Chunming rummaged through his pockets. "Look at him, his face is cleaner than mine. What am I going to use to take him to the doctor? I can only ask my mom for some money to buy him some medicine."

"Oh, right, Qiao'er, didn't you learn healing from your grandfather? Go and take a look at my master. Seeing how much pain he's in, it breaks my heart. His son isn't around either; he's just an old man all alone, sigh—"

Jiang Qiao knew Chunming well after all these years. She stood up and said, "You sit down first. I'll pack my things and go see your master."

When Chunming led Jiang Qiao through a maze of turns into a small courtyard, Jiang Qiao was puzzled. She hadn't expected that such an elegant courtyard would exist in this small county town. Just by looking at the layout of the courtyard, one could clearly see the taste of the owner. Chunming's master was quite a remarkable person.

"Master, I've arrived—"

A coughing sound came from inside the room. Jiang Qiao followed Chunming into the room and saw an old man who looked to be almost sixty years old lying on the kang (a heated brick bed).

The old man had already gotten up. Although he looked quite thin, his eyes were incredibly bright. Jiang Qiao felt that his eyes were like X-rays, able to see into people's hearts.

When Chunming saw that his master was coughing like that, he quickly went up to support him and patted his back.

"Disciple, could this little girl be the Jiang Qiao you mentioned?"

Jiang Qiao smiled and nodded to the old man. "Hello, sir. I'm Jiang Qiao. Chunming said you were sick, so I came with me to check on you. You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll go prepare something for you now. How about we go see the doctor later?"

The old man nodded, and Jiang Qiao asked for directions to the kitchen before quickly taking her things to the side room in the yard.

Inside the house, Hou Diankui finished coughing and finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Disciple, why did you bring the little girl here? Didn't you say she wasn't home?"

Chunming reluctantly explained to his master, "Master, Jiang Qiao just came back today. It's just her and her grandfather at home. The old man has some connections, so they don't suffer any losses. I thought I'd get some fine grains from them since Qiao'er is back. You can't eat those things anymore, and I also wanted Jiang Qiao to take a look at your illness, so I brought her over. What do you think? Isn't she a good person?"

The old man leaned against Chunming's chest and said, "Not only is she good-looking, but this girl, even though she doesn't look particularly remarkable, will definitely be a beauty when she grows up."

Chunming was somewhat skeptical. "Really? Qiao'er looks like this now, how can you possibly tell that she'll grow up to be beautiful?"

"Kid, you're not convinced, are you? Who do you think I am? My eyesight is almost as good as Sun Wukong's fiery eyes. This little girl is no ordinary person either. With such a friend by your side, my disciple, you're quite lucky."

"Is it just a matter of being a little lucky?"

Hou Diankui glanced at Chunming and said, "My disciple, that girl is still young. Given your current situation, you can't win her over. Marriage is a matter of fate. What's meant to be yours can't be taken away by others, and what's not meant to be yours can't be taken by you either. Just let nature take its course."

Go check on him, make sure that kid doesn't set my kitchen on fire.

Chunming gave a bitter smile. "Master, Qiao'er can cook, and she cooks much better than me. Why don't you trust her? This food was brought by her. Your disciple is penniless right now."

The old man patted his apprentice and said, "Practice hard, and you'll have a chance to make something of yourself in the future."

When Chunming passed by, Jiang Qiao was downstairs. Looking at the old man's appearance, she thought it best to save the leftovers for tomorrow.

Chunming walked in, drawn by the fragrance. "Oh, what are you doing? It smells so good!"

Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "Noodles, hurry up and get a bowl, eat some yourself too."

Looking at the noodles in the pot, even before you've tasted them, just seeing their red and green colors makes your mouth water.

Jiang Qiao had already put the pickled vegetables on a plate, and then she and Chunming carried the noodles into the house.

Hou Diankui was hungry, but he really had no appetite. His mouth was bland and tasteless. His apprentice was not good at cooking either, and the food he prepared was almost like pig slop.

As soon as Jiang Qiao and the others came in, Hou Diankui couldn't help but swallow hard when he saw what was in the basin. The old man didn't stand on ceremony with Jiang Qiao. He first took a bite of the noodles his apprentice had served, and his eyes lit up. He smiled and nodded at Jiang Qiao, then picked up a piece of bright green pickled vegetable and nodded as he ate. "This is what a patient's meal should be like. Chunming, how did I ever eat what you made before? It was so awful. You should learn from me properly."

"Little girl, your cooking is pretty good!"

Jiang Qiao smiled and said, "As long as you don't mind."

Jiang Qiao was surprised that the two of them ate all the noodles in one bundle, leaving not even a drop of soup. It was quite convenient.

After finishing the meal, Jiang Qiao quickly examined the old man. During the meal, she noticed that the old man was sweating profusely, which clearly indicated that he was weak.

As soon as Jiang Qiao placed her hand on the old man's pulse, she looked Hou Diankui up and down and said, "Master Hou, you should take it easy. How did you manage to catch a chill in this freezing weather? You don't seem like the kind of person who doesn't take care of himself. Don't tell me you went winter swimming in this weather."

Hou Diankui didn't quite believe Jiang Qiao at first. How could someone so young know anything? But what Jiang Qiao said surprised him.

But what surprised him even more was yet to come. Jiang Qiao continued, "Master Hou, you still have some hidden injuries. They won't affect anything for now, but you'll naturally find out the outcome in due time. I'm sure you understand."

If you really want treatment, I'll treat you slowly. After all, this injury has been going on for quite a while, and it can't be healed in a short time. Besides, my skill level is what it is; I can't achieve results instantly like those senior doctors."

This time, Hou Diankui got excited and grabbed Jiang Qiao's hand, "Girl, can you really cure it?"

Jiang Qiao nodded. "However, it may take a while. You will need to drink Chinese medicine and receive acupuncture treatment. So, I will come over to give you acupuncture during this time. As for the medicine, I will have Chunming go back and get it later. I have some herbs at home."

Hou Diankui was at a loss for words. He thought that hiding in this place meant there was no hope for his health, but unexpectedly, an inconspicuous little girl could cure him. This was far beyond his expectations.

He looked Jiang Qiao up and down with admiration, "Little girl, you're not simple. With your skills, given time, you'll be extraordinary—"

Jiang Qiao waved her hand shyly, "Master Hou, please don't praise me anymore, otherwise I'll get too cocky."

Hou Diankui didn't stand on ceremony with Jiang Qiao. "Girl, I'm entrusting my illness to you. I don't trust anyone else. But I won't let you treat me for nothing. Chunming, bring me the box on the shelf."