Chapter 46: 46 Coma

Two guards stationed under the archway, unlike the sloppy bodyguards that can be found around the large houses in town, these men were burly and stern, clutching long spears, standing tall and imposing. At first glance, one could tell they were well-trained and disciplined.

Having submitted their assigned card many days ahead, the Second Master’s name was rightly registered, and the guards let them through.

He introduced Gu Jiao and the old doctor, “Here are our doctor from Huichun Hall and his medical apprentice.”

It wasn’t common to see a girl acting as a medical apprentice, but it wasn’t unheard of either.

The guard didn’t say much, but looked suspiciously at Gu Jiao’s small back-basket.

“What’s inside?” A guard asked.

Gu Jiao promptly showed him the contents of the basket.

The guard rummaged around, only to find some food and a shabby little box. He returned the basket to Gu Jiao.

“Go straight down this road, once you’ve passed the first pavilion, someone will be there to receive you.” The guard gave the three of them directions.

The Second Master thanked the guard, and proceeded towards the pavilion with Gu Jiao and the old doctor.

They had barely walked a few steps when another carriage arrived outside the archway. Assuming it belonged to someone from the villa, the Second Master didn’t pay it much attention, only for a powerful voice to stop him, “Excuse me sir, are you the master ahead?”

The Second Master turned around in surprise, only to see a round man of about the same age as Shopkeeper Wang striding towards him.

Following behind the man was a doctor in his fifties and a young medical apprentice carrying a first aid kit.

The Second Master’s face darkened.

However, the man didn’t seem to notice his displeasure and, with a cheerful smile, approached and gave a salute, “Such a coincidence, sir! Did you know that I would bring a doctor to treat the young master and decided to wait for me here? And, who are these two?”

“The doctors from Huichun Hall.” The Second Master said indifferently.

He didn’t elaborate further. The man assumed that the old doctor was the doctor and the girl with the birthmark was just an apprentice.

“Who is he?” Gu Jiao asked the Second Master.

With a cold stare at the man, the Second Master replied, “He oversees the affairs of the Hu family. He’s the shopkeeper at the Capital City’s Huichun Hall.”

“My surname is He,” said Mr. He amiably to Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao cast him a sideways glance, “Do you mean ‘he’ as in ‘lotus’? The white ones?”

Mr. He: “…”

He got the feeling she was insulting him.

“Let’s go,” the Second Master said, not bothering about being civil to him.

But Mr. He stopped him again, his tone held a trace of ridicule, “So, you are also here to treat the young master. Does his father and your elder brother know about this?”

Naturally… they don’t. If he had made them aware of this, his father would have been the first one to disapprove.

The Second Master’s face turned pale.

At this moment, Gu Jiao spoke, “Who is this old master? And who is this Big Master?”

The Second Master took a deep breath, “The old master is my father, and the Big Master… is my younger brother.”

Gu Jiao looked confused, “Why is your younger brother the Big Master and you’re only the Second Master? Are you a child of a concubine?”

He shook his head.

He was the legitimate son.

The true eldest son of the Hu family.

Unfortunately, his mother passed away early. Soon after, his father remarried and his stepmother gave birth to his younger brother who was more intelligent and favoured by his father.

His father gradually forgot about him, his legitimate son, and under the pretense of him being mediocre, dispatched him to a small remote town’s Huichun Hall. As for the family business, it was practically handed over to his younger brother.

In reality, his title of the Second Master was an embellished one.

Shopkeeper He was merely a shopkeeper, yet relying on being the favourite of the Big Master, he didn’t even bother to respect the Second Master, the rightful heir of the Hu family, “The young master of the Marquis Residence is not a commoner from the town whose death could be treated lightly. You better not overestimate yourself and bring disaster upon the Hu family!”

Gu Jiao turned to him and said irritably, “You love crowing so much. Are you a rooster?”

Shopkeeper He was taken aback.

Gu Jiao and her two companions left.

They passed through the pavilion and met a few servants of the villa.

The servants were dressed better than the masters of the big houses in town. They exhibited a distinctive aura and maintained their decorum. Their manners were not as warm as the servants at the medical hall, but they followed their duties precisely, and no one found fault with them.

Gu Jiao and her companions were led away by a servant just as Shopkeeper He and his party arrived.

“More from Huichun Hall? How many from Huichun Hall have come?” A smart servant girl greeted Shopkeeper He.

Despite having support from the Hu family and Huichun Hall, Shopkeeper He dared not behave arrogantly in front of any of the villa’s maidservants.

Shopkeeper He politely smiled, “Miss, if you look carefully at this token, you’ll see that I represent the Huichun Hall of the Capital City. Those people are from Huichun Hall of Qingquan Town and they have no connection with our Huichun Hall in the Capital City, nor with the Hu family! If anything happens later, I hope you won’t blame our Huichun Hall.”

“Aren’t you all from Huichun Hall?” asked the servant girl.

“Not the same, not the same,” Shopkeeper He replied with a smile.

The servant girl pondered for a moment, “So, you just share the same name for your place?”

“Uh… I guess you could say that.” Shopkeeper He was unable to come up with a better explanation on the spot.

The servant girl nodded, “Understood. Our Marquis Residence would never hold innocent people accountable.”

Shopkeeper He heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that the Second Master couldn’t possibly have hired a superb doctor. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have requested Dr. Zhang from the Capital City’s Huichun Hall in the first place. This time, there is likely to be trouble.

Luckily, he was clever enough to sever ties with the Second Master in time.

Shopkeeper He and his party were swift. By the time Gu Jiao and her companions arrived, Shopkeeper He’s team had also reached.

The maid accompanying Shopkeeper He stepped behind the curtain into the main room. She whispered to the housekeeper, “Those individuals are from the Capital City’s Huichun Hall. These people are from the town.”

This implies that Gu Jiao’s group was riding on their coattails.

The housekeeper had seen this many times. However, since they were here, it wasn’t right sending them away before examination. She ordered, “Let those three come in first.”

“Alright.” The maid complied.

The maid called in Shopkeeper He and his companions.

The young master had been ill for many years. Many doctors had been consulted but they were prohibitively censored after each check-up, thus, the exact nature and severity of the young master’s illness remained unknown outside the residence.

On this occasion, Shopkeeper He had brought a renowned healer from Jiangnan, well-known for his extraordinary ability to treat complex diseases. They had been very confident prior to the visit, but after just one glance at the patient, the healer was speechless.

“What’s wrong, Dr. Liao?” Shopkeeper He asked.

Dr. Liao didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and asked a maid in the room, “How long has the young master been unconscious?”

“Ten days,” the maid replied.

Dr. Liao turned ashen-faced.

He forced himself to take the young master’s pulse and stumbled to his feet afterward.

“With my inferior medical expertise, I’m unable to treat the young master. I’m afraid your noble house…will have to seek a more skilled practitioner!”

What he really meant was that the young master was suffering from a heart malady, which was incurable in the first place. Moreover, he had been unconscious for ten straight days. Even Daluo Immortals wouldn’t be able to save him. They should better start preparing for the inevitable!