Huang Ziqiao quickly sent Qi Yue the news that Chang Yuncheng was not injured.

Qi Yue smiled self-mockingly.

“Could it be that I subconsciously wanted him to be injured?” she muttered to herself, sticking out her tongue. “I really am a vicious woman – wanting to poison my ex-ex-boyfriend, and now wanting my ex-boyfriend to have broken arms and legs…”

She waved her hand and went inside.

“That won’t do, that won’t do,” she hummed.

“Master, what won’t do?” Hu San asked as he passed by.

“Nothing,” Qi Yue smiled.

“Busybody,” A’Ru glared at him from the side.

Hu San laughed and responded, just turning around when Liu Pucheng came in from outside.

“Little Qi, the Circuit Judge’s family is requesting a doctor,” he said.

Hu San immediately jumped up with joy.

“Master, it’s the Circuit Judge’s family! That’s a wealthy household. See, there really are such people willing to call for us,” he shouted.

Qi Yue was also very happy. Over these past few days, she had finally gained a general understanding of this prefecture’s medical system. The hospitals here were ranked by the fame of their doctors, then by their scale, and according to their ranking, they treated different classes of people.

With this hierarchical division, Qianjin Hall’s Liu Pucheng had some reputation, but he specialized in treating injuries and wounds, so at most they had the status of a community clinic. Those who came for treatment were all poor people, and only these people worked all day long and thus often got injured. Those wealthy people who sat at home, traveled in carriages and sedan chairs, and whose ten fingers never touched spring water had absolutely no connection with injury treatment halls like Qianjin Hall.

Huang Ziqiao’s case was purely his own bad luck, and besides, the prefect hadn’t specifically called for Qianjin Hall alone – he had called for everyone, big fish and small fry alike.

To put it more clearly, back at the Marquis Dingxi mansion, the masters had their fixed doctors for treatment, and the servants also had their fixed doctors. Qianjin Hall wasn’t even qualified to treat the mansion’s servants.

Although the fame of Lady Qi’s miraculous abdominal surgery had spread, because this technique was too shocking, most people who heard about it treated it as legend, and the opportunities to use it weren’t many. So for Qianjin Hall to become one of Yongqing Prefecture’s top medical institutions, the road ahead was still long. This was a world controlled by the upper class, so to truly make a name, they still needed to gain recognition from these people.

Of course, they couldn’t hope for someone like the prefect.

Qi Yue believed she wouldn’t be so unlucky – she would always encounter people who were grateful and had good judgment. It was just a matter of time.

“What’s the illness?” Qi Yue asked happily, but thinking that the family member was sick after all, being so happy really violated professional ethics. She quickly restrained her smile.

“It’s a wet nurse who has a sore on her leg. She’s taken medicine for several days without improvement. The doctor suggested that if it doesn’t work, they should cut it off. The wet nurse was afraid, and hearing that we’re good at knife work for external injuries, she came looking for us,” Liu Pucheng said. “There’s a servant waiting outside.”

“A house call?” Qi Yue frowned.

She didn’t know when these people would develop the habit of coming to the hospital.

“Having someone request a house call is already good enough. Go quickly, go quickly. Master, I’ll have them prepare the carriage,” Hu San said, hurrying out.

Well, everything needed a time process, Qi Yue said, picking up her medicine box.

“Then I’ll go,” she said.

Liu Pucheng nodded and watched her walk out.

The Circuit Judge’s household was bustling at this time – today was the young master’s seventh birthday. The youngest son was naturally more cherished, and besides, the Circuit Judge’s wife had always been popular, so families from all around came to join the festivities.

As the highest-ranking person in Yongqing Prefecture, Madam Xie naturally sat in the most honored guest seat, with the Circuit Judge’s wife personally accompanying her in conversation. When Madam Yang walked in, Madam Xie didn’t even give her a smile, and even snorted coldly.

The Circuit Judge’s wife was naturally shrewd and immediately saw that there was bad blood between the two.

But she was also puzzled. Someone like Madam Yang, who was smooth and skilled at matchmaking, had always been very popular and others rarely offended her. Just a few days ago, Madam Xie and Madam Yang had gotten along wonderfully – how had things suddenly changed?

She used her eyes to inquire of others, but the others obviously had just learned about it too and shook their heads to indicate they didn’t know.

Fortunately, this kind of “you’re good with me, I’m not good with you” situation among noble ladies was common. The Circuit Judge’s wife had her own ways of dealing with it. She arranged both parties well, so neither felt slighted. The hall remained harmonious with laughter and chatter.

“Madam, someone at the second gate has called for a doctor,” a servant woman walked to the Circuit Judge’s wife and said quietly.

“For what?” the Circuit Judge’s wife asked casually.

“The wet nurse Bao’ma has a sore on her leg that won’t heal, so they found a doctor from Qianjin Hall to cut it off,” the servant woman said.

Madam Xie was talking with others, but the three words “Qianjin Hall” were very sensitive to her. She immediately heard them and turned her head.

“…there are many female guests and outside visitors in the house recently, so be careful not to disturb them,” the Circuit Judge’s wife said.

“It’s fine, Madam. This time it’s a female doctor,” the servant woman smiled. “It’s that very famous Lady Qi who’s been talked about…”

She suddenly stopped here because Madam Xie was staring at her coldly.

Very famous… with a great reputation… that Lady Qi… the former daughter-in-law of the Marquis Dingxi mansion…

The servant woman was immediately embarrassed.

The Circuit Judge’s wife also realized what was happening, and her expression became somewhat awkward.

“It’s just a wet nurse, but she’s looking after the young master, so it’s very important. Not just anyone can be invited into the house,” Madam Xie said indifferently. “Especially doctors – they’re matters of life and death. You must look carefully before inviting them.”

The Circuit Judge’s wife couldn’t help but understand the meaning. She glared at the servant woman.

“Why don’t you hurry up and send her away? What nonsense is this?” she said quietly but sternly.

The servant woman quickly responded, but before she could turn around, someone else spoke.

“How can this be called nonsense?” Madam Yang said with a smile. “That Lady Qi’s medical skills are very good, and she’s quite famous.”

From such a distance, she could still hear clearly! What was she up to!

Madam Xie stared at her coldly.

When Madam Yang spoke, the laughter and chatter in the room quieted down, and everyone looked at these few people.

“Madam Yang is so certain – has she had her abdomen opened or her belly cut by her?” Madam Xie asked coolly.

Madam Yang immediately blushed at the question. What kind of words were these!

This Madam Xie always spoke harshly.

Madam Yang was about to get angry but was quickly calmed down by the ladies beside her.

No matter what, Madam Xie’s status was still there, and if they could avoid tearing off all pretense, they should avoid it.

The Circuit Judge’s wife didn’t want to offend two people at once and glared hatefully at the servant woman.

The servant woman hurried away.

Madam Xie was very satisfied with everyone’s reaction.

“In the future, everyone should look carefully. What kind of household are we? Even for servants, doctors can’t be invited carelessly,” she said with a comfortable smile, slowly peeling apart a meat dumpling with her hands. “It’s a matter of life and death – we can’t be careless.”

The hall filled with sounds of agreement.

Qi Yue was driven out the door.

“Hey, what do you mean?” she gripped her medicine box that had almost been pushed off and asked urgently.

“Get lost!” the servant at the side gate said irritably and slammed the door shut.

Qi Yue was so angry she wanted to stomp her feet. What was this? Inexplicable! She had been waiting properly at the second gate, hadn’t even seen the patient’s face, and was driven out. What on earth was going on?

The side gate opened again, and a woman walked out. Qi Yue narrowed her eyes – it was actually an acquaintance.

“Huh?” Nanny Su seemed very surprised to see her. “Young… Lady Qi, why are you here? Are you visiting?”

Saying this, she laughed and slapped her own face.

“Look how confused I am. How could Lady Qi be visiting here?” she laughed.

Qi Yue understood. She pointed at Nanny Su.

“Good, good,” she said. “You really have some nerve.”

With that, she turned and got in the carriage.

“Let’s go,” she said.

The carriage immediately departed, leaving Nanny Su with many words unsaid. This woman had left so decisively, leaving her standing at the door feeling stifled.

Bah! She finally spat to vent her frustration and flounced back inside.

This incident wasn’t considered a big deal for the Circuit Judge’s household. The wet nurse called for another doctor, and that doctor ultimately also used knife cutting to squeeze out the pus inside.

“See, you insisted on looking for some Qianjin Hall. Which doctor doesn’t know how to do this?” other servant women laughed. “You made Madam angry for nothing.”

The wet nurse felt relieved seeing the abscess disappear and laughed along. The doctor then applied a medicinal plaster and prescribed internal medicine before taking his leave.

With the abscess cut, the wet nurse could move easily and was in a good mood. She even specially went to apologize to Madam, and the Circuit Judge’s wife had always been generous with servants.

“This Lady Qi is a thorn in the side of the Marquis Dingxi mansion. In this Yongqing Prefecture, they’re absolutely irreconcilable. This Lady Qi too – it’s not like she has no money. With money, she could live comfortably anywhere for a lifetime, but she insists on staying in this Yongqing Prefecture. How can the Marquis Dingxi mansion let her have a good time?” the Circuit Judge’s wife said, stirring her tea cup.

A row of servant women below agreed.

“There are plenty of doctors in the world. How could they not get by without her?” the Circuit Judge’s wife put down her tea cup. “You all be alert in the future – never provoke her. Provoking her means provoking the Marquis Dingxi mansion.”

She laughed at this point.

“It’s like telling a joke – the Marquis Dingxi mansion and Lady Qi, if you had to choose, who would you choose?” she laughed.

The servant women below all laughed.

“Naturally we’d choose the Marquis Dingxi mansion,” they said.

This was obviously the case.

“Mother!” a six or seven-year-old boy ran in, with a round, chubby body and a face full of sweat.

This was the Circuit Judge’s wife’s youngest son. She quickly pulled the child into her arms and wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.

“Playing until you’re covered in sweat – be careful of catching cold,” she said, while asking what he had eaten and what books he had read today.

The young master answered everything.

“Mother, my stomach hurts,” he said, suddenly pressing his hand to his stomach.

The Circuit Judge’s wife was startled and quickly asked what was wrong, whether he had eaten something bad.

Just as she was about to call for a doctor, the young master said he was fine again.

“You child, you scared me to death,” the Circuit Judge’s wife said, stroking the child’s head and instructing the accompanying servant women about covering him well at night in the heat and not letting him eat random things.

The young master grew impatient listening and ran off.

The people here also dispersed. The wet nurse returned to her own room and, because the Circuit Judge’s wife hadn’t punished her and had even rewarded her with a bag of money, was in an even better mood. She ate two extra bowls of rice that evening and went to sleep early.

Things began to go wrong starting from midnight.