In Huangtian County, firecracker sounds rang from east to west, drawing crowds of onlookers.

A group of yamen runners cleared the way, holding congratulatory signs.

“What’s happening?”

The neighbors all asked.

“The son of Widow Wang from the east side of town passed the scholar examination…”

This news spread quickly, and immediately the streets filled with congratulations.

“Widow Wang’s family has finally made it through the hard times…”

As firecrackers crackled and children ran back and forth following the congratulatory procession, when they reached the front of one household, suddenly the street gate opened and a group of servants rushed out, wielding brooms without a word and began sweeping vigorously, instantly filling the area with flying dust.

Fortunately, the yamen runners were quick on their feet and dodged in time, but even so they were choked into continuous coughing, and the watching crowd also hurried to avoid the dust.

This wasn’t the end of it. Before the dust had settled, people came out and poured bucket after bucket of water.

This was clearly intentional!

Some yamen runners were about to angrily scold them, but when they saw the gate and residence before them, they quickly swallowed their words.

This was the home of former Assistant Magistrate Liu.

“Go around, go around,” the lead runner quickly whispered.

Normally, taking a detour during congratulatory processions was considered unlucky, but at this moment no one could worry about that. Without a single objection, they hurriedly turned around and retreated.

This wasn’t because everyone feared the Liu family’s assistant magistrate position, but because they feared Old Master Liu’s mouth.

Old Master Liu’s foul mouth was famous throughout the entire prefecture.

“How did Widow Wang’s family offend the Liu family?” everyone couldn’t help asking quietly, but no one knew what had happened.

Lucky or unlucky was Widow Wang’s family’s business, but provoking Old Master Liu was their business.

The group rushed away, not daring to set off firecrackers until they turned the corner.

The area in front of the gate returned to quiet, the dust settled.

Inside the main gate, an elderly woman leaning on a walking stick finally snorted and turned around.

“Close the gate!” she said.

The Liu family’s main gate closed, and if not for the water flowing in front of the gate, it would have seemed as if nothing had happened.

Old Madam Liu entered the inner courtyard, her fierce expression immediately disappeared, and she sighed instead.

Footsteps came from ahead, and Old Madam Liu immediately perked up, looking over with a smile.

A girl of twelve or thirteen walked out, wearing a tender yellow dress with her hair in a maiden’s bun. Though still young, her figure was already graceful, but it was a pity that if not for the white cloth covering her face…

“Grandmother,” Liu Yan ran over and took Old Madam Liu’s hand, overflowing with affection.

“Going out?” Old Madam Liu stroked her granddaughter’s shoulder and asked with a smile.

“Yes,” Liu Yan smiled.

“If you’re not busy, copy some Buddhist scriptures for me,” Old Madam Liu said.

Liu Yan laughed, her large eyes crinkled.

“Grandmother, I’m fine,” she said. “I didn’t like that family anyway. I was afraid you’d worry, so I never said anything. Now that they’ve backed out, it’s for the best.”

Old Madam Liu sighed twice.

“Nothing was said, nothing was said. There’s no backing out or not backing out. Don’t listen to people’s nonsense. Grandmother never arranged a marriage for you with Widow Wang’s son!” she said sternly.

Liu Yan nodded.

“Then I’m going out. A few critical patients came to Qianjin Hall the day before yesterday, Dr. Liu went out on a call, and Sister A’Ru is now pregnant. I’m going to help,” she said.

Old Madam Liu nodded.

“Good, good, go ahead then,” she said, while instructing the women servants to take good care of her, watching as the group escorted Liu Yan out.

Turning around, Old Madam Liu saw Old Master Liu standing in the room.

“Sounds nice, saying she could be cured, but look at her now, still not better…” Old Master Liu snorted.

Before he could finish speaking, Old Madam Liu threw her walking stick at him.

“Don’t use that foul mouth of yours on your own family! Go get justice for my Yan’er! Make that ungrateful Widow Wang’s family lose face completely after climbing high branches when they got ahead!” she shouted.

Though Yan’er in her carriage couldn’t see or hear Old Madam Liu’s anger and sadness, she could guess.

In the luxuriously appointed carriage, she sat alone, but everything she needed was within reach.

Yan’er reached out and opened a small drawer, taking out a small mirror. She untied her face veil and looked at herself in the mirror.

Tears fell drop by drop onto the mirror surface, turning the strangely shaped lips and nose in the reflection into a blur of mist.

“Liar… liar… said she could cure me, but left without curing me…” she murmured quietly, not crying aloud, just silently shedding tears.

The carriage swayed toward the prefecture city, stopping outside Qianjin Hall in the afternoon.

Seeing the familiar carriage, disciples from Qianjin Hall greeted her warmly.

“Miss Liu has come.”

Liu Yan’er got out of the carriage with the help of a servant woman. The two eyes visible above her face covering showed no trace of having cried. She smiled and greeted everyone, entered Qianjin Hall, skillfully went straight to the changing room, and soon emerged wearing a nurse’s uniform.

“Miss, you came just in time. There’s a woman in the ward who needs an injection,” a disciple called out happily when he saw her.

Liu Yan’er nodded, took the tray from him, went to verify the bed and medication, and headed to the inpatient ward on the left.

“Miss, thank you so much. Though they say patients can’t be choosy about doctors, I’m still really scared of having these men give me injections… but there’s no other way, you cure illnesses best here…” In the women’s ward, a woman in her thirties chattered on.

Liu Yan’er listened with a smile.

“…This place is really good, the food is good, the lodging is good, it’s like staying at an inn…”

“It would be great if you could hire some women.”

The woman said.

Liu Yan’er nodded.

“We’re already preparing to hire, but there really aren’t many women who study medicine,” she said.

“Oh my, studying medicine here would be wonderful, that’s what everyone dreams of. I heard you have a female physician here who was sought after by a prince’s mansion to be taken in as a concubine. That’s such tremendous fortune… Those wealthy families don’t lack food, but there are plenty of poor people. Miss, my daughter is ten years old, could she come?”

The woman became increasingly excited, almost wanting to grab Liu Yan.

“You’d need to ask Chief Steward Hu about that,” Liu Yan’er smiled. “I don’t know about such things.”

“Chief Steward Hu? Oh my, Chief Steward Hu is hard to see. Even the county magistrate has to wait in line to see him,” the woman muttered.

A clear female voice came from the courtyard.

“Liu Yan, Liu Yan.”

Hearing this voice, Liu Yan frowned.

She walked out and indeed saw a girl about her own age standing under the corridor opposite, wearing a plain brocade skirt and jacket. She had willow eyebrows and phoenix eyes, cherry lips, dignified bearing, and the air of a wealthy family.

“Liu Yan,” she smiled slightly and called out.

This voice was sharp and loud, carrying a touch of boldness. If one hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, no one would have guessed it came from this delicate girl’s mouth.

Liu Yan ignored her and turned to go to the medicine storage.

Wang Qiao’er slowly followed.

“Why are you here?” she said with a smile. “What a coincidence. I just arrived at Qianjin Hall and ran into you.”

Liu Yan’er pretended not to hear.

“Hey, I heard your engagement was broken off? Is that true?” Wang Qiao’er laughed. “But don’t be sad. You’re so ugly, you should have some self-awareness…”

Liu Yan’er raised her hand and threw the tray at Wang Qiao’er.

Wang Qiao’er had been on guard and jumped aside.

“What are you doing hitting people again!”

“You asked for it!”

“What’s going on, what’s going on?”

“What are you doing? Watch your young lady!”

“You watch your young lady!”

Women’s quarreling voices came from the back courtyard of Qianjin Hall, but the disciples in the front hall remained calm. Everyone continued with their work, and even the patients coming for treatment and medicine showed no reaction.

After seven years of frequent occurrences, even the most surprising things become commonplace.

Not only in Qianjin Hall, but throughout Yongqing Prefecture, everyone had gotten used to it. Whether at jewelry shops, theaters, or even spring and autumn outings, wherever these two appeared, there was bound to be a commotion. The usual pattern was first the two young ladies fighting, then the servant women and maids from both sides joining the fray. No one needed to mediate or pull them apart. When they got tired of fighting, they’d dust off their hands and disperse.

A few days later, laughter suddenly rang out from Old Madam Liu’s room, which had been gloomy for several days, startling the servant women and maids outside.

“It’s truly retribution! Who would want such an ungrateful family! Even when they’re looking for a son-in-law, no one wants them!” Old Madam Liu laughed heartily, feeling that half a month’s worth of pent-up anger had completely dissipated.

“What retribution? It’s clearly man-made disaster,” Old Master Liu snorted. “Everyone knows that the Guo family, who was prepared to take in a son-in-law, had dinner with the Wang family’s master and canceled the engagement when they returned. Not earlier, not later… A dignified Wang family official actually went to ruin someone’s marriage prospects. How undignified…”

Before he could finish, Old Madam Liu threw the teacup in front of her at him.

“Dignified my ass! Others are already standing up for Yan’er, and you, her grandfather, are you even blood-related?” she shouted.

The old lady was so angry she was confused…

The maid beside Liu Yan couldn’t help but laugh, then quickly covered her mouth.

But Liu Yan didn’t laugh; instead, she was stunned.

The Wang family…

This time when Wang Qiao’er entered Qianjin Hall and was about to speak, she saw Liu Yan’er standing to the side waiting.

“You came again?” she said, prettily lifting her chin.

“I don’t need you to stand up for me,” Liu Yan said, her expression somewhat gloomy.

“Who’s standing up for you? I’m just watching the show, okay,” Wang Qiao’er said, sitting down to the side.

Liu Yan lowered her head and said nothing.

“There’s nothing wrong with them breaking off the engagement. After all, a fair lady is what gentlemen desire. I’m so ugly, relying on my family’s wealth to arrange a marriage – that wasn’t proper to begin with. People climb upward. After passing the examination, wanting something better is not wrong either.” She said, looking at her hands with a smile. “In the end, it’s actually our two families who are bullying people.”

“Who told his family to bully you first? My father said you’re a treasure,” Wang Qiao’er snorted.

“What kind of treasure am I,” Liu Yan’er said, sighing.

However, someone used to call her baby often, the first person who not only called her baby but truly treated her like a treasure…

“If she were here, Widow Wang’s family would have been smashed to pieces by her long ago…” Wang Qiao’er suddenly said, sitting in the small rest room filled with medicinal scents, looking through the small door at Qianjin Hall’s main hall. In the hall, disciples moved about busily but orderly, but that woman’s figure was never seen again.

Liu Yan lowered her head, tears falling on the back of her hand, which she quickly wiped away.

The room fell silent, then suddenly there was some commotion outside.

“What’s happening?” Wang Qiao’er looked up and saw the disciples all running toward the entrance, as if welcoming someone.

“Is that Hu San coming back? Making such a big fuss…” she snorted.

Before she finished speaking, Liu Yan had already stood up and run outside.

“Dr. Liu!” she called out loudly, full of joy.

Liu Pucheng, dusty from travel, looked over with a smile at the entrance.

“Dr. Liu, why were you gone so long this time? Did you find something good again?” Liu Yan’er said happily.

Liu Pucheng handed over his medicine box, backpack, cloth bags and other items to the disciples one by one, while looking at Liu Yan’er with a smile.

“Miss, I found something good this time,” he said. “I can perform a second reconstructive surgery on you now.”

Liu Yan was stunned.

What?

“Miss, Lady Qi said before that your condition would require several reconstructive surgeries to fix properly,” Liu Pucheng said again, looking at her with a smile. “I can perform the second reconstruction on you now. I just don’t know what the results will be. Miss, would you dare let me try?”

Liu Yan’er looked at Liu Pucheng, unable to help the twitching of her nose, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Dr. Liu, you, you’ve been working for me all this time…” she said in a trembling voice, finally choking up and unable to speak.

“You’re a treasure,” Liu Pucheng smiled, taking out a strange-looking surgical instrument with a face full of joy. “Curing you means many more people like you can save their lives. Being reborn as a human is not an easy thing.”

He looked at Liu Yan as he spoke.

“But Miss, are you afraid of pain?” he asked.

Liu Yan’s eyes were blurred with tears.

“Is Yan’er afraid of pain?” That woman had bent down and smiled at her, “Because Auntie needs to cut open your mouth with a knife and then sew it back up.”

“Good child, Auntie will definitely cure you. Our Yan’er will definitely become beautiful and pretty, making everyone jealous when they see her.”

Liu Yan wiped her tears and nodded vigorously at Liu Pucheng.

“Yan’er is not afraid,” she said, looking at Liu Pucheng. “Thank you, Dr. Liu.”

She lowered her head and bowed.

Thank you.

Thank you, Auntie…

Yan’er is not afraid. Yan’er will definitely become beautiful and pretty.

Don’t worry.