Li Man'er was beginning to understand his meaning.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
For the past few years, Li Nian and his wife had not given up searching for a doctor who could cure the Three Deadly Illness. Each time they sought hope, but each time they returned disappointed.
Having witnessed so much, Li Qingyan naturally accumulated disappointment. Thus, he instinctively suppressed his hope and instead developed a self-defeating mindset.
Since it couldn't be cured anyway, why bother struggling? It was better to let nature take its course.
"Silly boy, of course it can be cured. I never lie."
Li Qingyan stared at Li Man'er. The young boy's heart suddenly surged with infinite strength and hope.
No one had ever told him the Three Deadly Illness was curable. Every doctor who saw him would shake their heads and sigh, looking despairing. Only his cousin, with determination, told him it could be cured and that she would surely cure him.
If his illness were to be cured, his parents wouldn't have to be sad anymore. He would grow up well, learn all sorts of skills, and protect his sister.
"I understand." Li Qingyan pretended to be indifferent and lowered his head to eat snacks, but in reality, he had already formed a plan in his heart.
Li Man'er was somewhat satisfied with this outcome. As long as he put his mind to it, he would soon feel the physical changes himself.
Li Qingyan was young, and his body was in poor condition. The jolting of the carriage ride soon made him sleepy.
Li Man'er flattened the sitting cushion, spread out the blanket prepared by Zi Yan, and said to him, "You sleep for a while. I'll wake you when we arrive."
"I'm not sleepy, it's fine." At first, he didn't want to sleep, but his eyelids grew heavier, and he had no choice but to obey.
Seeing that he had fallen asleep, Li Man'er took out a calming incense and lit it. This incense would help Li Qingyan sleep more soundly and peacefully. Only by eating and sleeping well could his spirits improve, and he could better cooperate with the treatment.
As dusk deepened, the caravan traveled several more dozen miles and finally arrived at an inn.
For some reason, there were few people at the inn. The clerks and servants were all asleep, slumped over their tables.
Li Nian pounded on the door loudly, "Is anyone there?"
A servant in a dark uniform scurried over, "Sir, are you here to eat or stay?"
Li Nian knew the rules and handed his waist token to the man, saying, "We are a party of seventeen. Prepare food, rooms, and hot water. And feed the horses their fodder quickly."
The man carefully examined the waist token, then returned it with both hands, "So it's General Li. My apologies. Please come in, sir. I will make arrangements immediately."
This man's words were sweet. Civil officials were called 'Sir,' and military officers were addressed as 'General.' Li Nian did not mind and led the way into the inn.
Before this, Li Nian had already formulated a travel plan, arranging for three people to stand guard in shifts, alternating meals and night watch.
Don't assume that everything is safe just because you're at an inn. Trouble can still arise.
Li Man'er and Li Qingyan alighted from the carriage together and walked into the inn side by side.
"Big..." Li Qingyan was about to call out to Li Man'er, but remembering that she was disguised as a boy, he quickly changed to, "Brother, why did I sleep for so long?"
"Perhaps you were tired?"
Li Qingyan sat at the table, looking refreshed, and said, "But when I usually fall asleep on the road, I wake up with a sore back and legs. But today is different. I slept very well."
Of course, it was the effect of the calming incense.
"You slept for several hours, so you naturally rested well."
Li Nian overheard and couldn't help but laugh. He walked over and said, "You were arguing about riding horses earlier. With your stamina, you wouldn't last half an hour."
Li Qingyan was unconvinced.
Li Man'er then said, "You're still young, and your stamina needs improvement. Take it slow, and you'll get better day by day."
As they spoke, the innkeeper brought the dishes.
The dishes were ordinary, and the taste was naturally incomparable to home. However, after a day of travel, having only eaten dry rations at noon, the taste was not as important as being able to eat hot food.
Li Man'er drank a few sips of soup and took large bites of steamed buns. She looked like a ravenously hungry youth, completely disregarding her image, eating with gusto and at an extremely fast pace.
Liu Ya, seeing this, couldn't help but nod secretly.
If Li Man'er had eaten too delicately, it would not have matched her current disguise.
Everyone was tired after a day of travel, so they ate quickly. Some finished and went to relieve their companions on guard duty, allowing them to come in and eat.
Liu Ya quietly approached again and whispered, "Young master, the rooms have been tidied. I personally checked them and there are no issues. However, you will have to share a room with me tonight, young master."
"We are on a journey, there's no need to be so particular."
Li Man'er smiled, thinking that Liu Ya had previously inquired about her dislike for being too close to others.
Liu Ya nodded. "I will escort you upstairs, and then I will fetch the hot water."
Li Man'er said goodbye to Li Nian, cupped her fists in salute, and went upstairs.
Li Nian took his son back to their room and, closing the door, asked, "Qingyan, what do you think of your cousin?"
Li Qingyan replied, "He seems cold, but he is kind-hearted. On the road, he was even testing my recitation of the incantations."
"Your cousin is thoughtful and much smarter than most people. Did you notice how he saluted earlier?"
Li Qingyan recalled Li Man'er's salute with cupped fists and suddenly understood, "Father, you are telling me this specifically..."
Although he was young, he was not foolish and naturally knew his father's words must have a deeper meaning.
"You are fortunate to be his fellow disciple; it is truly a blessing from heaven. You must study diligently and practice hard, and do not let your cousin's good intentions go to waste."
"Yes, son understands."
Li Nian was then satisfied. "Alright, get some rest early."
"Father, I slept the whole way, I'm not sleepy at all."
"In this cold weather, what else can you do if you don't sleep? Hurry up."
"Then, at least let me wash my face? And my feet."
Li Nian waved his hand. "There's none of that in the north. In the army, it's common not to bathe for half a month or more. You are Li Nian's son, so you must be a brave and steadfast man. Don't learn those ways of the young masters in the capital."
Li Qingyan had no choice but to say, "Yes, son understands."
The father and son went to bed, and soon Li Nian's snores filled the room.
They were deafening!
Li Qingyan couldn't sleep, so he simply closed his eyes and silently recited the incantations.
What was initially a peaceful inn became fraught with danger in the latter half of the night.
A dazzling flame streaked across the night sky and landed on the haystacks behind the inn.
Flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed.
The stable was adjacent to the fire. The horses, choked by the smoke, whinnied incessantly, struggling desperately to break free.
"Fire!"
"Oh no, fire!"
People upstairs and downstairs were all awakened.
Li Man'er had slept fully clothed and opened her eyes at the first moment. She noticed that Liu Ya beside her was also awake.
They both rose at the same time, put on their shoes, grabbed what they could carry, and quickly ran downstairs.
Many people rushed out of their rooms, including Li Nian and his son.