Yi Qing smiled and said, "If I manage to save your father, come back to my mansion with me and work as a bookkeeper. I'll double the monthly salary you get from the pawnshop."
Ju Shuang gritted her teeth and replied, "As long as you can really save my father, I don't even need a salary!"
"Then it's a deal," Yi Qing said.
To everyone's surprise, the two actually reached an agreement.
There were just too many things for people to focus on - was the marquis a fraud? Could Yi Qing treat illnesses? Was Ju Shuang going to enter the "Mansion of the King of Hell"?
There were so many juicy bits that it was hard to keep up. Everyone was like a wild badger scurrying around in a melon field, not knowing which melon to go for first.
Yi Qing then said calmly, "Bring me all the previous prescriptions."
Ju Shuang quickly nodded in agreement.
She was a meticulous and efficient girl. All the prescriptions were neatly stacked together. She respectfully presented this thick stack in front of Yi Qing.
Yi Qing didn't even take them. Instead, she casually flipped through them with her slender fingers while they were still in Ju Shuang's hands. A contemptuous smile appeared on her lips. "Quacks!"
Ju Shuang blushed a little. "Madam, these prescriptions were written by the best doctor from Baoren Hall. Each prescription costs two taels of silver."
"So you've been cheated," Yi Qing said casually.
Everyone was shocked again.
Baoren Hall was the best medical clinic in the capital and had connections with the imperial physicians. How daring this woman was to say such a thing!
Ju Shuang said, "Please write a prescription for us, Madam."
Yi Qing replied, "Prepare pen and paper!"
Bookkeeper Zhang's illness was not actually that complicated. It was just kidney stones.
This kind of illness could be extremely painful when it flared up, which was quite terrifying.
Moreover, there was no surgical option here, so it was very difficult to treat.
But she had a way.
Ju Shuang prepared the Four Treasures of the Study and then respectfully invited Yi Qing to write the prescription.
"I'll dictate, and you write," Yi Qing said in a rather haughty tone. But inside, she was secretly complaining about herself. If only she could read and write; it would be so much more convenient.
How could Ju Shuang know that she was illiterate? She just assumed that Yi Qing was so highly skilled in medicine that it was only natural for her to have some quirks. She actually had even greater hopes for her.
Holding a writing brush in her hand, Ju Shuang said respectfully, "Please start, Madam."
"One tael of Lysimachia christinae, two qian of Plantago asiatica, one qian each of Pyrrosia lingua, Rheum officinale, and Gardenia jasminoides..." Yi Qing said clearly and calmly. "Did you get all that?"
Ju Shuang nodded, picked up the rice paper, blew on it to dry the ink, and then presented it to Yi Qing with both hands.
Yi Qing didn't take it. "Check it yourself."
Then she read the prescription again. "A dose of this medicine should cost around thirty to forty cash. If it costs more, it means you're being cheated. Take one dose every day. After taking it, jump for a quarter of an hour. Drink plenty of water... Keep your diet light and eat less meat. Drink boiled water."
Kidney stones were to some extent a disease of the wealthy. Another possibility was hard water. She had covered both possible causes and remedies, so it should definitely work.
"And don't be hasty. It may take one to two months for a complete recovery, so there's no need to rush."
"One to two months? That's fine. No rush," Ju Shuang said quickly. After seeing Yi Qing's confidence, she already believed her seven or eight out of ten.
Even if it took one or two years, as long as her father could recover, she would be willing.
Yi Qing said, "Come with me. I'll talk to you about working in my mansion."
Everyone was skeptical, thinking that she was being too overconfident. But Ju Shuang said, "Please come to my room and talk, Madam."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ju Shuang invited Yi Qing into her room and said in a low voice, "If you have any other instructions, Madam, please feel free to tell me."
Yi Qing asked, "Aren't you afraid I'm lying to you?"
Ju Shuang forced a smile. "My family is so poor. What's there to be cheated out of?"
Yi Qing asked a few questions about her family situation and learned that she had an older brother and sister - in - law. They had nowhere to go and were staying at her sister - in - law's natal family for the time being. Her brother was also working hard outside to earn money for her father's treatment.
"With your brother and sister - in - law around, I can feel more at ease taking you into my mansion," Yi Qing said. "But it's really hard to swallow the anger of being cheated by the pawnshop. Come here. I'll give you an idea. Lean in..."
Ju Shuang stepped forward as expected, and Yi Qing whispered some detailed instructions in her ear.
"I've told you the method. Now it's up to you to convince your boss to do it."
After a brief hesitation, Ju Shuang nodded firmly. "I can do it, Madam."
Yi Qing liked straightforward people the most. She said, "I'll be waiting for good news from you. When you have it, come to my mansion with it."
"Yes!" Ju Shuang bowed.
After finishing this matter, Yi Qing didn't forget to buy some beef tongue pastries and then returned to the mansion in high spirits.
Madam Di soon came to visit.
"I heard you embarrassed him in public?" She was even too lazy to mention the title "Marquis Huai'en" now. She was just worried about Yi Qing.
Yi Qing nodded. "I happened to run into him. I didn't expect him to be so despicable now. With old and new grudges, I just couldn't help it."
"What is he worth!" Madam Di said. "He's just a tile, while you're a porcelain vase. Stay as far away from him as possible. I don't even bother to argue with him anymore. Why do you still remember these things? The farther away, the better. He's such a disgusting person!"
Hearing the hatred in her tone, Yi Qing said, "I find him disgusting too, so I just can't tolerate it."
"It's not a big deal otherwise. I'm just worried that people will talk about you behind your back. After all, you're his daughter..."
"I'm not afraid," Yi Qing said proudly. "You don't have to worry either. Let's just wait and watch the show."
"Is there more to come?"
"Of course! Wait until I take you to watch. I'll let you vent your anger too."
"Then... okay!"
Half a month later, Ju Shuang sent a message to Yi Qing, saying that the bookkeeper was much better and the pawnshop's boss had agreed to her plan.
So Yi Qing took Madam Di to the pawnshop to watch the show.
The pawnshop's boss was surnamed Huang. It wasn't the boss who came today but the young boss, Huang Haoyun, who was in his early twenties. He was wearing a brocade robe, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and looked very handsome.
Ju Shuang was standing beside him. When she saw Yi Qing coming, there was a hint of excitement in her eyes.
Yi Qing casually waved her hand, signaling her not to come over and bow.
Ju Shuang was very smart. She understood the meaning and stood quietly with her head down beside Huang Haoyun.
There was a table in front of Huang Haoyun, and on the table was a famille - rose plum vase. Presumably, it was the fake one.
Huang Haoyun bowed to the onlookers and said, "Everyone, please be a witness. Although our pawnshop is not very big, spending three thousand taels of silver on this fake has really hurt our business. But my father has always emphasized that both in life and business, one should be honest and trustworthy. So I'll just take this three thousand taels as a lesson. I don't plan to resell this fake and cheat others."
The onlookers let out exclamations - three thousand taels!
If the Huang family weren't so wealthy, this could really bankrupt a pawnshop.
Huang Haoyun casually glanced at Ju Shuang out of the corner of his eye, and she blushed slightly.
Yi Qing stroked her chin, her eyes full of playfulness - it seemed like there was a hint of romance in the air.
Huang Haoyun took out a hammer from under the table. "Today, in front of all of you, I'll smash this fake to pieces to prevent it from circulating in the market and deceiving others in the future."