Chapter 52 : A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have good fortune

“Your illness is not difficult to treat at all. You just need to take proper care of yourself and nourish your body. Right now, you seem strong on the outside but are weak internally. The main issue is uterine cold. I’ll prescribe you a tonic. If you follow the prescription and drink it for two or three months, you’ll improve.”

“But during this period, you must avoid exposure to extreme cold or heat. Be very careful. Also, you’ll need acupuncture once every half month. My acupuncture method isn’t complicated. You can go to town and find a trustworthy doctor, I’ll teach him the method. You just need to show up on time.”

The gentleman had already laid out a full treatment plan. He had seen many infertility cases more complicated than Zhou’s and cured them all. The most common cause, just like hers, was uterine cold.

This type of condition requires slow and steady treatment, but within a few months, improvement is expected.

As long as she followed the prescription carefully, she should start seeing results in just half a month.

When Zhou heard that she could be cured within two or three months, she was overwhelmed with joy and thanked him again and again.

“Thank you, Doctor Qin. Thank you so much!”

“No need to thank me. We came here at the invitation of the Second Young Master. He wanted to repay your family’s kindness. This is what we should do, there’s no need to thank us.”

Doctor Qin had already taken out pen and paper and began writing the prescription.

He had brought along herbs enough for two doses, but since he wouldn’t be staying long, he also left a prescription so they could collect more from the town when needed.

As for the acupuncture, Mother Xiao already had someone in mind, she would just ask the old doctor who treated Su Yanqing last time.

“Oh, by the way, the gifts I brought are all nourishing herbs. Madam Xiao can add some to food and make soups for Mrs. Zhou to drink. It’ll be good for her health. In fact, any of the women in the household can have them, it won’t hurt, no matter their condition. Madam, please don’t be too frugal and hold them back when the time comes.”

This final note was added by Doctor Qin.

It was something Old Zeng had specifically asked him to say, he had noticed that the family was very thrifty and worried they wouldn’t want to use the good things for themselves, so he reminded them clearly.

After hearing this, Mother Xiao nodded again and again, saying she understood. She knew Doctor Qin meant well.

What a fortunate encounter this was.

Back to Xiao Hechuan, his head now looked like a hedgehog from all the needles. As the final needle was placed, he frowned again.

Jiang Sui felt a pang of heartache and couldn’t bear to see him in pain.

“Hechuan, hang in there. It’ll be over soon,” she said gently, stroking his face.

Xiao Hechuan was comforted by her touch and gave her a reassuring smile.

But in the very next second, his face twisted in pain, it looked like the needle had taken effect.

“What’s wrong, Hechuan?” Jiang Sui asked in concern.

Her voice drew the attention of Mother Xiao and Zhou, and everyone hurried over.

“What’s the matter? What happened?” Mother Xiao looked at her son anxiously and asked the two doctors.

“Don’t worry, Madam Xiao. This is a good sign,” one of the gentlemen explained. “Your son’s reaction shows that there’s still room for recovery from his dementia.”

If there had been no reaction at all to the needles, it would have meant the dementia was irreversible.

But a response to the stimulation meant there was still hope.

“Really? So there’s a cure?” Mother Xiao asked, her face lighting up with joy.

But the gentleman’s next words were like a splash of cold water: “Madam Xiao, please forgive us. We lack the experience to give you a definite answer. All we can say is that there is hope for improvement but as for when he’ll recover, that’s not something medicine alone can decide. It will depend on fate. Who knows? He may just wake up fully recovered one day.”

This dementia is a disease, but also not exactly a disease. Yet, despite everything, we still can’t find a solution, which is truly shameful.

Even with modern technology, there is no way to restore a person with dementia to normal, let alone in ancient times.

There was no such technology in ancient times.

Fortunately, Jiang Sui was mentally prepared, so she didn’t feel too emotional.

In contrast, Mother Xiao had been full of hope, only to be let down. For a moment, she looked somewhat haggard.

“Thank you for your hard work, gentlemen. You came from afar to treat my son, and that is a great kindness. How could we blame you? We can only say that this is my son’s fate. No one else is to blame.”

The two doctors both felt very sorry when they heard this.

“Please don’t worry, Madam Xiao. Yours is a kind family. A family that accumulates good deeds will surely be blessed. I believe Heaven will not stand idly by.”

“Thank you for your kind words, sir,” Mother Xiao said with a deep sigh.

Xiao Hechuan was in severe pain, so the two doctors had to remove the silver needles from his body.

As soon as the key needle was taken out, the discomfort vanished instantly.

Afterward, Xiao Hechuan looked pitifully at Jiang Sui. She had no choice but to hug his head gently and let him lean on her. Xiao Hechuan then wrapped his arms around her waist and rubbed against her like a kitten.

With everyone present, his behavior was a bit much for everyone to take. It was like something a small child would do.

Jiang Sui smiled awkwardly.

—

Xiao Hechuan’s condition didn’t improve, but fortunately, Zhou brought good news. Madam Xiao immediately arranged for Xiao Yi to go into town and bring the old doctor back so he could learn acupuncture from Doctor Qin.

In addition, Doctor Qin had someone deliver a few cloth medicine pouches to Zhou and instructed her to heat them over a fire every night and apply them through her clothing to her lower abdomen before bed. This would warm the uterus, and each application should last at least half an hour.

Zhou accepted them happily and memorized all of Doctor Qin’s instructions.

She really wanted to share this wonderful news with her husband so he could be happy too.

Coincidentally, Father Xiao returned at that moment.

He had been away for more than a month and came back to check on things and share what he had been up to, hoping to ease his family’s worries.

But when he arrived, he saw several elegant and luxurious carriages parked outside the gate of his courtyard. Thinking something must have happened, he ran home in two quick strides.

The yard was filled with unfamiliar faces, some of them dressed in extravagant clothes. It was clear at a glance that they weren’t ordinary people.

His wife, Cui Ju, was smiling brightly and bustling around.

When Mother Xiao saw her husband had returned, she was momentarily stunned, then slapped her thigh and exclaimed: “Hey, the old man is back. What are you standing there for? Come on in. I’ve got something to tell you!”

It was clear that Mother Xiao was very happy, but the words “being in charge” left Father Xiao feeling a bit puzzled.

Was there even a question about who was the head of the Xiao family? It certainly wasn’t him.

He walked in with a blank expression and saw everyone in the yard bowing to him one after another, addressing him as Master Xiao.

Oh my! He’s the one being called the master?