Right, she had also taken on a major responsibility. This wasn’t a dream either—the things she had done wouldn’t just disappear after a night’s sleep as if nothing had happened.

Qi Yue looked at the courtyard full of servants and maids and shook her head with a smile.

“Meeting or no meeting, we haven’t seen each other for a while. Let’s just chat casually, don’t be formal,” she said with a laugh.

The courtyard became lively.

“Young madam, you rest well. You must be exhausted—you’ve lost a whole circle of weight…” the eloquent women pushed forward to speak.

“Young madam, you don’t need to worry about the duties. If there’s even the slightest mistake, this old slave will slap herself and roll out of here,” the less articulate women said seriously from the side.

“Young madam, we missed you to death,” Que Zhi said, pulling at Qi Yue’s sleeve, crying and laughing at the same time.

In the chaos, A’Ru was pushed aside.

She said nothing, watching Qi Yue surrounded by everyone, and also smiled.

Whether anyone was willing or not, after this incident, the young madam’s position in the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion was rock solid. Unless she wanted to leave, no one could drive her away.

This thought flashed through her mind, and A’Ru unconsciously paused, feeling something strange in her heart, but she couldn’t figure out what was strange. Just then, Qi Yue let out a hearty laugh at something someone said, and A’Ru dismissed the thought and looked back over there.

While Qi Yue’s side was lively, Liu Pucheng’s Qianjin Hall was even more lively.

“Stop making noise. My master isn’t here. Please, seniors, come back another day.”

Liu Pucheng’s second disciple was sweating profusely as he spoke to the roomful of people.

Patients peeked in from outside the door and were startled to see this—how had all the doctors from Yongqing Prefecture gathered here?

“Is this a doctors’ meeting?” everyone asked.

The place was packed with people, making it impossible to see patients normally in the hall.

“When will Doctor Liu come?”

Some impatient people asked directly. Others who were more reserved just watched without speaking, but showed no intention of leaving.

“My master is too exhausted, so he needs to rest at home. When he comes, this disciple will certainly pass along the message,” the second disciple said, wiping his sweat.

“What about the others? Didn’t they say two people from your hall went? Where are they? It would be good to see them too,” someone shouted.

The second disciple smiled apologetically.

“They’re also tired. Master told them to rest for a few days too…” he said. Before he could finish, another person walked in from outside the hall.

At this point, the second disciple’s eyes were full of people—one more or one less made no difference. He glanced over and then looked away. Then he paused and looked back again. This person…

“Look at this mess,” Hu San said, leaning on the counter with a dissatisfied expression, speaking to the clerk preparing medicine. “A place for treating patients—how did it become like a temple fair…”

The medicine clerk stared wide-eyed at Hu San before him.

Hu San was wearing a new robe, a new hat, and carrying a new medicine box on his back.

The second disciple also stared with his mouth agape. Others noticed the commotion and followed his gaze.

“Which family does this pretentious poor scholar belong to?”

They all asked.

“Hu…” the medicine clerk was about to call out “Hu San” as usual, but the words changed unconsciously at his lips, “…Senior Brother… why are you here?”

“What? I’m not allowed to come?” Hu San glared.

The medicine clerk immediately put on a respectful smile and used a towel from nearby to flatteringly pat Hu San’s arm.

“Senior Brother, I meant you’ve worked hard. Why didn’t you rest a few more days?” he said with a smile.

Hu San shook his head with a modest expression.

“What hardship did I endure? It was all Master and Senior Brother working hard. I just assisted my master a little…” he said. “They worked hard and are resting. I should come to the shop to work early. I couldn’t help with the abdominal surgery to save lives, but I can’t be useless in the shop too…”

When the words “abdominal surgery to save lives” reached the ears of everyone present, the scene first fell silent, then erupted in an uproar as Hu San was surrounded.

“So you went too…?”

“…You saw it with your own eyes?”

“Was it really abdominal surgery?”

“Is it true that your master is really that young madam from the marquis’s mansion?”

“Is the prefect’s son dead or alive?”

Countless questions and shouts bombarded Hu San. The noise was chaotic, voices boiling over, and saliva flying. The medicine clerk and the second disciple standing nearby couldn’t help but cover their ears and try to escape.

But when Hu San was engulfed by these probing, focused, excited gazes and these chaotic, continuous waves of questions, he felt all his hair standing on end, as if he had jumped into hot, steaming water in the dead of winter—so comfortable he almost wanted to cry.

Father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, did you see? I, Hu San, finally have my day! Our Hu family finally has its day!

“Don’t make noise, don’t make noise. If you have something to say, come to the back to talk. Don’t disturb people seeing patients and asking about diagnoses,” he waved his hand and shouted loudly.

His words immediately quieted the noisy crowd.

This feeling was absolutely fantastic! Hu San’s heart was bubbling with joy.

“…Please come to the back,” he straightened his brand-new clothes, once again feeling wise about his decision to spend money on new clothes. Otherwise, how shabby it would have been to wear old clothes during this first moment when he, Hu San, was remembered by the crowd.

Hu San walked over first.

“You better tone down the bragging,” the second disciple said to him in a low voice, unable to bear watching.

“I know, I know,” Hu San chuckled.

Watching Hu San walk into the back courtyard, the remaining people all followed in a rush.

Accompanied by Hu San’s narration, the originally chattering voices of inquiry gradually died down, until finally only Hu San’s voice remained.

“…Speaking of that time, it was truly dangerous…” Hu San basked in these countless burning gazes, feeling so hot he was sweating all over. He rolled up his sleeves, took off his hat, and made exaggerated gestures while speaking to the crowd.

“…The knife cut like this…”

The onlookers couldn’t help but hold their breath. Although they were all doctors or apprentices who had seen plenty of blood and flesh, hearing Hu San’s account still made everyone’s spine tingle involuntarily.

Cut open the belly! That was a person’s belly!

“After cutting it open, we found the broken place and sewed it up with needle and thread like this. Then it was done,” Hu San said.

Having been kept in suspense so long, being dismissed with just this one sentence left everyone looking frustrated.

“How did you find it? How did you sew it? The belly was obviously cut open—how could the person not die?” everyone asked in a babel of voices.

Hu San chuckled.

“Well, that’s a trade secret,” he said, putting on a profound air.

Everyone simultaneously made sounds of disdain.

“What trade secret? You just don’t know anything…”

“…You’re making this up. Anyone can say these things—I could say them too…”

“…You obviously didn’t see anything…”

“…What trade, what trade? What kind of trade are you part of…”

“…Who are you trying to claim as your master, you stinking laborer…”

No matter what they said, Hu San just maintained his profound, calm demeanor, looking at everyone with a smile but saying nothing, not revealing another word about the surgery details despite all their threats and bribes.

After talking nonsense for a while without getting anything interesting, everyone gradually left.

“However,” one of the more serious ones glanced at Hu San and said to the others, “we can be certain that there really was abdominal surgery.”

They had all seen the prefect’s son’s illness. It was indeed incurable—only legendary divine physicians like Bian Que or Hua Tuo could have treated it.

“There really are such highly skilled masters in the world,” everyone sighed, all looking toward the direction of the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion. “What background does that young madam really have…”

A beggar’s background, who leaped to become a noble lady of a marquis’s mansion, capable of performing the abdominal surgery techniques of divine physicians like Bian Que…

“If beggars could really be like this, I’d rather be a beggar for eight lifetimes!” someone murmured.

Compared to Hu San feeling refreshed after dealing with so many people, Qi Yue felt somewhat tired and stretched lazily after the managing women finally took their leave.

“Talking too much is also quite tiring,” she said with a smile.

“Young madam, you spoke much less today than before. How can you say you talked too much?” Que Zhi whispered to A’Ru.

Because her state of mind is different, A’Ru thought silently, glancing at Qi Yue.

Before, this woman had shown curious and inquisitive expressions toward the people and things here. But now, these were no longer on her face. Instead, she showed detachment.

Really trying to treat a dream as reality to live through—it must be difficult to get used to.

“Since you’re all here, tidy up this place again. Get the young madam’s bedding and grooming items from the storeroom,” A’Ru said, not discussing this topic with her.

Que Zhi paused.

“Living here?” she asked.

A’Ru looked at her.

“Qiu Tong’s courtyard burned down, and other courtyards need to be cleaned up,” she said.

“Well, Sister A’Ru, I heard…” Que Zhi said hurriedly in a low voice, “the Lord has already prepared a room for the young madam…”

A’Ru paused and couldn’t help but glance at Qi Yue.

Qi Yue was gazing at the sky, lost in thought, her expression leisurely and carefree.

“A’Ru,” she suddenly looked over and called.

A’Ru quickly responded.

“Come with me to pay a visit,” Qi Yue said.

A’Ru was somewhat surprised but didn’t ask anything and nodded.

“It’s cold outside. I’ll get a cloak,” she said, walking past Que Zhi. “Do as I said.”

Que Zhi said “oh” and watched the two leave.

“Young madam, where are you going?” A’Ru asked.

“To…” Qi Yue thought for a moment before saying, “to visit the Second Madam.”

Second Madam? The West Mansion?

A’Ru was very surprised.

The West Mansion was even more surprised. This was the first time the young madam had set foot in the West Mansion. Even when the old madam was alive, the Second Madam had invited her for holidays and festivals, but she had never gone due to various reasons.

The servants at the gate hurriedly personally escorted her over, and everyone secretly observed this long-famous but rarely seen young madam.

Looking at this woman with her high chignon, wearing a moon-white jacket with pink trim and cross-collar, draped in a bright red phoenix-feather cloak, tall and slender, quiet and serene, with elegant bearing.

Not to mention her overall bearing—no wonder the old madam had loved her so much. Now that it was spread throughout the mansion that the young madam was a divine physician’s disciple, anyone who said she was of beggar origin would absolutely be laughed at.

A beggar? Have you ever seen such a beggar? Never mind such beauty—just with those medical skills, would she need to beg? Countless people would probably compete to give her money…

This young madam must have a great background…

When Qi Yue entered Second Madam Chen Shi’s courtyard, Chen Shi was already standing in the corridor, supported by two maids, her frail face showing a mixture of shock and joy. Only when she saw Qi Yue step through the door did she seem to believe the news was real.

“Yueniang…” she walked forward a few steps and called out, “Why did you come over?”

Whether from excitement or physical weakness, her body went soft and she nearly fell, fortunately held firmly by the maids on both sides.

Qi Yue quickly walked over and reached out to support her.

Indeed, only this woman showed genuine, heartfelt concern for Qi Yueniang.