Chapter 161

On a fine February day, the sun was shining brightly without a cloud in the sky.

Dr. Wen was sitting in his clinic sorting through medicinal herbs that had been dried in the sun. Occasionally when he picked up a root that still had mud on it, he would think of the mashed veggie dishes Jiang Sheng used to make and couldn't help smiling.

Wang Xiaozhu was also helping to sort the herbs. Seeing the doctor's smile, she plucked up her courage to chime in, "Dr. Wen, what are you smiling about?"

Wen Zhiyun snapped back to reality and instinctively kept his memories with his younger sister to himself. Instead he said, "I was thinking, should I hire a couple more female doctors for the clinic? It's too much work for you alone."

With the improvement in her massage techniques, Xiaozhu had gradually become the most beloved female doctor in Anshui Prefecture. All the prestigious madams loved to invite her over to their homes.

But Xiaozhu was only one person after all. She was already exhausted from working non-stop. And when two madams happened to invite her at the same time, it would be bad manners to decline either one, and she could easily offend people.

In the past it was difficult to recruit female doctors because the future prospects of this profession were unclear and the pay was not generous.

But now Xiaozhu had carved out a space for herself, and the madams were always very generous with their tips. Even someone as laidback as Wen Zhiyun couldn't help but entertain the idea of expanding the Wen Clinic.

"Xiaozhu, what do you think?" he gently asked her opinion.

Although she was the fourth child in the family, because she was the same age as Chang Yan and lacked his shrewd resilience, Wen Xiaozhu had always been doted on by his older and younger brothers. Even when they encountered the occasional vicious aunt, Jiang Sheng would stand in front of him.

Gradually he developed a gentle and timid personality. Even though it was his own clinic, when it came to hiring more female doctors he still considered Xiaozhu's feelings.

This gave Xiaozhu a sense of satisfaction at being respected, something which her brother Wang Xiaosong was unable to provide.

She bit her lip and nodded earnestly, "If Dr. Wen wants to recruit more, go ahead. Xiaozhu will help teach them."

Wen Zhiyun gave a faint smile and diligently wrote up a recruitment notice. But before he could post it, a patient arrived at the clinic.

Or rather, an uninvited guest.

Wang Yuyao, who had both her legs broken, was carried in by two servants and gently placed in the Wen Clinic. She looked left and right with narrowed eyes before finally settling on the timid Wen Zhiyun, and a hint of jealousy flashed through her eyes. "Miss, what can I do for you?" Xiaozhu, unaware of the situation, went over politely to ask.

Wang Yuyao snapped back to attention. Her tone was cold. "My legs are broken. I need them set." Xiaozhu was only skilled at massage, setting broken bones was beyond her expertise. She could only turn to Dr. Wen for help.

Wen Zhiyun pursed his lips, anxious inside.

He knew Wang Yuyao had come to make trouble, but Dr. Wu had said that once in the clinic, the patient was the patient. As a doctor he absolutely could not turn away the sick, no matter what.

In a doctor's eyes, there were only two kinds of people in this world.

The sick, and the non-sick.

Thinking this way, Wang Yuyao's appearance gradually faded away. Wen Zhiyun took a deep breath, stepped forward to take her pulse and examine the wound, even lifting the wrapped wooden boards.

"Miss," Wen Zhiyun said gently. "Your bones have already been set and it's not time to change the medicine yet. It's best not to disturb it and just lie flat for optimal healing."

This was the truth and the conscience of a doctor.

Wang Yuyao's gaze flickered as she looked Wen Zhiyun up and down, and she inexplicably recalled Fang Heng protecting this person. She felt quite unhappy.

"How long has your clinic been open?" she suddenly asked.

Wen Zhiyun was startled. "It's been open for...about half a year."

Wang Yuyao nodded, looking around once more. "Rest assured, I won't use my own legs to make trouble for you. I'm not that stupid."

She had come to establish her identity as a patient, and took the opportunity to uncover problems with this clinic that no one had noticed.

"Dr. Wen, is it? Your clinic's been open half a year. Do you have a medical license?"

When she said this, Wen Zhiyun was slightly stunned, and Xiaozhu beside him opened her eyes wide in shock.

She didn't even know a medical license was required to practice medicine!

In Xieyang County, anyone who knew a little about herbal formulas was considered a godly doctor in the commoners' eyes, an imperial physician people would kneel to beg for. Let alone someone like Wen Zhiyun who properly knew acupuncture, medicine, and prescribing herbs. Ordinary commoners who didn't have extra savings wouldn't even dare ask him to their homes for consultations.

"The Dayu Dynasty has stipulations that doctors need a medical license to open a clinic. Otherwise they are just wandering medicine peddlers and cannot see patients and prescribe medicine," said Wang Yuyao, very much enjoying their reactions. "Don't think that just because this is a small county town like Xieyang, no one will care if you practice without a license. Here you would be imprisoned and serve hard labor."

Wen Zhiyun was not very tall and had a frail constitution. If he really went to prison, who knew what would happen.

Xiaozhu was anxious as fire. Taking advantage of her low presence, she took small steps backward until she finally reached the door. Then she turned and ran towards the Hairpin Flower Courtyard, her mind full of finding the Eldest Young Master and Fifth Young Master to ask for help.

When she charged into the workshop like a madwoman, hysterically screaming for help to save Dr. Wen, both Jiang Sheng and Chang Yan were frightened. "Did something happen to Fourth Brother?" The two asked in unison.

Xiaozhu gestured clumsily, stumbling over her words to explain.

When Jiang Sheng heard Wen Zhiyun might be imprisoned, she panicked and wanted to rush over to the Wen Clinic immediately.

Chang Yan helplessly grabbed her arm. "Don't panic. Fourth Brother won't be imprisoned that quickly."

From reporting it to the yamen, to sentencing, then to being locked up, it would take at least one or two days.

Moreover, did legs run faster than a carriage?

Perhaps Chang Yan was too calm, as it infected Jiang Sheng and Xiaozhu and they gradually settled down. They got on the carriage with Jiang Si driving towards the Wen Clinic.

In the carriage...

Chang Yan patiently asked, "Was Fourth Brother scared at the time?"

Xiaozhu thought back blankly. "No, Dr. Wen wasn't scared, he just froze."

Chang Yan had a sense of the situation. He asked again, "Has Fourth Brother had any plans lately?"

Xiaozhu's lips wriggled as she recalled their earlier conversation. "He was planning to recruit more female doctors."

Chang Yan was completely reassured and closed his eyes to rest.

He ignored Jiang Sheng beside him, whose eyes were wide open as she anxiously exchanged looks with Xiaozhu.

Finally the carriage stopped at the clinic entrance.

Arriving with them was the Prefect He Chengzhang and yamen runners, who had come to investigate after receiving a report.

No sooner had the Fang family arrived than the Sun family started making trouble over trifles. This left He Chengzhang in a very unhappy mood and he had no kindness towards Wang Yuyao either. "Who reported to the yamen that someone is practicing medicine without a license?"

"Replying to you, sir, it was this civilian woman," said Wang Yuyao. Unable to stand, she could only symbolically bow. "This Wen Clinic's doctor does not have a medical license. He is merely a wandering medicine peddler, in violation of the Dayu Dynasty's requirements for physicians. According to the law he should be imprisoned and sentenced to five years hard labor."

He Chengzhang looked coldly at Wen Zhiyun. Perhaps thinking of something, his tone softened considerably. "Young doctor, do you have anything to say?"

He actually took the initiative to give Dr. Wen a chance to defend himself.

Wen Zhiyun bit his lip and reached into his sleeve, preparing to take something out.

Chang Yan suddenly squeezed over and blinked his eyes. "Fourth Brother, the clinic is too crowded. Let's talk more at the yamen."