A'ru habitually picked up paper and a brush to record notes nearby, while A'hao and Quezhi also approached, listening intently.

Being observed by so many people was not new for Changchun Lan and her daughter, but this time was different; the gazes fixed upon her daughter held such focus, entirely devoid of the usual curiosity, disgust, or malicious excitement.

"…The optimal time for this condition is when the child is just a few months old, as one surgery is never enough; repairs must be done two or three times as the child grows." Qi Yue removed her gloves, drawing Yan'er into an embrace to soothe her, while speaking to A'ru and the others.

"Then, Young Madam, what is needed? Can it be done now?" A'ru inquired.

Qi Yue paused for a moment.

Changchun Lan's heart immediately leaped into her throat as she stared anxiously at Qi Yue.

"It can be done, but there are still issues, such as anesthesia, infection control, and an assistant," Qi Yue stated.

A'ru felt a flush of shame, recalling how Qi Yue had managed almost everything herself during the previous two operations; she still could not overcome her profound fear of seeing blood and internal organs.

Qi Yue spoke and then rose to her feet.

"Let's go to the Qianjin Hall; I need to discuss this thoroughly with Doctor Liu," she said with a smile.

As they were leaving, they encountered the housekeeper, who had just returned, looking worn from travel.

"Young Madam, I have returned from the Liu family residence," he said, bowing respectfully to Qi Yue.

"Oh? What did they say?" Qi Yue stopped, her interest piqued.

The housekeeper adjusted his hat, which was still damp with morning dew, a hint of triumph in his manner.

"What else could they say? In front of me, Old Master Liu severely reprimanded those women," he chuckled.

It was the first time in his life he had felt he could stand tall and speak his mind in another household; the feeling was truly exhilarating.

"I conveyed the Marquis's words to Old Master Liu, and his expression changed immediately," the housekeeper continued. "He actually said that since the Marquis felt the Eldest Miss was being mistreated there, she should just stay at our residence."

Just as expected, Qi Yue let out a small huff.

"Then let her stay; who are we afraid of?" she replied.

The housekeeper let out a soft laugh.

"That’s what I told them too," he said with a degree of pride.

"Let them stew for now. Once Yan'er is healed, we’ll settle accounts with the old man," Qi Yue said, waving a hand at the housekeeper. "Go on, you’ve worked hard. Report back to the Marquis."

The housekeeper cheerfully agreed that the work was no hardship and departed happily.

Putting aside the household matters, Qi Yue arrived at the Qianjin Hall and explained the cleft lip issue to Liu Pucheng.

"The Zhū Bìng Yuán Hòu Lùn states that a person born with a lip defect resembles a rabbit’s mouth, hence the term 'rabbit cleft'," Liu Pucheng mused. "It's attributed to eating rabbit meat."

Qi Yue laughed heartily.

"No, it has nothing to do with rabbits," she corrected with a smile. "This is a condition, an illness caused by genetic mutation."

"Genes?" Liu Pucheng asked, puzzled.

The concept of 'genes' was certainly not easy to explain, and Qi Yue rubbed her hands together with a smile.

"The causes are numerous—medication, environment, for example—but regardless of the cause, it is definitely unrelated to rabbits," she stated.

Liu Pucheng nodded, relieved.

"So, that means pregnant women can still eat rabbit meat?" he asked.

Qi Yue nodded.

"As for the repair, the Jin Shu does contain records: 'cut flesh to mend it; for a hundred days, eat porridge without speaking or smiling.' However, few have witnessed it firsthand," Liu Pucheng continued, his excitement barely concealed. "Young Madam, can you perform this?"

"Of course, it's not a difficult surgery," Qi Yue replied with a nod and a smile. "It’s just that this child has been delayed for too long, and the medicine…"

She stopped here, seeing Liu Pucheng smile, and she smiled too.

"Very well, no problem. I intend to perform this surgery," Qi Yue announced.

Liu Pucheng was naturally very interested in such a procedure and eagerly asked what preparations were necessary.

"Yan'er's cleft is a unilateral complete cleft. Although it doesn't reach the base of the nose, the upper lip is split. The surgery will be long, the wound large, and there will be considerable bleeding. This child’s physical development is poor, and I am somewhat uncertain about post-operative infection control," Qi Yue frowned, explaining her concerns.

"Those aren't an issue. The decoction I used for debridement and antisepsis on that hunter—I’ve refined it recently. Coptis, Scutellaria, Phellodendron, Gardenia, and Honeysuckle, configured this way, are the most effective for wound cleansing and disinfection," Liu Pucheng explained.

Qi Yue sighed in relief; she trusted Liu Pucheng’s medicinal skills implicitly.

"Then only one very critical issue remains," Qi Yue said.

"Tell me, Madam Qi," Liu Pucheng invited.

"The anesthesia problem," Qi Yue stated, taking a sheet of paper to write. "Yan'er is six. Anesthesia for a child is different from that for an adult."

Liu Pucheng stroked his beard, completely bewildered by this assertion.

"Anesthesia is divided by adult and child?" he asked.

"I don't know if Chinese medicine makes such distinctions, but Western medicine—ah, the medicines my master used—have significant limitations," Qi Yue explained, briefly detailing the issues of pediatric anesthesia.

Liu Pucheng listened, understanding only vaguely, but he nodded.

"Very well, I will research this further," he agreed.

"Then I must trouble you, Teacher," Qi Yue said gratefully.

Liu Pucheng nodded.

"Oh, right. This surgery requires extreme precision; every step affects the final aesthetic outcome. So, retractors, suturing, and so on—I cannot manage all of that alone," Qi Yue added, rubbing her hands with a touch of regret. "Furthermore, I have never performed this specific surgery before…"

Never performed it?

Liu Pucheng pondered for a moment.

"Even if you haven't done this exact surgery, Madam Qi, you know how to do it, correct?" he asked.

Qi Yue smiled.

"Yes, I do," she confirmed with confidence.

Liu Pucheng smiled in return.

"Then that is not a problem; I can serve as the assistant," he offered.

Qi Yue nodded.

"Good," she smiled. "Thank you for your trouble again, Teacher."

"What are you saying? So many people wish they had the chance to observe this firsthand," Liu Pucheng shook his head, smiling. "This is my fortune."

Hearing this, Qi Yue's eyes brightened.

"Speaking of which, this is an excellent opportunity for clinical study. I should let the disciples come and watch," she suggested.

Liu Pucheng hesitated slightly.

"Is that… is that alright? Will it affect the surgery?" he inquired.

Although the Qianjin Hall primarily treated injuries from swords and axes, and the disciples had certainly seen blood, the visual stimulus of surgically cutting into flesh and organs was different from seeing traumatic wounds. Recalling Hu San’s reaction during the surgery on the magistrate's son, he presumed many disciples would panic if unprepared. What if they interfered with the operation?

"That is indeed an issue, but they must adapt. We will be performing many surgeries in the future; we can't avoid them out of fear," Qi Yue argued. "It’s actually quite simple: looking more and practicing more overcomes the psychological hurdle. I was terribly embarrassed during my first anatomy lecture…"

"Anatomy lecture?" Liu Pucheng seized upon the unfamiliar term.

"That is…" Qi Yue paused in thought. "It means using cadavers to familiarize oneself with the human body, the organs, and so forth."

Liu Pucheng stared at her, his expression stunned. Such a thing would be profoundly difficult for an ancient person who held the deceased in high regard.

"You… you really practiced that way?" Liu Pucheng suddenly lowered his voice, making a cutting gesture with his hand.

Qi Yue nodded, offering a strained laugh. No one was born knowing how to do this…

"In fact, it’s not just surgery. What doctors must do is become familiar with the body’s internal organs, skin, and blood vessels. Books help, but direct observation is paramount," she whispered back. "So… it must be done… You understand."

Liu Pucheng looked at her and nodded.

He truly understood? Qi Yue was somewhat surprised.

"If you are referring to practice," Liu Pucheng deliberated, then whispered, "I might be able to find a location."

Qi Yue’s eyes widened. No way? Not only did he understand, but he also…?

"You have a source for cadavers too?" she asked in a low, excited tone.

Liu Pucheng looked at her and nodded, and Qi Yue’s eyes instantly lit up.

"Wonderful! That means I can schedule the anatomy class!" she exclaimed.

Liu Pucheng made a shushing gesture and cautiously glanced around.

Even if they had them, they certainly couldn't be discussed openly. Qi Yue understood, nodded, and returned the gesture to quieten down.

"Let me inquire and see what can be arranged," Liu Pucheng whispered.

Qi Yue nodded.

"As soon as possible. I can use the cleft lip and palate surgery as a demonstration first," she whispered. "We can familiarize ourselves with coordination, and the disciples can prepare themselves mentally beforehand."

Liu Pucheng nodded in agreement.

"Master, class is ready," Hu San poked his head in from outside.

He noticed the unusual expressions on the faces of the two masters in the room.

"Master, what were you two discussing?" he asked curiously.

"Too talkative," Liu Pucheng chided, then looked at Qi Yue, recalling the disciples' chatter yesterday: "What is the Madam teaching today? The art of bringing the dead back to life?"

Qi Yue laughed heartily.

"No, it’s artificial respiration and cardiac massage," she replied with a smile. These disciples were exaggerating, calling it the 'art of bringing the dead back to life,' yet in a technical sense, it truly was a resurrection technique.

"That’s right. This is crucial in emergency rescue; sometimes, it really is bringing someone back from the brink," she affirmed.

"I must attend that lesson too," Liu Pucheng quickly said, grabbing his paper and brush.

"There are two types of artificial respiration: mouth-to-mouth and mouth-to-nose…"

"…A'ru, could you demonstrate?"

Watching A'ru lie down on the pre-prepared mat, the disciples crowded closer, fearing they might miss a detail.

Qi Yue knelt down on one knee, explaining as she personally demonstrated, leaning in to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with A'ru. The disciples gasped in astonishment.

When Qi Yue announced that everyone else should practice in pairs, the room erupted into chaos.

"..Stop! Nobody move! Don't mess around!" Hu San jumped out, positioning himself in front of the prone A'ru like a mother hen guarding her chicks, glaring at the disciples with a warning look.

Qi Yue suppressed a smile. A'ru sat up too, shooting Hu San a flushed glare.

"Pair up yourselves and practice on each other; start with the technique," Qi Yue instructed.

Hu San's face instantly turned bright red.

"Oh, like that," he muttered, scratching his head with an embarrassed smile. "You really scared me…"

Beyond shock, there seemed to be a faint shadow of disappointment on his face.

"It seems I need to make a mannequin," Qi Yue said to Liu Pucheng. "This will be much more convenient, and it will simplify my explanations."

"Like the bronze figure in my room?" Liu Pucheng asked.

"No, it needs to be life-sized, the actual human proportion. For the material, let's use wood," Qi Yue decided.

"Master, I’ll handle that," Hu San volunteered.

Qi Yue nodded. To date, Hu San had managed all the fabrication of equipment. This young man might lack talent in medicine itself, but his mind was sharp, and his ability to conceptualize and build was strong.

"We will repeat today's lesson during the breaks. Everyone should practice frequently when you have free time. For us medical practitioners, there are no shortcuts; it is just extensive observation and rigorous practice," Qi Yue clapped her hands, concluding the lecture for the day.

"Thank you for your teaching, Master."

Watching the entire room of disciples bow in unison, Qi Yue smiled slightly self-consciously. The profound loneliness and isolation brought by the distant time period were greatly diminished. Perhaps, regardless of ancient or modern times, as long as one knew what they were meant to do and actively pursued it, life could be lived well.