Chapter 203 Husband and Wife United?
The next day, on her way to her shift, Li Sanniang said to Qiuxiang and Shijiu, "Tomorrow is the Emperor's birthday. I imagine the city will be filled with grand scenes and be incredibly lively."
I've never taken Dewdrop to the square on Suzaku Avenue before. We'll both go check it out sometime."
Nineteen was more lively than Qiu Xiang, and immediately chimed in: "If Third Sister wants to take Dewdrop with her, she must go to Sweet Water Alley to eat a bowl of sweet cheese. It's really delicious."
While they were talking on the way, they arrived at the gate of Yongpingfang. As usual, they checked the household registration stickers before letting them pass.
"If everyone entering Chang'an tomorrow has to have their household registration certificates checked at the city gate, even if all nine city gates are open, it will still be extremely troublesome. How can anyone make it to Zhuque Square to watch the ceremony?"
"Haha, Third Sister, the people from out of town must have arrived much earlier this month, and they've probably been in Chang'an for quite some time now. Plus, the Imperial Guards will definitely be limiting the number of people allowed in and out each day."
Li San Niang nodded, thinking that such a large city, although its population might not be a million, must have at least 800,000.
In such a large city, such a grand event must have been arranged well in advance. The constables patrolling the streets, the Imperial Guards, and the Imperial Guards are just the visible forces; there must also be unscrupulous people operating in the shadows.
This isn't the first time such a large ceremony has been held; there must have been a well-established set of procedures in place for some time.
Brother Li said at dinner last night that he would not be able to take a holiday during the three-day birthday celebration. He would probably stay at Wuhoupu and have to work non-stop, with a lot of things to do.
However, Brother Li also said that these three days of leave will be distributed among everyone's ten-day weekend, so they can be taken consecutively or separately, which is quite humane.
Just as I sat down at the consultation table, an old woman and a young maid came in.
It turned out to be the servant from Guo Wuniang's household who had come a few days ago, the one who had suffered multiple miscarriages. Last time, Li Sanniang had said that in addition to Guo Wuniang herself, it would be best to have Guo Wuniang's husband, Jiang Erlang, also come to see her.
Whether it was because Jiang Erlang was embarrassed, couldn't bring himself to do it, or thought that Li Sanniang was a female doctor, he didn't want to come to the clinic for consultations and instead wanted to ask Li Sanniang to go out for consultations.
It's important to know that unless it's a very urgent situation, ordinary people don't usually ask doctors to make house calls when they come for treatment.
The main reason is that doctors have to pay an extra, not insignificant, consultation fee when they go out to make house calls. After all, the time spent on the road is enough for the doctor in the clinic to see several patients.
Furthermore, if everyone claims they cannot get out of bed and requests doctors to make house calls, even if there are a thousand or eight hundred doctors in a neighborhood, it would be impossible to find enough.
This consultation fee is a threshold used to filter out those who are truly wealthy, have plenty of free time, and are ill.
Aside from the last time Yang Erlang personally came to find a doctor to help his wife with her difficult childbirth, this was the first time Li Sanniang had been specifically asked to make house calls.
Li San Niang told Tang Mingyue and the others, then carried her medical kit and took Qiu Xiang into the carriage that Guo Wu Niang's servants had ridden in.
Although it wasn't Li San Niang's first time riding in a horse-drawn carriage, she usually rode in a donkey cart. Li San Niang was still very happy to ride in a mule cart occasionally.
Sure enough, the carriage was fast; in less than a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the Jiang family, Guo Wu Niang's husband's home.
As soon as I got out of the car, the doorman came out: "Is Dr. Li here?"
She was led inside with great enthusiasm, and although she entered through a small side door, Li San Niang didn't mind at all.
After all, I'm here to treat patients, not to be a guest.
After walking through a pavilion and corridor and passing through the second gate, we went to the backyard.
This place was much larger than the Li family's. After walking into the courtyard, they saw a man and a woman waiting outside the main hall.
The woman waiting was none other than Guo Wu Niang. She looked much better than when I last saw her; at least her complexion was much rosier and had regained its color, no longer deathly pale.
The other man, who looked about a head taller than Guo Wuniang and was wearing a blue shirt, was probably Guo Wuniang's husband, Jiang Erlang.
"Dr. Li, how are you? It's kind of you to come to my door. Please have a seat, Dr. Li."
"May you be well, Lady Guo and Lord Jiang."
"Dr. Li, are you alright?"
After exchanging greetings, the three entered the main hall. Guo Wu Niangzi and Jiang Erlang sat down in the head seats, and then Li San Niang and Qiu Xiang sat down in the guest seats.
After the servants served tea and exchanged a few pleasantries, Guo Wuniang waved her hand, telling the old woman to stay and the little girl to stand in the corridor.
Seeing this, Li San Niang knew that they were about to get down to business.
She then took out a medical record book, paper, pen, and pulse pillow from her medical kit and placed them on the table.
Li San Niang recognized the old woman who remained and the young maid standing outside the corridor; they were the same people who had accompanied Guo Wu Niang to the clinic last time, and were probably Guo Wu Niang's confidantes.
Although Li San Niang didn't know much about the intrigues within a household, judging from the way it looked, was she having that little maid keep watch outside the corridor to prevent anyone from eavesdropping?
But isn't this courtyard Guo Wuniang and Jiang Erlang's own residence?
Is it really necessary to act in this way?
However, Li San Niang adhered to the principle that she was just a doctor and only concerned herself with treating patients, so she didn't ask too many questions about things unrelated to the illness.
With everything prepared, Li Sanniang turned her gaze to Guo Wuniang, asking with her eyes, "So? Shall we examine you first?" Li Sanniang then glanced at Jiang Erlang, as if to say, "Or should we examine Jiang Erlang first?"
Guo Wuniang and Jiang Erlang exchanged a glance. Guo Wuniang noticed that Jiang Erlang was still a little uncomfortable, so she got up and went to Li Sanniang's side, sat on the chair that Qiu Xiang had given up, and stretched out her hand.
Actually, after seeing Li San Niang last time, especially after hearing Li San Niang say that Jiang Er Lang should also see a doctor, Guo Wu Niang had some reservations in her mind.
Although Li San Niang's words implied uncertainty about which of the two of them had a problem with having children—perhaps both of them had a problem, or perhaps only one of them had a problem—she was still uncertain.
However, Li San Niang's words immediately reminded Guo Wu Niang, because Guo Wu Niang had never thought that the problem would be with Jiang Er Lang!
After returning home, Guo Wuniang would look conflicted, nervous, and somewhat afraid whenever she saw Jiang Erlang. She was afraid that the problem lay with Jiang Erlang, but she was also afraid that the problem was not with Jiang Erlang and that it was entirely her own fault.
Jiang Erlang was a very observant person, and he naturally noticed that his wife had become somewhat absent-minded since she went out.
But every time he looked back with a questioning gaze, Guo Wuniang would dodge the gaze.
Later, on one occasion, Jiang Erlang grabbed Guo Wuniang's hand and asked her earnestly and kindly what was wrong.
"We are husband and wife, married for seven years. I believe I have been devoted to you. Fifth Sister, is there anything between us that we cannot say openly?"
Guo Wuniang, who was always strong-willed, thought of her several miscarriages after marriage and the countless bitter medicines she had drunk for the sake of having children after hearing what Jiang Erlang said. Overwhelmed with grief, she choked back tears and grasped Jiang Erlang's hand, her eyes brimming with tears. Looking at Jiang Erlang, she asked in a choked voice, "Erlang, if I can never bear children for you in this life, will you still treat me this well?"
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