“Don’t mention it! Your sister helped your grandmother sleep well without medication last night, and it’s not just good, it’s excellent!” Han Shi’s face was beaming with pride, her children were always the best no matter what they did.

“Really? Then Fourth Sister is truly amazing!” Wenren Ying’s praise was genuine and heartfelt, without a hint of flattery. As someone who had died once, she had experienced many things, and she knew that a person’s life was not without its ups and downs, and illnesses were inevitable.

Moreover, she was deeply aware of the value of an exceptional medical expert, and Fourth Sister was a woman, which meant she could help other women, who often suffered from certain diseases that were harder to cure due to the separation of men and women. These women might have to live with their illnesses for the rest of their lives, even if they could be cured, simply because they couldn’t receive proper treatment.

If it wasn’t for that damned man refusing to let the imperial physician give her acupuncture, she wouldn’t have died so young. And those children of hers, clearly a group of quacks… but in the end, it’s all that man’s fault. Wenren Ying deeply resented him!

Wenren Ying made an effort to control her emotions, “From now on, if there’s a minor illness or discomfort, there’s no need to find a doctor from outside.”

“It’s best when people are free from illness and disaster.” Xiao Cao smiled.

“Mmm-hmm,” Wenren Ying nodded vigorously, with an expression that said “everything sister says is right.”

Originally, she had no feelings towards this half-sister who appeared out of nowhere, neither like nor dislike, but now she decided to improve their relationship.

Wenren Ying had some understanding of her grandmother’s health condition, so she naturally trusted the fourth sister’s medical skills and would not underestimate her due to her young age. In any profession, there are those who are called geniuses. Wenren Ying was interested in witnessing this firsthand and suggested going with Xiao Cao. Han Shi, of course, was more than willing for her children to get along well and had no reason to stop them, especially since any time spent together could help them understand each other better.

As they had gone to visit Old Madam Wenren, when the fifth young lady of the second house, Wenren Xi, came over with her younger sister, she found no one there. Her trip was in vain.

Although the family banquet was in the evening, some things needed to be prepared early. So, Han Shi gave orders early.

Therefore, while Xiao Cao was examining Old Lady Wenren, the entire household began to bustle with activity. Upon learning that the orders came from the Old Madam, they dared not show any negligence.

Servants from every branch of the family treated the fourth young lady, who had been lost for over a decade, with extra respect. Any initial disdain they had for her upbringing amongst the “common folk” was swiftly buried deep within their hearts. No matter how crude or ignorant the fourth young lady might be, as long as she was favored, they would have to show her respect and treat her with reverence.

The masters of the household, upon hearing this news, reacted much like Wenren Ying and immediately sent people to inquire about how the fourth young lady had managed to catch the old lady’s eye. In fact, it wasn’t particularly difficult to find out; the matter was not a secret.

Medical skills… Some people looked down upon them, scoffing at the idea of a well-bred young lady doing such menial work, viewing it as a disgrace to the family. They would advise her to keep it hidden, so as not to let outsiders know, for fear of bringing shame to the Wenren family.

Others smiled light, and said that the Fourth Young Lady must not have had an easy time out there, and having a skill was pretty good. It was natural for her to use it to show filial piety to the Old Madam. Whether or not they secretly thought she was being cunning or underhanded was unknown.

Of course, there were also those who shared Wenren Ying’s perspective, though such people may only have seen Xiao Cao as a lowly female doctor.

Most still remained neutral. It was no big deal for a girl to understand medicine; after all, she was still a noblewoman. Generally, even if it’s made known, people won’t compare her to a lowly female doctor. It’s like with zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—these are all refined arts, but aren’t there also street performers and courtesans?

However, Xiao Cao was different. She had grown up outside and had even used her medical skills as a means of survival in recent years. If people were to find out… well, there were always those who enjoyed belittling others, regardless of whether it concerned them or not. They seemed to think that by stepping on others, they could elevate themselves. And if they had a grudge or were motivated by jealousy, it was even worse.

But for her own family to belittle her? That was just ridiculous! Did they not know the concept of “when one person is honored, the whole family is honored; when one person is shamed, the whole family is shamed”? If someone were to look down on Fourth Miss Wenren, would the Wenren family’s reputation not suffer as well? It was like they were slapping their own face. Was their brain filled with water or something?

Han Shi held the power in the inner courtyard, and every household had her people in it. She didn’t intend to do anything by placing these people, it was just within her authority to grasp everything in her hands. This was how people in power were. Such was the way of those in power, whether in the inner quarters or outside, depending on one’s capability. Han Shi was successful in this regard.

Some of these words reached Han Shi’s ears. She sneered inwardly, for the sake of family harmony, she had tolerantly endured some matters, leading some to believe her to be good-natured.

Her husband and children were absolutely Han Shi’s Achilles’ heel, not to mention that because of her guilt towards Xiao Cao, Xiao Cao was now her heart’s flesh and blood, cherished to the bone, and could not be touched at all. Those who dared to insult Xiao Cao were simply living too comfortably!

Han Shi’s face didn’t show it, but she had already made calculations in her heart.

Xiao Cao’s diagnosis and treatment of Madam Wenren’s illness was witnessed by Wenren Ying, who considered herself a fairly good judge of people.

Xiao Cao’s first impression on Wenren Ying was one of calmness, serenity, and restraint. She seemed to have a soothing presence, much like gentle spring water, which might be attributed to her not being familiar with the family yet. However, during the medical examination, Xiao Cao displayed warmth, patience, and a gentle smile, rendering her akin to a comforting spring breeze.

The most noticeable change, though, was in Old Madam Wenren – normally a serious person – whose demeanor was visibly more relaxed, even responding occasionally during their conversation.

In her grandchildren, Old Madam Wenren evoked a mix of respect and fear. Wenren Ying noticed that her elder brother would instinctively become tense in their grandmother’s presence. The same occurred with the other relatives, who were generally hesitant to step forward.

Wenren Ying slightly lowered her eyes, but it seemed that her sister’s skills were only used on patients. After all, even their parents, who were the heads of the household, didn’t receive such treatment. This showed that her sister truly enjoyed this line of work.

Unwavering in poverty, uncorrupted by wealth, Wenren Ying was interested in the person who had taught her sister to be this way. However, her sister was alone, and that person was probably gone.

Xiao Cao removed the silver needle from the old madam’s body, “Grandmother, I’ll first prepare some medicine for you. Eat as much as you can, but don’t force yourself if you can’t. I’ll make the medicine into a pill and adjust the flavor. It shouldn’t be too difficult to swallow then.”

“It’s often said that good medicine tastes bitter but is good for illness. This flavoring of the medicine…”