Chapter 24: 24 Can Cure
Editor: Atlas Studios

Gu Jiao pulled up the screen and began to examine Xiao Liulang behind it.

Gu Jiao had observed Xiao Liulang earlier at home and noticed that the main issue appeared to be with his ankle. Now, after a careful examination, she confirmed her suspicion.

His ankle was once broken, but the doctor did not diagnose it, thinking that he only hurt his leg and treated only his leg. Even though his ankle wasn’t specifically treated, because his leg was immobilized he hardly used his foot, his ankle healed naturally. However, the fractured bone was not thoroughly cleaned up, causing intense pain every time he walked.

He never showed it, so Gu Jiao initially thought he was just suffering from common ankle stiffness, which is painless. Now that she has arrived at the exact diagnosis, she understood the strength he had used to bear his discomfort.

Sigh… Such a young lad, it would make anyone sympathetic.

Gu Jiao had performed numerous surgeries of this type in her past life, and it wasn’t difficult for her. The problem was that the necessary medications and surgical materials had not yet appeared in the first aid kit.

But… recalling her discovery a few days ago, Gu Jiao decided to wait a while longer, not to mention that this wasn’t the best time for surgery. She would need to do some prep work on the affected area, so she would wait until the Nianguan Academy’s vacation began.

The second boss and Shopkeeper Wang were waiting outside the screen throughout, without any gaze of prying.

Initially, the second boss intended to let a Tongchun Hall doctor observe Gu Jiao’s medical skills, but it seemed abrupt to make such a request on their first meeting, so he held back.

Gu Jiao deliberately pulled the screen closed before she examined Xiao Liulang. This act alone indicated that she wasn’t willing to reveal her medical skills. With this realization, the second boss was relieved that he didn’t suggest watching Gu Jiao’s examination.

What the second boss misunderstood was that Gu Jiao was not reluctant to disclose her medical techniques; she could not let anyone discover her little first aid kit.

Gu Jiao spent quite a while behind the screen.

She examined for a quarter of an hour and appreciated the handsome Xiao Liulang for half an hour.

Ahem!

No, they didn’t undress, absolutely not!

Gu Jiao packed the small first aid kit into her basket and walked out carrying it.

The second boss approached and politely asked with a smile, “Miss Gu, You were in there for quite a while. Is Young Master Xiao’s injury very complicated?”

Gu Jiao calmly said, “It is quite complicated. I need to perform a surgery on him.”

The complicated bit was true, and so was the fact that she was appreciating a beautiful man.

Hearing about the surgery, the second boss was taken aback. Surgery was a medical technique used predominantly on the battlefield and rarely within the common folk. Firstly, it was risky, and secondly, it placed high demands on the doctor’s medical skills. Even their Huichun Hall doctors, few dared to perform surgeries on patients.

“Are… Are you sure?” the second boss asked with a face full of doubt.

The last doctor in Huichun Hall who dared to perform surgery on patients was already fifty years old, and he was the descendant of a renowned medical family.

“Yes.” Gu Jiao nodded, “I will set the date later and will notify you once it’s confirmed. Furthermore, there are some things I’ll need your help to prepare, as for the money… it can be deducted from my upcoming medical fees.”

“It’s alright,” said the second boss, laughing.

Huichun Hall was not a charity. All patients who came here had to pay. The better the medical skills, the more the consultation fee.

“However… Can you treat any disease?” the second boss asked.

“Well, not exactly.” Gu Jiao replied, “I will only know after examining. It would be best if you find some difficult and complicated cases for me, so as not to waste consultation opportunities.”

Listen, listen, listen; this was confidence!

The second boss did not think she was making empty claims. In fact, anyone who had seen her medical skills would have every reason to believe she could bring the dead back to life.

Gu Jiao needed to find some herbs for Xiao Liulang’s medicinal fumigation, so she went to the Grand Hall with her basket.

The second boss started to smile mysteriously, “Old Wang, do you think with her great medical skills, she could… treat the one from Capital City?”

“The one from Capital City?” Shopkeeper Wang was stunned for a while before he understood, “Are you talking about the young master from the Marquis Residence?”

The second boss’s eyes shone as he said, “Exactly, him!”

Shopkeeper Wang quickly waved his hands, “No, no, no! Absolutely not!”

That was a noble family in Capital City! To them, Huichun Hall was nothing but common people in their eyes and not worth considering!

“But I think Miss Gu Jiao’s medical skills are good…”

“Second boss, we only have one head each,” said Shopkeeper Wang, ruthlessly shutting down the second boss’s idea.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to earn the Marquis’ money, but the young master’s illness was truly hard to treat, and if they botched it, it could cost lives.

Speaking of the young master, it was rather pitiful. When the Marquis’ wife gave birth to him, she wasn’t even a month along and was in a broken temple, without a proper midwife, so they found one from a nearby village.

He was premature, born in poor conditions, and the midwife wasn’t skilled. So after the birth, the Marquis’ wife barely survived. Worse, the Marquis’ wife was carrying twins. After the first child was born, the Marquis’s wife was nearly exhausted, and the second child stayed inside for too long, turning purple all over when he came out.

This young master was that second child, and he had a elder sister.

The young master has been weak since the womb. He took a lot of medication since he was young, practically brought up by soaking in medicine.

To cure the young master’s disease, the Marquis Residence sought many famous doctors over the years. Unfortunately, his condition did not improve, and due to frequent medication, he became even weaker.

It was said that he was now hanging by a thread.

If they were unlucky, just one of their concoctions could take the young master’s life.

If the young master really died at their hands, all the doctors’ heads in Huichun Hall would not be enough to pay for his life.

The second boss also understood the stakes, but he did not give up.

He was originally an extremely ambitious person; otherwise, he wouldn’t have seen the enormous value in Gu Jiao.

Speaking of it, that young master seemed to be the same age as Miss Gu Jiao.

With a suggestive tone, the second boss said, “How about this, let’s have Miss Gu Jiao treat Xiao Liulang’s injury first. If she can really cure him, then there’s no harm in letting her try at the Marquis Residence.”

Shopkeeper Wang: “…”

—

When Xiao Liulang woke up, there was an elderly doctor with a white beard in the room.

“You are…?”

The old doctor smiled, “I am Doctor Zhang. Earlier, you fell asleep… My mistake… I forgot to remove the Calming Incense.”

Xiao Liulang hesitated, “It’s okay.”

“Let me check your leg.”

“Okay.”

Old Doctor Zhang followed the procedures laid out by Gu Jiao.

Honestly, he was quite surprised. He had seen Xiao Liulang’s leg ailment, and with the current medical skills at Huichun Hall, it simply couldn’t be cured.

Could that girl really make him… stand up again?

Holding the prescription that Doctor Zhang had written, Xiao Liulang went into the Grand Hall. Fen Lin quickly stood up, “You finally came out. What did Doctor Zhang say? Can your leg be cured?”

Xiao Liulang grunted in agreement, saying, “Doctor Zhang said first to use some medicine for fumigation for a period of time, then come back again next month.”

To avoid affecting his classes, Gu Jiao decided not to mention the surgery for now.

“I knew that Doctor Zhang would definitely be able to cure it!” Fen Lin was overjoyed.

Xiao Liulang was however, looking around for something.