Chapter 36: Remuneration

  Eight servants from He's family arrived, and the courtyard in Qiuzi Lane immediately became crowded.

  Everyone sat down, and Qingyun quickly brought out the tea.

  The elder sister-in-law chatted with San Gu's husband, San Gu's mother and He Ti's wife, asking about everyone.

  Chen Jing picked up a lotus-patterned Qinghua tea cup and took a light sip of tea.

  "...In these days, Zhen's illness has gone nine out of ten." After a few words of concern, San Gu Mu shifted the topic to the purpose of the visit, "It's all thanks to your efforts."

  "He's been reading medical books since he was a child." Eldest sister hastily explained, "When he was still young, he could recite the entire medical book. In the past few years, whenever I had headaches and fever, it was him who prescribed the medicine, and the effect was quite good. It's just that because of his youth, if we said he had medical skills, people would laugh at us, so we never mentioned it. This time is also his mischief. Fortunately, he cured me, if something went wrong, I'd rather die than bear the blame."

  She knew that although He's family thanked her, they would inevitably suspect Chen Jing's medical skills and wonder where they came from.

  The reason Chen Jing said, Li Shi still has doubts until now.

  But for outsiders, she needs to help Chen Jing come up with an excuse, so that others won't ask too many questions and Chen Jing will be speechless.

  She is Chen Jing's sister-in-law, and her words are more credible than Chen Jing himself.

  As expected, Eldest Sister's words made everyone in the He family suddenly enlightened.

  They also secretly speculated about why Chen Jing was good at medicine. After guessing for half a day, they still couldn't figure it out, and He Ti even went to ask Chen Er specifically. The Chen family from Jingzhong Alley was even more confused than the He family, and they didn't know what was going on either.

  Now that Li said so, I also thought of Chen Jing's parents being in poor health all the time, and his older brother had wanted to study medicine early on. Later, his brother didn't succeed, but Chen Jing did learn it, which is quite reasonable.

  Some people are just naturally talented.

  Chen Jiong's elder brother was a holder of the imperial examination degree, with great talent. As his younger brother, how could Chen Jiong be mediocre? It turned out that he had been secretly studying medicine, which explained why his poetry skills were average.

  "This is the luck of our He family." Third Aunt sighed, "If it were usual, even if he came to our door and said he had medical skills, we would be narrow-minded and might not believe him. Xiao Qi cured Zhen'er, which shows that he is Zhen'er's lucky star and a great benefactor of the He family."

  She pointed at He Zhen, "Zhen'er, pay respects to your younger cousin and thank him for saving your life."

  He Zhen Dao stood up and was about to kneel down to Chen Jing.

  He is an elder brother and should not have been treated with such great courtesy.

  Chen Jiong didn't wait for He Zhen to make a bow, he supported him and smiled: "......As I'm studying medicine, treating illnesses and saving people is my duty. I don't dare receive Brother-in-law's courtesy."

  They exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then He Zhen didn't make any further bows.

  "Since you won't accept the gift, this diagnostic fee is something that must be collected." As he spoke, He took a small box with a carved red lacquer peony flower from one of his servants and placed it on the tea table.

  This small box is a bit larger than the one Ruan Niang gave to Chen Jing last time.

  He's family once said they would spare no expense in seeking medical treatment.

  Chen Jiong glanced at the box again and picked up his tea cup, taking a light sip.

  The elder sister-in-law was shocked.

  He Ti had said it was a diagnostic fee, so naturally this box contained silver notes.

  The elder sister hastily pushed the box back and said, "How can this be? We are a family of flesh and blood, and for a little help, you want to receive money. If this gets out, how will we have any face?"

  "This is what should be." Third Aunt smiled graciously, "Don't decline, Ah Xing's daughter-in-law. After Doctor Zhang cured Zhen'er, the entire He family was endlessly grateful. This small amount of silver for diagnosis is just a tiny token of our appreciation. If we can't even repay this small kindness, how can we be at peace?"

  "Yes, sister-in-law!" He Ti also said, "A favor is hard to repay with money. Since you saved Shui Qu's life, you are our family's great benefactor. This kindness, you must accept."

  "No need, no need!" The elder sister-in-law continued to decline.

  She really didn't want to accept it, and it wasn't just a polite gesture. Accepting money from relatives made Li feel embarrassed, and it wouldn't sound good if she told others about it either.

  He Jia also sincerely gave Diagnosing Jin.

  They exchanged pleasantries for half a day.

  Chen Jing cleared his throat and said to Da Shu, "Da Shu, accept it. In our medical community, we also have ancestors. The recovery from a serious illness is not only due to Er Biao Xiong's good fortune but also the blessing of our ancestors. San Gu Zhang giving money is not only a sign of respect for my medical skills but also a way to show respect to our ancestors. If you decline it, our ancestors will think that the He family looks down on medical skills and will bring punishment, causing Er Biao Xiong's illness to relapse. What can we do then?"

  Apricot forest boundary is also particular about these things.

  Like Yaowang Temple, incense is flourishing.

  Chen Jing said this, and the He family naturally nodded in agreement.

  The elder sister was stunned again. She recalled Chen Jing's previous words, saying that he was smashed by the golden body of Yao Wang Temple, and then thought of his strange and superb medical skills, making her feel that his words were reasonable.

  Just like going to a temple to make a wish, if it comes true, you must fulfill your promise, otherwise the Bodhisattva will be displeased and impose punishment.

  The Medicine King is also like this.

  "We have been favored with your kindness." Li did not push it any further.

  "It should be." said Third Aunt.

  Everyone is delighted.

  The elder sister-in-law invited everyone in the house for lunch.

  The alley of Jingzhong is too small, and our feet can't even turn around.

  Third Aunt's husband said: "No need to bother. Zhen'er is fine, and hasn't yet paid his respects to his maternal grandfather. Let's go see the lanterns first, then we'll head back to Jingzhong Alley."

  The elder sister-in-law didn't stay in vain.

  They exchanged a few pleasantries before taking their leave.

  Chen Jing and his sister-in-law saw off the He family members at the entrance of the alley.

  The alley was narrow and humid, and even He's family carriage could not enter, so it stopped at the entrance of the alley.

  "...come visit us at home another day." Third Aunt invited Li as she was about to leave.

  Li said, "I'll definitely go visit when I have time. I also want to pay respects to your family's elderly matriarch." He Zhen's grandmother was advanced in age and the relatives at home all respected her.

  Then the carriage rattled away from the alley entrance.

  Chen Jiong and Li walked back and forth.

  "He Zhenzhen seems to have come back to life, and his eyes are also spirited." Li looked at Chen Jing with a relieved expression, her eyes full of smiles. "Thanks to you, he was saved, this is a great virtue."

  Li was not particularly impressed with medical skills. She always felt that a doctor was just a healer, a lowly occupation.

  She had met He Zhen many times before. During the New Year and festivals, they would meet at Jingzhong Alley. At that time, He Zhen was like a walking corpse, and outsiders thought he only had one breath left, barely clinging to life, like a withered tree.

  Now, that withered tree has come back to life, its branches are lush and green, full of vitality, and outsiders can't help but be amazed and moved.

  Li suddenly felt that this was really good. Being a doctor like this was truly great, better than anything else. Fame wasn't that important after all.

  Curing diseases and saving lives, rescuing a life, an outsider would feel very accomplished. So the doctor himself should be even happier, right? This kind of life is meaningful.

  "It just so happens." Chen Jiong said with a smile.

  Li also smiled.

  She was in a great mood, as if she had done something remarkable and was thrilled about it.

  The uncle and aunt returned home.

  Li asked Qingyun to bring over the small box with the carved red lacquer peony flowers that He's family had given them, and take a look at how much silver they had been given.

  Qing Yun brought over the small box and handed it to Li Shi, smiling as she glanced at Chen Jing, saying: "Madam, our second master is really formidable, someone has given a gift to our second master."

  Chen Jiong smiled.

  He was still young and had no one to give him gifts, only he gave gifts to others.

  This is the first time.

  Qing Yun and You Rong Yan looked at Chen Jing.

  Everyone grew up together since childhood, Qing Yun also regarded Chen Jing as a family member. Chen Jing was good, and Qing Yun was relieved.

  Li also smiled. She smiled and inadvertently opened the box.

  In the box was a stack of silver notes, packed so tightly that it was impossible to tell how thick or thin they were. Mrs. Li thought that even two or three hundred taels would be a huge amount. Her hand reached in, intending to pull out the silver notes, but suddenly froze.

  No.

  This silver note is no good.

  Too thick!

  Her face suddenly changed, and she hastily turned the box over, dumping everything onto the tea table.

  Silver ingots were like snowflakes, fluttering and falling onto the tea table, covering the rosewood tea table completely, with many more dropping to the ground.

  "Ah!" Qing Yun also exclaimed.

  That silver ticket was like a snowflake, piercing Qing Yun's eyes.

  So many!

  There are probably over a hundred of them.

  All were tickets worth one hundred taels each, totaling tens of thousands of taels of silver.

  Li's mind was also fluctuating, and her hands were slightly trembling. She thought that the He family would give at most a few hundred taels. A few hundred taels, for the He family who ran a fabric store, was just a small amount of money to send off children. They gave it, Chen Jing seemed to want it too, so Li took it.

  But this...

  This is no small change!

  This is a huge sum of money.

  Tens of thousands of taels.

  Chen Jing saw his sister-in-law scattering silver tickets all over the floor and helped pick them up. Then, he counted them one by one.

  15,000 taels

  One would spare no expense in seeking medical treatment; the He family's words were not in vain.

  After counting them, he put them back in the box again.

  Li Shi and Qing Yun looked at Chen Jing as if they were looking at something strange, their expressions exceptionally wonderful.

  "What's that?" Chen Jiong smiled, "This is the diagnostic gold they gave. The He family had said before, to seek medical treatment with a high price. They gave 15,000 taels of silver, quite generous. Eldest sister, the He family is worth dealing with."

  This calm tone and this matter-of-course attitude shocked Li again.

  You're speaking in this tone, you don't even know what 15,000 silver tickets mean, do you? You don't even know what money can do, do you?

  This is a silver note worth 15,000 taels, not 150 sheets of Xuan paper!

  You look like you've gotten 150 pieces of Xuan paper, more excited than now...

  Qing Yun was also shocked and didn't know what to do.

  Finally, Li was the first to come back to her senses, and she quickly snatched the box away, turning around to chase after Guo's family in Yangzhong Lane. She couldn't accept so much money from the Guo family. They were relatives, and if it got out, how would outsiders talk about them?

  A scholar and a bookworm, tainted by these worldly desires, lost his dignity.

  "Sister-in-law!" Chen Jiong grasped her sleeve.

  Li looked at Chen Jing helplessly and said, "This is not just a few taels of silver! We can't accept so much money from relatives. Since we are relatives, it's only right that we help each other out. If we accept this money, what will others say about us, what will they say about you?"

  Chen Jiong's elder brother was a scholar, so Li knew that scholars cared about their reputation.

  She has been working hard to maintain Chen Jing's reputation.

  She would rather sell her ancestral land than let Chen Jing wear something inappropriate and be laughed at by others.

  This is the demeanor of a book lover, and Li would rather give up everything to protect it.

  She dotes on Chen Jing like her own son.

  "If you send it back, it's like cursing He Zhen." Chen Xuan smiled and said, "My ancestor gave me medical skills, this is heavenly grace. The He family is not thanking me, but thanking my ancestor. This is what should be done. Besides, if He Zhen's illness dragged on, he wouldn't have lasted half a year. I saved He Zhen's life. With the He family's wealth, this is all small change. He Zhen's life is worth more than this. If you send it back, isn't it like we're showing off our petty household's narrow-mindedness, as if we've never seen the world?"

  Li suddenly stopped in his tracks and stood still.

  Chen Jing's last sentence, she listened to it.

  Li was most afraid of outsiders gossiping about Chen Jing's brothers.

  Moreover, He's family is indeed wealthy.

  If sent back, it would be like having never seen the world before, and indeed, Chen Xuan's face would lose all its glory.

  But so much money...

  Li felt unbearable.

  Holding this box, Li felt it weighed a thousand catties.

  She finally sighed and took the box back.

  "This is a gift from He's family to you, take it and put it wherever you want." Li handed the box to Chen Zhu. She knew Chen Zhu was prudent and would never squander money recklessly.

  "Eldest sister-in-law helps with the household chores." Chen Jiong smiled and said, "In the future when I get married, eldest sister-in-law will hand over the management to my wife."

  Li couldn't help but burst out laughing.