Reborn in the 80s: My Whole Family Secretly Hears My Thoughts and Goes Wild with Success! - Chapter 144

Due to its unique nature, Traditional Chinese Medicine has always been passed down through a master-apprentice system.

There are many TCM medical texts, but simply reading a few books doesn’t mean one can diagnose illnesses and prescribe treatments.

An apprentice studies under a master firstly to learn the master’s compassion and virtue, secondly to learn the master’s experience, and thirdly to learn the master’s approach to diagnosis and treatment.

The Dong family had practiced medicine for centuries, passing down their knowledge generation after generation, and had developed their own unique method for teaching apprentices.

The medical books Dong Hesong gave Yaya were compiled by their own family, used to introduce apprentices to the basics. They were written in plain language, making them easy to understand.

If he were ten years younger, he wouldn’t be in such a hurry. Fortunately, Yaya was precocious, unlike an ordinary child.

Heaven had taken pity on him, allowing him to meet his destined apprentice in this lifetime and pass on the Dong family’s medical knowledge.

The task of reading the medical books fell to Huo Jiusi. He held the book in one hand and Yaya’s little hand in the other.

He would read a sentence, and Yaya would repeat it after him.

After he finished reading, Yaya silently recited the entire passage from memory.

Huo Jiusi’s eyes widened. He shook Yaya’s little fist excitedly. “Wow, Yaya, you’re amazing! You remembered it all after just one time!”

[Of course!]

Yaya lifted her little face proudly: [I am the universe’s most beautiful, clever, and invincible meow!]

[Little Demon, remember to test me on this tomorrow. These are all foundational knowledge; I need to remember them firmly so that Great-grandpa will accept me as his disciple.]

Huo Jiusi put the book aside and propped his face up with one hand. “Yaya, do you want to be a doctor when you grow up?”

[I haven’t decided what I want to be yet. I just feel that knowing medicine can help me take care of my family’s health.]

In her previous life, her family members all had poor health. She could only watch from the side, feeling helpless and anxious.

[I want to protect my family properly, keep them safe and healthy.]

[Little Demon, I’ll protect you too, you know!]

Yaya shook their joined hands: [If anyone dares to bully you, I’ll scratch them to pieces!]

Huo Jiusi unconsciously touched his chest; it felt warm there.

“Yaya, will you always protect me?”

[Of course I will.]

“Just staying by my side is enough.” Huo Jiusi leaned down and planted a kiss on Yaya’s forehead.

Yaya stared wide-eyed, stunned. It wasn’t because Huo Jiusi had kissed her, but because she saw his blue-purple eyes had grown misty.

[Little Demon, are you… moved to tears?]

“No.” Huo Jiusi turned his head away, but his reddened ear tips betrayed him. “I’m not crying. But I am quite moved.”

[Little Demon, come here.]

Huo Jiusi turned his head back. Yaya waved her little hand: [A little closer. Let me see your eyes.]

Though he felt very embarrassed, Huo Jiusi obediently brought his face close to Yaya. Her little hand gently brushed over his eyes: [Little Demon, you should have a good cry. I want to see what your eyes look like after you cry. Will they be even prettier?]

Huo Jiusi: “…”

“I can’t cry right now.”

[Should I say more nice things to move you, then?]

“Yaya!”

[Oh my, the Little Demon is angry, how terrifying~] Yaya covered her eyes with both hands.

Huo Jiusi could do nothing with her. He could only gently tickle her sides, but surprisingly, Yaya wasn’t ticklish at all.

“Huh? You’re not ticklish here?”

[I’m not ticklish there.]

“Yaya, where are you ticklish then?”

[I… I’m not ticklish anywhere!] Yaya quickly corrected herself. That was close; she had almost fallen into the Little Demon’s trap.

“How can that be? I don’t believe you. I’m going to find it.” Saying this, Huo Jiusi poked and prodded Yaya here and there, but she truly had no reaction.

[See, I told you I’m not ticklish, but you didn’t believe me.]

Yaya lifted her chin at Huo Jiusi, a mischievous glint in her eyes: [Little Demon, I know where you’re ticklish, though.]

“Where?”

[Right here!] Yaya’s little hand darted swiftly to Huo Jiusi’s side and tickled him. He let out a yelp and jumped up.

[Ahahahahaha!] Yaya waved her arms and legs joyfully.

“You little rascal.” Huo Jiusi buried his face in Yaya’s belly and gently nuzzled her. Yaya couldn’t help but giggle.

[Little Demon, stop it, ah— you’re so annoying, I’m super ticklish there~!]

Huo Jiusi, worried Yaya might laugh so hard she’d get hiccups, sat up straight. His eyes sparkled as he made a funny face at her. “Tit for tat.”

Yaya made a face back at him, but her attempt wasn’t the least bit mischievous; instead, it was unbearably cute.

“Yaya, how can you be this adorable?” Huo Jiusi couldn’t resist gently pinching her little cheek.

Yaya swatted his hand away: [No more playing. Read to this meow for a while longer.]

After reading for a bit, Huo Jiusi noticed Yaya’s attention had wandered.

Yaya was thinking about her previous life, where she often played with the Little Demon like this.

He particularly loved burying his face in her belly and taking big, deep ‘sniffs’. But he never knew her belly was her ticklish spot. Every time he did that, it made her unbearably itchy.

After a few times, she would puff up like a dandelion and try every which way to leap up and attack his sides.

Once he caught her, he would hold her firmly in his arms, resting his chin on top of her head.

That position was especially comfortable. If they were in the sunlight, she would fall asleep very quickly.

Meow— Meow—

A few cat calls came from outside. Huo Jiusi noticed Yaya’s little ears twitch.

“Yaya, what are the cats saying?” Huo Jiusi asked her quietly.

[Shh, wait until I finish listening, then I’ll tell you.]

After about ten minutes or so, Yaya shook their joined hands: [Major gossip. Want to hear it?]

“From our compound or another one?”

Several large residential compounds were on this street, not far from each other.

Because of this, gossip from one compound often spread to all the others—like the “ambiguous relationship” between Chen Can and Xu Wan.

[The one next door.]

“Whose family?” Over these days, Huo Jiusi had managed to learn, both openly and discreetly, about most of the people in the several compounds.

[Lu Guangrong. You know him? He’s the father of that pretty auntie who’s been visiting lately. Also a scumbag father.]

Huo Jiusi nodded: “I know. What happened in his family?”

[The cats said his son somehow took medicine meant for livestock breeding. He went wild at the banquet, offended several families, and Lu Guangrong got so angry he fainted. He’s still in the hospital and hasn’t woken up yet.]

Huo Jiusi pinpointed the truth sharply: “His son offended someone. It’s possible he did something similarly excessive before, and the other party is deliberately retaliating against him. And probably not just him, but Lu Guangrong and his wife as well.”

[If they were in the wrong first, then they deserve it. But who did they offend?]

“If I’m guessing correctly, it should be Auntie Lu.”

[Pretty Auntie?!] Yaya blinked: [She doesn’t seem like the type to do something like that.]