The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 884 - 862 Tense

Chapter 884: Chapter 862 Tense

Bai Shan had Daji quietly request leave from the academy for him the next day, then he and Manbao went to the bookstore together.

Doctor Ji was on duty that morning, while Doctor Ji and Manbao visited the Guan Family Estate for consultations, carrying all the necessary medicines. Doctor Ji was taken aback to see Manbao accompanied by Bai Shan.

Manbao explained, "Second Brother Guan invited Junior Brother as a guest, and since I was also going today, we came together."

Doctor Ji glanced at Bai Shan, somewhat puzzled about their intentions. After all, the Guan family had a special relationship with the Prince of Yizhou, and they had just had a confrontation with the Prince of Yizhou’s estate, earning a reputation for not fearing authority and being arrogantly self-confident. Now, were they seeking to curry favor through another route?

Doctor Ji didn’t want Manbao to get involved in these matters, so after nodding at Bai Shan, he said to Manbao, "You will ride with me; we need to discuss Old Master Guan’s condition."

Manbao agreed and got into the carriage with Doctor Ji.

However, instead of talking about Old Master Guan, Doctor Ji said, "Manbao, we are doctors, different from those who study. They need to take exams to stand out, become officials, and seek patronage from noble families and the powerful; their hearts are too burdened. We just need to diagnose and treat patients, so don’t get involved in those court affairs."

Manbao nodded, "I won’t get involved."

Doctor Ji then looked at her for a long while before pointing to the carriage following behind them and saying, "You shouldn’t get involved in his matters either, should you?"

Manbao’s head, which had been nodding, stopped halfway, and she said, "Mr. Ji, he is my Junior Brother."

Although Manbao had never formally taken Doctor Ji as her mentor, she had always regarded him as half a teacher because she had been learning medicine from him. This was the first time that Manbao had so explicitly contradicted Doctor Ji.

Doctor Ji was stunned for a moment before saying, "Manbao, your paths are different."

Manbao didn’t say anything.

Seeing her stubborn demeanor, Doctor Ji sighed, and they continued in silence to the Guan Family Estate.

This time, both Guan Dalang and Second Brother Guan took the consultation very seriously, waiting at the entrance.

This surprised Doctor Ji, who was a regular visitor, and he asked hastily, "Has Old Master Guan’s condition changed?"

Manbao, standing behind Doctor Ji with her head bowed, secretly winked at Bai Shan.

Bai Shan nodded slightly at her and looked up at Guan Dalang and Guan Erlang, bending over to greet them with a bow.

Knowing that Bai Shan was a student from the academy and also a scion of a scholarly family, Guan Dalang and Second Brother Guan did not dare to neglect him and hurriedly returned the bow, while also answering Doctor Ji, "It’s the same as before, only father’s appetite is getting worse, and he has been less and less inclined to eat these past two days."

When a person is in physical pain, naturally they lose the desire to eat.

Doctor Ji comforted them with a smile, "I will go and have a look; perhaps it’s a disharmony of the spleen and stomach, causing the loss of appetite?"

Doctor Ji then led Manbao away first.

Seeing Bai Shan following along, Guan Dalang decided that everyone would simply go together to the main courtyard.

The main courtyard was quiet; Old Master Guan had just had a fit of temper, and the servants tiptoed around, careful not to make any noise.

Manbao, having been there a few times, was no longer surprised and knew that Old Master Guan, who often had headaches, couldn’t stand too much noise. Sometimes even a slight sound could cause him splitting headaches, which made her also unconsciously tread lightly as she entered.

But as the five of them approached together, their footsteps still made Old Master Guan furrow his brows tightly.

He opened his eyes on the recliner, about to lose his temper, when he saw it was Doctor Ji and paused, his gaze sweeping over the arrivals. Catching sight of Bai Shan walking beside Manbao, he froze for a moment, involuntarily sitting up straight.

His eyes were filled with uncertain suspicion as he stared at Bai Shan, his back tense in spite of himself.

Bai Shan was also looking up curiously at Old Master Guan, and as their gazes met, he hesitated for a moment, a flash of realization in his mind. If his father had met with Old Master Guan years ago, then he must certainly recognize his father.

Did he resemble his father?

Even if his father’s encounter hadn’t been with him, he was often in the company of the Prince of Yizhou, and since his father had been the magistrate of Shu County, he had certainly seen his father before.

Bai Shan became somewhat annoyed at himself for not considering this, but it was too late now to retreat; he could only proceed forward with Manbao without betraying any emotion.

Manbao, however, noticed Bai Shan’s momentary pause. She too looked over at Old Master Guan and saw that his gaze had shifted away from Bai Shan, but he now sat upright on the recliner.

Having been there multiple times already, Manbao instantly recognized his nervousness. She knew that in the past, when she and Doctor Ji would come to treat him, he would always lie there with a look of disdain, reluctant to be treated.

As a healer, she naturally knew how to tell if someone was tense or relaxed.

As she pondered this, Old Master Guan slowly lay back down on the recliner, seemingly adopting a relaxed posture once again, and waving his hand, he said, "No need to check, no need. I have decided not to seek treatment anymore."

Doctor Ji, already adept at his business, dragged over a chair and sat down beside him. Manbao cleverly brought a small table, took the pulse pillow out of the medicine box, and prepared the needles that Doctor Ji would need...

Doctor Ji had already taken Old Master Guan’s hand to take his pulse, and Old Master Guan complied without resistance. While leaning back on the recliner, he raised his head to look at Bai Shan, asking with curiosity, "And who might this young master be...?"

Bai Shan quickly bowed and said, "Your junior, Bai Shan, a friend of Second Brother Guan. I’ve come to visit and thought to meet the elder first."

Bai Shan didn’t mention Manbao, it seemed he was a friend of Guan Erlang’s.

Guan Erlang didn’t know when they had become so close, already addressing each other as "Second Brother Guan," but facing his father’s gaze, he still nodded with a smile.

Old Master Guan asked, "You seem to have a quite an age difference, how do you know each other?"

As Guan Erlang was about to speak, Bai Shan was already a step ahead, replying, "I am currently a student at the prefectural school, and I met Second Brother Guan at a friend’s birthday banquet the other day. I truly feel it was a grave loss not to have met him sooner."

Old Master Guan asked, "Prefectural school? You’re so young, and you’ve already passed the entrance exams for the prefectural school? By the way, isn’t the prefectural school in session today?"

Doctor Ji looked up at Old Master Guan and pressed a little harder on the pulse, saying, "Don’t move, I’m just starting to hear something."

Manbao immediately said, "Mr. Ji, let me do it."

Doctor Ji looked at Manbao and, meeting her eager eyes, he eventually withdrew his hand, speaking indifferently, "You must be calm when taking a pulse, observing, listening, questioning, palpating, not one of these can be neglected."

Even Old Master Guan, who was anxiously waiting for Bai Shan’s response, couldn’t help but glower at Doctor Ji and said, "Are you using me to train your apprentice?"

However, Old Master Guan did not withdraw his hand. He figured that having Manbao take his pulse was better than Doctor Ji, the old fox, for who knew what the latter could discern?

He didn’t realize that because of her status, Manbao could detect and guess things that were no less significant than what Doctor Ji might discern.

No sooner had her hand touched than Manbao sensed Old Master Guan’s abnormality. He was much more nervous than usual, and although he tried his best to relax, the feeling of genuine muscle relaxation was different from a feigned one.