Chapter 54: Opening the Medical Clinic

"Get lost!" Jiang Lihua threatened. "If you ever come back to make trouble, I'll beat you every single time I see you."

Only then did the two attendants struggle to climb up from the ground, haul the young master to his feet, and flee in a panic.

The old grandmother shrank into a corner, looking utterly terrified, and said with a trembling voice, "Young lady, that young master is probably not someone you should cross. You should leave. In case he comes back with people and only finds an old woman like me here, I suppose he won't give me too hard a time."

Although Jiang Lihua had spoken with such fierce bravado, she was actually extremely worried inside.

If they left and the old grandmother was left here alone, what would happen if that scoundrel came back with reinforcements?

Uncle Jiang had followed Jiang Lihua for many years, so he naturally saw right through her worries. He said in a deep voice, "Miss, I will stay here."

Jiang Lihua hesitated for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Uncle Jiang's martial arts skills were formidable; dealing with a few thugs would pose no problem at all.

"Uncle Jiang is very capable. Granny, are there any spare rooms in the courtyard for him to stay in? We'll buy this shop," Jiang Lihua asked.

Seeing that Jiang Lihua's mind was made up, the old grandmother stopped trying to persuade her and replied, "There are three rooms in the backyard, more than enough space."

Naturally, Jiang Lihua could not take someone's shop for free. After agreeing on the price and terms with the old grandmother and signing the agreement, she took Zhang Yuankai to purchase medicinal herbs.

Before they even reached the pharmacy, they saw a crowd gathered ahead, bustling with activity.

Jiang Lihua led Zhang Yuankai forward to take a look and found a woman lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing continuously. No one in the surrounding crowd dared to step forward.

Epilepsy. Jiang Lihua had witnessed a seizure in her past life, though she had rarely seen one since arriving here.

She hurriedly motioned for Zhang Yuankai to come forward and gently hold down the woman's joints and limbs. During an epileptic seizure, muscles would contract, leaving the joints fragile and prone to dislocation.

Jiang Lihua then tilted the woman's head to the side to prevent her from choking on her own secretions and blocking her airway.

"Mind your strength, don't press too hard, or you might hurt her," she instructed Zhang Yuankai, before turning to the onlookers and saying, "Please step back a bit and stop crowding around."

At this moment, the patient needed fresh air and a clear, unobstructed airway.

After quite a while, the woman finally stopped convulsing and slowly regained consciousness.

Seeing this, the people around her began to murmur among themselves.

"She's awake, she's awake, she's really awake."

"Who is this young maiden? How on earth is she so capable? I've seen others suffer from this kind of affliction before, and they usually died not long after the seizure started."

Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Jiang Lihua raised her voice and said, "Everyone, if you encounter this situation in the future, there is no need to panic. Doing as I just did might just save someone's life."

With that, Jiang Lihua explained the emergency first-aid procedures for epileptic seizures to everyone and briefly outlined the underlying principles.

So that was how it worked! Previously, out of ignorance, they had assumed the illness was terrifying and contagious, which was why no one had dared to step forward when confronted with such a scene.

"Young lady, are you a physician?" someone asked.

Jiang Lihua nodded and pointed in a certain direction. "Yes, I've taken over that pharmacy around the corner. We'll be changing its name to Min'an Medical Hall and opening our doors in a few days. Everyone is welcome to come find me if you have any medical needs in the future."

As soon as Jiang Lihua finished speaking, someone chimed in, "I know that shop! The old man who ran it passed away, and it was put up for sale. I never expected this young lady to buy it. I'll definitely come to you for medical care in the future, miss."

Jiang Lihua expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much, thank you."

Hearing the commotion around her, the woman opened her eyes and looked around in a daze, only to realize she was lying in the middle of the street. Then, noticing the strange looks the crowd was giving her, she recalled that she had suffered an epileptic seizure.

"Are you all right?" Jiang Lihua asked softly.

The woman finally snapped out of her daze and looked at Jiang Lihua. The moment she laid eyes on her, her expression changed drastically. This... this could... no... impossible.

Taking a deep breath to steady her emotions, she expressed her gratitude: "Thank you, young lady, for saving my life. May I ask where you live? This old woman will come to your door another day to properly thank you."

"Think nothing of it. Just be sure to mind your diet in the future and eat more fruits and vegetables. Now that you're well, we'll be taking our leave. If you wish to seek treatment, come find me at Min'an Medical Hall in a few days," Jiang Lihua said before leaving with Zhang Yuankai.

The woman stared blankly at her retreating figure.

The onlookers chimed in, "You've run into a good soul! If not for her, you might have met your end today. Hurry on home now."

"Do you happen to know who that young lady is?" the woman asked.

Someone repeated Jiang Lihua's parting words to her, and the woman etched them into her memory before getting up and leaving.

This entire scene had been witnessed by Wang Junhao from the second-floor tea terrace. Seeing Jiang Lihua walk away, he immediately rushed downstairs to give chase.

"Young master, young master, please run slower!" his attendant panted, dragging his chubby body along behind him in an exhausting pursuit.

Wang Junhao ran at full speed and caught up with Jiang Lihua in no time at all. "Miss, miss, please wait a moment."

Jiang Lihua turned around to see a young man of about seventeen or eighteen years of age. His appearance was strikingly handsome, with sword-like brows, starry eyes, dark hair tied up high in a bun, and a light blue robe.

"Is there something you need?" Jiang Lihua asked.

Wang Junhao inquired, "I would like to ask, miss, can the illness that woman was suffering from really be cured?"

Jiang Lihua nodded. "Yes. With a combination of medication and acupuncture treatment, there is a chance of a full recovery."

"Really? That's wonderful! Might I ask the young lady to accompany me somewhere?" Wang Junhao's face instantly lit up with a smile, his eyes curving into crescent moons as he beamed, making him look exceptionally pleasing.

"Is it urgent?" Jiang Lihua frowned slightly. "If it's not urgent, how about tomorrow? I need to purchase some medicinal herbs today."

Initially, upon seeing Jiang Lihua's furrowed brow, Wang Junhao had worried she was unwilling to go. But upon hearing her subsequent words, he immediately grew excited again and said, "My family is in the medicinal herb business! How many herbs do you need? I'll take you to buy them."

Well, that was simply wonderful! Being a newcomer to the capital, Jiang Lihua had no idea what the market prices were here and had been secretly worried about being swindled.

The two of them hit it off instantly, and the matter was happily settled just like that.

Zhang Yuankai watched the exchange with deep concern. Tugging gently at Jiang Lihua's sleeve, he lowered his voice and whispered, "Lihua, what if he's a swindler?"

"Don't worry," Jiang Lihua replied.

She trusted her own intuition. This young man gave off the impression of being utterly simple-minded. Presumably, someone in his family suffered from epilepsy and could not find a cure, and having just overheard her conversation with that woman, he was hoping to invite her to take a look.

Following Wang Junhao to his family's pharmacy, they found it to be exceptionally spacious and well-stocked with a comprehensive array of medicinal herbs. Jiang Lihua purchased a supply of commonly used remedies.

By this time, the shopkeeper had been alerted by an errand boy and hurried out to the front hall.

With a perpetually melancholy expression akin to a bitter melon, the shopkeeper had no idea what trouble the young master was stirring up this time; every time he visited, he would bring along a band of good-for-nothing friends to clear out the shop's medicine stores without ever paying a copper.

Who on earth had he brought along this time?

Seeing Wang Junhao lounging lazily in a chair with a slouch, the shopkeeper stepped forward and greeted him with a fawning smile, "Young master, what brings you here today?"

Wang Junhao pointed at Jiang Lihua, who was seated nearby, and issued a warning: "This is my friend. I've brought her here to purchase medicinal herbs. Shopkeeper Sun, you are not allowed to fleece her."

"Oh heavens, young master, I would never fleece anyone!" the shopkeeper lamented inwardly. How could the young master say such things in front of outsiders?

Jiang Lihua smiled. Just by looking at the shopkeeper's bitter expression and Wang Junhao's unserious demeanor, she could easily deduce that Shopkeeper Sun had likely been duped by Wang Junhao on numerous occasions.

Shopkeeper Sun turned his gaze toward Jiang Lihua, cupped his fists, and said, "Greetings, young lady. I am Shopkeeper Sun of this pharmacy."

"Greetings, Shopkeeper Sun. I am about to open a medical hall and have come to procure some medicinal herbs. I've already made my selections; would you be so kind as to calculate the total cost?" Jiang Lihua replied.

Being a seasoned merchant, Shopkeeper Sun grew instantly warm and chatty upon hearing that Jiang Lihua intended to open a medical hall, launching into an animated conversation with her.

"So Young Lady Jiang has taken over that particular shop! Old Man Li, who used to run it, was an old acquaintance of mine. He was a kind man, though it's a pity he passed away so soon," Shopkeeper Sun remarked. "If Young Lady Jiang ever needs anything in the future, please feel free to come to me."

Jiang Lihua quickly expressed her thanks. Having an acquaintance made getting things done so much easier.

Once the medicinal herbs were purchased, Shopkeeper Sun specially dispatched a carriage to transport the goods, with Zhang Yuankai escorting them back, while Jiang Lihua accompanied Wang Junhao to his home to examine the patient.

Along the way, she learned that it was actually Wang Junhao's younger sister who suffered from epilepsy, and her condition was considerably more severe than that of the woman they had encountered earlier.

Upon arriving at the Wang residence, the steward saw Wang Junhao leading a young maiden into the courtyard and was thrown into a panic.

In the past, although the young master frequently brought home idle companions, he had never once brought back a female visitor. This was a matter of utmost gravity! Given the young master's naive nature, the steward resolved to inform the mistress immediately to prevent him from being deceived by this girl.

Jiang Lihua followed Wang Junhao to the courtyard belonging to his younger sister, Wang Yunxin.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Wang Junhao called out loudly, "Xinxin, your brother is here to see you!"

"Brother, you're here!" A young girl of about eleven or twelve years of age, dressed in an embroidered pleated skirt, came running out like a gust of wind and threw herself into Wang Junhao's arms.

Catching sight of Jiang Lihua standing right behind her brother, Wang Yunxin's expression shifted slightly.

Stepping back from Wang Junhao's embrace, she asked with a touch of bashfulness, "Brother, who is this?"

Wang Junhao took her hand and introduced Jiang Lihua, saying, "Xinxin, this is Young Lady Lihua. She has come to treat your illness. There is hope for you yet."

"Really?" Wang Yunxin's face flushed slightly with excitement.

"Really." Wang Junhao gently and tenderly stroked Wang Yunxin's head. His younger sister had endured the torment of illness since she was a toddler, and countless physicians had failed to find a permanent cure, offering at best only temporary relief.

Every time he witnessed Xinxin suffering through the agonizing seizures, his heart ached for her beyond measure.

Taking a closer look, Wang Yunxin saw that Jiang Lihua appeared to be barely two years older than herself, and a flicker of worry crept back into her heart. Yet, seeing how much trust her brother placed in Jiang Lihua, she did not know how to voice her doubts.

Just as she was hesitating, she suddenly heard her mother's voice echoing from outside, "Haoer, I hear you've brought a young woman back with you?"

Wang Yunxin hurriedly hid behind Wang Junhao, looking somewhat frightened.

Wang Junhao gave her hand a reassuring pat and lowered his voice to soothe her, "Xinxin, don't be afraid."

Finding the situation rather peculiar, Jiang Lihua glanced toward the courtyard entrance and saw a lavishly dressed matron approaching.

She was slightly plump with a round face, adorned with golden hairpins, wearing two large gold bracelets on her wrists, and followed closely by two elderly maidservants and two young maids.

The newcomer was none other than Wang Junhao's mother, Madam Sun.

The moment she stepped into the courtyard, she fixed the three people inside with a sharp, piercing gaze.