Pink rewards for extra chapters~! Happy holidays everyone, have fun... In fact, when Marquis Dingxi heard the news, he was startled. He rushed over immediately, only to find a scene far more shocking than he had imagined.
The hunter, who was supposed to be dying, was not only awake but half-sitting in the sedan chair, wielding a stick and loudly beating people.
“You ungrateful wretches! I, Du Dashan, do not consider you brothers! The doctor treated me with such dedication! And you dared to conspire with others to falsely accuse and humiliate Doctor Liu! I’ll beat you, you villains who repay kindness with enmity!”
The hunter cursed as he struck, and although his strength seemed utterly depleted, his spirit was clearly far from that of a dying man.
Four or five men knelt before the hunter, receiving the beating and scolding without uttering a word, as submissive as possible. Some women were covering their faces and weeping.
The hunter eventually ran out of strength and listlessly tossed the stick aside, leaning back in the sedan chair to catch his breath.
A woman of his own age immediately stepped forward to check on him with concern, but she was promptly slapped across the face by the hunter, who cursed at her.
“And you, you slut! They were ignorant, but you followed along in the chaos! I’m divorcing you; if I don’t, I won’t be able to show my face in public!”
The woman sank to the ground, weeping loudly.
This... this...
Marquis Dingxi scanned the scene and soon spotted his daughter-in-law. The beauty was currently anything but; she was wearing an unattractive, shapeless loose coat, her face was haggard, and her hair was wrapped in a headscarf.
Qi Yue watched the excitement with a slight smile, showing no inclination to intervene. In fact, when Liu Pucheng was about to speak, she stopped him.
“It’s human nature; it can be understood.” Looking at the woman’s expression, Liu Pucheng realized her resentment hadn't fully subsided. He felt a mixture of amusement and deep emotion.
“I understand,” Qi Yue smiled. “But understanding doesn’t mean they were correct. If they were wrong, they naturally must be punished.”
This girl... Liu Pucheng shook his head; he hadn't realized she was so vengeful.
Seeing that the hunter had truly exhausted himself, and the woman had already begun to act as if she were seeking death, Qi Yue finally stepped forward.
“You’ve just recovered; you must not stir up unnecessary anger.” She said.
This was not an appeal for peace, merely concern for the patient. The observing disciples exchanged glances and suppressed smiles.
Mistress Qi won’t even offer a pleasantry.
The hunter gasped, repeatedly thanking Qi Yue.
“You bastards. All of you, come over and kowtow to Doctor Liu and the Young Mistress.” He summoned strength again to shout.
Those men and women immediately rushed over and kowtowed to Liu Pucheng and Qi Yue, slapping their own faces repeatedly.
“Enough, enough, as long as the person is well, that is what matters,” Liu Pucheng quickly said, helping them up.
Qi Yue stood with her arms crossed, smiling faintly.
“That’s not necessarily true. For now, there is no danger to his life, but to say he is completely cured—I wouldn’t dare promise that. He might relapse the moment he returns; we dare not make any guarantees for you,” she stated, while subtly pulling Liu Pucheng back, preventing him from bending down to assist them.
These people were not fools; they naturally grasped Qi Yue’s meaning and were instantly filled with shame.
“I know you worry about your family, and hearing news of an incurable illness must have angered you, but you shouldn't have struck my teacher,” Qi Yue said slowly, dropping her smile. “You have your reasons, and I have mine. Therefore, from now on, Qianjintang will refuse treatment to any member of your family.”
At these words, not only were the hunter’s family astonished, but Liu Pucheng was hearing it for the first time, and the disciples were dumbfounded.
Someone dared to say such a thing! To say such a thing to a patient!
Shouldn't this be the moment for polite courtesies, accepting their gratitude, leading to universal harmony?
“Mistress Qi, you must not be so...” Liu Pucheng began to speak.
Qi Yue cut him off.
“Teacher means that I am not officially part of Qianjintang and therefore cannot make such a decision, is that right?” she asked.
Liu Pucheng frowned as he looked at her.
“That is not what I meant. Mistress Qi, a healer must possess benevolence. How can one speak of refusing treatment over a temporary misunderstanding?” he sighed.
Qi Yue simply kept her lips tightly closed, saying nothing.
But everyone could see the stubbornness and resolve in her eyes.
“Doctor Liu, you need not say anything more. The Young Mistress is right; we are not worthy of setting foot in Qianjintang again,” the hunter in the sedan chair said, gasping for breath, cupping his hands toward Qi Yue. “The Young Mistress is straightforward; she speaks plainly when there is reason, and she exacts revenge when there is a grievance—she is a decisive person. This consequence is a punishment our Du family deserves, and we accept it.”
The people from Marquis Dingxi’s manor watched in stunned silence. Chang Yuncheng looked at Qi Yue, but her gaze had not once shifted toward him from beginning to end.
Speak plainly when there is reason, exact revenge when there is a grievance...
Marquis Dingxi shivered slightly, a flicker of guilt crossing his mind.
“...Is he well now?” He cleared his throat heavily and stepped forward.
Seeing him approach, the crowd bowed respectfully. The hunter’s family prostrated themselves on the ground, and even the hunter in the sedan chair struggled to climb out.
“The Marquis is merciful, the Marquis is merciful.”
They were inarticulate and had never encountered such a noble person before. They could repeat nothing else but these words, bowing repeatedly on the ground.
Previously, these commoners showed him reverence; now, mixed with their reverence was a measure of gratitude...
The feeling of being respected and appreciated by commoners wasn't bad; Marquis Dingxi couldn't help stroking his beard and nodding.
“It hasn't been easy for him, suffering such hardship,” he said with feigned sympathy, signaling the steward. “Bring the money; they should use it to recuperate well.”
The hunters were now overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Open the side gate and send them out,” Marquis Dingxi announced loudly.
“They should leave through the corner gate; no need to be too conspicuous,” Qi Yue remarked, her expression utterly calm.
Zhang Tong, standing nearby, couldn't help choking on his breath.
He looked over at Hu San, only to see Hu San maintaining an equally placid demeanor. However, compared to Qi Yue’s genuine calmness, Hu San’s composure seemed forced.
“Did I just faintly hear the Young Mistress instruct you to spread the news of the hunter’s recovery early this morning?” Zhang Tong whispered to Hu San.
“What nonsense are you talking about? Is my master that shameless? Besides, this is the truth. Why would we need to boast or spread it?” Hu San murmured, looking at Zhang Tong with distaste, as if deeply insulted.
Zhang Tong quickly apologized. Yes, yes, he must have misheard.
Why would the dignified Young Mistress of the Marquis’s manor bother with such trivialities?
When Marquis Dingxi heard they were only leaving through the corner gate, he felt it was too low-key.
“My Lord, he is just a common hunter; why should we open the main gate for him?” Qi Yue said, smiling faintly at him.
This made sense; Marquis Dingxi laughed heartily, once again regretting that the patient wasn't someone important this time, or else it would have been so much more glorious.
“It is still the thoughtful consideration of Lady Yue that is superior; your composure is excellent. Very good,” he chuckled.
She called him Houye [Marquis]...
Chang Yuncheng watched Qi Yue; in fact, his gaze had never left her.
Houye, not the familiar address of Father she used before.
Father. That title, perhaps, she no longer felt worthy of speaking aloud...
When the corner gate was opened, everyone present was startled.
The area before the gate was packed with people; looking toward the street, one could see crowds extending far away. Yet, these many people were surprisingly silent. As the hunter’s family began carrying the sedan chair out, a sudden gasp of surprise erupted, sweeping through the street like a sudden wave.
Marquis Dingxi, who had been feeling regretful, rushed to the gate upon hearing the commotion. This... this sudden display of public fervor generated by commoners actually felt quite good!
After waking up, the hunter was told everything by Hu San, including the wager. Seeing this scene, Du Dashan immediately sat up in the sedan chair.
“Let me down. I want to walk out myself,” he shouted.
He had only just woken up, and his leg was injured. His family members tried to dissuade him in low voices.
Du Dashan brought his stick down on them.
“Let this old man down! I am not as shameless as you people!” he roared.
No one dared to speak further. His brothers supported Du Dashan as he stepped out of the sedan chair.
Seeing Du Dashan’s action, the cheers died down, and the crowd became silent, watching him in disbelief.
Qi Yue, Liu Pucheng, and the others following behind also saw this. After a moment of surprise, they understood his intention.
“This man is truly a man,” Qi Yue laughed. “I like him...”
A’ru, behind her, pinched her hard. Fortunately, the cheers outside rose again, drowning out her words.
Qi Yue turned back, baring her teeth at A’ru to show the pain. A’ru glared back, subconsciously glancing to the side, only to see Chang Yuncheng standing there, watching them, though she wasn’t sure when he had arrived.
He didn't hear, did he... He certainly didn't hear.
A’ru lowered her head, but Qi Yue had already turned her gaze away, completely unconcerned with who might be standing near her.
Du Dashan walked out step by step amidst the cheers. Finally, these acclamations stirred his own excitement. It was as if he himself had achieved something tremendous. In fact, he had done something tremendous. Hu San’s narration had been detailed, dramatic, and vivid. While listening, Du Dashan had completely forgotten he was merely a bargaining chip; he felt like one of the primary parties in the wager, and they—he, the Young Mistress, and Doctor Liu—had won!
Under the gaze and attention of so many people, they had won!
Du Dashan suddenly pushed away his supporting brothers and raised the stick he had used for beating people.
“See that? I’m alive!” he shouted, his eyes wide with excitement, his pale, weak face filled with fervor. “I’m alive! If any bastard dares call Doctor Liu a quack again, I’ll be the first to wring his head off!”
When Qi Yue and Liu Pucheng stepped out, the shouts of approval grew even louder.
“Doctor Liu is a divine physician!”
“Young Mistress is a divine physician!”
After being beaten and then experiencing the sudden surge of such warmth after believing all was lost, all the disciples of Qianjintang felt their hairs stand on end with excitement.
“How does this feel?” Qi Yue whispered to Liu Pucheng.
Liu Pucheng glanced at the girl with a hint of resignation. She seemed to be growing more confident. He recalled the first time he saw her—the fear and dread in her eyes, as if facing a ferocious beast whenever she saw a patient. But when did she slowly lose that fear? Like now, her expression was one of utter calm, a serenity born from deep inner confidence.
And she was becoming increasingly... mischievous.
Indeed, she was at an age where she should be vibrant and enjoying her youth.
“There’s an even better feeling,” Qi Yue giggled.
“Oh? What is it?” Hu San immediately asked, having managed to squeeze through the crowd to stand behind Qi Yue, asserting his status as the senior disciple... though a rank below Miss A’ru.
“Collecting on a debt,” Qi Yue said with a smile, raising an eyebrow slightly.