Lixia's sister-in-law, Leng Xue, returned home late as well. After a quick meal prepared by the cook, they sat down to finish the medical supplies. With the extra hands, they managed to pack dozens of boxes, each containing five units—enough for the next day's patients.
As they headed back to the manor, Lixia whispered in Leng Xue's ear, "Try these when you get back. Using a couple every few days can act as a preventive measure."
Leng Xue's face turned bright red. She was embarrassed for her sister-in-law. For an unmarried girl to speak so... explicitly! "Li'er, you should only say these things in front of me."
Lixia remained nonchalant. "I am a doctor. I have to understand these things. If I were shy and hesitant while diagnosing patients, that would be embarrassing. They'd think my medical skills were lacking."
The "A'Mu Ultrasound" Experiment
Back in her courtyard, Lixia placed A'Mu on the bed. She took a piece of paper and a brush, staring at the creature for a long time. She eventually drew a diagram of an ovary.
"Can you understand this?" she asked.
"Squeak!" A'Mu nodded and hopped toward Lixia's lower abdomen, letting out a cry.
Lixia hugged A'Mu and kissed the little creature. "Haha! You really can!" She then drew a heart. A'Mu immediately hopped to the position of Lixia's heart.
The maids outside heard the laughter and simply shook their heads. Their Miss was "tinkering" again. Lixia then drew a cervical cyst and pointed to herself. A'Mu squeaked and shook its head, indicating Lixia was healthy.
"Haha! Great! Tomorrow you can graduate and start seeing patients alongside your junior brother (Mo Chen)."Shutterstock探索
The Cauterization Surgery
The next day, after dodging another matchmaking attempt by her mother (who wanted to set her up with a military doctor), Lixia arrived at the pharmacy. The backyard was already crowded.
Her final patient was a woman in her twenties, dressed flamboyantly. She was a former courtesan from the Chunhua Brothel. "Doctor Mo... do you treat people like me?"
"I don't mind," Lixia said kindly. "To me, you are just a patient."
The woman had severe cervical erosion and abnormal bleeding. Lixia decided to perform a primitive form of cauterization. Since she didn't have a laser, she had commissioned a tool she called the "Bian Tang" (Flat Iron)—a thin, flat tool with a handle that could be heated.
Lixia administered Ma Shen Guo (anesthesia). Once the patient was unconscious, Lixia used a small stove to heat the tool until it was slightly red and carefully cauterized the eroded tissue.
Xiqiu watched, sweating and covering her mouth in fear, but Lixia remained steady. This was her first time performing such a surgery in this era, and though it was crude, it was necessary.
Prince Kang's Internal Conflict
Meanwhile, in the Prince's manor, Yi Junlan and Liu Jing were discussing politics. Yi Mingji (Prince Liang's son) was coming to the Capital, and the atmosphere was tense.
Suddenly, A'Mu appeared. Yi Junlan's cold expression melted instantly. He fed the chinchilla a thousand-year-old ginseng as if it were a common snack.
"Brother, where did you get this creature?" Liu Jing asked, amazed. "It looks like the drawings on those pillows... wait, is this the Mo family's pet?"
Yi Junlan didn't answer, which was a silent admission.
"Brother! You're in a one-sided love?" Liu Jing teased. "You have to let her know how you feel! If you hesitate, she might get engaged to someone else!"
After Liu Jing was kicked out for his teasing, Yi Junlan tried to stand. He braced himself against the floor, his face drenched in sweat, but his legs refused to move. He slumped back into his wheelchair, looking at A'Mu with self-deprecation. "How can a cripple like me give her happiness?"
The Great Unmasking
A few days later, Lixia went on a spring outing to Yingchun Lake with Mutong and Yufu. While the others were fishing, Lixia went to pick wild cherries on a hillside.
The grass was slippery from the light rain. Lixia lost her footing and tumbled down the slope. She rolled and skidded until she landed right at the feet of someone in a wheelchair.
Yi Junlan had come to the hills to see her from afar, not wanting to be seen by the crowds. But the rain had forced him into a secluded spot.
As Lixia fell, her arm struck his face, knocking off his silver mask.
Lixia sat up, rubbing her bruised arm, and froze. The man before her had a beautiful face, marred by a deep, prominent scar on one side.
"It's you?" Lixia's mouth fell open in shock.
Yi Junlan's heart skipped a beat. He felt a mix of joy that she recognized him and a crushing fear that she would be disgusted by his appearance.
"You..." "You..."
The two of them stared at each other, the silence filled only by the sound of the falling rain.