Chen Caozhi took his leave of Xie Daoyun, saying, "I also have some gifts I brought back from Chang'an and Ye City. Today was rather hurried, and I didn't have time to bring them. I'll deliver them to you in three days. Rest and take good care of yourself."
Xie Daoyun saw Chen Caozhi to the gate of the small courtyard and watched him follow Xie Shao onto the Listening to the Rain Long Corridor. The noonday sunlight was dazzling, and the sight of that tall, slender figure from behind made her feel that spring was brimming all around her.
The maid Yinfeng stood beside Xie Daoyun and said delightedly, "Master Chen is the truly brilliant physician! Those famous Yangzhou doctors, those court Imperial Physicians-all they did was hem and haw and give ambiguous answers. But Master Chen declared that my lady doesn't have Lao Zhu. There's hope for my lady." She studied Xie Daoyun carefully again and said with delight, "Your maid can see that your complexion is quite different from yesterday already, my lady. There's color in your cheeks."
Xie Daoyun touched her cheeks, which were still warm with embarrassment, and said, "Do you think Chen Zizhong is an immortal, that my complexion would improve before I've even taken any medicine?"
From outside the door earlier, the maid Yinfeng had heard Chen Caozhi call Xie Daoyun by her name rather than address her as Brother Yingtai as he had before. Both Yinfeng and Liu Xu felt happy for no particular reason. Yinfeng said, "Of course Master Chen isn't an immortal. Perhaps he can't cure other people's illnesses, but he can cure my lady's. This was destined by fate."
Ever since Regular Mounted Attendant Xie Wan had learned that his niece Xie Daoyun suffered from a dreadful, incurable illness,