Chapter 64 Why Are You Here?

After finishing the introductions, Jiang Lihua found an excuse to leave.

She headed to the medical clinic as previously arranged to treat Wang Junhao's younger sister.

Since the clinic's grand opening, she had rarely visited it. Fortunately, the clinic had previously hired a resident physician, requiring her presence only when she had the time.

At the clinic.

Wang Junhao had been waiting for a long time. Upon seeing Jiang Lihua arrive, he immediately hurried over. "Lihua, you're finally here."

Jiang Lihua nodded and went into the inner chamber to treat Wang Yunxin.

Performing surgery in this era was impossible, so she treated Wang Yunxin using a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

She ground herbs such as Gastrodia elata, Asarum, rhubarb, and Saposhnikovia into a fine powder, mixed them with honey to form pills, and instructed that they be taken twice daily with ginger soup for fourteen consecutive days.

"You may step outside," Jiang Lihua said to Wang Junhao, who was following closely behind.

Wang Junhao glanced at Wang Yunxin and nodded. "Alright, I'll leave her in your care, Lihua."

"Sister Lihua, can't my brother stay with me? I'm scared." Wang Yunxin already looked sickly, and her voice sounded even more frail and delicate at that moment.

Seeing her like that, Wang Junhao looked at Jiang Lihua with a hint of reluctance.

"The acupuncture later requires you to remove your clothes. Are you sure you want to stay here? If neither of you minds, I don't care," Jiang Lihua said indifferently.

Er... Wang Junhao's face flushed slightly, and he stammered, "Xin'er, don't be afraid. Brother will wait for you outside."

With that, he quickly retreated from the room.

"Sister Lihua, do I really have to take off my clothes?" Wang Yunxin asked, looking rather embarrassed.

Jiang Lihua gave her a calm glance. "You are the patient, and I am the physician. That is all. There is no need to feel embarrassed."

Wang Yunxin bit her lip and said nothing more.

As the acupuncture session began, Wang Yunxin started asking again, "Sister Lihua, can this really be cured?"

"Don't speak; it will distract me," Jiang Lihua said, her expression turning serious as she entered her working state.

Hearing the coldness in her tone, Wang Yunxin felt a bit displeased inside, so she simply closed her eyes and stopped talking.

Jiang Lihua did not notice her emotional shift.

Outside, Wang Junhao was sitting on pins and needles, pacing back and forth anxiously.

After more than an hour, Jiang Lihua finally opened the door and came out. "She only needs to come once every other day. Results will be visible after half a year. Make sure she takes the herbal medicine on time."

"Also, she should eat more fruits and vegetables and avoid overly greasy foods," Jiang Lihua added as a parting instruction.

As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Yunxin came out after dressing herself.

The moment Wang Yunxin stepped out, her maid hurried over to support her, while Wang Junhao also took her hand and asked, "Xin'er, how do you feel?"

"I just feel a lot more comfortable all over," Wang Yunxin replied softly.

"That's good, that's good." Wang Junhao turned back to thank Jiang Lihua. "Thank you so much, Lihua. How much is it?"

"One hundred taels per acupuncture session."

Jiang Lihua wasn't overcharging. The needles used for the acupuncture were originally ordered using silver from her spatial dimension, costing well over a hundred taels. Fortunately, these needles could be reused repeatedly, and after a few sessions, she would earn back the cost.

Even so, anyone else hearing this would think Jiang Lihua was making exorbitant demands.

However, Wang Junhao didn't mind. His family was wealthy anyway, and he felt the price was quite reasonable. Charging a high fee offered better reassurance, implying the physician had absolute confidence.

Therefore, he paid the fee without hesitation. Wang Yunxin, however, looked somewhat displeased and tugged at Wang Junhao's sleeve.

Wang Junhao gently patted the back of her hand, signaling her to remain silent.

Seeing Wang Yunxin's small gesture, Jiang Lihua smiled faintly and paid it no mind.

Wang Junhao paid the money and took Wang Yunxin out of the medical clinic.

Once outside, Wang Yunxin muttered with a dissatisfied pout, "Brother, she's clearly taking advantage of you being foolish."

"Then do you think your brother is foolish?" Wang Junhao retorted.

Wang Yunxin immediately replied, "In Xin'er's heart, Brother is the most capable and smartest person. How could you be foolish?"

"That's right. Since Brother isn't foolish, how could I be taken advantage of? As long as she can cure you, any amount of money is worth it."

Wang Yunxin tightened her grip around his arm. "Brother, it's so good to have you."

"Of course. I even envy you for having such a brother as me," Wang Junhao said narcissistically.

Wang Yunxin was amused by his words, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

As soon as the siblings returned home, they saw their mother, Lady Sun, waiting for them at the main gate.

Wang Yunxin instinctively shrank behind Wang Junhao.

Lady Sun rolled her eyes at her. "Wretched girl, I'm your mother—am I going to eat you? What are you so afraid of?"

Wang Junhao shielded Wang Yunxin and looked at Lady Sun. "Mother, is there something you needed while waiting for us?"

Lady Sun raised her head and glanced at him. "You two went to find Jiang Lihua for treatment today, didn't you?"

"That's right." Wang Junhao nodded. He didn't know what trick his mother was planning to pull this time, but no matter what, he was determined not to let her stop Xin'er from getting treatment again.

"How does it feel? Are you feeling better?" Lady Sun looked at Wang Yunxin and asked with a hint of concern.

Wang Yunxin raised her eyes, looking pleasantly surprised by Lady Sun's reaction, and replied timidly, "Thank you for your concern, Mother. Xin'er is already feeling a bit better."

"Mm, not bad." Lady Sun nodded.

"Mother, if you have something to say, just say it directly. Stop beating around the bush." Wang Junhao was baffled by his mother's attitude. What medicine was she selling in her gourd?

"Am I not your mother? Is that any way for you to talk to me, young man?" Lady Sun glared at him, then asked, "How are things between you and that Lihua?"

"What do you mean, 'how are things'?"

"Oh, use your brains! I think you and that girl are a very good match. How do you feel about her?"

Upon hearing Lady Sun's words, Wang Yunxin immediately spoke up, "Mother, what are you saying? How could Brother possibly fancy that country girl—I mean, Sister Lihua is not suited for Brother."

"There's no place for you to speak here. I'm asking your brother, what are you getting so worked up for?" Lady Sun scolded her unhappily. "Whether she's suited or not, your mother knows best."

"Mother, don't yell at Xin'er." Wang Junhao pulled Wang Yunxin behind him. "And as for how I feel about Lihua, why are you so concerned, Mother?"

"Didn't I just say? I think the two of you are a great match. If you like her, I'll go propose marriage on your behalf and get the engagement settled first."

"No way!" Wang Yunxin cried out.

Lady Sun instantly flew into a rage. "You wretched girl, when your mother says it's going to happen, it happens! Since when do you get to make the decisions?"

Ignoring Lady Sun's roar, Wang Yunxin looked at Wang Junhao with tear-filled eyes. "Brother, do you like Sister Lihua?"

Wang Junhao's face turned red, and his expression became somewhat unnatural. "Like or not like what? I just think she's not bad."

Seeing her son's reaction, Lady Sun was delighted. "You boy, liking someone is liking someone, what's there to be embarrassed about? I'm telling you, you need to seize the opportunity."

"What do you mean?" Wang Junhao asked, uncomprehending.

"You still need me at the crucial moment, don't you? Let me tell you, that girl is actually Prime Minister Zhao's biological daughter—she is the Prime Minister's only legitimate young lady! If you capture her heart now, our family only has money right now; if you marry that girl, our family will have both wealth and power in the future."

With that, Lady Sun couldn't help laughing aloud.

"What?!"

Wang Junhao and Wang Yunxin exclaimed in simultaneous shock.

Previously, even though Jiang Lihua was exceptional, Wang Junhao had felt too diffident to approach her. His family's wealth, however, had given him a bit of confidence.

Now, learning that she was the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter, wouldn't he lose even that tiny shred of advantage?

Wang Yunxin was terrified. Earlier, when Jiang Lihua was merely a village girl, she wasn't worried at all. Even if her brother liked her, her mother, who always curried favor with the powerful, would never agree to let her brother marry a village girl.

But now, Jiang Lihua had transformed into the Prime Minister's legitimate daughter, meaning her mother would surely spare no effort to matchmake her brother with Jiang Lihua.

"You heard me right, that girl is the Prime Minister's legitimate young lady," Lady Sun repeated. "You must firmly capture her heart, understand?"

"Our status might not match theirs, but the Prime Minister currently feels deeply indebted to her. As long as she likes you and insists on marrying you, the Prime Minister will agree."

"So, you must seize the opportunity, understand? If you mess this up, your mother won't let you pay for this wretched girl's medical treatments anymore!"

At the end, Lady Sun added a fierce threat.

"I understand," Wang Junhao replied in a low, dejected tone, and led Wang Yunxin away.

On the way, Wang Yunxin tugged at his sleeve and asked cautiously, "Brother, are you really going to listen to Mother?"

"No, I'm just playing along with her. Otherwise, what would happen if she stopped letting you get treated?" Wang Junhao patted her head and said, "We'll deal with everything after you're cured."

"Mm." Wang Yunxin smiled, but a flash of ruthlessness crossed her lowered eyes.

At the clinic.

Jiang Lihua recounted recent events, including the revelation of her true identity, to Uncle Jiang and Zhang Yuankai.

"That's the situation. Be careful from now on to avoid being exploited by others," Jiang Lihua instructed.

"Understood, Miss. We will be mindful," Uncle Jiang and Zhang Yuankai nodded.

"If anything comes up, come to the Prime Minister's Estate to find me." After clarifying things with them, Jiang Lihua took Jixiang and Ruyi and returned to the estate.

Although Prime Minister Zhao had promised not to restrict her from leaving the estate, she was now a young lady of the Prime Minister's Estate after all. If she acted too wildly, gossip would inevitably follow, so she still needed to restrain herself a bit.

At the Prime Minister's Estate.

Lin Yunxi was beaming, her brows filled with triumph.

This was because her son, who had been away on a study tour for a year, had finally returned.

"Mother, this is a good friend I met during my study tour. I invited him to stay at our house for a while," Zhao Hongfang said to Lin Yunxi.

"No problem, Mother will go arrange a courtyard for him right away."

"Mother, I noticed Father seems very happy. Is there some good news?" Zhao Hongfang asked. As soon as he returned, he noticed his father was uncharacteristically less stern, with joy written all over his brow.

At the mention of this, Lin Yunxi's face instantly darkened. "Your father has found his biological daughter with that woman. Zhao Sihui is not your father's biological daughter."

"It's just as well that you returned today. Tomorrow, your father is going to open the ancestral hall to have her officially recognized and entered into the family registry."

Though deeply surprised, Zhao Hongfang didn't pay it too much mind. She was just a daughter; no matter how much his father doted on her, daughters would eventually marry out into other families.

"Mother, we're going out for a stroll and will be back later." With that, Zhao Hongfang led his friend toward the estate's exit.

Jiang Lihua, returning with Jixiang and Ruyi, happened to run right into them face-to-face.

"What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

Jiang Lihua and Zhao Hongfang's friend cried out in unison.

Jiang Lihua was surprised.

The other person was furious.