Chapter 113: An Abundant Supply

“Brother, he’s a guard assigned to the princess; he’s here to help us,” Yuanbao quickly reassured, glancing anxiously at Yuan Yi, who was gasping in pain. Zhong Shi also stepped forward to assist, firmly holding Yuan Yi down on the bed.

“Don’t move around. The medicine for our young lady is very expensive. If you shift and tear the wound open again, it won’t be something that just taking medicine can fix,” Zhong Shi half coaxed, half explained. After some effort, Yuan Yi calmed down but then turned to Yuanbao and asked, “Yuanbao, why aren’t you working?”

“Well…” Yuanbao hesitated.

“The princess ordered me to deal with the chief eunuch, to reprimand the stewardess with a slap, and forbade anyone here from laying a hand on the eunuchs or palace maids. The princess is still waiting outside. Now that you’re awake, I’m taking Yuanbao with me,” Zhong Shi said firmly.

“Yuanbao? Why are you taking Yuanbao away?” Yuan Yi grew anxious, grabbing hold of Zhong Shi’s sleeve. Though afraid of punishment, he feared being separated from his brother even more.

“Brother, last time it was the princess who saved me. Today, she happened to see me working and getting her clothes dirty. The princess wants to take me to serve her, and I can visit you often from now on,” Yuanbao patiently explained. The two brothers had never been apart, so Yuan Yi found it hard to believe.

Finally understanding, Yuan Yi nodded and sighed in relief. “That’s good. That’s really good…”

“All right, it’s getting late. Our young lady has urgent matters outside the palace. Yuanbao, time to go,” Zhong Shi announced.

“Yes,” Yuanbao obediently followed behind Zhong Shi, leaving Yuan Yi lying on the bed.

Though he felt little pain—likely due to the anesthetic effect of the numbing powder—he couldn’t help but worry about the future of the laborers’ quarters without anyone in charge.

“Miss,” Zhong Shi called as they stepped out.

Surprisingly, Qiao Qingyun was still leisurely leaning back in a chair, sipping tea with ease. Hong Ying followed, walking past the two and entering the room, carrying a steaming bowl of shredded meat congee.

After a short while, she returned.

“How is it?” Qiao Qingyun finally opened her eyes, setting the teacup aside with a faint expression, a hint of concern in her voice.

Seeing this, Yuanbao knelt on the ground, tears threatening to fall, bowing his head deeply to Qiao Qingyun. “Thank you, Princess, for your immense kindness. Yuanbao will never forget. In the future, I will serve you with all my heart. Thank you, Princess!”

“Enough, enough. Stop kneeling and get up. We’ve waited for you nearly an hour. Hurry, or my uncle the emperor might not approve,” Qiao Qingyun said briskly, rising like a young maid and leading the group on a mad dash through the palace grounds.

No matter what, she would never stop.

Once outside the palace, their destination was clear: the Taihe Medical Hall. Upon entering, they saw Xu Lu and Chun Cheng busily attending to patients, with no time to notice their arrival.

Qiao Qingyun instructed the group to busy themselves—Qing Luo was to familiarize Yuanbao with the place while she headed straight to the consultation desk.

Despite their busyness, it wasn’t long before Xu Lu noticed something off while feeling a patient’s pulse. The man’s face was pale, and he seemed to be enduring intense pain.

“This… Chun Cheng, feel for yourself. I can’t figure it out,” Xu Lu said.

Chun Cheng quickly reached out, but after some time, he too was unable to diagnose. Qiao Qingyun grew anxious and slightly displeased. “If you two are my students, you’d better start acting like it.”

“Teacher!” the two exclaimed excitedly upon seeing her, standing immediately. Qiao Qingyun took Xu Lu’s place, reached out, and after a moment of careful examination, her expression turned serious. She then approached the elderly man.

“Sir, tell me where it hurts. How does it hurt? Is it a piercing pain, or does it feel like it’s being squeezed?” she asked with great care.

The man’s son beside him was anxious, urging, “Father, please tell her.”

“It’s… a piercing pain, in my waist—my lower back. It’s unbearable,” the old man replied.

“The lower back?” Qiao Qingyun touched the spot the man indicated and realized it was the kidney area.

If it was kidney stones, the pain could be excruciating because the stones might be large.

Thinking it over, Qiao Qingyun asked, “When did the pain start? How long does each episode last?”

The elderly man pondered. “About a week ago. Each time lasts half an hour.”

Hearing this, Qiao Qingyun understood and finally relaxed. “It’s nothing serious. I’ll prescribe some painkillers. Sir, what I’m saying is that you have a stone inside an organ. This is related to your lifestyle—maybe you’ve caught a cold, eaten spicy or raw foods recently, or consumed certain ‘stimulating’ foods.”

“What kind of foods?” the son asked.

“Foods like spinach or tofu. You must avoid these for a while. Only after the stone passes during urination can you eat them again.”

“What? You mean my father has a stone inside his body?” The young man was incredulous, standing up in protest. Such a thing was unheard of.

Qiao Qingyun nodded without hesitation. “Yes. If you don’t believe me, go to another clinic. No one will tell you the cause or offer a solution except to give painkillers.”

“But sir, I insist that after taking the painkillers, you jump a hundred times a day whenever you have the chance. This will help dislodge the stone and make you feel much better,” she advised.

Then she turned to Xu Lu. “Also, prescribe some anti-inflammatory medicine to prevent fever.”

“Yes, Miss,” Xu Lu replied.

After collecting the medicine and payment, the man left, but Xu Lu was still puzzled, asking, “Miss, is it really kidney stones?”

“Yes. If it were kidney failure, the man would have died within a week,” Qiao Qingyun explained, putting on her white coat and gloves as she approached Yuanbao.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

Yuanbao was stunned by the turn of events and nodded repeatedly. “Princess, you’re incredible!”

“Come, I’ll teach you,” Qiao Qingyun said generously, leading Yuanbao to the back room and taking out a long-preserved pig’s trotter.

This pig’s trotter had already been pricked by Chun Cheng and Xu Lu during their practice, and now she took an IV needle and prepared to demonstrate.

She pierced the pig’s skin vertically, reaching into a vein, then inserted the needle horizontally and placed it before Yuanbao.

“You need to practice steady hands—no shaking—and be able to stab the target accurately and decisively.”

Yuanbao took the needle, looking confused. He didn’t know how to do it at all.

“Don’t worry. There are plenty of pig’s trotters here. If one spot is used up, just switch to another. There’s no shortage,” Qiao Qingyun reassured him.