Notes on Longevity

Chapter 5 Ten years have passed, and the past seems like smoke in the wind.
In another room, Zhou Zhou took the brewed medicinal soup down from the shelf, and then took a small iron pot from the side of the medicine cabinet and hung it on the iron hooks at both ends of the shelf. Just as he was about to add some water to heat up the porridge, he heard the sound of corn coming from the doorway.

"Zhou Zhou, Grandpa is calling you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhou looked over and saw Yumi leaning against the door, pointing behind her with her hand.

"it is good."

Zhou Zhou responded, bent down, picked up the medicine pot, and walked towards the door. He didn't forget to remind Yumi, "By the way, the porridge is already on the shelf. Remember to add some water so it doesn't burn."

"understood!"

Zhou Zhou passed by Yumi carrying the pot of brewed medicine. Yumi responded and patted Zhou Zhou on the back of the head, but Zhou Zhou did not react and just kept walking.

Seeing that Zhou Zhou didn't react, Yu Mi smiled and said, "You do have some composure, not bad, not bad."

Zhou Zhou approached his grandfather, who was sitting next to Ping An, put the medicine pot aside, and bowed to him, saying, "Grandpa Medicine."

"Alright, alright." Seeing this, Grandpa Yao quickly got up and helped Zhou Zhou, who was bowing, to stand up straight. His words were full of helplessness: "You are the descendant of a first-rank military general, yet you are now forced to work in this small place. It is truly a disgrace to you."

"Grandpa Medicine, what are you saying? If it weren't for you ten years ago, I don't know where I would be wandering now, or I would have died somewhere long ago."

Zhou Zhou held Grandpa Yao's rough, withered hand, his expression slightly saddened.

"Alas!" Grandpa Medicine sighed and shook his head helplessly. "If it weren't for the evil sorcerer who wreaked havoc on the court and the monarch ten years ago, you wouldn't have been framed and implicated."

"If anyone has been implicated, it's us who have dragged you down. If we hadn't met, your pharmacy might still be open."

Zhou Zhou looked at Grandpa Yao and said with deep remorse.

“My pharmacy is not going to last long. If it weren’t for you and your sister often buying medicine from me, I probably would have had to close down a long time ago.”

"Grandpa, what are you talking about?"

Just as the two were exchanging pleasantries, Little Fish Fin, who was lying on the other bed, was awakened by their voices.

The two exchanged an awkward glance. Zhou Zhou immediately picked up the medicine pot and poured the medicine into a small bowl.

Zhou Zhou put down the medicine pot and handed the bowl of medicine soup to Little Shark Fin. "Good boy, Shark Fin, drink your medicine."

Little Shark Fin took the bowl, took a small sip, and said in a childish voice, "Hot."

Zhou Zhou was embarrassed again, but Grandpa Yao laughed out loud: "Zhou Zhou, you can put it there for now."

Grandpa Medicine walked over to Little Fish Fin, patted his head, pointed at Ping An, and said softly, "Child, do you see that older brother?"

"I see it!" Little Shark Fin nodded in response to Grandpa Medicine.

"Grandpa will go out and talk to Brother Zhou for a while. If Brother Zhou wakes up, you can call out to Grandpa loudly, okay?"

Little Shark Fin nodded vigorously. If it weren't for his pale face looking somewhat eerie, Little Shark Fin's nodding gesture would have been quite adorable.

Grandpa Medicine nodded, got up, and prepared to go with Zhou Zhou to another empty room to talk. Before leaving, he reminded Little Shark Fin, "Remember to take your medicine."

Little Shark Fin was very well-behaved, nodding as he held the medicine bowl and drank it little by little.

Little Shark Fin was something Grandpa Medicine and Corn encountered a little over a month ago when they were begging outside and preparing to return home.

At that time, Little Shark Fin was lying on the ground, unconscious with a high fever. Grandpa Medicine asked Corn to carry Little Shark Fin to the place where they always bought medicine.

After taking the child's pulse, the doctor prescribed several doses of antipyretics and cold medicine, saying, "This child's lungs and internal organs are failing; he won't live much longer. Consider these doses a gift to you."

The two took the little shark fin back to their residence. Since Grandpa Yao was also a doctor, he still took care of him every day with peace of mind.

"By the way, Grandpa, is there something you need?" Zhou Zhou asked as soon as he and Grandpa Yao entered the small hall.

Grandpa Medicine asked, "Did you see that child just now?" "Yes, why?"

Zhou Zhou asked, puzzled.

"That child is a Taoist priest, probably from the Guoguan Zouma Temple."

Grandpa Medicine sighed and looked at Zhou Zhou with some worry.

"Then just send him there."

As Zhou Zhou spoke, he noticed that Grandpa Yao kept shaking his head.

"The snow is falling heavily, and the snow in the city is already five inches thick, let alone on the mountain. I'm afraid the road up the mountain has already been blocked."

"So, what does Grandpa mean?"

“We’re like beggars right now, struggling to even have enough to eat. I was thinking, could you go and ask your sister for help?”

Grandpa Yao shared his thoughts, but Zhou Zhou then said, "I'm afraid there's no way to help it."

“My sister is now a courtesan, and one of the rules of the Taoist sect is that they must not be near women. Moreover, His Majesty has also said that no brothel may accept Taoists. If we put him in a brothel, it would not only be inappropriate, but it would also implicate them.”

Zhou Zhou explained to Grandpa Medicine.

The two fell silent for a moment. Now, the Daoist's status in the Great Evolution was so high that he could be said to be second only to the emperor.

As long as they don't do anything excessive, Taoist priests generally won't be punished.

However, the rules of Taoism are strict, and the vast majority of those who can enter Taoism are people with extremely strong knowledge and cultivation or who have a kind heart and are single-minded in seeking the Tao.

"How about we send him to the opera troupe?"

Just as the two were pondering, Yumi held a bowl of steaming porridge and stared at them.

"A pear orchard?" Grandpa Medicine paused for a moment, then Corn continued, "There's a pear orchard in the north of our city, and the owner is a really nice guy. I used to go there every day to beg, and sometimes I could even catch a little tune."

"Is it the Five Mile Pear Orchard, which is located five miles south of the north of the city?" Zhou Zhou asked.

"Yes, and I heard that the daughter of the opera house owner is engaged to a scholar. This is much more interesting than those little songs..."

“This is not a solution either.” Before Yumi could finish speaking, Grandpa Yao said to Zhou Zhou, “Tomorrow, let’s go together to see if the shopkeeper is willing to take in the child.”

"Yes, Grandpa."

"Seriously, aren't you all going to ignore me?"

Yumi held a bowl of porridge and stood at the door watching the two of them.

Grandpa Medicine glanced at the corn, "I'm being lenient by not hitting you for eavesdropping."

"But I still came up with the idea, so you should at least praise me, right?"

Corn looked at Grandpa Medicine with a grin.

"Alright, let's go see if the child is awake. If he is, let's feed him some porridge."

"She's awake, but she's been crying the whole time." Corn pointed behind her.

"Why didn't you say so earlier! You deserve a beating." Grandpa Yao said, patting Yumi's head before walking towards Ping An's bedside, with Zhou Zhou following closely behind.

Only Yumi was left at the entrance of the small hall, holding a bowl and looking at the two of them with a puzzled expression, thinking: Why did I get beaten up for giving advice?

(End of this chapter)