Chapter 31: The Ghost in the Courtyard

Time flew by.

Finally, the number of patients waiting for care dwindled.

Su Yi rubbed his forehead. He inadvertently glanced to the side, only to see that one of the servants had already brewed a steaming pot of medicinal tea for him.

Sir, have some water to moisten your throat, said the servant. He was humble and respectful.

Hu Quan and the others smiled when they saw this.

By now, the Apricot Clinics old-hands were fully convinced of Su Yis abilities.

Their shock was more than words could express.

Huang Qianjun stood not far away. Hed witnessed their change in attitude firsthand, and waves coursed through his heart.?Only true skill can wholeheartedly convince others.

He vaguely understood why his father had been so insistent that he find an opportunity to spend more time with Su Yi.

At first, the staff of the Apricot Clinic had been arrogant and rude, with an air of superiority.

Yet now, all of them had lowered their heads in submission!

Had Su Yi forced them into submission?

No, hed used his nigh-miraculous attainments in medicine, wordlessly convincing everyone present!

Su Yi picked up the teacup and took a sip. Only then did he address them. Starting today, Ill take up residence here.

Hu Quan immediately responded, Sir, theres an unoccupied residence behind the clinic. Ill send someone to clean it and provide various basic daily necessities. Will you need servants to wash your clothes and make your tea or a chef to prepare your meals?

Su Yi shook his head. No need for that. Have them clean the rooms and get the courtyard in order. Thatll be plenty.

Hu Quan nodded and made a mental note of this.?Hed been the Apricot Clinics steward to begin with, and he was responsible for all sorts of chores and trifles. Now that he was convinced of Su Yis skill, he was willing to serve.

Going forward, youll remain in charge of all of the Apricot Clinics affairs, said Su Yi. Everyone can continue their jobs as usual; Ill simply be responsible for expenses and revenue.

He certainly had no plans of spending all his time and energy on the clinic.?He thought about it, then added, Of course, if you encounter particularly confusing symptoms or life-threatening illnesses, you can call on me. Leave ordinary illnesses to our physicians.

As soon as he said this, a man so stalwart, he looked as if hed been forged of iron walked into the clinic.

Hu Quan and the rest of the staff recognized him at a glance. Hed been there when the clinic first opened its doors, but when he saw that Wu Guangbin wasnt present, hed cursed, turned, and left.

Yet here it was again. Hed come back.

Um. Young Lord Su, I know I was rude earlier, but I hope you can forgive me. The man awkwardly clasped his fist and apologized.

Youve never married, right? Su Yis expression was rather strange.

The man hurriedly nodded. Thats right.

Su Yi took out a piece of paper, wrote a brief message, and passed it to him. Youre not sick. Follow these instructions and youll make a full recovery within three months.

The stalwart man accepted the paper and glanced at it. Despite himself, he was confused. Refrain from Uh, what does this character mean?

Despite themselves, Hu Quan and the rest of the staff were curious. They gathered around, but when they saw Su Yis prescription, every last one of them burst into laughter.

Brother, this character is pronounced nong. It has the hand radical on the left, and the radicals for up and down on the right. Combined, you get.. Well, you ought to understand what Im getting at, right?

Hu Quan smiled ambiguously as he offered the man his advice.

The man was stunned, but a moment later, realization hit him. His swarthy face flushed red, and he covered his face and fled in embarrassment.

Hahahaha.! Huang Qianjun finally understood. He clutched his gut and laughed. He looks so big and strong, yet he likes one-handed self combat!

Hu Quan and the others laughed too, ambiguous smiles on their faces.

All men understood this!

After this little interlude, the atmosphere at the Apricot Clinic became far more harmonious, and the air was full of good cheer.

When he saw that there werent any more patients, Su Yi rose. Take me to my residence so I can have a look around.

Hu Quan hurriedly called two servants, who led the way. After passing through the clinics back door, they quickly arrived at a clean, silent courtyard.

At the same time, in a teahouse not far from the Apricot Clinic.

Elder Wu, look at this prescription he wrote! This combination of medicinal herbs and supplements is practically divinely inspired! sighed a middle-aged man.

His name was Tan Feng, and he was one of the Apricot Clinics physicians.

Two others sat beside him. One was a white-haired elder, while the other was a dark-skinned, grim-faced man.

The first was Wu Guangbin, a physician famed throughout the city.

The other was called Wei Tong. Just like Tan Feng, he was one of the clinics three practicing physicians.

However, after learning that Su Yi, the live-in son-in-law, was to take over the clinics management, all three of them had come up with excuses to skip work and hide in the teahouse. They planned to wait there and watch Su Yi get kicked out.

None of them had anticipated that even after waiting for so long, no such thing had happened.

On the contrary, the patients waiting outside the clinic each received a cure!

This surprised all three physicians. They couldnt help but call some of the patients into the teahouse to press them for details.

The result practically made them jump.?Su Yi, the overlooked, disrespected live-in son-in-law of the Wen Family, really was proficient in the medical arts!

Elder Wu, Su Yis method for curing Echo Worms really opened my eyes, sighed Wei Tong.

One of the patients Su Yi treated had an unusual malady; every time he spoke, a voice within his stomach echoed every word, as if there were some malevolent entity hidden within his body.

But Su Yi said that the patient had inadvertently eaten an Echo Worm. He then picked up a Pharmacopeia and had the patient read each medicines name out loud.?Every time the patient read an ingredients name, the worm in his stomach repeated it.

But when the patient said the word omphalia grass, the voice within its stomach remained silent. Yur fvorite stories on /o/(v)/lbn(.)cm

Su Yi then immediately ordered a servant to fetch a stalk of omphalia grass and have the patient swallow it. This cured the patient on the spot, as the man coughed up a fingernail-sized bugthe Echo Worm.

Tan Feng sighed along with him. Also, the way he used silver needles to treat that patients arm was entirely unexpected! Even now, I cant figure out how he pulled it off!

Wu Guangbin had been quiet all this time, but he suddenly rose to his feet and strode towards Apricot Clinic.

Elder Wu, what are you doing? Tan Feng and Wu Tong hurriedly rose as well.

Im naturally going to apologize! said Wu Guangbin without so much as a second look.

Tan Feng and Wei Tong glanced at each other, then hurried after him.

The residence behind the clinic.

Three stand-alone, grey-tiled rooms surrounded a courtyard in the shape of the character . One side had a vegetable bed and pergola, and there was a mighty locust tree in the center. A well stood beside it, but the metal was flecked with rust, and chains kept it completely sealed.

No one had lived there in a long time, so the entire residence was covered in dust and spiderwebs, and the courtyard was full of weeds.

It was almost noon, and the sun was blazing hot.

Hu Quan commanded two servants to sweep up and add various accouterments.

Su Yi, meanwhile, stood beneath the locust tree and surveyed the courtyard. His brow furrowed slightly.

Sir, the courtyard has been in disrepair for years, but once we get everything in order, it should be comfortable and convenient, said Hu Quan with a smile.

Has anything bad happened here before? asked Su Yi, seemingly out of nowhere.

Hu Quan froze, scrunched up his brow in thought, then said, Now that you mention it, yes. I recall one such incident.

It was about nine years ago. One of our clinics physicians lived here, as well as two apprentice apothecaries. But then, one night, all three of them died suddenly. Hu Quan pointed to the sealed well. The physician drowned within the well, but when they pulled up his corpse, his flesh had rotted off. The two apprentices corpses were nothing but shriveled skins, and they were hanging from the branches of that locust tree.

As he spoke, Hu Quan pointed to the tree at the center of the courtyard.

Su Yis eyes flashed. Shriveled hides? Were their flesh and organs nowhere to be found?

Hu Quan was shocked. How did you know?

Su Yi didnt explain. The residence has been in disrepair ever since, right?

Thats right. Everyone says its haunted Uh, sir, its not that I want to force you to live here, but this is the clinics only residence, Hu Quan hurriedly explained, feeling a bit frantic.

Su Yi smiled. No harm done. Way I see it, this place looks pretty good.

Huang Qianjun said ingratiatingly, Brother Su, wont you be lonely all by yourself in such a large residence? How about I arrange for some beauties to accompany you? I guarantee both their looks and personalities will satisfy you!

Su Yi smiled faintly, but it didnt reach his eyes. Do you really think Im that degenerate?

How could I? Huang Qianjun broke into cold sweats and immediately denied it. Brother Su, dont misunderstand!

Hed just tried to butter Su Yi up, only to realize that hed used too much force.

To his relief, Su Yi merely thought for a moment, then said, There is actually something you can help me with. Go to the market and fetch me a rooster, the fiercer the better. Also, I need some fresh-cut willow branches and a three-foot-long piece of tempered ten-year peach wood.

What does he need that stuff for??Although he found it strange, the opportunity to do something for Su Yi filled him with delight. He immediately turned and scampered off. Brother Su, please wait a bit. Ill be right back!

His words echoed through the courtyard, but Huang Qianjun had already disappeared.

Hu Quan couldnt help but sigh.?That Huang Qianjun is an infamous hoodlum young master, yet hes obeying the Wen Family son-in-laws every whim. Hes really expanded my horizons.

Sir, what do you need all that stuff for??Hu Quan was curious too.?A rooster, peach wood, willow branches. Dont the wandering Daoist priests use those to exorcize ghosts? Does he think the residence is haunted?

As soon as this possibility occurred to him, Hu Quans heart shook.

A ghost!

Ghosts werent at all unfamiliar to the people of Guangling City. There were countless rumors and elaborate tales of vicious ghosts emerging from Mother Ghost Ridge!

Im preparing just in case. Su Yi didnt explain any further.

It was then that three figures hurried into the courtyard. When the white-haired elder at the front of the group saw Su Yi, he bowed on the spot. This humble one is Wu Guanglin. I am ashamed, and have come to apologize!

When Tan Feng and Wei Tong saw this, they hurriedly followed suit.

Su Yi glanced at them, then instantly understood. You didnt know, so you have nothing to apologize for. This matter ends here. Going forward, the three of you will continue to hold down the Apricot Clinic. You can get up, but I hope this doesnt happen again.

The three physicians sighed in relief.

Hu Quan was happy too. I wont hide it; our new manager might be young, but his medical attainments are superb. You didnt see it, but

Once he started, he kept going, enraptured as he told them all about how Su Yi treated the days patients.?There were numerous details that even the three physicians didnt understand, but they too were entranced, and their hearts filled with longing.

By the time Hu Quan finished, their gaze turned respectful whenever they looked at Su Yi.

Chapter end