40 – The Ceremony and Secrets

Lu Qing’s apprenticeship ceremony was not complicated.

Old Doctor Chen was not someone who enjoyed grandiose displays, opting instead for simplicity.

As a result, Lu Qing merely followed the procedure. In the presence of everyone, he paid respects to the ancestral master, knelt in obeisance, offered tea, and respectfully said, ‘Master, please have some tea’.

Seated on a chair, Old Doctor Chen took the tea, sipped it, and thus the ceremony was complete.

“Alright, you may rise.”

After drinking the tea, Old Doctor Chen addressed Lu Qing.

“Yes, Master.”

Lu Qing stood up and stood respectfully to the side.

Old Doctor Chen also stood up and bowed to the villagers in the courtyard, saying:

“Thank you all for coming to witness this apprenticeship ceremony. Today, I have gained a beloved disciple, which brings me great joy. The small courtyard has few people and limited space, so I couldn’t prepare much food for everyone. Instead, I have prepared a small gift for you all.”

As he finished speaking, he picked up a tray from the table behind him, which held several small cloth pouches.

“These are medicinal sachets I made in my free time, which have a calming, sleep-inducing, and mosquito-repelling effect.”

“If you don’t mind, please take one or two home and hang them by your beds; it will keep mosquitoes away for about half a month.”

“Is it really that effective?!” The villagers looked at the sachets in surprise and delight.

This was mosquito season, and if these sachets were as effective as Old Doctor Chen said, it would be truly appealing.

For a moment, the villagers who had initially wanted to be polite found it hard to refuse.

Seeing this, Old Doctor Chen smiled and said to Lu Qing, “Ah Qing, go ahead and distribute these sachets to our fellow villagers.”

“Yes, Master.”

Lu Qing took the tray and walked to the villagers, distributing the sachets one by one.

“Grandpa Zhang, here you go.”

The first to receive a sachet was none other than Old Zhang.

“Good child, remember to learn well from Old Doctor Chen in the future.”

Old Zhang accepted the sachet with a gratified expression.

“I will, Grandpa Zhang.” Lu Qing nodded earnestly.

The other villagers took their sachets, sniffed them, and were immediately hit by a refreshing medicinal fragrance that invigorated them, knowing it was indeed good stuff. They quickly put the sachets away.

These were personally crafted by Old Doctor Chen, and one might not find such treasures elsewhere, so they had to be well-kept.

“Villagers, remember to hang the sachets in your rooms when you get home. Otherwise, after half a month, the fragrance will dissipate, and the sachet will no longer be effective.”

Seeing some villagers cherishing the sachets too much, Old Doctor Chen reminded them.

Hearing this, some villagers abandoned the idea of hiding the sachets away upon returning home.

After witnessing the ceremony, Old Zhang and the others started bidding farewell one by one.

However, before leaving, Old Zhang pulled Lu Qing aside and reminded him to find time to pay respects to his grandfather and parents, sharing this good news with them.

Seeing Lu Qing seriously agree, Old Zhang finally left satisfied.

After all the villagers had left, Lu Qing still stood in front of the small courtyard, watching everyone walk down the mountain.

“Ah Qing, your grandfather formed a good relationship back then, which is why we have such good neighbors today.”

Old Doctor Chen walked to Lu Qing’s side, looking at the crowd at the foot of the mountain and sighed with admiration.

“Master, I never knew about these things. My grandfather and parents never told me…” Lu Qing said.

“It just shows that your grandfather was a man of great virtue who did not seek repayment. Unfortunately, I arrived here too late to meet such a noble scholar.”

Old Doctor Chen said with some regret.

He had the feeling that if he had come earlier, he might have become close friends with Lu Qing’s grandfather.

“Master, do you know how my parents passed away?” Lu Qing suddenly asked.

“Is it because of what Old Zhang said earlier?”

“Yes, I always thought my parents died in an accident, but after hearing what Grandpa Zhang said earlier, it seems there might be more to it,” Lu Qing nodded.

In the original owner’s memory, it was believed that the parents died in an accident. Now it seems it might not be that simple.

Old Doctor Chen fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.

“I don’t know much about this either. When your parents passed away, I happened to be in the city treating a noble. When I returned, I heard they had drowned, but I never saw the bodies, so I don’t know if that’s true.”

“If you want to know the truth, you’ll have to ask Old Zhang and the others.”

Lu Qing remained silent.

In fact, in the original owner’s memory, that was the information received.

The parents had drowned, and their bloated bodies were brought back. It was terrifying and shocked the original owner.

Everything that happened after was a blur for the original owner.

The land was sold, the bodies were collected, and a wake was held. Someone seemed to cause trouble during that time.

By the time the original owner recovered, the parents were already buried.

Looking back now, there were many doubts.

Unfortunately, during that period, the original owner was too traumatized, and many memories were jumbled, making it hard for Lu Qing to piece everything together.

“However, I don’t recommend you ask Old Zhang and the others about the truth right now,” Old Doctor Chen suddenly spoke, seeing Lu Qing’s silent demeanor.

“Why not, Master?”

“Since Old Zhang and the others hid this from you, it’s likely for your sake and Xiao Yan’s. They might be afraid you will act impulsively if you know the truth. Do you believe Old Zhang and the others would harm you?”

Lu Qing thought about how people in the village had treated him and Xiao Yan since he woke up and shook his head.

“Grandpa Zhang and the others are not that kind of people.”

Most importantly, his ability to probe had never indicated anyone in the village had any sinister intentions.

“If that’s the case, you should trust Old Zhang. Since they aren’t telling you the truth now, they must think the time is not right.”

“So, what you should do now is not pursue the truth, but focus on learning and improving. When you are capable enough, Old Zhang and the others will naturally tell you the truth.”

Lu Qing fell silent again.

In reality, he wanted to know the truth not out of a desire to act impulsively.

Although he inherited the original owner’s memories, he didn’t have a deep emotional connection to the ‘parents’ he had never met.

He was worried that the truth about their death could negatively affect him and Xiao Yan.

But as Master said, he was still too weak…

Even if he knew the truth, it would be of no help.

So it was better to focus on learning from his master for now.

“I understand, Master.”

Having understood this, Lu Qing spoke.

Seeing Lu Qing seemed to have come to terms with it, Old Doctor Chen smiled.

This disciple of his was smart, and he didn’t want him to be consumed by so-called hatred at a young age.

That would only twist his mind.

So he approved of Old Zhang and the others’ approach.

Seeing that Lu Qing still looked a bit gloomy, the old doctor decided to divert his attention.

“Ah Qing, now that you’re my disciple, there are some things you should know.”

Lu Qing looked up.

Seeing this had the desired effect, the old doctor smiled.

He continued: “Ah Qing, do you know what it takes to become a good doctor?”