Knowing what Miss Jun had asked, Fang Chengyu could answer with anything without overthinking it.
"I told you before that I read many books," he said, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to take another step. His body shook and he almost fell. He involuntarily reached out to grab something.
Miss Jun grabbed his hands.
A girl’s hands were soft, but without strength.
Fang Chengyu stabilized himself. His feet felt like knives were stabbing into him and a pain swept through his whole body. His sweat soaked his book.
"… I told you there wasn’t anything I could do then but read. I also told you I couldn’t think too much, like what I would do after I got better, but that was a lie," he continued, smiling at the girl in front of him. "I thought about what I would do after I got better, many, many times."
He thought about how he would shoulder the family business, how to make the business prosper like his grandfather and father had done, how he would stand up on his own one day and let the women in his family be like other women who didn’t need to be in a state of anxiety.
"So I read many books on business. I also read through the exchange firm’s account books."
Miss Jun smiled as she held his hand.
"One more step," she said.
As expected, this was her response.
No excessive praise for him. Fang Chengyu’s lips curled and he attempted to take a step, before he was tugged down by Miss Jun.
"I can’t walk," he said. "Can’t do it."
He spoke plainly, and his voice was clear, but there was a hint of a child’s spoiledness in his tone.
Lei Zhonglian smiled from over by the carriage.
He was a rich and n.o.ble family’s young master, and because of this illness he was definitely pampered.
Miss Jun did not force him. She went to support him with one arm, the other scooping up the crutches in a practiced manner. The two headed directly outside.
Inside the bathtub was steaming water thick with the scent of herbs.
Fang Chengyu directly took off his outer clothing, leaving himself only in his short pants as he sat in the tub with Miss Jun’s help. After soaking for a while, he was helped out into a prepared vat of clean water.
After rinsing and wiping, Miss Jun placed the inner clothes onto the stoll and turned around.
After all, he was a big child. Before he was unconscious so he couldn’t take care of himself, so she changed his clothes for him, but now he was wide awake and had freedom of movement. He didn’t need to be personally attended to.
She merely waited by his side, preventing anyone from harming him.
She was doing for him what she couldn’t for her little brother Jiurong.
When he was young, Jiurong was also shy.
Everytime he washed up he would tell her to close her eyes.
"Big Sister is not allowed to look. Big Sister is a girl, and I am a boy."
Miss Jun’s eyes felt hot as she recalled that tender voice.
But how could she not look.
Beside the sisters, there was no one trustworthy. Scared of anything eaten, drunk, or used, for fear of an accident happening.
Now she was dead, Big Sister was to be married, and Jiurong, he was alone…
Miss Jun violently whipped around.
"Chengyu," she called.
Fang Chengyu had just wiped himself dry and was taking off his soaked shorts and putting on his clean ones when he was suddenly seen by her. His expression was somewhat awkward.
Actually there was no need to be awkward. They had shared the same bed and pillow for so long, and everything of his had long since been seen by her.
She had forgotten it was indecent to look.
Miss Jun hurriedly turned around.
"I just thought of something," she continued.
Fang Chengyu spoke very naturally behind her.
"What is it?" he asked while continuing to put on his clothes.
But Miss Jun didn’t say anything.
No one could just ask about Prince Huai’s Manor. In case someone became suspicious, it might invite disaster.
Now, she could not make any mistakes.
"It’s nothing," she said. "Are you done?"
A shadow crossed his eyes.
If it was nothing why would she call for him. It was something he could not help her with.
But there would be a day that he could help her.
The shadow in his eyes receded, and they became bright as usual.
"I’m done," he said, not pursuing the matter.
Miss Jun turned around and helped him into his outer clothes. She helped him walk out of the bathroom, and they rested for a spell. When the sun was s.h.i.+ning in full force, they boarded the carriage and left the inn for the Jiuling Hall straw shack.
A long queue was lined up there.
The original fervor of the free medicine and treatment that had attracted people before had cooled down, but now the Jiuling Hall was as bustling as it was on the first day.
This time, the thing that attracted them was not the free medicine, but the medicine that could vanish ills and miraculous skills that could bring back spring. The customers now were not the poor and dest.i.ttue. There were many wealthy people wearing silk and brocade.
When the people on the road saw Miss Jun’s carriage arrive, they parted.
Miss Jun descended the carriage carrying her signboard as usual. Lei Zhonglian helped Fang Chengyu off.
With the Jiuling Hall sign situated in front of the straw shack, Miss Jun arranged her table and sat down. The first person in line anxiously stepped forward.
"Miss Jun, you see my cough still has not gotten better, and I’ve eaten this medicine…" a woman said nervously.
Miss Jun eyed her.
This woman had come several days ago. She had not come to request diagnosis, rather directly taking out her prescription. Obviously she wanted the free medicine.
That prescription had no problems, so Miss Jun drew up the medicine for her.
Now she was here again.
"The illnesses should be better after eating the medicine," said Miss Jun. She reached out her hand. "If you think that there’s not enough medicine, I can give you some more."
If this was before, Miss Jun’s dumb action would cause everyone to clap their hands and be happy, but now this woman did not take out her prescription.
"Miss Jun, another doctor made that prescription and it’s not working. Can you draw up a prescription" she beseeched.
Hu Gui, who was already there waiting to the side, looked on with a complicated expression.
Just a day before, these people had spoken the exact opposite.
"Second Uncle, they really are starting to say that other doctors are not as good as her. This will attract people’s anger," said the nephew after being struck by a sudden idea.
Hu Gui slapped him.
"How can this be the same? It wasn’t her who said it," he said.
At first they had guessed that in order to lessen expenditures, Miss Jun would say that other doctors’ prescriptions were not right. Afterwards, everyone knew that the wealthy and overbearing person in question would not do this.
Now the matter of other doctors not being good was raised again, but this was said by the patient seeking treatment from Miss Jun. The meaning and results were completely different.
This was because Dali Haiping was cured.
Was her medical skills really so great?
Hu Gui looked at the young lady who was being beseeched by the woman, and his facial expression kept s.h.i.+fting.
There was trouble here.