The young woman came for her consultation accompanied by her husband, whose surname was Hu.
The Hu couple had been referred by the young girl with dysmenorrhea from before.
Because that young girl’s abdominal pain had eased significantly that month, acting as a thoroughly enthusiastic advocate, she had vigorously promoted him to almost everyone she knew, appending the remark, “And the doctor is extremely good-looking.”
Originally, upon encountering a good physician, the couple had been very happy, but because of that remark, the Hu couple grew full of misgivings regarding the doctor’s medical skills.
Could it be that the young girl had been bedazzled by the doctor’s face? That was why she thought his medical skill was good.
Yet the repeated miscarriages had left the Hu couple with absolutely no other options, so they still decided to try their luck at the medical stall.
Shi Mu inquired in detail about Mrs. Hu’s condition.
Her past five miscarriages had all followed nearly the same pattern: each time, at a little over a month along, unexplained abdominal pain would strike, accompanied by slight vaginal bleeding.
The family ran a small business and was reasonably well-off. However, the continuous miscarriages of his wife had thrown the entire family into a panic.
After seeking medical help from numerous sources to no avail, they attributed the cause to poor feng shui in their home.
From then on, ritual after ritual commenced, and the orientations of the main gate, the stove, and even the bedroom were shifted one by one.
Naturally, it had zero effect, and his wife still miscarried.
If a woman experiences three or more consecutive spontaneous miscarriages before twenty-eight weeks of gestation, it is classified as habitual miscarriage.
The causes of this medical condition are numerous, including chromosomal abnormalities in both spouses, endocrine disorders, infections, and even immunological factors.
None of these could be detected through the diagnostic methods of ancient medicine, such as looking, listening, questioning, and feeling the pulse.
Shi Mu examined Mrs. Hu, and the eugenic screening indicated a high probability of toxoplasma gondii infection.
Following a toxoplasma infection, most cases are asymptomatic, but if the infected individual is a pregnant woman, it can lead to miscarriage.
Shi Mu raised his head and asked the two of them, “Do the two of you keep cats at home?”
The Hu couple dropped their jaws and asked in unison, “How did you know?”
Cats are the definitive hosts of toxoplasma gondii. Moreover, ancient times lacked scientific feeding methods, making it impossible to regularly deworm or vaccinate pets, which only raised the probability of infection.
“Because my examination results tell me that the reason for your repeated miscarriages is very likely due to keeping cats.”
Brother Hu dared not believe it even more: “You’re saying the reason Rongrong keeps miscarrying is because of cats?”
Shi Mu nodded, “Very likely.”
Already harboring doubts about this doctor, such an absurd claim that cats could cause miscarriages made it even harder for the couple to believe.
The husband was even more puzzled, “Those cats neither scratched my wife nor bit her, how could they make my wife miscarry?”
Shi Mu also opened his mouth, “Those?”
Through Mrs. Hu’s explanation, Shi Mu learned that the couple treated cats as their lives, keeping cats year-round. At most, they had over a dozen, though only three remained now: one named Black Cloud, one named Chiyu, and one named Golden Tiger.
The man still refused to believe the claim that cats could cause miscarriages; many of his friends kept cats, yet none of their families had ever encountered such a thing.
“Could such a tiny cat really have such great capability?”
Doctor Shi offered a serious popular science lesson: “Cats can contract an organism called toxoplasma. Once it enters the human body, it causes miscarriages. Think back: have the cats you kept ever shown symptoms like fever or refusing to eat? Pregnant mother cats would also miscarry.”
At this, the expressions of the young couple shifted.
This Geer physician not only guessed that they kept cats at home, but could even guess the cats’ illnesses.
Indeed, over the past two years, due to the exact same condition of fever and refusing to eat, three cats had already sickened and died at home. Moreover, a mother cat had bled to death shortly after becoming pregnant, and another cat had given birth to a stillborn fetus after conceiving.
Could it truly be because of the cats?
This left the man with no choice but to believe. Recalling his wife’s repeated miscarriages over the past two years, he was suddenly filled with a bellyful of fiery rage and raged, “No wonder! Always miscarrying like this for no apparent reason—forget it! I’m going back right now to throw all those little beasts out!”
Shi Mu:
“Brother, I know you’re anxious, but don’t be anxious yet.” He consoled them gently, “The cats are innocent, and it’s pitiful when they get sick too. These cats have accompanied you for so long, can your heart bear to do it?”
Actually, putting aside the talk, the couple had raised the cats for so long and shared deep emotional attachments with them—how could they bear to toss them out?
The young couple found themselves in a bind, drooping the corners of their brows as they asked, “Doctor, what should we do now then?”
The young master pondered slightly, a flash of brightness crossing his eyes, “Minor issue! I’ll help you cure the cats as well!”
His medical space contained pet deworming medicine, which naturally allowed him to treat the cats.
In the modern era, once the dangers of toxoplasma became clear, many people went to extremes, viewing pets as mortal enemies of the fetus, and would unhesitatingly send away or even abandon their cats and dogs upon becoming pregnant or planning pregnancy.
In truth, as long as regular deworming and vaccinations are carried out, pregnant women staying alongside cats will not affect the fetus.
The young couple lived at the eastern corner of Ping’an Ward, taking half an hour of walking to arrive.
Just stepping into the courtyard, they heard overlapping meowing sounds. A black and a white kitten were curled up on the window sill soaking in the sun, while atop the low wall on the right, a tabby cat was walking with its tail cocked and a haughty stride.
It was evident the owners took good care of them, as their fur was glossy and sleek.
Yet closer inspection revealed that the white Chiyu lacked spirit, with clear nasal discharge flowing from its nose, lying lazily without moving.
The symptoms of toxoplasma infection resembled a cold: fever, loss of appetite, and nasal discharge.
Seeing their owners return, the black cat Black Cloud and the yellow tabby trotted over excitedly, rubbing affectionately against the couple’s legs.
Yet seeing these cats now, the couple’s emotions were extremely complex, and neither knew whether they should pick the cats up and tease them as they used to do.
What needed to be done right now was to check if the cats were infected with toxoplasma.
The couple had prepared several mounds of earth in the corner of the courtyard for the cats to use as latrines, serving a function similar to modern cat litter.
After waiting a moment, a cat walked over to the earth mound, arched its back, and defecated.
Seizing the opportunity, Shi Mu put on gloves, retrieved a fresh fecal sample, and tested it. Sure enough, toxoplasma infection was present.
Modern people practice eugenics, undergoing various necessary prenatal checkups before every pregnancy.
Lacking examination and treatment methods in ancient times, tragic cases of toxoplasma infections leading to miscarriages and rubella virus infections leading to congenitally deaf or congenitally diseased children probably played out daily among ancient pregnant women.
Shi Mu prescribed deworming medication for the kittens, and additionally prescribed modern medical antibiotic drugs used to treat toxoplasma for both husband and wife.
The husband was utterly perplexed, “Why do I need to take them too?”
The doctor asked with a beaming smile, “Care to take a guess?”
It was the wife who figured it out first: “Since I caught the bugs, he must have them too?”
The little Geer nodded, “Sister is smart!”
The husband scratched his head in embarrassed laughter.
After contracting toxoplasma, a man’s semen will also carry it, spreading it mutually through sexual intercourse, which is why both spouses must undergo treatment.
“As long as you properly deworm these cats and both of you undergo proper treatment, the next child will have no more problems.”
After the consultation, no matter what, the couple insisted on escorting Shi Mu out of their home, and Black Cloud and Golden Tiger followed along too, meowing persistently.
The weather had been somewhat gloomy when Shi Mu arrived; right now, the sky was covered in thick dark clouds, brewing an impending evening rain.
Shi Mu quickened his pace, but just as he reached Liuli Alley, heavy rain poured down in a downpour.
Seeing him, the owner of Chunshi Tower waved from afar, “Doctor Shi, come inside to dodge the rain.”
Shi Mu ran into Chunshi Tower, offering a radiant smile, “Thank you, Boss He!”
Boss He also smiled and said, “Doctor Shi is too polite.”
Although Doctor Shi was a Geer, not only was his medical skill exquisite, but the smile between his brows also radiated warmth straight from the heart, making it hard for anyone not to like him.
Especially since he had cured her stubborn shingles, Boss He hadn’t yet had the chance to thank him.
Saying, “Rest a while, I’ll brew a cup of tea for you.”
The little Geer’s eyes shone like stars: “With such a great boss here at Chunshi Tower, prosperity is guaranteed!”
Boss He beamed from ear to ear, “Thanks for your auspicious words, Doctor Shi.”
Just as Boss He was about to go brew tea, someone raised their voice from the second floor: “Boss He, no need to brew any. Just have Doctor Shi come up and join me.”
Shi Mu looked up and saw Prince Jing Xie Xu leaning against the railing, watching him with a smile.
No wonder Chunshi Tower was so empty—it turned out a prince was present.
Seeing Shi Mu didn’t move, Xie Xu interrogated him: “What, you still don’t want to give this Prince face?”
Though he felt Xie Xu gave off a vibe very eager to gay him, Shi Mu was straight and fearless of gays.
“Thank you, Your Highness, for your care!” Taking the stairs two steps at a time, he only then remembered: with Xie Xu here, Xie Yi was definitely here too.
Sure enough, Xie Yi, dressed in a cyan brocade robe, was seated by the window, holding a teacup and sipping tea. His tall bodyguard stood nearby.
Shi Mu paused in his footsteps, and the other party cast a sideways glance toward him.
He hadn’t looked closely last time in front of Fuyuan Zhai.
At this moment, Xie Yi noticed that within the gaze the little Geer fixed upon him, there was a heavy load of wariness and resistance.
He wore a plain gray cloth tunic, his high ponytail half-dampened by the sudden heavy rain, hanging beside his cheek as he stood in place, frowning and staring intently at him.
In a mere instant, the scene from in front of Fuyuan Zhai flashed through Xie Yi’s mind—the way he had called him “Xie Yi.”
Unreasoning familiarity.
In this world, how could anyone other than His Imperial Brother and Birth Mother address him like that?
Seeing him halt, Xie Xu urged, “Come on, Xiaomu, what’s wrong?”
He directly changed the address to Xiaomu, adopting an intimate posture.
Shi Mu stood for a few seconds, comforting himself that Xie Yi wouldn’t remember anyway, and walked over to sit down openly and generously.
Xie Yi’s personal bodyguard, Cheng Ji, saw a commoner approach without bowing and the character “Da” had barely escaped his lips when Prince Ling already raised a hand to stop him.
Cheng Ji promptly shut his mouth.
Around a four-person table, Xie Xu and Xie Yi sat facing one another, meaning wherever one sat, one was close to Xie Yi.
At such close quarters, seeing Xie Yi’s eyes was inevitable.
That night drifted uncontrollably into his mind, making Shi Mu self-consciously tug at his collar.
Xie Xu didn’t notice anything amiss, asking enthusiastically, “What would Xiaomu like to eat? Today, this Prince is treating.”
The other party thought for a moment, “You’re paying?”
Xie Xu laughed, “Of course! Order whatever you like.”
The little Geer glanced toward the back kitchen not far away, dark eyes reflecting bright smiles, “Then one portion of all the signature dishes?”
Xie Xu burst into loud laughter, “You really don’t hold back at all?” But desiring to curry favor, Shi Mu being unreserved suited him even better. “I heard fresh mandarin fish was just delivered today. Shall I go personally pick a plump one for you?”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Despite the simple expression of gratitude, his voice was crisp, his tone buoyant, and Xie Xu felt it sounded exceptionally pleasant to the ear as he swaggered triumphantly toward the back kitchen.
Shi Mu picked up his teacup and took a sip, only to feel that Xie Yi beside him was watching him.
Raising his head, he indeed bumped into the other party’s slightly appraising gaze.
The man had slender phoenix eyes, with a pale red mole beneath his eye that contrasted against pitch-black pupils like a deep autumn pool. Aside from the provocative smile lingering at the corner of his lips, it was hard to spy any further emotion.
Shi Mu deliberately lowered his brows and glared at him.
Though silent, it was a clear warning.
Xie Yi was utterly bewildered.
This little Geer flashed brilliant smiles and was warm and amiable toward Xie Xu and Boss He, yet the moment he saw him, he became completely different, as if transforming into a little wolf cub ready to pounce and bite him at any second.
He didn’t even know him, surely he hadn’t bullied him before, right?
The moment Shi Mu looked away, he heard the man beside him let out an extremely low chuckle.
Glaring over once more, Xie Yi pressed a fist against his lips, turning his face slightly while his brows and eyes brimmed with a meaningful smile.
Shi Mu felt somewhat stifled inside, unable to realize why he was staring fixedly at him for a long while.
Xie Yi turned his face back, his long lashes drooping slightly as their gazes met.
Shi Mu wanted to warn him to stop staring at him for no reason, but the other party seemed a bit slow and failed to understand his meaning.
Xie Yi simply found this little Geer quite interesting: one moment dissatisfied, the next deep in thought, his brows relaxing then tightening, tightening then relaxing. Though he hadn’t spoken a single word to him, the touching emotional expressions across his brows seemed to convey a thousand words.
When Xie Xu walked over, this was precisely the scene that greeted his eyes.
Shi Mu and Xie Yi exchanged glances—he even suspected his eyes were playing tricks on him. Yet rubbing his eyes, what he saw was still Xie Yi and Shi Mu gazing intently at one another.
Terrified inwardly, he walked over and stared at Xie Yi, demanding, “What is the situation? Imperial Uncle, why are you, you, why are you making eyes at Xiaomu?”
Shi Mu:
Before Shi Mu could defend himself, Xie Yi took the lead, reminding Xie Xu indifferently, “Don’t talk nonsense, lest you ruin Doctor Shi’s innocence.”
Those words almost cut off Shi Mu’s breath, making him grind his molars involuntarily.
And who knew which little bastard had ruined my innocence.