FID – Chapter 651

Chapter 651: Collecting Money

“Miss Liu, can my legs truly be treated?” Duan Ting’s expression turned serious.

Liu Yusheng no longer teased him. “It’s still uncertain. Your pulse doesn’t indicate any issues, and for now, I haven’t identified the root cause.”

Duan Ting frowned.

He had sought out countless renowned doctors, yet none had been able to pinpoint the problem. His legs were perfectly healthy, yet he simply couldn’t walk.

Now, hearing Liu Yusheng say the same thing—was his condition truly incurable?

Since pulse diagnosis yielded no answers, Liu Yusheng didn’t dwell on it. She stood up and said calmly, “If you’re not in a hurry, I’ll conduct another examination later using golden needles.”

“I’m ready now.”

Liu Yusheng glanced at him. “I’m going to eat first.”

From the kitchen, the rich aroma of freshly cooked food drifted in waves.

Duan Ting suddenly felt hungry as well. He nodded and smiled. “Perfect timing—I’m hungry too.”

Liu Yusheng merely raised an eyebrow at his reaction, unsurprised.

She had encountered plenty of thick-skinned people before—one more made no difference.

When Duan Ting sat at the table, the Liu family didn’t say much.

Although their initial impression of him wasn’t great due to the earlier exchange, since he was already here, they didn’t stop him from joining. Even his two maids were welcomed in.

During the meal, the Liu family chatted and laughed as usual, unaffected by the presence of outsiders.

In the past, whenever people came seeking medical treatment and happened to arrive during mealtime, if they hadn’t eaten, they would be invited to join.

That was just how rural folks were—hospitable.

“Old man, you’ve already had too much to drink today. One more cup, and that’s it.” As she ate, Liu Yusheng reminded Elder Jiu.

Even if it was nourishing wine, overindulgence was never a good thing.

Elder Jiu stiffened his neck in protest. “How is this too much? At noon, it was Lao Liu who drank—I only had one small cup!”

“If you keep playing tricks, I’ll take away half a jar of your wine tomorrow.”

“Little girl, how could you do this? That’s intentional withholding! You promised this old man could drink to his heart’s content…”

Liu Yusheng pretended not to hear and casually remarked, “Lately, the wine in the winery seems to be getting lighter. I wonder if some mice have been sneaking in at night to steal a drink.”

Elder Jiu immediately fell silent, obediently setting down his cup and focusing on his meal.

The Liu family all turned to look at him in unison, then quickly looked away, suppressing their laughter.

They had known about this for a long time—only Elder Jiu thought he was covering it up well.

After having their fun at his expense, the family shifted the conversation to matters in the capital.

“Prince Ting of Beicang has gone missing. I wonder if they’ve found him yet,” Grandma Liu sighed. “We had hoped for a peaceful New Year, but that’s impossible now. Who knows what kind of chaos Axiu is dealing with over there?”

“I wonder who had the guts to attack the Beicang envoy delegation, and to do it just as they were about to leave Nanling. It feels like those people were deliberately stirring up trouble. With Prince Ting still on our Nanling territory, if something happens, won’t the Emperor over there make trouble for us?” Grandpa Liu grumbled. “I suspect it’s probably Axiu’s political enemies who did it. To fight for power and gain, they don’t even care about the country anymore!”

“Grandpa, it’s hard to say. It could also be foreign spies who don’t want to see our two countries negotiating and living in peace, so they deliberately caused trouble to provoke conflict between us,” Liu Zhiqiu unexpectedly spoke seriously. “We don’t know the details of court affairs. As common people, we can only watch from the sidelines.”

Liu Muqiu nudged Liu Yusheng’s elbow and whispered, “Nannan, what do you think?”

Liu Yusheng pondered for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed. “No matter who started the trouble, it’s a huge problem for us in Nanling. The best course of action right now is to hope Prince Ting is safe, and that we can find him as soon as possible.”

Duan Ting ate elegantly, listening to the Liu family passionately discuss Prince Ting, occasionally smiling faintly at their chatter.

After the meal, the night was just beginning to fall.

The elders of the Liu family considered asking him to leave but ultimately relented, taking into account his disability. They decided to temporarily arrange for him to stay in the guest quarters.

However, they still charged for his food and lodging.

It was Liu Muqiu who collected the money.

Though their little ‘Nannan’ was a doctor, their home was not a free inn. Not everyone could just eat and stay without consequence.

Brother Zhiqiu is still buried in debt, she thought. These people don’t look like they’re short on money. So, let’s take their silver and use it to pay off some of that debt.

At the sight of the woman walking away, her steps light after collecting the payment, Duan Ting’s expression twitched.

He prided himself on being easygoing and having thick skin, but after coming to the Liu family, he was gradually realizing: there were always others more skilled at it than him.

Liu Muqiu, with two silver ingots in hand, went to the main hall and took out the money to give to the old lady.

“Did you even ask them for payment?” Grandma Liu said with a mix of laughter and exasperation.

“They were rude to Nannan, and if they’re rude in our house, I won’t be polite to them either. Grandma, they’re not short on money, don’t take it and pay off the debt.” Liu Muqiu replied.

“Don’t pay it back, just accept it. Since you collected it, I’ll keep it for you. Treat it as your own savings. Whenever you need it, just ask me for it.”

Liu Muqiu followed behind, and just as the grandma was about to put the silver in, she wrung her fingers nervously.

“Grandma, I don’t want the silver. There are twenty taels here. Ten for you and Grandpa to spend, and the other ten… can you help… help Brother Zhiqiu save it?

“What? You’re going to contribute and save money for him?”

“Just save it. He can use it when he needs it later.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t spend money.”

Grandma Liu gave her a deep look and then reached out to rub her head. “Alright, Grandma will save it for you two.”

This child… she muttered under her breath.

Foolish.

After the meal and a quick wash-up, Liu Yusheng settled into the inner courtyard, closed the door to her room, and began thinking about Duan Ting’s condition while sinking her mind into her inner space.

When she couldn’t figure something out, immersing herself in the space, with the scent of medicinal herbs in the air, always helped her clear her thoughts.

Duan Ting’s symptoms were indeed puzzling. She couldn’t find anything unusual in his pulse.

Logically speaking, if someone couldn’t walk, it must be related to the nerves. But his central nervous system seemed fine, with no signs of compression or blockage.

Where exactly could the problem lie?

She got lost in thought and didn’t realize how much time had passed.

Before she knew it, the night had deepened, and the whole Liu family compound was silent, with everyone asleep.

The stillness was only occasionally broken by the distant barking of a dog from one of the village homes.

A wheelchair quietly scraped against the ground, almost soundless, as it moved along the stone path toward the inner courtyard.

At the entrance to the inner courtyard, just before passing through the flower-laden gate, a sharp sword was pressed against the man’s throat. The blade glinted with a cold, silver light under the moon’s reflection.

“Young Master, where did you come from? Return the way you came.”

Duan Ting carefully tried to move the sword tip away with his fingers, but the sword inched forward, pressing a cold chill against his neck.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I came out to enjoy the moonlight.”

Wei Hong coldly stared at him, silent but without stepping back. If he dared to move closer, her sword would pierce his throat.

Duan Ting thought for a moment and then suggested, “I truly mean no harm. How about you go and inform someone and see if I can enter the inner courtyard for a walk?”