Since Ye Wanmian had been staring at Dr. Wang's face, she clearly caught the fleeting hesitation on his face. She instantly widened her eyes.
"Could there really have been such an incident?!"
"Master, don't tell me you were once a renowned and powerful doctor like those in the opera, and were forced to flee and live incognito in Dongli Town after offending the powerful and noble?"
Before she could finish her words, she got another rap on the forehead. Dr. Wang blew his beard and glared in anger. "What nonsense are you thinking about? Have you been watching too many operas with Qi Wen? I'm just an ordinary doctor!"
Ye Wanmian covered her forehead and mumbled, "It's just that you always look so unfathomable, Master."
Moreover, her speculation wasn't entirely impossible. After all, she herself had hidden her identity and past experiences, pretending to be an ordinary village woman.
Seeing her unconvinced look, Dr. Wang laughed. "Want to know about my past?"
Ye Wanmian nodded vigorously.
Dr. Wang said with a smile, "I'll tell you when you've learned enough and are ready to graduate."
Ye Wanmian: "..."
This was so teasing!
"Alright, alright." Dr. Wang relented. "I learned how to perform autopsies because more than twenty years ago, I was almost framed for murdering someone while practicing medicine. Since then, I've taught myself this skill in the hope that I might use it one day."
"However, I've only learned the basics. I'm still far from the professional coroners in the yamen. I don't plan to teach you this. You just need to learn medical skills well."
So that was it.
Ye Wanmian understood.
"Today, all the villagers in the town saw you performing an autopsy. What if they stop coming to our clinic in the future?" Ye Wanmian looked worried.
Dr. Wang wasn't worried at all. He chuckled. "If they don't want me to treat them, there's still you, isn't there?"
Ye Wanmian: "???"
Goodness, so that's what Master had in mind!
Because of the corpse that appeared in the town today, everyone was in a panic. Before the sun had even set, there were hardly any people on the streets. Ye Wanmian decided to leave the clinic early and head to Qingyu Alley.
When she returned to the alley, she happened to meet some neighbors. Ye Wanmian was about to greet them with a smile, but when they saw her, they were so scared that they immediately picked up their children and ran into their houses, slamming the doors shut.
Ye Wanmian's outstretched hand froze in mid - air.
Master, your plan might be in vain. Even the neighbors in Qingyu Alley were afraid of her now. Who would dare to ask her to treat them in the future?
When she got home and closed the door, it suddenly became quiet all around.
After vomiting by the riverbank, Ye Wanmian felt extremely hungry. She put down her satchel, washed her hands, and started making dinner.
Xiao Jingcheng was worried about the corpse. He really wanted to crawl out through the dog - hole behind the water tank and go to the morgue to check the situation.
But looking at Ye Wanmian busy by the stove, he had to suppress his impatience.
To this day, he still couldn't believe that the corpse on the riverbank was his.
According to Dr. Wang's examination, the time of death of the corpse was more than fifteen days ago. But he had last returned to his body twelve days ago, and his body was still intact at that time.
Moreover, those who had hidden him had gone to great lengths to禁锢 his soul and wanted him to be completely dead. Since the technique wasn't complete yet, why would they suddenly abandon his body?
The more Xiao Jingcheng thought about it, the more he felt that there must be something fishy going on.
Ye Wanmian, who was standing in front of the stove cooking, was also distracted. For some reason, when she was cutting the cured meat with a knife, she always remembered the hand that accidentally slipped off the stretcher when the corpse on the riverbank was being carried away.
Pale, wrinkled, and lifeless...
"Ugh!"
Ye Wanmian quickly dropped the knife and ran to the side to vomit. Her stomach was empty, and she didn't vomit anything. After she recovered, she had no mood to cook anymore. Instead, she just sat there in a daze.
Something nudged in her arms. Ye Wanmian lowered her head and found that the yellow dog was clinging tightly to her. Its beady black eyes were full of worry.
She smiled and reached out to rub the dog's head.
"Don't worry, Dahuang. I'm fine. It's just that I might not be able to have dinner tonight."
Xiao Jingcheng understood very well. As a girl, she could still stand close to the corpse and speak clearly. That was already quite remarkable.
Some girls raised in seclusion would probably be so scared that they'd hide in a corner and cry if they saw such a terrifying corpse.
Ye Wanmian hugged the yellow dog in her arms and stroked it gently again and again. She didn't know if she was comforting the dog or just wanted something to lean on.
Suddenly, she whispered, "Dahuang, my enemy is dead. I should be happy. But I always feel that that's not him."
Xiao Jingcheng, who was lying comfortably in Ye Wanmian's arms, was greatly shocked.
What did she just say?!
She said... she didn't think that was him?!
A surge of indescribable joy welled up in his heart, giving him an urge to run around the small courtyard a few times.
Ye Wanmian didn't notice the dog's vigorously wagging tail at all. She continued talking to herself. "The hands of that corpse looked very rough. It wasn't the roughness caused by being in the water for a long time, but..."
Ye Wanmian thought carefully and said, "It was the roughness caused by doing farm work all year round. People who do a lot of farm work usually have thicker joints than ordinary men, just like Zhou Wang."
Xiao Jingcheng felt something was off the more he listened.
How did she know how rough other men's hands were?
Especially that brute who had feelings for her and wanted to marry her. She had observed him so carefully?!
Ye Wanmian continued, "But that man was very noble from head to toe. His fingers were long and delicate, even better - looking than some women's."
Xiao Jingcheng's ears twitched slightly.
Huh?
She had even observed what his fingers looked like?
Well, she was indeed meticulous, observant, and had a photographic memory. No wonder she could notice such details.
"However, it was just a fleeting glance." Ye Wanmian said. "I don't know if it was just my illusion. It would be great if I could take a closer look and confirm it again."
She murmured.
Then she suddenly came to her senses and gritted her teeth. "Why should I care about his life or death? That corpse might very well be him. Even if it isn't, if I meet him, I'll send him on his way for real. Humph!"
Xiao Jingcheng subconsciously tightened his tailbone.
This woman was really ruthless!
Maybe because she was frightened today, Ye Wanmian tossed and turned in bed at night and couldn't fall asleep at all. She let out a sigh, threw off the quilt, and sat up. Her heartbeat and breathing were a bit erratic.
No, she still had to find a way to confirm it again!