Is there really one?
"Never heard of it before," the woman said, with a hint of curiosity, "Is it newly opened?"
The maidservant nodded.
"Newly opened, but it has become quite famous already," she said.
Upon hearing about its fame, the woman didn't react much, instead picking up her chopsticks and idly stirring her food in the bowl, uttering an indifferent "oh."
"She's been wandering around the city for many days now, indeed opening a medical practice, but oddly not sitting in the clinic," the maidservant enthusiastically said. "She claims to be a 'bell healer,' walking all over the city, which is really quite annoying to people."
This type of neighborhood gossip was what they loved the most.
"Being new and young, the business must be hard, and it's inevitable that it'll cause disturbance," the woman commented while nibbling on a bite of her vegetables.
"That's not it," the maidservant had been waiting for this moment, and clapped her hands, "It's not that no one seeks her out for treatment; when they do, she actually refuses to see them."
Refuse to see them?
The woman bit on her chopsticks and then set them down, picking up her soup bowl instead.
"Maybe she can't see them," she casually remarked, scooping up a small spoonful of soup.
"Whether she can or cannot is unknown; she just refuses to see them," the maidservant said, her eyebrows dancing with excitement. "You know about the lady from the Cao Family in Huaihua Alley, right? She stopped this woman, and this woman actually said that the Cao Family's illness wasn't worth her time to look at."
She couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"It made the Cao Family lady so angry that her face twisted."
The woman didn't laugh, pausing with the soup spoon in her hand.
"Why wasn't it worth her time?" she asked.
"Don't know, but it sounded like it wasn't because she couldn't treat her, but rather that the Cao Family's illness wasn't significant enough, and she even told the Cao Family lady to go to another doctor in the city," the maidservant said, covering her mouth and giggling. "Isn't it funny? She is a doctor herself, yet when someone comes asking for treatment, she directs them to other doctors."
The woman still didn't laugh and merely uttered an "oh," putting her spoon down.
She didn't treat the Cao Family lady, claiming it wasn't worth her time, but then she stopped ME on the street; does that mean my illness IS worth her attention?
Even though all beings are equal, the Buddha saves those with destiny.
Did she actually see something in me, which is why she initiated contact?
"Lady?"
The maidservant's voice reached out.
The woman came back to her senses and pushed her bowl and chopsticks away.
"Has the vegetarian meal been ordered?" she inquired, "And Lady Yan and the others have been informed, right?"
Suddenly it dawned on the maidservant; the lady's preoccupation was with this matter. Indeed, whether it were the bell healers or the Cao Family, it was someone else's business and had nothing to do with them.
"Yes, everything has been arranged, and the temple folks said today there's also an opera performance as part of someone's vow fulfillment. We can watch it after we eat," she said with a smile.
The woman nodded with a smile.
"Then, let's get ready to go out," she said.
The maidservant agreed and turned to leave but the woman called her back.
"Clear these away," she instructed.
The food was nearly untouched; the maidservant glanced at it but didn't dare to ask more and simply agreed.
............…
As dusk fell, Zhang Baotang stopped outside Jiuling Hall, gazing at the signboard, then stepped in hesitantly.
The two clerks who were dozing off behind the counter quickly stood up.
The figure entering the door was that of a robust young man.
He had an aura of fierceness about him.
Had Miss Jun, as the bell healer, annoyed someone into causing trouble?
The clerks watched the newcomer with a tinge of unease.
Zhang Baotang also looked slightly uncomfortable.
Conventionally, a customer's arrival called for a greeting, and although a medical practice wasn't like other businesses – one couldn't excessively welcome customers – at least some acknowledgment was due.
An odd standoff ensued as both parties inside and outside exchanged glances.
"Excuse me, is Divine Doctor Jun here?" Zhang Baotang had no choice but to speak up first.
The clerks still appeared somewhat uneasy.
"No, she's not here," they said.
"She hasn't returned yet?" said Zhang Baotang, taking care of himself by sitting on a long bench reserved for those seeking consultation. "Divine Doctor Jun asked me to come. I'll wait for a while."
Miss Jun asked him to come?
Had they finally lured in a customer?
The two shop assistants exchanged glances, understanding each other's meaning.
"Yes, yes, just a moment," they hurriedly called out, and as they were speaking, the sound of a bell came from outside, followed by Liu'er carrying a flag walking in.
"She's back," the two shop assistants said hurriedly.
Zhang Baotang also stood up, watching Miss Jun as she walked in. Miss Jun saw him as well.
"You've arrived," she said with a smile.
Zhang Baotang hurriedly bowed, not quite sure what to say.
"Miss Jun," he said sheepishly.
"Sit down, I'll wash my hands and then come to administer the acupuncture," Miss Jun said.
There were no unnecessary formalities or idle chatter, just a simple and relaxed manner, as if they were so familiar with each other that no more words were needed.
Zhang Baotang breathed a sigh of relief, the restraint of not having Zhu Zan accompany him faded away.
Zhu Zan had told him to come for treatment in the morning, and he originally thought Zhu Zan would come with him, but Zhu Zan didn't care at all. Although he felt that this was somewhat unnecessary, since Zhu Zan had mentioned it, he did not dare not to listen and obediently came over.
Miss Jun washed her hands and took out the acupuncture needles from the medicine box.
"Take off your top," she said with a smile.
Logically, if a girl told him to undress, he would have been scared off, but when this girl said it, Zhang Baotang didn't feel uncomfortable.
Perhaps it was because of her demeanor and tone, she truly seemed like a doctor one could trust.
Zhang Baotang did as he was told, removing his outer garment to reveal his shoulders.
Miss Jun's hands then pressed and massaged his shoulders for a moment before she slowly began the acupuncture.
Liu'er lit a lamp and held it, standing to one side.
...
"A man has come," a servant boy whispered to Manager Liu at the street corner.
Manager Liu cautiously looked toward Jiuling Hall, and through the door, he could see Miss Jun giving acupuncture to the young man, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"I told you, he's here for treatment," he glared at the servant boy, "You lot and your nonsense."
The servant boy shrank back, then looked again toward Jiuling Hall.
"But, Manager, this man isn't the same one from this morning," he muttered.
Manager Liu spat.
"Stop always going on about men, men, watch out for women coming instead," he said.
That woman with the ominous omen, she wouldn't come, would she?
The whole thing was absurdly ridiculous.
The night grew deep, and the woman who had played tired throughout the day looked weary. The maids and the maidservants lowered the bed curtains and left a nightlight on before they all filed out.
Both inside and outside fell into silence. However, the woman sitting within the curtains got up again. She looked toward the door with a trace of fear in her eyes and pulled a small jar from under her pillow, uncovering it to reveal a full jar of pine needles.
She looked at the pine needles with a complicated expression.
"My lady, even if you don't want to treat this illness, if you wish to have some peace at night and enjoy a few good days, just scatter a handful of pine needles near the door, so it won't dare to come in,"
The voice of that girl echoed in her ears.
Last night she had really scattered pine needles by the door, and she indeed had slept very well.
For so long, it was the first time she had slept this well.
Was it a coincidence? Or just a psychological effect?
This matter was so secretive that no one except her knew about it. How could that bell healer from the newly opened Jiuling Hall know?
The woman gazed at the pine needles for a while, replaced the lid, and set it beside the pillow before lying down and closing her eyes.
The night grew even deeper and quieter, and within this quiet, there seemed to be some disturbance.
Suddenly, the woman who appeared to be sound asleep shot her eyes open and tensed up. She slowly looked towards the door, just to see the curtains inside the windless room violently shake open, revealing someone stepping in from outside.
The woman let out a shrill scream and grabbed the jar of pine needles from beside the pillow and threw it.
The sound made the quiet courtyard stir, as light by light lit up and footsteps surged forward.
"My lady, my lady."
With the shouts, maids and maidservants poured in.
The woman also scrambled out of bed and into the arms of the maidservant who was on night duty.
"Quick, go call that bell healer," she shouted in a terrified voice.
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It's Wednesday, keep going, let's make every day full of vigor.