Inside the box lay ten silver ingots, each weighing a full ten taels.
Ten silver ingots—one hundred taels of silver in total!
“Master Liu, this… this is far too much!”
She loved money, that was true. But according to the memories in her mind, a physician’s house call usually earned at most a few taels of silver.
Of course, she was not an ordinary doctor.
Still, courtesy had to be shown.
“Aunt Wu—no, I should address you respectfully as Doctor Wu. You pulled my wife and child back from the gates of death. These mere one hundred taels are already too little.”
“Besides, my wife and child will still require your care in the days to come. This consultation fee is just a small token of my gratitude. I hope Doctor Wu will not decline.”
Master Liu’s attitude was sincere. He truly feared offending this aunt whose medical skills were nothing short of heaven-defying.
Even the wealthiest people would inevitably fall ill one day. Offending a skilled physician would bring him no benefit at all.
“In that case, I won’t refuse. If it’s convenient, Master Liu, could you please have this silver exchanged for banknotes? Carrying so much silver is rather conspicuous.”
Master Liu slapped his forehead. “Look at me—I nearly forgot about that.”
With a wave of his hand, Steward Liu immediately took the silver away and soon returned with ten banknotes.
Wu Yulan accepted them with a smile. She then found paper and brush, wrote several prescriptions, and carefully instructed them on how to care for Madam Liu.
“That will be all for today. I’ll return tomorrow to check on Madam Liu’s recovery.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Doctor Wu. I’ll have someone escort you home.”
As he spoke, Master Liu personally went to arrange a carriage.
Wu Yulan sat resting in her chair when she suddenly heard a familiar mechanical voice.
“Ding. It has been detected that the host performed a cesarean section on Master Liu’s wife, saving both mother and child. Reward: 6,000 Mall Points. Please check and accept.”
Wu Yulan was somewhat surprised. She clearly remembered that the last time she delivered her daughter-in-law’s baby and saved both mother and granddaughter, she had only been rewarded with 2,000 Mall Points.
“Medical Mall, may I ask why the reward is so much higher this time?”
“Master Liu’s wife, Wen Chun, is gentle and kind. She frequently sets up porridge stalls to provide food for the poor. Therefore, an additional 5,000 Mall Points have been awarded.”
Wu Yulan nodded in understanding. “I see.”
Looking at her previously meager balance, now suddenly over six thousand points, she inwardly sighed that this trip had truly been worthwhile.
Master Liu not only prepared a carriage for Wu Yulan but also a bundle of pastries and food. He personally escorted her to the main gate.
Just as Wu Yulan was about to board the carriage, she was surrounded by the doctors who had chased after her.
“Doctor Wu, please wait!”
“Doctor Wu, please wait!”
Wu Yulan raised an eyebrow and pointed at herself. “Are you calling me?”
Doctor Li smiled awkwardly. “Doctor Wu, we were disrespectful earlier. Please forgive us.”
As he spoke, he bowed deeply.
The other doctors followed suit, bowing one after another. “Doctor Wu, please forgive us!”
Wu Yulan stepped slightly aside, her tone cool. “I am merely a village woman. How could I deserve to be called ‘Doctor Wu’? Gentlemen, perhaps you have mistaken me for someone else.”
The doctors all showed expressions of remorse.
Doctor Li still wanted to say something, but Wu Yulan had already lifted her skirts and boarded the carriage.
“There is much farm work awaiting me at home. This village woman will take her leave.”
As they watched the carriage roll away, the doctors deeply regretted their earlier rudeness.
Wu Yulan lifted the carriage curtain and saw the group of doctors staring after her longingly.
How could she not know what they wanted? They were eager to learn something from her. But she herself had yet to come up with a reasonable explanation for her extraordinary medical skills, so it was inconvenient to say too much.
Wu Yulan shook her head, resolving to carefully think of an explanation once she returned home, lest she be unable to clarify matters in the future.
As her thoughts settled, she noticed Physician Jiang sitting across from her, looking at her with a face full of gratitude.
“Big Sister Wu, you’re truly amazing!”
“Thanks to you, Master Liu also rewarded me with ten taels of silver. I earned this because of you—I’ll give you half!”
As he spoke, he handed over five taels of silver.
Wu Yulan shook her head. “Since it was given to you, you should keep it. Master Liu has already paid me a consultation fee. This trip was profitable enough for me.”
“Besides, I should be thanking you. If not for you, I wouldn’t have met Master Liu or earned this consultation fee.”
Seeing that Wu Yulan genuinely refused, Physician Jiang put the five taels of silver away.
“Elder Sister Wu, I truly didn’t expect your medical skills to be this superb.”
“Where did you learn your medicine? It seems you haven’t even left the village these past years.”
“Could it be… you learned it when you followed your husband out to do business a few years back?”
When the original host and her late husband were young, they had indeed left the village to make a living for several years.
Wu Yulan had been worrying about how to explain herself, but unexpectedly, just as she needed it most, an excuse presented itself.
“Yes, I learned it during those years. I studied under an old physician for several years. Because I offended someone, I never intended to reveal my medical skills. But now, with my family barely able to put food on the table, I have no choice but to return to my old trade.”
Physician Jiang nodded in understanding. “I see.”
“Then, Elder Sister Wu, now that your skills are out in the open, will there be any danger?”
Wu Yulan looked at her dry, wrinkled hands. “It’s been decades. Those people are probably already buried underground. It should be fine.”
“That’s good, then.”
As they were chatting, she caught sight of two familiar figures outside the window.
Wu Yulan looked closely. Weren’t those her two dear grandsons?
“Dalang! Erlang!”
The two boys were pushing a cart, heading home cheerfully.
“Hey, big brother, why do I feel like I heard Grandma’s voice?”
Song Erlang dug at his ear.
“I think I heard it too,” Song Dalang said, turning around to look.
Wu Yulan stepped down from the carriage, carrying a bundle in her hand.
“Hey, it’s Grandma!”
The two of them set down the cart and jogged over to her.
“Thank you, Steward Liu. We’re close to home now. I can walk the rest of the way myself.”
Steward Liu nodded and drove the carriage off to take Physician Jiang home.
“Grandma, you’re back!”
After these past few days together, the fear in Song Erlang’s eyes when he looked at Wu Yulan had faded. He even seemed eager to grow closer to her.
“Yes. What are you two doing?”
“Big Brother and I took the fish we caught to sell. Look—this is the money we made, two hundred and thirty copper coins.”
Like he was seeking praise, Song Erlang pulled out a small money pouch and held it up to Wu Yulan.
Wu Yulan didn’t refuse. She took the pouch casually, planning to divide it once they got home.
“You’ve grown bold. After such a short time, you dare go to town by yourselves. Aren’t you afraid of child traffickers abducting you?”
She took hold of the cart as she spoke.
The two brothers scratched their heads, not daring to make a sound.
After a while, Song Erlang stepped forward to help push the cart, his tone slightly ingratiating. “Grandma, you already took us to town before. I’ve got a good memory—I won’t get lost!”
“It’s not about getting lost. People’s hearts are treacherous. I’m afraid someone might capture you and sell you!”
At that thought, Wu Yulan remembered the two granddaughters the original host had sold. She raised a hand to her chest, where ten banknotes were tucked away.
If it weren’t already late, Wu Yulan would have gone immediately to redeem them.
The three of them pushed the cart home, accompanied by the setting sun.
Under the tree at the village entrance, Wang Guiqin stretched her neck, peering into the distance. When she vaguely spotted a few figures, she grinned and jogged over.
Seeing Wu Yulan there as well, she froze for a moment.
“Mother, you’re back.”
Wu Yulan glanced at Wang Guiqin indifferently. “Mm. Let’s go home. From now on, don’t let the two of them go to town alone. Send an adult with them.”
Not seeing any reproach on Wu Yulan’s face, Wang Guiqin let out a breath of relief.
“Yes, Mother. I understand.”
When they got home, Wu Yulan noticed that porridge was already cooking in the pot. Twelve-year-old Song Qianhua was crouched by the stove, tending the fire.
Wu Yulan lifted the lid and glanced inside. “Who put in the rice?”
Wang Guiqin raised her hand timidly. “Mother, I did. I followed the amount you’ve been using these past few days.”
Her hands clutched nervously at the corners of her clothes. “Did I put in too much rice?”
Wu Yulan suddenly raised her hand. Wang Guiqin thought she was about to be hit again and shrank back, squeezing her eyes shut.