Chapter 50

At noon, the ox cart was moving along the street.

These streets were well-planned, running straight and perpendicular, with shops lining both sides. Ye Qing saw a large pharmacy and went inside.

The shopkeeper was an elderly man in his fifties, smiling, "What would the guest like?"

Ye Qing pointed to a ginseng root under a glass cover on the counter and smiled, "Please bring this for me to see."

The shopkeeper responded, carefully taking it out. Ye Qing just sniffed it and looked at it, then showed a satisfied expression. The ginseng contained threads of spiritual liquid, which was its medicinal property.

An old ginseng root could sell for millions. If analyzed by physical and chemical components, it would be no different from a new one. The only difference was the accumulated vitality, or the concentration of medicinal properties.

Ye Qing didn't believe that wild ginseng was better than artificially cultivated ones. In fact, artificial cultivation was equally effective if given enough time. On Earth, he had known a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who ran his own clinic, famous throughout half a province, with a steady stream of patients. He earned millions a year.

Was his medical skill particularly outstanding?

It was just that the herbs he used were grown at home, with no difference in method from artificial cultivation. The only difference was that artificial cultivation was often harvested after one or two years, while his were cultivated for five or six years.

This was the secret that was not passed on.

However, the herbs in this world were quite good. Ye Qing casually said, "Dried tea, Dingchuan, Yuzhu leaves, Kuibai flowers..."

He listed twenty-one ingredients, buying some auxiliary herbs. Only seven of them were actually used, to make a medicinal bath to absorb the effects, to prevent the formula from being leaked.

Back at the inn, he just gave an order, and the inn sent a charcoal stove and a sand pot. After placing the herbs in the right proportions, the water boiled, and soon a faint medicinal fragrance filled the small courtyard.

The Six Yang Diagram was the supreme foundation, but the growth of the physical body still followed certain rules. Using the medicinal water could enhance the foundation even more.

When the medicinal water was poured into the wooden bucket, Ye Qing sank into it, quietly feeling the warm steam seep in, but his eyes were cold.

"The purpose of this spell is not to cut, but to make me yield?"

"But this is my second reincarnation, my luck has dropped to its lowest point. If I yield again, it might be even worse than my previous life. I might as well smash my head against a tofu block and die!"

"Time is so tight, I originally planned to take it slowly, but it seems that won't work now."

"I am willing to accept, but who is Lü Shangjing? How could he not see through it? In this world, knowledge and wisdom can be useful, or useless. No matter how talented one is, without the right position and stage, one can only be destitute in the countryside."

"This matter is urgent. I must go straight to the point and settle it with one word."

"There's no time to waste. I'll go this afternoon, under the pretext of seeking knowledge, and hire him as a guest teacher. Although it's still a private tutor, I'm willing to pay three hundred taels of silver a year!"

"As long as he agrees, I can borrow some of his potential luck. I have done my best, and whether I can get through this calamity is up to fate."

Having decided, the water in the bucket had cooled. Ye Qing went to the well in the courtyard, washed his body with cold water, and walked to the desk, opening the scrolls he had brought and reading them one by one.

After some thought, Ye Qing took five scrolls and left the inn. An ox cart passed by, and Ye Qing waved, "No need to shout, take me to Dingjiafang!"

The driver responded, lifted the curtain, and let Ye Qing sit down.

After about two incense sticks' time, the ox cart stopped. Ye Qing threw some money and got off. Not far away was the hotel.

The waiter saw Ye Qing and, recognizing him as yesterday's generous customer, was delighted and immediately invited him in.

The wine shop was unusually empty, with only Ye Qing and a middle-aged scholar sitting by the window, sipping wine. This person was none other than Lü Shangjing, who had ordered a plate of peanuts and was drinking alone.

Seeing him, Ye Qing felt relieved. If he didn't go now, Lü Shangjing must have intended to. Looking up, he saw a faint red dot and a gray cloud, indicating poor luck.

Ye Qing approached and bowed, "Indeed, it's Brother Lü. I came today to see if you were here. Now that I see you, it was worth the trip."

Lü Shangjing turned around, a man in his forties with a thin face, quite ordinary, but with deep, thoughtful eyes. He returned the bow and smiled, "It's Brother Ye. Please sit."

Ye Qing didn't hesitate and sat down, then said to the waiter, "Waiter, bring a table of wine and dishes for Brother Lü and me to enjoy and talk."

Lü Shangjing waved, "Yesterday you paid for everything, I feel bad. If you do it again today, I can't bear it."

Ye Qing waved his hand, "Brother Lü, don't refuse. Yesterday, I heard your words, each one a pearl, and your writing was so refined. I felt like I had read three years' worth of books. I came today to seek your guidance again."

As he spoke, he took out five scrolls and even some ink and brush.

Hearing this, Lü Shangjing understood and thought, "So that's it!"

He no longer refused. Soon, a few dishes were brought, the aroma making one's mouth water. Lü Shangjing looked at them, raised his cup, and drank, then slowly picked at the food, feeling refreshed. He then read the articles word by word.

After a brief look, Lü Shangjing was stunned, stopped, and looked at Ye Qing for a long time before smiling faintly and continuing to read.

"Aim for the middle and upper, to achieve good quality!" This was the principle he had used in the child examination, and now these five articles followed the same principle.

All five were county examination essays, with a similar style. Ye Qing, using his knowledge and Daoist principles, adjusted the structure, added and deleted words, and refined the meanings.

The entire text was dignified and rich in literary flavor, the reasoning pure. Lü Shangjing read silently, looking for a long time before making some changes with his pen.

These changes added much to the articles, but Lü Shangjing's forehead was covered in sweat, as each change required considerable effort.

Ye Qing took the manuscript, read it carefully, and after a long time, put it down, saying, "Good articles, good articles, a stroke of genius! My family, though small, is a prominent clan in the county, and I have some talent and a bit of fame. But today, I realize how shallow I am."

Lü Shangjing shook his head and smiled, "If you are shallow, no one would pass the county examination. In my opinion, based on your talent, you could at least pass the provincial examination."

Ye Qing personally poured a cup of wine and offered it, smiling, "I don't deny that, but you have the talent of a provincial candidate. Frankly, I was shocked by your writing yesterday. A hidden gem, indeed! The county examination officials have failed in their duty."

Such words could not be left unanswered. Lü Shangjing raised his cup and drank, saying, "Brother, you flatter me. My talent is nothing, and I didn't have it from the beginning."

He drank a few more cups and then smiled sadly, "I am a farmer's son. Though I had the chance to study and passed the child examination, my knowledge was not deep, and I had no luck, so I failed. By the time my skills improved, I was too old—this year I am forty-three. Who would promote me now?"

At this, Lü Shangjing laughed, but tears rolled down his cheeks.

Seeing this, Ye Qing felt a deep sense of empathy. Although he had inherited the literary works from his previous life, just talking with Lü Shangjing gave him a deeper understanding of the principles of classics and the teachings of sages. He sighed, feeling that the trip was worthwhile.

In his previous life, he had read countless articles, and after rebirth, he had brought them all over, but had not thoroughly organized them into a system. Now, influenced by Lü Shangjing's words, he gained much.

"Even if this person has no luck, his knowledge alone is worth my effort." Thinking this, he decided to be straightforward, "Brother Lü, do you think I am being presumptuous? I am not flattering you. Yesterday's conversation shocked me with your talent, and today, I feel even more that you are underappreciated. So, I have a request, if you would allow it?"

Lü Shangjing was surprised, looking at Ye Qing's solemn face, and said, "Please speak."

"Brother Lü, your talent has greatly benefited me. I wish to hire you as my guest teacher to guide my writing. Would you be willing?" As he spoke, Ye Qing stood up and made a deep bow.

Hearing this, Lü Shangjing was startled and realized, intending to refuse, but then saw Ye Qing take out three silver notes, each worth a hundred taels, and place them on the table, saying, "This is your annual salary. Please don't think it's too little!"

Lü Shangjing was stunned for a long time before sighing, "With such generosity, I shouldn't refuse..."

Ye Qing waved his hand, interrupting, "Please don't refuse yet. You are a great talent, and I don't want to taint you with material things. But you are too poor, and your guidance is worth a thousand taels per word. Please accept this."

He bowed deeply again, "Though we have only known each other for a short time, we are already close friends. After the county examination, the provincial examination is not far. I want to use this time to learn from you to strengthen my foundation. I hope you will give me this opportunity. If you find it unsuitable in the future, I will not force you to stay and will send you back home after the provincial examination. What do you think?"

If it were for a lifetime, Lü Shangjing, despite his poverty, would have refused due to a sense of destiny. But Ye Qing only asked for half a year of teaching, offered three hundred taels of silver, and was so humble and sincere, making it hard for Lü Shangjing to refuse.

After much thought, he sighed, "Since you put it this way, how can I refuse? Fine, I will accompany you in your studies for now."

As soon as he agreed, Ye Qing was overjoyed. He looked up and saw the gray cloud above Lü Shangjing's head gradually dissipate, turning into a full, white aura.

This was the luck represented by the three hundred taels of silver. Three hundred taels were enough to make a family wealthy for five years, and such luck was quite normal. More would turn it red.

But there was no other change.

As for Ye Qing himself, he only gained a faint, barely visible thread of luck, not the significant change he had expected. Disappointment and a hint of fear crept into his heart.

After a moment, he realized, "I was overthinking it. If this person had luck, he wouldn't be so destitute."

"Even if he becomes a prime minister in the future, that's a different time. How can we generalize?"

However, even so, Ye Qing did not regret his decision. He smiled to cover his emotions, drank some more wine with Lü Shangjing, and then took his leave.