Outside, the wind and rain raged. Since there was a ready-made doctor available, there was no need to seek help farther away.
The attendant went downstairs and said to the itinerant physician eating noodles, "My guest has fallen ill. Could you please come upstairs to take a look?"
The itinerant physician picked up the vinegar pot and poured some into his noodle bowl. However, the vinegar pot was like a man with prostate issues—it dripped twice and then stopped.
"Waiter! More vinegar!" After resolving the vinegar issue, the physician said to the attendant, "I've been on a boat for several days and feel dizzy from the rocking. I just want to finish my noodles and rest in my room. Please find someone else."
The attendant replied, "The nearest pharmacy is at least two miles away, and it's pouring rain. In the middle of winter, the pharmacy doctor probably won't make house calls. I beg you to do us a favor and see my guest."
As they spoke, the waiter refilled the vinegar pot. The itinerant physician poured vinegar into his bowl as if it were free, filling the air with a tangy aroma. "I'm really not feeling well today and fear I might misdiagnose. Ask the innkeeper—there should be other itinerant physicians around."
The physician continued eating his noodles. The attendant, rejected again, had no choice but to ask the innkeeper about nearby doctors.
The innkeeper said there were none and that he had only seen this noodle-eating itinerant physician check in that day.
The attendant had to swallow his pride and return. He took out his money pouch and threw it onto the table with a loud slap, startling the physician so much he nearly dropped his chopsticks.
"How much do you want? Name your price," the attendant said.
As soon as he finished speaking, the attendant felt a chill on the back of his neck. A voice came from behind him, "Are you asking for a doctor or threatening one?"
The attendant didn't dare look back. "O-of course, I'm asking. The innkeeper said you're the only doctor here, and no other physicians are staying. My guest is seriously ill—he was full of energy when boarding the ship, but now he can't even get out of bed."
The innkeeper hurried over to mediate. "It's all true, no misunderstanding, no fighting. This is a small business—we can't handle any trouble."
With the sound of a sword being sheathed, the chill on the back of the attendant's neck vanished. Gathering his courage, he turned around and saw a rather handsome wanderer who had been sitting at the table next to the itinerant physician. He had drawn his sword to uphold justice.
It was Lu Ying, and the itinerant physician was Wei Caiwei, who still went by the name "He Daifu."
Their destination was Mount Wudang in Hubei, but they were stranded at the port in Jiangxi due to the storm.
The attendant quickly bowed to Wei Caiwei in apology. "I'm sorry. I was too anxious just now and threw money at you—that was disrespectful. I was wrong."
Weary from the journey, Wei Caiwei had no appetite. Even after adding vinegar to make the noodles more flavorful, she could only manage a few bites before putting down her chopsticks. She said, "The consultation fee is twenty coins. Medicine, acupuncture, and massages cost extra. I'm not feeling well today, so let me make this clear upfront: if I misdiagnose, I take no responsibility."
Wei Caiwei wasn't interested in making money, but hearing how urgent the situation was, her compassion as a healer kicked in. If she could save someone, she would.
The attendant gave her half a string of coins—fifty in total. She only took twenty and followed him upstairs. To save money, the inn had only a dim oil lamp in the room, its wick as small as a grain of rice. The faint light was truly like a single bean, so dim that aside from shadows, nothing was clearly visible.
Wei Caiwei could only see a person lying on their side on the bed, with disheveled hair and a slender frame. Under the blanket, the body lay flat and motionless—a tall, thin man.The man faced outward, but his disheveled hair covered most of his face, making his features indistinct. His heavy breathing, interspersed with phlegmy rattles and tremors, confirmed his severe illness.
The patient was exceptionally tall—so much so that the inn's quilt couldn't cover him fully. Feverish and unconscious, his survival instinct had him curling up instinctively, trying to wrap himself in the blanket. Yet, the quilt was too small, leaving one large foot and half a calf exposed.
His calf was strikingly pale, gleaming brighter than the oil lamp.
Wei Caiwei said to the attendant, "Go ask the innkeeper for two more quilts. This one is too small—he'll catch a chill even if he weren't sick."
The attendant hurried downstairs.
Wei Caiwei first checked the patient's pulse. His wrist felt like a burning ember, and his pulse was chaotic and rapid. Her initial diagnosis was a severe cold.
Pulse-taking was just the first step; she still needed to examine his tongue and pupils. But the inn's oil lamp was practically useless, offering little visibility. Wei Caiwei retrieved a candle from her medicine bag, lit it, and the room instantly brightened—a clear sign of her experience traveling the land.
Holding the candle in one hand, she used the other to brush aside the hair obscuring the patient's face. What she saw startled her so much that she swayed, dripping wax onto his cheek!
His facial contours bore a striking resemblance to Wang Daxia. Though his beard had grown as long as a fingernail—short, stiff, and prickly like hedgehog spines—neither the Eunuch Wang of her past life nor the carefree young man of this one had ever sported facial hair. Yet, after years of sharing a bed, Wei Caiwei could still recognize his outline in the candlelight.
But Wang Daxia was supposed to be searching for the Japanese Pirates who attacked Wang Commander last year along the southeastern coast. How did he end up in Jiangxi?
Wei Caiwei shook the patient. "Wake up!"
He remained unconscious. To confirm his identity, she took out a sharp small knife and began shaving his beard. Halfway through, Lu Ying knocked on the door and urged, "Haven't you finished? You should rest."
Wei Caiwei replied, "Come in quickly! See who this is!"
Lu Ying pushed the door open and saw the half-shaved man. "This... looks like Wang Daxia. But he should be on the southeastern coast. Could it just be someone who resembles him?"
Wei Caiwei swiftly finished shaving with a few strokes. The resemblance grew stronger. She then lifted the quilt and reached to untie the patient's clothing ties.
Lu Ying asked, "What are you doing?"
Wei Caiwei explained, "I know the shapes of Wang Daxia's scars, that he has a red mole on his Danzhong acupoint, and a palm-sized blue birthmark on his Weilu acupoint. To confirm if it's him, we need to check."
Though Lu Ying wasn't versed in medicine, her martial arts training familiarized her with basic acupoints. The Danzhong acupoint is located midway between the breasts, and the Weilu acupoint lies between the lower back dimples and the anus—both intimate areas not easily seen by others.
Unless...
Lu Ying didn't dare ask further, only saying, "What if there's no red mole or birthmark in those spots?"
Wei Caiwei deftly undid the knots. "He's unconscious and won't know... If I'm wrong, I'll refund the fee and treat him for free."
She pulled open his clothes and, sure enough, spotted the familiar red mole on his Danzhong acupoint!
Wei Caiwei gestured to Lu Ying. "Come help me turn him over. I need to check his Weilu acupoint."
To see the Weilu acupoint, they would have to pull his pants down to his buttocks.Do not look at what is contrary to propriety. Lu Ying blindfolded herself with a cloth strip. The two women worked together to turn the unconscious man over. As Wei Caiwei pulled down his trousers, a blue palm-sized birthmark became clearly visible.
Wei Caiwei often teased this birthmark with a peacock feather—a trick more effective than nibbling on earlobes. With just a gentle stroke, Wang Daxia would become like a cat dozing by a warm stove, lying obediently in place, his toes sometimes curling and sometimes relaxing.
With a bang, the door swung open. The clerk, returning to the room with two quilts in his arms, saw the scene and immediately shouted, "Let go of my guest! You two perverts! Taking advantage of someone in a vulnerable state—shameless!"
The clerk’s outcry alerted the waiter and neighboring guests, who all rushed over to witness the "perverts."
Wei Caiwei reacted swiftly, picking up a silver needle. "Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m a physician, giving him acupuncture treatment."
The clerk was half-convinced and pointed at Lu Ying. "Then what about him? A wandering warrior—what’s he doing in my guest’s room?"
Wei Caiwei explained, "I asked her to come in because—" she pointed at the half-burned candle by the bed, "the oil lamp in the room is too dim. I was afraid I might misplace the needles, so I borrowed her candle for better lighting."
Lu Ying sighed, "The dog bit Lü Dongbin—not recognizing a true friend’s kindness."
Realizing his mistake, the clerk quickly placed the quilts on the bed and bowed in apology once more.
Having confirmed his identity, she knew he was her fiancé. Wei Caiwei placed a slice of ginseng under her tongue to stay alert, treated Wang Daxia, and wrote a prescription.
Lu Ying braved the winter’s cold wind and rain to fetch medicine from a pharmacy two li away.
Wei Caiwei personally brewed the medicine, and together with Lu Ying, they managed to feed it to him, laboring until dawn.
By noon, Wang Daxia’s fever had subsided, and he finally opened his eyes. Wei Caiwei, who had not even undressed, lay beside him in her clothes.
Wang Daxia thought he was dreaming and quickly closed his eyes, hoping to prolong the beautiful dream.
But with his eyes closed, he could no longer see his fiancée. He opened them again, feeling as if all his strength had been drained. With great effort, he reached out a hand, his rough palm gently brushing her face.
It felt soft and warm, and he could even sense her breath against his palm, like a gentle spring breeze.
The dream felt too real. Wang Daxia wished he could sleep forever and never wake up, for awakening meant facing all the troubles, sorrows, and the immense pressure of revenge.
He hoped the dream would last longer, much longer. All his worries could remain in the real world; here, it was just him and Wei Caiwei, lying face to face, feeling her breath and heartbeat.
Moreover, in this dream, he could do things he couldn’t in reality.
He kissed her.
After his high fever, Wang Daxia’s lips were dry and chapped, like sandpaper. Wei Caiwei, still asleep, felt the roughness against her forehead and frowned slightly.
Wang Daxia recognized this expression—it was one of displeasure. He quickly withdrew his lips.
Voices came from outside:
"The wind and rain have eased; we can set off now."
"Here’s the fare. Your guest is an old acquaintance of ours. He’ll come with us."
This dream was far too real—even Lu Ying’s voice sounded so clear!
"Wait, I need to ask the guest first. He hired me to take him to Yuanzhou, and we haven’t arrived yet."
The clerk knocked loudly on the door: "Sir! Are you awake? Will you go with us or with your friends?"The knocking at the door startled both Wei Caiwei and Wang Daxia awake. She opened her eyes to find him already awake, staring blankly at her. "Huh? How come I can still see you after waking up? Is this a dream within a dream?"
Wei Caiwei pressed her forehead against his to confirm he was no longer feverish and hadn't been delirious. It was just that everything had happened so suddenly, making it hard to distinguish between dream and reality.
After the fever subsided, Wang Daxia's eyes sparkled like stars, and Wei Caiwei couldn't get enough of gazing at them. She held him tightly and said, "Don't ever stay away from me for so long again. No matter what happens, we'll face it together."
Author's note: The two Xias are reunited! Let's applaud and celebrate!
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