Qi Yue taught one session in the morning and one in the afternoon, allowing the disciples to rotate, and in her spare time between lectures, she followed Liu Pucheng to study medicinal properties. "My wife actually understands medical principles quite well; she just doesn't know how to administer the medicine.

So, forget about the looking, listening, inquiring, and feeling; the crucial part is learning the herbs," he remarked. In the intervals of studying herbs, Qi Yue sketched designs for several instruments that Hu San was tasked to forge.

"Are these the pots, bowls, ladles, and pans used for making medicine last time?" Hu San asked, looking at the blueprints with surprise. "Master intends to manufacture a great quantity of that medicine?" This statement also drew Liu Pucheng over.

The effect of the medicine injected into the human body via the syringe last time had shocked him. Such a small tube of medicine was effective so quickly.

If they could use this medicine extensively, it would be a major bulwark against sudden illnesses where interception had failed. "We'll discuss that medicine later," Qi Yue chuckled.

"I still think the traditional decoction taken orally is better." Hu San chuckled in return. "Oh, Master is still unwilling to admit that medicine, right?" he teased.

Qi Yue laughed heartily as well. "I still feel it's safer; what if something goes wrong..." she said, then clapped her hands as if remembering something.

"Oh, Teacher, next time we take on critically ill patients, we must issue them a critical condition notice and have them sign a waiver, to avoid encountering unreasonable family members again. Even if we are sued, we will have a clear account and not tarnish our reputation." Liu Pucheng smiled.

"A doctor's reputation can only be tarnished by themselves; it cannot be ruined by a few words or deeds," he shook his head and laughed. "There is no need to worry about that." In ancient times, doctors relied on word-of-mouth referrals from patients, on solid medical skill.

If you could do it, you could do it; if you couldn't, you couldn't—it was as simple as that. Qi Yue nodded, no longer pressing Liu Pucheng.

For a doctor whose highest priority was saving lives, asking him to consider what happens after a patient dies before even starting treatment was too much to ask. "However, what you mentioned, Madam Qi—the concept of inpatient treatment—I find excellent.

I plan to clear out a few rooms here to serve as wards," Liu Pucheng added. Qi Yue's eyes lit up.

"Oh, that’s wonderful!" she exclaimed happily, turning to survey the courtyard. Since Qianjin Hall primarily treated bruises and sprains, although it was well-regarded in this field, it wasn't a major clinic, and the courtyard wasn't vast.

"It would be best to expand further. Since we'll have inpatients, we'll also need a dedicated sterilization room," Qi Yue planned aloud while looking around.

"And an operating room..." "Then this place won't be enough," Liu Pucheng said with a faint smile. Qi Yue frowned and nodded, her gaze falling on the adjacent properties.

"What are these buildings next door used for?" she asked. Liu Pucheng paused, understanding her implication.

"This..." he hesitated. "They are long-established shops; it might be difficult to arrange." "Let's try first.

If that doesn't work, we'll buy land elsewhere," Qi Yue said, a smile touching her lips. The moment this idea took root, she grew more excited the more she considered it.

"Perhaps we could establish a modern model hospital..." A hospital? The Imperial Hospital?

He knew of that, but modern... "What does 'modern' mean?" Liu Pucheng asked humbly.

Qi Yue gave an embarrassed smile. "It’s something one of my teachers used to say.

It’s a pharmacy, but different from the medical hall pharmacies we have now," she mused. Liu Pucheng was very interested in her teacher's affairs, but since the young woman wouldn't speak of it, he couldn't press.

Hearing her description now, he became somewhat animated. "What is it like?" he eagerly inquired.

What was it like... Qi Yue sighed, a touch of reminiscence coloring her gaze as she looked toward the clear sky.

For a moment, it seemed time and space shifted; she was back in the modern era, standing inside a hospital, surrounded by all the familiar clamor.... Qi Yue returned home around dinnertime.

Chang Yuncheng was sitting in the room reading a book. Qi Yue greeted him, and he responded with an 'Mm' in acknowledgment.

Such a brief acknowledgment was rare; it seemed his mood was acceptable. However, having learned her lesson, Qi Yue was absolutely determined not to approach him for more conversation.

She decided to postpone the moving plan, or perhaps wait until Marquis Dingxi returned. What a joke—a decree of divorce written in stark black and white slapped right in her face, did she really think it meant nothing?

Chang Yuncheng threw down his book with visible displeasure, listening to Qi Yue chattering and laughing with the maids nearby. What was there to talk about?

She only went to the apothecary. Why so much laughter?

It was just an apothecary.... "Young Master, may we serve dinner?" a maid inquired tentatively.

Chang Yuncheng grunted and stood up, exiting the room. Dinner was completely laid out, but Qi Yue had still not arrived.

"Where is the Young Mistress?" Chang Yuncheng asked, suppressing his irritation. Qiuxiang rushed out and quickly returned.

"The Young Mistress said she ate outside, so she will not be partaking," she said carefully. Chang Yuncheng clenched his chopsticks tightly, stabbing a piece of meat from a dish with force.

"There are so many things to do," Qi Yue said excitedly, stretching under the lamplight. A’ru turned her head to look at what she was sketching on the paper.

"Is this a bed?" she asked, holding up another lamp for better light. "Yes," Qi Yue nodded.

"And what is this underneath?" A’ru pointed. "Those are wheels," Qi Yue explained.

"This way, the bed can be easily moved. Our focus here is on bruises and sprains; patients often have limited mobility.

With this, instead of needing three or four people to carry them, one person can simply push." A’ru thought about the image and nodded, smiling. "How did Young Mistress think of that?

Truly remarkable," she said. "It wasn't me who thought of it; it's something I often saw..." Qi Yue started, but quickly swallowed the rest of her words when she saw Chang Yuncheng lifting the curtain to enter.

"You go down and eat," Qi Yue told A’ru. A’ru nodded, bowed to Chang Yuncheng in the main room, and retreated.

"What did you eat outside?" Chang Yuncheng asked. Qi Yue lowered her head to continue writing, but looked up when he spoke.

"Nothing much, Hu San bought some snacks, and I had a bit with him," she replied. Hu San?

That shifty-looking man again... Chang Yuncheng frowned, then watched Qi Yue bury her head back in her writing and drawing, seemingly uninterested in saying more to him.

He stood in the main room, looking at the woman diligently writing under the lamplight—sometimes smiling, sometimes frowning, sometimes having an epiphany—so focused, so at ease, so pleasing to the eye... When the sharp sound of a zither suddenly rang out, Qi Yue jumped, looking around wildly.

She leaned over and saw Chang Yuncheng sitting cross-legged in the adjacent bedroom, playing the instrument. The zither music was crisp and strong, fast-paced and powerful.

Indeed, a young master from a noble house would be skilled in music and painting as well as martial arts. Qi Yue watched for a moment, tilting her head, then returned her attention to planning her hospital.

The music softened, and the shadow cast by the window was serene. The maid standing outside felt for the first time that the atmosphere in the courtyard was quite pleasant.

As the night deepened, Qi Yue put down her brush and stood, approaching the curtain separating the rooms to look toward Chang Yuncheng's side. Chang Yuncheng silenced the strings, the lingering notes drifting away.

Qi Yue applauded. "Very good!

You truly play well," she called out, smiling. Chang Yuncheng pretended indifference and ignored her, but a faint, slightly smug smile flickered beneath his lowered gaze.

"It's getting late; I'm going to sleep. Um, we should all coexist peacefully and be considerate of each other.

Please don't play anymore," Qi Yue said, reaching out to draw the curtain shut. The momentarily stunned Chang Yuncheng looked up, but the silhouette of that bothersome woman was already blocked by the curtain.

He angrily plucked the zither strings, sending discordant notes echoing in the room. Truly ungrateful!

Chang Yuncheng did not intentionally play the zither again. Qi Yue enjoyed an unexpectedly good night’s sleep and awoke naturally, feeling refreshed.

After washing up, she arrived at the dining table to find Chang Yuncheng nearly finished eating. "Hurry up.

Dawdling wastes time," Chang Yuncheng said grimly as Qi Yue entered. Qi Yue sat down.

"All I have right now is time; I don't mind wasting it," she said with a smile, taking the bowl of food served by Quezhi. Chang Yuncheng watched her meticulously counting the grains of rice as she ate.

"Have you packed your things yet?" he asked. "Packed?" Qi Yue stopped eating, looked up at him with slight disbelief, then her eyes shone with surprise.

This surprise instantly lifted Chang Yuncheng's sullen mood. The Xie family could not accept this marriage arrangement, so Qi Yueniang had never visited the Xie residence.

His taking her now showed he treated her as... a wife...

Wife... The word crossed his mind, and Chang Yuncheng paused slightly.

My wife, Chang Yuncheng's wife... She must be very happy...

"You mean you want me to move out?" Qi Yue asked, putting down her chopsticks. "You addle-brained woman!

Are you confused?" Chang Yuncheng finally lost his temper, slamming the table with a pa. The bowls, plates, and dishes rattled loudly, startling the waiting maids into a tremor.

"You're the one who's sick in the head!" Qi Yue slapped the table back just as fiercely. The already settled dishes jumped again.

"Can't you just say what you mean clearly! I'm not a worm in your stomach!

How am I supposed to know what you're thinking? Why are you throwing a tantrum!" she shouted.

Chang Yuncheng glared at her, thinking what a terrible temper that woman had! "Didn't I tell you?

We are going to Shan Ning Manor today," he retorted. "You go ahead.

You said it once, that's enough. Do I need your permission to leave the house?

... Wait?" Qi Yue stared back at him, her shout trailing off as she paused.

"You don't mean you want me to go too?" "Nonsense," Chang Yuncheng glared at her, his teeth itching with frustration. "You know perfectly well I don't need to tell you when I'm leaving the house, do you?" Qi Yue laughed and quickly waved her hands at him.

"A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! I misinterpreted you," she instantly switched to a sweet smile, raising a hand towards Chang Yuncheng.

"However, your way of speaking is far too terse." The atmosphere at the dining table finally eased, and the surrounding maids breathed sighs of relief. "But, perhaps I shouldn't go," Qi Yue added.

Chang Yuncheng's recently softened expression immediately soured again. "What would I do there?

I don't know anyone..." Qi Yue ignored his expression, paused her chopsticks, and continued eating, "Besides, your maternal relatives probably wouldn't like me anyway. It's better not to go and spoil the occasion.

You all go enjoy yourselves happily," she said. "Why is it so difficult to communicate with you?" Chang Yuncheng stood up, saying.

Qi Yue looked up at him. "I said, you are coming with me.

I was not asking if you were going," Chang Yuncheng enunciated every word. Qi Yue's expression changed too.

"Hey, Chang Yuncheng, are you having another fit?" she said quickly, starting to push away her chopsticks to rise. But she was a step too slow; Chang Yuncheng grabbed her wrist.

"Chang Yuncheng, you're going to make me explode!" Qi Yue's shout carried from inside the room, leaving the maids standing in the courtyard terrified and unsure what to do. A’ru and A’hao rushed forward, only to see Chang Yuncheng striding out, pulling Qi Yue along.

"Pack what the Young Mistress needs for her trip," he ordered, not paying attention to Qi Yue's struggles in his grip, and marched toward the exit. What could A’ru and A’hao say?

After a moment of stunned silence, they frantically rushed to pack. Madam Xie was waiting at the second gate.

She was personally inspecting the carriage and the required provisions when she saw Chang Yuncheng striding toward her. A smile bloomed on her face, but it instantly froze as her gaze fell upon Qi Yue walking beside him.

What was this woman doing here? Why was he holding her hand?

Why was that woman touching her with her dirty hand... Before she could voice her thoughts, the sound of wheels approached from the side path—another carriage rolled in, followed by a few servants and maids, and then over a dozen horses, along with two blue cloth carts for the attendants.

"Madam," Rao Yufang said as she stepped down from the carriage, supported by a servant, bowing respectfully to Madam Xie. "I apologize for the trouble of asking the Young Master to escort us."