CMWKSD -Chapter 22 Lazy and Gluttonous

Jiu Yue was telling Ji Yiqing about the medicinal ingredients and tools she needed.

Madam Wang watched anxiously from the side. Wang Jinnian was already barely breathing—more air going in than coming out. It felt as though he might stop breathing at any moment.

When Ji Yiqing finished writing, Jiu Yue waved her hand decisively. “It’s best to prepare everything as quickly as possible. The faster it is done, the sooner the poison can be detoxified.”

Madam Wang responded with a couple of hurried “yes, yes.” Although she was full of doubts about the prescription Jiu Yue had given, she didn’t say anything at this moment. A dead horse had to be treated like a living one.

She knew very well that the other physicians had all spoken extremely cautiously. Wang Jinnian truly only had a day or two left—where would three or four days come from?

After Steward Wang took the prescription to prepare the medicine, Madam Wang fixed her gaze heavily on Jiu Yue.

Her heart was full of worry for her son, and after being tormented by doctor after doctor, she was almost drained of all spirit. Unconsciously, she compared Jiu Yue with the other physicians, then said coldly, “Miss Jiu Yue, you should know…”

Jiu Yue put away her playful expression and looked at Madam Wang coolly. “I don’t like being threatened.”

As long as Madam Wang dared to utter even a single threatening word, Jiu Yue could walk away on the spot—forget the eight hundred taels, she wouldn’t do the job.

Madam Wang swallowed her grievance and shut her mouth. Besides, there were rumors that true experts all had strange tempers!

Ji Yiqing pressed his forehead helplessly. People of ancient times always valued subtlety—speaking and acting with restraint, not being as blunt and reckless as Jiu Yue.

But Jiu Yue was exactly that reckless. Words she couldn’t stand, things she couldn’t tolerate—she followed only one rule: act.

No one was allowed to make her suffer, and no one was allowed to speak unpleasantly to her.

The Wang family was, after all, the richest household in Qingshui County.

Jiu Yue could ignore everything.

But Ji Yiqing couldn’t. They still had to live in Qingshui County.

If Jiu Yue truly offended the Wang family, their days ahead wouldn’t be easy. And yet, Jiu Yue was about to become Wang Jinnian’s lifesaving benefactor.

Just on that point alone, the Wang family should be grateful and treat her with proper courtesy.

But with Jiu Yue’s temperament—there was no need, really no need. It was better to simply settle money for services rendered.

Trying to make Jiu Yue soften was completely impossible.

Ji Yiqing coughed lightly twice, only to find Jiu Yue merely giving him a puzzled glance.

He relaxed. It was nothing more than a few polite words—if Jiu Yue didn’t want to say them, he would.

All these matters of social courtesy—if Jiu Yue didn’t want to be bothered, then she wouldn’t. He would make sure she had no worries behind her.

All he needed to do was stand behind Jiu Yue and handle these things for her, as long as she didn’t undermine him.

Seeing Madam Wang’s awkward expression, Ji Yiqing stood beside Jiu Yue and said gently, “Madam Wang and Master Wang have spent many years running around and worrying over Young Master Wang’s illness. Being constantly on edge, it’s normal for their words to sound a bit extreme at times.”

Jiu Yue looked at Ji Yiqing suspiciously and blinked. So?

Seeing that Jiu Yue didn’t retort, Ji Yiqing felt even more relieved. “Parents suffer the most when they see their children in pain. Jiu Yue, you don’t need to take it to heart. Madam Wang didn’t mean it that way.”

Jiu Yue tilted her head and looked at Madam Wang. “Is that so?”

Madam Wang looked at Ji Yiqing, then at Jiu Yue.

Truthfully, she couldn’t really be blamed. Jiu Yue had no reputation whatsoever. If not for the fact that she had cured the guards—and even made people mute in an instant—then, combined with how she had just explained Master Wang’s symptoms in only a few sentences, Madam Wang really wouldn’t have believed her much at all.

But Wang Jinnian’s final outcome—life or death—would be decided within a day or two.

Madam Wang couldn’t possibly force Jiu Yue to sign a military pledge.

She understood her son’s condition better than anyone.

Hearing Jiu Yue ask like this, tears immediately streamed down her face.

Jiu Yue shut her mouth. Why is she crying again?

Madam Wang shot Master Wang a cold glance. “Master, who poisoned me? Who poisoned you? I’m afraid you already have a suspect in mind. I only hope Master can seek justice for the three of us.”

Jiu Yue was confused. “Three?”

Facing Master Wang with a cold expression, Madam Wang turned toward Jiu Yue, her face becoming much gentler. “Yes. I also have a daughter. She has always been frail and sickly.”

Jiu Yue said “oh.” So? If you want me to treat her, you still have to pay, alright? Don’t just talk.

Steward Wang entered from outside. “Madam, the young miss has arrived.”

Madam Wang stood up to welcome her precious daughter.

Jiu Yue saw only a delicate young girl walk in, looking as fragile as a willow in the breeze. She appeared to be twelve or thirteen years old, coughing after just a few steps.

Master Wang had been distracted this whole time, probably because he hadn’t expected that person to treat him this way.

Madam Wang led Miss Wang to the table and had her sit down. “I’ll trouble Miss Jiu Yue to take a look at my daughter Nuannuan. As for the consultation fee—let’s round it up.”

That meant one thousand taels.

Oh my—truly a lavish hand. This was far more profitable than running a medical clinic.

Jiu Yue beamed and looked at Ji Yiqing. Ji Yiqing shook his head helplessly, smiling.

Jiu Yue was far too easy to read—her joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness were all written on her face.

As for the exact consultation fee, it still depended on Jiu Yue’s diagnosis.

If it was the same as Wang Jinnian’s case, then asking for three to five hundred taels would also be reasonable.

The young girl sat timidly behind Madam Wang.

Jiu Yue looked at Miss Wang. Her complexion was rosy, though her lips were slightly pale.

She didn’t look like someone who was chronically ill—at most, her constitution was a bit weak.

Jiu Yue raised her hand to take her pulse. As time passed, her expression grew strange.

Madam Wang’s heart tightened. “Miss Jiu Yue, is it… is it bad?”

Jiu Yue rarely showed a bit of conscience. “Miss Wang hasn’t been poisoned.”

Hearing this, Master Wang suddenly stood up. “See? I told you, I told you—”

Madam Wang shot him a cold look. “Master, have you forgotten? When I was pregnant with Nuannuan, we were in the south. We didn’t return to Qingshui County for over a year.”

Master Wang slumped back down, dejected. Yes—when she became pregnant with Nuannuan, because of business expansion, they had stayed in the south for nearly two years.

During that period, the people around them were all old servants from the household. And because business was so busy, he had barely contacted his younger brother.

It was only after Nuannuan was already several months old that Master Wang brought his wife and child back to Qingshui County.

Only then did the family learn that Madam Wang had given birth to another child.

Ignoring Master Wang, Madam Wang looked at Jiu Yue again. “Then my Nuannuan is…”

Jiu Yue pondered for a moment before saying, “Um… Miss’s condition, at its root, can be summed up in just a few words…”

Madam Wang and Master Wang asked in unison, “What words?”

“Lazy and gluttonous.”

Cold sweat instantly poured down Ji Yiqing’s back. For a young lady, this was really not good for her reputation.

Wang Nuannuan twisted the handkerchief in her hands and shot Jiu Yue a resentful look.

Master Wang and Madam Wang both said blankly, “What?”

“Does Miss Wang often stay indoors without going out to move around, frequently stay up late, have a greedy mouth, love spicy food, eat lots of oily and heavily seasoned dishes, and like to drink cold tea and iced water…”

Madam Wang immediately shook her head. “No, no, she sleeps very—”

She couldn’t continue, because Jiu Yue wasn’t looking at her at all. Her gaze was fixed intensely on Wang Nuannuan.

Madam Wang noticed the guilty expression on Wang Nuannuan’s face and immediately turned to look at her personal maid.

The maid instantly knelt down.

Alright—no need to say more. Jiu Yue had guessed right again.

A kid barely twelve or thirteen years old, staying up late every day, drinking cold tea and cold water, eating spicy, greasy, heavy-flavored food—eat like that too much and the spleen and stomach become weak, so of course she looks listless.

At the age of development, with nutrition not keeping up and energy lacking, and not liking to move around—that is, no exercise—how could she not look like a fragile willow swaying in the wind?