Chapter Forty: A Lesson Learned

When the stabbing pain in her heart finally vanished without a trace, Wang Miao’er regained her composure, her face as pale and lifeless as a corpse in a mortuary.
“I’m leaving,” she said, uttering not another word, ignoring Gu Xiucheng seated beside her, and walked straight out of the bar.

To the surprise of many, she did not return home. Instead, she headed directly for the Benevolence Hall. Staring at the pitch-black, closed doors, she hesitated not at all, but knocked forcibly.

“Who is it? Why do people always come late at night? Don’t you ever sleep?” Zhou Jingfan complained irritably. Ever since the back courtyard had been occupied by Xie Qingtang and her grandfather, he had been relegated to sleeping in the front hall and watching over the shop.

As soon as the door opened, Wang Miao’er shoved him aside, her gaze sweeping the surroundings as she spotted the passage to the backyard and strode purposefully toward it.

Recovering from his shock, Zhou Jingfan blocked her path, his tone aggrieved: “Hey, what’s the matter? Are you trespassing in the middle of the night?”

“Where’s Xie Qingtang? Call her out for me,” Wang Miao’er replied coldly, making it clear she was here to settle accounts.

Zhou Jingfan crossed his arms and sneered, sizing her up. “What, didn’t you learn your lesson earlier today? Still daring to come to the Benevolence Hall looking for trouble? You really must think your life is too long.”

“I’m here for Xie Qingtang, not you,” Wang Miao’er retorted, unmoved by Zhou Jingfan’s words.

At that moment, Xie Qingtang emerged from the backyard, draped in an overcoat, and appeared utterly unsurprised by Wang Miao’er’s arrival.

“It’s your doing, isn’t it? Xie Qingtang, how vicious you are!” Wang Miao’er fired accusations at her like a barrage of bullets.

Xie Qingtang glanced at her calmly. “Are you here to apologize, Dr. Wang?”

Her question seemed to catch Wang Miao’er off guard, freezing her for a moment. Then, the anger in her heart broke through its final barrier. “Xie Qingtang, I already apologized to you this afternoon. It was you who refused to accept it.”

“I’ve already told you, if your apology isn’t sincere, I won’t accept it. If you’re not here tonight to apologize wholeheartedly, then please leave. Young man, close the door—don’t let dogs in.” Without another word, Xie Qingtang turned to head back to the backyard.

For reasons unknown even to herself, Wang Miao’er instinctively called after her, her face contorted. “Xie Qingtang, let me ask you one thing. The stabbing pain in my heart that comes and goes—is that your doing?”

Her words made Zhou Jingfan pause, curiosity piqued as he looked at Xie Qingtang’s back.

“I told you, you spent so much money to leave comments on my online shop. Naturally, I must repay you. This is my little token of thanks,” Xie Qingtang replied, not a saint but one to settle every score—if others hurt her by one, she would return it threefold.

Hearing this, Wang Miao’er became certain: the pain she’d felt all day was indeed caused by Xie Qingtang.

“Xie Qingtang, how cruel you are, to do such a thing! Isn’t traditional medicine supposed to help the world? Yet you use it to harm others!” Wang Miao’er’s heart chilled, but she remained defiant, biting her lip as she confronted Xie Qingtang.

Xie Qingtang turned and suddenly burst into laughter, her voice echoing through the silent night, sending chills down everyone’s spine—even Zhou Jingfan involuntarily shuddered.

“Why are you laughing?” Wang Miao’er stepped back instinctively, a reaction born of encountering danger.

Xie Qingtang silenced her laughter, her expression as cold as the night, and spoke calmly: “If others do not offend me, I do not offend them. If others offend me, I repay them tenfold. Don’t try to stand on a moral high ground to judge me—you’re not worthy. If you’re not here to sincerely apologize, then leave. Don’t disturb my rest.”

With that, she strode off to the backyard. Wang Miao’er stood there, unable to utter a single word. Even the apology she’d offered earlier that day had been forced by Gu Xiuqin’s presence.

Upon realizing that her heart pains were indeed Xie Qingtang’s doing, Wang Miao’er returned home that very night and instructed her father, Wang Kaishan, to seek out a traditional physician.

“Miao’er, why do you suddenly want to see a traditional doctor? Didn’t you always think it was a scam? And if there’s a problem, can’t Western medicine solve it?” Wang Kaishan was baffled by his daughter’s late-night insistence.

Wang Miao’er sat on the sofa, imperious. “I don’t care, I want a traditional doctor. Find me the best ones from all over the country. I refuse to believe only Xie Qingtang knows acupuncture!”

“Xie Qingtang? Who is she?” Wang Kaishan asked, puzzled.

Wang Miao’er refused to divulge her embarrassment, urging her father to hurry and find a doctor.

Soon, the news that the Wang family was seeking traditional doctors spread through their circles. With traditional medicine waning and Western medicine dominant, most people regarded the matter with skepticism.

After finishing his prescribed medicine, Gu Xiuqin visited Benevolence Hall for treatment and, as if by chance, remarked to Xie Qingtang, “The Wang family is recruiting renowned traditional doctors nationwide. I suppose it’s related to your acupuncture treatment for Wang Miao’er.”

“No one but me can relieve Wang Miao’er’s pain,” Xie Qingtang replied with complete confidence. If she meant to teach Wang Miao’er a lesson, she would not let anyone interfere.

Seeing her so self-assured, Gu Xiuqin felt no doubt, and even found it perfectly reasonable.

“I dislike others causing me trouble. If they do, I prefer to eradicate it at the root,” Xie Qingtang continued calmly, thrusting a silver needle into Gu Xiuqin’s wrist.

Gu Xiuqin nodded impassively. During the acupuncture, he felt occasional tingling and numbness, but once it was over, all his fatigue seemed to vanish, his trust in Xie Qingtang’s medical skills only deepening.

Just then, Zhao Xianglan wheeled Grandfather Xie from the backyard into the front hall. Smiling, Grandfather Xie addressed Gu Xiuqin, “Xiuqin, it’s been days since you visited. Stay for dinner; I have something to ask you.”

“Alright!” Gu Xiuqin agreed without a moment’s hesitation.