Chapter 129: Preoccupations

As soon as the group climbed onto the ox cart, they could hear the voices of Dr. Wei and his medical apprentices coming from inside the clinic.

"Hand it over."

"Master, this is the hard-earned money the little lady gave us. Aren't you being a bit too shameless?"

"Do you want me to give you a detailed accounting of how many medicinal herbs you’ve ruined this month, you shameless apprentices?"

"Master, we worked so hard taking care of him; can't you let us keep this little bit of money for a drink?"

"I’m the one watching over him all day—do I get a drink? You’re not even fully trained yet and you’re already itching for alcohol; you’ve got some nerve. Besides, isn't taking care of patients your job?"

One of the apprentices muttered, "Talk is cheap. You take the money the little lady gave us just to curry favor with the girls at the Spring Breeze Pavilion, don't you?"

Third Uncle Tang drove the ox cart away. On the road, Li Taohua whispered to Qin Huiyin, "Dr. Wei’s conduct is so improper; can he really be trusted?"

"I think he’s quite interesting. See how his apprentices aren't afraid of him and even dare to argue back? That shows he doesn't treat them harshly."

"Did you hear what his apprentice said? He goes to places like that..." Li Taohua said with disgust. "A man like that is clearly not a decent person."

"Mother, if you don't like him, just don't see him again," Qin Huiyin said, holding Li Taohua's hand. "We shouldn't let an irrelevant person ruin our mood."

"Daughter, do you think he really came from the capital?" Li Taohua asked.

"I don't know," Qin Huiyin replied. "But judging by his accent, it's different from ours and matches the people from the capital I’ve seen before. Still, the capital is huge, and there are countless doctors. He boasts quite a bit, but his true skill remains to be seen. Besides, he mentioned that his ancestors served in the Imperial Hospital, which implies his family has long since fallen from grace. If he were truly successful today, he wouldn't need to brag about his ancestors."

"You're right. Even if he is a doctor from the capital, he likely wasn't anyone important."

Qin Huiyin squeezed her mother's hand tightly. "Mother, your hands are getting a bit rough. I made some hand cream, and it’ll be ready by tonight. I'll rub some on for you then."

"My daughter is so thoughtful," Li Taohua said, hugging her tightly. "Having you in my life makes everything worth it."

Back at the market, the regular customers had been waiting for a long time and began to grumble as soon as they saw the ox cart approaching.

"Oh, shopkeeper, now that your business is booming and you're making money, you've started slacking off! You’re setting up the stall later and later every day."

Li Taohua smiled apologetically. "My dear, please don't be angry. Something happened, and my husband is still lying in the clinic. We just went to check on him, which delayed us. What can I get for you? I’ll add some extra sauce."

"How is your husband?"

"His leg was already injured, and now he's been hurt on top of that. We've seen three doctors, and they all say the same thing—that he’ll likely never get up again and will be bedridden for the rest of his life." Li Taohua choked back tears.

Tang Lvwu and Tang Yixiao were stunned. They were absolutely shocked—they hadn't heard anything about this.

"I'll take three more pancakes to bring back for my man."

"I want these skewers, grill two extra."

"These dried fish snacks look good, so crunchy! How much are they?"

"Eight wen a catty," Qin Huiyin replied.

"That's so expensive!"

"Auntie, this is fish. Look how crispy I fried them. The oil, the seasonings, and the fish itself all cost money. Eight wen is actually cheap."

Tang Lvwu chimed in from the side, "We don't have many dried fish snacks. We only sell them to regular customers who have already bought other food. If we sold them alone, we wouldn't even cover the costs."

Qin Huiyin cast an appreciative look at Tang Lvwu. Tang Lvwu had grown much bolder; since gaining Qin Huiyin's approval, she spoke with more confidence and was more willing to express her own thoughts.

By now, Li Taohua had reached the turning point of her story. She looked at the women who were listening with ears pricked and faces full of worry, as if they felt her pain. "But, a miracle doctor came to our county from the capital. He guarantees he can heal my husband's leg and says he will recover as if he were never injured."

"How is that possible? We saw your husband limping before, and now that he’s been beaten like that—injured on top of an injury—it would be a miracle if he could even walk at all, let alone recover completely! Shopkeeper, are you sure you didn't meet a swindler? How much money did they take from you? Go get it back now, there’s still time!"

Li Taohua feigned hesitation. "You don't think so? That doctor looked upright and sincere; he didn't seem like a swindler. Regardless, we'll know the result in half a month. I’m going to trust him just this once and wait for the outcome."

"Which clinic is it? I live in the city, so I'll ask around when I have time to see if he's the real deal."

"Yes, I'll check too. If he’s a fraud, you must bring your husband back. I understand how you feel, but if he’s a swindler, you'll end up losing your money and your husband still won't be healed—that would be heartbreaking! You don't earn this money easily."

"You ladies are right, but I still want to try. Please, if you have time, keep an eye on him for me. I have nothing else to offer as thanks, but I'll give you a discount on your food."

Tang Lvwu leaned closer to Qin Huiyin and lowered her voice. "What is Mother doing?"

"If Dr. Wei truly has talent and heals Uncle Tang's leg, what my mother said today serves as an advertisement, letting more people know of his skill. But if he's a fraud just seeking fame, what my mother said today is a knife—a knife that will stab him in the heart, one cut at a time, until he can no longer stay here."

Tang Lvwu suddenly realized the truth, and her eyes burned with admiration as she looked at Li Taohua. "Mother is so clever; she never lets herself suffer a loss."

"Of course she is. If she weren't, she wouldn't have been able to survive while raising me," Qin Huiyin laughed. "There are customers over there. Go take care of them; stop daydreaming."

Constable Feng arrived with his men. Seeing the stall back to normal—with two extra tables and eight more stools than before—they found a spot to sit.

"Little girl, we're here. Whatever good food you have today, bring it out for us."

Qin Huiyin smiled. "Coming right up!"

She picked up a large wooden basin and placed fifty skewers of spicy hot pot into it, adding plenty of broth. One of the constables walked over to take it, smiling at her. "You're generous, kid."

"Eat up, there's more coming," Qin Huiyin said with a smile. "We prepared plenty of ingredients today."

The freshly grilled skewers were ready, but they were for the other customers. After handing them over, she took another fifty fresh pork skewers and began grilling them.