Chapter 178 You Did Nothing Wrong

After the incident with Ah Xiang, for reasons unknown, Xie Qingtang did not mention that the single, fresh stalk of Qiankun Grass in her possession was fully capable of saving two people. Instead, she allowed Grandpa Xie to believe that this single Qiankun Grass could only save one person.

However, she never expected that this unconscious probing would make her heart ache as if pierced by a knife. Perhaps this was the deep love her grandfather bore for her; to spare her from feeling any guilt, he had spoken those words.

"Dr. Xie, I... I am sorry. I never imagined you would pay such a heavy price to acquire this Qiankun Grass. It was too presumptuous of me. Whether you save Ah Ben or not, I will never blame you." When Ah Xiang learned that the Qiankun Grass had been won at an auction for over sixty million, she gasped, waved her hands in a panic, and spoke with trembling dismay.

Xie Qingtang stood up, cast an icy gaze at Ah Xiang, and said once more, "What you just said is not only an insult to me, but an insult to my medical ethics. Rest assured, I will save Ah Ben. But you must still pay the money; after all, I do not save people for free."

"That goes without saying." Ah Xiang froze on the spot. Meeting Xie Qingtang's utterly detached gaze, she lowered her head in fear and spoke with trembling awe. Yet, when she thought of the staggering price of over sixty million for that herb, she and her husband were merely an ordinary mountain couple—where could they possibly find the money to pay for such a medicinal plant?

Standing nearby, Zhou Jinfan seemed to grasp what had just transpired. His previous fondness for Ah Xiang vanished entirely as he let out a cold snort and stated bluntly, "That Qiankun Grass cost over sixty million. Add the medical fees, and the total will likely approach seventy million. I wonder how you plan to settle that bill?"

When the words fell, Ah Xiang remained rooted to the spot, shamefully burying her head against her chest, staring fixedly at the toes of her shoes without uttering a single word.

"Indeed, precious medicinal herbs are exceedingly rare, but such superb medical skill as Dr. Xie's is rarer still. An ordinary person would surely demand payment before administering treatment," Dong Weiyi echoed from the side, instantly turning Ah Xiang into the target of everyone's scrutiny.

At that moment, for reasons unknown, Ah Xiang was overcome with a mixture of remorse and regret for her previous behavior. Yet the world offered no medicine for regret, nor could she turn back the clock to undo what she had just done.

Xie Qingtang sighed inwardly, knowing that Ah Xiang kneeling to plead for her husband's life was merely human nature. She simply raised a hand and said, "Very well, Mr. Dong. Thank you for helping me at the auction today, but Cuntang Clinic has other matters to attend to, so I cannot keep you any longer."

"No matter. I shall bring my youngest daughter here tomorrow to be examined. What time would be most convenient?" As Dong Weiyi turned around, his expression instantly shifted into a relaxed demeanor. The interrogative look he had just directed at Ah Xiang vanished in an instant as he asked Xie Qingtang with a smile.

Considering that Dong Shien suffered from congenital heart disease, Xie Qingtang thought the morning would be better, so she replied, "Let us say eight o'clock in the morning. I will clear my schedule to examine your daughter."

"Very well, it is settled." Dong Weiyi nodded and, without lingering any further, departed directly from Cuntang Clinic.

Once the entire clinic grew quiet, Ah Xiang steeled her nerves, bit her lip, and walked up to Xie Qingtang, asking, "Dr. Xie, my husband's condition..." Her lips quivered as she asked with deep embarrassment, for Ah Ben had been unconscious for several days, and she was truly frantic with worry.

Xie Qingtang glanced at her coldly with a purely professional demeanor. She picked up the Qiankun Grass and said, "I am going to prepare the medicine for your husband now. Zhou Jinfan, follow me."

With that, she walked toward the front hall. Zhou Jinfan let out a cold snort, cast a glare at Ah Xiang, and followed her into the front hall.

"Child, you have no reason to feel guilty. You did the right thing. I am already a man with one foot in the grave, whereas you are newly pregnant, and you and your husband still have many years ahead of you. Using that Qiankun Grass to save your husband is the correct choice." Grandpa Xie approached Ah Xiang, took her hand, and spoke comforting words.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Ah Xiang burst into tears, her face streaming with tears and mucus as she choked out through broken sobs, "I'm sorry, Mr. Xie, I'm truly sorry."

"Good child, you need not say sorry to me. You only wished to save your husband's life. Why should you say sorry for wanting to save your husband?" Grandpa Xie patted her hand once more with a sense of emotional weight, feeling that all of this was simply destiny. If he had only been a firmer in the past and refused to accept Shao Shiming as his resident son-in-law, things would not have come to this pass today.

Inside the front hall, Zhou Jinfan looked at Xie Qingtang's gloomy expression. After a moment of hesitation, he finally broke the silence and asked cautiously, "Boss, do you really intend to use this Qiankun Grass to save Ah Xiang's husband? What about the old master?"

"My grandfather's life must be saved as well, of course. Of these two lives, I will not give up either, because I am a physician," Xie Qingtang said coolly. Although a part of her felt angry at Ah Xiang's actions, regardless of anything else, this single fresh stalk of Qiankun Grass was capable of saving two people.

Standing beside her, Zhou Jinfan sighed inwardly and said, "Boss, upon closer reflection, we can understand Ah Xiang's actions. After all, she is carrying a child in her belly. If Ah Ben were truly to die, she would be left alone as a widow with an orphan, and there is no telling how they would survive the days ahead."

"Enough of your nonsense. Hurry up and dispense the medicine according to the prescription." Xie Qingtang knitted her brows slightly and flung the written prescription directly at him. Then, cradling the stalk of Qiankun Grass with utmost care, she entered the consultation room and used a small pair of silver scissors to clip a single leaf from the plant.

Everyone knew that Qiankun Grass was a miraculous herb for dispelling poison, and that its potency increased after being processed. However, what none of them knew was that this was actually a misconception.

Processed Qiankun Grass lost more than half of its medicinal efficacy. In truth, the moisture within the fresh Qiankun Grass itself possessed detoxifying properties, making the fresh herb more than twice as potent as the processed variety.

"Fortunately, this is a fresh stalk of Qiankun Grass. If it were merely dried grass, I truly would not know what to do. Alas," Xie Qingtang murmured with a sigh as she looked at the clipped leaf. Back then, it was her master who had taught her this hidden characteristic of the Qiankun Grass.