The next morning, Su Qingli bought two buns and went to the backyard to wake Su Changle.
Su Changle was still half-asleep.
“Where are we going?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to treat the county magistrate’s son.”
“Can you say something truthful for once? Where are we actually going?”
Su Changle yawned. He simply did not believe her.
Only when Su Qingli pulled out a medical recruitment notice did Su Changle’s sleepiness completely disappear.
“Su Qingli! Have you gone crazy? The county magistrate’s son isn’t giving birth! What kind of illness could you possibly treat?”
“Su Qingli! You’re really messing around!”
Su Changle stared at her with wide eyes as if she were a lunatic.
Su Qingli ignored him.
“Then don’t come with me.”
Su Changle was momentarily speechless, but he did not stop walking.
“No way.”
The current county magistrate’s surname was Yang.
Two servants guarded the side entrance of the Yang residence. When they saw a man and a woman leading an ox cart toward them, they looked the two of them up and down.
“What do you want?”
Su Qingli handed over the notice.
“I’m here to treat someone.”
The servant froze for a moment. He looked at her, then at the notice, and burst out laughing.
“You?”
“Me.”
“Little girl, this isn’t something to fool around with. You’d better go home, wash up, and properly take care of your husband. Hahaha!”
Before Su Qingli could say anything, Su Changle exploded.
“What did you say?”
The servant rolled his eyes and was about to retort when the back door creaked open.
A young man wearing a sword and dressed like a personal guard walked out with heavy steps. He frowned.
“What are you making such a fuss about?”
The servant immediately replied,
“Mr. Bi, this young girl claims to be a physician who answered the notice, but she doesn’t even have a medicine chest. She’s obviously here to freeload. I was just about to send her away.”
Bi Qian looked Su Qingli up and down, his brows drawing together even more.
“You’re a physician?”
Su Qingli nodded.
“Yes.”
Su Changle glanced at his sister, wanting to say something but holding himself back.
How could his sister be so bold?
She could lie without even blinking.
Bi Qian stared at Su Qingli for a couple of seconds before finally stepping aside.
“Come in.”
Su Changle tried to follow, but Bi Qian stopped him with his sword.
Su Qingli thought for a moment before instructing him,
“Brother, stay outside and take care of Mengmeng. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
Su Changle was uneasy, but he could only nod.
Su Qingli followed Bi Qian inside.
After passing through two courtyards, they arrived at a secluded side courtyard.
The courtyard was not large. Under the corridor stood a handsome, slender young man, also wearing a sword.
He was leaning against a pillar, holding a piece of osmanthus cake in his hand and eating it happily.
When he saw Bi Qian bringing someone over, his eyes lit up. He took another piece out of his sleeve and held it out.
“I just bought these. They’re delicious. Want one?”
Bi Qian’s eyes landed on his greasy fingers and lingered there for a moment.
Then he walked past him expressionlessly.
He did not even spare him a glance.
The young man did not get angry. He withdrew his hand, stuffed the pastry into his own mouth, and chewed as he sized up Su Qingli.
Then he took another piece from his sleeve and smiled as he held it out to Su Qingli.
“Miss, would you like one?”
“Xie Changan!”
Bi Qian suddenly turned around, his eyes filled with warning.
The young man pouted.
“You don’t want one, but you won’t let anyone else eat one either?”
Bi Qian pressed his lips together.
He really could not understand how someone this foolish had ever been selected for the covert guard unit.
He was genuinely afraid that one day an assassin might come to kill them and this man would offer the assassin a pastry instead.
Su Qingli looked at the pastry wrapped in oil paper and accepted it.
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. It’s really delicious.”
Xie Changan’s entire face brightened.
“You’re a female physician? You’re really young!”
Su Qingli smiled politely.
“Hurry up. The young master’s illness can’t be delayed.”
Bi Qian was genuinely impatient. He quickly walked to the door and pushed it open.
A strong medicinal smell immediately rushed out.
Su Qingli was about to step inside when a sword blocked her path.
She turned around.
Bi Qian’s expression remained emotionless.
“Take off your clothes.”
“What are you trying to do?”
Su Qingli immediately became alert and took a defensive stance.
“What do you think I’m trying to do?”
Bi Qian looked her up and down and sneered.
“Search you, of course.”
“Why?”
Su Qingli felt offended.
“Weren’t you the ones who posted the notice asking for a physician? What do you mean by this now?”
“Who knows what you might be carrying that could harm our young master?”
Bi Qian’s expression remained cold.
“Believe me or not, I don’t even care about this job anymore!”
Su Qingli refused to tolerate his attitude and turned to leave.
“Stop!”
With a clang, the long sword was drawn and pressed against her neck.
“You think you can come and go from this place whenever you want?”
Bi Qian’s voice became even colder.
“Take one more step and you’ll be killed without mercy.”
Cold sweat broke out on Su Qingli’s back.
She could tell that this man was not joking.
This was ancient times—a place where someone’s life could be taken for almost any reason.
Su Qingli’s eyes turned cold.
“I’m a woman. You’re a grown man, and you want to search me? Don’t I have a reputation to protect?”
Bi Qian froze, his expression darkening.
“Uh, Bi Qian, she’s right. Men and women should keep their distance.”
Xie Changan hurried over and wiped his mouth.
“Miss, don’t be angry. I’ll go get a maid or an older female servant to search you.”
Su Qingli’s anger subsided slightly.
Bi Qian snorted and sheathed his sword.
Before long, an older female servant arrived and took Su Qingli aside for a simple search.
She returned and nodded at Bi Qian.
“Mr. Bi, she isn’t hiding anything.”
Only then did Bi Qian lead the way inside.
“Come with me.”
The people inside immediately approached when they saw Bi Qian.
“Mr. Bi, the young master’s pulse is much more stable now. Thankfully, my daughter stayed up all night yesterday searching through medical texts and found a prescription that matches his condition.”
It was a man’s voice, and it sounded somewhat familiar.
“Thank you, Doctor Liu. Once the young master wakes up, you will certainly be rewarded handsomely.”
Su Qingli stopped in her tracks.
Doctor Liu?
She poked her head inside and looked.
Well, well.
The white-haired old man standing there wasn’t none other than Liu Guangsheng from her village?
Hah. He had even brought Liu Qianqian along for the consultation.
What a small world.
When Liu Guangsheng heard the movement, he looked up. The moment he saw Su Qingli, his expression changed.
“Why are you here?”
Liu Qianqian also widened her eyes and instinctively took a step backward.
Su Qingli ignored the two of them and looked toward the bed.
Someone was lying on the bed.
The person was wearing a mask that covered his face, revealing only his tightly pressed thin lips and sharp, well-defined jawline.
The mask was different, but Su Qingli immediately recognized that chin.
So he was the county magistrate’s son.
It seemed that he had been rescued by people from the county government that day.
Bi Qian noticed the strange reaction between them and asked coldly,
“You know each other?”
“More than that!”
Liu Guangsheng sneered, his tone full of sarcasm.
“Mr. Bi, if you came to our Xiaoshi Village and asked around, who wouldn’t know the infamous Su Qingli?”
“Old Man Liu, I haven’t offended you, have I?”
Su Qingli was completely baffled.
“Why don’t you ask what your daughter has done to me? The fact that I haven’t reported her to the authorities and had her arrested is already being merciful!”
Liu Qianqian’s face turned pale, and she timidly hid behind Bi Qian.
Su Qingli raised an eyebrow.
Her own father was much closer to her. Why did she have to hide behind a man?
“What nonsense are you talking about!”
Liu Guangsheng became furious.
“My daughter Qianqian has always been well-behaved. What could she possibly have done to wrong you? If you’ve got dirt on yourself, stop throwing mud at other people!”