Chapter 45 How could someone be so shameless?
It's really bad that Shanlai is doing this.
He lay on the bed, barely breathing, unconscious.
It's truly pitiful; it's as if fate is deliberately making things difficult for her. Even though she's a young girl with a weak constitution, she's still stronger than Wu Qingyu, who is perfectly fine, while she's ended up like this. She had seen a doctor and taken medicine yesterday, and slept all day. By evening, she seemed much better, and Wu Qingyu assumed she was recovering. After saying a few words to her, she peacefully turned off the light and went to sleep. Unexpectedly, a sudden change occurred during the night.
Wu Qingyu was always a light sleeper; even the sound of footsteps could wake her, let alone such a loud noise as slamming the door. She immediately sat up with a scream, her head buzzing and her heart pounding. She clutched her chest and gasped for breath for a while before she calmed down. Then she heard a loud commotion outside the wall. She immediately thought of Shanlai, quickly got up, dressed, and put on her shoes. Without even turning on the light, she rushed out the door.
The silvery moonlight was cold and clear. Under the eaves, a girl in white, clinging to a pillar, had a face paler than the moon itself. Her black hair was disheveled, and her mouth was open with her tongue hanging out, making her look exactly like a ghost.
It's not a ghost, but a benevolent one.
It seems I've already vomited everything up. Well, what's there to vomit? I haven't eaten almost anything all day.
Wu Qingyu quickly stepped forward to help the person into the house. The person's hands were icy cold, and Wu Qingyu was startled, immediately thinking, "This is bad."
Sure enough, she shivered as soon as she entered the house. When told to go back into bed, she crawled in, then jumped up again, still retching. She covered her mouth and ran outside, but this time she didn't stop under the eaves; instead, she ran further away.
It was the third watch of the night when a lone rooster crowed, its cries echoing from somewhere.
From midnight to dawn, it went on countless times until finally it quieted down, but the quiet was frightening; there wasn't a sound, and my whole body was burning hot.
Wu Qingyu stayed by his side the whole time, watching him intently, her heart burning with anxiety, but she dared not make a sound. She just endured it, standing by the window anxiously waiting for dawn. When she was at her wit's end, she covered her mouth and sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
I went to the doctor again and got a new prescription, but there was no improvement whatsoever. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse, which showed that neither the doctor nor the medicine was effective.
According to Wu Qingyu's idea, the doctor should be kept on the side to watch over things and check on them immediately if anything goes wrong. However, Xing is not Pingcheng, and Madam Le is not Old Madam Qin, so there is no point in saying certain things.
There was really no other way. Wu Qingyu cried and said to Liu Min, "I still have a few coins on me. Liansi, take them and go outside to buy a wedding board and some funeral clothes to cleanse her body..."
How did it come to this?
"Mom, don't talk nonsense!" Liu Min shouted angrily, gritting her teeth.
He was all bark and no bite; deep down he was afraid, afraid that Shanlai was really dead.
If she really is dead, it's because of him. She was a perfectly healthy person before...
He couldn't take it.
We need to think of a way, a sensible way...
"...Send her out! Send her to whichever clinic is best! No matter how much it costs..."
Yes! Send him out and hire a doctor to take care of him constantly!
Having found a solution, Wu Qingyu immediately stopped crying, wiped her face with her sleeve, and said, "I'll go find someone to carry her!"
After finding someone, we still need to find Madam Yue.
After all, she's the mistress of the house; we can't just ignore her, otherwise it would be disrespectful.
They arrived at Yihetang again, and this time Liu Shen was also there. He and Madam Le sat and stood close together, talking in hushed tones.
Wu Qingyu went in, called over the master and mistress, and without waiting for any questions, blurted out everything in one breath. After finishing, she knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "It's still a life, please grant my request, madam."
She wasn't exactly a smart person to begin with, and now that she was in such a hurry, it was inevitable that she would say or do the wrong thing.
He shouldn't have kowtowed, and he shouldn't have said those last words.
Madam Yue thought to herself, "It's such a small matter, I wouldn't refuse. Why are you making such a show of it, as if I'm some unreasonable villain? What's going on?"
Madam Yue was not one to be trifled with. She immediately exclaimed, clutching her chest as if in disbelief, "How could this be? Didn't Physician Wang say there was nothing to worry about? Was he lying to me? Or was he just putting on airs and deceiving the world? If that's the case, he has to give me an explanation!"
Although Wu Qingyu was slow-witted, she realized something was wrong at this moment. Thinking back, she realized that she had said the wrong thing and displeased the mistress. Because she had nursed Liu Min, she had always held a high position in the Liu family in Pingcheng. She was also low-key and never caused trouble, so no one had ever bothered her. As a result, she had never had the opportunity to improve herself. Now that she was in trouble, she was really at a loss and stood there dumbfounded, unable to speak.
Fortunately, Liu Shen was a filial son, the person his mother had entrusted to him, and also a man of rare talent. If he were to die like this, it would be a pity, not to mention how he would be unable to face his mother.
"I heard that there is a clinic in the east of the city, I think it is called Qingzhengzhai. There is a female doctor there who comes from a family of doctors and has superb medical skills. We can invite her over."
If it were a female doctor, there would be no problem entering the inner quarters and she could stay there; there would be no need to move the patients. If we could invite her over, that would be perfect.
No matter how bad Lady Yue's temper was, she couldn't get her way with Liu Shen. To him, she was always like a gentle cloud, without a trace of sharpness. She smiled and said, "What a great idea! How come I didn't think of that?" There was a hint of frustration in her voice.
Liu Shen smiled and said, "Those involved are often blinded by their own perspective; it's understandable that they might not think of it at first."
With him defending Madam Yue and showing her such care, how could Madam Yue possibly have any complaints?
That's how the matter was resolved.
Wu Qingyu went back and told Liu Min, who also thought it was the best thing to do. So he took Shan Lai's hand and sat down by the bed, waiting patiently for the doctor to arrive.
The doctor didn't arrive until noon, as the city was in the east and quite far away.
She was very young, probably only fifteen or sixteen years old, with a slender and tall figure, her shoulders and arms straight as bamboo. She wore a peach-colored short-sleeved shirt with a beige swivel skirt, and carried a medicine box slung across her hip. Her posture was very neat and tidy. She was also very pretty, with a clear and pure air about her. She wore no makeup, but her hair and face were covered in ash. As soon as she entered, she asked, "Who is sick?"
Wu Qingyu hurriedly said, "Here I am! I'm too sick to move, please come and take a look."
The doctor responded and quickly walked towards the bed while taking out his medicine box.
Liu Min had already stood up, and the doctor, without asking anyone to offer him a seat, sat down on the stool where Liu Min had been sitting, and began to take his pulse, observing Shan Lai's complexion as he did so.
The same old routine applies to medical consultations: observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation. This patient was no exception. After asking the questions, he asked Wu Qingyu for the first two prescriptions.
The advantages of a female doctor became apparent at this moment. "The prescription is fine, very effective. Just give her this medicine. I'll give her a couple of acupuncture treatments; she'll recover faster." As she spoke, she opened her medical kit, took out a silver needle pouch, and gave Liu Min a disapproving look. "Aren't you leaving?"
Acupuncture requires undressing, and treating acclimatization problems requires inserting needles into the acupoints, which almost requires stripping the person naked. No matter how young Liu Min was, he was still a man, so he naturally had to back down at this time.
However, Liu Min was just a child who had never studied medicine or experienced anything like this before. He didn't know the ins and outs of the matter and simply thought that the doctor was just annoyed by the crowd. The person he cared about was in critical condition, and he also felt guilty towards her. He didn't want to be separated from her for even a moment, so he refused: "I'll just watch, I won't interfere. You don't need to worry about me."
Upon hearing this, the doctor's eyebrows shot up, and she immediately shoved him towards the door, saying, "Get out! You're so young, yet you look quite presentable. How can you be so shameless? What are you looking at? A girl's body is not for you to look at! Get out!" She pushed him forcefully, causing him to stumble.
Liu Min was naturally intelligent. Even if he didn't know before, he could guess most of what was going on from the tone of his voice. He couldn't help but blush, just like the sick person inside.
Before administering the acupuncture, the doctor asked Wu Qingyu for warm water, saying, "I need to wash my hands and face first. I rode here on horseback and caught a chill, so I'm all disheveled. Please don't laugh at me." There was a hint of embarrassment in her voice, and her smile was somewhat awkward.
Wu Qingyu hurriedly told the maid to fetch water, and at the same time apologized to the doctor: "I was so tactless. You've had a long journey, thank you so much! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Buddha will surely bless you, and you will definitely be rewarded!"
The doctor laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "You flatter me. It's just a doctor's duty..." As he spoke, the little girl brought water. The doctor stopped talking, lowered his head to wash his face, and after washing his face, he began to administer acupuncture.
Because he had come in such a hurry that he hadn't brought his armbands, and it would have been a hassle to find them, the doctor simply took off his outer robe and went about his business in just his undergarments. His quick and efficient manner left Wu Qingyu, who was standing to the side, dumbfounded.
Shanlai was completely stripped naked, with only a white cloth covering her body, and left to the doctor's mercy. It was fortunate that she was delirious from the fever; if she were conscious, she might not have been able to get past that mental hurdle.
My husband's lips are beautiful, full and plump, naturally red without any makeup. When he speaks, they are as vibrant as a flower. But now, with the needle in his mouth, they are just a line. Because they are pressed tightly together, the color has faded. However, his pupils look even brighter.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed when the doctor begins to remove the needles. There is some bleeding during the removal of the needles, but the amount is not large. However, there are so many needle marks... Wu Qingyu couldn't help but shed tears.
After the last needle was removed, the doctor breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled at Wu Qingyu, saying, "Just you wait and see!"
Wu Qingyu thanked him profusely and, after arranging the meal, went out to call the maids to bring the food. The doctor, who was drinking tea, heard this and said with a smile, "I'm sorry to bother you."
Wu Qingyu quickly said it was all appropriate, and then confirmed with the doctor, "You're staying overnight, right? I don't know who invited you, and whether they explained it to you clearly..."
The doctor nodded. "It's settled. There's no problem with the patient staying here. They can go back home once their condition improves."
Wu Qingyu expressed her gratitude profusely, praising the doctor for his kind heart and even saying that he was a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva.
The doctor, who also revered the gods and Buddhas, dared not accept the offer, repeatedly saying "I dare not" four or five times. However, he smiled, but after the smile faded, he sighed, and when he spoke again, his voice was very desolate: "I would very much like to stay; at least I'd have something to do..."
Wu Qingyu sensed something amiss in the voice and hesitated, unsure of what to say, when a voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Lian Si, what are you doing standing here?"
"It's Madam Yue," Wu Qingyu whispered to the doctor. "It's my wife." Then she quickly went out to greet her.
The doctor thought for a moment and then went to greet them.
Lady Le's question made Liu Min blush again, and he didn't know how to answer. Just then, Wu Qingyu and the doctor arrived and came to his rescue.
Wu Qingyu called out "Madam," and the doctor also bowed his head and called out "Madam" as well.
Even though Madam Le had a temper, she was still a young lady from a prominent family, and she was well-mannered and polite. Seeing a stranger, she guessed that he was a guest, so she nodded and smiled calmly, asking, "Are you the divine physician?"
The doctor was somewhat apprehensive, "I dare not accept the title of 'miracle doctor,' my wife is utterly ashamed!"
Madam Yue looked at the doctor and smiled, "What a bright and intelligent person! Since you refuse to accept the title of divine physician, may I ask how to address you? May I ask your surname?"
"My surname is Chu."
"So it's Doctor Chu." Madam Le said with a smile, "It's quite a coincidence. Many years ago, there was a Doctor Chu in the Imperial Hospital. He was truly a miracle worker. When I was still a young lady at home, I fell ill one year. My face kept breaking out in blisters. I saw many doctors, but none of them helped. I was really scared. Later, it was this Doctor Chu who prescribed medicine for me. He treated me both internally and externally, and I recovered completely in half a month. It's no exaggeration to call him my savior. It's just a pity... I heard that he died peacefully in his sleep. I guess he has accumulated enough virtue and gone to heaven to become an immortal."
Doctor Chu smiled and said, "My grandfather did indeed die peacefully in his sleep. He was already blessed and can be content."
"So it really is a descendant of an old friend! It's truly fate!" Madam Le's surprise was genuine. She affectionately took Doctor Chu's hands and said with a smile, "Since he is the son of Imperial Physician Chu, his medical skills must be excellent as well. If you ever need my help in the future, Doctor Chu, please don't refuse!"
Doctor Chu's joy was genuine. His bright eyes looked at Madam Le and he said earnestly, "I dare not dishonor the illustrious names of my father and grandfather. If you summon me in the future, I will go through fire and water for you. Please remember me."
"Of course! The world needs more female doctors like Doctor Chu! They're all women, so they can speak up more! In the future, when Doctor Chu's name is known far and wide, there will be people who will take her as their role model. This will be a great blessing for future generations!"
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