TMBIABHL: Chapter 17

Glossary

·Ye Chutang (叶初棠): Female Protagonist. Heir to an ancient medical family. "Black-Hearted Lotus." Runs a clinic in Jiangling. Childhood name: A-Wan (阿晚).

·Ye Jingyan (叶璟言): Third Brother (阿言). Calm, studious.

·Ye Yunfeng (叶云风): Fourth Brother (阿风). Impulsive, protective.

·Little Five / Xiao Wu (小五): Youngest sister. ~4 years old. Non-verbal but expressive.

·Shen Yanchuan (沈延川): Male Lead. The Marquis of Dingbei.

·Lian Zhou (连舟): Shen Yanchuan's attendant/guard.

·Cao Chengwen (曹成文): Eldest Young Master of the Cao family.

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Chapter 17: Courtesy Demands Reciprocity

When Lian Zhou arrived, he saw his master standing still, with several black-clad men lying lifeless not far in front of him.

"Master, these people…"

He had heard Ye Chutang's voice from just beyond the wall and knew his master had agreed to help clean up this mess.

He couldn't help but feel surprised. After all, his master was someone who deeply disliked trouble. If he hadn't wanted to get involved, even if Ye Chutang had witnessed everything that happened tonight, she wouldn't have been able to pose any real threat to him.

Shen Yanchuan recalled the sight of Ye Chutang holding Xiao Wu and walking away effortlessly. The corner of his brow lifted slightly.

This woman had been deeply wary of him from their very first meeting, yet at a time like this, she had willingly handed such a significant leverage over to him, putting on a show of complete trust.

Quite interesting.

He lifted his chin slightly, his voice cool and detached. "It's a small effort. Help her settle it."

Lian Zhou still carried the thick scent of blood around him, clearly indicating he had just emerged from a fierce and bloody battle. Yet, not a single stain of blood marred his clothes.

Hearing the order, he immediately cupped his fists. "Yes!"

…

The Cao Residence.

Cao Chengwen was still waiting in his room.

As time passed, he grew increasingly anxious, constantly glancing toward the rear courtyard.

But the several people he expected had yet to appear.

Cao Chengwen frowned, his anxiety mounting.

According to the plan, they should have returned long ago. Why was there still no movement?

Could something have gone wrong?

But that was impossible!

How could Ye Chutang, a weak woman without the strength to truss a chicken, possibly be a match for those three men?

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Cao Chengwen clenched his fists, his heart suspended high with a vague, inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Drowsiness descended upon him, and his eyelids began to feel heavy.

He had been running around busily these past few days, his mind constantly unsettled, unable to sleep peacefully. By now, his body simply couldn't take it anymore.

After a while, Cao Chengwen finally succumbed to his exhaustion, his head lolling to the side as he fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, he was jolted awake by the servants' screams.

Having slept poorly, Cao Chengwen was already irritable. Being abruptly awakened like this put him in an even worse mood.

"What is it! Making such a racket first thing in the morning!"

However, the next moment, he was shocked to discover that the door to his room was half-open. A crowd of servants gathered outside, looking in with panicked expressions.

Cao Chengwen's gaze lowered, and then he shot to his feet from his chair!

A corpse! Lying right at the entrance to his room!

Cao Chengwen recognized the man's identity almost instantly. Simultaneously, a chilling cold shot up his spine, leaving his entire body frozen, as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar.

Crash—

The window was blown open. He seemed to sense something and stiffly turned his head, only to see two more corpses lying in the rear courtyard.

Their feet were pointed toward him, their heads away, in a bizarre posture.

Cao Chengwen felt a sticky sensation on his hand. He slowly looked down and saw dried blood on his palm. A blood-stained dagger lay discarded near his feet.

To anyone looking at the scene, it appeared that a conflict had erupted between him and these three men, and he had stabbed them as they tried to flee!

Someone shouted, "The Eldest Young Master has killed someone!"

Cao Chengwen's mind instantly went blank.

…

The Ye Clinic reopened today.

A-Feng's suspicion had been cleared, so everything naturally returned to normal.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Ye Chutang examined several patients, wrote prescriptions, and personally went to the pharmacy to prepare the medicines.

A-Yan and A-Feng had both gone to the academy for classes today, so only she and Xiao Wu were in the clinic.

Xiao Wu, small and unable to reach the higher medicine drawers, was curled up on a nearby chair, one hand propping her cheek, the other fiddling with an abacus.

With so few patients, she could calculate the earnings without even using the abacus.

It was while seeing patients that Ye Chutang heard about the major incident that had occurred at the Cao residence today.

—Cao Chengwen had killed someone!

"Really?" Ye Chutang paused while wrapping medicine, seeming surprised. "Why would the Eldest Young Master Cao kill someone for no reason?"

"Of course it's true! I heard he didn't just kill one, but three! Two made it to the courtyard, and one didn't even manage to escape his room—was stabbed to death right there!"

Everyone clicked their tongues in amazement at the news, a mix of gossip and fear.

"I heard the knife was still in his hand when they were discovered! They say those men owed the Eldest Young Master Cao a lot of gambling debts. I wonder if their deaths are related to that—"

Gossip in the streets often twisted one thing into another. Such confident claims, as if the speaker had seen it with their own eyes, were only worth believing about thirty percent.

But it wasn't hard to imagine the situation over at the Cao residence.

The death of Cao Chengwu had already caused a huge stir. Now, with three more dead, the waves they made were undoubtedly even bigger.

Especially since the Cao family was already in the spotlight, this…

Only after those people had taken their medicine and left the clinic did Ye Chutang glance back, looking through the curtain toward a certain direction in the courtyard.

This Lord Shen is truly a man of refinement.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Xiao Wu eating preserved fruit again. Ye Chutang called to her, "How many is that now?"

Xiao Wu feigned innocence and held up two fingers.

Ye Chutang pinched her little cheek. "You can't eat too much sugar. No more for the rest of the day."

Xiao Wu reluctantly surrendered the piece of preserved fruit she was holding and placed it on a nearby plate.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Ye Chutang seemed to remember something. She picked up the plate. "By the way, the medicine should be almost done decocting. Xiao Wu, watch the front. I'll deliver this medicine."

…

Inside the room, Shen Yanchuan examined his wound. It had completely healed and scabbed over. Soon, it should be fully recovered.

Such medical skill was in no way inferior to that of the imperial physicians in the capital.

Lian Zhou entered, carrying the freshly decocted medicine, a hint of joy on his face. "Master, Physician Ye didn't change the prescription today! She said your condition has mostly improved and you don't need a new prescription every day! You just need to rest in bed for a few more days to recuperate!"

Shen Yanchuan felt the words "rest in bed to recuperate" carried a strong hint of implication and pointed meaning.

"Is that so?"

"Yes! And because she didn't change the prescription, she didn't charge any additional consultation fee today!"

Lian Zhou was very happy.

When he first met Ye Chutang, he hadn't held out much hope. Who would have thought she could actually cure his master!

Shen Yanchuan took the bowl of medicine. Looking at the dark brown liquid, its intensely bitter aroma practically assaulted his senses.

The medicine that cost a hundred taels a day was finally free today.

Was this her way of saying thank you?

Shen Yanchuan raised the bowl and noticed a small piece of preserved fruit placed beside it.

His expression unchanged, he downed the bowl of medicine in one go, then picked up the preserved fruit.

In truth, he never ate this sort of thing. He had drunk medicine far more bitter than this and was long accustomed to it.

However, since it was the other party's kind gesture, it wouldn't do to refuse.

Shen Yanchuan placed the preserved fruit in his mouth. An overly sweet flavor instantly spread between his lips and teeth.

His sharp eyebrows lifted slightly.

—This was more like it.

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Shen Yanchuan: She's so in love with me.

Ye Chutang: …???

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note: check out my other work— My Younger Sister Insisted On A Marriage Exchange Wanting To Make Me The Wife Of A Marquis and Rebirth as the Matriarch of a Noble Family (⁠*⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠)⁠/⁠～♡

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