"Cough, cough, cough, cough."
Amid the coughing, smoke continued to rise. Pei Changtian, who now went by a different surname, was tending the medicinal stove himself.
Once the medicine had simmered long enough, he poured the liquid from the pot into two small bowls and left them on a square table inside to cool.
This was a residence in Luling County's town. Its courtyard was not large, but it was kept exceedingly tidy, with vegetables growing along its edges.
After cleaning up the medicinal stove, Pei Changtian fetched a basin of hot water from the kitchen, returned to the main room, and carried it into the inner chamber. A bedridden man lay on the large bed there.
The patient looked very old. His eyes were closed, and he lay motionless, seeming more unconscious than asleep.
Pei Changtian opened the patient's clothes and wrung out a warm cloth in the basin, then carefully wiped his body, from his face to his hands, from his chest to his back, from his arms to his armpits. Even his private areas were cleaned little by little.
During this, Pei Changtian occasionally could not suppress a cough or two, though he tried his best to restrain himself.
When he finished, Pei Changtian carried the basin of murky water outside. The bowls of medicine on the table were still steaming, and footsteps had already sounded in the courtyard.
"Young master!" "Young master, we're here!"
"Young master!"
"Uncles, please, come in!"
A smile appeared on Pei Changtian's face. As he spoke, he emptied the wooden basin, then welcomed the visitors into the main room.
"Let's see the gang leader first!" "Yes, it's been a long time!"
"Father is still the same. He spends more time unconscious than awake."
They went into the inner chamber to see the