Chapter 5: 5.第5章 王家报恩

“Dis... dissecting the abdomen to retrieve the child? Miss, you mean... you mean...” The smile that had been blooming on Chaxin's face was instantly replaced by shock. Looking up at Gu Baiyu, who was walking beside her with steady and composed steps, Chaxin simply could not believe that the person before her—who discussed abdominal dissection as casually as if she were chatting about today's weather or a light drizzle—was her own eldest young lady, who had always been timid and cowardly.

“Yes, it is exactly what you think.” Sensing the shock and disbelief in Chaxin's words, a playful smile flickered across Gu Baiyu's slightly pale face. Turning to look at Chaxin's mouth, which was hanging open wide enough to swallow an egg, she deliberately spoke with a serious tone: “Since you want to learn, I will teach you when I get home. It is always good to acquire another skill.”

“No... no need, no need!” Still unable to fully recover from her shock, Chaxin grew terrified that Gu Baiyu actually intended to teach her upon hearing how serious and solemn her tone was.

Imagining the scene of a sharp blade slicing through flesh and blood spilling everywhere, Chaxin waved her hands frantically at Gu Baiyu and instinctively took a step back, only to suddenly see the smile hanging on the other woman's lips. Her mind suddenly cleared; feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, Chaxin reached out to tug at Gu Baiyu's sleeve, her voice full of persistence: “Miss, you are too wicked, playing tricks on your servant! I don't care, I want to eat the braised eggplant you made with your own hands, otherwise, I will go and complain to Mother Liu!”

A few days ago, because Gu Baiyu's health had improved significantly, Mother Liu had gone alone to a temple near the farmstead to offer incense and fulfill a vow. Unexpectedly, a sudden heavy rain delayed her return journey. Seeing that Mother Liu would not be back in time to prepare lunch, Gu Baiyu had a sudden whim and rolled up her sleeves to personally cook several home-style dishes. Although they were merely common, inexpensive vegetables found on the farm like radishes, green beans, and eggplant, her fine skills—honed during her years studying alone away from home—left Chaxin craving them so much that she thought of nothing else, longing for Gu Baiyu to show off her cooking again. However, Mother Liu had protected and hindered Gu Baiyu in a thousand different ways, meaning Chaxin's cravings were never satisfied. Now that she had found an opportunity, she was being relentless in demanding Gu Baiyu cook again.

“You little brat, you really can't go three sentences without mentioning food.” Raising her hand to poke Chaxin's forehead, Gu Baiyu's smiling tone carried a hint of reproach, but she suddenly remembered how Wang Shuyao used to tug at her sleeves and beg her to cook just like this, and a sudden wave of melancholy surged in her heart. Consequently, Gu Baiyu fell silent for a moment.

“Miss... why are you unhappy?” Chaxin, who had been in high spirits, suddenly sensed Gu Baiyu's silence. Recalling how Gu Baiyu had frequently fallen into deep thought or trances during this period, she instinctively lowered her voice and asked softly.

“Hmm? I'm fine,” pulled back from her drifting thoughts by Chaxin's soft call, Gu Baiyu adjusted her mood slightly and said to Chaxin, “I was thinking about Mother Liu. Regarding what happened just now, I think it's best not to tell her the details yet, otherwise, she will worry again.”

“So that's what Miss was worried about.” Gu Baiyu's words allowed Chaxin to breathe a sigh of relief. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Chaxin continued, “That's for certain. Mother Liu cares so much about you, Miss. If she finds out you performed an abdominal... an abdominal dissection to retrieve a child today, she definitely won't let us go out of the house again!”

Speaking with a sense of shared apprehension with Gu Baiyu, Chaxin couldn't help but imagine the scene once Mother Liu found out. She believed that in their small courtyard, there would surely be a scene of tragic weeping and sorrow.

Nodding, Gu Baiyu said nothing more.

The reason she was unwilling to make today's events known too early was not just because of Mother Liu's opposition, as Chaxin had said, but more importantly, because she had newly arrived in this strange time and space that had never been recorded in history books. Although she possessed the memories of the original owner, due to the limitations of the original owner's living space and mindset, she could not make a completely reassuring judgment regarding the life and customs here.

Although, judging from both the original owner's memories and the lifestyle of those around her, the people of the Great Xing Dynasty were open-minded, and there were not too many restrictions or harsh rules for women; women did not need to veil their faces when going out, and there was no shortage of women serving as officials in the current dynasty. Furthermore, physicians and coroners were not a lowly profession as they were in certain dynasties found in the history books Gu Baiyu knew. However, a coroner would ultimately have to deal with corpses all day, even performing dissections for examinations. In the Great Xing Dynasty, where the concept of "the deceased is paramount" still prevailed, this would still be somewhat taboo to many.

Moreover, although Gu Baiyu was not favored, she still bore the title of the eldest legitimate daughter of the Gu clan. If the reputation of performing dissections to retrieve children were spread, Gu Baiyu herself might not care, but she did not know how the Gu clan would react. And she did not know what more malicious things the three concubines and their daughters in the household—who viewed her as a thorn in their side at every turn—might do to her using this as an excuse.

Thus, following the principle of "less trouble is better than more," although Gu Baiyu knew this matter could not be hidden forever, she hoped to delay it for as long as possible. No matter how calm and composed she had been in the past, she did not believe she could devise a good strategy amidst Mother Liu's endless nagging.

***

Three days later, in the early morning.

Stepping upon the crystalline dew left on the tips of fallen leaves in the morning light, Gu Baiyu stood in the small courtyard, practicing Tai Chi with effortless grace. A loose, flowing white cotton robe enveloped her slender and frail frame, and her waist-length hair fluttered in the wind with every standard and casual movement. From a distance, she possessed a certain ethereal, immortal-like air.

To completely change this weak body she had inherited from the original owner, Gu Baiyu, who came from a family of medical practitioners, understood deeply that relying solely on medicinal supplements was not the best plan; rather, appropriate exercise to strengthen the body was the fundamental way to build a robust physique. Thus, from the day her body was no longer frail due to medicinal and dietary nourishment, she began exercising every morning, picking up the Tai Chi she used to practice daily in her previous life as a way to strengthen her body.

*Knock, knock, knock—*

The crisp sound of knocking interrupted the quiet harmony of Gu Baiyu's morning practice. Accompanied by a series of approaching footsteps and the shout of "Coming, coming!", Mother Liu's slightly thin figure appeared in the courtyard. Turning to look at Gu Baiyu, who was wiping sweat from her forehead, Mother Liu's weathered face bore an expression of hesitation. She kept calling out, "I'll open the door immediately," yet her hand resting on the door bolt showed no intention of moving.

“I'm going back to my room.” Knowing well the meaning behind the look Mother Liu was giving her, Gu Baiyu dropped those three words and instantly vanished from the courtyard.

Ever since the day she stood in the courtyard wearing the white cotton Tai Chi outfit that Chaxin had specially sewn according to her request, Mother Liu had been constantly scolding her for wearing clothes that were practically indistinguishable from undergarments. Although she could not win against Gu Baiyu's persistence and had to yield, Mother Liu would absolutely not allow Gu Baiyu to meet anyone other than herself and Chaxin while wearing this outfit.

Thus, having retreated to her room, Gu Baiyu listened to the slightly noisy sounds outside the door while changing into a dark purple dress made of coarse cloth. Then, she lifted the curtain and walked out of the room.

The moment she saw Gu Baiyu walk out, the group of people standing in the courtyard, varying in height, all knelt down with a collective *thud*. They continuously uttered words of thanks, causing Mother Liu, who stood before them, to stagger back two steps in shock. Once she recovered, she hurriedly stepped forward to support them.

“Oh dear, Old Man Wang, what are you doing? Quickly, get up, get up!” Mother Liu hurriedly bent down to support Old Man Wang, who was at the head of the group, while on the other side, Chaxin, who had rushed over at the sound, had already helped up Old Lady Wang, who was kneeling nearby.

“Eldest Young Lady,” Wang Guisheng refused to rise even as he leaned on Mother Liu's arm for support, his eyes filled with endless gratitude as he looked at Gu Baiyu. “Guisheng knows that coming to kneel and thank you for saving my life only today is impolite. It is just that my young son has been weak these past three days, and my wife was only buried yesterday, so Guisheng was forced to delay for a few days. Please do not blame the Eldest Young Lady.”

“A life-saving favor?” Unaware of the situation, Mother Liu was somewhat bewildered by Wang Guisheng's words. She turned to look at Gu Baiyu standing behind her, her eyes filled with confusion.

“Three days ago, I went to treat Auntie Li, and on my way back, I happened to save Guisheng's newborn son.” Brushing aside the matter of the abdominal dissection with casual ease, Gu Baiyu continued calmly, “Once a physician, treating illness and saving lives is a lifelong responsibility. If I encounter something I can save, I naturally must. You need not take it too much to heart; please, everyone, stand up.”

“Though that is what the Eldest Young Lady says, Guisheng is the only son of the Wang family for three generations. By saving Guisheng's young son, the Eldest Young Lady has saved the entire Wang family. We have come today to repay the favor. We, the members of the Wang family, are willing to enter your courtyard as servants, to work like oxen and horses to repay the Eldest Young Lady's kindness.” He bowed deeply and kowtowed three times heavily. Although he remained persistent in wanting to repay Gu Baiyu, Wang Guisheng had also heard her intention not to publicize the day's events from her casual tone. Thus, he avoided the details and simply said that the life-saving favor should be repaid with their service.

“My courtyard is small and my family is poor; I have no need for servants. Furthermore, I did not save that child so that he would spend his life being enslaved by others. I accept your good intentions, but please, get up and go home.” Her tone was flat and devoid of emotion. As soon as Gu Baiyu finished speaking, she turned and entered the room, leaving the kneeling Wang family to be dealt with by Mother Liu and Chaxin. She herself spread out paper and brush at her desk, leaning over to write something.

Once the commotion in the courtyard died down and knowing that the Wang family had been persuaded to leave by Mother Liu, Gu Baiyu spoke again, calling Chaxin over. She handed a slip of paper she had just written into Chaxin's hand and instructed: “Give this note to Wang Guisheng. That child is too weak and needs proper care; the usual methods of looking after a child will not be enough.”