Chapter Twelve: Amulet

  Li Tao didn't understand medicine, he just relied on his memory to recite some records from "Biography of Li Shizhen" that he had read before, many of which he couldn't remember clearly, and could only recall these. In Li Tao's view, Li Shizhen was a divine doctor of the Ming Dynasty, and it would be necessary for him to be more skilled than Hua Yunfeng, a Tang Dynasty physician, in order to intimidate Hua Yunfeng.

  "Finished?" Huayunfeng stopped writing and asked with a long sigh.

  "It's all over!" Old Li Tao nodded solemnly.

  "Li Xiaolang, what you said about these folk remedies must be verified before they can be used, otherwise it will cost lives! However, I still want to thank you!" Hua Yunfeng remained expressionless.

  "Hualangzhong, you're being too polite!"

  "Alright, it's getting late, you go back first, we'll talk again another day! How about that?" Hua Yunfeng smiled and threw out another sentence.

  "Ah......" Li Tao saw that Hua Yunfeng had given the order to expel the guests and suddenly became anxious: "Hua Langzhong, I... may I ask you for a favor?"

  "Oh? Tell me more..." Huawen Feng revealed a playful smile.

  ……

  Li Tao came out of the Huolangzhong family when the sky was already dark, he touched the medical book in his pocket that he had just begged for, and a triumphant smile appeared on his face. Whether it would work or not would depend on tomorrow.

  ……

  It was late at night, and Yuan's eyes fell upon her sleeping son. She couldn't help but bend down and kiss him gently on the lips. Jun Lang had left her, but now her child was her everything - her sky, her life, her all.

  "Knock knock!" The sound of knocking on the door came.

  "Is it Lord Yue?" Yuan Shi knew that Pei Yue must have something on his mind.

  "It's me! Master!" came Bai Yue's low voice.

  "Come on in!"

  Pei Yue entered the house and stood with his hands hanging down.

  "Uncle Yue, thanks for your hard work, how's Tao'er doing today?"

  After Li Tao's drowning accident, Yuan Shi had Pei Yue secretly follow Li Tao every step of the way, and he couldn't let his son make any more mistakes. With Pei Yue's martial arts skills, Yuan Shi didn't have to worry about his son discovering him either.

  After hearing Yuan's instructions, Pei Yue recounted Li Tao's whereabouts for a whole day.

  Yuan didn't expect that his son's ordinary day would be so eventful, and he couldn't help but sigh: "Huawen Xuan came to the rescue of Tao'er in times of crisis, just like his father. Jiulang's kindness to Tao'er is genuine, I've been watching from the sidelines all these years, and I've taken note of it. As a mother and son, we're down on our luck here, but Tao'er being able to meet them is also his good fortune, one day he'll have to repay this kindness!"

  Pei Yue nodded in agreement.

  "It's just that Tao'er's body is too weak, otherwise I would go talk to Master Cheng and exempt him from this kneeling punishment..." Yuan Shi's heart ached for her son, and she couldn't help but hesitate.

  "Madam, there's no need for that, Young Master has already thought of a way!" Pei Yue advised.

  "Taoye? You say Taoye is thinking of a way himself? How can he persuade Master Cheng?" Yuanshi was incredulous.

  "Madam, do you know where the young master went after school?" asked Pei Yue.

  "Taor said he went to find Jiulang!"

  "No! The young master has gone to find Huayun Peak!"

  "What's with Hualangzhong? What does he want from Hualangzhong?"

  "This I don't know, but when the young master came out of Huayunfeng's house, he had a happy expression and was holding this in his arms!" Pei Yue handed over two pieces of silk paper to Yuan Shi with an odd expression.

  Yuan's family received it with suspicion, and after reading it, they were also at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

  One of the papers reads: "Master Cheng Dechang examined it, and there is a Zhao Zhuang Li Tao who has been diagnosed with 'soft bone disease' and should not kneel or sit. It is suggested that he can sit cross-legged in private school."

  Signature: Hua Yunfeng

  Another paper reads: Mr. Cheng Dechang, please review, Zhiyou Zhaozhuang Li Tao, after diagnosis, he was found to have "urinary urgency", needs to go to the toilet from time to time, it is suggested that he can relieve himself in the private school.

  Signature: Hua Yunfeng

  "How could Hualangzhong do such a strange thing for Taor?" Yuan Shi was puzzled and couldn't understand.

  "It's indeed unbelievable considering Hua Yunfeng's character. I suppose the young master must have used some trick!" Pei Yue guessed.

  "This child has always been rather dull, when did he become so clever and cunning?" Yuan Shi shook her head and sighed.

  Pei Yue's face showed a hesitant expression: "Master, there is something I don't know if I should say or not."

  "Uncle Yue, we are all family members, why be so distant? But never mind what I said!"

  "I feel that this change in our young master is a good thing!"

  "How can you be sure?"

  "Gold is easy to break when it's too hard, jade is easy to shatter when it's too rigid. These years I've often thought that the original master was too straightforward, if only he could be like the young master today, using some tact in dealing with things, he wouldn't have ended up dying young!"

  When Pei Yue suddenly mentioned Jun Lang, Yuan Shi couldn't help but feel a little desolate.

  "It was I who was abrupt, milady, please don't blame me!" Seeing Madame Yuan's expression change suddenly, Pei Yue felt somewhat frightened.

  Yuan Shi was indeed a knowledgeable and reasonable person, so he naturally listened to Pei Yue's words and found them quite reasonable. He sighed softly: "Elder Yue, you're right. Perhaps it's Jun Lang's blessing from heaven that Tao Er has become clever! Now that Tao Er is grown up, let him do as he pleases, I only hope he'll be safe and healthy, I don't ask for much more. However, I must trouble Elder Yue to continue helping Tao Er behind the scenes."

  ……

  On the second day, Cheng Dechang walked into the private school, sternly scanning the students below him, and slowly knelt down in front of his desk, where two pieces of silk paper caught his eye.

  After reading it, Cheng Dezhao's face showed a strange expression, his eyebrows furrowed into knots. After a long time, he raised his head and started the day's lesson as if nothing had happened.

  Cheng Dechang's ambiguous attitude made Li Tao, who was kneeling upright, extremely disappointed. It seemed that the "protective charm" he had carefully obtained from Hua Lang was also useless. However, his knees were really unable to support him any longer.

  Taking advantage of Cheng Dechang's inattention, Li Tao quietly changed from kneeling to sitting cross-legged. Who cares, it's all out now, at worst he'll get a beating, so be it. However, this time Li Tao was determined not to let Fan Changfeng take the punishment for himself again.

  Li Tao's actions seemed subtle, but didn't escape the eyes of those who were paying attention.

  Firstly, Fan Changfeng was secretly complaining in his heart: How could Tao not remember? What if Master discovers it? He wanted to remind Li Tao, but he dared not move a single step under the master's majesty, and his heart was anxious and worried.

  Next was Wang Lihui, who secretly gloated in his heart: You stinky brat, do you think Master is easy to bully? Wait and see how powerful he is! A smug smile appeared on Wang Lihui's face.

  Fan Changfeng and Wang Lihui had different thoughts in mind, but their eyes coincidentally fell on Cheng Fuzi at the same time.

  It's not clear how, but today, Cheng Fuzi, who usually has eyes and ears everywhere, reacted unusually slowly. A whole incense stick had passed before he even noticed Li Tao's small movements, and didn't even glance at him with his eyes.

  Seeing this scene, Fan Changfeng's heart slightly relaxed.

  Ke Wang Lihui was anxious and scratched his ears, hoping that Fu Lezi would soon discover Li Tao's small movements.