Ling Yun and Tang Meng returned to the rented apartment and left a laptop there before locking up and returning to the low-income district. Once they arrived at the entrance to The People’s clinic, Ling Yun wanted to invite Tang Meng for lunch but Tang Meng turned down the offer. Saying that he had another matter to attend to, Tang Meng drove off the moment Ling Yun alighted.
Fearing her brother might not come back for dinner, Ning Lingyu had been waiting at the clinic doorstep for the whole afternoon. Now that Ling Yun was back, she happily welcomed him in.
“Big brother, it’s already half past twelve, I almost thought you weren’t coming back. Hey, that’s…”
Ning Lingyu had finally noticed the two laptops that Ling Yun was carrying by his side.
“Woah… Brother, you actually went to buy laptops?!” Ning Lingyu exclaimed, her voice unable to hide her excitement. Ever since she was thirteen years old, it had been her dream to have her very own computer. It did not matter even if it was a second-hand computer, she really wanted one. Thus, when she saw her brother bringing back two brand new laptops, she was filled with joy and excitement.
“Stop staring, silly. How about giving me a hand with these?!” Ling Yun smiled as he looked at his sister.
“Sure!”
Ning Lingyu’s thrilled face was flushed beet red as she puckered her lips and ran over to her brother. Taking a laptop from him, she started running into the clinic.
Seeing how thrilled and happy his sister was, Ling Yun could not help but think that the money was well spent. With a gentle laugh, he followed her and entered the clinic.
“Mum, Mum! Big Brother brought two laptops home!” Ning Lingyu yelled while she ran swiftly towards the backyard.
Qin Qiuyue had just finished preparing lunch and was in the midst of laying out the cutleries. Seeing her daughter making a big fuss as she dashed into the house, Qin Qiuyue smiled before speaking in a gentle voice.
“Come and have lunch, you can play with the laptop afterward.”
At that moment, Ling Yun entered the house as well.
“Mother, I saw that the clinic has very few patients each day so I bought a laptop for you too. You can use it to pass time when you’re bored.”
Having said that, Ling Yun set the laptop on the tea table and waited patiently for Qin Qiuyue’s questioning to begin.
His mother had stayed quiet about the jade box, iPhone 5, Nike attire and the lobster he had brought back yesterday. Now, he even brought back two brand new laptops. Ling Yun was sure that now, his mother would at least ask about the money.
“Silly child, why did you spend such pointless expenses? Your mum’s already old, so she doesn’t need a laptop. Keep it for yourself. It can help you in your research during your studies.”
Qin Qiuyue had a comfortable smile on her face, not bothering to hide her joy. However, Ling Yun was still suspicious over the fact that she did not even mention anything about the money.
“Mother, I bought one for myself too, a total of three laptops!” Ling Yun persisted.
“Oh, okay then. Mummy will keep this laptop then. Now, dear child, come and have lunch!” Qin Qiuyue motioned Ling Yun towards the dining table.
“Mum, this afternoon, I visited an apartment near the school and rented it.”
“I see, since you’ll be staying alone, be careful okay?”
“Mum, I want to bring all those medical books in my room back to the apartment.”
“Sure, I’ll get Lingyu to help you out later.”
…
“Mum, I’m hungry!” Ling Yun finally exclaimed in defeat as he sat down at the dinner table.
Qin Qiuyue smiled sweetly and replied, “Let’s eat then. Now, Lingyu, come over and have your meal. You can play with the laptop after the meal. It’s all yours so don’t worry. It won’t disappear.”
Ning Lingyu dashed out of her room, her beautiful eyes looking brightly at Ling Yun and her face covered by a wide and adorable smile.
“Big brother, you’re the best!” she exclaimed
As for Ling Yun, he ate his meal with heavy doubts hanging in his mind. Even after the meal, it still weighed heavily in his mind.
His mother was just too extraordinary!
Freedom is good, but, isn’t this too much freedom?!
It was not that his mother did not care about him. After all, whenever she looked at Ling Yun, her eyes were always overflowing with maternal love and care. It was just that the contrast between how his sister and mother treated the situation was just too different!
For any little change, Ning Lingyu would always ask Ling Yun question after question, pushing him to his wit’s end. Yet, his mother never bothered to question him and always seemed to treat what he did as something normal and acceptable!
Ling Yun had initially planned many excuses in his mind as well as various stories and explanations. He had rehearsed in his mind what he should hide and what he should tell his mother. But instead, his mother threw a curveball at him, choosing not to question him at all! Forget about being surprised, the situation just felt downright uncomfortable. Thus, Ling Yun decided to test out his mother’s reaction.
“Mother, how about letting me take care of the clinic this afternoon? After reading all those medical books, I’m able to cure illnesses…” Ling Yun asked, trying to probe for her reaction.
If his mother refused to believe his medical abilities, it would provide him the chance to also bring up the reason for his sudden possession of so much money. He would then be able to also explain all the things he had bought. That way, it would make him feel much better as well.
To his astonishment, Qin Qiuyue pitched another curveball at him by nodding her head in agreement.
“Okay, I’ll leave the clinic in your care for the afternoon. I’m thinking of going shopping with Lingyu to buy some clothes for the both of you anyway.”
What the heck?!
For the relentless Ling Yun who never gave in to anyone, be it in here or in Cultivation World, he finally accepted total defeat. She was indeed his ‘mother’, to be able to make him give in.
“Mother, I’ve got enough clothing, so just buy two sets of clothing for Lingyu.”
Qin Qiuyue smiles gently and shakes her head.
“Silly child, mummy’s buying clothes for you to wear in two months’ time.”
After having had so many unexpected exchanges with his mother, Ling Yun almost stumbled over when he heard what his mother said. He no longer dared to probe her anymore.
Ning Lingyu, whose mind was only filled with thoughts of using her new laptop, hurriedly tidied up the table before rushing back to her room. Ling Yun took the opportunity and followed her.
With the advancement in technology and development in society, electronics like computers had become indispensable to humans. This was especially true for those that lived in the city. Thus, even though Ning Lingyu and her brother did not possess computers till now, that did not mean that they knew nothing about it. The presence of the Internet and basic computer courses in school was more than enough to teach them about computers.
Though the previous ‘Ling Yun’ did not amount to much in his academics, even he had things he was proud of. One was medicine and the other was online gaming. Both were undoubtedly related to his weak constitution caused by his damaged Yang Heel meridian. The reason ‘Ling Yun’ studied medicine was probably so that he could find out the cause of his constitution and administer proper treatment himself. Whereas the reason he was so obsessed with online gaming was probably due to the humiliation, ridicule, and mocking he suffered constantly. Compounded by his helplessness to do anything as a result of his weak body, he could only endure the pain and sorrow in silence. Thus, it is only natural that he would turn to online gaming for salvation.
Beating a Boss in a game, defeating strong opponents, becoming stronger, winning better items and earning glory. All these probably helped to keep the balance in his fragile heart and provided the thrill he needed in life. Therefore, not only did Ling Yun know about computers, he was amazingly good with them.
The only problem that this self-cultivator faced was that most memories regarding computers were fragmented. In pieces, these memories were hard to connect together and thus provided little help. This was also why he followed Ning Lingyu to her room. He wanted to see how she used a laptop without incurring any unnecessary suspicion.
Furthermore, with his powerful memory and perception, just seeing Ning Lingyu set up the laptop once was enough for Ling Yun to remember everything.
“Big Brother, this laptop’s specs are amazing, installing the system only took a few minutes!” Ning Lingyu exclaimed excitedly.
Her brother nodded his head in agreement before replying, “I bought this laptop for your studies so make sure you don’t get distracted too much, okay?”
Having achieved his goal, Ling Yun left the room and the clinic to visit Li Hongmei’s grocery shop.
“Auntie Li, do you sell needles?” Ling Yun asked Li Hongmei as he walked into the empty shop. As for the scorn and contempt she had shown him yesterday, Ling Yun took none to heart since he was sure that she would not look down on him anymore. This had been his motto all along. If one wants to change another’s opinion of him or her, one should start by changing oneself.
As expected, the moment Li Hongmei spotted Ling Yun, she gave him a wide smile before enthusiastically greeting him.
“Oh, Ling Yun, you’re already back. Buying needles for your mum? It’s all over there, take what you need and use it!”
Li Hongmei was a simple person and she always showed what she was thinking on her face. If she felt that Ling Yun was a spineless coward, her face would be filled with contempt. Similarly, if she saw Ning Lingyu as a smart and capable person, she would smile and treat her fondly. When she was worried about Qin Qiuyue she would rush to check on her safety. Such was her character.
Thus, when she saw Ling Yun return home in a Hummer, bringing back so many shopping bags, she was surprised. In addition, she had even witnessed him beating the life out of Hades Tian as if he was possessed. After seeing all these scenes she could no longer see him as a spineless coward anymore.
In response to her question, Ling Yun remained silent as he walked over to the needle section. After a few glances, he decided on the big needles which were about two inches long.
“Auntie Li, how much for a box of these?”
Li Hongmei was stupefied. A box? Why does he need so many needles? Even doing a year’s worth of embroidery does not require that many needles.
“Eight dollars for a box…” the dumbfounded Li Hongmei stuttered.
Ling Yun put down a hundred dollar note, smiled gently and replied, “I’ll have ten boxes please.”
Li Hongmei’s mouth was now wide agape. She could not wrap her head around why Ling Yun would need such an abundance of needles.
Ling Yun’s choice was indeed strange, yet at the same time, a marvel. Since the country had banned the possession of firearms and close combat weapons, there was no better choice than needles. After all, even vegetable knives were facing restriction in modern China.
Under Li Hongmei’s supervision, Ling Yun left the shop with his ‘weapon’. Once he had left the shop, he could not help but give a good laugh. Just remembering Li Hongmei’s shocked expression gave him joy. Now, do you still dare to belittle me?
However, he was still not satisfied with his purchase and thus, decided to visit a hardware store. After purchasing three and a half kilograms of steel nails from the store, he finally decided to head back home.
Once he entered the clinic, he found a secluded spot and placed the items there. Next, he sat on a clinic chair and started scrutinizing the human body acupuncture point poster on the wall. It was as if he was engrossed in deciphering the meaning of a world-class painting.
So many acupuncture points are deviated from their correct positions. And so many points have been missed out in this poster…
Roughly twenty minutes passed before Qin Qiuyue finally came out from the backyard with Ning Lingyu. Ling Yun stood up frantically.
“Ling Yun, mother’s going with Lingyu to the market. I’ll leave the clinic in your hands. If you have anything you’re not sure of, just give me a call,” Qin Qiuyue said softly with a tender smile.
In response, Ling Yun took out a bundle of hundred dollar notes and scratched his head as he spoke.
“Mother, here, take this. You seldom go shopping, so you should buy more things. Don’t worry, if it’s too heavy for you to bring back home, I’ll get Tang Meng to fetch the both of you.” As soon as he finished his piece, he placed the bundle of notes in Qin Qiuyue’s hand.
Rather than rejecting or refusing it, Qin Qiuyue simply smiled naturally and accepted it. Passing the money to Ning Lingyu for safekeeping, she gave Ling Yun a few simple instructions before leaving.
A few moments after the two had left, Ling Yun went to the corner and took out ten needles from a box, holding them with his fingers.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve practiced, I wonder if I’ve still got the accuracy. Let’s just have some fun for today!”
Finishing his speech, without even raising his head, with just memory alone, he threw the needles at the human acupuncture point poster. He then raised his head to check. Every single needle had hit the acupuncture points he had been aiming for! With perfect precision to boot!
“Looks like reaching the peak of Physique Tempering Stage Level 2 is really paying off. It would have been perfect if I could use spatial rift assimilation!” Ling Yun exclaimed, smiling confidently.
However, before he could finish his smile, his expression froze.
Ling Yun could feel his zenith, ajna, and the immortal spiritual energy stored right below his navel region all flowing simultaneously. The flow was wild and uncontrollable like a raging river. Immortal spiritual energy started to flow out from the three areas. In a blink of an eye, Ling Yun found the immortal spiritual energy raging through his meridians like the Yangtze currents!
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