Chapter 19 - 19 16 Pie Kills a Person 2

19: Chapter 16 Pie Kills a Person (2) 19: Chapter 16 Pie Kills a Person (2) Ran Yan wrote down the prescription and handed it to Qing Dai, instructing, “White rice flour three qian, Acorus three qian, have the pharmacy grind them into powder for application on the ulcerated area. Another prescription is for a medicinal decoction to be taken orally, which I will explain to you in detail later.” Having done all this, Ran Yan removed the coarse cloth from her hands and, accompanied by Wan Lu, went around the screen to the outer area. Syphilis was a tricky disease, requiring utmost caution. One should avoid close contact with patients whenever possible. At that moment, a maid led three women in. Ran Yan was still contemplating the method for extracting penicillin and did not notice someone entering. She simply sat down on the mat. “Didn’t they say a doctor was here to treat us? Why don’t I see anyone!” a beautiful woman exclaimed. Seeing that Ran Yan had no reaction, Wan Lu hurriedly reminded her, “Wife.” “This person is the doctor,” the maid gestured with her hand. The three women were immediately full of surprise. In the Great Tang, female physicians were not common; they only existed in the palace, serving concubines, and were rarely seen outside. Even if they left the palace and became respectable citizens, they would be eagerly taken into the households of the nobility. It was almost impossible for the common people to encounter a female physician. “Is this some kind of trick?” The beautiful woman scrutinized Ran Yan with piercing eyes, as if she could see through any obstruction. Ran Yan refocused her attention and, through the thin veil, she impassively observed the newcomers. The three women were all about sixteen or seventeen, either stunning or gentle, each with their own charm—unquestionably chosen for their beauty. However, the beautiful woman with peach blossom eyes seemed rather brash. As for matters outside of work, Ran Yan always lacked enthusiasm, “Who will go first?” “I will.” The bright woman, irritated by Ran Yan’s disregard for her words, briskly lifted her skirt and knelt across from Ran Yan, extending her hand. “Is there any itching, swelling, or pain in the genitals, as if a foreign body suddenly appeared?” Ran Yan asked. The woman was taken aback for a moment and asked with some confusion, “Do you not need to take my pulse?” Ran Yan noted the subtle change in her attitude; if not for hitting the mark with her words, given such an unyielding character, there wouldn’t be the slightest concession, “For the next half month, stop receiving clients. You must not engage in sexual intercourse or kissing with men…” “Are you suggesting that I am also infected?” The woman cut off Ran Yan’s words, her face paling slightly as she stared intently at Ran Yan, “Are you trying to take revenge for my earlier rudeness?” Ran Yan felt helpless; she hadn’t said for certain that the woman was infected, but with symptoms of redness and itching, it was best not to continue sexual activity, for the consequences might not be much better than contracting the disease. “Whether or not you are infected, according to your symptoms, you cannot continue to receive clients. After I inquire about the others, a thorough examination will be conducted,” thought Ran Yan. She worried that many in the brothel would have gynecological issues. Asking them to stop working would directly cut off their livelihood, a result that these women, who lived by selling their bodies, couldn’t accept. Thus, she said, “If you’re not infected with this disease, I won’t force treatment upon you.” Ran Yan might not have been a professional gynecologist, but during her five years in university, she often covered for her dormitory friends in classes. In fact, some professional gynecologists might not be as proficient as Ran Yan. “Mr. Han has been smitten with a new love recently, is it not a good time for Sister Hong Xing to rest?” another girl in an aqua chest-length embroidered gown spoke with a gentle Jiangnan dialect. The girl in the aqua dress was extremely fair, not the startling beauty like Hong Xing, but her modest and gentle appearance, with downcast eyes and a plain white jade bracelet on her wrist, made her seem elegant. Even though her words were sharp, one might think she bore no malice. “You! With a fickle husband like that, running off to somewhere else, I’m actually better off, hmph, it’s a good thing he’s fickle, or else today he might have died in my room, what bad luck.” Hong Xing’s eyes, blooming with peach blossoms, had a unique charm even when she glared angrily. The lady in green gently lowered her gaze and gathered her hair by the temples, still embodying a soft and gentle demeanor, and said in a quiet voice, “Sister Hong Xing, be careful with your words. Just now, as I was passing by, I heard the Forensic Doctor say that Mr. Han was poisoned… Sister, make sure you don’t get yourself involved.” Hong Xing slapped the table fiercely and stood up abruptly, “Cui Mei, what do you mean by that!” Ran Yan watched the tension rising between the two without urging them to proceed with the medical treatment, even finding the scene quite interesting. From the few meaningful words Cui Mei said, at least it was clear that Mr. Han, who they said had died, wasn’t beaten to death, but appeared to have been poisoned. Although it wasn’t any of her business, encountering a murder case in ancient times inevitably sparked her interest. “I’m a courtesan, I sell my art, not my body. I moved out of Zi Xu’s place three months ago, so I should be in the clear, right?” Cui Mei ignored Hong Xing’s questioning and instead turned to Ran Yan to inquire about her condition. If that was indeed the case, she should be fine, Ran Yan was about to respond when she suddenly noticed a sore with furrowed edges at the corner of Cui Mei’s mouth, barely visible under the layer of white rice flour. Ran Yan hesitated slightly and asked, “The sore at the corner of your mouth?” “Oh, the exclusive doctor at the brothel looked at it yesterday, said it was an internal fire, and prescribed a few doses of medicine. It doesn’t hurt now,” Cui Mei’s voice was gentle, as soothing as the mildness of spring in Jiangnan, which made people wonder if she was a Noble Lady. Ran Yan took a probing look at her. The early skin symptoms of syphilis were red papules that would quickly break down into small red ulcers, and as the disease progressed, both the number and the area of these ulcers would increase. Furthermore, the most common places for these symptoms to appear, besides the genitals, were the corners of the mouth, fingers, chest, and so on. “Since that’s the case, I won’t inquire further,” Ran Yan replied indifferently, then turned to ask the last courtesan. This young girl was named Zi Ai, with a timid appearance. When she answered questions, she would gaze at Ran Yan with slight panic, waiting for a response. After preliminary inquiries, only Zi Ai was ruled out as having any abnormalities. Cui Mei, with her soft demeanor, had already outright refused to let Ran Yan examine her, but Hong Xing was quite cooperative. Unfortunately, after the examination, Hong Xing was diagnosed with syphilis. “Have you and Zi Xu served the same man together?” Ran Yan really wanted to ask who the man was, so she deliberately posed such a leading question. As expected, Hong Xing did not disappoint her, her voice trembling, “It was Mr. Han.” Ran Yan frowned, thinking to herself that the sky doesn’t just drop pies for no reason. She had just entered the city and had come across a good opportunity to earn money, but this opportunity was indeed a hot potato. “Please save me!” Hong Xing suddenly threw herself at Ran Yan’s feet, crying, “I was disrespectful to you just now, I’m as sightless as a bead, please don’t take it to heart. I’m someone who speaks my mind directly…” The Wife had just opened the curtain when she saw this scene and felt a chill in her heart, thinking it truly was the case of misfortunes never coming singly. “For the time being, close the doors and recuperate.” The Wife composed herself and walked in steadily, then knelt in front of Ran Yan, “Divine Doctor, do you have a way to treat this condition?” “There is a way, but it’s not suitable for everyone. I’ve already prescribed two formulas; take them first. If the papules burst, then use the medicinal powder to cover them.” As Ran Yan spoke, she noticed the red sores on the Wife’s fingers. When they were in the alley, her hands had red papules but hadn’t broken yet. The rapid progression to burst sores made further examination almost unnecessary, “Don’t cover your hands with rice flour; use the medicinal powder instead.” S~eaʀᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hong Xing looked at the Wife’s hands in surprise, but a sense of relief washed over her. Ever since Zi Xu fell ill, the brothel’s exclusive doctor had been at a loss, and the Wife had only ordered people to cover it up. Zi Xu still had an elder sister, but Hong Xing had no relatives of her own. “Who is Mr. Han? Does he have a wife or concubines?” Ran Yan asked.