Farmer’s Blessed Girl

Although Manbao had been imprisoned, Second Madam Cheng did not stop taking the medicine and continued with the prescription Manbao had previously given her, which improved her condition significantly.

After Manbao's examination, she suggested that the medication could be discontinued and that emphasis should be placed on diet instead. It would suffice to walk around the garden two or three times each day.

"You can keep using the ointment, I see that the lines have faded a lot."

Second Madam Cheng also felt much better; at least she no longer suffered from back pain after standing for a short while, as she used to, nor did she feel uncomfortable when sitting or lying down, and even her complexion had improved a lot.

Second Madam Cheng, pleased, invited Manbao for tea. After waving the servants out of the room, she said: "Doctor Zhou Junior, I have a few friends who also suffer from some illnesses. I have invited them to visit tomorrow, could you come and examine them?"

Manbao smiled and replied: "I have patients scheduled for home visits tomorrow afternoon. If it's not an emergency, Second Madam Cheng can ask them to visit me at Jishi Hall. The second floor of Jishi Hall is quite private, suitable for nobles to receive consultations."

Seeing Second Madam Cheng frown, Manbao continued: "If it's inconvenient to come due to household affairs, it's not a problem. Just have a servant inform Jishi Hall and leave a visiting card, and I will arrange a house visit after organizing my schedule."

Second Madam Cheng smiled and nodded in agreement, "That's fine. Oh right, did you bring extra ointment with you this time? The other day, I sent someone to Jishi Hall to buy some, and the shopkeeper said it was sold out."

Sold out?

Shanbao blinked; earlier today, when she went to the back yard for dinner, not only was the head shopkeeper decocting a new batch, but the ointment from two days ago was also jarred and filling the shelves.

After a moment of surprise, Manbao said: "Indeed, the ointment is in high demand, and I've had Shao bring a jar with her this time."

Second Madam Cheng then said: "Doctor Zhou Junior, why didn't you bring more jars? There are quite a few ladies in my household who could use it."

Manbao felt a little embarrassed, "Shall I bring more jars next time when I visit First Madam Cheng?"

Second Madam Cheng smiled and nodded in agreement.

Manbao then packed up her things and prepared to take her leave.

Second Madam Cheng got up smilingly to see her out and asked, "It's still early; are you sure you won't stay a bit longer?"

Manbao declined, saying, "I need to make a trip to the horse carriage service soon. I'll stay another day."

"Horse carriage service? Are you going to buy a carriage?"

"I'm thinking of buying a horse."

Second Madam Cheng nodded thoughtfully and escorted Manbao to the outer door, saying with a smile: "Doctor Zhou Junior, we are quite familiar now, so in the future, I'll stop calling you 'doctor' and call you 'Sister Zhou' instead, how about that? Coincidentally, I have a cousin who's about your age. I'll introduce you to her sometime."

Manbao smiled in agreement, said her goodbyes, and left.

Second Madam Cheng watched her leave, then turned back with a smile, holding her maid's hand.

The maid was puzzled, "Second Madam, why are you suddenly being so polite to Doctor Zhou Junior?"

Second Madam, holding her hand, replied: "Her status has changed. In the future, when Miss Zhou visits, you all must be more courteous."

Sitting on the couch, she picked up the ointment Manbao had left behind and said with a smile: "Previously, she was just a doctor, a divine healer, who deserved our politeness. But now, she's not only a divine healer but also the daughter of a meritorious figure and a filial daughter who dared to avenge her father by appealing directly to the Emperor. Thus, we must show her more respect."

She handed the ointment to the maid, instructing her to store it away, then leaned against the pillow and said, "Just watch. Right now, the Empress Dowager is still here, and the Prince of Yizhou's case has not been fully resolved, so nobody would approach her at this time. Wait a few years, after the Empress Dowager has passed away and the case is completely closed, there will be plenty of people who value and admire her. Then, who knows how many would want to marry her for her character, it's just a pity that..."

The maid, holding the ointment, asked, "A pity for what?"

"It's a pity that her ambition is not the same as us commoners," Second Madam Cheng said with a laugh, but then suddenly remembered something and sighed softly, "Forget it, what's the point of discussing this? Where is Cheng Er? Has he gone off to that little enchantress's place again? Have him come back. I remember he snatched a horse from my brother last time; where did he put that horse?"

The maid was shocked, "Second Madam, you're not thinking of giving that horse to Doctor Zhou Junior, are you?"

Second Madam Cheng shot her a glance and said, "Am I out of my mind? That horse is almost priceless. I'm feeling much better now, and with the weather being nice these days, I'm thinking of going to the polo field to play some polo and also take the opportunity to look at the horses there, to pick out a good horse for Miss Zhou."

The maid then breathed a sigh of relief.

Last time, Cheng Er nearly got into a fight with Granduncle over that horse. If Second Madam were to give it away so casually, not only would Cheng Er be furious to the point of vomiting blood, but Granduncle might also vomit blood from anger.

Manbao handed the medical kit to Shao and climbed into the carriage. After they left State Duke Su's mansion, she climbed out of the carriage and sat on the shaft, looking at the bustling crowd on the street and letting out a deep sigh.

Shao glanced at her and asked, "Doctor Zhou Junior, what's wrong?"

Manbao sighed and said, "It's only today that I truly understand the ways of the world and human relations, as my teacher said. I am still too naive."

Shao's heart skipped a beat, worriedly asking, "Doctor Zhou Junior, what happened inside with Second Madam Cheng?"

This was someone who dared to make a complaint at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, after all.

Manbao replied, "Nothing happened. Didn't you notice? Our visit to State Duke Su's mansion this time was very different from before."

Shao naturally said, "But Doctor Zhou Junior, your status is different now from before."

Having been raised in Qili Village, the highest status person she had most often come into contact with was the county magistrate. Coincidentally, the three magistrates she met never let Manbao experience the awe inspired by hierarchical authority, so she couldn't quite understand Shao's point.

But Shao had grown up in a place where if a brick fell from the sky, two out of ten people it might hit would be imperial relatives, three nobles, three officials, with the remaining two being one rich merchant and one commoner like herself. She understood this hierarchical layering all too well.

Manbao wasn't clueless, it's just that she nonetheless felt a strong difference being a healer in Qili Village, or even in Luojiang County, where healers were still highly respected.

Even in Yizhou City, the status of a healer might not compare with that in Luojiang County and the village, but it was still prestigious. But in the capital...

Manbao thought of the imperial physician who was struck down by the Crown Prince with a sword, lying on the ground with no one daring to aid him for a long time, and asked with a somewhat downcast mood: "Is the status of a healer very low?"

Shao scratched her head, not quite comprehending Manbao's words, "Not low, right? My lifelong wish is to become a healer."

Manbao encouraged her without a second thought, "You study hard, and you will definitely succeed."

Shao grinned with happiness.

But Manbao was still pondering the question of status. It was strange; her relationship with Second Madam Cheng was that of healer and patient, but previously, she had been courteous to her; yet now, she felt respected too.

But the respect was not because of her own status, but rather because her biological father had been posthumously appointed as a regional Governor. Unable to figure out the dilemma, Manbao decided to ask her teacher when she got home.

But at present, this was not important. The most urgent thing was that Shao had stopped the carriage, and Manbao smelled the stench of livestock. As she lifted her head, she saw various kinds of animals tied up in the market, and a mix of familiar and unfamiliar scents assaulted her senses.