Chapter 27: Simple Folk Customs and Bedtime Stories

When Lu Qing brought Xiao Yan back to the village and saw the villagers gathered and chatting under the large tree, a series of smiles greeted him.

"Ah Qing and Xiao Yan are back?" one villager said with a chuckle.

"Yes, we just came back from Grandpa Chen's place," Lu Qing nodded, feeling somewhat puzzled. "What is everyone gathered here for? Has something happened?"

"No, no," the villagers shook their heads repeatedly.

"Ah Qing, since you are learning from Old Doctor Chen, you must study hard and with all your heart!" an elder said at that moment.

"That's right. If you encounter any difficulties, just tell everyone. We are all from the same village; there's no need to be so polite."

"It's rare that Old Doctor Chen is willing to teach you medicine. You must make the most of this opportunity!" the other villagers added one after another.

Looking at the concerned expressions on the villagers' faces, Lu Qing felt a momentary sense of trance. He recalled the words the old doctor had said to him before he descended the mountain.

"Lu Qing, do you know why, among all the nearby villages, I chose to settle in yours?"

"Lu Qing did not know."

"It is because I very much like the customs of your village."

"I have traveled north and south, wandering for decades. I have seen and lived in hundreds, if not a thousand, villages."

"Among those villages, there are wealthy ones, poor ones, righteous ones, and xenophobic ones—all kinds."

"But the customs of your village are a rare example of simplicity and honesty."

"Unity, mutual aid, and harmonious neighborliness."

"Though the villagers may occasionally quarrel in their daily lives, they do not hold grudges. When a family has trouble, they help as they should."

"A harmonious village like this is rare, even in all my decades of traveling."

"When I first arrived in your village, I was drawn by this atmosphere of simplicity, which is ultimately why I decided to stay."

After hearing the old doctor's words, Lu Qing had been lost in thought. Indeed, even he could feel that the villagers were incredibly sincere and simple. Otherwise, in a village with poor character, he and Xiao Yan would likely have been met with cold stares or even bullied long ago. They wouldn't be able to live peacefully in their own home as they did now.

"Grandpa Chen, from what you said just now, it seems the villages outside are different from ours?" Lu Qing had asked then.

"Very different. Even if other villages are harmonious, they do not possess the mutual support and righteous spirit of your village."

"Then why is our village different from the others?"

"As for that, I am not entirely sure. Perhaps in the future, you can ask the village elders."

Recalling his conversation with the old doctor and looking at the villagers before him who showed such earnest care, Lu Qing suddenly smiled and nodded seriously. "Don't worry, everyone. I will definitely study medicine diligently under Grandpa Chen."

After bidding farewell to the villagers, Lu Qing took Xiao Yan's hand and walked home, feeling very cheerful. He felt somewhat fortunate. Fortunately, the place he had been reborn into was this village. If he had been reborn into one of those villages with poor customs that the old doctor mentioned, he would likely be facing a mountain of trouble. As it was now, although life was a bit hard, there weren't many heartaches. Moreover, as he became more familiar with this world, he believed that his life would eventually get better and better.

Upon returning home, Lu Qing let Xiao Yan play on her own while he took out the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* and continued reading. Having learned the value of the Red Moon Carp, he was no longer so anxious about finding ways to make money. Once Old Doctor Chen helped sell the carp, he would receive a sum of silver, which would be enough to support him and Xiao Yan for a while. Currently, what he valued most was the old doctor's test. As long as he passed, he could officially study medicine under him; he had to seize this opportunity. Therefore, even though he had already memorized the entire *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* with the help of his supernatural ability, Lu Qing did not relax and continued to study the contents diligently.

Time passed slowly as Lu Qing read. During this time, some villagers came by wanting to ask for advice regarding fishing. After all, the two large fish he had caught yesterday were quite a shock to everyone, and some wanted to "learn from the master." However, seeing Lu Qing reading in the courtyard, they didn't dare disturb him and quietly withdrew.

For dinner, Lu Qing once again made fish, supplemented by a handful of wild vegetables picked from the yard. After dinner, the sky had darkened. After reading for a while longer, it was completely dark. Since they couldn't afford oil lamps yet, he put the book away as soon as night fell. However, after this afternoon of review, his familiarity with the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* had deepened. Aside from a few words whose meanings he still didn't quite grasp, there were almost no points of confusion left. Ultimately, the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* was just a book introducing medicinal herbs—a type of popular science medical text that didn't involve complex medical theories, making it not difficult to understand. Not to mention, Lu Qing had his supernatural ability to assist him. He believed that even if Old Doctor Chen were to test him immediately, he would pass completely.

After putting the book away, Lu Qing prepared to coax Xiao Yan to sleep. This different world was not like his previous life's glitzy, neon-lit world where nightlife only began at midnight. Here, ten o'clock at night was considered staying up late. Generally, people went to bed around eight or nine after dark.

"Brother, Xiao Yan isn't sleepy yet."

The little one lay on the bed, covered by a small quilt. Moonlight shone from the window onto the bed, making her round eyes clearly visible.

"Be good, Xiao Yan. Go to sleep early. We have to go to Grandpa Chen's tomorrow," Lu Qing coaxed.

"But Xiao Yan can't sleep," the little one insisted stubbornly.

"Then what should we do?" Lu Qing was somewhat at a loss.

"Brother, tell me a story! Xiao Yan wants to hear that story about the little monkey again!" the little one revealed her true intention.

"Alright," Lu Qing sighed. "Where did we leave off last time?"

He felt a bit of regret. For the past two nights, whenever Xiao Yan woke up in the middle of the night, she would cry incessantly, and no matter how he tried to soothe her, she wouldn't stop. In the end, he had to tell her stories, and he hadn't expected the little one to become so addicted to them.

"Last time, we reached the part where the little monkey wanted to be the Great King!" Xiao Yan remembered very clearly.

"Fine. So, it was said that on this day, the monkey troops were playing in a mountain stream when they accidentally discovered a Water Curtain Cave..."

Indeed, the story Lu Qing was telling was that of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. However, he hadn't read the original work seriously in his past life, so he didn't remember the specific details very clearly. He could only rely on the impressions in his mind to improvise and organize his words. Fortunately, the story of the Monkey King had infinite appeal to children. Even though he skipped parts and omitted many details, Xiao Yan still listened with great interest.

But she was a child after all, and she grew tired quickly. Combined with the calming effect of the Green-Armored Fish Stone, Xiao Yan's eyelids began to droop before the little monkey could officially become king, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Lu Qing gently tucked her in and was about to return to his own bed when he suddenly heard a sound coming from outside.