Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 19

None of the rough men from Zhang Village had handkerchiefs on them, so they immediately looked toward the women of the Yu family. Although Old Madam Yu was extremely reluctant, she knew Zhang Laosan wasn’t someone to cross. After some hesitation, she slowly handed over her own handkerchief.

Zhang Laosan took it and, instead of passing it off, personally held it to his son’s mouth to catch the phlegm. Once the phlegm was out, Old Madam Yu and Madam Zhao quickly turned their faces away, full of disgust.

Yu Jiao reached out to take the handkerchief, studying the expelled phlegm closely for a long moment before setting the soiled cloth on the table.

She pointed to the area below the boy’s ribs. “Does this spot often feel bloated or painful?”

The boy touched the area she indicated and nodded.

Yu Jiao turned to Zhang Laosan. “Has he had a poor appetite, numbness in the limbs, constipation, slurred speech, dizziness, irritability or mood swings?”

Zhang Laosan nodded repeatedly, his attitude softening. He hadn’t expected this young girl, whom he had just dismissed to be so accurate in her assessment. Nearly everything she said was spot on.

“He’s had all of those symptoms, but my son’s always been well-behaved and sensible. I wouldn’t say he’s irritable or quick-tempered,” Zhang Laosan replied.

Yu Jiao let out a quiet scoff. “Not quick-tempered? Sounds like you don’t know your own son very well.”

Zhang Laosan was left speechless and slightly bewildered. He awkwardly tried to explain, “He really is a well-behaved boy. He almost never gets angry.”

One of the strong men behind him scratched his head and muttered, “Boss, to be honest, Qi’er doesn’t get along with the other kids in the Village. He often gets into fights. His mother’s been shielding him, so we never dared tell you.”

Zhang Laosan, always protective of his son, immediately said, “Those little brats tease my Qi’er because of his condition! Of course he fights back! How can you blame him?”

Yu Jiao ignored his excuses and turned to Old Master Yu. “Do we have the supplies for moxibustion at home?”

The old man quickly nodded. “Yes, I’ll go get them.”

Zhang Laosan looked at Yu Jiao, his tone much more respectful now. “Miss, can you really treat my boy’s epilepsy?”

Yu Jiao nodded. “His seizures are caused by internal wind-phlegm clouding the heart. It’s treatable.”

The quiet boy sitting nearby suddenly lit up with hope. His dazed eyes snapped into focus, fixed on Yu Jiao. Zhang Laosan rubbed his hands excitedly, too thrilled to speak.

Old Master Yu returned with the moxibustion materials. Yu Jiao picked them up but paused, suddenly remembering that this wasn’t her past life, where treating patients was gender-neutral and purely clinical. She furrowed her brow slightly, a bit troubled.

Zhang Laosan immediately noticed and grew nervous. “M-Miss… is something wrong?”

Yu Jiao shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

She turned to Yu Ruhai. “It’s not appropriate for me to do this myself. Please take him to the herb room and perform moxibustion on the two yin points for the length of one incense stick.”

Old Master Yu understood immediately. He accepted the moxibustion tool, his expression curious and a little amused. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of unorthodox methods Yu Jiao’s master had taught her, treating epilepsy through such, well, intimate acupoints.

Zhang Laosan, not knowing what “two yin points” were, grew uneasy. “Miss Meng, the old doctor is… well, quite old. Are you sure he’s up to it? Wouldn’t it be better if you did it yourself? I’d feel more reassured.”

Yu Ruhai’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected to be so easily dismissed, and it stung.

Yu Jiao spoke up before the situation grew awkward. “Of course he’s capable. Our old master is a proper doctor, there’s no need to worry.”

After an incense stick’s time, Yu Ruhai and Zhang Qi emerged from the side room. Zhang Laosan anxiously asked, “Qi’er, how do you feel?”

Zhang Qi’s previously pale face now had a faint smile. He stretched his limbs and said, “Dad, I feel great. My whole body feels light.”

This was the first time the boy had spoken since arriving at the Yu household. Zhang Laosan was overcome with emotion and joy. “Miss Meng… Doctor Meng, my boy’s epilepsy, is it cured?!”

“How could it be that easy?” Yu Jiao replied. “His wind-phlegm is clouding his heart. It must be slowly regulated. I’ll prescribe a remedy. He needs to take his medicine on time and come for moxibustion every two days. After a month, if the wind-phlegm is cleared, we can stop the medicine. The moxibustion, however, must continue.”

Zhang Laosan nodded repeatedly, his tone now completely deferential. “We’ll follow your instructions to the letter. Whatever you say, we’ll do.”

Yu Ruhai had already prepared a brush and paper to write the prescription, but Yu Jiao said, “No need to write it.”

She turned to Zhang Laosan. “Memorize it.”

Zhang Laosan quickly nodded and barked at the men behind him, “All of you, listen carefully.”

Yu Jiao recited slowly, “Two qian of kansui, ground into powder, placed inside a pig’s heart, tied up, wrapped in paper, and baked until fully cooked. Remove the medicine, add one qian of cinnabar powder, divide into four portions. Take one portion daily, each time using soup made by boiling the pig’s heart to help swallow the medicine.”

Zhang Laosan repeated it carefully. “Miss Meng, I’ve got it all memorized.”

Yu Jiao added, “The pig’s heart must be fresh.”

Yu Ruhai provided the kansui and cinnabar powder, and since Zhang Laosan’s attitude had changed so drastically, he took the opportunity to charge a steep fee, one tael of silver.

Zhang Laosan, who had just been celebrating, calmed down a bit at the price. Over the years, he’d spent a lot of money seeking doctors for his son and had been conned more than once by charlatans.

“I can pay one tael, but if my son’s epilepsy isn’t cured within three months, I’ll be back to take it back,” he said with a threatening smirk.

Yu Ruhai felt a flicker of guilt, but managed to maintain his composure with a forced smile. After seeing Zhang Laosan and his group off, he slammed the gate shut and spat on the ground with a curse.

Back in the main hall, he turned to Yu Jiao, still uneasy. “Can the Zhang boy’s epilepsy really be cured?”

Yu Jiao gave him a glance and nodded. Only then did Yu Ruhai relax. He wasn’t ready to give up that silver tael so easily. With the money in his pocket, another thought crept into his mind, if Meng Yujiao could treat epilepsy, could she also help Wulang’s condition?

Unable to contain his excitement, he hurried back to the hall, his expression earnest. “Meng girl, have you taken Wulang’s pulse yet? Is there any prescription that might help strengthen his body?”

Yu Jiao thought for a moment and shook her head. “I haven’t taken his pulse, but I do know a bit about his condition. His body is severely deficient. It’s not easily treatable.”

Yu Qizhe, from the start, showed signs of early mortality, something all the doctors had already concluded. Yu Ruhai’s face fell with disappointment. But since Yu Jiao hadn’t outright said there was no hope, he pressed further. “What do you mean by ‘not easily treatable’? Does that mean there is still a way?”