Chapter 9 : Saving a Life
9: Saving a Life
Fuling followed Qin Wan as she pushed through the crowd, then immediately drew in a sharp breath.
On the cold stone‑paved ground, a young maidservant in green clothes sat slumped. An elderly lady in simple attire lay unconscious in her arms.
This elderly lady was over sixty, her hair completely silver, her eyes tightly closed, her breathing imperceptible. Looking closer, her face was dark and gray, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, truly the appearance of a severe illness.
The green‑clad maidservant held the elderly lady tightly, already crying. "When the Old Madam's illness struck, she couldn't move. It's not suitable to move her. Right now, I'm the only attendant. Please, is there any kind soul who can help fetch a physician? We will surely repay you generously…"
"The nearest physician from here is Physician Li from the Benevolent Longevity Hall. But going there and back would take nearly half a shichen. Young lady, where is your home? Go call a family member who can take charge."
Seeing the elderly lady's critical condition, those present, though wanting to help, feared getting involved in trouble.
Hearing this, the maidservant's lips moved, but her face was full of difficulty. "Our home… our home is also far… That would definitely be too late. Please, can any kind soul help run this errand…"
"This elderly lady's symptoms are somewhat similar to my mother's earlier illness. At that time, my old mother also had a dark gray face and couldn't move. We called a physician, and he directly told us to prepare for the funeral."
Hearing this, the onlookers instinctively took a step back. The maidservant's tears fell like pearls. She was the only attendant; she couldn't leave the Old Madam alone now. But if she didn't fetch a physician, wouldn't she be watching the Old Madam die?
"Lay her flat on the ground."
Suddenly, a clear, cool voice rang out from the crowd.
Fuling was watching with a clenched heart. Startled by the voice, she hadn't yet reacted. But soon, she realized the person standing beside her, Qin Wan, was stepping forward. Fuling stared in disbelief. The speaker was none other than her own young lady!
"Young Miss, you…"
It wasn't wrong to be helpful. But this was a matter of life and death. If she couldn't help and the family blamed her young lady, what then? Fuling watched Qin Wan anxiously, wishing she could pull her back.
The surrounding crowd also looked at Qin Wan in surprise. What was she going to do?
Qin Wan crouched beside the elderly lady. "Lay her flat on the ground."
The ground was hard and cold. The green‑clad maidservant hesitated for a moment. "Young lady, you…"
Qin Wan was too young. Her clothes were also old and ordinary. Even though she carried a calm, steady presence beyond her years, the green‑clad maidservant truly couldn't trust her so easily…
"Does this young girl know medicine?"
"She's so young. She mustn't end up killing someone."
"Right. She might mean well but cause harm."
Qin Wan didn't look at the maidservant's doubtful gaze, nor did she listen to the onlookers' chatter.
She directly took the elderly lady's wrist to feel her pulse, then leaned close to listen to her chest and throat. After a moment, she said, "Your Old Madam has long been afflicted by a wind‑evil disorder. Half a year ago, the condition worsened. In the past two months, she has had over five episodes. Just now, she suddenly lost consciousness, her body stiff and immobile, her tongue rigid, throat obstructed, making indistinct sounds. Looking at her dark gray forehead and eyes, her pulse sluggish, her qi stagnant, it is already a 'wind‑strike' syndrome where wind‑evil has entered the liver."
She added a few more words. "Life‑threatening. Cannot be delayed."
Qin Wan's voice was low but her speech fast, yet clear enough for the maidservant to hear every word. When she finished, the maidservant stared at Qin Wan in astonishment. Without waiting for Qin Wan to say more, she laid the Old Madam flat on the ground.
Qin Wan immediately leaned over. Starting from the Fengchi acupoint, she pressed to the Jianyu and Quchi acupoints, then to the Zhigou, Wushu, and Yanglingquan acupoints. She repeated this cycle of pressing continuously. Seeing the elderly lady's forehead sweat more and more, Qin Wan finally looked up at the surroundings. They were right next to a teahouse. Qin Wan instructed, "Go ask for paper and a brush."
The green‑clad maidservant had seen Qin Wan's technique. Having cared for the Old Madam for years, she could tell Qin Wan indeed knew medicine. She no longer dared harbor the slightest doubt. The moment Qin Wan finished speaking, she rushed toward the teahouse. Moments later, she returned with borrowed paper and brush.
Qin Wan spread the paper on the ground. With one hand, she wrote a medicine name in beautiful, delicate orchid‑style small regular script…
While she wrote the prescription, the surrounding people's gazes grew complex. Though the elderly lady hadn't woken yet, seeing Qin Wan's calm, confident manner of diagnosis and treatment, they no longer dared to underestimate her.
In just a few moments, Qin Wan finished writing the prescription. Folding it, she handed it to the green‑clad maidservant. "She can be moved now. Take her home quickly. Have this decocted and taken within one shichen. Did you see clearly the technique I used just now?"
The green‑clad maidservant nodded. Qin Wan said, "After taking the medicine, continue pressing in that order. If there is someone who knows acupuncture, applying needles would be most effective. If the Old Madam can break into a heavy sweat before nightfall, she will pass this crisis. If not…"
Qin Wan's expression turned solemn, her tone grave. "If not, the Old Madam will certainly die within seven days."
The maidservant's hand trembled, her eyes widening in horror. Qin Wan gave the elderly lady a compassionate glance, then stood up. She had done all she could. The rest was up to fate.
Qin Wan brushed a bit of dust from her skirt hem, then turned and walked away without another word.
Fuling, who had been watching anxiously on the side, was already sweating profusely in her palms. Now she hurried to follow Qin Wan.
"Young lady! May I ask your name…"
The green‑clad maidservant's call came from behind, but Qin Wan didn't look back. Fuling, especially, wanted Qin Wan to leave this place quickly. She never knew her young lady knew medicine. Though she had seemed quite proficient just now… but… but what if the person died? What then?
Watching the master and servant walk away, the green‑clad maidservant dared not delay. She quickly asked the teahouse attendant to help lift the Old Madam, clearly intending to follow Qin Wan's instructions.
The onlookers hadn't yet dispersed. One person couldn't help saying, "Young lady, are you really going to trust what that young girl said just now? You must be careful…"
As soon as these words were spoken, another person disagreed. "That's not necessarily so. That young girl seemed calm and composed. Her acupoint selection also showed considerable skill. I just wonder, has any young female physician come to Jinzhou City recently?"
Their conversation immediately sparked discussion among the crowd.
"Haven't heard of any. This wind‑evil illness is serious. If it's a female physician, she'd have to be a top‑notch one to know the treatment method. But I haven't heard a whisper about it. We should have stopped her just now and asked clearly…"
"Though I haven't heard of any young female physician coming to Jinzhou, I have heard another strange story related to saving a life…" Suddenly, a rather well‑dressed man said mysteriously.
Hearing this, everyone, including the green‑clad maidservant, perked up.
The man spoke with great interest. "They say in the Qin Manor to the east, the Ninth Young Miss, after jumping into the lake, not only came back to life herself but also revived her hanged maidservant. Now the people in the Qin Manor say she's possessed by a Bodhisattva…"
There are no walls that wind cannot pass through, especially in a manor with many servants. Qin Wan and Fuling left quickly, naturally unaware of the later discussion. Fuling was worried sick. Qin Wan also felt some hesitation.
In her past life, she had studied medicine with her father since childhood and later became a disciple of the Medicine King, Sun Xi. But after moving to the capital, secluded in the inner chambers, she had never had a chance to practice her medical skills. Today, saving someone on the street like this, she didn't know if it would lead to any complications.
As this thought arose, Qin Wan immediately felt a twinge of shame.
Her father had said: Treating illnesses and saving lives is the fundamental duty of a physician. Besides, this life was vastly different from the past. Thinking this way meant she had lost her original intent.
Remembering the past, a pang of pain shot through Qin Wan's heart. Turning her gaze, she met Fuling's aggrieved eyes.
Fuling's face was bitter, as if about to cry. "Young Miss, this servant is loyal and devoted to you. But you actually kept such a big secret from me! This servant is truly so wronged…"