The next morning, young master Ji had someone deliver a bowl of soft porridge to Lu Yan, with the message that they'd be leaving for the treatment hall as soon as she finished eating.
Lu Yan dressed hurriedly, and ate quickly.
Rushing out to the main hall, she found master going through some scrolls.
He put them aside as soon as she walked in.
After the greetings, they left the house and began to walk towards the treatment hall.
"Your task is to watch and learn everything the junior physician does. He'll be healing injured soldiers. If you don't understand or know something, ask him questions."
The morning air was cold, and his breath came out in a white haze.
Lu Yan nodded, walking quickly to keep up with him.
The treatment hall was full of soldiers. At this time, most of them were still asleep.
Master lead the way to a sectioned off portion of the hall where the physicians each had their own table filled with scrolls. They were chatting and laughing together.
Seeing young master Ji, the junior physicians all scrambled up and bowed in unison. The surroundings suddenly went quiet.
Master pointed to one of the physicians- he looked to be the youngest of the junior physicians, only a few years older than Lu Yan.
"My disciple will be following you. Teach him how to heal," he said brusquely.
Without another word, he turned around and left.
Lu Yan stood there awkwardly, with Luizhu behind her.
After a moment, she bowed deeply, and said, "My name is Ayan, and it is an honor to learn from you."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then, the junior physician who had been pointed out by young master Ji uncomfortably returned her greeting, and said, "No, no, it's my honor to teach you. Young master's disciple can call me Junior Physician Tan."
Lu Yan smiled stiffly.
The beginning of the day was like this: everyone seemed to be on pins and needles in her presence.
She wasn't allowed to lift her hands and help with anything, even if it was just carrying a little jar of medicine.
Junior physician Tan seemed to assume she knew a lot about healing.
When she asked questions, he provided answers that were full of jargon. She couldn't understand a word he said.
Or just smiled uneasily and said, of course, she should know this already. He constantly apologized that his little knowledge couldn't compare to the superior teaching of young master Ji.
She followed him as he went around the beds and made notes in the scrolls he was carrying.
After he finished the rounds, he requested that she stay while he went to fetch the daily medicine required from the stores.
She asked to follow him, but he said he didn't dare.
Feeling helpless and slightly frustrated, she watched his disappearing back.
While waiting for junior physician Tan to return she heard the other junior physicians talking about her together in low voices.
Separated by a screen, she caught some of their words.
"If young master Ji really valued him," one voice said thoughtfully, "Why would he leave him with the most junior physician?"
"That's because he's clueless," someone observed, "Doesn't even know how to properly bandage a wound."
Someone else grumbled, "If his wrist is broken, he should have just stayed at home. Why come here and waste our time? Like we don't have enough to do."
Luizhu opened her mouth. Lu Yan took her hand, and squeezed to prevent her from talking.
Tan soon returned, carrying a box full of medicine.
Lu Yan took a breath, walked up to him, and asked what each medicine was.
"Young master Ji's disciple should know this already," he said smiling awkwardly.
"I don't." she said firmly, and waited expectantly for him to tell her.
He looked at her, part bewildered, part unsure.
"Young master Ji's disciple really doesn't know?"
Lu Yan nodded, "I don't. You should teach me well."
He was silent for a moment longer, then pointed out the herbs, "Well, this is honeysuckle, and this is dandelion. This is honey. Here we have turmeric, and mulberry bark. This is licorice..."
He rattled off a long list. Lu Yan tried to memorize the appearance of everything.
When he was finished, she asked, "What are they for?"
He seemed taken aback for a moment.
Before he could open his mouth, Lu Yan said impatiently, "I really don't know! Master is very busy and really sent me here to learn from you."
He flushed, seeming a little embarrassed, "Right, right. Okay, let's see. Now, honeysuckle-"
He spoke in disjoint sentences, nothing like the crisp and clear lectures Lu Yan was used to from master. She struggled to follow and absorb the information he was giving her.
Suddenly, she realized that master was a really good teacher.
Her appreciation for him grew another notch. In addition to food, warmth, clothes, snacks, protection, now good teaching joined the list of what master was giving her.
Lu Yan followed Tan around, asking questions about everything, and trying to persist until she received somewhat satisfactory answers.
Tan seemed part embarrassed and part flattered by her attention. But at least he didn't get angry or sulky.
The other junior physicians continued watching Lu Yan.
She could feel their gazes on her constantly, judging and weighing her worth.
Luizhu, who had not truly adapted to being a boy, was jumpy and clumsy under the eyes of so many strange men.
Tan was sent by another physician to run to the medicine hall again.
By now the soldiers had woken up and even more gazes were falling upon her.
While she waited for Tan to return, they walked up to her.
They didn't have any malicious intent. They were all just extremely curious about young master Ji's disciple.
Soon, she was surrounded, and all kinds of questions bombarded her.
"Where do you come from little brother?"
"How did young master Ji find you?"
As Lu Yan kept stubbornly quiet, the questions rained down.
"What's your family name?"
"You're so small. Why didn't young master choose a bigger disciple?"
The circle around her grew smaller and smaller.
Someone even pinched her cheek, saying, "He's cute, and he'll grow up soon."
Lu Yan threw herself back, colliding with someone.
She landed in a heap on her bottom.
The group of people surrounding her burst into laughter.
Her little face was red with mortification.
She pressed her lips tightly together, as she stood up, snatching her arm back from someone who tried to help her up.
Luizhu was almost crying, but didn't dare to speak.
Junior physician Tan had returned, and was watching from the sidelines with a helpless expression on his face. He didn't say a word, even when Lu Yan looked at him.
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke up loudly, "Aren't you all big men ashamed of bullying such a little boy?"
Lu Yan looked at the speaker. It was the same young man who had tried to help her up when she'd fallen yesterday.
"Back off, back off," he said, making his way through the circle, nudging and pushing people away. "Don't go over the top. Or young master Ji will skin you alive."
"We didn't say anything," someone grumbled.
"He won't say where he's from."
"He's here to learn, not listen to you fishwives gossiping," the young man said righteously. "Get lost now."
The injured soldiers all retreated back to their beds.
He smiled down at her, asking, "Alright?"
Lu Yan nodded. She was so embarrassed! Her toes curled inside her shoes.
He didn't seem to notice, "They don't mean any harm. They're just stuck here, bored out of their minds and they'll take any entertainment they can find."
Suddenly he took her arm, and said, "Let's go see my brother. He's also stuck in bed. You can take good care of him while he's here."
Lu Yan opened her mouth to object, but he smiled brightly down at her.
She closed her mouth.
Without another word, he dragged her towards a bed in one of the furthest corners of the hall.