Chapter 69: Blue-headed Crow
Qingyan immediately understood why Yu Qingxi went crazy here yesterday.
Yu Fengtang was completely disappointed in his second son, so he turned back to try to bring Yu Qingyan back and fulfill his imperial examination dreams.
Zhou Yanliang was not easy to deal with. Qingyan could imagine the chaos at the Yu family’s home.
Yu Fengtang appeared strong-willed on the outside and seemed to be in charge at home, but in reality, the mother and son were united. Moreover, Zhou Yanliang controlled the family’s wealth.
In the beginning, he could send his eldest son L to Liuxi Village because he was lazy to manage him, and it was difficult to manage him.
Even if the original owner were here today, he would clearly see that now was not the right time to return. Yu Fengtang couldn’t keep him at all, let alone Qingyan, who came through time and had no interest in the imperial examinations and wanted nothing to do with the family.
Qingyan didn’t show a cold face.
He smiled at the peddler and said, “Please tell the old master that Qingyan is no longer the same Qingyan from the past. I haven’t read a single page in over a year. I just want to live peacefully. Please don’t disturb me again in the future.”
The peddler wanted to say something more, but Qingyan took out half a tael of silver from his waist and handed it to him.
“Big brother, thank you for making this trip.”
Upon seeing the half tael of silver, the peddler couldn’t help but smile, but he pushed it back, “I can’t accept this, it’s too much…”
Qingyan smiled, “Please accept it. If there’s any news from the Yu family, I’ll trouble you to inform me promptly.”
The peddler nodded knowingly and happily stuffed the half tael of silver into his sleeve.
After the peddler left, the smile on Qingyan’s face gradually faded, and he furrowed his brow.
Yu Fengtang’s words made him uneasy. He didn’t know what Yu Fengtang planned to do next. He only hoped that he would back off and not bother him again.
…
Three months later, the weather gradually warmed up, and most people had shed their thick cotton coats.
The old Langzhong was getting older and still wrapped up like it was winter.
The young apprentice led Qiu Henian and Qingyan into the consultation hall. As they entered, they saw him playing chess with another elderly man whose hair was white.
The smell of medicine and incense quietly permeated the hall, which was extremely quiet except for the sound of the chess pieces falling on the board.
They didn’t disturb the two old men and stood aside, watching the game and waiting.
After a while, the older man threw down the chess pieces, snorted coldly, and said, “I’m tired, not playing anymore.”
The old Langzhong laughed, “Senior brother, you still can’t stand losing.”
The old man sneered, “What’s there to be proud of in playing chess well? You can’t diagnose illnesses that I can.”
With that, the old man suddenly stood up. He was tall with a straight back, and there was no sign of the slowness of an old man in his steps. On the contrary, he moved briskly with bright eyes.
Soon, he came in front of the two, glanced at Qingyan briefly, then quickly shifted his gaze to Qiu Henian.
Qiu Henian slightly bowed, clasping his hands, “I am Qiu Henian, sorry for bothering you.”
The old man stared at him for a while, then asked him to sit down at the table and focused on taking his pulse.
The old Langzhong also put down the chess pieces and silently watched.
Qingyan almost held his breath.
After a while, he heard the old man say, “Indeed as you said, there are no abnormalities in the pulse pattern.”
The old Langzhong nodded, “That’s why I suspect it’s poison. However, having practiced medicine for so long, I have never seen such symptoms. It’s really hard to determine what poison it is.”
At these words, the old man pondered for a moment, then had the young apprentice bring his tools over. He sterilized his hands and pricked Qiu Henian’s fingertip, drawing a few drops of blood.
The old Langzhong leaned over to look but shook his head, unable to discern anything unusual.
The old man opened the window and placed the drops of blood under the sunlight. Suddenly, everyone’s expression changed.
Because what was originally red blood beads under the noon sun showed a faint blue color.
…
The poison on Qiu Henian was extremely complex. The reason why the old Langzhong couldn’t determine its toxicity was because it wasn’t a single type of poison, but a mixture of multiple poisons.
The eerie blue color was just one of the symptoms caused by a poison called Blue-headed Crow. People who took this poison would become foolish, and in severe cases, completely lose consciousness.
Qiu Henian lost his memory but retained his consciousness, resembling a deliberate and precise control. However, it could also be a coincidence; perhaps he had accidentally ingested a partial dose of poison.
The scar on Qiu Henian’s face, his lack of control in intimate matters, and his fertility issues were likely caused by other poisons and not the true purpose of the poisoner.
If the poisoner was truly controlling the dosage of the poison, then the use of other poisons was probably intended to counteract the strong toxicity of the Blue-headed Crow.
In other words, the poisoner didn’t intend for Qiu Henian to die or lose consciousness, but merely to erase his memory.
When the old man said this, he glanced at Qiu Henian, who was looking down, and then at Qingyan.
He sighed and said, “Although this poison is complex, it can be resolved with patience. It’s just that with so many years gone by, there may be lingering effects. But Little Brother Qiu is still young and healthy. As for having children, there may still be hope.”
Upon hearing this, Qingyan, who had been frowning tightly, finally relaxed a little and looked at the old man, saying, “As long as the poison can be cured, we won’t ask for anything else.”
The old man nodded.
He still had important matters to continue northward, so he could only stay here for three days for now.
During these three days, the old man prescribed a prescription for Qiu Henian to take temporarily. He would adjust the medication based on the situation when he returned after finishing his tasks.
Qiu Henian and Qingyan also told him about Qin Liangchuan’s situation. After hearing it, the old man agreed with their assessment.
Qin Liangchuan was likely also poisoned, but unlike Qiu Henian, two years ago he had another child and did not undergo treatment. His memory had fully recovered. The old man analyzed that it could be due to differences in the poison or the dosage taken.
All of this was speculation. The best way to verify this matter would be to observe Qin Liangchuan’s blood color. The old man said that even as time passed, the color of blood wouldn’t change if the poison had dissipated.
Therefore, on the same day, Qiu Henian wrote a letter to Qin Liangchuan explaining the situation clearly.
During these three days, Qiu Henian stayed in the clinic, while Qingyan prepared meals every day and brought them over in a food basket.
Preparing enough food for three or four people each time, he also brought out meals for the two doctors and the young apprentice. After they finished eating, he cleaned up and took the basket back, ready to bring another meal for the next time.
Because Qiu Henian had to frequently have test medications these days, his complexion grew paler day by day. Every time Qingyan went there, either he was having acupuncture or he had fallen asleep after taking medicine, and they hardly exchanged a few words.
On the last day, the old man instructed Qingyan and left behind several bottles of pills before leaving the area.
Qingyan helped Qiu Henian walk home, stopping along the way frequently, and they finally arrived home with great difficulty.
Once they were home, Qingyan asked Qiu Henian to lie down in the house, then he lit the stove and warmed up the house.
When the medicine was ready, Qingyan took it into the room and found Qiu Henian already leaning against the head of the bed, fast asleep.
He quietly set the medicine down, pulled the blanket over him, and then sat on the bedside, watching the person in bed.
It had always been Qiu Henian taking care of him like this. Every day, Qiu Henian would wake up early to start a fire and cook, and Qingyan rarely saw Qiu Henian sleep so deeply.
Qingyan reached out to gently touch the man’s eyebrows and eyes on the bed. Just as he touched them lightly, his calm eyes suddenly opened wide.
Qiu Henian turned his head and looked at Qingyan beside the bed.
Qingyan frowned slightly and said, “I just tasted it secretly. Your medicine is very bitter.”
Qiu Henian smiled, his lips curling up.
He said, “Bring it here, let me taste it too.”
Instead of fetching the steaming medicine from the table, Qingyan stood up, leaned forward, placed his hands on the man’s shoulders, and lowered his head to touch his lips.
Then he asked softly, “Is it bitter?”
Qiu Henian looked up at him, his gaze lingering on his lips for a moment, and whispered, “Couldn’t taste it.”
Qingyan lowered his head again, his lips against his, and his tongue slipped into the gap between his teeth. It was a kiss initiated by him.
After that, Qiu Henian’s voice was slightly hoarse as he said, “It’s a bit bitter.”
Blushing, Qingyan turned around to fetch the medicine, watching as Qiu Henian tilted his head back and drank it, then brought over some water that had been prepared and watched him drink it.
After finishing the medicine, Qingyan leaned against Qiu Henian’s side, looking at him with concern over his pale complexion and the obvious weight loss in his cheeks these days. He asked, “What would you like to eat tonight?”
Qiu Henian thought for a moment and said, “I want to eat the steamed egg custard you make, and the lamb and potato dumplings you used to make.”
Qingyan wagged his finger and said, “Egg custard is fine, but lamb is taboo. The doctor said you shouldn’t eat it.”
Qiu Henian said, “Then make pork stew with vermicelli.”
Qingyan nodded and said, “That’s fine.”
He helped him lie down on the bed, “Rest for a while, I’ll go cook. Call me if you need anything.”
Qiu Henian looked at him and smiled softly, “Mm.”
As Qingyan walked out of the room, Qiu Henian’s smile gradually faded. The calm eyes that were originally like a lake also stirred up waves.
…
In just a few days, Qiu Henian’s health quickly recovered.
He no longer needed to test medications but stuck to taking the prescribed medicine and the pills left by the senior doctor. With less burden and a good physical foundation, he soon returned to normal.
They reopened the shop as usual. Afraid that he might eat something wrong outside, Qingyan went to deliver meals every noon and instructed Xiao Zhuang to pay more attention to his master’s condition. Xiao Zhuang readily agreed.
The blacksmith’s shop was dusty, so Qiu Henian had to wash up every night, and he took frequent baths.
Before, it was often Qiu Henian who helped Qingyan wash his hair. Now, Qingyan insisted on washing his hair and scrubbing his back.
Qiu Henian could only acquiesce helplessly.
In the evening, after they both finished washing up, they returned to bed.
Qiu Henian read to him, and Qingyan leaned against him, playing with the man’s long hair that hadn’t been tied up yet. Ah Miao nestled on Qingyan’s leg, warming up one side of his leg.
Qiu Henian hadn’t finished a page of the book when Qingyan snatched it away and set it aside.
Ah Miao thought something was wrong and arched its back, only to be flipped onto the soft mattress by its owner.
In Qiu Henian’s surprised gaze, Qingyan embraced Qiu Henian’s neck with both arms, sniffing around in his hair, kissing his lips after sniffing, then looked at the face of the other person with satisfaction, and said like a little ruffian, “Baby, you smell so good, let me touch it!”
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
Then he released Qingyan’s hand and said, “What you want to do, do it yourself.”
