Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

Seeing this, Tao'er said, "Tao'er knows that although I have some medical background and have read a few medical books, I am ultimately just a self-taught practitioner."

My haphazard, piecemeal learning is nothing compared to the solid foundation that Ayan built from scratch.

In terms of talent, I'm afraid I'm not as good as Ayan.

"If Li Bo is willing to take him in, and Ayan achieves great success in his studies, it will be a great honor to carry on your medical skills."

Elder Li remained silent, listening attentively.

As she finished speaking, she stood up and bowed deeply to Elder Li: "Tao'er dares to beg Elder Li for your permission."

Looking at the determined and earnest girl in front of him, Elder Li felt a surge of complex emotions.

He has lived for decades, traveled all over the country, and seen all kinds of people.

Those who asked him to take them as disciples either brought gold and silver jewelry or used various personal connections to get there.

But this was the first time he had ever seen someone like Tao'er, who wanted to bring others along when it was her own opportunity.

What is this girl after?

He subconsciously turned to look at Xiao Yi, only to see the young pavilion master quietly gazing at Tao'er.

His eyes held a complex and unreadable expression, a mixture of shock, emotion, and, more than anything, an indescribable sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions, often including regret or unease).

Xiao Yi's emotions at this moment were far more turbulent than Elder Li had imagined.

He originally thought that Tao'er's conditions were nothing more than money, because he knew that this little girl was a money-grubber.

He had already planned in his mind that he would agree to whatever amount Tao'er asked for.

After all, he had seen Tao'er take good care of Ayan all these days, and her sincerity was worth it no matter how much money he spent.

But he never expected that the conditions Tao'er proposed were not for himself, but for A-Yan.

She could have used this opportunity to gain something for herself, but she didn't.

From beginning to end, her heart was filled with thoughts of Ayan.

That child, who was not related to her by blood, was cherished and pampered by her simply because of a trust placed in him.

Xiao Yi's fingers tightened slightly as he held the teacup, and his throat tightened a little.

She was more like family to Ayan than his uncle, and she loved him more.

Xiao Yi lowered his eyes, suppressing the tears welling up, his shame growing stronger.

Elder Li took in Xiao Yi's reaction and gradually understood the situation.

When he looked at Tao'er again, the scrutiny in his eyes faded somewhat, replaced by a sincere respect.

This girl is young, but her character is so rare.

Her feelings for the young master of the Xiao family were pure and unadulterated; they were neither flattery nor attempts to curry favor, but rather heartfelt affection.

For such a person, loyalty and righteousness are not just empty words, but are ingrained in their very bones.

Besides, he also really likes that child, Ayan.

At such a young age, he is already polite and sensible, with clear and bright eyes, and he is willing to study hard. He is indeed a promising student.

He is the sect leader's nephew, so there's nothing wrong with accepting him as a disciple, both morally and logically.

Elder Li couldn't help but chuckle at this thought.

When he arrived, he was still wondering how much persuasion he would need to get Tao'er to agree to become his apprentice.

To his surprise, the girl not only didn't act coy, but also gave him an unexpected surprise.

"Miss Tao'er," Elder Li put down his teacup and said solemnly, "I agree to your terms."

Tao'er suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling with surprise.

"Thank you, Uncle Li..."

Elder Li waved his hand, signaling her not to be too happy yet, and then said, "However, I also have a few words to say beforehand."

First, if you're going to take on apprentices, then you must teach them seriously and have them learn diligently.

My rules are strict, and my methods are ruthless. If that child can't endure hardship and fatigue, I won't continue teaching him.

Tao'er nodded repeatedly: "Of course, Uncle Li, don't worry, Ayan is not a child who can't endure hardship."

Elder Li held up two fingers. "Secondly, you just said that your foundation is not solid, which is not exactly modest."

Now that you've entered my tutelage, you must abandon all your previous unorthodox methods and learn from me from scratch.

You are older than Ayan and have a deeper foundation than him, so you will inevitably have to mentor him in the future. Can you do that?

Tao'er's eyes reddened slightly, and she solemnly replied, "Yes."

Tao'er will definitely study hard and take good care of Ayan.

She was thinking that if Ayan couldn't keep up after she studied, she would tutor him at night.

"Third..." Elder Li said, then suddenly laughed, his serious expression vanishing and replaced by a kind and gentle one.

Tao'er looked at him: Uncle Li, hurry up and tell me, you're making me so anxious!

"Thirdly, now that I have accepted you two as my disciples, you will be my last disciples from now on."

My medical skills are nothing special, but they represent the culmination of most of my life's work.

Study hard, and you can use it to help people or make a living in the future.

There's only one rule: it can't be used to harm people or do bad things. Of course, you shouldn't be soft-hearted when dealing with bad people!

Tao'er nodded solemnly, "Uncle Li, rest assured, we will never use our medical skills to harm people."

"Silly girl, you're still calling me Uncle Li. You should change how you address me!"

Elder Li chuckled as he reminded him, touching his long, gray beard.

Tao'er was stunned with joy; Old Man Li had agreed to take her and Ayan as his two disciples.

Unexpectedly, she really became the apprentice of the divine doctor. She never imagined that what she had read in novels would actually come true for her.

Xiao Yi nudged Tao'er, "Tao'er, hurry up and become my disciple to express your gratitude. My father has agreed to it."

Tao'er gave an "oh" and knelt down with a thud, respectfully kowtowing three times to Elder Li: "Master, your disciple Tao'er kowtows to you."

Elder Li quickly reached out to help her up, his eyes filled with relief: "Good child, get up quickly, the ground is cold."

Xiao Yi watched this scene from the side, and a smile finally appeared on his lips.

He picked up his teacup and raised it slightly to Elder Li: "Father, congratulations on taking on such a fine disciple."

Elder Li laughed heartily and raised his teacup in return, saying, "Congratulations to you both."

You brat, that little brat Ayan is going to suffer with me from now on.

Don't feel bad about it!

Xiao Yi smiled and shook his head: "Father, if he can learn even a move or two from you, that would be his good fortune."

What's a little hardship?

As long as he learns real skills, I'll let him suffer every day.

The three of them smiled at each other, the room filled with the aroma of tea and a warm, cozy atmosphere.

Tao'er stood up, wiped her eyes, and said softly, "Master, Seventh Brother Shi, shall I go and call A-Yan over so he can also kowtow to you?"

Elder Li waved his hand: "No rush, no rush. Let him know about this today."

Tomorrow, I will make preparations, choose an auspicious day, and properly perform the apprenticeship ceremony.

"Since we're going to take on apprentices, we can't be stingy; all the proper rules must be followed."

Tao'er smiled and agreed, then said, "Then I'll go tell Ayan the good news first, so he can be happy too."

She also had to prepare a ceremony for becoming an apprentice.

After saying that, she curtsied to the two of them and went out the door with light steps.