Tranquility

"Cough, cough, second brother, let's go." Tangning stood outside the gate, holding the package, covered her mouth with her hand and coughed twice.

"Here, give it to me. There are quite a lot of things. How about I borrow a bullock cart? You are not well yet. What if the wind blows?" Tang Yun grabbed his brother's package and tightened his clothes Lead, worried.

Tangning felt distressed when she saw a large pile of things on her second brother's thin shoulders, thinking that the family didn't lack those few copper coins, so she nodded.

Half an hour later, Tang Yun sat in front of the car and drove, while Tang Ning nestled in the back. As the car jolted, he became confused.

It had been nearly a month since that nightmarish day. After Shuan Zi was buried, Carpenter Tang, Mrs. Tang, and Tang Ning fell ill one after another.The illnesses of the three were all severe, and Carpenter Tang was particularly ill. The death of his son became the last straw that crushed him. He looked healthy and healthy in the past, but this time all the hidden dangers broke out. I thought he couldn't hold on anymore, until recently his condition has gradually stabilized. The doctor also said that he can recover after a few months of rest, but after all, he has lost his body, so he can't be overworked in the future.After all, Carpenter Tang had lived half his life, and he had sent away many relatives before. Although his hair was grayed by the illness, his spirit finally recovered.

But Mrs. Tang is just the opposite. She is not seriously ill, but she is like stagnant water. She doesn't go out much, and doesn't work much. She just sits in a daze all day long, and sometimes wipes her tears secretly. Fortunately, Niu Niu is with her. Well, it won't break my spirits.

Tangning's illness was typhoid fever, which was a fatal disease in ancient times.He soaked in cold water first, then came out wearing wet clothes, and scratched his head for a long time, so it's no wonder he didn't fall ill.Fortunately, since he came here, he has been exercising for a year and climbing mountains every day. He looks thin but healthy.So he survived the most dangerous few days, the typhoid fever turned to wind and cold, and now he has some coughs.

This month, the hardest and most tiring ones are naturally brothers Tang Mu. Tang Mu has to go to the fields, and Tang Yun does all the housework at home. Since the incident with Shuanzi, almost no one has asked Carpenter Tang to work, not just Mrs. Tang The reason is that there are family matters that others avoid. Naturally, the family lost its source of income. Tang Yun had to take a few days to go around the mountain, catch some wild game and sell it to Zhang Ergou, which hindered Shuanzi. However, the price Zhang Ergou offered was very fair, and Tang Yun didn't suffer much.It's just that Tang Yun never handed over the money to Carpenter Tang. Carpenter Tang didn't know whether it was out of guilt or because he was too sick to take care of it, but he didn't want it anyway.

Ten days ago, Tangning received a letter from her husband, saying that Dr. Lu agreed to show his second and younger brothers.At that time, the family was sick, and they were so busy that they couldn't take time off. Fortunately, Dr. Lu had to treat Sister Cheng for at least a month, and he still had time.

It just so happened that the sun was shining today, and it was only a few days before the school started. Mrs. Tang brought Niu Niu back to her parents' house. Tang Mu stayed at home to take care of Carpenter Tang. Tang Ning and Tang Yun packed up and set out on the road.

Doctor Lu's house is in the northeast corner of the town, the location is quiet, but the layout of the house is very good.It was the first time for Tangning to enter this kind of rich man's house. The house was not too big or small. It had three entrances and a small garden. The whole house was exquisite and detailed, and the layout was very particular. It was a world away from the small town style.

The servants of Lu's residence didn't talk much, they silently led the way for the two brothers, and the two brothers didn't open their mouths to make friends. A group of three people passed through the hanging flower gate, bypassed the screen wall, and went directly into the side hall of the inner courtyard.

The two brothers bid farewell to the servant, and as soon as they entered the door, they saw the two sitting at a round table with many exquisite dishes on the table. The two were a little embarrassed, just in time for someone else's meal order.The two sitting on the table were very calm and didn't get up. After the two brothers saluted, Mr. Cheng opened his mouth and introduced each other.

Dr. Lu looked to be in his 40s, with a dark complexion, gentle eyes, a thin face, and two small beards. He had a strong bookish air, more like a teacher than Mr. Cheng.He walked past Tang Yun and looked at Tang Ning. His eyes were gentle, but it made Tang Ning's skin crawl for no reason. He smiled at Cheng Xiu and said, "Min Zhi, it's no wonder you spared no effort to intercede for him. If there is such a Zhonglingyuxiu apprentice, he will be pampered like a baby."

As he spoke, he turned to Tangning and said, "This old man has no family members. Only this old man lives in this house (the servant is not in his consideration), so he ordered the servant to bring the two nephews into the inner courtyard. Nephew Wang, don't worry about it."

The two brothers hurriedly expressed their indifference.

Dr. Lu nodded in satisfaction: "It's already noon, so I'll talk about things after dinner, okay?"

The two brothers quickly nodded in agreement, and the maid took the basin to wash it, and took their seats.

During the meal, the two elders talked and laughed happily, and there was no rule of not talking.Mr. Cheng is nearly ten years younger than Dr. Lu, but the two are congenial, which seems to be a year-end friendship.

The two Tang Yun brothers were very quiet, they only ate in silence. Tangning wanted to cough several times, but was forced to press down.

After the meal, the servants came in to clear the table, and the four of them went to the flower hall to drink tea and digest food.Tang Ning was holding green tea in her hand, listening to Dr. Lu's talk about the past and the present absently, and accidentally couldn't hold back her cough. This cough seemed to cough up everything she had pressed down just now, and it made his waist and abdomen ache.

Dr. Lu pressed down, stepped forward to look at Tangning's face and pupils, stretched out his hand neatly to feel his pulse, and at the same time twirled his beard with his left hand.After a while, he let go and waved at the little boy behind him, who cleverly turned around to pick up the pen and ink.

Tang Yun was a little anxious when he saw the seriousness of his husband, and wanted to ask questions, but Tangning held him down.Mr. Cheng waited for Dr. Lu to finish writing, before he asked, "Is there something wrong with my apprentice?"

Dr. Lu handed the prescription to Xiaotong and motioned him to grab the medicine. Fang said calmly, "It's nothing serious. It's just the root of the disease in the womb. It usually hides in the body and doesn't easily attack. It only looks healthy on the outside. Now it's covered by the typhoid fever." It is more convenient for the old man to take care of it. Take the medicine according to the old man's prescription on weekdays, and the root will be removed in a year or so. For Minzhi's sake, the old man only needs to charge [-]% of the medicine price this time."

Mr. Cheng smiled wryly: "Your [-]% of the medicine money is enough to ruin my little apprentice. If I really have that face, why don't I get rid of my daughter's [-]% of the medicine money first?"

Dr. Lu raised his eyebrows, with a bit of shrewdness on his face: "Do you think I am a philanthropist? The old man's medicines are collected by the old man from all over the world. There are no general medicine halls. Even the old man's own son comes to ask for it." No compromise. From this, it can be seen that the old man treats Minzhi better than his own son."

Mr. Cheng was dumbfounded by his nondescript words. Others didn't know, but he knew that Dr. Lu had a falling out with his son a few years ago. The father and son disappeared as soon as they could, and seeing each other was like seeing an enemy.But the [-]% of the medicine fee was really unaffordable for his little disciple, so he lowered his head and thought for a while before saying, "I got a handwritten book titled "Xinglin Minutes" last year, and I don't know who wrote it..."

Dr. Lu's eyes lit up, and he didn't talk nonsense: "In this case, the old man will charge your apprentice [-]% of the medicine fee, and your daughter's [-]% medicine fee can't be lower."

Mr. Cheng didn't expect that the discount given by Dr. Lu was lower than he expected, but he didn't show his face and continued to ponder.

Dr. Lu looked at him, twirled his beard, and sighed: "The black boy over there has bad ears, and medicine and stones are ineffective, so the old man gave him a half-moon needle for free. How about it? It can't be lower."

Mr. Cheng secretly wondered, could it be that "Xinglin Minutes" is some kind of great medical scripture, which can make this stingy old friend so willing to spend so much money?You must know that Dr. Lu is best at two things: medicine and acupuncture.If a wealthy family came to ask him to treat a disease, not to mention the medicinal materials, even if acupuncture cost nothing, he would calculate it as one or two gold per needle.Whether Dr. Lu is the most godly doctor in the world, Mr. Cheng doesn't know, but it is true that he is the most expensive doctor in the world.

Thinking about it, Mr. Cheng also knew that this was the limit of his old friend, so he smiled slightly and called Brother Tang Yun to come over and thank him.

Dr. Lu is a neat person. After looking at Tang Yun's ears, he led him to the ear chamber for an injection.Tangning wanted to follow, but was stopped by Mr. Cheng, "I don't want anyone watching when I'm going to do my needlework. Come with me." After saying that, she turned and walked towards the room where she was staying.

Tang Ning followed behind, and the husband walked quickly. When Tang Ning entered the door, the husband was already standing in front of the window with his back turned to him.Facing the glare of the afternoon sun, Tangning could only see the tall and straight back of her husband. At this time, the gentleman did not have the usual gentle and elegant temperament, but showed a bit of sternness. Just when Tangning wondered if he was blind, the husband suddenly turned around , looked straight at Tangning, and said condescendingly, "I received a letter from you, saying that your brother fell into a well and died, please tell me what happened."

Tang Ning didn't understand why the husband who was laughing at Yan Yan just now suddenly spoke so harshly. Frightened by his aura, he lowered his head and told the ins and outs.

After hearing this, the gentleman sneered and slammed the table, making Tangning's heart skip a beat, "Look up, can I still eat you? You are good at reading, excellent in understanding, kind-hearted, pure and filial. It seems that such a talent is already perfect, but in my opinion, these are nothing. If you can do it, others can do it. You can't do what others can't do. In this way, you and the world are doing nothing What's the difference between the readers?"

Speaking of this, Mr. sat down, took a sip of tea, and continued: "What is it that you can't do? It's strength of character! It's calmness and fearlessness! I know you are not convinced, and you feel that you are proud. But have you really achieved it? Just now, I was just a little stricter, but you shrank your head and didn't dare to look directly at it. Did you do something wrong? Are you really calm and fearless? Maybe you are calm in your heart, but you are also extremely weak."

The gentleman took another sip of his tea. Seeing Tangning's expressionless expression, he snorted, "I know you're still not convinced, do you think you can be mighty and unyielding? That's right. I also believe that you can be at ease when facing enemies. But what if you face your own people? Besides, how many people in the world will directly tell you that he is an enemy? Perhaps even he himself does not know that he is an enemy. You have been under my family for four years, and I know about your family, but For the whole four years, except for the incident last time, have you ever argued against your stepmother? Have you ever faced it head-on? How many times have you met her gaze? Do you still remember her meticulous appearance? ? Do you think disdain is arrogance?"

Tang Ning was forced to back down by his questioning every sentence. He really wanted to refute, but he knew in his heart that what he said was right. The husband ruthlessly peeled off his disguised shell and pierced his soft heart directly, leaving him nowhere to go. Can hide, embarrassed.It was only at this moment that Tang Ning deeply felt that Mr. was not as gentle as he showed, but that his nature was aggressive and sharp. He was like a sharp sword, piercing straight into his heart.

The gentleman pressed on step by step, "You are cowardly, you think you are looking down on her, and to care about her is to lower your style, but do you have the right to look down on her? She is stronger than you, you think she is an ignorant village woman, But do you really understand her? You dare to despise the enemy without knowing the details of the enemy? Your retreat will only make her feel that you are weak and deceitful. You say you are not, but in the eyes of others, you are! Besides your father, You think he is cowardly and pitiful. Although you didn't say it, I can guess that he must have doubted you about your brother. It can be seen that being weak and pitiful is also a sharp weapon to hurt others. His weakness to others is to hurt you. You But confused by his pitiful appearance, what is the difference between you and your father? He is confused by the appearance of his own wife, aren't you?"

A word awakened the dreamer, and Tangning suddenly realized where she was wrong. He was self-righteous and contemptuous, but in the eyes of others, he was weak and deceitful.Facing people who are good to him, he is touched and accepts them, but he rejects and escapes people who are not good to him. Disdain is just an excuse. How is this approach different from the previous life?Isn't it a kind of fear and a kind of cowardice to avoid when encountering difficulties?He felt that he didn't care about his stepmother because he was afraid that his father would get old and have no one to accompany him. Isn't this a kind of fear?It turned out that he had never been calm and fearless.

Seeing Tang Ning's shocked expression, Mr. Cheng felt a little satisfied, and said calmly, "Fortunately, you are not hopeless, you can resist the inevitable, and you did not do a good job with your brother. But it is not satisfactory. I am so strict with you today, just to let you know your own shortcomings. Self-examination is the most important thing for people. After today, I will not mention it like this again, you have to learn to self-examination. "

After speaking, she patted Tangning comfortingly and told him to reflect.Tang Ning walked out the door and was exposed to the sun, only to feel that he was sweating all over, as if he had lived again. He smiled wryly in his heart, "Mr. The temperament is slightly inconsistent.Doctor Lu seems to be gentle and elegant, but he is actually a shrewd philistine.The same goes for the stepmother, he always thought that she was ignorant and calculated small money all day long, but when she was in a desperate situation, she was so ruthless.Father was weak and bully, but that wasn't against him either.

Sure enough, the most difficult thing to distinguish in the world is the human heart.

Tangning thought it through, picked up the self-esteem that was smashed by the master, straightened her face, and suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen Sister Cheng since he came here. Although he knew that Sister Cheng was fine from the husband's letter, he could rest assured only by seeing her in person.

So he looked around to see if there were any servants passing by to show the way, and he saw a man in servant clothes appearing from the corner of the corridor, it was the servant who had led them the way just now, and he rushed to him immediately Go, just walked a few steps, but saw another person appeared.

The man was wearing a moon-white wide-sleeved silk shirt, with a few emerald green bamboo embroidered on the hem, with emerald trim. With Tangning's good eyes, he could vaguely see the intricate patterns with the same color embroidery thread. His eyes moved to the man's hand involuntarily, Sure enough, there is a folding fan.The corner of Tangning's mouth twitched. In his previous life, when he was making the cover of a novel, he set people dressed like this as mensao.

This sullen man's face is like a crown of jade, his face has a deep outline, and he doesn't seem to be a local.Tang Ning had studied figure painting, so she knew how to grasp the characteristics of other people's facial features. This person's facial features are very distinctive, and he belongs to the category of people who are very good at drawing but difficult to resemble.

When the man saw Tangning, a flash of shock flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He opened the folding fan with a swipe, and walked towards Tangning gracefully like a good man in troubled times.