"Well, you just hit the nail on the head! To be honest with you, my sister just found a mentor and she is going to ask his to become her medical master officially someday," Ye Mei cut in.
"Really. May I have his name?" Wandong asked.
Ye Ling smiled and said, "I learnt that Zhuge Hong the chief professor of the medical school of the Qingyun Academy is going to select disciples in three days. And I will be there then."
Wandong learnt some background information about the professor and the school. Zhuge Hong was indeed a prestigious medical master in the Qingyun Empire, though he was no comparison to Sun Daobai.
Wandong intended to persuade Ye Ling into accepting his offer, as he thought it would save Ye Ling the trouble by having Sun Daobai as her medical master. However, Wandong remembered Ye Ling's aspirational disposition and held back his offer. He didn't want to hurt her pride. And it would be a god idea for Ye Ling to have a go of Zhuge Hong first.
"Well, we're running out of time. Let me go and prepare the medicine first," Ye Ling said.
"Sister, hang on," Yue Zhong stopped her and fetched a cube of gold, which weight about one kilo. Then he presented it to Ye Ling.
Ye Ling pulled a long face and said, "Yue Zhong, why is that? What am I to you?"
Yue Zhong smiled wryly and said, "Sister, given we are just like a family, we know each other inside and out. I know you don't make much money by running the store. And all the furniture and cooking utensils were broken during the battle. You will have to make a purchase again. And that calls for loads of money."
As Yuezhong was right about it, Ye Ling no longer insisted. She asked, "What about you then? Do you have any money on yourself after giving me the gold?"
Yue Zhong grinned and said, "Don't worry, I won't starve."
Wandong got bewildered by their conversation and asked, "Brother Yue, it stands to reason that you must be well-off youngsters. Otherwise, you wouldn' have what it takes to study here. How come you are…"
Yue Zhong responded, "Yep you're right. Our families are indeed aristocrats in the Tiandu Kingdom. However, since our kingdom is on the brink of collapse owing to the invasion of the Tiezhan Empire. My father donated 90 percent of our wealth to the kingdom to support the troops. Hence there is only a little left to cover my living costs. So are Liu Zhi, Tan Jian, and Qiu Xing."
"A donation of 90 percent of your wealth?" Wandong asked in awe. Though he hadn't met their fathers in person, he couldn't help but admire them for their greatness.
It was by no means easy job for any family to accumulate wealth. Donating 90 percent of one's wealth to his kingdom could only happen to those who loved their motherlands with full-on patriotism.