11 Peony (2/2)

”Yes, just a little tired.”

Alice answered with a half-truth, she was exhausted, but it wasn't the only thing she was feeling. She was happy to hear Theo's words, but she was a little frightened by the state of her body. That last reaction she got wet had scared her.

”Lie down and rest, let me tell you a story,” Theo said as he stroked Alice's angelic face.

”Are you going to tell me a story?” Alice was instantly excited.

Theo nodded. He helped Alice lie down and cover her with the blanket.

”You know what these flowers are called,” Theo pointed to the pink flowers next to Alice.

She shook her head.

”They are known as peonies, but they have a different name in Chinese medicine. The story I'm going to tell you is the reason for her name.”

”Theo, what is Chinese medicine?” Alice asked.

”Nothing important, don't overthink it.”

”Okay.”

Theo secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He almost shits it monumentally.

”The famous doctor Hua Tuo of the Three Kingdoms planted different kinds of flowers and herbs in the front and back of his house.” Theo began telling the story.

”What are the three kingdoms?” Alice asked again.

”Hey, don't interrupt me. If you interrupt me again, I'm going to stop telling you stories.” Theo said in a threatening tone. Alice nodded repeatedly. She had her doubts but kept them in the back of her mind.

”Hua Tuo insisted on carefully testing each herb to find its properties before prescribing them to his patients. Therefore, he never prescribed any harmful medicine.

One day, someone gave Hua Tuo a peony plant, which he planted in the front garden. After he tasted the leaf, stem, and flower of the peony, he decided that there was nothing special about it and that it had no benefits as a medicinal herb. So he did not use peony to treat disease.

One night, Hua Tuo was reading a book under a light, when he suddenly heard a woman crying. He lifted his head and saw a beautiful woman crying inconsolably amid moonlight outside the window. Hua Tuo was somewhat perplexed and went out into the courtyard, but there was no one there. In the place where he had seen the woman, he found a peony plant. The thought that came to him was that the woman was the peony, but almost immediately, he shook his head and laughed at his foolish idea. Hua Tuo said to the peony, ”You have nothing special from head to toe. How can I use you for medicine? As soon as Hua Tuo sat down, he heard the woman crying again. When he went outside to see the woman a second time, again, there was no one except the peony. This incident was repeated several times that night...”

Theo sighed when he saw that his sister had fallen sound asleep. He made sure she was sleeping soundly and pulled out the bag with the needles his grandmother had previously given him.

Theo looked at Alice with a strange expression. He had memories of her whispering to Theo one night about not having suggestive underwear.

Navigating a little more through the memories, Alice's attitude at the time was a little strange. She had never acted like that before, why did she do that night?