Bai Banxia ignored Bai Shui completely and said to Doctor Xu, "It’s because a small bone fragment is stuck in my grandfather’s trachea, causing excess phlegm. Since the fragment injured the trachea, there is blood when he coughs it up."
Doctor Xu looked surprised. "How do you know?"
Bai Shui felt ignored and became even more displeased. "How long has it been since the family last ate meat? Where would a bone fragment come from?"
"This illness didn’t start today or yesterday; it’s been at least half a month. I remember Grandfather had chicken soup more than half a month ago," Bai Banxia said.
Bai Shui had a somewhat long face and slanted eyes; he looked quite fierce when he glared at people. In her predecessor’s memories, she had seen her second uncle hit her second aunt after drinking, so she both feared and disliked him.
"What do you mean? Wasn’t it just a bowl of chicken soup your second aunt brought back from her parents’ house half a month ago? Are you holding a grudge because you didn’t get any?" Bai Shui looked aggressive and spat on the ground. "A money-losing wretch living off the family for free, yet you’ve learned how to throw mud at others."
"I’m just telling the truth to save a life. Don’t assume everyone is as calculating as you." Bai Banxia rolled her eyes at him.
"You know medicine?" Doctor Xu asked with interest.
Bai Banxia nodded. "When I wasn’t at home before, I was learning medicine from a master."
"Who is your master?" Doctor Xu asked.
"She said she came from a hidden medical sect and wouldn’t tell me her name, only letting me call her 'Master.' It wasn't until a few days ago that she said she had taught me enough and was going to continue her travels. She instructed me to practice medicine and save lives, not to fail her expectations." Bai Banxia made up the story quite convincingly, without even blinking or blushing.
"A hidden medical sect? Why didn’t you say so sooner!" Doctor Xu’s eyes lit up.
Bai Banxia acted innocent. "My master didn’t allow me to speak of it before. I couldn’t disobey her orders."
Doctor Xu was somewhat disappointed. "Did she say when she would return?"
Bai Banxia shook her head. "She said we would meet again if fate allows."
"The phlegm is indeed strange. Could it really be a bone fragment?" Doctor Xu said thoughtfully. "If that’s the case, the condition will keep recurring. Can you treat it?"
"I can, it’s just…"
Before Bai Banxia could finish, she was interrupted by Bai Shui. "Doctor Xu, don’t listen to her nonsense. If she really had some master, wouldn’t they have cured her of all that fat?"
After Bai Shui spoke, the room erupted in laughter filled with deep disdain.
Old Mrs. Bai and Bai Shui’s wife, Mrs. Xu, were both laughing. Even the wife of the eldest son, Bai Shan, who hadn’t spoken, curled her lips. Bai Shui’s son, Sanlang, laughed particularly boisterously.
"She probably heard some stories somewhere and is pretending to be a doctor, making up some master. If there really was some divine doctor, would they take an interest in a pig like her?" the Old Lady echoed.
Sanlang clutched his stomach, doubled over with laughter. "Bai Banxia, you’re bragging too much. If a useless waste like you can practice medicine, the sun will rise from the west."
He was a year younger than Bai Banxia, but he called her by her name directly, looking down on his cousin from the bottom of his heart.
"Second Brother, you guys…" This time, even Bai Tian was angry.
Facing these mocking faces, Bai Banxia didn't care at all, because she would soon slap these fools in the face.
"What if I can treat him?" she asked, looking provocatively at Bai Shui and Sanlang.
Bai Shui spat. "You? Besides eating and getting fat, what else can you do? If you can cure him, I’ll write my name backwards!"
"Why don’t we make a bet?" A glint flashed in Bai Banxia’s eyes. "If I fail to remove the bone fragment for Grandfather, I will marry Wang Han of my own accord. If I succeed, you will give me two taels of silver."
She said the last part to the Old Lady because the Old Lady was the one in charge of the family's money.
"Banxia!" Zhang Lingzhi grew anxious. Her daughter couldn’t marry Wang Han, that cruel man who had beaten his first wife to death.
Bai Banxia gave her mother a playful wink, signaling her to trust her. Zhang Lingzhi opened her mouth but ultimately chose to believe her daughter.
"Two taels of silver? Do you think you’re worth that much?" As soon as money was mentioned, the Old Lady acted like a fighting cock, stretching her neck and shouting.
"Didn’t you call me a stupid pig and a waste? Why are you scared now?" She then looked at Doctor Xu. "Doctor Xu, please be a witness. I’ll tell you how I’ll use the medicine and the needles, and you judge if it’s correct. Also, please lend me your silver needles."
"Fine," Doctor Xu said, generously taking out his needle pouch.
Bai Banxia hadn't been able to help the Old Master remove the fragment before mainly because she didn't have silver needles. She had originally planned to wait a couple of days for the Divine Doctor System to level up so she could get a set of silver needles. But since things had come to this, she could only borrow Doctor Xu's for now.
Bai Tian chimed in cleverly, "Why has Second Brother stopped talking? Could it be that you’re afraid of losing the bet and don’t dare to agree? Doesn’t that mean you actually believe Banxia can cure Father but are intentionally blocking her because you don't want Father to get well?"
"Bullshit! What am I afraid of? A bet is a bet! Just don’t go trying to kill yourself later to avoid letting your daughter marry Wang Han," Bai Shui said, giving the Old Lady a look.
The Old Lady thought it over and agreed. As long as her 'precious treasure' stopped making a scene, and the Fat Girl married Wang Han, they could even get some betrothal money back.
"A bet it is. I refuse to believe a pig can climb a tree," the Old Lady replied.
"Remember what you said."
Bai Banxia then explained the prescription to Doctor Xu. It wasn't an overly complex formula. After listening, Doctor Xu fell silent for a moment and asked about the purpose of one of the herbs. Bai Banxia explained patiently, and Doctor Xu nodded repeatedly, his eyes brightening.
"This is a good prescription. How many doses will it take to expel it?" he asked.
"Only one dose, combined with acupuncture." Bai Banxia then explained the acupuncture technique.
The more Doctor Xu listened, the more excited he became. "This technique is too difficult, far too difficult! Can you really do it?"
Bai Banxia nodded without much explanation. Such a complex technique couldn’t be explained clearly to someone who hadn't learned it.
"Good, good! You’ve truly met a wonderful master!" Doctor Xu praised her incessantly.
Seeing Doctor Xu like this, the expressions of the Bai family members changed. Had the Fat Girl really learned medicine?
Bai Tian and Zhang Lingzhi were naturally full of pride. The eldest uncle, Bai Shan, showed a look of relief, while his wife looked at her with more scrutiny. Even the Old Lady was genuinely happy for the Old Master when she heard his illness could be cured quickly.
Only Bai Shui’s family of three looked displeased.
Bai Banxia’s prescription consisted of common herbs, all of which were in Doctor Xu’s medicine chest, and they were soon prepared.
"I’ll go brew the medicine." Zhang Lingzhi was more cautious this time; she was going to keep a close eye on the brew and let no one near it.
Brewing medicine took time, so Doctor Xu sat down to drink tea and chatted with Bai Banxia about the way of medicine. Bai Banxia answered everything, and the two conversed very congenially.
Although the others couldn’t understand medical theory, they could see that Bai Banxia truly knew her stuff.
And many times, Doctor Xu’s tone was actually one of asking for advice?
He was the most experienced doctor for miles around, usually somewhat arrogant, yet now he was humbly asking a young girl for advice?