This time, nothing went wrong on the way to the medical clinic, and the path could be described as unobstructed.
After all, anyone who saw a girl suspected of having insanity talking to herself while pushing a cart would likely feel their skin crawl—even a dog would instinctively step aside.
The sun had gradually climbed to the center of the sky, marking the busiest time of day in town.
After walking for a while, Liu Yao and Zhao Yi’an finally arrived at the entrance of Doctor Niu’s medical clinic.
Liu Yao brought the cart to a steady halt in front of the clinic. She paused before the door, then curled her fingers to knock.
“Ahem… Is Doctor Niu in?”
It was quiet inside, and no one answered.
“Huh? Shouldn’t Doctor Niu be sitting in the shop at this time?” Zhao Yi’an could not hold back any longer. He threw off the quilt covering his face and leaned forward to peer toward the clinic entrance, his face full of confusion.
“He’s usually here at this time.”
‘You sure are familiar with this place…’ The girl glanced back at him and whispered a low murmur.
As they spoke, an older woman carrying a bamboo basket passed by.
Seeing the two of them peering into the medical clinic, she stopped her pace and asked in a local accent, “What are you two doing here? Looking for Doctor Niu?”
“Ma’am! Do you know where Doctor Niu went? We have something to ask him,” Zhao Yi’an hurriedly propped himself up and turned his face to ask.
“Oh— that!” The older woman raised a hand to cover her mouth and smiled.
“Doctor Niu went to the west end early this morning. They said he was going to see someone for an emergency. Looking at the time, he should be back in a bit.”
“What did he go to the west end for?” Liu Yao could not help but ask.
“Aha! You’re asking the right person!” Hearing this, the woman’s eyes lit up, and she immediately took a half-step forward.
“You know that butcher at the west end, the one who calls himself ‘Zhen Guanxi,’ right? I heard that he… he got beaten up!”
As she spoke, she extended two fingers and made a phantom “striking” motion in the air.
“This morning, his family ran to Doctor Niu in a panic, kowtowing and begging him to make a house call. That’s how they got him to go.”
“If you ask me, that rubbish Zhen Guanxi got what he deserved. He uses his bit of money to act like a hooligan every day. Finally, someone has come along to set him straight. He truly deserved it!” She paused and then added decisively.
Liu Yao and Zhao Yi’an looked at each other. One was still leaning forward while the other was propped up on the cart. Their eyes blinked, but they could not find the words to respond.
“Oh my, look at my mouth. Once I start talking, I can’t stop!” The woman suddenly slapped her thigh, as if she had just realized how long she had been standing there. “Well, I won’t delay you two any longer. I’m going now!”
She tightened the bamboo basket in the crook of her arm and began to walk away, still muttering a few last words.
“Doctor Niu should be back soon. You two wait a bit longer— about that butcher business, you can ask anyone later and they’ll know!”
By the time her voice faded, she had already walked some distance, her back quickly disappearing around the corner of the alley.
“So what do we say now? Do we wait here?”
“It looks like we can only wait.” Zhao Yi’an scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit helpless.
The two of them simply waited in front of the medical clinic.
The shadows of the trees shrank into short clumps against the ground. The sound of carriages on the street mixed with the intermittent chirping of cicadas in the trees.
Not long after, a figure with a medicine box slung over his shoulder finally emerged from the street corner.
The figure paused upon seeing the person and the cart in front of the clinic, muttering incoherently.
“Who’s mourning in front of my door… How unlucky.”
As he drew closer and saw the girl sitting by the door, along with that familiar face leaning on the cart, the look of disgust on Doctor Niu’s face instantly turned into surprise.
“What is the meaning of this, young lady?”
“Let’s get this straight first. I did treat this kid before… but once he stepped out of my door, whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with me.” Doctor Niu glanced at Zhao Yi’an lying on the cart, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.
“Doctor Niu, I’m not dead yet…”
“I know.” Doctor Niu turned back with a serious face. “I was joking. I was saying, how could such a fine young man die just like that?”
“That’s not what you were saying just now…”
Liu Yao stood by the cart, watching the old man and the young man play the fool in front of her. Her mouth twitched slightly, and she could not get a word in.
‘What are these two trying to do? Just rambling about nothing. Are we going to see a doctor or not?’
“Enough, enough. Don’t just chat here. Brother Zhao, do you still want to recover from your injuries?” The girl really could not listen any longer. She cleared her throat and abruptly cut them off.
Doctor Niu curled his lip, took off his medicine box, set it on the threshold, and slowly fumbled for his keys to open the door. The keys jingled for a while before he finally pushed the clinic door open.
“Day after day, business comes looking for me on its own. I don’t know if these old bones of mine can hold up much longer…” Doctor Niu grumbled while tidying up.
Liu Yao, who was supporting Zhao Yi’an, had just entered and set him down. Hearing this, she asked curiously.
“What’s wrong, Master Niu? It was just going to the west end to treat a bully butcher. Is it really that serious?”
“No, no. That butcher had already breathed his last by the time I got there. The reason I’m back so late is because someone else asked for a consultation.”
Doctor Niu sat in a chair without saying much else. He pulled Zhao Yi’an’s wrist toward him, placed three fingers on it, and closed his eyes.
“The pulse is a bit rough; the blood and qi are not flowing smoothly.” He released the wrist, his tone flat.
“The internal organs were shaken, but fortunately, it isn’t heavy. Apply medicine for a few days, don’t eat anything hard, and just rest.”
After saying this, he flicked the *dengzi* twice, seemingly ready to let the matter go.
However, Liu Yao did not move.
“Hey— Master Niu,” she drawled, her tone carrying a bit of deliberate casualness. “Then why did you stay at the west end for so long before coming back?”
Doctor Niu’s hand movements paused for a moment. After a while, he put down the *dengzi* and sighed, as if the words he had been holding in all the way back had finally found an outlet.
“Sigh, it’s a long story. You know that Wealthy Wang from the west end, right? Isn’t his daughter getting married in a few days?”
At the mention of “Miss Wang,” the ears of a certain person eavesdropping nearby visibly perked up.
Liu Yao glanced at him but said nothing.
“I had just left the butcher’s house when the servants from Wealthy Wang’s family invited me to their home.”
Doctor Niu raised his eyelids, looked toward the door, and continued.
“Wealthy Wang held my hand and said to me, ‘Oh, Master Niu, you’ve finally come! Quickly, look at my daughter! She’s had no appetite lately, and it’s worrying me to death as her father!'”
After finishing his imitation, Doctor Niu let out a scoff and shook his head.
“Then I said— ‘Don’t be anxious, Master Wang. Let me check her pulse first and see.’ After saying that, he led me to the door of Miss Wang’s bedroom. That Master Wang called for the young lady to stretch out a hand for me to take her pulse.”
“Hmph, you wouldn’t know without testing, but after I finished checking the pulse, Master Wang’s face turned blue and purple.”
“Do you know why?”
As he spoke, he gestured toward his own face, his eyes and brows full of drama.
Doctor Niu raised his eyelids, his gaze circling Liu Yao’s face before glancing toward Zhao Yi’an.
Zhao Yi’an lowered his eyes, his fingers still pinching the corner of the quilt, expressionless.
Doctor Niu withdrew his gaze and stopped teasing them, letting out a laugh.
“That Miss Wang— she’s pregnant!”
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