Chapter 52: How About a Bet?

"I am a physician; I can treat your young master."

"A physician?" The young servant sized her up from head to toe: "You, a physician? You're just a barely‑grown little girl, yet you dare claim to be a physician? Aren't you afraid people will laugh you out of the house! Get out, get out, get out! Hurry and leave, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Chi Nan Yi heard the words, and a flash of malice crossed her eyes.

Did the aunt really think she could treat her like a soft persimmon with all that kind talk?

Her gaze darkened, her fingertips twitched, and a Silver Needle materialized in her palm.

"What's happening?" an old man's voice called, and the young servant at the door paled, hurriedly replying, "The butler."

"What occurred?" Butler Zhao said gravely, "Why are you arguing at the doorway? The master is already worried about the young master's affairs; if it's not something important, dismiss it quickly."

"Yes." The young servant looked at Chi Nan Yi: "Did you hear? Get out at once! A stinky girl still pretends to be a doctor? She doesn't even measure her own worth."

The young servant from Bai cao tang wore a mournful face, whispering, "Miss Chi, let's go back! I still need to go to the magistrate's office to see the shopkeeper."

"Physician?" Butler Zhao turned his head toward her, "Are you a physician?"

Chi Nan Yi nodded, "That's right."

Butler Zhao had originally intended to let her enter the mansion to see the young master, yet seeing her youth and that she was a girl, he thought even if she knew medicine she wouldn't be any good; he shook his head and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment." Chi Nan Yi looked at Butler Zhao, smiling, "May I ask whether the butler has lately felt dizzy and headache, often accompanied by ringing in the ears?"

Butler Zhao was taken aback by the words; how did this girl know?

Could it be that he had underestimated her medical skill?

"How did you know, miss?"

"Through observation, listening, inquiry and pulse, this condition can be guessed at a glance," Chi Nan Yi said with a smile, "It's not a remarkable illness; just a diet low in oil and salt will suffice."

"No need for medicine?"

"No, it's not serious; just adjust the diet."

Butler Zhao nodded, thought for a moment, and said to Chi Nan Yi, "Miss, please follow me inside."

"Butler, no! This girl arrived in a carriage from Bai cao tang," the young servant hurriedly said, "The young master became ill after taking Bai cao tang's medicine; now they send a girl to treat him—what a coincidence!"

Thinking of this, Butler Zhao also sensed something fishy.

Chi Nan Yi's gaze swept over the young servant's faintly smug face, and she understood.

It seemed this matter could not be separated from the servant before her.

"Shopkeeper, I'm not a member of Bai cao tang; I only supply them with some herbs."

"Supply herbs?" The servant's eyes darted, and he immediately said, "Among the herbs our young master took, it's possible some were harvested by you!"

"You saw it?"

"What?"

Chi Nan Yi adjusted her cuff and said, "You claim you saw with your own eyes that the medicine was harvested by me? I came to treat your young master; if I can treat him well, I will heal him, but if I cannot, I will leave. You, a lowly servant, are shouting and pushing obstacles here; I am not after any silver. Why are you so anxious? I thought perhaps you didn't want your young master to get better."

"You!"

"Silence!" Butler Zhao glared at him, then turned to Chi Nan Yi, "Since you're here to treat the young master, come in with me! But first, a word: our master has a bad temper; if you can cure him, he'll reward you richly, but if you fail… Miss Chi, don't think the Zhao family is bullying you."

"He has a bad temper, and my temper isn't much better," Chi Nan Yi said softly; Butler Zhao, not hearing clearly, asked, "Miss Chi, what did you say?"

"Nothing," she smiled, "Please, Butler Zhao, lead the way."

After passing through several connected corridors, they finally arrived at the back courtyard.

At that moment, a few household men tiptoed toward the front courtyard, still holding fragments of broken porcelain.

Seeing this, Butler Zhao quickened his steps, almost breaking into a run.

"Useless! They're all useless!" Zhao Anqi's roar rang clearly in the front courtyard: "A bunch of quack doctors! Get out!"

When the words finished, several elderly men carrying medical boxes hurried out from the side gate of the back courtyard, each with a pallid complexion.

"Alas, Young Master Zhao is clearly congenitally deficient; how can this illness be cured? We can't have him be reborn through reincarnation!"

"Indeed! I thought this trip would earn some silver! Now I didn't earn any, and almost lost half my life; from now on I will never take a case for Squire Zhao's family again."

"Won't take it, won't take it."

The physicians shook their heads and walked toward the front courtyard.

Butler Zhao's steps did not stop; he turned and urged, "Miss, please hurry."

Arriving at the back courtyard, they heard crackling sounds from the central room and Squire Zhao's roar: "Go! Find another doctor! If it can't be cured here, go to the county town, go to the prefecture; you must find a doctor to heal the young master."

"Yes!"

At that moment, Butler Zhao stood at the doorway and shouted, "Master, your humble servant has found a doctor."

As soon as the words fell, the study door swung open, and Zhao Anqi stepped out, eyes blood‑red: "Where?"

Butler Zhao pointed to Chi Nan Yi behind him.

"I've seen Squire Zhao."

"A woman?" Zhao Anqi shouted angrily, "Do you have any brain? What disease could she possibly treat? She's a girl whose hair hasn't even grown evenly; even seasoned doctors can't treat it, how could she cure it?"

"Master, every doctor in the town has already examined him."

"I said, if it's not here, go elsewhere to look!" Zhao Anqi turned toward the study without giving Chi Nan Yi a glance: "That stinky girl, send her back wherever she came from!"

Just as the study door was about to close, Chi Nan Yi sneered, "Squire Zhao looks down on women?"

"So what?"

Chi Nan Yi heard that and wished she could stride up and give him a big slap.

If it weren't for the shopkeeper of Bai cao tang, she would have been too lazy to meddle in Zhao family affairs.

Let him fall ill, die; it has nothing to do with her.

"Not much, I just didn't expect a respectable squire to utter such unbecoming words."

"What did you say?"

"Since Squire Zhao looks down on women so much, remember to tell your next reincarnation to be born in your father's womb, and never in your mother's, lest it tarnish your status."

"You! What are you saying?" Steward Zhao's eyes grew even redder, his fists clenched tight, knuckles white: "You ignorant little girl, how dare you speak to me like that! Do you know what happens when you offend me?"

Chi Nan Yi smiled: "I don't know what happens when I offend you, but I know that if you offend me, your son's illness probably won't be cured."

Hearing her say that, Steward Zhao's raised fist froze mid-swing: "Can you really cure my son's illness?"

Chi Nan Yi smiled: "Steward Zhao, how about we make a bet?"