The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 885 - 863: Suspicion

Chapter 885: Chapter 863: Suspicion

Manbao looked at Old Master Guan’s complexion and asked, "How have you been feeling recently, is your head still aching severely?"

Manbao’s questions were numerous and detailed; it was quite normal for Bai Shan not to speak.

Old Master Guan was waiting for his reply, growing somewhat impatient, and was about to withdraw his hand, "My illness is what it is, there’s nothing to see, no need to look anymore."

Manbao pressed down on his hand and said, "Old Master Guan, you have been treating this illness for twelve years, and you are still living well now, aren’t you? How do you know we can’t continue to treat it for another twelve years?"

This really wasn’t curable, Doctor Ji couldn’t help but cough heavily twice.

Old Master Guan understood his own condition and, upon hearing Manbao’s words, glanced at her and then smiled at Doctor Ji, "Your apprentice really is a calf not afraid of tigers."

Doctor Ji laughed, "Children, they all have big hearts."

Old Master Guan nodded and, seeing Manbao reluctant to let go, he simply stopped moving as well but didn’t answer her question. Instead, he turned to look at Bai Shan and asked, "Where are you from, Young Master Bai?"

Having considered everything he should and shouldn’t, Bai Shan knew that even if he didn’t reveal it, as soon as Old Master Guan asked, there would be others who could answer. So he replied honestly, "I’m from Longzhou and took leave from the county school to come here today."

Old Master Guan glanced at Guan Erlang before saying, "What merits does my second son have to be so highly regarded by Young Master Bai?"

Bai Shan bowed his head and smiled humbly, "Second Brother Guan is virtuous, and his learning is also good; Old Master Guan, you’re being too modest."

Guan Erlang’s face went a bit red, just about to explain that Bai Shan wasn’t here for him, but for the one he cherished, Manbao.

But as his gaze swept over the two of them, he hesitated again, thinking better of it. The impulsiveness of youth, yet the reluctance to tell adults, let him just accept it then.

The primary reason Guan Erlang was unwilling to admit it was because he felt quite pleased by Bai Shan’s compliments.

"You’re from Longzhou, so why come to Yizhou for school?"

As Bai Shan replied from the side, Manbao gradually sensed that something was amiss. Strange, why was it that when they spoke about Longzhou or Bai Shan’s parents, Old Master Guan’s pulse sped up a bit?

Manbao couldn’t figure it out after a long while. Seeing her hold the pulse without speaking, Doctor Ji coughed lightly from behind her. Manbao quickly got up and cleared her throat, "Not much change, Doctor Ji, please have a look."

Doctor Ji glanced at her; he had already examined the patient, what more was there to see?

He then said, "Old Master Guan, let us move inside. I will give you an acupuncture session."

Old Master Guan would feel better after an acupuncture session; this was also the reason he had always been willing to accept Doctor Ji’s treatment. Although he felt he wouldn’t live much longer, he wanted at least to not suffer too much before death.

So normally, as soon as acupuncture was mentioned, Old Master Guan was very cooperative, but this time he waved his hand, "Let’s skip it this time, I have a guest at home. I’ll spend time talking with him, and besides, the acupuncture is useless, it won’t cure me."

Doctor Ji glared, "Who says it’s useless? The acupuncture can alleviate your symptoms and help you sleep, don’t you know?"

Bai Shan immediately said, "If it’s because of me that Old Master Guan’s treatment is delayed, that would be a sin. If you wish to speak with me, I can stay longer. You go ahead with your acupuncture first, and Second Brother Guan and I will wait outside in the courtyard."

Guan Erlang nodded repeatedly, "Father, you go have your acupuncture first. I’ll take him for a walk in the garden, then we’ll come back and keep you company."

Old Master Guan frowned, pondered for a moment, and with Doctor Ji glaring fiercely at the side, he could only nod in agreement.

Manbao took the medical box inside, prepared the needles, and then withdrew, as Doctor Ji cast a glance at her retreating figure without a word.

Old Master Guan, however, had taken note and inquired, "Why isn’t your young disciple staying to observe today?"

Doctor Ji’s hands didn’t stop as he laid out his items on the table, indicating to Old Master Guan to disrobe. He said, "This child learns quickly; having come to see this many times, she has already learned."

Old Master Guan sighed. "I knew you were using me to let her practice. You still won’t tell me how long I can live."

Doctor Ji took a needle and searched for his acupoint; upon hearing this, he said, "If you want to live longer, there’s always a way to do so."

Old Master Guan did not speak further and lay down on the pillow, drowsy and drifting off to sleep.

Every time he had acupuncture, he felt sleepy and wanted to doze off.

Manbao stepped out, and the Guan brothers and Bai Shanzheng were waiting for her at the entrance of the courtyard.

Upon seeing her, Guan Erlang immediately asked, "Has Father had his acupuncture?"

Manbao nodded. "Doctor Ji is giving him the treatment now. I’ll ask some questions on his behalf."

"Don’t we need to wait for Doctor Ji?"

Manbao smiled and shook her head. "No need. Doctor Ji already gave me instructions before coming here."

Guan Dalang then invited them to sit in the garden to talk.

"My father’s illness began with Doctor Ji’s treatment. Did Doctor Ji not ask my father back then? Didn’t he know the cause of the illness at that time?" Guan Dalang’s memory was much clearer than Guan Erlang’s.

Manbao kept her composure and said, "Recently, I’ve been sorting through Old Master Guan’s medical records and found only records from the past ten years. However, Doctor Ji said that Old Master Guan mentioned having headaches twelve years ago, but since it’s been so long and Doctor Ji has aged, there were no medical records from that time when the condition wasn’t severe. So now, looking back, we don’t know much."

Manbao told a blatant lie. "We have recently come across a medical book that mentions treatment for brain diseases. We can only prescribe a cure if the symptoms match. That’s why we wanted to investigate the cause of the illness."

Guan Dalang was convinced by this explanation.

Guan Dalang thought hard and said, "Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember that twelve years ago, Father did complain of headaches. And one year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Father was seriously ill and couldn’t go to the palace. That year was... the third year of the Dazhen era?"

After pondering for a long while, Guan Dalang nodded with certainty. "Yes, it was the third year of the Dazhen era. I remember because that year, the Second Commandery Prince was born in the palace, and as a vassal, Father received many rewards."

Manbao then asked, "Was Old Master Guan particularly busy at that time? I mean, was he under a lot of stress, feeling anxious?"

Guan Dalang laughed. "I don’t know about his anxiety, but during that time, Father wasn’t that busy. He spent a lot of time with us every day."

However, Guan Erlang interjected, "But he was very busy in the spring."

"How would you know?"

Guan Erlang coughed lightly and said, "Big Brother, you forgot. In the spring of the year the Second Commandery Prince was born, I got into a fight following the Eldest Commandery Prince, and Father was too busy even to punish me."

Guan Dalang nodded vigorously. "Right, Father was very busy in the spring. Could it be that he overexerted himself in the spring and the effects surfaced in the autumn?"

Manbao nodded in affirmation. "That’s a possibility. How was Old Master Guan’s diet at that time? Was it stable? Did he usually eat at home or outside?"

These questions had been designed with County Magistrate Tang after discussing what information he wanted to know, and relating them to the body. Manbao asked everything she could.

As for the questions she couldn’t ask, Manbao knew better than to ask them, even without Bai Shanzheng’s reminder.

The four of them talked in the garden for a good half an hour until a servant came to find them. Only then did they learn that Old Master Guan had finished his acupuncture and had even taken a nap. He was now awake and wanted to see Bai Shanzheng.

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