Chapter One, A Moment

Mrs. Qin stood by her son's side, feeding him water, soup, and food with every sound he made. Qin Fengyi instinctively opened her mouth: drink water, eat soup, eat food

Doctor Xu took Qin Fengyi's pulse again. The pulse was calm and gentle, neither floating nor sinking, neither slow nor hurried, neither thin nor strong, with a regular rhythm, and full of vitality and depth. In any case, with this pulse, as long as Qin Fengyi does not harm her body, living for a hundred or so years is completely feasible

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qin became agitated and pointed at her son, saying, "This is what you call nothing! He hasn't woken up for half a day and a night! What kind of Mongolian doctor did you hire for our son? Can he even treat him? Hurry up, pack the silver, and go to the capital to invite a royal physician! No matter the cost, even if it means exhausting our family fortune, I must get my son treated!"

The fragrant scent of joy rises gently, as the afternoon breeze brushes past the window, where the trees are adorned with blossoms. Within the embroidered curtains of the brocade chamber, in that fleeting moment when the Qin phoenix's arrow is drawn on the string.

However, Qin Fengyi believed that even the supreme wisdom of Buddhist teachings would find it difficult to explain his feelings in that fleeting moment. In that instant, he had pressed Xiao Xiuer down onto the bed, preparing to unveil their mutual affection. Yet, just at that very moment—

Old Master Qin hurriedly stopped the doctor, saying, "Not at all, not at all. Women often have long hair but short knowledge. Doctor Xu, please do not take offense to this woman." He apologized to the old doctor.

Someone beside advised, "The child is fine, the doctor said he just needs to rest and he will recover. Looking at you like this, one would think our son is in serious trouble." Upon hearing this, it was clear that the speaker was Qin Fengyi's father, who was also someone indulgent towards children

He likes the delicate and lovely appearance of Xiao Xiuer, but he does not like hanging ghosts. If he suddenly encounters a hanging female ghost, wouldn't that scare him to death

Mrs. Qin hurried over, entered the room, and asked her son, "Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable? Do you want me to invite the doctor to take a look?" She also inquired whether the medicine outside was ready to be decocted.

Qin Fengyi felt that even if he were to die, with his mother's ability to cry, she could bring him back to life with her tears, so there was no need to trouble the doctor. Qin Fengyi mumbled, "Alright, stop crying, I'm fine"

Qin Fengyi does not want to mention it, it is too embarrassing, how could it be? His health has always been good. Yes, because his family is wealthy, Qin Fengyi has set a goal since childhood to achieve wealth and longevity. In order to live a long life, he has not been with a woman before his sixteenth birthday. Qin Fengyi can proudly say that he is still a young man!

Such a phrase, merely four characters long, seems to carry the bone-chilling cold of the harshest winter. Qin Fengyi had not yet had the time to ponder who had uttered these words when a sudden shock coursed through him, and he was pulled back from the 'dream' into the present by an invisible force. Subsequently, he heard his mother's unique weeping tone. She was sitting by the bedside, clutching a handkerchief, her tears flowing like a river. 'My son, my short-lived son! What has happened to you! You say, in this Yangzhou city, what good girl is there that you do not like? Whomever you fancy, just tell your mother. Why must you do it yourself? Look, you have even risked your life for it! My poor son!'

Mrs. Qin held her son and said, "What are you going to do again? It's just getting better; it still needs some time to recuperate."

That shot, after all, was not fired

Qin Fengyi was thus frightened to death in the past

To be honest, if it weren't for the wealth of the Qin family, which makes it unwise to offend them, and the high consultation fees they pay, Doctor Xu would truly be reluctant to treat this family

He gradually regained consciousness and felt that he had used up all his strength. In reality, the sound was not loud, but to Mrs. Qin, it was like a drowning person seeing a piece of driftwood or a desperate person spotting a savior. Her eyes, resembling two overripe peaches, immediately radiated a profound joy. At that moment, she did not mind that the doctor seemed useless; her eyes sparkled with brightness, and with agile hands, Mrs. Qin swiftly pulled the sulking Dr. Xu to the bedside. Overwhelmed by joy, her tone changed, "Dr. Xu, hurry and take a look, my son is awake!" Her eyes, resembling two overripe peaches, immediately radiated a profound joy. At that moment, she did not mind that the doctor seemed useless; her eyes sparkled with brightness, and with agile hands, Mrs. Qin swiftly pulled the sulking Dr. Xu to the bedside. Overwhelmed by joy, her tone changed, "Dr. Xu, hurry and take a look, my son is awake!"

"What is that little hussy doing!" As soon as the name of Xiao Xiuer was mentioned, Mrs. Qin became furious and couldn't help but scold her son, "Just look at you. I have already said that once you turn sixteen, I will choose two clean and proper maids for you to keep in the house, yet you insist on seeking out those uncultured wildcats. What do those kinds of girls know about propriety? If it weren't for your carelessness, would you have gotten hurt?"

Qin Fengyi found it impossible to describe the feeling of that moment; his entire body was pressed against the struggling delicate form of Xiao Xiuer, and he was on the verge of success. Yet, in that instant, through Xiao Xiuer's panicked and desperate pale face, it seemed he saw something, saw something...

It is utterly unreasonable

"Where are you hurt? I am perfectly fine." Qin Fengyi continued to ask, "Mother, where is Xiuer?"

Qin Fengyi woke up the next morning, roused by his mother's weeping. Her cries had a distinctive quality, a rhythmic pattern of three sighs in one breath, reminiscent of the charm of Yangzhou's traditional melodies. Qin Fengyi felt as if he were still in a dream, where he seemed to hear someone softly say, "It is better to be dead."

Qin Fengyi doubted whether this dream was real, yet the sensations from that dream were undeniably intense. Originally, he was supposed to be with Xiao Xiuer, but for some unknown reason, just as everything was set in motion, he unexpectedly witnessed Xiao Xiuer's horrifying scream as she hanged herself

Qin Fengyi had not yet opened her eyes, and the doctor beside her had already lost patience. The old doctor, fuming, picked up his medicine box and angrily declared, "Since you find Xu's medical skills lacking, I shall take my leave!"

This family is wealthy, one of the top salt merchants in Yangzhou. However, apart from their wealth, they possess nothing else, especially a lack of virtue. This is particularly evident in Qin Fengyi, the only son of the Qin salt merchant family.

You say that the Qin family is not short of money, and besides, there are plenty of professional service providers in the flower streets and willow lanes to attract business. It would be quite suitable for you to go to such places. Yet, Qin Fengyi is an oddity; he only likes virtuous young women. If the other party is willing and both parties are agreeable, that would be fine. However, if the other party is unwilling and he insists on forcing it, then this is bound to lead to trouble.

How could someone who pays such close attention to health and wellness possibly die so young

The Buddhist scripture "The Sutra of the Benevolent King" states that in the span of a snap of the fingers, there are sixty moments, and in one moment, there are nine hundred births and deaths

It is all fate

"That will do as well." Qin Fengyi sighed and lay on the bed. Speaking of which, Taohua's excellent massage skills made Qin Fengyi feel completely relaxed, alleviating much of her fatigue. As she felt more at ease, Qin Fengyi thought of Xiaoxiuer and asked her mother, "Mother, where is Xiaoxiuer?"

How long is a moment

Pity the hearts of parents everywhere, the Qin salt merchant and Mrs. Qin have only this one precious child. When their only son encounters misfortune, the couple weeps bitterly and desperately pleads with Doctor Xu to save their sole offspring. It is worth mentioning that the Qin salt merchant has a good reputation in Yangzhou, primarily because he is generous. He has always contributed to the construction of bridges and roads in the city and has provided aid to the lonely and destitute, never being stingy. Mrs. Qin also occasionally distributes porridge and rice, performing good deeds and accumulating virtue. However, in Doctor Xu's view, the virtue accumulated by the Qin couple is still insufficient to offset the misfortunes brought upon by Qin Fengyi.

After Mrs. Qin had taken good care of her son and noticed that he still did not seem to be in good spirits, she sent away the maid and personally checked on her son to ensure he was asleep. Only then did Mrs. Qin lightly step away, leaving behind her most trusted maid, Taohua, instructing her to listen carefully. If the young master woke up, she was to immediately report to her. She also instructed the young maid to convey a message to the kitchen that during the young master's illness, greasy foods should be minimized, and more light and nourishing dishes should be prepared to help restore his health. Furthermore, to avoid disturbing the young master's recovery, the several cages of canaries, thrushes, and magpies in the Qionghua courtyard, which were known for their chattering, were to be temporarily moved to the lady's courtyard to help care for the young master. Once the young master had recovered, they could be brought back to him.

"Mother, I truly am fine." Qin Fengyi, accustomed to being spoiled, always had her way at home. It is easy to imagine that if her parents could manage her, she would not have turned out to be such a troublemaker. She waved her hand dismissively and sauntered off to the woodshed.

Heaven's will does not put an end to this calamity

Such a favorable pulse condition does not require a prescription; however, due to Mrs. Qin's appearance of "my son is weak, my son has suffered greatly, my son must be well-nourished," Doctor Xu indeed prescribed several precious medicines. Master Qin ordered the steward to accompany Doctor Xu to fetch the medicine. Naturally, a generous consultation fee was indispensable

Mrs. Qin carefully instructed once more, and feeling uneasy, she peered through the window into the room. Seeing that her son was indeed asleep, she finally felt reassured and left.

However, Qin Fengyi has awakened now

In the shed, Mrs. Qin said with annoyance, "You, in your stupor, have no concern for her at all!" She then realized that her son, now awake, was inquiring about this girl, indicating that he was indeed serious about her. Mrs. Qin felt helpless towards her son and sighed, "If you truly like her, just spend a few taels of silver to buy her. However, this time you must listen to me; once she has been taught the proper manners and knows how to serve, only then will I allow her to stay in your room."

He is just urinating at this moment, yet he is also a famous traditional Chinese medicinal material, the urine of a young boy

It is not that the story is particularly tragic; for several years, Qin Fengyi still had food and drink, wealth and honor, lacking nothing. He felt it was tragic because, during those years, the deaths were too tragic and too disgraceful.

Mrs. Qin cried again, "Oh, my unfortunate son—"

Qin Fengyi was actually not asleep; he simply felt tired, very tired

When Doctor Xu arrived, Qin Fengyi was already in a state of unconsciousness. After listening to the details of the illness, Doctor Xu thought to himself, "It is as it should be!"

"Alright, alright." Qin Fengyi got out of bed and put on her shoes, saying to her mother, "Please stop nagging, I am fine."

Dr. Xu is indeed a physician, dedicated to practicing medicine and saving lives, and would never stand by and watch someone die without offering help

Mrs. Qin stamped her foot and sighed, "What a grievance!"

Qin Fengyi lay in bed, tossing and turning as he pondered his "dreams." Unable to remain still, Taohua, noticing this, assumed that the young master had woken up and hurriedly instructed a young maid to inform Madam Qin.

Is it possible to save such a person? Dr. Xu is beginning to doubt whether he is accumulating virtue or committing a sin. Alternatively, perhaps it would be considered a good deed if the heavens were to take this scourge away.

Call Taohua over to give you a pinch

Qin Fengyi said, "Mother, I am fine. It's just that I've been lying down for too long and feel sore all over."

Enough, enough

He, he, he actually is, well, dead

Qin Fengyi, a well-known young master in Yangzhou, is a disgrace even to the term "dandy." Having risen to prominence in Yangzhou through the Qin family, he has fully embodied the characteristics of a nouveau riche. From a young age, he was not a good person, bullying his classmates at school and his peers outside. As he grew older, he became increasingly audacious, even starting to bully respectable women.

His entire head felt as if it had been forcefully stuffed into several years of time. Fortunately, these years were not about others, but about him. If it were someone else's story, given Qin Fengyi's psychological endurance, he would probably have gone mad by now. However, even with this matter concerning him, he was not much better off, because it was too tragic