Chapter 55: Yet Another Foolish Male Side Character Appears
The first to be opened were the six gift boxes laid out side by side—inside were pastries Wen Yao had prepared to match the traditional six rites of apprenticeship.
Mung bean cakes embossed with the characters “diligent and studious” and “excellence through diligence.”
Lotus seed cakes symbolizing heartfelt teaching.
Red bean cakes for good fortune.
Date cakes for early success in the imperial exams.
Longan cakes representing the fulfillment of merit.
And lastly, pork jerky Wen Yao had spent two days making.
As soon as the six boxes were opened, Doctor Jin was already very pleased. To put so much thought into preparing an apprenticeship gift clearly showed how much the Wen family valued this.
At that moment, the seventh box had yet to be opened, and both Doctor Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu were growing curious—what could possibly be inside the last box?
They assumed it would be something edible too, but when Wen Jun lifted the lid of the gift box, both Doctor Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu drew in sharp breaths.
“Master, I know you love tea. These two teacups were prepared especially for you. I hope you’ll like them,” Wen Jun said with a bow.
Doctor Jin’s eyes went wide as he rushed forward eagerly, examining them from top to bottom, left and right, turning them over in his hands.
Shopkeeper Qiu kept trying to reach for one, only to have Doctor Jin swat his hand away repeatedly.
“Don’t touch! I said don’t touch! Just let me look at it!” Doctor Jin said as he guarded the cups.
Seeing how much they liked the gift, the Wen family exchanged glances, collectively breathing a sigh of relief. They knew they’d chosen well—this was the highlight compared to the previous six items.
“Doctor Jin? Doctor Jin?” Wen Xiuyi had to call several times before Doctor Jin finally tore his attention away from the cups.
Doctor Jin’s tone was still full of excitement. “This… are these tea cups made of liuli glass?” He couldn’t believe it—he’d never seen glass so clear and flawless, not even in the palace.
No one could blame him for being so excited. Anyone would be.
Wen Xiuyi smiled with exaggerated honesty. “I couldn’t say what the exact material is. These two cups were passed down from my father-in-law to my late wife as part of her dowry. Before she left, she gave them to Xiao Jun. Now they’re being offered as a gift to you, Master. It couldn’t be more fitting. You must accept them.”
Doctor Jin wanted to accept them—he wanted to, badly. He could already imagine how tea would look inside these cups, how he’d be able to admire the pattern of the tea leaves from the side. It would be a truly elevated tea-drinking experience.
But he knew he couldn’t be greedy. Such valuable cups—how could he take advantage of his disciple? If word got out, wouldn’t people question his motives for accepting Wen Jun as a student?
No, it wouldn’t do.
“I absolutely cannot accept these—absolutely not. These are far too valuable. I cannot take them,” Doctor Jin said, declining.
The family of three hadn’t expected this. After all their careful preparation, Doctor Jin… refused?
The worst part? They couldn’t exactly return the cups either.
Wen Jun immediately looked stricken. “Please, Master, you must accept them. I don’t understand tea, and these cups would be wasted in my hands. Only someone like you, who knows and appreciates tea, is worthy to be their owner. I beg you to accept them.”
He bowed deeply, bending almost ninety degrees.
“This…” Doctor Jin hesitated, frowning.
Wen Xiuyi seized the opportunity to persuade him. “Doctor Jin, please accept them. They say a teacher for a day is like a father for life. It’s only right for Xiao Jun to show his filial respect. If you don’t accept it, the boy will be heartbroken.”
Shopkeeper Qiu chimed in, “Brother Wen is right. Just look at the poor child—he’s on the verge of tears hearing you refuse. If you feel guilty about it, then just teach him well in return, give him all your knowledge. Isn’t that fair?”
Of course, his true motive was that if Doctor Jin accepted the cups, maybe he could sneak in and use them once in a while.
With everyone urging him and the fact that he did love the cups, Doctor Jin finally gave in with a nod.
“Then I shall accept them. From now on, I will teach you everything I know. Come, follow me to pay respects to our ancestral master.” Doctor Jin carefully cradled the cups in his arms, reluctant to let go.
As for the six boxes of pastries? Completely forgotten.
Wen Yao felt a bit defeated—she had spent a long time making those.
Still, as long as her brother and Doctor Jin were happy, it was fine.
The group followed Doctor Jin into his study. There, hanging on the wall, was a portrait of an ancient master. In front of it stood a table with incense and a bronze censer.
Doctor Jin first found a safe spot to set down the precious cups before lighting three sticks of incense and bowing respectfully before the portrait. “Ancestral Master of the Jin family, thirteenth-generation disciple Jin Ce humbly reports: Today, I accept a student. His name is Wen Jun. Though not of our Jin bloodline, his talent is exceptional, and he will surely carry on the legacy of our medical art. I pray for your guidance and blessing.”
He inserted the three incense sticks into the censer and turned to Wen Jun. “Wen Jun, kneel and pay respects to our ancestral master.”
Wen Jun knelt immediately and solemnly performed three loud kowtows. “Junior Wen Jun pays respect to the ancestral master.”
Doctor Jin nodded.
Shopkeeper Qiu then stepped forward with a tray, atop which was a cup of tea.
Wen Jun accepted the cup with both hands, raising it above his head. “Please, Master, drink this tea.”
Doctor Jin accepted the tea and took a sip before continuing, “Now that you have joined the Jin School, you must remember this: A physician must have compassion. The purpose of our practice is to heal the people and bring peace through medicine. Never be selfish, never value profit over life. If you violate our teachings, you will be blinded, your tendons cut, and cast out. Remember this well!”
Wen Jun kowtowed again. “Wen Jun shall always follow the teachings.”
Doctor Jin, now even more pleased with him, reached down to help Wen Jun up. “From now on, I will teach you everything I know. You must study diligently. Do you understand?”
Wen Jun nodded. “Yes, Master.”
The more Doctor Jin looked at his disciple, the more satisfied he felt. Once everything was finished, he waved to the young boy who had been following him earlier. “Yi’er, come here and greet your Senior Uncle.”
Jin Xiuyi stepped forward and politely saluted Wen Jun. “Xiuyi greets Senior Uncle.”
Wen Yao and Wen Xiuyi exchanged glances—yep, no doubt about it. That silly male supporting character who later became a renowned physician—it was him.
Wen Jun and Wen Yao had prepared in advance, and Wen Jun quickly pulled out a nine-ring puzzle as a meeting gift for Jin Xiuyi.
As expected of a child, he was instantly captivated by it.
Now that the apprenticeship was official, they were all family.
“Is this Datuo? Come here, let me take a look,” Doctor Jin called.
Datuo had been watching Jin Xiuyi fumble with the puzzle and looked a bit smug—he’d already solved it ages ago. When he heard someone calling him, he looked over at Doctor Jin, then at Wen Xiuyi.
Wen Xiuyi patted his back. “Go on.”
Datuo respectfully saluted Doctor Jin and stood obediently by his side. Doctor Jin took his hand and checked his pulse, then asked him to open his mouth and try making a few sounds.
Finally, under the expectant (and very fake) gazes of the three, Doctor Jin gave his assessment. “Don’t worry. The child is perfectly fine. As for why he hasn’t spoken yet, it could be that he simply doesn’t want to, or the time hasn’t come. There’s no need to rush. I’ve encountered similar cases before. Some children just speak later than others. It’s nothing to worry about. Just talk to him more during daily life—encourage conversation. He’ll speak when he’s ready.”
