"I am a physician."
Rong Zhi offered a brief explanation. After taking the girl's pulse, she had a general understanding of her condition.
She took a pill from her sachet and fed it to the girl, then pressed an acupuncture point on her chest.
As she worked, the girl's breathing gradually steadied, and her complexion improved. However, due to her severe breathing, she couldn't help but cough a few times.
Cui Xi, who had initially wanted to stop this unknown person, was now simply astonished.
This girl had actually managed to alleviate her young lady's asthma so easily!
What kind of medicine was this miraculous?
"Young lady, are you alright now?"
Cui Xi, both surprised and delighted, quickly helped Zhang Yaping to sit up.
Zhang Yaping took a long breath and sighed, looking up at the sky.
"Damn, that scared me to death, I thought I was going to die!"
After catching her breath, Zhang Yaping finally turned her gaze to Rong Zhi, offering a grateful smile.
"Thank you so much, I've truly met a good person today."
"You're welcome."
Rong Zhi smiled, clearly in a good mood. This was like a pillow appearing just when one felt sleepy.
"Ten taels for the consultation fee."
"Ten taels?"
Cui Xi's eyes widened. "That's too expensive! Just a couple of casual presses, and ten taels of silver?"
"Cui Xi!"
Zhang Yaping shot Cui Xi a look. "She saved my life. Ten taels of silver is nothing. Even a hundred taels would be deserved!"
Such a fuss would make others think she was penniless.
"Quick, give the divine physician a hundred taels!"
"Ah?"
Cui Xi's jaw dropped.
The other person asked for ten taels, and her young lady voluntarily increased it to a hundred!
Young lady, money isn't meant to be spent like this!
"Hurry up!"
Zhang Yaping urged her again. Cui Xi reluctantly took out the money pouch, but before she could open it, Zhang Yaping snatched it away.
"So slow..."
Zhang Yaping grumbled, dissatisfied, and thrust the entire pouch into Rong Zhi's hand without even looking.
"Divine physician, good deeds are rewarded! My name is Zhang Yaping, and my father is Magistrate Zhang of our Changping County. If you ever need anything, come to the Zhang mansion to find me. I'll spare no effort!"
After speaking, Zhang Yaping patted her chest heartily.
"...Alright, Miss is straightforward."
Rong Zhi paused, then readily agreed. She needed money, after all, and she wouldn't be polite.
After parting ways with the two, Rong Zhi actually felt a little guilty.
She had initially quoted a high price of ten taels of silver because she saw the young lady was well-dressed and had a maidservant.
She hadn't expected the young lady to offer a hundred taels, which had indeed surprised her.
Without dwelling on it, Rong Zhi found a pharmacy by the roadside and bought centipedes, scorpions, and colorful spiders.
These poisonous insects were not common, but they weren't unheard of. However, their rarity made them expensive, and after the purchase, a significant portion of Rong Zhi's money was gone.
Considering Xia Yunting's weakened state due to his injury, Rong Zhi also bought some chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Although it didn't cost much, it gave Rong Zhi a strong feeling: she was short of money!
It seemed the next few days would be very busy.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yaping was still reveling in the joy of having escaped death.
"Today was truly lucky. If I hadn't met this doctor, I would have died on the street."
Cui Xi wholeheartedly agreed, but she felt even more heartbroken about the money pouch she had given away – over a hundred taels!
"Young lady, we should hurry to the Ji Shi Tang. Divine Physician Chu still hasn't woken up. If we don't find a doctor soon, he'll die of starvation even if he doesn't die of illness."
"Alright, let's go find a doctor..."
They stopped mid-sentence, exchanged a look, and simultaneously thought of something.
Wasn't that the doctor they just met? And she seemed quite skilled.
"Cui Xi! Hurry, chase after her!"
"Yes, young lady!"
Half an hour later, the master and servant met again at the same spot.
They leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.
"I can't... Young lady, my legs are almost worn out... and I still, I still haven't found her!"
"That's strange. How can a living person just disappear?"
"Young lady, that girl didn't recognize you. She's probably from out of town. Perhaps we should find another doctor."
"No! We've already seen several doctors, and Divine Physician Chu is still unresponsive. There aren't many skilled physicians like Divine Physician Chu in Changping County! I must find that doctor! Cui Xi, let's go back and ask Father to have the constable help us!"
Zhang Yaping made up her mind and turned to head back to the Zhang mansion.
Cui Xi hurried after her.
"Young lady, wait for me!"
Inside the haunted house, Xia Yunting stretched his wrists, feeling all his bones were soft.
As a martial artist, lying down for too long was not good.
He clenched his fists, preparing to practice a set of movements to stretch his muscles and bones.
As soon as he made the first move, he heard a stern voice.
"Xia Yunting, what are you doing?"
Rong Zhi stood at the doorway, holding a box and a pile of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, her face stern.
"Xiao Mo, you're back?"
Xia Yunting stopped his move and smiled.
Rong Zhi, however, rushed over, her face cold. "What did I tell you? You can't circulate your internal energy while recovering. You need to rest. Why are you out of bed?"
"I didn't use internal energy, I was just practicing some moves..."
"If you don't listen to me, then there's no point in treating you. Figure it out yourself!"
Rong Zhi didn't listen to his explanation at all. With a cold face, she uttered these words and turned to go into the kitchen to process the poisonous insects.
Xia Yunting stood frozen.
Why was she so angry?
He thought he had been obedient today, not even crying out when the detoxification was so painful.
All because he got out of bed to move around?
This young girl... although she was quite amusing when angry, sometimes she was also... inexplicably confusing.
What confused him even more was yet to come.
By evening, Rong Zhi seemed to have calmed down. A smile bloomed on her face, and she cheerfully prepared a table full of dishes.
Stewed chicken soup, steamed fish, stir-fried greens, meat buns...
Looking at the table laden with food, and then at the bright, sunny smile of the person opposite him, Xia Yunting suddenly had a strong premonition.
She wouldn't poison him out of anger, would she?
He didn't move, cleared his throat, and forced a smile. "Why did you cook so much food? It must have been too much trouble for you. I can just eat a little."
Rong Zhi rolled her eyes inwardly. If you weren't a patient, I wouldn't bother serving you, you big liar!
Disobeying medical advice and faking amnesia to deceive people, let's see how I'll teach you a lesson later.
Thinking this inwardly, her smile deepened, and her voice became incredibly gentle.
"Um... I spoke too harshly earlier. I apologize. Don't be angry, it's bad for your health. I was worried about you, and I was too anxious."
This reason sounded plausible.
However, Xia Yunting still didn't move.
Rong Zhi propped her chin on her hand, looking expectant. Seeing Xia Yunting's expression, her face suddenly fell.
"You're not eating? Are you still angry with me? Or is my cooking not to your taste, making it difficult for you to swallow?"
"No..." Xia Yunting's gaze shifted as he searched for words to deflect. Suddenly, he found a topic.
"Xiao Mo, can you tell me about the past? I feel like my memory is returning."
"Oh?" Rong Zhi drew out the syllable, her expression inquisitive. "What do you remember?"
Xia Yunting hesitated, his gaze drifting into the distance, as if he were truly reminiscing.
"I remember us riding horses, galloping through the night, with many assassins chasing us. I wanted to protect you in my arms, but you refused, insisting on standing behind me."
A mix of truth and lies, his expression was sincere, his eyes filled with fear, heartache, and regret, a veritable kaleidoscope.
Such great acting! Rong Zhi thought he would be too wasted as a general; he should be an opera singer.
Fine, since he brought it up, she wouldn't hold back.
When it came to fabricating stories, Rong Zhi was number one, and no one dared to claim second.
Rong Zhi sighed, putting on a tragic expression.
"That's right... but do you remember who you offended?"
"That... not yet." Xia Yunting shook his head regretfully.
"Speaking of which, it truly was a fated entanglement!"
Move aside, I'm about to start lying!
Xia Yunting watched intently, curious to see what she would come up with.
"Do you know, the first time I saw you, you were being ravaged by several female bandits... like this and like that! The scene... tsk tsk tsk, it was truly unbearable to watch..."
Rong Zhi spoke, making grasping gestures with her hands. When she finished, she clutched her chest as if heartbroken, as if recalling a deeply embarrassing scene.
Xia Yunting's face instantly darkened.
Bandits...
"Xiao Mo, didn't you say I was a general from the imperial city? Then I should be highly skilled in martial arts. How could I have been captured by bandits?"
"Yes... ordinary bandits couldn't have captured you, but those three bandits were no ordinary people. They... had someone behind them!"
Rong Zhi was quite enjoying his flustered expression.
Serves you right for faking amnesia.
"Oh my... you have no idea how fierce the battle was! Clothes were scattered everywhere!"
She held up three fingers.
"Three women! A whole three of them! When I went in, you were being pinned down on the bed by them..."
"Wait a moment!"
Xia Yunting held up a hand to stop Rong Zhi.
He couldn't listen any longer; he wouldn't be able to eat if he heard more.
"Xiao Mo, you don't need to say that. Who was the person behind them?"
Um... that...
Rong Zhi's eyes darted around, and inspiration struck.
"The Third Princess of the current dynasty, Princess Ning Hui!"
Xia Yunting was taken aback. She was quite good at picking people for her stories.
A gentle and serene face appeared in his mind, though somewhat blurred. However, the repeated calls of "Brother Yunting" seemed to transcend time and space, still clear.
His voice slowed down. "How did I offend this princess?"
"What other grudges can there be between a man and a woman, other than a debt of love?"
Rong Zhi recalled the rumors she had heard on the street and spoke even more fluently.
"You and Princess Ning Hui were childhood sweethearts and had a very close relationship. Princess Ning Hui was very fond of you and originally planned to ask the Emperor for a marriage decree when you grew up. However, you were clueless and didn't like Princess Ning Hui at all."
"Princess Ning Hui was so noble; she felt insulted and found subordinates to impersonate bandits and capture you, wanting to teach you a lesson. She never expected that those subordinates, seeing how handsome you were, would develop inappropriate intentions and want to possess you. They found a cave, drugged you, stripped you..."
"Ahem, so you saved me, right?"
Xia Yunting interrupted her at the opportune moment.
"Yes," Rong Zhi nodded, then feigned a sigh. "Alas, Princess Ning Hui, knowing you had been... so and so by her subordinates, no longer liked you. You were heartbroken at the time. By chance, I saved you, so you insisted on marrying me afterward, and I couldn't stop you!"
Xia Yunting was exasperated. He insisted on marrying her? It sounded so real.
Rong Zhi was still engrossed in the plot.
"I said I wouldn't marry you, but you knelt with three kowtows at my medical hall's door for three days and nights, even threatening me with suicide – cutting your wrists, hanging yourself, slitting your throat, starving... you stood in the rain all night and developed a high fever, and I had to take care of you... alas, it was all by chance, fate playing tricks!"
Rong Zhi became more and more invested, blackening Xia Yunting's name completely.
Xia Yunting's expression grew darker, but he still had to maintain a smile.
The meal ended amidst Rong Zhi's nonsensical storytelling.
Having successfully played a trick on Xia Yunting, Rong Zhi felt refreshed.
However, that night, Rong Zhi regretted it.
"Xia Yunting, what are you doing?"
"Xiao Mo, we're husband and wife. Why are you keeping so far away from me? Come here."