The young man saw her skilled actions and couldn't help but treat her as a female doctor, nodding repeatedly as he said, "Yes, yes, my wife and I take turns staying by my mother's side every day so that she is never left alone."
Xia Qingyu nodded and smiled, "That is good. Additionally, when she has an episode, you must lay her down slowly to avoid injury from hitting or falling due to overly hurried movements. Your actions just now were a bit too rough."
"Mm, mm, I understand." The young man nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. By now, the woman's limbs had finally stopped twitching, though she had not yet regained consciousness. Xia Qingyu continued, "When her limbs are twitching, do not press down on them with force, or you might break her bones. Your control should be gentle. Also, when she has an episode, you should take advantage of the moment before her teeth clench to place a handkerchief, towel, or similar item between them to prevent her from biting her tongue."
"Right, right, the last time my mother had an episode, she nearly bit her tongue off and lost a lot of blood." The young man's eyes shone; he was already treating Xia Qingyu's words as if they were an Imperial Edict.
"Yes, you see, by placing something there, her teeth cannot close, and she won't bite her tongue, but it must be something soft." Xia Qingyu said this and pointed to the woman's head, "Also, you must turn her head to the side to prevent her from choking on vomit, which can sometimes cause her to suffocate to death. If there is any vomit left in her mouth, you must clear it out. Once she is no longer choking, after clearing the vomit, give her a few breaths mouth-to-mouth." People in ancient times did not know the difference between the esophagus and the trachea, so Xia Qingyu had to simplify. Fortunately, the young man was very experienced; hearing this, he suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. I heard my mother say that my grandfather died of suffocation during an epilepsy episode."
It turned out to be a family history. Xia Qingyu couldn't help but feel great sympathy for the woman. She gave the young man some more advice on what to pay attention to during an epilepsy episode, including loosening collars and belts. The young man seemed to be a filial child and listened very carefully, not finding anything inappropriate. Lu Yunxiao, however, frowned slightly behind them. Although he knew this was first-aid knowledge, he still felt uncomfortable that Xia Qingyu would speak so unreservedly to a man about things like loosening belts.
"That is basically all that can be done; the rest is to do our best and leave the rest to fate." After giving her instructions, Xia Qingyu clapped her hands and stood up. Epilepsy was an incurable, difficult disease even in modern times, let alone in ancient times. Although acupuncture could slightly alleviate the condition, it was far inferior to modern medical means. Moreover, the woman's condition was currently stable, so she did not need to use needles, and she did not take out her silver box.
"Thank you, female doctor, thank you so much. Today, it is all thanks to you..." The young man also stood up and bowed sincerely to thank Xia Qingyu. He saw her turn her head, look at Lu Yunxiao with a smile, and say, "I believe the Young Marquis's actions were unintentional, but this auntie did indeed have an episode. As for this... shouldn't you show some gesture?"
Lu Yunxiao glared at her and said coldly, "I don't need you to tell me that. Do you think I lack even that much responsibility?" After speaking, he stepped forward and said to the young man, "Regarding your mother, it was indeed my unintentional mistake, and I am very sorry. Here is about fifty taels of silver; consider it medical fees." As he spoke, he took a money pouch from his chest and handed it to the young man.
"Ah... there is no need for so much..." The young man was stunned. Fifty taels of silver! He and his father couldn't earn that much even after working early and late for three years. Therefore, the young man waved his hands repeatedly. Although Lu Yunxiao's words were sincere, he felt a deep fear in his heart for this handsome man with a noble temperament who was imposing without being angry.
"If I tell you to take it, then take it." Lu Yunxiao did not want to waste words and tossed the brocade pouch to the young man without further argument. He turned around, only to see that Xia Qingyu had already shouldered that large package and walked a dozen steps away.
"Master, should I go after the Eldest Madam and bring her back?"
The servant boy Zhao Yun stepped forward to ask tentatively, but he saw Lu Yunxiao shake his head, then narrow his eyes slightly and say, "It seems her mind is made up; even if I chase her, she won't come back. Let's go, let's return." Strange, has this woman really changed her temperament? But as the saying goes, it is easier to change rivers and mountains than a person's true nature. Xia Qingyu could be domineering, arrogant, vicious, and unreasonable, but how could she have such a cold and dashing side? Could it be that she really died once, and thus was reborn from the ashes like a phoenix? That's too ridiculous, right?
"Hey, where is the female doctor? I... I haven't paid the medical fee yet." The young man shouted from behind. Lu Yunxiao paused his steps, but immediately continued walking forward with long strides. Although he was also curious, he ultimately resisted the urge to look back.
"I really couldn't tell, the Eldest Madam still has quite a bit of strength; she's already gone so far in just this short time. It was a waste to benefit that kid; the master actually gave him fifty taels of silver, and the Eldest Madam didn't even want the money..."
The gossip of the servant boy beside him reached his ears, and Lu Yunxiao realized: the young man hadn't called Xia Qingyu back. That woman, she had truly made up her mind to leave, leaving without looking back.
How could this be? Lu Yunxiao really couldn't believe this was something Xia Qingyu would do. Her determination to leave, despite his attempts to keep her, was so resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.
However... this was also good. Heaven and earth can bear witness; apart from deep-seated hatred, he had no feelings left for that woman. Never seeing each other again in this life was the best ending for him, and perhaps for her as well.
Returning to the Marquis's Estate, before he could even enter the door, he saw a rider galloping toward him. The rider pulled the reins and stopped abruptly in front of Lu Yunxiao, then dismounted cleanly and bowed before Lu Yunxiao, saying, "Lord Lu, the Emperor has an oral decree: summon Lord Lu to the North Study Room in the palace immediately for an audience."
"What happened?" Lu Yunxiao's heart tightened. If it were not a major emergency, the Emperor would not have dispatched a second-class guard of the Imperial Guards to summon him to the palace, so his first instinct was that something big had happened.
"I do not know the specifics, but I heard it has something to do with the flood disaster in Jiangnan."
"Jiangnan flood disaster? When did this happen? It has only just turned spring, how could there be a flood?" Lu Yunxiao was shocked; he had not yet heard this news. However, the second-class guard soon gave him the answer: "The news just arrived via an eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch."
Lu Yunxiao understood. He pondered for a moment before saying, "I will return to visit my grandmother, then I will enter the palace."
The second-class guard was a bit strange, secretly thinking that at such an urgent moment, he still wanted to visit his grandmother? Was the Old Madam sick? Of course, he could not ask this out loud, so he agreed. Seeing Lu Yunxiao enter the door, he mounted his horse and rode away in a cloud of dust.
Meanwhile, Xia Qingyu, who had already walked out of Hongang Street, was discussing their next direction with the two maidservants.
"You saw the Young Marquis's attitude just now, he... he, he, he actually chased after us. Well, although I also think that a man like him, having been rejected once, would definitely not have the face to chase me a second time, but, but, we must take precautions, understand?"
Xia Qingyu emphasized with a serious expression. Bai Kou and Bai Wei nodded like chickens pecking at rice on the side; anyway, just listening to their Master was the right thing to do. Although they already knew that the body in front of them was no longer the real Master, the two maidservants chose to forget this point in unison, still treating Xia Qingyu as the Master they served and loved in their daily lives.
"Therefore, we must not stay in the Capital City." After a sufficiently exaggerated buildup, Xia Qingyu stated her conclusion. Then the two maidservants stopped nodding and looked at her blankly together. Bai Kou hesitated and said, "Then... if not in the Capital City, where should we go? Does Madam have a place to go?"
"Hmm, how about we go to Jiangnan? After all, there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below." Xia Qingyu considered for a while, and her opening statement was shocking: from the Capital City to Jiangnan was more than just a thousand miles away. Just looking at the shocked expressions of the two maidservants with their wide eyes, she knew her leap in logic was a bit too large.
However, Xia Qingyu was truly longing for Jiangnan. In her previous life, she went to a hospital in a poverty-stricken county in Guizhou because of her physician's benevolence, as that place needed her help more than Jiangnan. But in this life, the situation in the Yunnan-Guizhou region was much more complex than in her previous life. And no matter how prosperous this fictional historical era was, the poor common people still made up the majority, and there were people in need of help everywhere. In this situation, she wanted to be selfish once and satisfy her long-held wish.
The autumn wind and fierce horses of the northern frontier, the spring rain and apricot blossoms of Jiangnan.
These two lines of lyrics she loved in her previous life flashed through her mind, and her yearning for Jiangnan deepened. In an instant, Xia Qingyu wished she could grow wings and fly to that misty water town right now, to enjoy the Jiangnan splendor of the second month when the grass grows and the warblers fly.
Regarding Xia Qingyu's decision, although Bai Kou and Bai Wei were a bit puzzled, they did not ask much. They subconsciously defined this decision of their Master as "staying away from a place of heartbreak," and as such, the two maidservants naturally raised their hands in support of Xia Qingyu's decision.
After clarifying the direction, Xia Qingyu stood up and walked toward a nearby carriage and horse transport office. Hearing Bai Kou ask what she was doing, she couldn't help but give a wry smile: "We are going to Jiangnan, are we supposed to carry these three large packages? We would be exhausted to death, so of course, we need to rent a carriage."
Bai Wei said on the side, "Rent a carriage specifically to go to Jiangnan? The cost is too expensive. Furthermore, the three of us are weak women carrying three such large packages; who knows what we might encounter on the road? What if the carriage driver sees our wealth and decides to harm us? This servant thinks it is not safe. If you ask me, why don't we pawn or sell the bedding, fabric, and jewelry in the packages that can be sold, and then travel light to Jiangnan? Wouldn't that be better?"
"Eh? Bai Wei's idea is better." Xia Qingyu clapped her hands and laughed, "Yes, how could I forget that there are pawnshops in ancient times that accept these things? Let's go, let's go pawn these things."
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