Chapter 274: Consultation

Chapter 274: Medical Consultation

The merchants who'd been around the world were used to it, but the ladies who had long lived in the inner quarters had never seen such wondrous scenery. They instantly forgot all rules of etiquette and had a total blast, completely mesmerized.

Miss Shen, while playing with her new friends, did not forget her main purpose. She quietly called Meng Wan and Chu Ci over.

"You are the miracle doctor by Master Tang's side? Could you check my pulse, please?" Miss Shen was slightly shy. She had only seen a young man by Master Tang from a distance, but she never expected him to be so young and handsome, not much older than her.

Chu Ci's demeanor was aloof. He did not answer but simply sat beside her and motioned for her to hold out her wrist.

Meng Wan, playing translator, said, "Miss Shen, please don't mind. The miracle doctor has an unusual temperament. Even our own boss—he usually ignores him."

Miss Shen's heart sank. She held out her hand, turned her head, and said, "Go ahead."

Chu Ci placed his hand on her pulse, observing her complexion. After a while, he took out a small notebook and a charcoal pen from his pocket and wrote carefully, line by line: "Constitutionally deficient in qi and blood. Qi deficiency leads to weak propulsion; blood deficiency leads to loss of nourishment. Symptoms include fatigue, sallow complexion, dizziness, palpitations. Due to sudden emotional turmoil, liver qi becomes stagnant, transforming into fire. Fire disturbs the spirit, causing restlessness and listlessness. Fire scorches bodily fluids, leading to dry mouth and poor sleep. Fire along the meridians ascends, causing sore throat and red eyes. Qi, blood, and depressive fire intertwine, accompanied by chest and rib distension, irregular menstruation, or dysmenorrhea."

His handwriting used to be terrible and he hated writing. Even though he had improved a little now, he still seldom wrote. This time, to do right by Meng Wan, he wrote this whole long passage in one go—really put in the effort.

While Miss Shen and her maidservant were still in shock, Meng Wan secretly took a pitted honey date from his snack bag and popped it into Chu Ci's mouth.

"The miracle doctor's diagnosis is indeed accurate. Our young lady has indeed been experiencing the symptoms you mentioned lately. Should she take some herbal medicine?" Tingyu was quick to speak, but she and Miss Shen were really close.

Chu Ci added another line on the paper: "Just adjust her diet; keeping calm is what matters most."

Miss Shen was already at her wit's end—how could she be calm? Realizing that Chu Ci was different from the ordinary doctors back home, she was desperate to take him to see Lord Shen.

At that moment, Lord Shen was chatting with other merchants. Seeing his daughter bring a young man to the male guests' area, he frowned. "Qingniang, why not go enjoy the scenery elsewhere?"

Miss Shen politely greeted Lord Shen and the other merchants beside him one by one. "Father, I heard you have trouble sleeping at night. I learned that Master Tang has a physician of exceptional skill by his side, so I took the liberty of inviting him here to take your pulse for consultation."

She spoke tactfully, but several merchants had already heard rumors about Lord Shen going crazy on the Fu ship.

Except for a few who knew the secret, most shared Miss Shen's view—that Lord Shen had come down with some weird disease.

"Brother Shen, your daughter's so thoughtful—really admirable."

"Brother Shen has raised a fine daughter!"

"As we grow older, we're not the adventurers we used to be. Brother Shen should take care of his health too."

"Brother Tang sure is thorough, even bringing a physician along."

"We brothers have a deep friendship. Brother Shen need not treat us as outsiders. If this physician is truly skilled, let him check me out too."

"Yes, please, young physician."

Ever since Miss Shen stated her purpose, Lord Shen's expression had soured. Now, stuck between a rock and a hard place, he was in a dilemma.

Just then, Meng Wan also brought Xia Yuan over, adding fuel to the fire.

Xia Yuan, with a big, friendly grin, said, "Brothers, you have keen eyes. This physician by my side is no ordinary doctor. Though young, he doesn't bother with everyday stuff—only treats problems that other doctors can't handle."

Hearing this, the others grew even more intrigued and pushed Lord Shen to go ahead.

Lord Shen was reluctantly shoved forward to let Chu Ci take his pulse. His smile was stiff. "Very well, then I'll trouble the young physician."

Chu Ci said nothing but asked Lord Shen to sit properly. Unlike his casual pulse-taking for Miss Shen, he first examined Lord Shen from head to toe—his facial features, limbs, behind the ears, and joints. He then looked at his tongue and teeth, palpated his joints and bones, and only then began to take his pulse.

If the merchants had previously been watching for amusement, secretly causing trouble, or deliberately fanning the flames, they now became genuinely interested after seeing Chu Ci's smooth examination technique.

After all, the richer one is, the more you fear dying young. Even someone as intelligent as Meng Wan was terrified of death, let alone them.

They had already decided: whether or not they could watch Lord Shen's drama didn't matter; this so-called Mermaid Grave didn't matter. What truly mattered was getting this young physician to take their own pulse later.

Chu Ci spent a long time taking Lord Shen's pulse—so long that Lord Shen's initial disdain turned to doubt, and finally, a flicker of hope showed in his sharp eyes.

No one knew what he was hoping for; maybe even he hadn't expected that look on his face.

At last, Chu Ci released Lord Shen's wrist and slowly shook his head.

Miss Shen was the most anxious, whether she was faking it or just caring about her rep. "Miracle doctor, what disease does my father have? Please say something!"

Chu Ci wrote another line in his notebook: "I'm not good enough—couldn't figure out Lord Shen's illness."

Lord Shen breathed a sigh of relief, then sneered, "Brother Tang, is this the miracle doctor you brought? Just a kid—no big deal."

Xia Yuan maintained his good-natured smile, his dark skin standing out among the merchants, like a farmer in a room full of landlords.

Seeing this, the others hesitated to step forward. Was this kid all talk?

One merchant, thinking he might as well since he was here, casually extended his wrist. "Little brother, take my pulse. Do I need bone-setting or face reading?"

Chu Ci shook his head, placed his hand casually on the pulse for a moment, then quickly scribbled a page and handed it to him.

The merchant glanced at it casually, then his eyes widened. "You... is what you wrote true? Can this illness really be cured with this prescription?"

Chu Ci slung his small bag over his shoulder, stood up, and nodded solemnly at him, then turned and left. His demeanor made it clear he didn't care that Xia Yuan was his boss.

The others, seeing the ecstatic look on the merchant who had just consulted, were confused by the stark contrast between his reaction and Lord Shen's.

Was the diagnosis good or not?

Regardless, the physician was already gone, and they couldn't bring themselves to chase after him. So they could only try to subtly dig info out of the merchant who had just consulted.

Of course, they learned nothing. Everyone was savvy and slick; who would willingly reveal their own illness to others?

"Mermaid Grave" could refer to this lake or the surrounding rocks. These rocks were probably naturally formed, large and small, creating an inner wall shaped like a bowl.

However, this place was not a real bowl, and the rock walls were not smooth. The gaps between the rocks formed caves of varying depths.

In a secluded shallow depression in the rocks, a dull slapping sound echoed. Lord Shen stood expressionless before his daughter, his tone icy. "I thought you were more sensible than your sister, which is why I brought you to the island. But now you have grown wild, making decisions behind my back."

Miss Shen, her cheek swollen from his slap, was also full of grievance. "I was only concerned for Father's health. How is that wrong?"

Lord Shen almost gave her another slap. "How dare you talk back? All these merchants on the island are already saying you have a clever heart. In just a few days on the ship, you've befriended all the young ladies and masters. Do you think they can't see through your little schemes? They are all saying behind your back that you're desperate to get married!"

Miss Shen was only fourteen. Being scolded by her father still hurt her deeply. She wept copiously. "Do you not know why I seek a match for myself, Father? If Mother weren't trying to marry me off to that old widower in town, would I have resorted to this? Do you think I have no shame?"

Her tearful, bitter accusations meant nothing to Lord Shen. They failed to stir any pity in him.

Lord Shen sneered. "Your mother has done everything to plan for you, yet we are the ones at fault? Since you have such strong ideas, you clearly need no guidance from us. You need not return to Suzhou with me this time. Go wherever you please!"

With that, he swept away, leaving his heartbroken and despairing daughter behind.

Elsewhere, Meng Wan, having achieved his goal, hurriedly pulled Chu Ci aside. "So? Is there anything peculiar about Lord Shen's illness?"

Chu Ci gestured rapidly. "I only found that his pulse is indeed strange—like he's been poisoned. But I can't yet determine the specific type."

Meng Wan was astonished. "Even you can't diagnose it?"

If it were an ordinary illness, that would be one thing. Chu Ci's medical skills may not be as superb as the Miao people's, but he has been dealing with poisons since childhood, and has improved greatly over the years. How powerful must a poison be that even he cannot cure?

Chu Ci shook his head, and with some hesitation made a slow gesture. "I find it very familiar, somewhat like my master, but I'm not entirely sure."

"The Strange Taoist from Pingshi Town? He's still alive?" Meng Wan had a deep impression of him; that strange Taoist had caused no small amount of harm back then.

"He is very formidable." Chu Ci had a natural fear of the old Taoist. Back then, if not for Chu Yujing's provocation and the sudden opportunity provided by Meng Wan, he might not have dared to resist the strange Taoist.

Meng Wan placed a hand on Chu Ci's shoulder. "If it weren't for him, we would have stayed safely on Cat Ba Island for three days, and then followed Lord Xia to the capital of Annam to inquire about the Crown Prince."

Grinding his teeth, Meng Wan recalled his embarrassing situation in Pingshi Town where he was chased by dogs and cats. A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. "If it's him, even better. I haven't yet settled the score from Pingshi Town. If he dares to show up, I'll make him regret it."

With the two experts Chi Yu and Feng Chu around, even if the strange Taoist tries summoning mountain demons, they won't work.

They played in the merfolk tomb for a while; the beautiful scenery made them reluctant to leave. Even on the way back, the women were still whispering about it.

But the socially active Miss Shen was silent now, not replying to anyone who tried to speak to her.

The young ladies were all proud and aloof. In the past, when Miss Shen took the initiative, they would call each other sisters. Now that she ignored them, the others didn't want to court trouble.

After returning to the courtyard, as expected, Meng Wan and Chi Yu became the target of Miss Shen's anger. When her senior maid Tingyu came over with hands on her hips to drive them away, Meng Wan had already packed his luggage.

Tingyu's face turned from pale to green, then from green to pale. Finally, she let out a cold snort, "Hmph, at least you know what's good for you!"

It was still early. Meng Wan paid some silver to arrange for himself a separate courtyard. As the saying goes, money makes the world go round. Even though his current identity was that of a page, he could still enjoy VIP treatment.

They settled into the small courtyard, and soon it was time for dinner. Perhaps because the meat they had stewed yesterday was too tempting, today other servants came wanting to eat with them—in other words, to freeload. Without Meng Wan needing to step in, Chi Yu settled it with one punch.

After all, they would leave in a few days. Were they afraid of offending these merchants?

The weather at sea was unpredictable and changeable. Just as Meng Wan's meal was ready, it started pouring outside.

Chi Yu, holding a bowl of rice, took a big gulp of his rice and said to Meng Wan, "Husband, we didn't bring an umbrella. What should we do?" Husband's cooking is really delicious!

"It's fine. Someone will bring us one soon," Meng Wan said calmly.

Chi Yu asked curiously, "Who will bring us an umbrella? Xiao Ci?"

Meng Wan put down his chopsticks and looked out there. "Look out there."

Chi Yu turned his head and saw the steward who had just received a huge sum from Meng Wan to change rooms, running over with an umbrella, and two oil-paper umbrellas tucked under his arm.

"Wan Ge, I saw that you came from afar and probably didn't prepare such sundries, so I came to bring you umbrellas."

Meng Wan said indifferently, "Thank you. Just set them down."

"Eh, eating? Eat slowly. I'll leave after dropping off the umbrellas?" The steward bent over and placed the umbrellas on Meng Wan's table, still eyeing the oily dishes on their table.

Even they didn't have the luxury of eating meat every few days. Only when there were guests on the island could they have some outside food. Normally, it was just unsatisfying seafood and a few wild vegetables.

With a clink, Meng Wan casually dropped a small silver ingot onto the table, causing the steward's eyes to shift from their food to the gleaming silver.

"Consider it as me buying these two umbrellas. Steward, if there's anything... please help me inquire."

The steward blocked the view of others and quickly pocketed the silver ingot. "Wan Ge is too kind. I was kindly giving you umbrellas, and now you give money—what kind of thing is that? Well... then I won't say no!"

"Well, I just heard that the honored guests, a father and daughter, are arguing again."

Money made things easy. Meng Wan asked, "Father and daughter? Is it the wealthy merchant named Shen?"

Having gotten the money, the steward was reluctant to say too much. They were trapped on this island, and many things were beyond their control.

"Little Yu," Meng Wan instructed in a low voice.

With lightning speed, Chi Yu grabbed the steward, snatching back the silver ingot he had just pocketed and his own little bag of copper coins.

The steward was heartbroken. "My young master, what are you doing? It's Lord Shen's group, Lord Shen. It's the young lady who got slapped during the day."

Meng Wan returned the money to him. "Wouldn't it have been easier if you had just said so?"

After the steward left, Meng Wan thought for a long time. "Should we also go check out Lord Shen's residence tonight?"