Chapter 43 Just throw away the dirty stuff.
"Once inside, don't look around aimlessly, don't make a fuss, don't speak out of turn, and don't wander around. Write down any questions you have, and I'll answer them for you when we get back." After saying that, she paused and added, "Remember, we're just doctors."
Since it was the two children's first time going out on a house call, Shen Qingtang gave them special instructions. These were details they couldn't learn at the pharmacy.
Fortunately, Xu Xiaosheng and Xu Xiaoxun were well-behaved and sensible. They nodded and patted their chests to assure each other, "Sister Chen, we've got it."
Liu Haoren chimed in, "Sister Chen, don't worry." He patted the two children's heads and said, "They know what they're doing."
Shen Qingtang nodded noncommittally. She knew exactly what her children were like, but she always believed that it was better to be safe than sorry.
The housekeeper, who had come to greet Shen Qingtang, looked at her with some disapproval when he saw that she had brought two children. However, Mrs. Chen seemed completely unconcerned and even patiently inquired about the two children's relationship, age, and preferences.
Finally, he had the maid bring him two cups of warm milk, and a smile kept spreading across his face.
In the past, Xu Xiaosheng and Xu Xiaoxun would have been trembling with fear and unease in the presence of such a noble lady. But because they now live in the Qin Mansion and often visit Old Madam Qin, they have been taught to be very polite.
After the milk was served, he consulted Shen Qingtang's opinion, politely thanked Mrs. Chen, and then sat properly at the table to drink the milk.
Mrs. Chen was completely charmed by Xu Xiaoxun's adorable appearance. Upon seeing the milk stain on Xu Xiaoxun's lips, she immediately took out a white handkerchief and wiped her mouth. Then she looked at Shen Qingtang and teased, "Dr. Shen, where did you hire these child laborers? Could they come to my house for a couple of days?"
The maid added at the opportune moment, "If Madam's children had survived back then, they would be about the same age as them, and Madam wouldn't have to be heartbroken every day."
Seeing that Shen Qingtang remained silent for a long time, Xu Xiaosheng was afraid that she would really leave him and Xiao Xun there, so he immediately refused in a righteous and firm manner: "I'm sorry, I have to go home after I finish my doctor's appointment."
“However…” He paused, looking at Mrs. Chen’s slightly sad face, and said, “But now I can spend more time with you.”
The little boy's cleverness instantly amused Mrs. Chen, and her pale cheeks flushed. She waved to him and said, "Little doctor, can you examine me now?"
Xu Xiaosheng didn't agree immediately. He turned to look at Shen Qingtang's expression and, seeing that she didn't seem to mind, patted his chest and said confidently, "Of course."
He is no longer the same person he used to be. Master Cui Min has said that it's just that he is too young, otherwise he could have taken the exam for a junior TCM doctor's license!
Liu Haoren thought to himself that Sister Shen was really bold, actually letting Xu Xiaosheng take her pulse by himself. But he didn't say anything sarcastic. He just helped her open the medicine box and take out the medical record.
Fortunately, Xu Xiaosheng had a good grasp of the basics and, having learned a lot at Renxin Medical Clinic, he was able to write out a prescription smoothly. Shen Qingtang asked Xu Xiaoxun and Liu Haoren to diagnose the medicine separately, and slightly changed one of the Chinese medicinal ingredients in the prescription, and asked the maid to keep it for herself.
Seeing that it was still early, Mrs. Chen suggested, "Why don't you have some snacks before you go? I have some here..."
Before she could finish speaking, an unexpected figure appeared in front of Shen Qingtang.
A handsome young man walked in from the living room doorway. He seemed very familiar with the place, and his steps were unwavering. His face showed a look of great anxiety: "Xiaoxue, I heard you're sick. Shall I take you to the hospital?"
"No need, Dr. Shen has already diagnosed me." Mrs. Chen's face showed a woman's shyness as she scolded, "Why are you talking so loudly? You'll make a fool of yourself in front of others." Although she said this, her face was smiling and she didn't mean any reproach.
Not only that, but it also reveals a sweet and affectionate atmosphere, which is enough to prove that the relationship between the two is quite special.
Shen Qingtang glanced at the man twice, feeling that he looked slightly familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.
Only after leaving Mrs. Chen's villa did Xu Xiaoxun timidly ask, "Sister Chen, why was Sister Miaomiao's boyfriend there? Did they share a boyfriend?"
"Sharing a boyfriend? Are people from wealthy families really this open-minded?" Honest Liu Haoren was shocked by Xu Xiaoxun's words.
Shen Qingtang: "..." Thinking of Qin Sumiao's love-struck appearance, she rubbed her head with a headache and asked uncertainly, "Xiao Xun, are you sure that person is really Qin Xiaomei's boyfriend?"
Before Xu Xiaoxun could answer, Xu Xiaosheng blurted out, "Sister Chen, I'm sure! I've seen them holding hands in the small garden before." He said with a boastful expression, "I've seen them several times when I was catching fireflies at midnight."
Shen Qingtang: "..." She said helplessly, "Didn't you used to go to bed at ten o'clock every night?"
Xu Xiaosheng stuck out his tongue a little embarrassedly and said, "Isn't it less busy now?" The little boy was full of energy and never had a moment to spare.
Hsu Hsiao-hsun said, "I once saw them on a date. Sister Miao-miao even bought me Häagen-Dazs ice cream as a bribe."
Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Shen Qingtang's eyes. Liu Haoren drove on, seemingly oblivious, but inwardly marveling at the juicy gossip he had stumbled upon.
However, his reserved personality meant that he would not spread the gossip about this matter, so Shen Qingtang did not give any further instructions.
Upon returning to the Qin Mansion villa, Shen Qingtang found Su Rong and Qin Su Miao sitting on the sofa in the living room, while Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia were cleaning up the broken cups and glass on the floor. The atmosphere was stiff, even somewhat cold.
When the two maids saw Shen Qingtang appear, they looked at her with pleading eyes, as if she were their savior.
Shen Qingtang also noticed that Qin Sumiao's eyes were red and her face looked swollen, as if she had been slapped.
She coughed lightly and said, "Aunt Su, what's wrong?"
It seemed they had not only argued, but also fought. This puzzled Shen Qingtang. Unlike the traditional patriarchal mindset of wealthy families, Su Rong actually preferred her younger daughter, Qin Xiaomei.
Moreover, Su Rong is trendy and open-minded. In addition, she has been taking various beauty and health pills developed by Shen Qingtang. When the two of them go out, they look like sisters. They often go shopping and have fun. Their relationship is unique in the wealthy family. She has never seen the two of them quarrel.
The current commotion is making it seem like World War I.
Qin Sumiao sighed softly, and just as she was about to speak, Su Rong suddenly shouted, "Now that Qingtang is back, let her be the judge. I've told you before, your boyfriend is a 'phoenix man' (a man from a poor background who achieves success), and you still won't break up with him?"
"Do you know he's with Mrs. Chen now? My best friend told me this herself. You've made me lose all face!" Su Rong erupted like a volcano.
Hearing this, Qin Sumiao pursed her lips and defended her boyfriend, saying, "Mom, you've misunderstood Ziqian."
“Ziqian told me about Mrs. Chen. He’s just been there recently to attract investment, which is why he’s been seeing her more often.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “Ziqian and I have a very stable relationship. I trust him. This is just normal interaction between normal people.”
"Mom, please stop being so unreasonable."
"I'm being unreasonable? I'm being unreasonable?" Hearing this, Su Rong was almost furious. She then gave examples one by one: "But today I saw with my own eyes that he was supporting Mrs. Chen and even serving her food!"
Qin Sumiao waved her hand dismissively and said, "Mrs. Chen is physically weak, and Ziqian is a good person with gentlemanly manners. This is not a big deal."
"......."
Su Rong felt the veins on her forehead throbbing, so she simply looked at Shen Qingtang and said, "Qingtang, you tell us."
Upon hearing this, both Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia looked at Shen Qingtang with pity.
After all, no matter which side you lean towards, the other side will hold a grudge against you, making it a doomed question.
Fortunately, just as she was struggling with this decision, Qin Guanlan came home from get off work. Shen Qingtang pursed her lips and said, avoiding the main point, "Little Sister Qin, let me take you upstairs to disinfect and reduce the swelling."
For various reasons, everyone wanted to keep this a secret.
Xia chimed in, "Yes, yes, Sister Chen, please help the Second Miss disinfect, otherwise she'll definitely swell up like a steamed bun the next day."
After applying the cool, green ointment, the redness and swelling on Qin Sumiao's face subsided at a visible speed. She smiled and said, "Sister Chen, your medical skills are getting better and better."
Shen Qingtang pursed her lips, about to speak, but was interrupted by the other party.
"Sister Chen, please stop talking. I know you're on my mother's side. But I trust my boyfriend. No matter who tries to talk to me in the ear, it won't work."
Seeing the other person's unyielding expression, Shen Qingtang couldn't help but twitch her lips and said, "I actually wanted to ask you if you want to go to the doctor with me tomorrow? Maybe we can change our mood."
Perfect timing, she's going to Mrs. Chen's for a follow-up appointment tomorrow.
There is a saying that goes, seeing is believing. It would be better to let Qin Xiaomei see the so-called truth for herself.
Hearing this, Qin Sumiao scratched the back of her head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Is this alright? But I don't know anything about medicine." To be honest, she didn't even recognize all the Chinese herbal medicines.
However, being able to treat patients was a novel experience for her, especially since she had just had a fight with Su Rong and the atmosphere at home was awkward anyway, so she might as well go out.
"Of course, you're just helping me carry the first-aid kit." Shen Qingtang's real intention was not what it seemed, and she naturally didn't expect the other party to know anything about medicine.
*
The next morning, Qin Sumiao sat in front of her dressing table and looked at the makeup that Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia had done on her. The more she looked at it, the more something seemed off. In the end, she stood up and protested incessantly.
"Wait, why are you two drawing Crayon Shin-chan's eyebrows on me?"
Why are you putting a mustache on me?
"Did you give me the wrong foundation? Why am I so dark?"
......
Seeing that someone was not cooperating, Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia had no choice but to invite Shen Qingtang over.
Listening to the other party's complaints, Shen Qingtang said indifferently, "Do you want others to know that you, the second young lady of the Qin family, are here carrying medicine boxes for a doctor like me?"
"......"
Qin Sumiao immediately stopped struggling. After all, if she were recognized, she would be ridiculed by the rich ladies for a whole month. She obediently sat down and began to cooperate with Xia's makeup, even giving her own opinions: "Make my nose higher and add a stroke to my lips."
Qin Sumiao was already taller than the average woman, and even in the white coat worn by apprentices, with a small mustache, she didn't look out of place.
She adapted well to her new identity, and after getting into the car, she deliberately hugged Xu Xiaoxun and teased her, "Xiaoxun, do I look handsome like this?"
The Qin family's superior genes for good looks are naturally impeccable. Xu Xiaoxun nodded with a flushed face and said, "Sister Miao..." Feeling the other party's teasing gaze, she readily changed her address and said, "Brother Miao, you look so handsome."
Qin Su's playful nature was aroused, and she continued to guide the conversation, "Since I'm so handsome, how about you marry me in the future?"
"No way!" Xu Xiaosheng, who was sitting next to him, couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up.
"Why?" Qin Sumiao touched her chin, revealing a wicked, devilish smile.
Xu Xiaosheng crossed his arms and said righteously, "No means no. How can women marry each other?" After saying that, he lowered his voice and muttered, "Besides, Xiao Xun is clearly mine."
Qin Sumiao revealed a smug smile and wanted to continue asking questions, but fortunately Shen Qingtang stopped her.
"Alright, Qin Xiaomei, we should get going now." If the two of them, one big and one small, start fighting in the car, that would be dangerous driving.
Upon arriving at their destination, Qin Sumiao realized it was Mrs. Chen's villa. Only then did she belatedly realize she had fallen for a trap, and she clearly didn't want to get out of the car.
Despite the crowd's repeated urging, she shook her head and said, "I trust Ziqian, I won't go in to catch them in the act."
Shen Qingtang: "..." She moved her lips speechlessly and said, "We're going to see a doctor, not to catch someone cheating." She paused for two seconds at just the right moment and said, "Since you believe your boyfriend, why don't you dare to go and see for yourself?"
For some reason, Qin Sumiao suddenly felt uneasy, but she still gritted her teeth and got out of the car: "Fine, I'll go. This kind of clumsy provocation doesn't work on me anymore."
Perhaps Qin Sumiao's disguise was too successful, or perhaps because she kept her head down while walking, no one noticed that she was actually a woman dressed as a man.
After the brief follow-up appointment, Mrs. Chen had the maid bring over two cups of warm milk for the two children. She patted Xu Xiaoxun's two pigtails and exclaimed, "So well-behaved!"
Seeing this, Song Ziqian patted her hand and said gently, "Xiaoxue, if you want a child, I can give you one."
The words had barely left his mouth when a loud slap rang out. Song Ziqian, rubbing his swollen and aching cheek, suppressed his anger and glared at Shen Qingtang, demanding, "Doctor Shen, how can your apprentice be so rude? Hitting someone for no reason?"
After saying that, he glanced coldly at the stranger in front of him and scoffed, "What's wrong with you?"
"Perhaps you had a grudge against him before," Shen Qingtang said slowly.
"A grudge? What grudge could I possibly have with a mere apprentice at a medical clinic?" His tone was full of disdain, as he considered himself to be of extraordinary status.
Looking at the other person's arrogant expression, Qin Sumiao recalled the other person's sincere and naive gaze back then, and felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart, causing waves of pain.
How could the Song Ziqian she knew be such a person? He's simply a two-timing, arrogant, and despicable man!
She refused to believe it, took a deep breath, and decided to give him a chance, considering they had been in love for five whole years.
Therefore, she tried to keep her voice steady and asked, "This is Mrs. Chen's place. What gives you the right to speak here?"
With an extremely smug expression on his face, Song Ziqian said, "I am Mrs. Chen's boyfriend, and we are going to get our marriage certificate the day after tomorrow."
After saying that, he looked at Mrs. Chen with a questioning gaze.
Mrs. Chen nodded in agreement, lightly tapping the not-so-small diamond ring on the tip of her right finger, and said with a shy expression, "Ziqian proposed to me yesterday. We just ended our year-long relationship."
After saying that, she looked puzzled and asked, "Doctor Shen, what exactly is the grudge between your apprentice and Ziqian? If it's an economic dispute, I can make up for it directly."
Qin Sumiao shook her head and said, "It's not an economic dispute, but an emotional one."
At this moment, her face was terribly pale; Mrs. Chen's words had completely drained her strength.
A year-long relationship...it's ridiculous, she hasn't even been back in China for a full year yet.
Therefore, what her mother said was correct, and Shen Qingtang's previous warning was also correct. Everything was just her deceiving herself.
She even knew exactly why Song Ziqian chose to marry Mrs. Chen.
Because Mrs. Chen is a widow, they will definitely register their marriage in secret, and the wedding will just be a perfunctory affair without much fanfare.
As long as she continues to "trust" him, he can absolutely remain her boyfriend.
Looking at the person in front of him, who seemed both sad and distressed, yet also hesitant to speak, Song Ziqian couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
The other person's face, in particular, gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Immediately afterwards, he heard the other person's trembling voice question: "Since you want to marry Mrs. Chen, what about Qin Sumiao? What about the daughter of the village chief of Qinghe Village?"
"What do you mean, what should we do?" Upon hearing this, Song Ziqian's face showed a guilty expression. He quickly put on an impatient look, coughed, and said, "I don't know the person you're talking about at all."
Qin Sumiao dropped her pretense immediately, letting out a cold snort and saying, "Is that so? Don't you recognize me?"
Seeing his girlfriend suddenly appear in front of him, Song Ziqian panicked. "Miaomiao? What are you doing here?"
Mrs. Chen also noticed this scene and asked with some confusion, "Miss Qin, why are you dressed as a man here?"
Before Qin Sumiao could speak, Xu Xiaosheng and Xu Xiaoxun stood on either side of her like bodyguards, saying in unison, "We're here to catch them in the act!"
She spoke with conviction in just a few words. Facing Mrs. Chen's puzzled look, Shen Qingtang explained, "Mrs. Chen, in fact, Song Ziqian is also Qin Xiaomei's boyfriend."
"It's my ex-boyfriend!" Qin Sumiao corrected through gritted teeth. She took a deep breath and said coldly, "Since you love being a gigolo and living off women so much, I won't stop you. Considering how long we've been together, as long as you return all the 30 million I invested in you, I'll let bygones be bygones."
"Otherwise... let's see each other in court." Upon hearing this, Song Ziqian's face turned constipated. He had invested all 30 million into the company; how was he going to get it back?
Besides, he couldn't bear to part with her. In his view, all of this was Qin Sumiao's own choice.
Therefore, he said directly, "No, that's what you, as my girlfriend, should do for me."
Seeing Qin Sumiao's indignant expression, he shamelessly said, "These are all things I deserve. Otherwise, why would I tolerate your spoiled princess temper all the time? As for Mrs. Chen..." He paused and said, "Who told you to stop giving me gold coins as soon as you returned to the country? I had no choice but to find another way out."
Shen Qingtang had never seen such a shameless person before. He was cheating on multiple women and yet he blamed his girlfriend for not giving him enough money.
Hearing these words, Qin Sumiao felt even more ashamed and regretted her decision to fall for such a scumbag.
After hearing the whole story, Mrs. Chen's face darkened completely. She didn't want to offend the Qin family for a man.
Therefore, she said coldly, "Song Ziqian, our engagement is off, and you must return the ten million I invested in your company, or we'll see you in court."
Upon hearing this, Song Ziqian's face turned red and then white. Everyone was telling him to lose money. Was selling the company the only option for him?
No way! That's his lifeline!
He softened his tone and tried to plead for leniency, but no one expected that Mrs. Chen, who looked so gentle and weak, was actually decisive. She directly called the villa's security guards and kicked him out.
The previous tenderness vanished without a trace. He immediately took off the ring he had just been showing off, threw it into the trash can, and smiled at Qin Sumiao, saying, "It's good to throw away the dirty stuff. It seems I shouldn't be greedy for cheap things next time."
His words were full of goodwill.
Mrs. Chen was also one of the victims who had been deceived, so Qin Sumiao naturally wouldn't make things difficult for her. After saying a few polite words, she left.
As soon as she entered the car, Shen Qingtang found Qin Sumiao clinging to her tightly like a monkey and bursting into tears like a child.
The two children quickly found tissues in the car and handed them to each other, quietly comforting each other and helping to wipe away tears.
Shen Qingtang pursed her lips, speechless. She clearly lacked experience in this kind of situation, so she could only gently pat the other person's shoulder and say, "Don't cry, don't cry."
Qin Sumiao was still sobbing as she said, "Sister Chen, am I so stupid? How could I have trusted such a gigolo?"
Shen Qingtang reached out and patted the other person's head, saying, "You're not stupid, you're just too kind."
As the saying goes, "a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit," she believed that after this incident, Qin Sumiao should be able to properly cure her love-struck brain.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
