On the fifteenth day, Qi Yue issued the discharge notice.

“These are the things to pay attention to—what to eat, what to avoid, what symptoms to watch for and how to handle them, and so on.” She handed the prefect’s wife two densely written sheets of paper.

In the end, she still hadn’t told the prefect’s wife about the spleen removal. Qi Yue’s heart felt as if a boulder was pressing down on it.

“The young master underwent major surgery, and his spleen was severely damaged and has basically lost its function,” she said, carefully choosing words that the ancients could accept to inform the prefect and his wife. “So his body will not be as robust as before, especially in the coming years. He must pay attention to his health.”

“Will it be very serious?” the prefect’s wife asked somewhat fearfully.

“There’s no need to be overly anxious. He still needs to exercise regularly, which will help his body recover quickly. It’s just that since he did undergo major surgery, he absolutely cannot engage in strenuous activity initially…” Qi Yue explained.

The prefect and his wife nodded with half-understanding.

“It’s still better than those who injure their arms or break their legs and become disabled. He’s perfectly intact. People need to recuperate even after minor illnesses, let alone after making a trip to death’s door,” the prefect’s wife nodded and said to Qi Yue with a grateful expression.

Seeing that she understood to some extent, Qi Yue felt relieved.

“Remember, if any of the symptoms I mentioned above occur, come find me or Doctor Liu immediately,” she emphasized again.

Seeing Qi Yue’s solemn expression, the prefect’s wife treated the papers like a precious family heirloom. She didn’t even entrust them to the servants beside her, but carefully tucked them away close to her body.

“This is the prescription. Have the pharmacy prepare ten doses according to this formula first,” Liu Pucheng also brought over the prescription he had written.

The prefect’s wife quickly took this and put it away as well.

“Thank you both for your hard work,” she said with gratitude.

Meanwhile, the prefect was also bowing deeply to thank Marquis Dingxi.

“I’ve troubled the Marquis. I truly feel in my heart…” he said, his voice trembling slightly. It was clearly genuine emotion that words couldn’t express.

Marquis Dingxi laughed heartily, then pretended to be annoyed.

“Don’t be so formal! Don’t say such things again,” he declared righteously.

The prefect bowed deeply to him again.

“Great kindness needs no words of thanks,” he said solemnly as he raised his head.

Marquis Dingxi was blooming with joy inside. He knew that whether in the eyes of princes and nobles of equal standing, or in the eyes of important court officials and the refined elite, he was just a waste living off his ancestors’ glory. If not for his son Chang Yuncheng carrying on the ancestral ambitions by rejoining the military, the foundation laid by the old Marquis Dingxi would have rotted in his own hands. No one had ever shown him such heartfelt respect before.

Of course, compared to ancestral glory, this time it was thanks to his daughter-in-law’s divine skills…

But what did it matter? In any case, this heartfelt respect from the prefect was real and substantial.

The main gate of the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion rarely opened, and even the side gates were seldom opened. No idle people were allowed to linger in front of the gate, and several yards around had to be kept quiet.

But from some point on, many idle people had gathered several yards away. They didn’t approach, but stood or sat there day and night without rest, watching the main gate of the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion.

“Where are you from?” A young man squatting in the corner was bored and suddenly called out to another young man across from him.

The other young man glanced at him.

Having waited here for so many days, everyone had become familiar with each other’s faces.

“Huiren Hall,” the young man said, jerking his chin toward him. “You’re from Baohe Hall?”

The first young man nodded, moved a few steps closer, chewing on a piece of dead grass.

“Tell me, what’s the point of the shopkeeper having us watch this Marquis Dingxi’s mansion day after day?” he said, glancing toward the mansion. “Do you believe what they say? That there’s really a divine physician who can perform abdominal surgery?”

The Huiren Hall clerk shrugged his shoulders and snorted.

“The abdominal surgery part is probably believable,” he said, trying to sound profound.

The Baohe Hall clerk stared at him with wide eyes and admiration, wondering if this young clerk was some kind of expert…

“It’s just that whether the person lives or dies after being cut open is another matter,” the Huiren Hall clerk said with a wink and a laugh.

Only then did the Baohe Hall clerk realize he’d been played, and he burst out laughing.

“Really don’t know why the shopkeepers believed it and had us come here to watch…” he said, chewing on the dead grass.

“Who cares? At least we get one wen per day. Better than nothing,” the Huiren Hall clerk said with a shrug, sitting down in the corner.

Next to them was a food stall, and a young clerk jumped out from the doorway, waving a towel at them.

“Go, go, stinking beggars, don’t dirty my master’s ground,” he shouted.

After being exposed to wind and sun for several days, they indeed looked somewhat disheveled. The two clerks spat at him irritably.

“Scram, you’re the stinking beggar,” they cursed in unison.

The food stall clerk, seeing that these beggars were so arrogant, got fired up too. Both sides exchanged words back and forth, and just as things were getting heated, the Huiren Hall clerk suddenly exclaimed “Aiya!”

“What are those guys running for?” he said, looking at several other young men similar to himself on the other side.

Those young men were scattering in all directions through the streets like they were flying.

“Quitting?” he muttered to himself, instinctively looking toward the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion.

“They’re coming out!” The Baohe Hall clerk also looked over, spat out the dead grass, and without saying another word, took off running.

The somewhat slower-reacting Huiren Hall clerk was still looking at the two carriages emerging from the side gate of the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion.

A line of servants and maids carefully protected them, looking as if they wished they could carry the carriages. The driver wasn’t really driving either, but walking and leading the horses, taking three steps for every one.

The carriages moved slowly to the middle of the road and accidentally hit a small stone.

“You’re courting death! Are you blind? If you jostle the young master, do you want to keep your worthless life?” the steward immediately scolded angrily.

The driver apologized fearfully.

“My heavens…” the Huiren Hall clerk stared at this scene in amazement, slapped his thigh, and shouted, then turned and ran.

Watching both of them run off one after the other, the food stall clerk felt quite accomplished.

“Good thing you ran fast. A bit slower and this young master would have knocked your teeth out…” he shouted triumphantly, waving his towel.

Meanwhile, Qi Yue and Liu Pucheng watched the prefect’s family leave until they were out of sight.

Qi Yue let out a heavy sigh, feeling that the weight on her heart from these past days had finally lightened somewhat.

“Doctor Liu has worked hard these past days,” she said, bowing gratefully to Liu Pucheng.

“I wasn’t the one who worked hard—you were the one who worked hard, young madam,” Liu Pucheng smiled and returned the bow.

“If it weren’t for you, Doctor Liu, my surgery would have certainly failed,” Qi Yue said emotionally. Moreover, Doctor Liu had helped her with much more than just this…

There was also the mental support, the faith, and the care.

“If it weren’t for you, young madam, there wouldn’t have been this treatment at all. This old man has gained much,” Liu Pucheng also sighed.

This time he had truly broadened his horizons. How many physicians in the world today could personally witness and participate in abdominal surgery? Just thinking about it made his whole body feel feverish.

Qi Yue smiled.

“Then I won’t say the polite words. In any case, this time, it was a pleasant cooperation,” she laughed, once again showing a smile with a hint of playfulness.

Liu Pucheng smiled and nodded.

Zhang Tong and Hu San were packing up the medicinal materials and instruments. These past days they had lived here without leaving for a single step, hadn’t returned home once, let alone gone to Qianjin Hall to make house calls or hold consultations.

“But after all, it has delayed Qianjin Hall’s business…” Qi Yue sighed, speaking with some guilt.

Liu Pucheng shook his head.

“How can healing and saving people be called business?” he said, glancing at Qi Yue with some disapproval.

“Yes, yes, I was being vulgar,” Qi Yue quickly admitted her mistake.

“A’Ru, tell Master not to worry—this time the business really paid off big,” Hu San, who had overheard, whispered to A’Ru who was helping them pack. “The prefect has already had someone deliver a hefty consultation fee, and besides, many people know that our Master was treating the prefect’s son who had been declared incurable. His reputation has soared. Every day the pharmacy is packed with people. Even though Master isn’t there, they’re willing to let the other senior brothers treat them. It’s really booming… I’ll definitely get more money this month…”

A’Ru glanced at him, picked up her things, and walked away, leaving only Hu San standing there with an animated expression.

“…Miss A’Ru, whatever you want that’s inconvenient for you to go out and buy, I can buy it and bring it to you…” he mumbled, finishing his unfinished sentence, and awkwardly closed his gaping mouth.

Zhang Tong reached out and patted his head.

“Hurry up and pack your things. We’re leaving,” he said with a glare.

Qi Yue accompanied Liu Pucheng and the others all the way to the mansion gate before stopping.

“Master,” she couldn’t help calling out, “can I learn traditional Chinese medicine from you?”

This call of “Master” made Liu Pucheng somewhat alarmed.

“Miss Qi, whatever you want to learn, I’ll teach you. But this title of Master—I absolutely dare not accept it,” he quickly said with a serious expression.

You naturally deserve it. What you’ve taught me these past days is more than I’ve learned in all my years as a doctor.

Qi Yue looked at Liu Pucheng with a smile and bowed again.

Liu Pucheng’s group’s carriage disappeared into the street, and the area in front of the gate returned to quiet.

Qi Yue stood motionless at the gate. The gatekeepers didn’t dare hurry her and respectfully stood with their hands at their sides.

Winter days grew dark early, and it seemed that in a blink of an eye, the sky became dim and hazy.

“Young madam, let’s go back,” A’Ru knew that Qi Yue was spacing out again and reminded her softly.

Though she said she had accepted the reality of not being able to return, compared to before, this woman would still stare blankly at unexpected moments, and there would be a flash of confusion in her eyes.

“Oh, alright,” Qi Yue came back to her senses and smiled at her.

The master and servant walked back to the courtyard where they had been treating patients. Aside from the strong smell of Chinese medicine, the place was now empty.

“Young madam, where would you like your meal served?” Two women approached respectfully and asked.

It was time for dinner.

Where should it be served? Nowhere was her home…

“Here will be fine,” Qi Yue said.

The women didn’t dare ask any questions and respectfully acknowledged before hurrying away.

Soon, a sumptuous meal was laid out.

“Why is there more than the usual portions?” Qi Yue glanced over and asked.

During the busy days before, she had eaten hurriedly, barely taking a glance, not even knowing what she was eating.

“The Marquis said that the young madam has worked hard these past days, so he had the kitchen prepare special meals for you. There’s ginseng soup simmering in the kitchen that will be brought over soon,” said the serving woman, who was the kitchen manager. Although she too had been promoted by Qi Yue, she had never shown such respectful and flattering expression as she did today.

Qi Yue smiled.

“I don’t need to eat that,” she said, looking at A’Ru. “You can go thank the Marquis for me later.”

A’Ru nodded.

“Should we pack up the young madam’s things?” another servant respectfully interjected.

Qi Yue’s chopsticks paused.

“Pack up? Go where?” she asked.

This question left the servants somewhat stunned.

Now that the patient had left, naturally the young madam didn’t need to continue staying in this makeshift arrangement.

After asking, Qi Yue came to her senses and smiled, shaking her head.

The place she wanted to go no longer existed…

“No need. Moving back and forth is troublesome. I’ll just stay here,” she said, lowering her head to slowly eat the rice in her bowl, saying nothing more.

When the meal was first served, Chang Yuncheng didn’t think much of it, but when the lanterns were lit one by one, he frowned.