Chapter 6 Spirit

The carriage moved slowly through Jianye City, and the character "Li" on the lantern on the eaves swayed gently in the breeze and drizzle.

Inside the carriage, Lin Xiaocong was serving tea and water to Li Han and peeling walnuts.

"Fourth Sister, no one is more suitable to be our family's servant than me."

Li Han smiled as Lin Xiaocong peeled a walnut kernel, which she then picked up and put into her mouth, looking blissfully appreciating the aroma of the nut.

"Yes, I also think my second brother-in-law is the best."

"Because my second sister's husband only cares about my second sister."

"And all those people who sent invitations to my family throughout Jianye City were after the plaque of my Cheng'en Duke's Mansion."

Lin Xiaocong cracked the walnut shell with a forceful hammer blow.

He held the walnut in his hand and struggled to peel the hard, damned walnut shell.

"Fourth Sister knew, yet she still framed me?"

When did I fall for my second brother-in-law?

"Fourth Sister can clearly swim, so why does she say she's afraid of water?"

"Wasn't it you, brother-in-law, who framed me first?"

“Given the circumstances, if we hadn’t found a way to restrain your second sister, given her personality, she could have done things like drowning herself in a lake, hanging herself, cutting her wrists, or swallowing gold.”

Lin Xiaocong offered a sophistry.

"Are we just going to stand by and watch her die?"

Li Han crossed her arms and snorted.

"If you hadn't hurt my second sister, she wouldn't have tried to kill herself."

Lin Xiaocong said earnestly, "You're still young."

"When you grow up, you will understand what it means to be 'love arises without knowing why, and cannot be controlled'."

He admitted that he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, but...

"I have never let you down, Second Sister."

"Your second sister also has me in her heart."

"My child with your second sister will be born in a little over four months."

"Fourth Sister, could we please put in a good word for you with Mother and Second Sister, and not bring up anything that spoils the mood like being afraid of water?"

He poured tea for Li Han, offering it with both hands, showing his utmost sincerity.

"I apologize to my fourth sister for my previous recklessness."

"If Fourth Sister has a desire for me, I will certainly follow her."

Li Han was furious. If this guy were just a little more wicked, like if he had taken wives and concubines and had ulterior motives towards her second sister, or if he were a good-for-nothing and extremely ugly, she wouldn't be so conflicted.

The carriage stopped, and the maid said that the girl had learned something.

Li Han said bitterly, "If it weren't for my unborn nephew, we would have had my third sister deport you the day you arrived!"

"Also, you should apologize to my second sister!"

"You made my second sister shed so many tears!"

She didn't accept the tea from Lin Xiaocong, and jumped out of the car with her cheeks puffed out.

It ruined her good mood for the day.

"I won't give you a ride in my car; you'll have to walk back yourself!"

The carriage curtain was lowered, and the chattering of young ladies could be heard outside.

"Li Si, hurry up, I brought some pine nuts coated in honey and icing today."

Li Han: "I brought walnuts, but I accidentally ate them all."

"I brought a lot, including peanut and egg yolk pastries."

Lin Xiaocong listened to the innocent and lively voice of the little girl outside and smiled as he took a sip of tea.

I'm not afraid of a little girl getting angry, I'm afraid of a little girl smiling.

He lifted the curtain and got out of the car.

A sharp-eyed young lady noticed and exclaimed in surprise.

"Li Si, who brought you here today?"

Without turning her head, Li Han stepped into the girls' school gate, surrounded by young girls.

"A green-headed turtle who wants to be my second brother-in-law."

The girls immediately giggled, their laughter clearly audible.

Lin Xiaocong raised his hand and pressed his temples: "Little girl, you have a really sharp tongue."

but……

"The name 'green-headed turtle' is excellent."

*

After returning to Jimin Pharmacy, Lin Xiaocong erected a sign at the entrance of the pharmacy.

Those who strive to become green-headed turtles will have their entire family perish.

It immediately attracted a crowd of onlookers.

"What does this mean? People are actually vying to be green-headed turtles?"

"You don't know? The second young lady of the Chengen Duke's Mansion is divorced and still a widow. She's heavily pregnant and has gone back to her parents' home. Now the Chengen Duke's Mansion is looking for a husband for her. Many people are vying to be the father of the child in the second young lady's belly. Isn't that just a cuckold?"

"Ah? The second young lady of the Duke of Cheng'en's mansion? Isn't that the person Doctor Lin admires? That Doctor Lin..."

Everyone fell silent and looked at Lin Xiaocong, who was taking someone's pulse inside the hall.

But look at Dr. Lin, so refined and humble, smiling as he spoke to the patient who had just sat down.

"Are there any shameless people within the three clans who would eagerly become the father of someone else's child?"

"No, no, we are just ordinary people. We can barely support our own children. Why would we rush to be the father of someone else's child?"

"Passing by the Cheng'en Duke's Mansion?"

"The road in front of the Chengen Duke's mansion is closed to traffic today, so we can't get close. Ahem, I asked the guard to deliver a bouquet of wildflowers I just picked from the countryside to the Second Miss, and to offer my best wishes and ask for your favor on behalf of Doctor Lin."

Lin Xiaocong's hand was already on the other person's pulse.

"Thank you for your trouble. I am extremely grateful that you were able to convey my feelings to Miss Lin."

"Not at all. You previously stipulated that we could only see three patients a day. Now, you see dozens of patients a day, coughing and coughing, and you don't even charge us. We are indebted to you."

"Mr. Lin never expected so many people to seek his treatment. He hopes that the world will soon be free of disease."

"Dr. Lin, you are compassionate and a good person."

He chatted casually without delaying taking a pulse.

"The cough is severe at night, and it is aggravated by cold. Is the phlegm white, clear, and thin?"

The patient nodded excitedly, "Cough cough cough, yes, yes, yes! You can diagnose it without me even having to say anything!"

"Stick out your tongue."

The patient immediately stuck out his tongue.

Lin Xiaocong withdrew his hand and picked up his pen to write a prescription.

"Pale complexion, shortness of breath, pale tongue with white and slippery coating, and deep and thready pulse indicate cold asthma."

"It is caused by insufficient Yang Qi in the lungs, spleen, and kidneys, with phlegm and fluid retention lurking internally, and external wind-cold triggering the latent pathogens."

"Treat the symptoms when it occurs, and treat the root cause in normal times."

"Spring is here, may you be free from illness and suffering this winter."

He was handsome, calm, and approachable, which inexplicably boosted the confidence of his patients.

The patient exclaimed, "Can my illness ever be cured?"

"Initially, there is room for maneuver."

He pushed the completed prescription in front of the patient.

"This is the first course of treatment. As long as I am in Jianye, your illness will surely be cured."

The patient asked, puzzled, "Dr. Lin, are you going somewhere else?"

"I came here for the second young lady of the Chengen Duke's Mansion. If the second young lady does not think much of me, then I can only return home with regret."

Where does Dr. Lin live?

"The capital city in the north is a thousand miles away." Lin Xiaocong smiled. "Next, please."

The woman in front was pushed aside, and the plump lady wearing a veil was helped forward by her maid and placed her hand on the pulse pillow.

He took the initiative to say, "Among our merchant families, none within our three clans dare to approach the gates of the Duke of Cheng'en's mansion. On my way here, I passed by the Duke of Cheng'en's mansion, presented the Second Miss with a sprig of forsythia, offered my best wishes, and asked on behalf of Young Master Lin for your favor."

"Thank you for your help, Madam. The spring flower season is almost over, it's a rare treat."

“What’s even more remarkable is Young Master Lin’s unwavering devotion.” The woman was even more sentimental. “To travel a thousand miles just to see a lady like him, that’s rare indeed.”

Before the woman could say what illness she wanted to see a doctor for.

Lin Xiaocong had already spoken: "Madam is over five months pregnant. A pulse diagnosis indicates twins."

The lady was shocked: "Twins!"

"But Madam's pulse is weak and irregular, a sign of insufficient heart qi. Does she usually experience palpitations, shortness of breath, or restless sleep?"

"Yes, yes! You can tell so much just by taking my pulse! The doctor who examined me before never mentioned twins!"

Lin Xiaocong withdrew his hand, smoothed the paper with the paperweight, and picked up his brush to dip it in ink.

“The heart meridian is connected to the uterus. If the heart qi is insufficient, the fetus will not be nourished and there may be a risk of miscarriage.”

The lady's voice was already filled with anxiety: "Then, what should we do?"

"Dr. Lin, please save this woman and her innocent child!"

By the end, the lady was already sobbing.

"With twins and heart disease, the pregnancy must be extremely risky, requiring follow-up visits and prescription adjustments every three days."

"If the lips and nails turn blue, and the patient is panting and sweating, this decoction should be used immediately to restore yang and reverse the collapse."

Lin Xiaocong then presented a prescription.

He kept writing: "These are taboos regarding daily life."

He pushed another piece of paper towards the maid: "Please strictly follow Mr. Lin's instructions."

The maid quickly put it away and thanked her repeatedly.

Before writing the last prescription, he looked up and asked, "Can you afford ginseng?"

The lady nodded repeatedly: "We can afford it, we can afford it."

"The woman was in the throes of childbirth, her life was hanging by a thread, who would care about those two taels of silver, sob sob sob..."

"Don't cry. As long as I am in Jianye, and you follow my instructions, you will be fine."

His voice was confident and assertive, with a strangely calming effect.

The lady indeed stopped crying.

Lin Xiaocong once again took up his brush, his style elegant and free, completing the work in one go.

"Madam's condition requires acupuncture. Select Neiguan, Shenmen, and Zusanli acupoints, using a balanced tonifying and reducing technique, once a day. If a reliable physician can be found..."

“Dr. Lin, my husband runs a business between the capital and Jianye. He has heard of your name in the capital and knows that you are incredibly skilled with silver needles. You cured the late emperor of the north of his headaches that had lasted for many years and were bestowed the title of ‘National Physician’.”

The crowd queuing outside the hall inevitably heard the voices inside, and upon hearing them, they erupted in a cacophony of noise.

Few people knew Lin Xiaocong's background; they only knew that there was a doctor here who treated people for free and had superb medical skills.

Unexpectedly, he even treated the emperor's illness!

The lady had already risen and knelt down: "Please, save my wife."

"If you trust Madam, please move to a private room." Lin Xiaocong stood up and handed the prescription to the waiter, "Get her the medicine quickly."

The waiter responded and hurried off to do his work.

With the help of her maid, the lady followed Lin Xiaocong to a private room.

The crowd immediately began to discuss the matter.

*

The crowd gathered in front of the sign looked away and exchanged glances.

Someone suddenly spoke up: "I think Doctor Lin is very suitable to stay in Jianye as a male servant. No, Doctor Lin is the biological father of the child in Miss Li's womb!"

Someone chimed in, "Yes, Dr. Lin and Miss Li are a match made in heaven."

The discussion spread far and wide, and everyone agreed: "Such a devoted doctor as Dr. Lin should be one of us from Jianye!"

The undisputed agreement was: "Yes! Doctor Lin and Miss Li are a match made in heaven, they should be doctors of Jianye!"

On the second day of Lin Xiaocong's clinic hours, he appeared in the top three headlines in Jianye City:

#The child in Miss Li's womb is Dr. Lin's#

#Miss Li and Doctor Lin are a match made in heaven#

#Which shameless person attempted to interfere in the relationship between Miss Li and Doctor Lin, willingly becoming a cuckold? Shame on them?#

Some people protested, "Why? Why! Why don't you all call Dr. Lin a cuckold!"

The response will inevitably be: "Dr. Lin's medical skills are superb!"

By aligning your desired outcome with the interests of the masses, they will lift you up to reap the rewards.

Lin Xiaocong, an outsider, relied on his exceptional professional knowledge.

He gained his first batch of supporters in Jianye who were pursuing his wife.

He was one step ahead of his competitors and grasped the direction of public opinion.

He didn't care at all that others would say behind his back that he was also a fool eager to become a cuckold.

To drag all competitors down into the mire and share the honor of being the 'green-headed turtle'.

After the news spread, some prominent families who valued their reputation sent invitations to Li's mother that very day, citing various reasons to cancel the banquet.

Enraged, Li's mother looked up to the sky and cried out:

"Lin, you are utterly shameless!"

*

The glow of dawn bathed the earth, and wisps of smoke curled around the eaves.

Li Han walked out of the girls' school gate with a group of noble ladies, laughing and chatting.

At the entrance of the girls' school, carriages and horses thronged.

At the front of the procession was the carriage of the Zong family woman, followed by the carriage of the Li family woman.

Li Han immediately spotted Lin Xiaocong, dressed in a striking azure robe, smiling and waving at her from beside the carriage.

She rolled her eyes inwardly, but put on a smile on her face.

Seeing this, her friend asked curiously, "Li Si, isn't this the person who brought you to school this morning?"

"Who is he, if he wants to be your second sister's husband, shouldn't he ask the official matchmaker and elders to come and propose marriage? Why is he personally picking you up and dropping you off at school?"

Li Hanying calmly replied: "He is a highly skilled doctor."

"While taking my second sister's pulse to ensure her pregnancy, I happened to catch a glimpse of her face and was amazed by her beauty. I began to admire her greatly."

"No matter what he does, it's all just to gain my second sister's favor."

She answered the question in a way that avoided the main point.

"I'll go see what he wants from me. I'm leaving now."

Before her friends could ask, she ran toward Lin Xiaocong.

The girls dispersed, or secretly spied on each other.

This is not the place to talk.

Li Han invited Lin Xiaocong to get into the carriage to talk.

Once inside the carriage, Li Han crossed her arms and asked, "What does my second brother-in-law want with me?"

The carriage slowly set off.

Lin Xiaocong poured her tea: "I was afraid that Fourth Sister might have some ulterior motives, so I came here to await your orders."

"Second brother-in-law, don't you think you're even harder to get rid of than a horse ant?"

"The mud crab has a salty, bitter, and neutral taste and is poisonous. It is effective for postpartum hemorrhage and injuries from falls. It is a good thing."

Lin Xiaocong pushed the tea towards Li Han.

Li Han: "Thank you, brother-in-law. You wouldn't come here unless you needed something."

Lin Xiaocong laughed: "I put up a sign at the entrance of the pharmacy that says, 'Those who strive to become green-headed turtles will have their entire family cursed.'"

"The patients are all upright and straightforward people, and they despise those who try to climb the social ladder and steal other people's wives."

He put it simply, but Li Han could already sense a baseless and vicious verbal battle from the words "utterly despised."

Lin Xiaocong: "I have a sense of pride, I will not marry into the Chengen Duke's family again."

"The rest are shameless enough to want to marry into the Chengen Duke's family..."

He picked up the teacup, held it in his hand, and looked at Li Han.

"What they want from the Duke of Cheng'en's mansion is definitely more important than their reputation."

"Fourth Sister, I need those lists."

His words were so matter-of-fact that Li Han had no reason to refuse.

Undeniably, he is a capable person who can protect his parents and second sister.

Li Han turned her head to the side unwillingly: "You can ask my second sister for the list."

Lin Xiaocong blew on his tea: "I don't want her to worry about things she's not good at."

To deal with clever people, you have to use complicated methods.

If he's not a good person, then let's make all our competitors seem like suspicious individuals with ulterior motives.

Li Han wouldn't risk her family's safety to prove to him that those who were willing to sacrifice their reputation to marry Li Rong were truly kind people.

The clever little guy is still too green.

His willingness to get involved was well worth it.

Lin Xiaocong took a sip of tea, put down the cup, and placed the box he was carrying on the low table.

"Please trouble Fourth Sister to give today's gift to Rongrong."

*

The Flower Gardening Hall of Cheng'en Duke's Mansion.

Before Li Han even entered the door, she heard her mother roaring.

"He encouraged those patients to send you flowers and plants, shamelessly passing on messages begging for your favor!"

"They even encouraged those patients to curse the families who proposed marriage to us, saying they were all families who raised green-headed turtles!"

"And what about those rumors!"

"What do you mean he's the father of the child? He's your perfect match!"

"He clearly promised not to damage your reputation!"

"He's treacherous, shameless, and has a thick skin like a city wall—he's a complete scoundrel!"

"Mom~" Li Han ran into the door with a smile.

"My second brother-in-law asked me to pass on a message to you, saying that he had only said that if he couldn't win the heart of the beauty, he would go north and return home."

"Other rumors have nothing to do with him."

"I wanted to make you not angry."

Li's mother looked at Li Han in shock: "Why are you taking his side!"

Li Han braced herself on the chair with both hands, pushed her legs up, and plopped down on the chair. She then wobbled and moved to the back of the chair, leaning against the backrest.

"I was just relaying his message."

Li's mother gave Li Han another long lecture.

Li's mother was so angry that she ate an extra bowl of rice tonight.

After finishing their meal, Li Han followed Li Rong to Li Rong's room.

She saw a row of small golden animals on Li Rong's dressing table.

Turning around, he saw Li Rong sitting on the couch fiddling with needle and thread, so he sat down opposite her and took out the gift from his arms and placed it on the low table.

"Second sister, what are your plans?"

Li Rong glanced at the slender box, then focused on her needlework.

Even if I can't get rid of him, I will not marry him.

I can't swallow this insult.