A Good Country Wife
Chapter 473 - 467_1

Chapter 473: Chapter 467_1

Lin Yue had not expected such a turn of events, and she felt somewhat moved. Jiang Ziqi had always taken good care of her, and Doctor Zheng was a righteous and kind man. If it had not been for Doctor Zheng bravely stepping in to help her seek out Jiang Ziqi, Zhao Erhu’s situation would still be uncertain now. She hadn’t thought that this time around, Doctor Zheng would stand up for her from behind the scenes as well. However, given the current circumstances, it was still necessary to invite Doctor Zheng over once more. Since Zhao Erhu failed to bring him the first time, and now that it was due to her own situation, she supposed that Doctor Zheng would not refuse.

"Speaking of which, Doctor Zheng is also a person of justice and kindness. Moreover, our family has some dealings with Doctor Zheng, so it is not surprising that he would act this way. But this matter concerns my eldest sister’s health, and since Erhu was unable to bring him, had you told me at that time, I would have gone to ask him and I’m sure Doctor Zheng would not have refused. Why on earth did you have to keep it from me? Now, my sister’s illness has been dragged out so long, I’m afraid even Doctor Zheng might not be able to cure her."

"Ah, sister-in-law, at that time, his wife had done such an outrageous act, how could we let you run around for such a matter?"

"Forget it, it’s no use talking about it now. How about this, I’ll send someone to the city right away to invite Doctor Zheng over to see if there’s still a chance to save my sister?" Lin Yue sighed and said. She was only saying this; at the time, Zhao Yunxiang had wanted to take her life, to think she would persuade Doctor Zheng, she truly might not have agreed. Even now, though she could understand Zhao Erhu’s actions, she was still angry. But with Zhao Erhu away from home, there was nothing she could do about it, even in anger.

"Sister-in-law, I don’t know how to thank you enough. Whether his wife can be saved or not, I, Lin Genfa, will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life."

"There’s no need for such talk. Zhao Yunxiang is, after all, Erhu’s legitimate elder sister, and it is only right for me to offer my help," Lin Yue waved her hand dismissively, feeling that Lin Genfa genuinely had commendable character, willing to go to such lengths for Zhao Yunxiang. In her lifetime, Zhao Yunxiang was fortunate to meet such a person.

Lin Yue instructed Liu Aniu, "Brother Liu, I hope you don’t mind making a trip to the city for me and fetching Doctor Zheng." With Zhao Erhu not at home and heading to Shanglin Village, Lin Yue brought Liu Aniu along to ensure safety, knowing he was reliable and not blindly loyal, which made her feel at ease about his handling of affairs.

"Yes, Mistress Dongjia, I will go immediately." With Mistress Dongjia’s orders, Liu Aniu, not one for needless talk, immediately took the carriage to the city. Speaking of Liu Aniu, his agility among the Zhao Family’s servants and farmhands was commendable. On normal days, he was held in high regard by both Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue. Zhao Erhu would not have left him behind if he had not been worried about the home front; otherwise, with his capabilities, he could have easily accompanied Zhao Erhu to the south, making him an excellent candidate for such a trip.

When Doctor Zheng saw Liu Aniu coming to invite him and heard it was on the orders of Mistress Lin, he grabbed his medical kit immediately, ready to leave. It was not until the carriage had traveled some distance that he realized they were not heading to the Zhao Family village but to Shanglin Village instead.

"You’re not mistaken, are you? This isn’t the way to Zhao Family village." Although he was sure Liu Aniu would not be on the wrong path, Doctor Zheng wanted to know where they were heading.

"Doctor Zheng, we are going to Shanglin Village, to the household of Mistress Dongjia’s elder aunt."

Understanding the situation, Doctor Zheng said, "So it’s their family. Your Mistress Dongjia really has a kind heart; her elder aunt wanted to take her life, and yet now she sends for me to help save her."

Liu Aniu was just a farmhand; he did not feel it was his place to comment on the affairs of the Dongjia household, so upon hearing Doctor Zheng’s words, he remained silent.

"Doctor Zheng, thank you for making the trip here. Please take a look at my older sister and help us determine what illness she has contracted, and why she has ended up in such a state," Lin Yue said.

"Let me have a look first." Doctor Zheng actually only knew that Zhao Yunxiang was ill, but had no idea what the specific illness was. Thus, upon seeing Zhao Yunxiang’s inhuman appearance on the bed, he was also taken aback and without further ado, began to feel her pulse directly.

The longer Doctor Zheng felt Zhao Yunxiang’s pulse, the more serious the expression on his face became. He switched to feel her other wrist but still came to no conclusion after a long while. Lin Yue and Lin Genfa didn’t dare to interrupt his diagnostics, simply waiting patiently by the side, aware that Zhao Yunxiang’s condition was probably not optimistic.

Lin Yue anxiously asked as soon as Doctor Zheng finished taking the pulse, "Doctor Zheng, how is my older sister doing? Have you been able to determine the illness?" Her heart was also curious about what strange illness Zhao Yunxiang had contracted to end up in her current state.

Doctor Zheng’s medical expertise was rather profound, having received many insights from Jiang Ziqi, which had advanced his medical skills even further. Although he hadn’t diagnosed the specific illness Zhao Yunxiang suffered from, he still noticed some clues. After inquiring about the patient’s condition from Lin Genfa since the onset of her illness, he finally expressed his conclusion.

"The patient appears to have been poisoned. I’ve determined that there seems to be some kind of toxin in her body that is destroying her health. While it’s not immediately fatal, the person will continue to weaken until death," he announced.

"What? Poisoned! How could my wife possibly be poisoned? Doctor, you couldn’t have diagnosed her wrong, could you?" Lin Genfa said, astonished. Although he knew of Doctor Zheng’s superior medical skills, he instinctively questioned the diagnosis. In reality, his doubt wasn’t targeted at Doctor Zheng’s expertise; he found it hard to believe that Zhao Yunxiang’s condition was not just sickness, but poison—it seemed beyond comprehension.

It wasn’t just Lin Genfa; even Lin Yue was surprised by the diagnosis Doctor Zheng had arrived at. This wasn’t a large estate with complex politics; Zhao Yunxiang was merely a common peasant woman. How could she have been poisoned? It seemed too bizarre.

Fortunately, Doctor Zheng was understanding of Lin Genfa’s feelings and was not displeased by his questioning. The situation was indeed strange. Even he had a degree of disbelief when he diagnosed Zhao Yunxiang with poisoning, which is why he checked several times before making a judgment.

"There’s no mistake that it’s poisoning. But this poison is unheard of, something I have never encountered before. It’s no wonder that the doctors you consulted before couldn’t diagnose it. Even I had to check three or four times before I could be certain. This isn’t a poison that just anybody would come across. How it came to be in a peasant woman’s body is beyond me. I’ve been practicing medicine for many years and have never seen anything like this," Doctor Zheng added, finding it all the more strange.

"How can this be? Brother-in-law, think about it. Did my sister offend anyone who would go as far as to poison her?" Lin Yue asked, knowing that she wasn’t well informed about Zhao Yunxiang’s affairs and turned to Lin Genfa for answers.

Upon hearing this, Lin Genfa thought deeply but couldn’t come up with anyone Zhao Yunxiang might have crossed. It was true that she didn’t get along too well with the villagers and often had quarrels and conflicts, but none seemed severe enough to warrant a death sentence. In fact, the most egregious thing Zhao Yunxiang had done during that time was