Chiang Xiao spoke with such conviction that even Old Bai listened intently, finding her words quite sensible. Yet the more she spoke, the more disappointed he became.
"Could it be that this medicine’s true purpose lies in the painting’s enchantment, not in healing?"
Chiang Xiao nodded and said, "Of course, it’s not for healing. If curing diseases were that easy, doctors would probably be out of a job. However, the marvel of the painting makes one happy while appreciating it, and it also gives a feeling of being immersed in the scene, like a sort of spiritual resonance and purification that can greatly improve one’s mood. That’s the effect of a medicinal painting. If Old Bai felt a significant effect, it might be because you yourself have a great love for landscape paintings, and also because you miss Old Lady Bai much, projecting those feelings onto the painting."
Old Bai listened as if in a trance, nodding along now and then.
After Chiang Xiao finished speaking, he sighed and said, "I’m old and not much use anymore. Don’t look at me speaking clearly now, able to sit here and chat about paintings with you, but it’s quite possible I’ll become confused again soon. When I’m muddled, I forget things—I lose track of many people, many events, many items. I never longed for a strong body; I just wished for more clarity, more time to recollect past events."
As he spoke, Old Bai’s face was etched with deep reminiscence.
After his wife passed, he no longer had anyone to chat with leisurely.
Since his son had ascended to a high position, the people coming and going in the house all had strong agendas, speaking to him only in ways that pleased him. He wasn’t someone who liked to hear only flattery, and after a while, such talk became truly uninteresting.
Moreover, these people had all sorts of crafty ideas. Sometimes, when they failed to get his son to do something, they’d come to him with a trap crafted in their words, and he’d end up unintentionally causing troubles for his son.
After a few such instances, he simply moved back to the old house, not letting his son live with him and keeping to himself.
But it was truly very lonely.
He had memories at least, thoughts of his late wife; that was some consolation. What he feared most was becoming confused.
Thus, when Chiang Xiao’s painting had such an effect, he was overjoyed and immediately asked to meet her. Originally, he had hoped she would have some prescription to cure his confusion.
But now that Chiang Xiao had said there wasn’t one, he was somewhat bewildered again.
Chiang Xiao reached into her backpack, and under the disguise of the bag, she pulled out a cup.
A cup painted with the Nourishing Talisman, shaped like a very round peach.
"Old Bai, have a look at this cup," Chiang Xiao offered, handing over the cup.
Old Bai took the cup and immediately felt its warmth and smoothness, nothing like the cold and slippery feeling of ordinary porcelain; he paused, then asked, "A White Jade Cup?"
But it didn’t look white at all.
Chiang Xiao shook her head, "It’s ceramic."
She had also discovered later that a cup painted with a Talisman Diagram seemed to change in texture, feeling somehow akin to jade.
Perhaps the Talisman Diagram also had an effect on the cup.
"Ceramic?" Old Bai was quite astonished, holding the cup carefully and inspecting it, then noticing the Talisman Diagram painted on it. "And what is this diagram?"
"Old Bai, this is also my work, and yes, it’s made with medicinal herbs too. Drinking water from this cup has a nourishing effect since the herbs will slowly permeate into the cup."
She had experimented herself and found that such a Talisman Diagram would gradually lose its effect after about half a year.