Chapter 280: Chapter 116: Lovesickness (Part 2)

The dart master passed the message along, and Wang Jun and Wang Xiao immediately dismounted and hurried over.

"Mr. Zhao, you have motion sickness? When did it start? Why didn’t you say anything?"

As soon as the carriage stopped, Chu Xun heard the commotion and hurried over as well.

He looked at Zhao Jing’s expression, which was indeed a bit listless—a far cry from his high spirits on the day he had placed first in the examinations.

But after three straight days of travel, even someone like him, who had grown up serving others, felt uncomfortable. Zhao Jing had the delicate build of a scholar, so he must be extremely tired; it was only normal for his face to be a bit pale.

’But what if it really is motion sickness?’

"The carriage is stopped anyway, so why don’t you get out and rest for a bit, Mr. Zhao? Perhaps a short walk to enjoy the mountain scenery will make you feel better."

Wang Jun said, "Mr. Wo is coming over. Let’s have him take a look and check his pulse first."

Mr. Wo was the renowned Mr. Lao who had snatched Li Cun back from King Yan. He had been hired by Wang Jun and Wang Xiao’s mother to accompany them to Qingshui County for a daily fee of one gold tael.

One whole gold tael. The fee was so exorbitant that Huang Chen and the others felt that even if you sold them all off by weight, it wouldn’t be enough to cover a few days of Mr. Wo’s fees.

But Mr. Wo’s medical skills were truly excellent. The fact that he had saved Li Cun’s life so easily was proof enough of his brilliance.

The brilliant Mr. Wo took one look at Zhao Jing’s face and knew at once that he wasn’t suffering from motion sickness.

People with motion sickness typically had a deathly pale face, were covered in a cold sweat, appeared listless and dispirited, and blinked frequently.

This Mr. Zhao barely fit the first symptom. ’How could the rest possibly be related to motion sickness?’

But traditional medicine emphasized a four-part diagnosis, and observation alone was not enough. So, Mr. Wo proceeded to check Zhao Jing’s pulse.

The moment his fingers touched Zhao Jing’s wrist, Mr. Wo’s salt-and-pepper beard gave an involuntary twitch.

The pulse was wiry and tense, indicating emotional constraint, pent-up frustration, and a restless heart from a slight lack of vitality.

’Combined with Mr. Zhao’s low spirits, this is a textbook case of lovesickness!’

The old doctor’s beard and eyebrows twitched in unison, and the look he gave Zhao Jing turned deeply meaningful.

Zhao Jing knew he’d been found out, but his expression remained unchanged and his heart didn’t skip a beat, showing the composure of a great general.

The two of them exchanged a calm, composed look. Meanwhile, the others, still waiting for a diagnosis, grew restless and couldn’t help but shift their feet on the ground.

"Mr. Wo, is Mr. Zhao really suffering from motion sickness? Are his symptoms severe?"

The others also watched him with hopeful eyes. "If it’s serious, we’ll have to trouble you to prescribe some medicine."

Mr. Wo calmly withdrew his hand, tucked back his sleeve, and began to walk away with his hands clasped behind his back. "It’s not serious, and no medicine is needed. He just needs to think less and talk more, and his condition will naturally improve."

"What?"

"Really?"

"Is this really motion sickness? It sounds more like you’re worrying too much. Mr. Zhao, could it be you’re anxious about the upcoming prefectural and academy examinations...?"

Zhao Jing remained silent, only lowering his head slightly as if he were too abashed to face them after having his private thoughts exposed.

The others, however, took this as a confirmation and immediately burst into laughter.

"I saw how calm and collected you looked, Mr. Zhao, and I thought you were completely confident. It turns out you get anxious just like the rest of us!"

"There’s no need for that, Mr. Zhao. If someone with your talent can’t pass the Scholar exam, then the rest of us wouldn’t even dare to dream of it."

"Mr. Zhao, put your books away in your trunk. The journey is tiring, and reading too much will only strain your eyes. How about we quiz each other instead? If someone can’t answer, they have to drink a cup of tea as a penalty?"

Wang Xiao’s proposal was met with unanimous agreement. Since his and his brother’s carriage was more luxurious and spacious, everyone moved over to join them.

Along the way, they quizzed each other and recited texts from memory. The activity was lively and fun, and it also helped them identify and fill the gaps in their knowledge, proving beneficial for everyone.

That day, the carriage arrived at the post station right on schedule.

The post station was of simple construction. Having gone years without funds for repairs, its exterior was dilapidated and quite unsightly.

Fortunately, the place was large enough, with plenty of courtyards to accommodate all the traveling scholars who needed a place to rest.

For scholars traveling to take the examinations, lodging at the post station was free of charge.

Scholars only needed to present the travel permits and documents issued by their County Magistrate to prove their identity, and they would be given a place to stay.

However, only the lodging was free; they still had to pay for their own food and expenses.

And at the post station, a single bowl of plain noodles cost five copper coins.

The bowl contained only a few strands of green vegetables, without so much as a drop of sesame oil—it was nothing more than noodles in plain water. In the winter, there wouldn’t even be a single vegetable, which was even more pathetic.

And yet, noodles like these cost only one copper coin back in Qingshui County...

But alas, when you’re away from home, many things are out of your control. You simply have to pay whatever price is demanded.

The group first went to settle into their small courtyard.