Ye Wanmian opened the door of the shop. The sunlight streamed in. She stretched lazily, picked up two meat buns, walked to a door, and knocked on it. A voice came from behind the door. It was Li Zhao's.
"Come in."
Ye Wanmian pushed the door open and saw Li Zhao sitting up. He didn't look as haggard as he had the day before.
"Uncle Li looks much more energetic than yesterday," Ye Wanmian said. "How do you feel today?"
Li Zhao's gaze fell on her face. Although there were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep, her eyes were bright. She didn't look like someone troubled by problems. Her eyes were rolling around, obviously up to something. A faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed across his eyes.
"Thanks to the two bowls of medicine from Doctor Jiang yesterday, the symptoms of chest tightness, coughing, and sore throat have relieved a lot after I got up this morning. I've also regained some strength."
"Stretch out your hand. Let me take a look," Ye Wanmian motioned to him. Li Zhao obediently stretched out his hand for her to feel his pulse.
While taking his pulse, Ye Wanmian cleared her mind of distractions and focused on discerning the rhythm of his pulse. After checking his left hand, she switched to the right and then listened to the sounds of his lungs.
"You've really improved compared to yesterday, Uncle Li. You can try to get up and walk around more today. But do be careful. Don't overwork yourself, and don't indulge in cold food or alcohol."
The wine gourd was still on the bedside table. Ye Wanmian didn't know if he had secretly drunk from it, so she specifically reminded him.
Li Zhao nodded in agreement, then raised his eyebrows and asked, "Well, what about what I said yesterday? Has Doctor Jiang thought it over after going back?"
Facing Li Zhao now, Ye Wanmian looked calm and was no longer as nervous and defensive as she had been the day before.
"Actually, there's something I don't understand. I hope Uncle Li can clarify it for me."
Li Zhao looked at her with great interest, curious to see what she was up to. "Oh?"
"Uncle Li, what's your purpose in being so frank with me?" Ye Wanmian asked. "You look so dejected and messy, drinking to drown your sorrows all day long and not even bothering to take care of your appearance. Are you looking for someone or hiding from someone?"
"If you're looking for someone, aren't you afraid that one day when you finally find that person, they'll be disgusted by your unkempt appearance and stay away from you?"
Hearing this, Li Zhao unconsciously clenched his hands, which were placed on his knees, and carefully glanced at Ye Wanmian.
"But if we explain it as you hiding from someone, then everything makes sense," Ye Wanmian continued, not noticing his expression. "You look no different from a beggar. No one can tell your real identity. That's how you can hide in the world so easily."
Li Zhao stared at Ye Wanmian's slightly raised eyebrows, looking a bit absent - minded. Another girl's proud face appeared in his mind.
In the past, there was someone who had also talked animatedly in front of him, telling him how she fought back against those who bullied her.
Although the girl in front of him had sallow and rough skin, her eyebrows and eyes were so familiar.
He would never mistake them.
"My identity?" He suppressed the laughter welling up in his heart and covered his lips, coughing twice. "What identity could I have? I'm just an ordinary person."
Ye Wanmian blinked and said seriously, "If that's what you say, Uncle Li, I'm also an ordinary person. Apart from being the acting doctor of this medical clinic, I have no other special identity."
Li Zhao said slowly, "Then tell me, what's my identity? If you can tell my background, I'll admit defeat and be willing to work for you in this medical clinic for free, without asking for a single copper coin."
Ye Wanmian's eyes sparkled as she sized him up and down.
Work for her for free? What a great deal!
Taking a deep breath, Ye Wanmian explained in detail, "Although your face is full of beards and your clothes are tattered, looking very unkempt, there's one thing that reveals your origin."
She pointed at the knot on Li Zhao's waist. "People's habits often come from the places where they usually live and start to form since birth. This knot is called the Vajra Knot. It originated from Buddhism and then spread to the Central Plains. In the entire Central Plains, the place where Buddhism is most prosperous is Luo Prefecture. There are countless temples there, which also influence the local people."
"So, it can be seen that you were probably born and grew up around Luo Prefecture."
Hearing the words "Luo Prefecture", a look of admiration flashed across Li Zhao's eyes. He didn't interrupt but continued to listen.
"There used to be a powerful and prosperous family in Luo Prefecture called the Li Family. The Li Family of Luo Prefecture had been a noble family for hundreds of years. There were many scholars in the family. It was a family of wealth and honor, extremely prominent in the past, with no one able to match them."
"However, in the 17th year of Wenchu, the Li Family of Luo Prefecture was exterminated by the order of King Guo Sheng of Chu. Bodies were lying everywhere. Since then, they disappeared from the world."
"Although the dynasty has changed now, the fact that there's still someone from the Li Family of Luo Prefecture, who was supposed to be executed by King Chu, alive in the world. Uncle Li, what do you think will happen if I spread this news?"
Li Zhao burst out laughing. Due to his illness, he couldn't help coughing a few times. He said in a hoarse voice, "Doctor Jiang is so young but knows about things that happened almost twenty years ago. I'm really impressed. Well, you win. I admit defeat whole - heartedly. From now on, I, Li Zhao, will be part of your Huichuntang Medical Clinic. After I recover, you can order me around as you like."
This time, it was Ye Wanmian's turn to be stunned.
He just admitted it like that?! Without any struggle at all?!
She still had a lot more to say!
Seeing Ye Wanmian looking so frustrated again, Li Zhao laughed even more heartily. He sighed and said in a casual tone,
"Doctor Jiang is right. I'm indeed from the Li Family of Luo Prefecture. I'm probably... the last member of the Li Family of Luo Prefecture still alive in the world. I dress like this just to avoid being recognized."
Although his tone was very relaxed, the words "the last member of the family" were extremely heavy.
Ye Wanmian had lived in a relatively peaceful environment. Even though there were wars on the border, it didn't affect her in the capital city. The biggest hardship she had ever experienced was being forced by her former family to marry a stranger and being forced to wander away.
But he had truly experienced the tragic massacre of his whole family and had survived alone in the world.
It was hard to imagine how desperate and sad he must have felt when he opened his eyes and found himself the only one left in the world. No wonder he used to drink to drown his sorrows.
She originally thought he was a heartless man who had abandoned a woman and then regretted it, but unexpectedly, he carried such a tragic and unknown past.
"What was the real reason behind the massacre of the Li Family of Luo Prefecture back then?" Ye Wanmian couldn't help asking. "Was there any injustice or misunderstanding in it?"