Volume One, Chapter Seven: Setting Out

"It's not certain yet; I only know she is taking this medication." Wang Qiqi dared not lie; she could not afford the consequences of offending Liu Lei.

Liu Lei’s attitude did a complete 180-degree turn. "You keep watching her. It would be best if you could get some evidence proving that Su Jin is taking rifampicin."

Since she couldn't find out what Su Jin had in her possession, targeting Su Jin herself would also ensure Su Jin returned empty-handed. The Yue History Department had to be abolished.

...

Shen Yubai picked up the three paper-wrapped packages of medicine one by one to examine them. Detailed instructions for their use were written on the packets. Along with the medicine came a letter from Su Jin.

His slender fingers unfolded the letter. The shaky, clumsy handwriting made Shen Yubai rub his forehead.

"I asked my aunt, and she said that combined medication for tuberculosis works faster. If you follow these instructions, you'll feel much better by next month. Let me tell you something funny: my aunt thought I was the one with tuberculosis and insisted on writing a referral for me to get checked. She even wanted you to go for a check-up. When I said you couldn't come, she even scolded you for not caring about your own health."

A check-up? A referral? These words were completely unheard of.

Shen Yubai was even more curious about the descriptions. After reading the note several times, he carefully placed it on the kang table. He picked up his brush, and elegant, standard script appeared on the snow-white paper: "Can your aunt cure tuberculosis?"

He placed the letter next to the scroll and waited quietly. The reply came quickly.

"My aunt is the deputy director of the Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology—the equivalent of a senior physician at your local medical clinic. She is highly skilled. As long as you take the medicine she prescribed diligently, you will definitely see a great improvement within a month."

Shen Yubai’s beautiful eyes shimmered, a trace of shock deep within them. A woman could actually be a physician? Could the patients trust such a thing?

"Where I am, women can work in any profession—doctors, merchants, teachers..."

Shen Yubai’s heart trembled. He couldn't bear to send these letters to Su Jin, so he took some cheap stationery and wrote down his confusion.

Soon, another sheet of snow-white paper arrived: "Women here can take the imperial examinations and even become high-ranking officials!"

Shen Yubai was deeply shaken. Women could actually take the imperial examinations! This completely shattered his understanding of the world. Since the beginning of the Great Yue Dynasty, there had never been a precedent for women to sit for the imperial exams. Women were mostly confined to the home, their entire fates tied to three men: at home, they obeyed their fathers; after marriage, their husbands; in old age, their sons. If these three men succeeded, the woman’s life would be fulfilling; if even one of them was unreliable, her life would be miserable and destitute.

If a woman could take the imperial exams and work in any profession like a man, wouldn't she be able to control her own destiny?

Shen Yubai’s heart churned. He buried himself in writing, pouring all his confusion onto the paper. After the rough, difficult-to-use bamboo paper was sent away, he received no reply for a long time, and he couldn't help but feel anxious.

He was truly curious about the world a thousand years later. To ease his anxiety, he took up the "Analects" annotated by his father. He was already intimately familiar with the content and the annotations, so he couldn't bring himself to read them, his eyes constantly darting toward the scroll.

Finally, a book-shaped object appeared. He spread it open to find it filled with densely packed characters. He leaned back against the bed, reading word by word. Women in the future were actually equal in status to men. Many women were even stronger than men. Women could choose to remain single for life and live elegantly by supporting themselves. Even women could go out to work and earn money to support their families.

Shen Yubai closed the book, his heart surging. What a brilliant world that must be. If his mother could have lived in such a world, how free and carefree she would have been. Even if his father were gone, his mother could still go out to earn money, without having to look at the expressions of her in-laws, uncles, or the clan. Even if he died from his illness, his mother could still live well on her own. Perhaps she could have been a female physician like Su Jin’s aunt, or a scholar like Su Jin.

Shen Yubai lowered his eyes, gently stroking the book. What kind of world was the future, really? He wanted to pick up his brush and write again, but the ink had already dried. He poured water from a bamboo tube onto the inkstone and slowly ground the ink stick. Once ready, he dipped his brush and wrote his lingering question: "Why is there research into the Yue Dynasty?"

After the bamboo paper was sent away, he held the book and began reading again.

...

When Su Jin received the reply, she was holding the bamboo paper up against the light. The thickness of the bamboo paper was very uneven; in thin spots, it was almost transparent, while in thick spots, it blocked the light entirely. No wonder the ink bled through. She carefully tore off the blank sections to save them. If she could prove the existence of the Great Yue Dynasty, presenting these pieces of bamboo paper would surely terrify the experts.

Su Jin was happy, and then Shen Yubai’s letter arrived. She tapped her chin with her finger, thought for a moment, and used a gel pen to briefly write down the current situation on the back of the book.

Across the way, Shen Yubai was clearly urgent: "The Great Yue Dynasty was founded over forty years ago; why is it not recorded in the official history?"

Su Jin: "That is the secret we are going to explore."

Shen Yubai: "How can I help you?"

Su Jin rubbed her hands together in excitement. It was time! She could finally make requests to her heart's content!

She would first have Shen Yubai find pigments and craftsmanship to restore the scroll, then have him search for the locations depicted on it, and then...

Then, Su Jin’s shoulders slumped, and the smile on her face vanished. Shen Yubai was too sick to even get out of bed; how could he help her with these things? She had to get his health back on track first.

Su Jin quickly perked up again. Since she couldn't do the big things, she would do what she could now. She scribbled her request on the book: "Does your family have any history books about the Yue Dynasty?"

"My family donated all our books to the clan school. If you want them, I can go to the clan library and borrow one to copy for you."

Su Jin did not hesitate: "Yes!"

She would soon know the history of the first forty years of the Yue Dynasty. Only a fool would say no. Although history books couldn't prove the existence of the Great Yue, they could be cross-referenced with the history of other existing dynasties to make progress.

"You must take your medicine quickly. I will send you lots of good food to nourish your body, and you will soon be as fit as a fiddle!"

Shen Yubai smiled, tucked the paper under his pillow, and swallowed the four types of medicine. The medicine from the future was truly effective; he felt more energetic the moment he took it.

Over the next ten days or so, Su Jin sent fish and meat to his side every day, with white rice and noodles for every meal. Shen Yubai was nourished until his complexion improved, and he gradually regained his strength. Knowing that Su Jin had a hearing to attend in a dozen days, he prepared to go to the clan school to borrow the books. Although he didn't know what a hearing was, he guessed from her words that it was very important to her.

Although it wasn't cold in September, Shen Yubai wore an extra coat. The clan school was near the ancestral hall, about a mile from his home. For a farmhand, this distance was nothing, but for Shen Yubai, it was a considerable challenge. He picked up a sturdy wooden stick from the kitchen to use as a cane and leaned on it as he walked out.

Mrs. Luo, who was feeding the pigs, saw this and ran over: "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the clan school to borrow a book."

Mrs. Luo was worried: "I'll take you."

A sharp, angry shout came from the main house: "The pigs have been squealing from hunger for ages, and you’re still standing there soaking up the sun!"

Mrs. Luo’s body stiffened: "I... I'll feed the pigs first, then I'll take you."

Shen Yubai’s expression remained calm: "I'm much better; I can walk by myself." He shook the wooden stick in his hand to emphasize his point.

Mrs. Luo hesitated, looking at the main house and then back at Shen Yubai. After being nourished by good food for these past few days, color had finally returned to his face; he must have improved quite a bit.

"Walking outside will help you feel more spirited. If you get tired, just sit by the side of the road, and I will come find you once I finish my chores."