The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 886 - 864 Frustration

Chapter 886: Chapter 864 Frustration

Bai Shan had broken into a thin sweat on his back by the time he left the Guan residence. He paused beside the carriage, looking towards Manbao.

Manbao was about to join him in the carriage when Doctor Ji coughed and called out, "Manbao, get in the carriage, I have something to say to you."

Manbao could only stop and, after glancing at Bai Shan, got into Doctor Ji’s carriage.

Bai Shan frowned but said nothing and stepped onto the carriage step to board.

Erlang saw all this and sighed to himself, It seems there are others here intent on thwarting lovers as well.

Bai Shan drew back the curtain for a final farewell to Erlang, and after they exchanged waves they parted ways.

Erlang watched the two carriages disappear into the distance before he turned, smiling, and returned to the main courtyard.

Old Master Guan was inquiring about Bai Shan’s situation with Guan Dalang.

How would Guan Dalang know so much?

These past two years, his main focus had been on taking care of his father and managing household affairs. When he occasionally found free time to maintain relationships with the elite families in the city, various matters would always arise, so he was not particularly attuned to external affairs.

The information he knew about Bai Shan was, in fact, relayed to him by Erlang.

Seeing Guan Dalang clueless, only repeating what he had just managed to ask, Old Master Guan was instantly enraged.

His anger made his head hurt even more, and when his head hurt, his temper flared uncontrollably...

Just as he was about to burst into anger, Erlang walked in with a beaming smile, but sensing the tense atmosphere, he instinctively hesitated and turned to leave.

Old Master Guan had already called out, "Two, come here."

Erlang hardened his scalp and went over, bowing, "Father."

Old Master Guan stared at him, "Tell me, did you and Bai Shanzheng get along so well because you both seemed to hit it off, so you invited him over to our house?"

Erlang nodded repeatedly, "Yes." He certainly couldn’t say that the young master had come for his sweetheart; in his father’s eyes, such romances were not a sign of ambition.

Old Master Guan then reclined in his chair, looking into his eyes, "Then tell me, what did you talk about the day before yesterday?"

Erlang strained to say, "We talked about a lot, poetry, books, essays, all of that, for a long while."

"There’s no rush, we father and son haven’t chatted together in a long while and there’s nothing to do now; we have plenty of time. Start from the beginning, what exactly did you discuss regarding poetry, books, and essays?"

Erlang was tongue-tied, unable to speak.

Old Master Guan glared and demanded, "Speak the truth, what was his real purpose for coming?"

Erlang felt something was amiss at this moment and exchanged a secretive glance with Guan Dalang before lowering his head, "He came with Young Doctor Zhou, father, why are you so concerned about Bai Shan?"

Guan Dalang also looked at Old Master Guan.

Old Master Guan, however, suddenly sat up from the recliner, his thoughts in turmoil, "Who did you say he came with?"

"Young Doctor Zhou," Erlang hesitated, then added, "The two of them... cough... are fond of each other, so..."

Old Master Guan’s face changed several times, void of expression he said, "Tell me in detail about your first meeting and, also, what did you talk about just now?"

Erlang, with an uneasy heart, had no choice but to recount the details under his father’s gaze.

Meanwhile, sitting in the carriage, Manbao also felt uneasy as she sat across from Doctor Ji.

Doctor Ji stared at her for a long while, and ultimately, rationality prevailed, and he didn’t ask why she inquired about Old Master Guan’s illness.

He had been a physician for nearly forty years, fifty if including the time he spent attending visits with his father.

Yet, Doctor Ji couldn’t help but instruct her, "Manbao, I started carrying a medicine chest when I was nine and accompanied my father visiting various estates. It has been over fifty years, and I’ve seen too much. As physicians, we should just treat illnesses. Anything you can avoid listening to, you should not listen to, and definitely not go out of your way to snoop. People with less curiosity live longer and happier lives, understand?"

Manbao knew Doctor Ji must have guessed something.

When she first learned medicine, Elderly Doctor Lu once told her that a physician must first be adept at reading expressions and understanding underlying sentiments, and the best physicians excel at this.

Elderly Doctor Lu had said great physicians could sense even the slightest change in their patients’ hearts—something patients themselves might not even be aware of—but the physicians could touch upon this, discern it, this is the true art of treating illness before it manifests.

Doctor Ji naturally hadn’t reached that stage, but if Manbao could sense Old Master Guan’s abnormalities, she didn’t believe Doctor Ji couldn’t.

Manbao knew she couldn’t deceive him, but she also knew his character; he wouldn’t ask or get involved, so she wouldn’t divulge the reason to him, only saying, "Mr. Ji, this isn’t mere curiosity."

Doctor Ji looked at Manbao, who returned his gaze unequivocally and earnestly said, "Mr. Ji, I’m not doing this for anyone, but purely for myself." Clearly, she had also noticed the change in Doctor Ji’s attitude towards Bai Shan.

She paused before asking, "Will this involve you?"

Doctor Ji chuckled, then replied, "How could I be so easily dragged into this? Forget it, you young people solve your own issues. I’m old and can’t manage so many of your matters."

Manbao breathed a sigh of relief, half-kneeling to bow, "Thank you, Mr. Ji."

Doctor Ji gently closed his eyes, accepting her gratitude.

Manbao did not linger at the pharmacy any longer. After she sent Doctor Ji into the pharmacy, she shouldered her basket and hurried to the carriage in the rear, nimbly climbing aboard, "What’s wrong? Why do I feel that Old Master Guan seems to recognize you?"

Bai Shan said, "He doesn’t know me, but he should know my father."

Only then did Manbao remember, vexed, "Damn, I forgot about that."

Bai Shan solemnly nodded, "I guess he figured out that I’m the son of Bai Qizhi."

Manbao worried, "If he’s malicious and tells the Prince of Yizhou..."

Bai Shan said, "Let’s go find County Magistrate Tang."

Bai Shan knocked on the carriage wall, and Daji promptly turned the horse’s head towards the County Government Office.

County Magistrate Tang had just finished the morning’s affairs and was leisurely heading back to the residence for a meal when he realized something was off. Hesitating, his expression slightly changed and he cursed, "Damn."

Mingli, following behind, inquired anxiously, "What’s wrong, my lord?"

County Magistrate Tang slapped his palm, "I forgot to ask Old Madam Liu whether Bai Shan and County Magistrate Bai look alike."

Mingli scratched his head, "They’re father and son; surely there must be some resemblance. My lord, do you suspect Young Master Shan is not the biological son of County Magistrate Bai?"

County Magistrate Tang gave him an annoyed glance, "What nonsense are you thinking?"

He turned around, "Let’s go to the pharmacy and see if they have gone to the Guan house yet. If not, we need to stop them quickly."

But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw two people entering the gate escorted by the bailiff. Seeing their expressions, he halted, "Well, looks like they’ve already been there, and they’re quick too."

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