Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 61

As soon as Yu Jiao stepped into the room, Mu Yan, who had been sitting, immediately rose with a smile. 

“Miss Meng,” he said warmly, “I was blind to your skill before. I wasn’t in the best state of mind due to my illness, which made me irritable. Please don’t take to heart the things I said last time. I’ve come today to sincerely apologize.”

Though Mu Yan had been courteous and polite toward Yu Ruhai, he still carried the air of a man born into wealth and privilege. But in front of Yu Jiao, his attitude was one of rare humility and genuine respect.

Yu Jiao smiled lightly. “There’s no need for that, Master Mu. I did say that if I couldn’t cure your carbuncles, I wouldn’t take a single coin. Now that you’re better… about the consultation fee…”

Mu Yan understood immediately. Though her words were blunt, there wasn’t the slightest trace of annoyance in his expression. He simply chuckled, “That’s actually one of the main reasons I came today, to pay you for your services, Miss Meng.”

At that, Mu Yan gave a signal to his attendant, who stepped forward and pulled out a bulging pouch from his sleeve, handing it to Yu Jiao.

Yu Ruhai’s eyes lit up with joy at the sight of the heavy pouch, and he quickly stood up, eager to intercept it before it reached Yu Jiao. But she was quicker, she took it from the attendant’s hand and tucked it into her sleeve before he could reach it.

Yu Ruhai could only smile awkwardly and slowly retract his hand, unsure what to do with it now. Yu Jiao could feel the weight of the pouch and was quite pleased. She offered Mu Yan a friendly smile.

“Besides the consultation fee, I’ve also prepared a small gift for Miss Meng,” Mu Yan added.

As soon as he spoke, the attendants behind him stepped forward and placed several bolts of fine cloth on the table. Another servant opened an ornate wooden box and said smartly, “These are two boxes of rouge our Second Madam brought back from Qingzhou, just a small token of appreciation.” 

“Thank you, Miss Meng, for your benevolence and skill in curing our Second Master’s stubborn illness.”

Mu Yan was generous with his praise and gratitude. For a moment, all the attention in the Yu household centered solely on Yu Jiao. Yu Ruhai, despite being the host, was reduced to standing quietly on the side with a forced smile, while the rest of the Yu family faded into the background. Madam Zhao bit her lip in jealousy, eyes locked onto the rouge on the table.

Yu Jiao remained composed, neither arrogant nor overly humble, responding with a gentle smile.

Doctor Jiang Qinghe, though surprised that such a young girl had cured carbuncles, hadn’t forgotten his purpose for coming. Seizing a break in the conversation, he turned to Yu Jiao and asked, “Miss Meng, I’m a physician at Huichun Hall. Would you be willing to sell us the prescription you used to treat carbuncles? Our proprietor is prepared to offer a generous price.”

Before Yu Jiao could respond, Yu Ruhai cut in anxiously, “No! Absolutely not! You’re a physician too, you should know that these kinds of treatment formulas are the foundation of our livelihoods. If we sell it to Huichun Hall, who would come to the Yu family for treatment in the future?”

Unlike Yu Ruhai’s indignant refusal, Yu Jiao didn’t see the issue. The prescription she had used was the result of generations of medical knowledge and painstaking research, its purpose was to cure illnesses. 

Had Jiang Qinghe approached her privately to ask about it, she would’ve gladly shared it with him without expecting anything in return.

“You’re cutting off our future income!” Yu Ruhai grew increasingly agitated. His glare toward Jiang Qinghe was sharp and resentful. He had hoped this prescription would bring prestige to the Yu family in the medical field, and now someone was already eyeing it.

Jiang Qinghe was caught off guard by the scolding, looking slightly embarrassed. But the prescription’s effectiveness was undeniable. He had thought the remedy came from an inexperienced country doctor, and that Huichun Hall could easily buy it by offering some silver. He hadn’t expected this old man from the Yu family to be so shrewd.

“Doctor Yu, how can you be so selfish and narrow-minded?” Jiang Qinghe snapped, putting on an air of moral superiority. “We physicians are meant to save lives. If you have a remedy that can cure, you should share it for the benefit of all, not hoard it for petty personal gain while letting patients suffer.”