Chapter 8 Incredulity_1

Zhao Erhu led Lin Yue to the kitchen, where he lit a brazier for her to sit on a stool and dry her hair. He fetched a dry towel and helped wipe her hair, all the while scolding her with a few remarks, "Even if you love cleanliness, this is not the way to go about it. Your body has just recovered; what would you do if you caught a cold in such chilly weather? Do you even care about your health? You don't seem to know how to cherish yourself."

"I know." Lin Yue replied with a tilt of her head, taking her time before carelessly responding in a soft, slightly nasal voice that struck straight to the heart, defusing Zhao Erhu's temper in an instant.

Dinner was prepared by Zhao Erhu. Lin Yue sat leisurely by the fire, fussing with her hair, occasionally voicing her opinions. Since there was not much rice left at home and they couldn't cook it all, they had porridge that night. However, Zhao Erhu cooked two extra eggs for Lin Yue to nourish her body. Lin Yue, feeling embarrassed to eat alone, especially in front of the children, divided the eggs into several portions. Although each person's share wasn't much, everyone ate with great joy. Only Erlang still twisted fussily, feeling that Lin Yue was being insincere.

Perhaps because she had grown accustomed to it, and Zhao Erhu hadn't done anything excessive, Lin Yue felt nothing inappropriate about sleeping together. As Zhao Erhu said he would take her to the city, Lin Yue got up early the next day, prepared something tasty for the little ones, kept it warm on the stove, and then went out with Zhao Erhu.

The early spring mornings were still quite cold. As they reached the entrance to the village, they saw an old man driving a bull cart toward them. Several village women were waiting there too, apparently planning to ride Old Chen's ox cart to the city. Lin Yue chatted with the women in the cart and found out that it was the day of the farmer's market. They all brought various items to sell at the market to earn some silver coins.

Today, Zhao Erhu brought Lin Yue into the city mainly to have her see a doctor. After all, the doctors had said that Lin Yue was beyond help. Although she seemed better now, they still needed a doctor's examination to be at ease. So, as soon as they entered the city and paid the cart fare, he took Lin Yue straight to Jimin Hall.

"Brother Erhu, this isn't an ordinary pharmacy. Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Yue looked at Zhao Erhu, who seemed quite hale and hearty, with no apparent ailment.

"I'm not unwell. Today, I brought you here specifically to have the doctor check your health. After all, with the severe illness you had before, I can't rest easy until we have the doctor look at you," Zhao Erhu said as he led Lin Yue inside but then noticed she was standing in a daze, refusing to move. He thought Lin Yue was frightened and found himself having to comfort his delicate wife again.

"Niuniu, don't be afraid, it's just for the doctor to take your pulse. Nothing bad will happen. Be good and come inside with me." Zhao Erhu said, holding Lin Yue's hand a bit tighter, and half-forcibly pulled her into the pharmacy. In truth, Lin Yue had just been lost in thought and, seeing Zhao Erhu's misunderstanding, she didn't bother to explain and just followed him into the pharmacy.

Jimin Hall was the largest and best pharmacy in Xin'an City, with several doctors. By chance, one of them was Doctor Zheng, who had previously treated Lin Yue. Doctor Zheng was a respected physician with excellent medical ethics, one of the best in Jimin Hall, which was why he had been summoned to treat Lin Yue in her critical condition. Unfortunately, even Doctor Zheng couldn't save Lin Yue, who had been on death's doorstep, and he felt great pity for the poor young girl.

Doctor Zheng, upon seeing Zhao Erhu bringing in the little girl he had once declared beyond saving into the pharmacy, couldn't believe his eyes at first, even thinking he was seeing things. Upon cleaning his glasses for another look, his expression turned to one of utter disbelief and astonishment. It really was the poor little girl, no mistake about it—only now, her complexion looked much better, no longer the deathly pale visage he had seen last time.

"I wonder which Senior Xinglin intervened, to be able to snatch someone back from the brink of life and death. Such medical skill is indeed worthy of being called divine. I hope the young man will tell me who it was so I can pay them a visit," Doctor Zheng said, growing more and more excited, his face full of admiration and adoration. He had devoted his life to the practice of medicine, and as learning is endless, so is the art of healing. He could not let pass any opportunity for improvement in his craft.

"Doctor Zheng, you misunderstand; we didn't seek the help of another doctor. My daughter-in-law got better on her own, so I brought her here today specially to trouble you to check if there's anything amiss with her."

"What a strange occurrence! Come here, young lady, let me examine you," said Doctor Zheng. It was the first time he had heard of such a miraculous case. He couldn't believe that someone nearly dead could recover so quickly on their own. He suspected it might be a false recovery, having seen many patients appear better and more vigorous than usual just before their death, only to pass away shortly after. It wasn't until he felt Lin Yue's pulse that he truly believed what Erhu had said.

"Judging by the pulse, there seems to be no major issue. However, the young lady has always been frail, and after such a serious illness, she has surely been weakened. She needs to take good care of herself," Doctor Zheng said after taking Lin Yue's pulse, stroking his white beard. Then he asked Lin Yue, "Young lady, do you feel any discomfort anywhere in your body?"

Lin Yue subconsciously looked toward Zhao Erhu upon hearing the doctor's words. Zhao Erhu patted Lin Yue's hand, "Niuniu, be good, if there's anything that feels wrong, you must speak up. That's the only way Doctor Zheng can treat you."

"Doctor Zheng, I don't feel uncomfortable, it's just that..."

"It's just what?" Zhao Erhu felt a momentary relief when Lin Yue spoke the first part, but his heart tightened again at her hesitation. Doctor Zheng, who had never seen a case like Lin Yue's, felt assured there wasn't a serious issue after diagnosing her pulse. However, he feared he might have overlooked something, and looked at Lin Yue earnestly. His seriousness made Lin Yue, who was already feeling somewhat guilty, truly nervous.

"I, I don't know why, but I can't seem to remember many things from before. I have even forgotten where I come from," Lin Yue said in a low voice, looking timid and frightened, but in reality, she was feeling guilty for lying. The amnesia ruse might be cliché and melodramatic, but it was effective. She wasn't the real Lin Niuniu and was unclear about many things. Rather than trying to cover up, it was better to come out with it, so as not to live in constant fear of her secret being discovered. Besides, one lie requires countless others to uphold it, which is not only exhausting but also bound to fail eventually. Lin Yue had been considering how to disclose her amnesia to Zhao Erhu, and this opportunity was too good to miss.

"So that's it." Erhu easily accepted Lin Yue's revelation. No wonder he felt something was off after his wife woke up that day. Although he had only known his wife for a short time and didn't understand her well, he could still sense that a person's habits and personality had suddenly changed.