Chapter 1060 - 1062: Is there any misunderstanding?_1
Bai Ruozhu then gave Bo Qun two more needles, and Bo Qun slowly regained consciousness, now able to open his mouth to take medicine. Bo Jiayang asked excitedly, "Father, are you alright? Does it hurt terribly?"
"What’s this little injury? Back in my days in the army, I endured far worse wounds than this," Bo Qun said with some bravado, yet his voice was extremely weak, nothing like his usual vigor, clearly just like a sick cat now.
Bo Jiayang said with a smile, "Yes, I know father is brave. Now, please drink the medicine first."
Bai Ruozhu then walked towards the door, and said to Madame Bo, "The Marquis is awake. You should go see him, but he mustn’t delay taking his medicine. After taking it, it would be best to let him sleep."
Madame Bo wiped away her tears and said gratefully, "Ruozhu, thank you."
Bai Ruozhu smiled back at her, "Go ahead."
Once Madame Bo entered the room, Bai Ruozhu walked over to her parents and Bai Lu with his son, and said, "Marquis Bo should be fine now; just ensure proper care tonight."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; after all, the two families were relatives, and by now they had grown familiar with each other, and nobody wished for anything bad to happen to Bo Qun.
"Father, mother, there was an incident at the Bo Residence today, so tell Auntie and then head back first. It’s not good to trouble the Bo family any further. I’ll stay a bit longer to observe the Marquis’s condition. You guys go back and take care of Dengdeng for me." After speaking, she patted her father’s shoulder and said, "Father, don’t worry too much. You still have us."
Bai Yihong had already recovered from his previous dismay, and he nodded vigorously, saying, "Father understands, I won’t despair."
"Yihong, whatever they say is their business. The Bai Family Sect regards you all as family," Bai Lu said earnestly.
Bai Yihong bowed to Bai Lu gratefully, saying, "Uncle, thank you."
Bai Lu, worried that Bai Yihong might get into another argument with Bai Fu, took the initiative to say he’d just notify his wife, and urged Bai Yihong and Lin Ping’er to go back to rest first.
After a day of emotional upheaval, Bai Yihong was truly exhausted. He didn’t stand on ceremony with Bai Lu and left the Bo Residence with Lin Ping’er’s assistance.
Bai Ruozhu watched her father’s somewhat unsteady steps and her heart soured again, her hatred for Bai Fu and the Liu Family deepening.
Jing Sheng had been standing by, neither hurried nor impatient, utterly respectful, waiting until Bai Ruozhu finished handling matters before attracting her attention. She smiled apologetically at him and said, "Imperial Doctor Jing, let me pass on the needlework technique to you now."
At this, Jing Sheng became a bit embarrassed and quickly said, "There’s no rush, no rush at all. Doctor Bai must be tired. You should rest first; I’ll come by again in the next few days."
Bai Ruozhu waved her hand though and replied, "It’s fine. I’ve once treated dozens of people in a row; this isn’t tiring. Let’s go over it now."
She immediately found a small twig in the yard and squatted down to start drawing on the ground.
Jing Sheng’s mouth hung open in surprise. Shouldn’t she be a bit more cautious and teach it to him discreetly? Why was she just drawing on the ground?
With that thought, he quickly glanced around to ensure no one was peeking and then hurriedly crouched down beside her to watch closely.
After Bai Ruozhu had been drawing for a long while and explaining, Jing Sheng finally committed the suturing technique to memory. His face glowing with admiration, he said, "Truly exquisite, I am in awe, truly in awe!"
"Admiration is unnecessary. When it’s time to report back to the palace or record the events, do you know what to say?" Bai Ruozhu asked.
"I understand, I understand. It was Doctor Bai’s superior medical skills that saved Marquis Jingping and earned him merit," Jiu Sheng said with a face full of reverence.
Bai Ruozhu rolled her eyes at Jiu Sheng, "You were the one who suggested suturing for the Marquis. I only demonstrated the technique after hearing the Emperor permit the use of suturing."
She had intended to let Jiu Sheng say he was the one who sutured, but she feared the Emperor might become suspicious and, upon inspecting Marquis Jingping’s wound, find out it was actually her work. It seemed better to admit it outright.
"Oh, I’ve got it. I tried to stitch clumsily and poorly, which is why I asked Doctor Bai to demonstrate," Jiu Sheng said, catching on quickly.
Bai Ruozhu started to smile, "Alright, there’s no need to belittle yourself."
Jiu Sheng’s temples had grown some gray hair, and there were shallow wrinkles on his face, but at that moment, he smiled shyly like a little boy, "In front of Doctor Bai’s skills, I really am all thumbs. I am grateful for Doctor Bai’s willingness to teach me needlework. Having learned from you, I am now your student, and should you need anything in the future, please do not hesitate to ask me."
In those times, calling someone "Teacher" and "Master" carried different implications. To learn from someone, you needed to honor them as "Teacher," but only if they formally took you in as an apprentice could you call them "Master."
Jiu Sheng’s address of "Teacher" was thus already a sign of immense respect.
"One set of needlework techniques is nothing special. We are all medical practitioners, after all. We can simply discuss with each other in future. I dare not accept the title of your teacher," Bai Ruozhu said, feeling quite uncomfortable. Jiu Sheng was nearly the same age as her father, respectfully calling her "Teacher"—it was just too strange.
Jiu Sheng laughed somewhat foolishly, "Once a teacher, always a teacher. Please don’t be modest, Teacher. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to the palace and report to the Emperor."
"Go ahead."
After Jiu Sheng left, Bai Ruozhu turned her head and saw Bo Caiyue standing outside the door, looking at her. They locked eyes, and Bo Caiyue, feeling a little guilty, shifted her gaze away.
Bai Ruozhu glanced inside the room and saw that Bo Qun was surrounded by people, leaving indeed no place for Bo Caiyue.
She walked towards Bo Caiyue, arched an eyebrow, and asked, "Second Miss, why are you looking at me like that? Surely, you don’t still have issues with my medical skills?"
Bo Caiyue looked a little embarrassed, head bowed, and said, "You saved my father; I should be thankful. So, I apologize for what I said earlier."
Bai Ruozhu did not expect her to apologize so readily and saw that her expression was genuinely sincere, which somewhat confused her and even mitigated her initial dislike for Bo Caiyue. After all, there had been no conflict between them.
"Did you have a misunderstanding about me before, Second Miss? I don’t recall offending you, but it seems you weren’t exactly fond of me," Bai Ruozhu found this strange and decided to ask directly.
Bo Caiyue’s face displayed embarrassment, mixed with a hint of anger and a touch of grievance as she said, "How could I dare to look at you unfavorably? I am but a concubine-born daughter of the Bo Family. Now that you’ve saved my father, how could I dare to offend you or your family members?"
As she spoke, her eyes began to redden, seeming to be genuinely upset with some matter.
"You talk like this, and I can’t understand you," Bai Ruozhu said. "Since we’ve met, let’s clear the air. Are you afraid of me and don’t dare to speak your mind?" she deliberately provoked Bo Caiyue.
At that, Bo Caiyue became agitated, "Afraid of you? I just don’t want more unrest at home. Since you’ve saved my father, consider the slap I endured as if it never happened!"