21st

"Uncle, how did you manage to woo Auntie back then?" It's not that Lan Tian doesn't respect her uncle, but with his look, he's the spitting image of a butcher, if not a bandit by origin. Who would believe he's a doctor if he said so?

His wife is still the belle of the village, referring to the middle-aged demographic, of course. Auntie must have been unimaginably beautiful in her youth to be matched with Uncle; it's a classic case of a flower stuck in cow dung. No wonder people say, all the good cabbages are gnawed by pigs!

"Alright, the herbs are washed. I'm off to make the medicine. Go sit over there." Mo Yuanle, carrying the basin of herbs, headed for the kitchen. Could he really tell his niece that he had taken his wife by force? That would ruin his image as a stern father. Lan Tian watched her uncle striding away briskly, as if he was being chased by ghosts.

Such secrecy, could there be some hidden story? In those times, there were many military rogues; perhaps Auntie was taken by force by him! One can't help but admit Lan Tian is onto the truth. Once Mo Yuanle entered the kitchen and saw that his niece didn't follow, he breathed a sigh of relief. The girl was sharp-witted nowadays, but he liked it.

Lan Tian sat bored for a while; the shade under the tree was cool as the breeze passed by. After playing all morning, she felt sleepy. There was a bamboo recliner on the other side of the camphor tree. Lan Tian went over to lie down and soon fell asleep, rocking gently. Grandma Sun went to clean fish and shrimp behind the house; not hearing the voices of the two, she glanced this way and saw her granddaughter sleeping on the rocking chair. Smoke wafted from the kitchen window; peering inside, she saw Mo Yuanle concocting something in a big pot.

"What are you brewing?"

Mo Yuanle just uncovered the lid and stirred the contents with a wooden spoon. Grandma Sun went over to see--a big pot of dark mush, a mixture of leaves, vines, and some black lumps giving off a medicinal scent, bubbling and emitting steam that made it hard to keep one's eyes open. The smell was unpleasant; this whole pot of medicinal soup would be impossible for her granddaughter to finish even by the Monkey Year.

"The girl is too frail. I'm making a herbal bath to strengthen her body. After a period of nourishment when her body has gathered vitality, she can withstand the medicinal baths. For the first seven days, a bath each day, then after seven days, once every three days. After three months, one every seven days, and continue for a few years."

"I'll stir it."

Grandma Sun rolled up her sleeves to help stir, but Mo Yuanle shook his head, indicating there was no need, his eyes fixed on the pot, "Aunt, you can't handle brewing this medicine. I need to watch the fire and stir continuously, and also add herbs in a specific sequence. If the order is wrong, the medicinal soup is useless, and a mistake could turn it into poison."

Grandma Sun looked at his feet, where a wooden basin with more herbs sat beside him, looking similar in their greenery. Mo Yuanle was also holding some herbs, ready to add to the pot. Grandma Sun looked left and right, found no role for herself, and went to cook at another stove.

"Lan Tian today seems different from usual, seems to have changed..." Grandma Sun strained to find an appropriate adjective, but unfortunately, having recognized only a few words her entire life, she couldn't come up with one, "Anyway, I can't exactly describe it, those things she said, I didn't understand a word. If you say Uncle has become an Immortal, why doesn't he come back to find me? There's a divine woman at the Sun family, should I ask for a consultation with the Immortal? Has there ever been an Immortal in our ancestors?" Grandma Sun pondered all morning, still unable to accept the idea, perhaps the ancestral grave was sending forth smoke.

"Aunt, no matter how the child changes, she won't change for the worse, only better. The girl has suffered too much since she was young; she cherishes her current life. Whether it's true or not, we'll see the outcome tomorrow."

"That's also true. Lanlan is a good child, she knows clearly who treats her well. You and her parents love her like the apple of your eye, no different from your own daughter, afraid that she will be aggrieved outside, you went from house to house telling people not to bully her, making everyone in the village aware, except for the girl herself." Grandma Sun thought about the situation back then and couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

"Aunt, here's what I'm thinking. In the future, the child will learn medicine with me. It's a comfortable job that she can handle physically, and Lili is educated, she can teach her how to read. I still have some connections outside, and when she grows up, I want to send her to a special medical school outside. What do you think?"

"She's so young, can she settle down to it? I'm afraid it might be just a passing fancy for her; better wait until she's older!" Grandma Sun wasn't worried about anything except her willingness to learn.

"Just now, I was washing the herbs in the yard, and the child sat beside, watching intently and carefully. I observed her, and it seemed like she was trying to remember how to pick and wash the herbs. When I asked if she wanted to learn medicine with me and her eyes lit up, true to the Mo Family spirit, naturally fond of the medical arts." Right now, Mo Yuanle was like any proud father whose daughter brings home a perfect score, eager to tell everyone while pretending to be modest, yet secretly overjoyed for the whole world to know.

Lan Tian is in such a situation. She displayed interest, and Mo Yuanle is already convinced she has a natural talent in this area, eager for the whole world to find out.

"Two days ago, Uncle Four came to my house, hoping I'd choose two of his granddaughters as apprentices. Teaching one is teaching, and teaching three is the same. Once the child starts learning, I'll go pick two nieces from his house. But the temperament of those raised by Uncle Four isn't very good."

"He sure has his mind on everything."

"The medicine is ready. After eating, we'll give the child a medicinal bath. It's best to soak for one or two hours. In the beginning, it might hurt a bit, indicating that the medicine is permeating the body. Persistence will lead to improvement. Use that large bathtub with a cover; I remember Auntie has one. I'll go and look for it." As Lan Tian slept, her family took care of her matters.