Chapter 6: 6.第6章 贾家求诊

Although they had received Gu Baiyu's hint that day, the Wang family did not make a public spectacle of the fact that she had performed a caesarean section to save her child. However, there had been many onlookers that day, and coupled with the Wang family's unsparing praise out of gratitude for her life-saving assistance, they spoke of her to anyone they met. They claimed that the eldest young lady of the Gu family was not only highly skilled in medicine but also possessed a kind and generous heart. Soon, the title of "Divine Physician" for Gu Baiyu, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Gu clan, was spread throughout the fields and countryside.

Consequently, for a time, a continuous stream of people from nearby villages and towns arrived at their door seeking medical consultation. Although the consultation fees Gu Baiyu charged remained modest, they were enough to significantly improve the lives of the three of them. Moreover, the ever-shrewd housekeeper, Mother Liu, had even managed to save some silver. Aside from providing funds for Gu Baiyu to search for and purchase various medical texts to study, there was also enough left over to buy fabric for sewing new clothes.

Seeing that the sweltering midsummer was approaching, yet her young lady was still wearing the coarse cloth garments used by servants, Mother Liu glanced at Gu Baiyu, who was sitting in the cool shade of the veranda, holding a medical book and gesturing at something. Mother Liu felt the money pouch she always carried on her person, walked briskly toward Gu Baiyu, and said

"Miss, we have saved some extra money recently. Seeing as the weather is about to get hot, don't bother with reading or seeing patients today. Take Chaxin to the shop in Qingzhou City to pick out some light and cool fabric. This old servant will make you a decent set of summer clothes."

At that moment, Gu Baiyu was engrossed in a careful study of the newly acquired *Qingnang Jing*. Being suddenly interrupted by Mother Liu's voice, she reflexively looked up at Mother Liu standing beside her, but her thoughts, which were deeply immersed in the book, failed to react immediately. She merely stared blankly at Mother Liu, offering no response for a long while.

"Miss, look at you, always so absorbed whenever you read." Seeing Gu Baiyu's bewildered and dazed expression, Mother Liu instantly realized she hadn't heard a word she said. Feeling both exasperated and amused, she repeated, "I just said the weather is about to get hot, and we have some extra money on hand. Today, you should take Chaxin to Qingzhou City to pick out some light, cool fabric, and this old servant will make you some summer clothes."

"No need, Mother Liu, I'm quite fine in these clothes," Gu Baiyu finally said, having understood what Mother Liu meant. She reluctantly set down the medical book and continued, "I know how much my consultation fees are. With that amount of money, if I use it to make clothes, I won't be able to do anything else. I spend all day in the courtyard seeing patients; I don't need fancy clothes to maintain appearances. Let's save it to improve our living conditions instead."

"Miss, you don't need to worry about the money; this old servant knows what she's doing. Our lives have been hard all these years, and now that we have some means, we can't keep letting you suffer like this." Shaking her head repeatedly, Mother Liu insisted on pressing the prepared silver into Gu Baiyu's hands. Just as the two were arguing and yielding to one another, a series of knocks came from the half-closed courtyard gate.

"Excuse me, is Miss Gu, the Great Physician, at home?" A polite voice drifted in from outside the gate. "I am Jia Fangmin, the steward of the Jia family in Qingzhou City. I have long heard of Miss Gu's reputation as a 'Divine Physician' and have come specifically to seek medical advice."

"Coming, coming!" Chaxin, who was boiling water in the small kitchen by the gate, immediately responded. She wiped her hands on her apron as she walked, opened the half-closed gate, and said, "Please, come in. Our young lady is right there on the veranda."

Seeing that someone had come for a consultation, Mother Liu immediately withdrew her hand from the tug-of-war with Gu Baiyu, tucked the money pouch back into her sleeve, and stood with her hands down behind Gu Baiyu. Gu Baiyu, in turn, sat upright again in the rattan chair on the veranda, sizing up the newcomer.

The man wore a light-colored short tunic over a dark chestnut long robe. Although Gu Baiyu found it difficult to name the specific material due to her limited knowledge of fabrics, she could still tell it was of superior quality, far surpassing the coarse cloth dress she was wearing.

The Jia family of Qingzhou City?

After searching her mind, Gu Baiyu could not find much useful information. It seemed the original owner of this body had little knowledge of the Jia family either. Thus, she quietly watched Jia Fangmin, who was already standing before her, her delicate features devoid of much expression.

"Greetings, Eldest Miss Gu. I am Jia Fangmin, the steward of the Jia Shouyan family in Qingzhou City." Jia Fangmin bowed respectfully. Gu Baiyu's somewhat youthful face caused a hint of doubt in his heart. Because of his second young master's chronic headaches, he had seen many famous doctors and "divine physicians" over the years. While not every one of them had a long white beard, this was the first time he had seen such a young and tender female physician.

*Perhaps those rumors of a "Divine Physician" are merely empty titles.*

Jia Fangmin simply could not believe that this young girl, who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen, could possess such extraordinary medical skills.

However, since he had come to seek medical advice, the well-bred Jia Fangmin remained respectful, showing no sign of negligence or contempt, though he abandoned the thought of inviting Gu Baiyu to the Jia family estate for a house call.

"How old is the patient? What are the symptoms? How long has the condition persisted? What medicines have been used?" Nodding to Jia Fangmin, Gu Baiyu began her questioning.

Since he was from a prominent family and had sent a steward, Gu Baiyu knew that he was most likely there to inquire about a consultation or to invite a doctor to the estate. However, since the other party had not explicitly requested a house call, she did not take the initiative to offer one. Instead, she asked directly about the illness, which neither wasted time nor interfered with her continued study of the *Qingnang Jing*, nor did it make her appear overly eager.

"To answer you, Eldest Miss Gu, the patient is our second young master. He has just turned eight years old and frequently suffers from unbearable headaches. This condition has persisted for over a year. We have sought many famous doctors, but none have had much effect. In the last ten days or so, the second young master's headaches have intensified; the day before yesterday, he even fainted from the pain." Not expecting Gu Baiyu to be so direct and efficient, Jia Fangmin detailed the situation even more carefully.

"Did your young master suffer any impact to the head over a year ago? And before the headaches worsened recently, did he suffer any other head injuries? When he feels dizzy, does he experience nausea or the urge to vomit?" Jia Fangmin's description gave Gu Baiyu a general idea of the condition. She fired off a volley of questions, then glanced up at Jia Fangmin, who was about to answer, and added, "Call me Doctor Gu."

"Yes, Doctor Gu. Last year in the twelfth lunar month, our second young master slipped while playing in a snowball fight with his companions and happened to strike his head against a nearby magnolia stone bench. As for whether he has hit his head in these past few days, I cannot say for certain. However, I heard the second young master's personal maid mention yesterday that he has indeed been feeling nauseous and has lost his appetite recently."

Jia Fangmin was observant; he had gathered information on his way from the Jia residence that although Gu Baiyu was nominally the legitimate eldest daughter of the Gu clan, she had been unfavored since childhood and likely held some resentment toward the Gu family. Therefore, the moment he heard Gu Baiyu's specific instruction, he immediately corrected his address, not realizing he had fundamentally misunderstood her intent.

Because she occupied this body, Gu Baiyu did indeed have grievances against the Gu family; however, because she was merely occupying this body, she also didn't feel much toward them. In fact, she was somewhat grateful that the Gu family had left her to fend for herself on this farm; otherwise, she would have had to face the endless struggles between concubines and sisters in the main Gu estate.

Thus, her reminder just now was purely because, in her past life, she was used to being called "Doctor Gu." Hearing people call her "Eldest Miss Gu" this and "Eldest Miss Gu" that felt awkward to her.

Listening to Jia Fangmin's description without missing a single word, Gu Baiyu pondered. She felt that based on the symptoms, the condition was likely caused by blood stasis resulting from a head impact, and the nausea and vomiting were most likely due to a mild concussion.

With her plan formed, Gu Baiyu's movements became fluid. Recalling the *Medical Errors* by Wang Qingren, which her grandfather, an old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, had once explained to her, Gu Baiyu adjusted the dosage appropriately for the Jia family's second young master's age and physical condition, and prescribed a formula to invigorate blood and dissipate stasis.

Just as Chaxin reached out to take the prescription, Gu Baiyu suddenly thought of the *Qingnang Jing* she had been studying.

The reason she had been so mesmerized that she hadn't even heard Mother Liu was that the *Qingnang Jing* was the long-lost work of Hua Tuo from the modern era, and what she had just been gesturing at was the acupuncture method recorded by Hua Tuo. Although the medical theories and the use of needles in the book differed somewhat from modern medicine, Gu Baiyu could not help but marvel at the profound skill of Hua Tuo and the brilliance of his acupuncture methods; even as someone living in the modern era who had received over thirty years of both Chinese and Western medical training, she found it difficult to match his level.

Looking up at Jia Fangmin, who was staring awkwardly at her hand as it intercepted the prescription halfway, Gu Baiyu said, "Your second young master's headaches are most likely caused by blood stasis left behind from a head impact. This prescription is for invigorating blood and dissipating stasis; I expect other doctors would have suggested something similar. However, since I have not seen the patient in person, many specific symptoms are difficult to judge. While this prescription is effective, I cannot guarantee it will perfectly match his condition. If it is convenient for your young master, I suggest you bring him here for a consultation. Perhaps acupuncture might yield even more immediate results."

"Acupuncture?" Gu Baiyu's words pulled Jia Fangmin's gaze away from the prescription and back to her. He repeated her words subconsciously, his heart filled with disbelief.

It wasn't that doctors hadn't suggested acupuncture before, but they had all been afraid to act rashly because the second young master, Jia Yunqing, was too young, so they had simply prescribed herbal medicine to settle for. Hearing Gu Baiyu mention it now, Jia Fangmin looked at her with eyes full of doubt, unsure whether he should believe this young girl with a tender face but brimming confidence.

"Consider it yourself; I will not force you to come. It was merely a suggestion, and even if your second young master comes, he may not necessarily be suitable for acupuncture." Seeing the hesitation in Jia Fangmin's eyes, Gu Baiyu knew what he was worried about. She withdrew her hand from the prescription, finished speaking in a flat tone, and lowered her head to continue reading the *Qingnang Jing* she had placed beside her, saying no more.