Chapter 46: Not Sick

Zhao Yang blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? Please, elaborate."

"Miss Ling'Er went out just now and brought back a young man. I assume he's her little boyfriend. She presented him to me and claimed he was a Divine Doctor..."

"I, Qiao Canhua, have traveled far and wide for many years. I've seen a lot of things, but I've never seen a wet-behind-the-ears brat proclaim himself a Divine Doctor! Divine Doctor Zhao, if you think you can use this rookie to fool me just because I came here for your reputation, then let me tell you, I, Qiao Canhua, am not that kind of person. Goodbye!"

With that, he turned to leave.

Zhao Yang quickly called out, "Boss Qiao, please wait! Are you saying my young friend Mu Lin has arrived?"

"I think that was his name."

Zhao Yang rubbed his hands together. "You think I'm trying to fool you, but when I first met him, I thought he was trying to fool me, too! It was the exact same feeling! 'What kind of medical skills could a little brat like that have?', right? But after I saw him save a dying person with my own eyes, I was completely won over."

"Whenever I encounter a difficult and complicated case I can't solve, I find myself wondering, 'How would my young friend Mu Lin treat this?' I've practically become obsessed, you know?"

"I can guarantee you, Mu Lin is the only one who can save your wife. If even my young friend Mu Lin can't cure her, then no one under heaven can. I'll refund your entire consultation fee, and I'll return all the gifts you gave me as well!"

Zhao Ling'Er burst into the office and couldn't help but blush when she heard her grandfather's ridiculously effusive praise of Mu Lin.

'I wonder what kind of expression Mu Lin would have if he heard all this,' she thought.

Qiao Canhua was still skeptical. Seeing Zhao Ling'Er, Zhao Yang called out, "Ling'Er, call my young friend Mu Lin in and take him to see Madam Qiao."

"You got it!" Zhao Ling'Er skipped off to find Mu Lin.

But when she turned around, she saw Mu Lin was already standing right behind her.

He had probably heard every last word of Zhao Yang's cringeworthy praise.

Zhao Yang was a little embarrassed. "My young friend, Madam Qiao's life is in your hands now, along with the reputation of my Holy Medicine Hall..."

"Where's the patient? Take me to her. But let me remind you, Divine Doctor Zhao, by the time your first thought was to find me to treat a patient, your reputation was already shattered."

"Can't you have a little independent thought?"

Zhao Yang's face flushed red. If he weren't plotting to poach Mu Lin as a grandson-in-law, who could possibly tolerate such humiliation?

"I can! I can! Please, hurry and see the patient!"

But in his heart, he was thinking, 'As long as I can trick you into marrying into my Zhao Family, won't the Holy Medicine Hall's reputation become legitimately yours anyway?'

Mu Lin was led to the deepest part of the Holy Medicine Hall. They went through a side door and stepped onto a path paved with bluestone slabs, which led to a small courtyard.

In the courtyard stood three single-story buildings. The door to one was ajar, while the other two were shut tight.

Zhao Ling'Er pushed open one of the closed doors, led Mu Lin inside, and turned on the light. A paper-paned screen came into view.

Behind the screen was a simply decorated double bed, but only one woman was sleeping on it.

Just as Zhao Ling'Er had described, her complexion was withered. She looked like a ninety-year-old, or even more like a dried-up tree in late autumn.

"Brother Mu, this is Madam Qiao," Zhao Ling'Er said, her voice crisp and pleasant to the ear.

Mu Lin quickly looked her up and down, then remarked, "This courtyard is quite nice!"

Zhao Ling'Er's mind blanked for a second. 'Are you sick in the head, Mu Lin?' she thought. 'A life is on the line, and you're telling me the courtyard is nice? What is wrong with you?'

But with Madam Qiao's life in Mu Lin's hands, she could only explain patiently, "This is my grandfather's ancestral home. The current Holy Medicine Hall was gradually built up and expanded from this small courtyard."

Mu Lin said, "I see. No wonder it's so elegant and filled with the traces of time."

He would talk about anything but the patient.

Qiao Canhua gritted his teeth, thinking, 'I'm burning with anxiety, yet Mu Lin is just making idle chit-chat. What is he playing at?'

Never mind Qiao Canhua; even Zhao Ling'Er's expression soured. "Brother Mu, a life is at stake! Can you please stop making fun of a person's life? Mr. Qiao is pinning all his hopes on his wife's recovery. You're betraying his fervent hopes by acting like this!"

Mu Lin said, "Madam Qiao isn't sick!"

Qiao Canhua's face darkened. He immediately bent down, pulled a large leather suitcase out from under the bed, and started packing his wife's clothes.

Seeing this, Zhao Ling'Er rushed forward. "Mr. Qiao, please don't be hasty! There must be a reason why Brother Mu said that! Why don't you hear him out?"

Qiao Canhua's tone was heavy. "I've already given you plenty of chances. You told me he was a Divine Doctor, and I believed you. You told me he could cure my wife, and I believed that, too. But this is the performance he gives me?"

"Today I've finally learned my lesson. The so-called Holy Medicine Hall is nothing special after all!"

Hearing the commotion, Zhao Yang hurried over. He grabbed Zhao Ling'Er to ask what was happening and then said excitedly, "Are you sure Mu Lin said the Madam isn't sick?"

"Of course! Why else would Mr. Qiao be so angry..."

Zhao Yang quickly stepped forward to block Qiao Canhua. "Mr. Qiao, please calm down! Please, let me explain."

"What is there to explain? Zhao Yang, you damn well better give me a refund!"

The atmosphere instantly grew tense.

Zhao Yang said, "If you insist on a refund, I'll give it to you. But before that, can you just hear our explanation? To be honest with you, Mu Lin's diagnosis is identical to my own. I couldn't believe it myself, which is why I wanted to bring Mu Lin in to try again."

"As it turns out, we both came to the same conclusion. Your wife isn't actually sick—she's perfectly healthy. That means this must be the final diagnosis."

Qiao Canhua put his hands on his hips, stomping his foot in anger. "But if my wife is fine, why is she so weak? Why would I have wasted all this effort running around seeking treatment for her?"

Mu Lin said, "Mr. Qiao, have you acquired any new collectibles recently?"

Qiao Canhua's gaze flickered. "Yes, I have. Does that have something to do with my wife's illness?"

"Like I said, your wife isn't sick!" Mu Lin stressed, then immediately asked, "Did her symptoms appear within the last six months?"

Qiao Canhua nodded repeatedly. "Yes! Within the last six months. I watched her health decline day by day. It was like a knife twisting in my heart."

Mu Lin said, "And seventeen days ago, she became bedridden, correct?"

Qiao Canhua looked as if he'd been struck by lightning. "Yes! Yes! How did you know?"

Mu Lin smiled. "Observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. Just the basics."

Zhao Yang exclaimed with admiration, "Ah, my young friend Mu Lin, you're just incredible. I had to ask question after question, going around in circles all morning just to get a clear history of the illness, but you saw it all with a single glance."

"And don't be so modest. How could the basic methods possibly achieve this? I know the basics too, but you could beat me to death and I'd still never be able to do what you do, not even one time in ten thousand."

"So, my young friend Mu Lin, how can this be resolved?"

Qiao Canhua stared intently at Mu Lin, as if afraid he would suddenly turn into a puff of green smoke and vanish on the spot.

Mu Lin walked over to Madam Qiao's side and pointed at the necklace around her neck. "This is it! It's releasing a slow-acting poison from within. It's not immediately fatal, but long-term accumulation in the body will trigger a series of symptoms..."

Qiao Canhua was dumbfounded. "That's an antique necklace I won at an auction! It was a gift for our fortieth wedding anniversary—our ruby anniversary! How could I possibly harm my own wife?"

Mu Lin said, "It was probably an unintentional mistake. You yourself said it's an antique necklace. Who knows what kind of environment it's been through? For all we know, it could have been buried underground for a thousand years before being stolen from a tomb."

"Fortunately, the damage isn't irreversible," Mu Lin said. "I can save her."

Qiao Canhua was overjoyed. He rushed forward, grabbed Mu Lin's hand, and said, "Divine Doctor Mu, I'm entrusting my wife to you! As long as you can save her, I, Qiao Canhua, am willing to give anything to repay your immense kindness!"

"There's no need for that. A healer's heart is like a parent's. As long as the patient is safe, that's all that matters," Mu Lin said slowly. "Prepare a new set of silver needles and an alcohol lamp for me. All non-essential personnel can leave now!"

When Zhao Yang heard "silver needles" and "alcohol lamp," he knew Mu Lin was about to perform one of his secret techniques. He eagerly raised his hand. "My young friend Mu Lin, can I stay and assist you? I promise to be absolutely quiet and not disturb your work!"

His humble attitude was exactly like a primary school student hoping to watch an adult film with the big kids.

Mu Lin thought for a moment, then said, "You can, but I can't guarantee you'll be able to learn my methods."

Zhao Yang chuckled happily. "Just being able to witness it will be a feast for my eyes. This old man is getting on in years; I know my own limits."