Chapter 437: Husband and Wife
Chapter 437: Chapter 437: Husband and Wife
But Xu Zitian was still unwilling to give up. Nanny Pang was the most skilled doctor he had found here. "My master just has this one hobby, and he does watch his diet sometimes.
"We don’t expect a magical cure, we just hope to ease his suffering a bit.
"Rest assured, as long as there is some improvement, we are willing to pay a handsome reward."
Saying this, he looked at Gu Kaiyuan, hoping he would put in a good word.
Gu Kaiyuan looked away at just the right moment. This was truly not something he wanted to get involved in. Although treating Grand Tutor Lu could bring them benefits, it also carried huge risks. He usually listened to Nanny Pang’s medical lectures, so he knew how troublesome an uncooperative patient could be. Doctors weren’t immortals. How could one pin all their hopes entirely on someone else?
He just hadn’t expected Grand Tutor Lu to be that kind of person. In the memories of his past life, around the time he was murdered, Grand Tutor Lu was still alive and kicking. He had even heard occasional news about the Grand Tutor traveling around to sample delicacies. The man had lived longer than him in his previous life, so he had no idea why these disciples were in such a hurry.
"It’s not about the reward. If this disease could be cured, it would be my absolute duty as a doctor to do so," Nanny Pang said. "I would also love to earn that reward, but unfortunately, my medical skills are simply not up to par. Lord Xu, you should seek out someone more qualified."
Knowing it was impossible, Nanny Pang naturally wouldn’t insist on claiming the credit. If things went wrong, she might end up offending people and implicating her mistress.
Hearing her say this, Xu Zitian knew he couldn’t force the issue. "Then, do you have any good suggestions for my master’s condition?" he asked.
He knew his own family’s situation best; his master simply couldn’t control his appetite. Perhaps it was because he wanted to taste everything that he had contracted this illness. Now, as he grew older, he became even more reckless. He would often mutter, "I’m already at this age, and my teeth are falling out. If I don’t eat something delicious, what’s the point of living?" His disciples were often left speechless by these kinds of arguments, allowing him to get his way in the end.
They searched everywhere for doctors, but it was just wishful thinking. They hoped that perhaps some Divine Doctor could miraculously cure him, allowing their master to enjoy the world’s delicacies without any worries.
Since the conversation had reached this point, Nanny Pang didn’t hide anything and repeated the precautions they needed to take. Hearing these familiar warnings, Xu Zitian sighed. It seemed this trip had been in vain once again.
After seeing the guest out, Bai Suihe finally asked, "Nanny, if Grand Tutor Lu had controlled his diet from the very beginning, could he have been cured?"
Nanny Pang thought for a moment and nodded. "Honestly, he delayed his own treatment. If he had followed the doctor’s orders, it could have been completely controlled."
Controlled? Bai Suihe couldn’t help but think of Emperor Wu of Han from history, who seemed to have suffered from diabetes as well. According to records, he once took a secret prescription from the Western Regions to control his condition, but it was never completely cured.
"We have no way to treat it here, but I wonder if there might be a cure over in the Western Regions?" Bai Suihe asked tentatively.
Nanny Pang looked thoughtful. She knew that aside from the doctors in the Central Plains, there were many other types of healers, such as practitioners of Miao medicine, Mongolian Medicine, and Tibetan medicine. She wasn’t sure if there were any cures in those fields. She thought that if there was a chance in the future, it would be good to interact with them; perhaps it would improve everyone’s medical skills.
"What you said is entirely possible," Nanny Pang replied. "After all, there is no end to learning. If we get the chance, we can seek them out for a discussion.
"However, none of this is something we can worry about right now. How much of what I just said do you remember?"
The master and disciple immersed themselves in studying again. Gu Kaiyuan sat quietly to the side, listening. It wasn’t until they finished and Nanny Pang went down to rest that he approached with the child in his arms.
"Madam, are you finally done?" Gu Kaiyuan’s voice carried a hint of grievance. He had been away from home for months; didn’t his wife miss him?
Gu Xingyang yawned. She had been trying hard to memorize things just now. Since she was determined to be even more amazing than her parents in the future, she had to start working hard from a young age. It was just that her tiny body wouldn’t allow it. The sleep bugs never let her go, and now she couldn’t hold out any longer. She wondered what her parents were going to talk about. She was so curious...
Gu Kaiyuan looked down and saw his daughter, who had been blinking her big eyes just moments ago, instantly close her eyes and fall fast asleep. He felt even more wronged. Aside from calling out to him once in a milky voice earlier, the little one had been sitting there auditing the class even more openly than he had. Now that their family finally had some private time together, she fell asleep instantly. She could literally switch it off at will.
"I’m done." Bai Suihe put away the notes she had just taken and looked him up and down. "After this trip, you look a bit tanner than before."
"Of course. The sun is getting stronger and stronger, and sometimes I even had to wear unlined garments. Compared to summer, I actually prefer winter." Seeing his wife finally pay attention to him, Gu Kaiyuan felt like he had endless things to say, but he didn’t know where to start.
Bai Suihe asked, "Why do you say that?"
"In winter, you won’t freeze as long as you dress warmly. But in summer, the heat finds every single inch of you..."
The couple chatted about domestic matters and asked about interesting things that had happened to everyone recently. After an hour, the sleeping Gu Xingyang finally woke up and joined them.
Gu Kaiyuan had also brought back good news this time. The shipyard was almost ready, and they had hired a few more craftsmen. If things went quickly, their ship might be able to set sail by next year. To keep things discreet, Gu Kaiyuan had bought a large tract of land in a remote fishing village and given the original fishermen a large sum of silver to relocate elsewhere.
Bai Suihe jokingly called them the earliest batch of relocated households. With so much silver, the villagers could build new homes and still have some leftover. Therefore, these people had no objections whatsoever. They happily took the silver, signed the deeds, and settled down either in the city or in other villages.
"Will that place be discovered?" Bai Suihe was still a bit worried. After all, it was a massive shipyard; it would be impossible to hide it completely.
Although Lingnan had been looked down upon by those noble families in the past, things were different now. Many families were flocking here, wanting a piece of the pie. In Zhang County alone, many strangers had arrived recently, causing local property prices and living costs to surge.
"Shop prices have gone up a lot lately. When do you think we should sell some off?"
Bai Suihe never intended to rely on collecting rent. They had discussed it previously; apart from keeping a few shops for their own businesses, they would sell off a portion once the prices reached a certain point. They had invested so much capital across various counties and cities, and right now, they desperately needed a sum of silver to run the shipyard.
"That’s exactly what I prepared to do on this trip back," Gu Kaiyuan said, looking at Bai Suihe. "Don’t overwork yourself. If you want to learn medicine, we can take our time. You’ve gotten thinner lately."