Lady Li didn't expect Ye Wanmian to say such a thing. She was stunned for a moment before reacting, her expression a bit excited. "Thank you, Lady Jiang! I... I will surely take the medicine well and not let your medical skills down!"
Ye Wanmian had already written out the prescription. She handed it over to the other person and said with a smile, "You're wrong. It's not about letting my medical skills down, but not neglecting your own body."
"You can take this prescription to get the medicine over there. Then give the prepared medicine to the pharmacy assistant outside. It will take a day to make the pills. Come back at this time tomorrow to pick them up."
Lady Li thanked her repeatedly. Holding the prescription, she went to the pharmacy as Ye Wanmian had instructed. Only then did she notice a man she had never seen before behind the counter.
At first, she was stunned by Li Zhao's good looks and temperament. But then she quickly ignored his eye - catching appearance and handed over the prescription in her hand, stating that she was here to get the medicine.
Li Zhao prepared the medicine one by one. His fingers tapped on the abacus rapidly. From time to time, he covered his lips and coughed softly. "The medicine is for a seven - day supply. In total, it's thirty - six wen. It will cost an extra ten wen to make it into pills, so it's forty - six wen in total. Pay half first, which is twenty - three wen."
Lady Li paid the money, delivered the medicine to Qi Wen, thanked Ye Wanmian again and again, and left the medical clinic with a smile.
At this moment, all she had in mind was the expectation of getting rid of her chronic illness. As for the two extra people in Huichuntang Medical Clinic... she had already thrown them out of her mind.
Li Zhao counted the copper coins clearly, put them into the box, and completed the accounts. Then the work at hand came to an end. He looked forward through the beaded curtain. Ye Wanmian was lowering her head, carefully recording the medical cases. Her figure was like a hibiscus tree standing proudly in the wind, bringing an indescribable impact.
Li Zhao's heart softened instantly, and his gaze became gentle.
...
Liuxiang Tower.
"Ugh—" Ye Wanxing supported the edge of the bed and vomited out all the contents of her stomach, including the medicine she had just taken.
"Miss Xing'er, drink some water quickly to wash away the taste of the bitter herb in your mouth." The maid handed over a water bag. She took it in a hurry and rinsed out the remaining medicine juice in her mouth. Even so, her tongue was numb from the bitterness.
Leaning softly against the head of the bed, she was sweating all over. Her hair stuck to her cheeks. Her once - pretty face had quickly become thinner, and she was tortured beyond recognition.
There was a knock on the door. Ye Huan's voice came from outside. The maid got up to open the door. Ye Huan rushed in. Seeing Ye Wanxing in this state, he frowned deeply, his face showing distress.
"Xing'er, did you vomit again?"
Ye Wanxing's eyes were full of tears. She called out hoarsely, "Big brother..."
The maid stepped forward and said timidly, "This medicine is too bitter. Every time Miss Xing'er takes it, she vomits. She simply can't swallow it."
This maid was specially bought from a human broker in Tianyuan County to serve Ye Wanxing personally.
After the maid said this, Ye Wanxing shed tears and cried to Ye Huan, "Big brother, can Xing'er stop taking the medicine? Xing'er really can't bear the bitterness of this medicine."
"But your illness hasn't shown any improvement yet..." Ye Huan frowned.
Ye Wanxing had suffered from a sore throat because she ate incompatible foods. Now, every time she took the medicine, she vomited. Not only did the medicine have little effect, but it also aggravated the discomfort in her throat, and she coughed more severely than before.
Anger welled up in Ye Wanxing's heart. She grabbed Ye Huan's hand and said through gritted teeth, "Brother, don't you see? That female doctor clearly intended to torture me. That's why she put so much bitter herb in the prescription!"
"Xing'er, you're overthinking. That female doctor has never met you before and has no grudge against you. Why would she deliberately torture you?" Although Ye Huan felt sorry for his younger sister, he didn't fully agree with Ye Wanxing's words.
"Moreover, I had someone analyze those pastries. Two of them were indeed slightly modified and had some almonds added. It's true that some people may have throat discomfort after taking almonds. I think your illness is caused by this."
The Ye family rarely used almonds to make food, so they didn't notice that Ye Wanxing was allergic to almonds.
But Ye Wanxing cried, "Brother, you probably don't know about the intrigues among women. I'm engaged to Cousin Xuan, but that woman has won Cousin Xuan's special attention. Maybe she wants to harm me and take my place as the woman beside Cousin Xuan?"
Ye Huan tried to recall the appearance of that woman, but there was only a vague impression in his mind. He considered himself a gentleman and naturally wouldn't casually judge a woman's appearance. He could only say euphemistically,
"She's just a country woman. I don't think His Highness the Prince of Xuan will take her to heart."
"I don't care, brother. I will never take this medicine again." Ye Wanxing turned around angrily. "I don't want to see you for the time being either."
"Xing'er, Xing'er?" No matter how Ye Huan called, Ye Wanxing didn't turn around to respond to him. He could only sigh softly and get up to leave.
Hearing the door close behind him, Ye Wanxing turned around. Her tear - filled eyes were as cold as ice.
"Xiaocui." She called.
The maid named Xiaocui stepped forward. "What are your orders, Miss Xing'er?"
"Nothing. I'm feeling sad. I just want to talk to someone." Ye Wanxing said.
Xiaocui had just witnessed the argument between the siblings. She said, "Don't be sad, Miss Xing'er. Master Ye cares about you. It's just that men's minds are not as delicate as women's, so they can't really understand how you feel."
"I want you to do something for me." Although Ye Wanxing couldn't remember the appearance of the female doctor in Huichuntang, she always felt a bit uneasy in her heart. Especially after being tortured by the medicine for several days, she became more and more concerned about that place.
"Just give your orders, Miss Xing'er. As long as Xiaocui can do it, I will do it for you."
Ye Wanxing waved her hand at her. Xiaocui leaned over with her ear, then nodded. "I understand."
...
Huichuntang.
After seeing off another patient, Ye Wanmian picked up her brush and carefully wrote down the patient's condition on the paper. Suddenly, someone bumped into her from the side. Her shoulder was pushed, and the brush left a deep ink mark on the paper. The medical case she had been writing was completely ruined.
She looked at the person beside her and said helplessly, "What's wrong this time?"
Xiao Jingcheng's eyes sparkled. He opened his hands. "Sweets."
Qi Wen rushed into the room angrily from outside. As soon as he saw what was in Xiao Jingcheng's palm, he jumped up and shouted, "Lady Jiang, look at him! He stole the pear - paste candies I just made!"
The medical clinic usually made pear - paste candies to treat coughs and throat diseases. Drinking the water with the dissolved pear - paste candy could relieve coughs and sore throats. Ye Wanmian had used it on Li Zhao before, and many common people would also come to the medical clinic to buy some and store them at home.
A few days ago, they were busy taking care of the unconscious Xiao Jingcheng and didn't have time to replenish the stock. The pear - paste candies they had were almost used up, so Qi Wen planned to boil a batch today for future use.
Who would have thought that as soon as a batch was made and placed on the shelf to cool, it disappeared in a flash. All they saw was Xiao Jingcheng's hasty back!