Qi Yue held classes in the morning and afternoon to allow the disciples to take turns, and when she wasn’t teaching, she followed Liu Pucheng to learn about identifying medicinal herbs.

“Madam actually understands medical principles quite well, but just doesn’t know how to use medicines. So let’s skip the observation, listening, inquiry, and pulse-taking – the important thing is to learn about medicines,” he said.

During breaks from studying medicines, Qi Yue drew some more instruments for Hu San to forge.

“Are these the pots, bowls, ladles, and basins used when making medicine last time?” Hu San said in surprise, looking at the drawings. “Master, are you planning to make a lot of that medicine?”

This comment drew Liu Pucheng over as well. The effect of that medicine injected into the human body with a needle had shocked him – such a small tube of medicine had taken effect so quickly.

If they could use this kind of medicine regularly, it would be a great weapon against sudden illnesses that couldn’t be intercepted in time.

“That kind of medicine, let’s talk about it later,” Qi Yue smiled. “I still think herbal decoctions are better.”

Hu San chuckled.

“Oh, Master actually still won’t acknowledge that kind of medicine, right?” he laughed.

Qi Yue also laughed heartily.

“I still think it’s better to be cautious. If something goes wrong…” she said, then clapped her hands as if remembering something. “That’s right, Teacher, next time we take on critically ill patients, we need to have them sign critical condition notices and liability waivers or something, so that if we encounter unreasonable patient families like this again, we can speak clearly even if they take us to court, to avoid sullying our reputation.”

Liu Pucheng smiled.

“A doctor’s reputation can only be sullied by oneself – a few words or incidents can’t do it,” he said, shaking his head with a smile. “There’s no need to worry about this.”

Ancient doctors relied on word-of-mouth from patients and solid medical skills – you either could do it or you couldn’t, it was that simple.

Qi Yue nodded and no longer pressed Liu Pucheng. For a doctor whose greatest mission was saving lives, asking him to consider what to do after a patient died before even treating them was really too difficult.

“However, the inpatient treatment you mentioned, Madam Qi, I think is very good. I plan to clean out several rooms here to use as wards,” Liu Pucheng said.

Qi Yue’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” she exclaimed happily, turning to survey the courtyard.

Since Qianjin Hall mainly treated injuries from falls and blows, although it had quite a reputation in this field, it wasn’t really a large medical clinic after all – the courtyard wasn’t very big.

“It would be best to expand further. Since we’re having inpatients, we need a specialized sterilization room,” Qi Yue said while looking around and planning. “And we need an operating room…”

“This place won’t be enough for that,” Liu Pucheng said with a smile.

Qi Yue frowned and nodded, her gaze falling on both sides.

“What are those places on either side used for?” she asked.

Liu Pucheng was startled, understanding her meaning.

“Well…” he hesitated. “They’re all shops that have been there for years – it might not be easy to negotiate.”

“Let’s try first. If not, we’ll go buy somewhere else,” Qi Yue smiled. Once this idea arose, she became more and more excited. “Maybe we can set up a modern-model hospital…”

Hospital? Was that like the Imperial Medical Bureau? He knew about that, but modern…

“What do you mean by modern?” Liu Pucheng asked humbly.

Qi Yue smiled sheepishly.

“It’s something a teacher of mine once mentioned – also a pharmacy, but different from medical clinics and pharmacies,” she said carefully.

Liu Pucheng was very interested in her teacher’s affairs, but since the girl didn’t elaborate, he couldn’t press. Hearing her speak now, he couldn’t help but feel excited too.

“What was it like?” he asked hurriedly.

What was it like… Qi Yue sighed, with a hint of reminiscence, looking toward the clear sky. For a moment, it seemed like time and space shifted, and she was back in the modern world, standing in a hospital, surrounded by the familiar bustle of everything…

Qi Yue returned home at dinnertime. Chang Yuncheng was sitting in the room reading.

Qi Yue greeted him, and he hummed in response as acknowledgment.

This simple “hmm” was already quite rare – it seemed he was in a good mood.

However, having learned her lesson, Qi Yue absolutely wouldn’t go over and chat with him again. The matter of moving away should be put off for now, or she could wait until Marquis Dingxi returned. What a joke – when divorce papers were slammed in your face in black and white, could you really act like nothing happened?

Chang Yuncheng threw down his book with some displeasure, listening to Qi Yue chattering and laughing with the maids over there.

What was there to talk about? She’d just gone to a pharmacy – how could there be so much to laugh about and discuss? It was just a pharmacy…

“Lord, may we serve the meal?” a maid asked for instructions.

Chang Yuncheng hummed and stood up to go out.

Even after all the dishes were ready, Qi Yue still hadn’t come over.

“Where is the Young Madam? What is she doing?” Chang Yuncheng asked, suppressing his anger.

Qiu Xiang hurried out and quickly returned.

“The Young Madam said she ate outside, so she won’t be eating now,” she said carefully.

Chang Yuncheng gripped his chopsticks tightly and forcefully picked up food from the plate.

“There’s so much to do,” Qi Yue said excitedly under the lamplight, stretching.

A’Ru looked sideways at what she was writing and drawing on paper.

“Is this a bed?” she asked, bringing over another lamp.

“Yes,” Qi Yue nodded.

“Then what’s this underneath?” A’Ru pointed.

“Those are wheels,” Qi Yue said. “This way the bed can be moved easily with patients. We treat injuries from falls and blows here, so patients have mobility issues. This way, instead of needing three or four people to carry them back and forth, one person can just push them.”

Hearing this, A’Ru imagined the scene and nodded with a smile.

“How did Young Madam think of this? So clever,” she said.

“I didn’t think of it – I’ve seen it often…” Qi Yue said, then seeing Chang Yuncheng lift the curtain and enter, she quickly swallowed her words.

“You go down and eat,” Qi Yue said.

A’Ru nodded, bowed to Chang Yuncheng in the main room, and withdrew.

“What did you eat outside?” Chang Yuncheng asked.

Qi Yue had just lowered her head to continue writing when she heard his question and looked up.

“Nothing much, just some food Hu San bought. I ate some with him,” she said.

Hu San? Again that sneaky man…

Chang Yuncheng frowned. Looking at Qi Yue lowering her head again to write and draw, she showed no intention of chatting with him further.

He stood in the main room, watching the woman writing earnestly under the lamplight, sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning, sometimes suddenly understanding – so focused and at ease, so pleasing to the eye…

When the zither music rang out, Qi Yue was startled. She looked around frantically and peered into the opposite bedroom, where Chang Yuncheng sat cross-legged, playing the zither.

The music was clear and flowing, light and powerful.

Indeed a young master from an aristocratic family – he could both wield weapons and play music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Qi Yue listened with her head tilted for a moment, then turned back to continue planning her hospital.

The zither music was soft and low, the human shadow on the window peaceful. The maids standing outside felt for the first time that the atmosphere in the courtyard was really nice.

When night deepened, Qi Yue put down her brush and stood up, standing at the partition door to look toward Chang Yuncheng’s side.

Chang Yuncheng stopped playing and pressed the strings, the lingering notes gradually fading.

Qi Yue applauded.

“Really good, beautifully played,” she smiled.

Chang Yuncheng acted somewhat indifferent and ignored her, but lowered his head with a slight smile of satisfaction flickering across his lips.

“It’s getting late, I need to sleep. That, since we’re roommates living in peace and mutual consideration, you’d better not play anymore,” Qi Yue said, reaching out to hang up the curtain.

Chang Yuncheng looked up in astonishment, but that wretched woman’s figure was already blocked by the curtain.

He angrily strummed the strings randomly, discordant notes echoing in the room.

Really ungrateful!

Chang Yuncheng didn’t deliberately play the zither again. Qi Yue was somewhat surprised to have a good night’s sleep and naturally woke up early feeling refreshed.

After washing up, she came to the dining table where Chang Yuncheng had almost finished eating.

“Hurry up, dawdling around, wasting time,” Chang Yuncheng said with a dark expression as Qi Yue entered.

Qi Yue sat down.

“I have plenty of time now, not afraid of wasting it,” she smiled, taking the bowl of rice Que Zhi had filled for her.

Chang Yuncheng watched her eat grain by grain.

“Have you packed your things?” he asked.

“Packed?” Qi Yue stopped her chopsticks and looked up at him, somewhat incredulous, then her eyes burst with joy.

This joy immediately improved Chang Yuncheng’s gloomy mood.

This marriage was unacceptable to the Xie family, so Qi Yueniang had never been to the Xie household. Taking her this time would show that he treated her as… a wife…

Wife…

This word crossed his mind, and Chang Yuncheng couldn’t help but pause slightly. My wife, Chang Yuncheng…

She must be very happy…

“Are you saying you want me to move out?” Qi Yue asked, putting down her chopsticks.

“You wretched woman! Is your brain confused?” Chang Yuncheng finally couldn’t suppress his temper and slammed the table.

The bowls, chopsticks, and plates shook noisily, and the attending maids also trembled in fright.

“You’re the one with brain problems!” Qi Yue also slammed the table.

The bowls, chopsticks, and plates that had just settled jumped again.

“Can’t you speak clearly if you have something to say! I’m not a worm in your belly! How would I know what you’re thinking? Why are you losing your temper!” she shouted.

Chang Yuncheng glared at her. What a foul temper this wretched woman had!

“Didn’t I tell you? We’re going to Shanning Prefecture today,” he shouted.

“You go ahead, saying it once is enough. Do you need my approval to go out…” Qi Yue also glared at him and shouted, then paused mid-sentence. “You don’t expect me to go too, do you?”

“Obviously,” Chang Yuncheng looked at her, his teeth itching with hatred. “You know very well – would I need to tell you when I go out?”

Qi Yue smiled and quickly waved her hands at him.

“Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. I understood wrong,” she immediately changed to a smiling face and gestured to Chang Yuncheng. “But you speak too concisely.”

The atmosphere at the dining table finally eased, and the surrounding maids sighed in relief.

“However, I won’t go,” Qi Yue said again.

Chang Yuncheng’s face, which had just softened, became ugly again.

“What would I do there? I don’t know anyone…” Qi Yue ignored his expression, paused with her chopsticks and continued eating while saying, “Besides, your maternal relatives definitely don’t like me either. Better not go and cause trouble for people. You all go and gather happily and comfortably.”

“Why is talking to you so difficult?” Chang Yuncheng stood up and said.

Qi Yue looked up at him.

“I said, I want you to come with me. I’m not asking if you want to go or not,” Chang Yuncheng said word by word.

Qi Yue’s expression also changed.

“Hey, Chang Yuncheng, are you about to have another episode?” she said hurriedly, pushing her chopsticks away to get up.

But she was still a step too slow and was grabbed by the wrist by Chang Yuncheng.

“Chang Yuncheng, you’re going to drive me to death!”

Qi Yue’s shouts came from the room, frightening the maids in the courtyard who didn’t know what to do.

A’Ru and A’Hao rushed over in panic, only to see Chang Yuncheng dragging Qi Yue out with big strides.

“Pack what your Young Madam needs for the trip,” he said, ignoring Qi Yue’s struggles in his hand as he strode toward the exit.

What could A’Ru and A’Hao say? After being stunned for a moment, they hurriedly went to pack in a panic.

Madam Xie was already waiting at the second gate, personally checking the carriage and the things to bring. She was about to ask if the Prince had eaten when she saw Chang Yuncheng striding over. A smile appeared on her face, but then she was stunned, her gaze falling on Qi Yue beside Chang Yuncheng.

What was this woman doing here? Why was he holding her hand? Why was he holding that woman’s dirty hand!

Before she could think further, she heard the sound of carriages. From the pathway over there came a carriage, followed by some servants and maids, and behind them were over ten horses and two blue cloth carriages for the servants and maids to ride in.

“Madam,” Rao Yufang got down from the carriage with a servant’s help and respectfully bowed to Madam Xie. “Thank you for having the Prince escort us.”