Chapter 23

After making up his mind to apply for the job, Shen Aheng borrowed two sets of ordinary peasant clothes from the old couple. The old couple was very straightforward and immediately took out two sets of half-worn coarse cloth clothes that they had worn before, one for Shen Aheng and one for Ashina Yu.

Shen Aheng brought two sets of clothes into the room, one for himself to change into and the other for Ashina Yu to change into. He also loosened his long hair, which was originally tied up, and pulled down a few strands to hang beside his cheeks. The rest was simply tied up behind his head, trying to cover half of his face.

Then she took some flour and applied it carefully on the eye-catching cinnabar mark on his forehead. She also mixed some brown herbal juice and gently applied it on his originally fair cheeks and neck with her fingertips, gradually covering up his originally pale skin color and making it look like an ordinary farm boy.

After finishing his work, Shen Aheng took two steps back and took a look. Ashina Yu's original frail and weak appearance was gone. Only an ordinary little medicine boy wearing coarse cloth, half of his face covered by hair, and with a dark complexion was left.

He is completely different from before.

Shen Ah Heng clapped his hands in satisfaction and nodded, "Very good! If you go out like this, even your parents won't recognize you!"

Ashina Yu raised her hand to touch her darkened face, then tugged at her coarse cloth. A blank look appeared in her eyes, and her Central Plains dialect still spoke uneasily: "Is this... just fine?"

"Don't worry!" Shen Ah Heng patted his shoulder: "Remember, when I go out, I will be a little doctor who treats money as dirt. I don't love gold, I only love to cure diseases. I travel around the world incognito. And you are a little medicine boy under my tutelage, responsible for serving tea and water for me, and helping me with the baking of medicine. I guarantee it will be safe and sound!"

Upon hearing this, Ashina Yu lowered his eyes to look at her small hand on his shoulder, then looked back at her again without any hesitation in his eyes.

He was used to serving her tea and taking care of her chores. After hearing the instructions, he nodded gently and replied in his slightly awkward Central Plains dialect, "Okay... I, I understand."

Although his voice was soft, it revealed complete obedience and he didn't raise any objections.

It seemed as if "helping Shen Ah Heng" was the most natural thing.

After saying goodbye to the old couple again and again, Shen Aheng took Ashina Yu down the mountain and asked along the way to find Liu Yuanwai's house.

From a distance, the vermilion-painted gate looks very majestic, with two stone lions squatting in front of it and a gold-plated plaque hanging on the lintel.

The notice seeking medical treatment was posted in the most conspicuous place at the entrance of the mansion. The black characters on the red background were particularly eye-catching. The area below was already crowded with passers-by of all kinds. A housekeeper in a brocade robe was sitting behind the table, frowning and impatiently registering people.

Shen Aheng quickly pulled Ashina Yu into the queue and waited for a long time before it was their turn.

"Your name, and where did you learn from?" the butler asked without even raising his head.

"My surname is Chen, and my given name is..." Chen Ah Heng paused, then continued, "My given name is 'Yi'. I practice medicine in Jianghu, and I have never had a master."

The housekeeper then raised his eyes and saw that the person who answered was just a young girl. He glanced at the boy beside her who was also of the same age with his head lowered. His brows furrowed even deeper, and his tone was filled with contempt: "Where did this little girl with yellow hair come from? She hasn't even grown out yet, and she dares to join in the fun?"

He waved his hand and drove her away impatiently, "Go away, don't waste my time here, there are people waiting behind you!"

When Shen Ah Heng heard this, he became dissatisfied and took a half step forward and said, "You are wrong. The notice only said that we need to seek treatment from famous doctors, but it did not say that women are not allowed to come, let alone that young people cannot practice medicine. Whether one can treat illnesses depends on real ability. How can you judge people by their appearance?"

The housekeeper was choked by the girl's words, his face darkening even more. He thought she was just being unreasonable and waved his hand impatiently: "Why are you talking so much nonsense? What does this little girl know about medicine? Hurry up and leave!"

As he spoke, he waved to the two men who looked like servants at the door and said, "Kick these two troublemakers out!"

The two servants came over immediately and reached out to grab her.

At this moment, Ashina Yu, who had been keeping his head down and with a pale look on his fingertips, suddenly raised his eyes. His movements were as light as a gust of wind. He turned his wrist slightly, forming a fragile but neat arc. A gust of strong wind swept out silently along his fingertips and hit the two servants accurately on the chest.

No one could see how he moved. They only saw the two men, without even having time to groan, fall backwards as if all their strength had been drained, and could not get up for a long time.

Ashina Yu had already lowered his eyelashes, and his slender fingers were tucked back into his sleeves. His long and thick eyelashes cast a light shadow under his eyes. His eyes were as calm as jade immersed in warm water, and his thin shoulders did not even move, as if the attack just now, which contained hidden internal force, did not come from him at all.

"Ah——" The people queuing around were frightened and retreated in an instant. Many of them even staggered and hid behind the big stone pillars, with panic on their faces.

The housekeeper's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock. He suddenly jumped up from his chair, as if he had witnessed some terrifying foreign magic. He pointed at them, his lips trembling, and for a long time he couldn't utter a complete sentence: "You, you will..."

The housekeeper was about to speak again when the vermilion lacquered door of the mansion was pushed open with a creaky sound.

Just then, a hunched old man came out. His hair was gray and tied in a loose bun. He had prominent cheekbones and was as thin as a withered stick. His face was full of wrinkles. His eyes slashed at the crowd like knives. He frowned and shouted sharply, "What's the matter with making such a commotion at the door? Don't you know the old lady is still recuperating in there?"

The housekeeper rushed to the old man, grabbed the hem of his long gown, and trembled in his voice. He pointed at Shen Aheng and Ashina Yu and stammered, "Master, Master! They are monsters! They can...can do sorcery!"

Before he finished speaking, Shen Ah Heng hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, “Old sir, we are not weird people, we just saw the notice from the mansion and came here to apply for the job of treating the old lady.”

Upon hearing this, the lawyer looked Shen Aheng and Ashina Yu up and down. Seeing Shen Aheng's girlish figure and face, he glanced at Ashina Yu who was pretending to be a little medicine boy beside him. His small eyes were full of suspicion. He curled his lips and said, "You? A little girl, dare you say you can cure my old lady's illness? Don't come here to eat and drink for free, do you?"

After hearing this, Shen Ah Heng straightened his back, patted his chest, and said loudly: "Whether it is free food and drink, you will know after going in and trying it. Besides, the level of medical skills is never judged by age and gender. If you can't cure the old lady's illness, it's up to you to deal with it. If you can cure it, please fulfill the promise on the notice."

The lawyer reached out and twirled the sparse beard on his chin, and his eyes rolled slowly.

The mansion has invited several famous doctors but none of them have been effective. It doesn't hurt to give it a try. If this little girl is really capable, she can solve Mr. Liu's urgent problem. But if she is not, it won't be too late to throw her out then.

He made up his mind and waved at the two of them, his tone still impatient: "Stop talking nonsense and come in with me! If you dare to play tricks, don't even think about leaving here alive."

Shen Aheng felt a little relieved, gave Ashina Yu a reassuring look, and followed the master into the room.

Liu Yuanwai's mansion was indeed luxurious. The bluestone roads were paved smoothly, with precious flowers and trees planted on both sides. Gilded lanterns were hung under the corridors, and the extravagance of an official was evident everywhere.

The two followed the master through several courtyards and finally arrived at the courtyard where the old lady lived.

The lawyer pushed open the door and as soon as he entered, a strong smell of medicine hit him in the face. The room was dimly lit, and even the window paper was pasted very thickly. Only a few candles were lit on the rosewood floor-standing candlesticks near the bed, reflecting a faint light.

Strangely, the smell of medicine was mixed with a greasy and spicy meat aroma, which was particularly eye-catching.

Looking inside through the flickering candlelight, there was a thin gauze curtain hanging in the inner room. The curtain was so thick that I could vaguely see a person lying on the bed with eyes closed and motionless. It should be the seriously ill old lady.

At the table outside the gauze curtain, a fat man in a royal blue brocade robe was sitting on a throne with a protruding belly. There were four plates of meat in front of him. He was gnawing on a big chicken drumstick in his hand, with oil dripping from the corners of his mouth.

Two women who looked like concubines and were dressed in silk and satin were carefully handing him a handkerchief and pouring him tea, not daring to breathe.

"Master, I've found a doctor for you!" The lawyer tiptoed over, bowed in front of the fat man and said with a smile, pointing to the two people behind him, "Master, these two said they can cure the old lady's illness, so I'll bring them here first."

Mr. Liu was chewing his meat when he glanced over. He saw a young girl and a young man pretending to be insignificant. His face darkened instantly. He put the chicken leg on the plate, wiped his greasy hands on the plate, and shouted at the lawyer angrily, "Master Ma, are you kidding me? These two little kids can cure my mother's illness?"

Master Ma was so frightened that he quickly bowed, not daring to raise his head: "Master, calm down! I dare not joke!"

As he spoke, he leaned close to Mr. Liu's ear and whispered a few words in a low voice.

As Mr. Liu listened, his brows gradually relaxed and his expression softened. He stared at Shen Aheng and Ashina Yu for a moment, tapped his fingers on the edge of the table, hesitated for a long time, and then waved his hand: "Okay, let's try it out! Let them go over and try first. If they can't cure it, I'll settle the score with you!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Master Ma nodded quickly and responded repeatedly: "Master, you are wise!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, turned around and walked quickly to Shen Aheng and Ashina Yu, and said in an urging tone: “Quick, come with me and check the old lady’s pulse!”

Shen Aheng pulled Ashina Yu and walked quickly to the gauze curtain. With the help of candlelight, he gently lifted a corner and looked inside.

I saw the old lady lying on a bed covered with a brocade mattress, covered with a thick quilt embroidered with lotus flowers. Although she was dressed luxuriously, she was extremely thin, with high cheekbones and sunken cheeks. Her exposed wrists were so thin that they seemed to break with a single bend. It was obvious that she was suffering from severe illness.

Her face was sallow, her lips were bluish, and her breathing was so weak that it was almost inaudible.

Two maids were standing by the bed, one holding a bowl of dark brown medicine, shaking it gently in her hand, and the other holding a copper basin with a wrung-out wet towel in it.

Both of them lowered their heads, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Shen Aheng asked Ashina Yu to wait aside, took the medicine bowl from the maid who brought the medicine, dipped his fingertips in the medicine juice and tasted it, then frowned slightly.

This medicine is mixed with a dryness, and it is clearly a warming and nourishing prescription. However, the old lady's illness is clearly evil heat blocking the spleen. Drinking this medicine is simply adding fuel to the fire, and it is completely inappropriate!

Shen Ahheng put down the medicine bowl and took out a small wooden box from the cloth bag slung over his shoulder. When he opened it, he revealed a row of shiny silver needles.

Shen Ah Heng took out one of them and gently pierced it into the acupoint on the old lady's wrist.

Not long after the insertion, the motionless old lady suddenly groaned. Although the sound was weak, it was extremely clear. Then her hands trembled violently, with such a large amplitude that even the quilt covering her body shook.

Everyone in the room held their breath in shock. Mr. Liu threw the chicken leg onto the plate without even bothering to wipe his greasy hands. He rushed over, pointed at her, and shouted urgently, "What are you doing, you little bitch? Are you trying to kill my mother?"

Shen Aheng ignored his roar, staring at the old lady's expression, and quickly inserted a needle into the blood points between her eyebrows and elbows.

When the last needle was retracted, the old lady's eyelids suddenly moved slightly.

After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes.