Chapter 16: Future student of mine

After getting her mother rested inside, Yingyue realised that a feeling of discomfort was gnawing at her. Now that she would be declaring war, she was in desperate need of something to defend herself with...

It would be unlikely that they had any medication available, and if she needed anything urgent, it would be almost impossible... She had to prepare herself!

"Xiao Zhu, I need you to go to the market for me and buy these things..." Using a brush, she noted down a small list of herbs and other useful items on a piece of paper.

Although she didn't know if they would have all those herbs in this world, she was better off trying, rather than just living here with nothing at all.

As Xiao Zhu read over the list of items, she was left in confusion... "But young miss, what use would you have for these things...?" Xiao Zhu was five years older than her young miss, but even she barely knew the use of the items, let alone the herbs.

Although Yingyue had spent most of her time studying modern medicine and surgery at Harvard University, she had also taken several electives for further learning, including traditional Chinese medicine.

Being an unpopular study at Harvard University, students were required to find a clinic of their own choice where they would log placement hours.

In such a big city, it would have been easy for any student to find a position, but of course, not all the positions were up to Yingyue's standards. She was not simply a student who studied to pass and passed to graduate.

Her studies needed to be insightful and had to give her valuable experiences. Of course, many famous traditional Chinese clinics reached out to her, offering their knowledge, but in the end, they were all turned down, one by one.

This being the case, whenever she attended her art classes, her pieces always held feelings of worry and irritation. In the end, her Chinese arts professor could no longer watch it go on... Sitting her down, he made her vent her frustrations.

Hearing those worries, he immediately had a solution... Oddly enough, he had an old friend who was a doctor. They had both grown up in the same village, so they were as close as brothers.

When they travelled to the big city together, one went down the path of studying art, eventually becoming an art professor. The other studied for years and eventually became a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, taking on the same path as the long line of his Li family who had even been ancient imperial doctors thousands of years ago.

As unwilling as she was, Yingyue was unable to turn down her arts professor. Standing outside the unassuming clinic, Yingyue thought of the recommendation as nothing more than a friend referring a friend.

A brilliant idea coming to her mind, she smiled confidently. Pretending to be a patient herself, was the best way to see if this place was worthy of her time...

After a thorough examination that included a pulse diagnosis, acupuncture that she admitted relieved weeks of stress, and him prescribing several herbs, Yingyue had to acknowledge, the old man was skilled. However, she was still not fully convinced that this would be the right place for her...

"Take these herbs in slightly warm water once a day for the next week, and you should be able to find some relief for the stress in your stomach."

"Thank you for your instructions, doctor."

As Yingyue reached out to pay him for the medication, he quickly stopped her hands. "No need to be so polite, child. A future student of mine shouldn't be paying me... Yingyue, take them as a gift for our first time meeting."

Taken aback, her body froze for a moment, which made him let out a slight laugh. "Old Man Wang told me that you were an interesting student of his. He certainly didn't let me down..."

He had a certain playful twinkle in his eyes that reminded her of her grandfather who had passed away when she was a child... It reminded her of the moments that he had set her down on his lap and taught her how to play Go[1]. Her heart ached at those memories.

[1] 'Go' is an abstract strategy board game for two players. The game was invented in China more than 2,500 years ago.

Leaving the clinic, she wondered if she had slipped up at some point and given away her identity but couldn't remember at all.

She was certain that she performed her role as a patient perfectly! Passing by a building with reflective glass, she turned her head slightly, which immediately stopped her in her tracks.

She closed her eyes, tipped her head back and let out a chuckle... Pinned on her blouse, was the name badge that she had forgotten to remove after her hospital placement earlier that morning.

From that moment on, Yingyue had already taken him as her teacher... and he became much more than that. He took care of her as if she was his own granddaughter, teaching her the ways of life, and invaluable lessons. His warmth had been a rare ray of sun in that foreign country - something that she had rarely felt even when she was in her homeland.

Now that she was in this ancient place, she could actually make use of the knowledge that she had gained in those years.

"Xiao Zhu, don't worry about it. Just trust me and do as I say." The certainty in Yingyue's tone made Xiao Zhu realise that within the last day, there had been so many sudden changes, she barely even knew who was sitting in front of her anymore...

Regardless, she had no choice but to trust her young miss. "I will return later this afternoon then..."

--- MAIN MADAM JIANG'S COURTYARD ---

Leaning back on cushions, Su Rushi was finally able to rest after busily ordering servants to clean up fragments of what used to be precious vases, and food scattered on the ground.

Although a mess was still to be cleaned, the servants were at least relieved that the oldest young miss had finally been sent back to her courtyard to rest, otherwise, soon they themselves might end up like the vases...

Seated above, Su Rushi laid with her chin resting on an arm, eyes closed, and had two servants surrounding her - one fanning her gently, and the other slowly massaging her temples.

"Madam, although oldest miss was unable to gain that palace woman's favour, she wasn't in the wrong... Young miss is so virtuous, of course she couldn't stand the concubine's daughter cheating and had to say something..."

Su Rushi's main servant, Erqing, had come from her maiden home, the Su Family, so naturally, her mouth was equally as vicious as the mother-daughter pair.

Right at that moment, a male servant rushed in and reported the happenings of Concubine Lu's courtyard... Su Rushi had only just managed to calm down her daughter, but was now about to throw her own tantrum.

"-she what?" Erqing's hands were instantly pushed off as Su Rushi threw a tea cup at the servant who had just come to report.

"That vixen's daughter thinks that she's untouchable now that she's enrolling in the Junior Academy? She might be able to bully Jiang Zhenfeng's servants, but I won't be so easy on her. Erqing! Tomorrow, you go over there! You already know what to do..."

There was such a fire in her eyes, that it seemed any moment now, she would burn down the whole courtyard with her anger. The servants had been here a long time, and knew better than to disturb her at this moment...