Chapter 53 -

Chapter 53: Chapter

Grandmaster Zhang knelt beside Zhengyu, pressing firmly on different spots along his lifeless legs. Zhengyu remained perfectly still, his jaw tight, playing the part of the poor, proud husband.

The old physician narrowed his eyes. "The bones are not broken, but the blood flow is blocked. This is a deep injury; simple medicine won’t work." After a long moment, he added, "If you follow my treatment exactly, his legs will come back to normal in one month."

Yimei, standing in the doorway, gasped and asked, "Grandmaster, could you teach me the acupuncture?"

Grandmaster Zhang paused, his bushy eyebrows rising in surprise. He looked closely at Yimei, searching her face. He had expected her to ask for more time or complain about the cost. Instead, this simple woman wanted to learn the medical arts.

A slow, approving smile spread across the old doctor’s face. "You have a sharp mind and steady hands, Xiao Yue. Very well. If you are smart enough to learn the pressure points, I will teach you."

He turned toward the door and called out, "A-Cheng!"

His son appeared in the doorway right away. "Yes, Father?"

"Take Xiao Yue to the village clinic," Zhang ordered, handing A-Cheng a small folded paper filled with medical notes. "We need fresh supplies for the medicine. Let her pick out the best herbs herself."

Yimei bowed her head low, hiding the cold, triumphant smile playing on her lips. "Thank you, Grandmaster. I will not disappoint you."

"Wait, Xiao Yue," A-Cheng said kindly, stepping into the hallway and handing her a sturdy woven basket. "Follow me. The clinic is down the main street."

Yimei took the basket, smoothing her plain blue tunic as she followed A-Cheng out into the crisp morning air. Despite the cold, the village was full of life. Children laughed and threw snowballs, while street sellers shouted out to sell hot steamed buns and roasted nuts.

As they walked, several villagers turned their heads to stare and whisper. It was not often that a new face appeared in their small, quiet village.

"A-Cheng!" a loud voice called out from across the crowded square.

A group of village youths, three young men leaning against a wooden fence... waved wildly and gestured for A-Cheng to come over. A-Cheng chuckled and walked toward them.

Yimei sighed softly to herself. She just wanted to get the medicine and go back to watch Zhengyu, but to keep up her act as an obedient, humble wife, she had to follow along.

"Look at you, out so early!" one of the young men teased, slapping A-Cheng’s shoulder. His eyes quickly moved to Yimei, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. "Who is the pretty lady you’re carrying a basket for, A-Cheng? Since when do you go on morning walks with lovely girls?"

"Shut up, Cao," A-Cheng said, bumping his arm with an embarrassed laugh. "Don’t be rude."

"We’re just asking!" another boy laughed. "You bring a gorgeous new girl into the village and expect us not to notice?"

Before A-Cheng could explain, a loud, bossy voice cut through the laughter.

"What is everyone giggling about?"

A group of local girls walked over from the market side of the square. At the center stood Su Lan. She wore a bright pink coat with heavy fur, her hair styled with shiny brass pins. Her eyes swept over the group, stopping hard on Yimei.

Su Lan had liked A-Cheng for a long time, and seeing a stunning, unfamiliar woman walking right beside him made her burn with instant jealousy.

Su Lan stepped forward with her arms crossed, looking Yimei up and down with an ugly, arrogant sneer. "A-Cheng, who is this? Why is she wearing ragged hand-me-downs and hanging around you?"

"Su Lan, stop it," A-Cheng warned, his voice turning serious. "This is Xiao Yue. She is staying at my father’s house."

Su Lan’s eyes flicked over Yimei’s simple cotton clothes and the dust on her shoes. She let out a loud, nasty laugh so everyone could hear. "A guest? She looks like a poor beggar who crawled out of a ditch! Look at her, she’s probably too useless to do a single hard day’s work. What’s a pathetic girl like you doing trailing after A-Cheng?"

The girls behind Su Lan covered their mouths, giggling loudly to humiliate Yimei in front of the crowd.

A-Cheng’s face flushed red with anger. "Su Lan, that is enough—"

"It is quite alright," Yimei interrupted softly.

She did not raise her voice. She did not lose her cool. Instead, Yimei slowly tilted her head, looking Su Lan up and down with an icy, effortless gaze. A small, sweet, deeply insulting smile touched Yimei’s lips.

"I suppose when a girl has a face as dull as a muddy brick, she has to make up for it by screaming like a squawking hen," Yimei said, her voice smooth and crystal clear across the silent square.

The crowd instantly went dead quiet.

Su Lan’s jaw dropped in total shock. "What did you just call me?!"

"I am simply feeling sorry for you," Yimei replied smoothly, taking a slow step closer. "You piled all that pink fur onto yourself trying to look like a prized pheasant, but the moment you open your mouth, everyone can tell you’re just a noisy village goose. No wonder A-Cheng walks ten paces ahead of you—listening to you speak must give him a headache."

A few of the young men behind A-Cheng put their hands over their mouths, snickering loudly. Su Lan’s face turned bright red, her eyes burning with rage.

"You... you shameless tramp!" Su Lan shrieked, raising her hand as if to slap her. "How dare you insult me in my own village?!"

Yimei didn’t even flinch. She just stared right into Su Lan’s eyes with a dark, terrifying calmness that made Su Lan’s hand freeze in mid-air.

"If you raise that hand," Yimei whispered softly, just loud enough for her to hear, "I will break your fingers before you can scream."

Su Lan gulped, an instinctive fear shooting down her spine. She pulled her hand back, trembling.

Before Su Lan could try to yell again, A-Cheng stepped firmly between them, looking at Su Lan with complete annoyance. "Stop acting like a fool, Su Lan! Xiao Yue is a married woman, and her husband is under my father’s care. Keep your mouth quiet and leave us alone!"

Married.

The word hit Su Lan like a heavy blow. She had just publicly thrown a wild, jealous tantrum, gotten ruthlessly insulted, and lost all her dignity over a woman who was already married.

The surrounding crowd broke out into open laughter and whispers. Unable to bear the crushing humiliation, Su Lan covered her face with her fur sleeves, let out an embarrassed shriek, and ran away as fast as her boots could carry her. Her friends scrambled after her in total mess.

A-Cheng let out a long breath, turning to Yimei with wide, shocked eyes. "Xiao Yue... you really don’t hold back, do you?"

Yimei instantly wiped the sharpness from her face, her expression turning back into a soft, humble smile. "She was being quite loud, A-Cheng. Shall we get the herbs now? My husband needs his medicine."