Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1493: Chapter 1594: No One Joins_1

”This time, even though you’ve won, I’m not a sore loser, but next time, I swear I won’t lose to you again!” Mao Xingcai’s face turned crimson, and his beard bristled.

”Sir, you’re not exactly young anymore, right? Why act like a hot-blooded youth? That line doesn’t suit you. You should be more dignified and virtuous, then silently strive to surpass me.” Bai Ruozhu said with a calculating smile, like a fox scheming against someone.

Mao Xingcai’s face turned even redder, ”I, I don’t have that many devious thoughts. What’s one is one, and what’s two is two. If I want to defeat you, I’ll say it outright.”

After he spoke, he flung his sleeve and stormed off. Bai Ruozhu watched his retreating figure, thinking that his straightforwardness was better than Wei Pengbo’s, but shouldn’t the old man have publicly apologized to her?

Her lips curled into a smile. She let it go for now to avoid upsetting the old man, but she planned to remind him later.

Seeing that the time was right, she took Wei Tianzhen and Jin Yaoniang with her to visit Concubine Lv in Hanlu Palace.

Concubine Lv’s condition had improved. Bai Ruozhu breathed a sigh of relief and said to her, ”The effects of the Luo Rong root weren’t significant. Your Highness just needs to take good care of yourself, and you’ll slowly get better.”

”I really owe you thanks, Doctor Bai.” Concubine Lv, whether due to low spirits or bad mood, responded indifferently.

Bai Ruozhu thought she needed rest and thus took her leave.

”Your Highness, actually, it’s not fair to blame Lord Bai for this.” Concubine Lv’s attendant softly persuaded.

Concubine Lv’s expression chilled, ”If they hadn’t gambled with me as the stake, how would there have been the matter of Wei Pengbo drugging me to harm me? He only despises Bai Ruozhu, and I suffered so much all because of her.”

”But even if they hadn’t made the bet, if Wei Pengbo wanted to harm Lord Bai, he definitely would have thought of this method too,” the attendant murmured softly.

”Silence!” Concubine Lv snapped, visibly irritated, ”You may leave now.”

The attendant didn’t dare to speak further and left with her head down.

...

After Bai Ruozhu left Hanlu Palace, she went straight out of the Imperial Palace. In the past two days, she had rented a shop to serve as the Headquarters for the Medical Alliance and had assigned Jiu Sheng to begin recruiting members. She just happened to go and check on the progress today.

The location of the shop was not the busiest spot, but it wasn’t bad either, with a decent flow of people. However, when Bai Ruozhu arrived at the Headquarters, she found not a single person inside.

Jiu Sheng said with a face full of shame, ”It’s my fault for being useless. Two days have gone by and I haven’t recruited anyone.”

Bai Ruozhu glanced around. The imperial decree she had received was already hung right at the entrance, clearly visible to anyone entering, but it seemed like no one had even come in, let alone notice the decree.

”Don’t blame yourself. The beginning is always the hardest. I didn’t expect to recruit many people at the start. I’ll think of a way to change the current situation,” she said, pacing around the room.

Jiu Sheng dared not interrupt her and quietly waited aside, ready for her orders.

Just at that moment, a middle-aged man walked in. He was wearing a fine cotton gown, his hair neatly combed, and there was a faint scent of medical herbs about him, indicating that he was likely a doctor.

”My name is Liao Hongzhe, a doctor from the medical clinic in City West. I just happened to pass by and saw the establishment of the Medical Alliance. May I ask who is responsible for opening it?” The newcomer bowed to Jiu Sheng as he inquired.

Jiu Sheng returned the gesture and said, ”This Medical Alliance was founded by my master Bai Ruozhu. She is currently a fourth-rank female Chief Doctor, overseeing the female doctors in the palace. The reason for establishing the Medical Alliance is to provide a platform for mutual exchange among doctors, to further the advancement of Danliang Country’s medical skills.”

It was only then that Liao Hongzhe took notice of Bai Ruozhu. He scrutinized her, a look of dissatisfaction in his eyes, ”This is absurd. How old is Doctor Bai to take on such a challenge? Isn’t she afraid that her inadequate medical skills will delay the patients’ treatment?”

Bai Ruozhu sighed softly, another person questioning her medical proficiency. Was being young also a mistake?

”Doctor Liao, have you ever seen me treat someone? Or are you familiar with my level of medical skills? How can you know that my medical skills are inadequate? Judging people solely on their appearance is akin to diagnosing an illness based only on symptoms; it’s not only incorrect, but it can also delay the treatment,” Bai Ruozhu said calmly, without irritation.

Liao Hongzhe was taken aback. He did not seem to be an overly rigid person, so he was receptive to the reason in Bai Ruozhu’s words.

After a moment, Liao Hongzhe suddenly spoke, ”If you want me to look beyond appearances, fine. If you can cure one of our clinic’s patients, I will join the Medical Alliance and even help you recruit other doctors to join.”

”May I know what condition Doctor Liao’s patient is in?” Bai Ruozhu was a cautious person; she would not boast without merit. She was just a doctor, not an immortal, and couldn’t cure every disease.

”He has lost half a leg, and the wound keeps recurring. Moreover, he has become dispirited, and he started running a fever last night. I fear he may not survive the night,” said Liao Hongzhe, sighing deeply. Doctors often faced life and death, but no one could bear to see another person pass away.

”I’ll go and see if I can treat him. If the wound is treatable, I could even help him with a prosthetic leg. Though it won’t be the same as a real leg, with proper practice, he could walk on the ground again.” Bai Ruozhu had just treated a similar patient; Zhanna had lost an entire leg, which, by all accounts, was a more severe case than this patient.

”A prosthetic leg?” Liao Hongzhe showed surprise, ”Such a thing exists? That’s indeed enlightening. Without further ado, please follow me to the clinic in City West to have a look.”

”Alright.”

Bai Ruozhu brought Jiu Sheng and Jianqi with her, following Liao Hongzhe to the City West Clinic, where they soon met the patient who had lost half of his leg.

”He went out of the city to visit a grave and encountered robbers on the way who cut off his leg. Unfortunately, the robbers have not been caught yet, so he feels resentful and now regards himself as a cripple, growing increasingly despondent,” Liao Hongzhe whispered.

Bai Ruozhu nodded and approached the patient, gently lifting the thin quilt covering him to reveal his leg, amputated not far above the knee, with a wound that was inflamed and festering, already oozing pus and blood.

The hot weather often made wounds fester.

”I’ll start by treating him.” Bai Ruozhu felt sympathy for the young man, who appeared to be in his late twenties. He should have had a happy life; instead, he had lost a leg and now become disabled.

She took out a silver needle and began to administer acupuncture on the man’s leg. Liao Hongzhe was soon stunned by her technique, and after a long moment, he excitedly asked, ”Is this to relieve pain?”

”Yes, I need to remove the necrotic tissue and then disinfect the wound. Without using pain-relieving needlework, he simply couldn’t endure it,” Bai Ruozhu explained.

Liao Hongzhe suddenly bowed to Bai Ruozhu with sincere respect, ”I was previously ignorant and inadvertently offended Doctor Bai, a grave mistake indeed.”