Benevolence is to love others. (humane, lover)
Through the thin walls, Meng Qi could hear the bubbling sound of water on the stove. The sky was just beginning to brighten, and there were no sounds of people on the street yet.
This house was the one Ning Changyuan found for them yesterday. It was somewhat dilapidated, with cracks in the walls filled with mud and grass, and there was no heated kang bed. The house felt cold.
There was no bedding or pillows on the bed either, making it impossible for an ordinary person to sleep. But Meng Qi didn’t mind. As soon as he entered the room yesterday, he nodded and said it was good. There was only one bed.
The bed wasn’t big, and one end was missing a foot, causing it to tilt and require a brick for support. Two people could barely lie on it, but they had to remain still, or their arms and legs would touch.
Because Mo Li forcibly insisted that Meng Qi must sleep and not practice internal cultivation like other internal martial arts masters who used meditation as a form of rest, Meng Qi had been contemplating the situation of lying on the bed with the physician since he stepped into the room. He had even prepared himself to persuade Mo Li to sleep on the bed and leave the floor to him.
But it turned out to be unnecessary. Mo Li naturally lay down on the bed, just like when they slept in the wilderness. He seemed unperturbed as if they were separated by several feet rather than being close to each other.
Meng Qi wanted to say something, but when he turned his head, he found that the person next to him had already fallen asleep. The breathing of a person cultivating internal energy was gentle and elongated, and their breath while sleeping was even fainter, easily overlooked if one wasn’t careful. The result was that he wanted to speak but found that the person had left him to meet the god of dreams—
Meng Qi strangely thought to himself that maybe it wasn’t the god of dreams, but the mountain spirits. In ancient poems, there were often verses about transcending reality and encountering mountain spirits. So, even if the person was sleeping next to him, who knows who he was accompanying in his dreams, engaging in conversations and laughter?
With this thought, Meng Qi almost shook the person awake.
While thinking about the tree on Mount Silang, he quietly moved closer to Mo Li. After leaving Mount Silang, Mo Li’s gentle and clear aura, like a spring, became prominent again. This aura could soothe any restless thoughts and make a person feel as if they were immersed in cool water, tranquil and oblivious to the world.
The bed was too worn-out, and it creaked with the slightest movement. Meng Qi had tried his best to prevent the bed from making noise.
He thought he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, but at some point, he unknowingly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he could hear the sound of water boiling on the stove outside the wall. In the distance, someone was fetching well water, and there was a couple whispering to each other in low voices from the neighboring house, accompanied by the sounds of a child’s whimpering and crying.
Everything became vivid, and along with the bubbling of the water on the stove, numerous sounds entered his ears. The person beside him was no longer there, but Meng Qi could sense that the person hadn’t gone far. He was probably sitting under the eaves outside the house. So he wasn’t in a hurry and just lay on the bed, listening.
It seemed like it had been a long time since he had heard these sounds. The gradually awakening morning in the neighborhood, the filling voices of people, and the various scenes of everyday life—it seemed like he had witnessed them for many years, but somehow he had forgotten.
“Physician, why are you up so early?”
“Qiu Hong?” Mo Li’s tone was gentle. “You are in a weakened state, and the well water is too cold. It’s better to wash your clothes around noon.”
“…After all, it’s the New Year. I want to wash them clean. I’ve been busy these past few days. If the physician says so, I’ll steal half a day of laziness.” Qiu Hong’s voice came closer, and she asked, “It smells so good. Are you cooking porridge?”
“Yes, I soaked the beans overnight, and now they’re boiling.”
“But isn’t the firewood insufficient?” Qiu Hong said with concern, “The porridge may not be cooked long enough; it might not be good.”
Mo Li simply smiled and didn’t mention that martial arts experts were never afraid of insufficient firewood. Qiu Hong left, and another person who had risen early to fetch water came.
“Oh, someone is living in this house? Brought back by Daoist Ning?”
“Just staying for a few days, will be leaving soon.” Mo Li responded amiably, not disregarding the person just because they were strangers.
“No problem, no problem. Looks like you’re taking care of Daoist Ning’s business.” The person’s voice was coarse, and he laughed, “Those who carry references either have a special skill or someone to rely on. Let me tell you, in times of famine, craftsmen never go hungry. I envy them!”
Mo Li avoided talking about himself and simply said, “This place is not bad.”
“That’s right, except for being poor, it has no flaws!” The person laughed heartily and walked away.
The bean porridge on the stove continued to bubble, and the aroma gradually wafted in. It wasn’t the fragrance of rice but that of the beans.
Meng Qi instinctively touched his stomach; he was starting to feel hungry. He slowly sat up, his hair still disheveled, and his clothes not properly worn.
Mo Li naturally heard the movement inside the room, so he asked through the door, “Awake?”
“I didn’t expect the physician to be able to cook.” Meng Qi’s fingers twitched with impatience.
“Boiling some beans over a stove doesn’t make me a cook.” Mo Li’s remark wasn’t him being modest.
After all, he had only lived in this world for less than twenty years.
There was no time to learn culinary skills amidst studying history, practicing the Qi of the Yellow River, and martial arts. Elder Qin didn’t teach him that either. As long as the food was cooked, and one didn’t starve, that was sufficient. Boiling medicine required a stove, and Mo Li was quite skilled at that.
Meng Qi walked to the window, but due to the tightly sealed covering, he could only see a vague figure. “Why did you think of making bean porridge?”
“It’s not bean porridge. I borrowed a nearby millstone and ground the beans into a paste. I boiled it and made it into medicine for you to drink.” Mo Li held a tattered fan in his hand, pretending to fan the stove fire, which was burning vigorously.
Meng Qi was taken aback by his words and pushed open the door, facing Mo Li, who sat under the eaves, lazily fanning the stove fire in intermittent motions. Mo Li appeared completely at ease, unlike someone who had risen early to work. He seemed leisurely, only a missing scroll in his hand to complete the picture.
On the stove was a clay pot, and the bean paste inside was boiling vigorously.
“How can this also treat illnesses?” Meng Qi lowered his head curiously.
“…It detoxifies.”
Mo Li paused, then quickly added before Meng Qi could react, “It’s effective for emergencies and detoxification. You can give it a try; the taste is not bad, and it’s cheap. There’s still more than half a bag in the corner; it’s enough for us to eat for three days.”
“…”
We’ll be drinking only this for three days?
Meng Qi couldn’t help but stare at Mo Li. Even a farmer would be driven dizzy and blinded by hunger.
“Oh, it can also be used to make tofu,” Mo Li turned his head slightly and said so.
“That’s more like it…”
Before Meng Qi could finish grumbling, Mo Li suddenly asked, “Wait a minute. You often don’t eat anything, and I haven’t seen you starve to death. Now that there is something to eat, do you find it insufficient?”
Meng Qi really wanted to say that when he was the Imperial Tutor, he had tasted delicious dishes from all over, and he must have visited all the famous restaurants in Taijing. But firstly, he hadn’t done anything himself and had just waited to be served. Secondly, he couldn’t offend the physician; he had agreed to follow the physician’s orders. So, Meng Qi wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Hey, hey, hey, whose wife is this? She looks so beautiful!” A loud voice suddenly appeared, startling both of them. They looked around instinctively, but besides them, there was no one else. Where did this beautiful wife come from?
Mo Li suddenly noticed that Meng Qi’s hair was disheveled, and the old woman had poor eyesight, so she could only see his outline.
The people on the street, hearing the old woman’s call, turned their heads to look over, including those who loved to watch the excitement. They pushed open their windows and craned their necks to see what was happening.
Mo Li, holding his fan and unsure whether to cover Meng Qi’s face: “…”
Meng Qi still hadn’t realized the problem lay with himself.
The trembling old woman approached, her wrinkled hand resting on Meng Qi’s arm, and she kept advising, “Lady, the world is in chaos, and being beautiful brings disaster upon oneself.”
“…”
Meng Qi finally realized and touched his face in shock. He didn’t look like a woman!
“Is this your husband?” The old woman turned to Mo Li.
Mo Li, who had intended to watch the spectacle, was dumbfounded.
“Get some stove ashes and wipe your wife’s face. You have to live a good life!” The old woman patted Meng Qi’s hand and lamented, “I have a daughter, around the same age as you, but we got separated during the escape. She is so beautiful, tall in stature, and her skin is as smooth as this bean paste.”
Both of them silently looked at the bean paste, which was quite white.
Due to Mo Li’s depleted inner energy, the bean paste inside the clay pot was no longer boiling as vigorously.
“…I hope she didn’t encounter any bad people.” The old woman’s words trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes.
Meng Qi wanted to say something but suddenly realized his voice sounded wrong.
Afraid of frightening the old woman and unable to shake off her hand, Meng Qi could only stand there stiffly.
At this moment, bystanders also realized that the old woman had made a mistake and hurriedly came over to mediate. “Aunt Yin, you mistook the person. This is a young husband, just that he looks fair-skinned… Why did you… Aiyo, this is really something!”
“He’s the person Senior Ning brought back yesterday!”
After helping the old woman away, they quickly came over to greet Mo Li and Meng Qi. “Sorry about that. Aunt Yin used to be a seamstress; her eyesight is not good.”
“…It’s nothing. Can I take a look at her?” Mo Li added, “I am a physician. I can’t cure eye problems, but I can provide some relief. It’s better than losing sight completely in the future.”
“Ah, you’re the physician Senior Ning mentioned yesterday! What a coincidence!” The people who came to greet them became much more polite. People with special skills wouldn’t stay long in a wild settlement, and physicians were even rarer.
Finally, one person came over and apologized to Meng Qi.
“Your appearance is better than the women here. Aunt Yin made a mistake. I’m really sorry.”
After Meng Qi heard that, his face turned dark.
Seeing that half the street had shown up, Meng Qi felt that he might become famous in this wild settlement. He silently returned to the house and found a broken-toothed comb to fix his hair.
Thinking about how others mistook him for the physician’s…
Hmm, something seemed off.
Meng Qi tried to imagine himself standing next to the physician in women’s clothing and shuddered.
That scene was quite shocking.
Mo Li also entered the room, holding the clay pot. “What are you looking at?”
Mo Li also felt somewhat uncomfortable and cleared his throat, asking.
Meng Qi stared at his arm expressionlessly and said seriously, “There’s definitely no bean paste in the clay pot that looks as white as my arm!”
Mo Li was speechless, but he realized something. So, Meng Qi admitted to being good-looking?
“People in this settlement seem to have close relationships.” Mo Li couldn’t find a clean bowl, so he gave the clay pot to Meng Qi and said, “You drink first.”
Meng Qi said absentmindedly, “Perhaps they have all lost their loved ones or are in a foreign land with no one to rely on, so they take care of each other.”
“It’s been a long time since I left Zhushan County, and I haven’t felt this relaxed in a while,” Mo Li pondered.
“…If everyone in the world could be like this, it would resemble the image depicted in the books of sages,” Meng Qi finally put down his arm and weighed the clay pot, wondering how much he should drink and how much to leave for the physician.
For some reason, he wanted to drink it all.
The physician woke up early and cooked for a long time.
As a result, his face was torn just for this mouthful…
Benevolence is to love others. (humane, lover)
Through the thin walls, Meng Qi could hear the bubbling sound of water on the stove. The sky was just beginning to brighten, and there were no sounds of people on the street yet.
This house was the one Ning Changyuan found for them yesterday. It was somewhat dilapidated, with cracks in the walls filled with mud and grass, and there was no heated kang bed. The house felt cold.
There was no bedding or pillows on the bed either, making it impossible for an ordinary person to sleep. But Meng Qi didn’t mind. As soon as he entered the room yesterday, he nodded and said it was good. There was only one bed.
The bed wasn’t big, and one end was missing a foot, causing it to tilt and require a brick for support. Two people could barely lie on it, but they had to remain still, or their arms and legs would touch.
Because Mo Li forcibly insisted that Meng Qi must sleep and not practice internal cultivation like other internal martial arts masters who used meditation as a form of rest, Meng Qi had been contemplating the situation of lying on the bed with the physician since he stepped into the room. He had even prepared himself to persuade Mo Li to sleep on the bed and leave the floor to him.
But it turned out to be unnecessary. Mo Li naturally lay down on the bed, just like when they slept in the wilderness. He seemed unperturbed as if they were separated by several feet rather than being close to each other.
Meng Qi wanted to say something, but when he turned his head, he found that the person next to him had already fallen asleep. The breathing of a person cultivating internal energy was gentle and elongated, and their breath while sleeping was even fainter, easily overlooked if one wasn’t careful. The result was that he wanted to speak but found that the person had left him to meet the god of dreams—
Meng Qi strangely thought to himself that maybe it wasn’t the god of dreams, but the mountain spirits. In ancient poems, there were often verses about transcending reality and encountering mountain spirits. So, even if the person was sleeping next to him, who knows who he was accompanying in his dreams, engaging in conversations and laughter?
With this thought, Meng Qi almost shook the person awake.
While thinking about the tree on Mount Silang, he quietly moved closer to Mo Li. After leaving Mount Silang, Mo Li’s gentle and clear aura, like a spring, became prominent again. This aura could soothe any restless thoughts and make a person feel as if they were immersed in cool water, tranquil and oblivious to the world.
The bed was too worn-out, and it creaked with the slightest movement. Meng Qi had tried his best to prevent the bed from making noise.
He thought he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, but at some point, he unknowingly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he could hear the sound of water boiling on the stove outside the wall. In the distance, someone was fetching well water, and there was a couple whispering to each other in low voices from the neighboring house, accompanied by the sounds of a child’s whimpering and crying.
Everything became vivid, and along with the bubbling of the water on the stove, numerous sounds entered his ears. The person beside him was no longer there, but Meng Qi could sense that the person hadn’t gone far. He was probably sitting under the eaves outside the house. So he wasn’t in a hurry and just lay on the bed, listening.
It seemed like it had been a long time since he had heard these sounds. The gradually awakening morning in the neighborhood, the filling voices of people, and the various scenes of everyday life—it seemed like he had witnessed them for many years, but somehow he had forgotten.
“Physician, why are you up so early?”
“Qiu Hong?” Mo Li’s tone was gentle. “You are in a weakened state, and the well water is too cold. It’s better to wash your clothes around noon.”
“…After all, it’s the New Year. I want to wash them clean. I’ve been busy these past few days. If the physician says so, I’ll steal half a day of laziness.” Qiu Hong’s voice came closer, and she asked, “It smells so good. Are you cooking porridge?”
“Yes, I soaked the beans overnight, and now they’re boiling.”
“But isn’t the firewood insufficient?” Qiu Hong said with concern, “The porridge may not be cooked long enough; it might not be good.”
Mo Li simply smiled and didn’t mention that martial arts experts were never afraid of insufficient firewood. Qiu Hong left, and another person who had risen early to fetch water came.
“Oh, someone is living in this house? Brought back by Daoist Ning?”
“Just staying for a few days, will be leaving soon.” Mo Li responded amiably, not disregarding the person just because they were strangers.
“No problem, no problem. Looks like you’re taking care of Daoist Ning’s business.” The person’s voice was coarse, and he laughed, “Those who carry references either have a special skill or someone to rely on. Let me tell you, in times of famine, craftsmen never go hungry. I envy them!”
Mo Li avoided talking about himself and simply said, “This place is not bad.”
“That’s right, except for being poor, it has no flaws!” The person laughed heartily and walked away.
The bean porridge on the stove continued to bubble, and the aroma gradually wafted in. It wasn’t the fragrance of rice but that of the beans.
Meng Qi instinctively touched his stomach; he was starting to feel hungry. He slowly sat up, his hair still disheveled, and his clothes not properly worn.
Mo Li naturally heard the movement inside the room, so he asked through the door, “Awake?”
“I didn’t expect the physician to be able to cook.” Meng Qi’s fingers twitched with impatience.
“Boiling some beans over a stove doesn’t make me a cook.” Mo Li’s remark wasn’t him being modest.
After all, he had only lived in this world for less than twenty years.
There was no time to learn culinary skills amidst studying history, practicing the Qi of the Yellow River, and martial arts. Elder Qin didn’t teach him that either. As long as the food was cooked, and one didn’t starve, that was sufficient. Boiling medicine required a stove, and Mo Li was quite skilled at that.
Meng Qi walked to the window, but due to the tightly sealed covering, he could only see a vague figure. “Why did you think of making bean porridge?”
“It’s not bean porridge. I borrowed a nearby millstone and ground the beans into a paste. I boiled it and made it into medicine for you to drink.” Mo Li held a tattered fan in his hand, pretending to fan the stove fire, which was burning vigorously.
Meng Qi was taken aback by his words and pushed open the door, facing Mo Li, who sat under the eaves, lazily fanning the stove fire in intermittent motions. Mo Li appeared completely at ease, unlike someone who had risen early to work. He seemed leisurely, only a missing scroll in his hand to complete the picture.
On the stove was a clay pot, and the bean paste inside was boiling vigorously.
“How can this also treat illnesses?” Meng Qi lowered his head curiously.
“…It detoxifies.”
Mo Li paused, then quickly added before Meng Qi could react, “It’s effective for emergencies and detoxification. You can give it a try; the taste is not bad, and it’s cheap. There’s still more than half a bag in the corner; it’s enough for us to eat for three days.”
“…”
We’ll be drinking only this for three days?
Meng Qi couldn’t help but stare at Mo Li. Even a farmer would be driven dizzy and blinded by hunger.
“Oh, it can also be used to make tofu,” Mo Li turned his head slightly and said so.
“That’s more like it…”
Before Meng Qi could finish grumbling, Mo Li suddenly asked, “Wait a minute. You often don’t eat anything, and I haven’t seen you starve to death. Now that there is something to eat, do you find it insufficient?”
Meng Qi really wanted to say that when he was the Imperial Tutor, he had tasted delicious dishes from all over, and he must have visited all the famous restaurants in Taijing. But firstly, he hadn’t done anything himself and had just waited to be served. Secondly, he couldn’t offend the physician; he had agreed to follow the physician’s orders. So, Meng Qi wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Hey, hey, hey, whose wife is this? She looks so beautiful!” A loud voice suddenly appeared, startling both of them. They looked around instinctively, but besides them, there was no one else. Where did this beautiful wife come from?
Mo Li suddenly noticed that Meng Qi’s hair was disheveled, and the old woman had poor eyesight, so she could only see his outline.
The people on the street, hearing the old woman’s call, turned their heads to look over, including those who loved to watch the excitement. They pushed open their windows and craned their necks to see what was happening.
Mo Li, holding his fan and unsure whether to cover Meng Qi’s face: “…”
Meng Qi still hadn’t realized the problem lay with himself.
The trembling old woman approached, her wrinkled hand resting on Meng Qi’s arm, and she kept advising, “Lady, the world is in chaos, and being beautiful brings disaster upon oneself.”
“…”
Meng Qi finally realized and touched his face in shock. He didn’t look like a woman!
“Is this your husband?” The old woman turned to Mo Li.
Mo Li, who had intended to watch the spectacle, was dumbfounded.
“Get some stove ashes and wipe your wife’s face. You have to live a good life!” The old woman patted Meng Qi’s hand and lamented, “I have a daughter, around the same age as you, but we got separated during the escape. She is so beautiful, tall in stature, and her skin is as smooth as this bean paste.”
Both of them silently looked at the bean paste, which was quite white.
Due to Mo Li’s depleted inner energy, the bean paste inside the clay pot was no longer boiling as vigorously.
“…I hope she didn’t encounter any bad people.” The old woman’s words trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes.
Meng Qi wanted to say something but suddenly realized his voice sounded wrong.
Afraid of frightening the old woman and unable to shake off her hand, Meng Qi could only stand there stiffly.
At this moment, bystanders also realized that the old woman had made a mistake and hurriedly came over to mediate. “Aunt Yin, you mistook the person. This is a young husband, just that he looks fair-skinned… Why did you… Aiyo, this is really something!”
“He’s the person Senior Ning brought back yesterday!”
After helping the old woman away, they quickly came over to greet Mo Li and Meng Qi. “Sorry about that. Aunt Yin used to be a seamstress; her eyesight is not good.”
“…It’s nothing. Can I take a look at her?” Mo Li added, “I am a physician. I can’t cure eye problems, but I can provide some relief. It’s better than losing sight completely in the future.”
“Ah, you’re the physician Senior Ning mentioned yesterday! What a coincidence!” The people who came to greet them became much more polite. People with special skills wouldn’t stay long in a wild settlement, and physicians were even rarer.
Finally, one person came over and apologized to Meng Qi.
“Your appearance is better than the women here. Aunt Yin made a mistake. I’m really sorry.”
After Meng Qi heard that, his face turned dark.
Seeing that half the street had shown up, Meng Qi felt that he might become famous in this wild settlement. He silently returned to the house and found a broken-toothed comb to fix his hair.
Thinking about how others mistook him for the physician’s…
Hmm, something seemed off.
Meng Qi tried to imagine himself standing next to the physician in women’s clothing and shuddered.
That scene was quite shocking.
Mo Li also entered the room, holding the clay pot. “What are you looking at?”
Mo Li also felt somewhat uncomfortable and cleared his throat, asking.
Meng Qi stared at his arm expressionlessly and said seriously, “There’s definitely no bean paste in the clay pot that looks as white as my arm!”
Mo Li was speechless, but he realized something. So, Meng Qi admitted to being good-looking?
“People in this settlement seem to have close relationships.” Mo Li couldn’t find a clean bowl, so he gave the clay pot to Meng Qi and said, “You drink first.”
Meng Qi said absentmindedly, “Perhaps they have all lost their loved ones or are in a foreign land with no one to rely on, so they take care of each other.”
“It’s been a long time since I left Zhushan County, and I haven’t felt this relaxed in a while,” Mo Li pondered.
“…If everyone in the world could be like this, it would resemble the image depicted in the books of sages,” Meng Qi finally put down his arm and weighed the clay pot, wondering how much he should drink and how much to leave for the physician.
For some reason, he wanted to drink it all.
The physician woke up early and cooked for a long time.
As a result, his face was torn just for this mouthful…
