However, it seemed that Qiu Tong didn’t want to mention this, so Zhang Xiaohua continued: “However, I feel that just reading these books is theoretical and not enough. It’s best to combine theory with practice. The theory originates from practice but is elevated above it. Experts record their practices in books for us to learn from, but after learning, we need to return to practice to truly test the theory and turn it into our own knowledge. That’s how true understanding comes through practice.”
Qiu Tong stopped in her tracks upon hearing this and asked; “Who told you this?”
Seeing that Qiu Tong had paused, he stopped as well and replied: “It’s something I’ve realized from reading these books recently. Did I say something wrong?”
Qiu Tong smiled and said: “You’re not wrong. It sounds like something the Villa Mistress often says. I thought someone else had told you. Anyway, let’s go quickly. The Manor Mistress and others seem to be busy in the main hall. I’ll help you find the books.”
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