"Trouble? What trouble?"
For something so big to happen, naturally Master Yan knew of it. He tossed the cage with the bird he was teasing under the veranda to a servant boy as he stared at his reporting subordinate.
"Curing one Dali Haiping is proof that she can vanish ills with medicine and return spring with miraculous skills?"
The servant was visibly disturbed.
"But Dali Haiping’s illness was really cured," he said. "Miss Jun’s skills…"
Master Yan scoffed.
"Someone was cured? That wasn’t skill, that was the hard work of money," he said while frowning at his subordinates. "Are you stupid? That Dali Haiping is a poor devil; could he have seen a good doctor? Could he have eaten good medicine?"
The servants were struck with sudden realization.
"A serious injury needs to be treated well," said one person. "Where would a poor man like Dali Haiping get money."
"Yes, yes, once he had no money, the doctors didn’t bother seeing him, much less giving him any medicine," said another, nodding. "No one gave him treatment, so it would be strange if he could have gotten better."
"We must’ve been confused to be unable to think of this," said everyone, embarra.s.sed.
Master Yan took a sip of the tea handed to him by a servant girl.
"I can’t blame you for being confused," he said. "Thinking back on it, Miss Jun and the Fang Family must have selected very carefully. Dali Haiping is famous, and he suffered through unhappy and miserable years. Curing him would naturally cause a stir."
"Master, do you mean that this is all Miss Jun’s plan?" asked a subordinate.
Master Yan sat down onto his rocking chair under the veranda.
"It’s not that she planned it. Could it be that Heaven has fallen?" he jeered. "Doesn’t everyone know about Old Doctor Jun’s medical skills? He did have the humane heart of a doctor who saw all sorts of minor illnesses, like aches and pains, but he was just kind and charitable; that’s all. Where was his super skills. If he was like that, how could have his granddaughter learned anything."
Everyone nodded.
That’s right, that’s right. Old Doctor Jun did not have what could be considered divine medical skills.
"So this occurrence is exactly the same as the free medicine and treatment. It’s just using money to buy reputation," continued Master Yan. He leaned back against the chair and rocked back and forth. "This time, the Fang Family definitely requested a famous doctor to obtain a rare medicine so that Dali Haiping could be cured as promotion for Miss Jun."
Everyone nodded again.
"But the promotion this time is huge. It’s not just the poor and greedy that are part of the bustle," said one servant hesitantly. "Our people there reported that the wealthy personage of the countryside have gone too. If Miss Jun comes to rely on them, the matter with the house might become troublesome."
Master Yan smiled.
"Rely on them? She wants to rely on others. She should rely on her own talent, money." He clapped his hands and smiled condescendingly.
Who of those wealthy personages lacked money. If they wanted doctors to treat them they could. It was not worthwhile to deal with Miss Jun.
As for flaunting wealth to lure them into cooperation…
"Miss Jun and Young Master Fang are still too young. If the head of the Fang Family appeared, they might have succeeded." Master Yan stroked his beard. "If the head of the Fang Family does come out, though, we could reason with them."
At this he smirked.
"Reason them about my possession of the land deed. My Yan Family is not wealthier than the Fang Family, but we are not some easily bullied poor devils."
He had sense and money, so if he really wanted to stand against the government office, they would first have to weight the pros and cons.
Everyone present nodded, their expressions becoming softer. Soon news came of the matter: although there were more wealthy personages appearing, they were not asking Miss Jun for treatment; merely observing.
"This says that not everyone is an idiot." Everyone in the Yan Family laughed.
Before their laughter could subside, another person came rus.h.i.+ng in.
"Not good, Master. Someone else was cured and came running in to thank Miss Jun," he said nervously.
Another one?
Everyone’s expression froze. They subconsciously turned to look at Master Yan.
His face was still relaxed, as he rocked in his rocking chair.
"Since this is a promotion, they can’t just do it once," he explained.
It was just as he said. But soon, the news continued to come.
Miss Jun cured an old man’s chronic coughing of blood.
The blind flower selling granny’s grandson was cured of infantile convulsion. He had run over himself to kowtow to Miss Jun.
Widow Liu’s bloated stomach said to harbor a demon fetus for three years was cured; her stomach was now flat.
One, two, three, four, five.
Once the first servant came to report, they wouldn’t be finished when the second came charging in. The third and fourth continued pouring in.
No one was smiling anymore. Everyone was shocked and silent.
Master Yan was no longer rocking back and forth. He squeezed his teacup as he watched the unending stream of subordinates come in.
How much money that Miss Jun spent for all this medicine?
This could not have been bought.
Hu Gui watched the people bringing in their elderly and young.
He remembered that these people had been seen by Miss Jun several days ago.
The patients lined up forgot about getting treated. Instead they were dumbfoundingly watching the endless stream of people kneeling to Miss Jun in thanks.
What was going on?
"This sickness comes like a landslide, but leaves like spinning silk," said Miss Jun. "It does take some time for the medicine to have effect.
Hu Gui looked at her.
"It is just like planting a field. If the seeds are sown in March, it still takes several months for them to mature," she declared.
Hu Gui watched the continuous stream of people shouting in excitement.
Miss Jun had been open for business in her straw shack for half a month. He had waited here for half a month, so he had more or less an impression of them.
These people were cured by her in this half month.
You need land to sow a field. This land was her building, the Jiuling Hall.
You need seeds to sow a field. These seeds were the people seeking treatment.
The vile destruction of the house attracted everyone’s attention.
Announcing the free treatment and medicine, spending money like water, attracted everyone in hordes.
If it were not for the house crumbling, if it not were for the free treatment, even if the Jiuling Hall opened, it would not attract this much attention or patients.
She said she had come here not to live but to revitalize the name of the Jiuling Hall.
She had also said that even if you don’t believe it, the collapse of the house was very good.
She spent money like water, but she had said all the money she had spent would be earnt back.
"So…" Hu Gui mumbled.
Miss Jun smiled at him.
"So now it is time to harvest," she said.
Harvest.
One Dali Haiping could be said to be an accident, two cured could be a coincidence, three could be good fortune, but if it was everyone?
The Jiuling Hall vanished ills with medicine, returned spring with skills.
This promise made a sound when thrown on the floor; it was not false at all.