maidservant

Chapter 125 Catching a Mysterious Man and Seeking a Female Itinerant Doctor
Manager Li snorted coldly, his face full of suspicion: "Hmph, then why do those people only praise you and go around saying bad things about us? If this wasn't instigated by you, who would believe it!"

Yun Shan met everyone's gazes calmly: "I understand everyone's anger, but the facts are indeed as they are. How about this, give me some time, and I will definitely find out the truth and give everyone an explanation."

Night fell over Kyoto. Yun Shan did not return to the Li residence that day. Inside the Xinglin Chuntang, she sat under the dim candlelight, her brows furrowed, the tea in front of her long since gone cold.

Several hours had passed since the angry clinic owners left, but her thoughts grew heavier. She knew that if the truth of the matter wasn't thoroughly investigated, Xinglin Chuntang would never have a peaceful day again.

Seeing that the shopkeeper was still pondering at his desk, Afu and Cui'er were not in a hurry to go to the back room to rest. They simply organized the medicinal herbs and silently accompanied Yunshan.

"Afu."

Yunshan called softly, her voice weary. Afu immediately emerged from the shadows and stood to the side with his hands at his sides.

"Tomorrow, you will secretly follow those suspicious people and make sure to find out their origins and who is behind them." Yun Shan looked intently at A Fu, who nodded emphatically.

In the following days, Afu followed those people closely like a shadow.

Finally, he discovered that these people were frequently visiting an inconspicuous tavern to meet with a mysterious person.

Afu secretly observed and noted down the time and general circumstances of each of their meetings, then hurriedly returned to Xinglin Chuntang to report to Yunshan.

Upon learning the news, Yunshan decided to take matters into her own hands. She carefully disguised herself, changing into a simple set of coarse cloth clothes, casually tying her hair up, and deliberately smearing some dust on her face, looking exactly like an ordinary drinker struggling to make a living.

After Yunshan left, she deliberately blew the bone whistle. This was given to her by Zhanqian a few days ago, in case it was inconvenient for her to follow Yunshan around the clinic.

As evening fell, Yun Shan entered the tavern, which was filled with the strong aroma of alcohol and the noise of people. She found an inconspicuous corner to sit down, ordered a pot of wine, but kept her eyes on the door.

Finally, the troublemakers swaggered in and joined the mysterious man in the corner.

Yun Shan pretended to drink, and approached him discreetly.

One of them whispered, "We made quite a bit of money this time. You guys were pretty generous..."

"Keep your voice down! There will be a reward after it's done. Just keep stirring up trouble and trying to kill that clinic..." Yun Shan's heart tightened. Sure enough, she was being instructed by someone.

Just then, the mysterious man seemed to sense something, suddenly stood up, scanned his surroundings warily, and was about to leave.

Knowing she couldn't wait any longer, Yun Shan stood up decisively and said loudly, "You're being hired to maliciously instigate conflict among clinics. What are your true intentions?"

The tavern fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on it.

The mysterious man's expression changed drastically; enraged, he reached for a dagger at his waist, attempting to flee.

At the critical moment, the masked Zhanqian rushed out from the shadows, took a step forward, and pinned the mysterious man to the ground. The troublemakers, seeing this, collapsed to the ground in terror, trembling.

The back hall of Xinglin Chuntang was brightly lit.

Yun Shan interrogated the mysterious man and the troublemakers with a serious expression.

Under intimidation, they finally confessed that everything was instigated by the guild's manager, with the aim of inciting infighting among the small, independent clinics that were not members of the guild, throwing everyone into chaos, and using them to bring down Xinglin Chun Pavilion.

After obtaining the confession and related evidence, Yun Shan immediately summoned the managers of other clinics. When they arrived at Xinglin Chuntang, their faces turned pale and then red as they looked at the evidence Yun Shan had laid out on the table.

Doctor Wang, looking deeply ashamed, stepped forward and said, "Miss Yun, we misunderstood you. We are truly sorry."

The other managers also gathered around, apologizing to Yun Shan. Yun Shan smiled slightly: "Let's not dwell on the past. Now that we know the truth, the most important thing is to unite and resist this unscrupulous manager." In the guild hall, Yun Shan and the others presented their testimony to the guild leader, and Manager Zhao's face turned deathly pale. Yun Shan looked at him, indicating that she knew what was going on, and without saying anything, bowed and left, allowing the guild to handle its internal affairs with dignity.

As dusk fell and Yun Shan approached the Li residence, Zhan Qian appeared before her like a ghost.

"Zhanqian? I didn't blow the whistle. What are you doing here?" Yunshan's blunt question made Zhanqian frown.

"What are you talking about? I'm not some dog in the military camp that only listens to the whistle."

"Pah, pah, pah, I'm clumsy with words, I misspoke. You don't usually show up on your own, is something the matter?"

“The general has been away from the capital for almost five months. I’m worried I can’t keep it a secret any longer. I’m going to the military camp in the next few days to check his whereabouts and create some illusions. You, you must be careful. Don’t stand out if anything happens. I’ve taken a pledge, so don’t cause me any trouble. I think that Afu knows a little bit of martial arts; have him come with you when you go out.”

After saying this, Zhanqian realized he had been rambling, shook his head, and disappeared.

Yes, it's been five months already. The crabapple trees in the Li residence are all in full bloom under the gentle caress of the warm sun.

Yunshan sat on a stone bench by the pond in the side courtyard, looking at the crabapple blossoms, clusters and bunches, like the clouds on the horizon, as intense and profound as her longing.

"He's skilled in martial arts and quick-witted; he'll surely be safe," Yunshan reassured herself. She then burned incense and bathed, and early the next morning, she went to a temple to obtain a statue of a Bodhisattva, which she placed in her room and began to worship.

Normally, she wouldn't believe it.

Xiaoyue's belly is getting bigger and bigger. Yunshan is very happy to see the little one kicking in her sister's belly, but she is also very worried. Every morning she checks Xiaoyue's pulse to make sure she is safe before going to see her.

The guilds have quieted down, but Xinglin Chuntang remains bustling with customers during this period. The continuous busyness is gradually taking its toll, even on the experienced and energetic Doctor Feng.

Fortunately, Yunshan's medical skills are already capable of handling things independently.

Yunshan added a table and chair next to Dr. Feng, and from then on, the two often treated patients separately, cooperating tacitly and methodically.

However, new problems arose one after another. When many women came to the clinic for treatment, due to various concerns, they were only willing to have Yunshan, who was also a woman, examine them, and even consult with them and prescribe medicine.

As a result, Yunshan's workload increased dramatically, and even though she was always a workaholic, she gradually felt overwhelmed.

From morning till night, she is surrounded by patients, and she has very little time to even drink water or take a break.

Looking at the mountain of medical records and the endless stream of female patients, Yunshan realized that it would be difficult for her to take care of everything on her own.

So, an idea came to her mind—to recruit two experienced female doctors.

In her view, itinerant doctors have traveled to various places and seen all kinds of diseases, so they must have accumulated a lot of unique diagnostic and treatment experience.

If we can recruit them, it will not only relieve my work pressure, but also inject new vitality into Xinglin Chuntang and better serve female patients.

Having made up her mind, Yunshan began to take action. She first had her servants post notices in crowded places such as city gates, markets, and teahouses, explaining in detail the clinic's needs and monthly allowance.

The notice was written in earnest language, promising the female doctor room and board, generous compensation, and opportunities to study medicine together.

At the same time, she asked patients who regularly visited the clinic to keep an eye out and inform her promptly if a suitable candidate was found.

Several days passed, and although people came to inquire one after another, none of them met Yun Shan's expectations. They were all apprentices who knew a little bit, but there was not a single experienced female doctor.

"Female doctors are rare to begin with, and most of them are itinerant doctors who are unpredictable and not easy to find," Doctor Feng advised.