Chapter 8: The Divine Doctor First Appears (Part 2)

As soon as Jia Yunyi’s weeping words left her mouth, everyone was startled, especially Wanqing, the maid standing beside Lady Jiang. Her eyes instantly reddened, and she bit her lower lip hard, struggling to restrain the tears about to spill from her eyes, her handsome face filled with worry and guilt.

Seeing such a strong reaction from a personal maid, Gu Baiyu couldn't help but glance at Wanqing a few extra times.

"Doctor Gu, look, my son's illness..." While one hand gently stroked the weeping Jia Yunyi, Jia Shouyan looked toward Gu Baiyu with a worried expression. His previous composed and calm demeanor had long since vanished; he seemed to age in an instant, white hair appearing at his temples.

As Gu Baiyu placed her hand on Jia Yunqing's wrist once more, she frowned slightly, which caused Lady Jiang's expression to change instantly. Lady Jiang's mind involuntarily drifted back to the words of the two famous physicians from earlier, and a trace of despair surfaced on her elegant face.

Those two famous physicians had said that if the head were struck again before the headache ailment had fully healed, even an immortal would find it difficult to save Jia Yunqing's life. That was why the entire Jia family was watching Jia Yunqing so anxiously, and why Jia Yunqing had forbidden Jia Yunyi from telling anyone after the injury occurred.

The moment she saw Gu Baiyu frown just now, the tears in Lady Jiang's eyes could no longer be suppressed and flowed down, yet she did not dare to ask rashly. She could only cautiously protect Jia Yunqing in her arms, as if fearing someone would come to snatch him away.

"Chaxin, bring the silver needles." After thinking for a long while, Gu Baiyu finally spoke. While calmly instructing Chaxin, she looked up at the Jia couple standing before her and continued, "After your son initially slipped in the snow and injured his head, some blood congestion accumulated in the back of his skull. Originally, those blood-circulating and bruise-dispersing medicines would have gradually taken effect, and the congestion would have dissipated within two or three years, allowing the headache symptoms to recover on their own. However, because of the recent re-injury which caused renewed bleeding and a mild concussion, the only option now is to use acupuncture to disperse the congestion. I cannot guarantee there will be no risk, so the decision remains in your hands."

With a steady tone, Gu Baiyu explained the condition and her analysis to the Jia couple in full detail. It wasn't that she lacked confidence in using acupuncture to disperse the congestion, especially since she had been studying the acupuncture methods in the *Qing Nang Jing* these past few days; treating Jia Yunqing's symptoms was well within her capabilities.

However, in her past life, before she chose the profession of a forensic doctor, she had interned at a city hospital while studying in medical school. Informing patients and their families of the risks and leaving the choice to them was a good habit Gu Baiyu had cultivated since then.

The Jia couple, however, did not know this. Hearing Gu Baiyu say this, they assumed she was treating a dead horse as if it were alive—using Jia Yunqing as an experimental subject. For a moment, the couple looked at each other, deliberating in silence for a long time, not daring to reach a conclusion.

"Doctor Gu, please perform the acupuncture." Suddenly, Jia Yunqing, who had been lying in Lady Jiang's arms, spoke up. His pale face carried a resolve unbefitting a child of his age. He looked up at the shocked Jia couple and said calmly, "Father, Mother, I heard what those two doctors said earlier. If the acupuncture succeeds, I can recover; if it fails, it is merely death. It is better to take the chance; it might give me a sliver of life."

Jia Yunqing's words made Gu Baiyu instantly understand the couple's dilemma: they thought her medical skills were insufficient and were using him to try their luck. Although she was speechless at their dismissal of her skills, Gu Baiyu—who had grown accustomed to looks of doubt and mistrust when she first started as a forensic doctor in her past life—maintained a calm and composed expression.

"But, Qing'er..." Lady Jiang instinctively wanted to dissuade him, but she felt Jia Yunqing's words made sense. She hesitated, looking toward her husband, Jia Shouyan, as if seeking help.

"Then let us do as Qing'er says." After a long silence, Jia Shouyan finally let out a heavy sigh. He handed the weeping Jia Yunyi to the nearby maid, clasped his hands together, and bowed solemnly to Gu Baiyu. "We trouble Doctor Gu to perform acupuncture on our son."

Nodding, Gu Baiyu took the silver needles handed to her by Chaxin, sterilized them over the oil lamp, and said to Jia Yunqing, "Can you sit up? If you can, sit in front of me; it will be more convenient. If not, lying down is fine."

Jia Yunqing's dark, bright eyes gave Gu Baiyu a deep look, then he slowly sat up from Lady Jiang's arms. However, he did not sit directly in front of Gu Baiyu, but instead said to the maid standing behind Jia Shouyan, "Take Yunyi downstairs. Don't frighten her. You all should leave as well."

It was commendable that such a small child could think of not scaring his little sister even at a moment when his own life was at stake. Gu Baiyu's gaze softened slightly as she looked at him. However, as her eyes swept over Jia Yunqing's "ready to face death" expression as he sat before her, Gu Baiyu truly felt like shaking her hand and giving him a few extra needles just to make him feel some pain.

"Close your eyes." Placing her fingers on Jia Yunqing's head, Gu Baiyu spoke softly. She then picked up a silver needle and gently inserted it where her finger was pressing, then pressed again, and inserted another needle.

Before long, dozens of silver needles of varying lengths were inserted into the boy's small head. The Jia couple standing aside did not dare to breathe a word, yet they watched with a hint of curiosity at Gu Baiyu's silver needles, which were different from the acupuncture needles they were used to seeing.

Unlike the usual thin, long, and straight silver needles, some of Gu Baiyu's needles had a slight curve, like swimming snakes. Furthermore, the two needles inserted just above the temples were even stranger; the needle bodies were attached to tiny bamboo tubes, leaving only the tips of the needles exposed as they entered the body.

Because they had never seen such needles, the Jia couple felt even more anxiety amidst their wonder. Their suspicion that Gu Baiyu was using their precious son's life for an experiment grew even stronger. They did not know that Gu Baiyu was actually applying Hua Tuo's long-lost needle techniques, adjusted with modern medical principles and tailored to Jia Yunqing's physical condition. This was not an inexperienced experiment, but a well-prepared treatment.

Time passed along with the sweat dripping from Jia Yunqing's forehead. After enduring the most grueling half-hour of his life, the Jia couple watched as Gu Baiyu calmly washed and dried her hands, then slowly pulled the silver needles out in sequence. However, when they saw the two needles with bamboo tubes being pulled out and turned upside down, they nearly cried out in alarm.

A stream of dark red blood slowly flowed from the inverted tiny bamboo tubes, soaking the cotton that Chaxin had handed over as instructed, a sight that was heart-wrenching to behold.

"It's done. Lie down and rest for a while," Gu Baiyu said while wiping the silver needles clean. "These needles need to be administered two more times to fully disperse the congestion in your brain. I will prescribe a new dose of medicine for you later; take it on time. Do not eat anything too nourishing during this period. I will return in three days for the second session."

"Thank you, Doctor Gu," despite being exhausted from the acupuncture, Jia Yunqing did not immediately lie down. Instead, he bowed to Gu Baiyu in thanks, then turned to the tense Jia couple and said, "Father, Mother, my head feels much lighter now. Doctor Gu's acupuncture is very effective."

Catching a glimpse of Jia Yunqing's long sigh of relief out of the corner of her eye, Gu Baiyu finally couldn't help but say, "You don't need to act like you've just escaped death. While my medical skills aren't as divine as the rumors suggest, they are more than enough to treat a minor ailment like yours. Any medical intervention carries risk; I was merely fulfilling my duty to inform you. Did you really think I was using you as an experiment?"

As her cool words fell, the faces of the Jia couple and Jia Yunqing all turned red. They looked at each other in silence, not knowing what to say for a long while. It was only when Wanqing, who had gone out to discard the blood-soaked cotton, returned and respectfully invited Gu Baiyu to the desk to write the prescription that the awkward atmosphere was broken.

After finishing the prescription, Gu Baiyu declined the Jia family's invitation to stay for dinner. After being sent out the door by the profusely thankful Jia couple, she looked up at the early sky. Remembering the argument she had with Mother Liu over buying fabric when she left at noon, Gu Baiyu looked back at Chaxin, who was holding the three hundred taels of silver consultation fee and wondering whether to go to a shop in the city to buy some fabric. Jia Fangmin, who had been following her, suddenly spoke respectfully

"Doctor Gu, since it is still early, if you are not in a hurry to return to the villa, it might be nice to wander around Qingzhou City for a bit."

Wander around Qingzhou City?

A rare eyebrow arched on Gu Baiyu's usually expressionless face. She looked at Jia Fangmin with a scrutinizing gaze, thinking to herself: *This "wandering around" will probably lead straight into the Jia family's fabric shop, won't it?*

She wondered if Jia Fangmin had overheard her argument with Mother Liu at noon and quietly told the Jia couple—after all, a half-closed courtyard gate couldn't block much sound. Or perhaps the Jia family wanted to gift her a few bolts of cloth as a thank-you for saving Jia Yunqing, but were afraid she would misunderstand and think they were criticizing her clothes for being of inferior quality.

After her clever mind turned through the possibilities, Gu Baiyu smiled and nodded.

Regardless of the reason, the Jia family's intentions were good, and they had gone to great lengths to save her face, ensuring she felt no embarrassment or discomfort. More importantly, through their interactions during this period, Gu Baiyu had realized she simply could not win an argument against Mother Liu. If Mother Liu saw Chaxin bringing back thirty taels of silver, she would surely push her to buy clothes in Qingzhou tomorrow, and might even urge her to buy some decent accessories.

Thus, following the logic that one trip is better than two, Gu Baiyu took Chaxin and boarded the Jia family's carriage. Little did she expect that in the "Jin Yi Ru Hua" fabric shop owned by the Jia family, she would encounter someone she did not wish to see.