Chapter 14

The two strings of cash they’d earned yesterday were still warm in Yun Shuang’s pocket—more than enough to pay for the doctor’s visit. But how much would be left afterward was anyone’s guess.

At the thought of it, Yun Shuang wanted to sigh. She glanced at the two children beside her and could only swallow her frustration for now.

The cart soon arrived at Tongxintang. The clinic was run by a physician surnamed Gao, who appeared to be in his fifties. He had a narrow, elongated face and kept a trim mustache and goatee. He looked shrewd—but his skills were undeniable.

Doctor Gao carefully examined Erya, applied a few acupuncture needles, dissolved a medicinal pill, and fed it to her. Slowly, the little girl who had been clutching her stomach and murmuring “It hurts” relaxed her furrowed brow and drifted into peaceful sleep.

Yun Shuang’s heart finally eased. Goudan, too, couldn’t hide his excitement, staying diligently at Erya’s side—quiet but present.

Doctor Gao instructed two of his apprentices to prepare a batch of medicine for decoction. Then he pulled Yun Shuang aside and said in a hushed tone, “Madam Yun, your daughter’s stomach pain was caused by irregular eating and a chill, but fundamentally, it stems from her frail constitution. Other children might not fall ill under the same circumstances, but your daughter’s body is like a fruit riddled with internal cracks—one wrong move could lead to irreversible consequences.

At her age, she needs to be cared for with greater precision.”

Yun Shuang pressed her lips together. “I understand, Doctor. Please help me nurse her back to strength. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

The doctor gave her a discreet glance, noting her worn fabric dress. Some families didn’t neglect their children by choice—it was simply that they lacked the means. For this mother to bring her child here for treatment was rare and admirable. He chose his words with care and said gently, “Fortunately, you brought her here promptly. Her condition isn’t too serious. I’ll prescribe three days of medicine—two doses daily after meals. I’ll also teach you a simple massage method for her acupuncture points before bed. That should do the trick. However, she’s still feverish. I recommend leaving her here until the fever subsides. Once home, keep her warm and feed her light, nourishing foods. If there’s any discomfort, come back immediately.”

Noticing Yun Shuang’s increasingly tense expression, Doctor Gao paused and gave a polite cough. “Anyway… let’s start treatment. Try not to worry too much.”

How could she not worry?

It was only early autumn now—the harsher winter hadn’t even arrived. The total cost for the consultation and medicine came to 260 wen: 80 for the consultation, and 180 for three days of medicine, two doses per day.

Ordinary doctors typically charged 20 to 50 wen per visit, and the price of medicine varied greatly depending on the type and quality of herbs. Since Tongxintang wanted to uphold its reputation, they wouldn’t prescribe anything inferior.

Yun Shuang herself didn’t want low-quality medicine either—health wasn’t something to skimp on. The more she cut corners now, the more she’d likely pay for it later.

She handed over the money, feeling a slight pang. Sure, 260 wen wasn’t much compared to the 2,000 she had, but this was just for one visit and a three-day supply of medicine.

And after what had happened, she could no longer afford to wait for more income before improving the family’s situation. Warm clothing and bedding were a must; the gaping cracks and holes throughout the house had to be sealed, and she needed more nutritious food for the children.

Goudan’s constitution was unlikely to be much better than Erya’s. The fact he hadn’t fallen ill this time was pure luck. She had to ensure any lurking illness was stopped before it ever surfaced.

Thinking it through… two thousand wen wouldn’t go far at all. It was barely anything!

Was there any way to earn money quickly?

Once she saw Erya’s condition had stabilized, she asked Dr. Gao to keep an eye on her while she took Goudan out to buy supplies for home—and to see if any business opportunities might arise.

After turning a corner outside Tongxintang, they arrived at the main street in Shanyang’s northern district. Most of the county’s prominent shops were located on this street, lined with merchants and stalls, which was much livelier than the village.

Yun Shuang walked slowly, eyes sharp as she scanned her surroundings. Suddenly, she noticed a crowd gathered near a wall, seemingly focused on something posted there. She paused, ready to take a closer look, when two men strolled past. As they talked, she overheard: “Hey, that Mr. Fan raised the reward to a thousand taels! The rich really are something else—I’ve never seen that much silver in my life!”

“A thousand taels? That’s nothing! Now that Lady Luo has gone missing and there’s no other male heir in the Luo family, if she never returns, all that immense family wealth would be up for grabs. Tsk tsk. I mean, if I were Mr. Fan, I’d be praying to every god that she never comes back!”

“You can’t say that. Mr. Fan and Lady Luo were known to be a perfect match—like an immortal couple. Ever since she disappeared, you’ve seen how frantic he’s become…”

Though their words were borderline nauseating, Yun Shuang honed in on one crucial detail: a reward. And not just any reward—a thousand taels of silver. If she could get her hands on that, she wouldn’t need to worry anymore! She might just wake up laughing from a dream.

Just as the thought lit up her mind, a loud and gleeful voice rang out nearby: “Miss Yun!”

That voice was unmistakably familiar. Yun Shuang blinked, thinking, Could it really be that coincidental?

She turned her head—and sure enough, it was Yan Fang, waving at her with exaggerated enthusiasm. He wasn’t wearing armor today, but a dark everyday robe. Towering and broad-shouldered, he stood there like a giant black bear. Yet despite his size and a rather rugged appearance, there was a goofy air about him that was oddly endearing.

Are we even that close? Yun Shuang thought. He was far too casual in calling out to her. She stood there wordlessly for a moment, then noticed where he was standing—right in front of the county office.

Naturally, Shanyang’s county office was located on this main street. As she and Goudan wandered, they’d unknowingly approached it. No wonder the missing persons notice had been posted nearby. Since this notice seemed related to the disappearance case, it was likely that people in the county office knew more about it.

With that in mind, the man suddenly didn’t seem so irritating. Yun Shuang walked straight toward him.

Yan Fang grinned, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth. “Miss Yun, you’re in town today too?”

As he spoke, he glanced at Goudan trailing behind her. Well, look at that, he mused. This little guy’s glaring at me. Just like Wu Qi said—young as he is, he’s got a fierce streak.

“Mm,” Yun Shuang responded curtly, wasting no words and jumping right to the point. “Just now I overheard talk about Lady Luo’s disappearance. Vice Captain Yan, are you familiar with the case?”