Chapter 98: Feigned Affection and False Intentions

The old lady rushed up and warmly grasped Xie Qingtang’s hand, her voice brimming with gratitude. “Oh heavens, it’s all my fault for not recognizing greatness when it stood before me. You truly are a miracle doctor! If it weren’t for you, my eldest grandson would never have survived.”

“I am a physician; this is merely my duty.” Had Xie Qingtang not witnessed the old lady’s unruly and dramatic behavior at the Gu family hospital, she might have believed the woman’s gratitude was sincere. But now, seeing the flicker of something unusual in her eyes, Xie Qingtang knew this woman was far from simple, and her purpose was not merely to thank her.

In the next instant, the old lady squeezed out several crocodile tears, then pointed toward the Gu family hospital across the street and cursed, “That Gu hospital over there is nothing but a den of harm! If it weren’t for Doctor Xie’s miraculous hands, my grandson would have been lost forever.”

“Just now, the Gu family hospital had the audacity to demand we pay medical expenses. Bah! Shameless! They nearly killed my grandson, yet they still have the nerve to ask for money?”

At the mention of this matter, Aben’s expression became somewhat embarrassed, and he explained to Xie Qingtang. It turned out that just after treatment ended, the hospital notified them to settle the fees for the stay and surgery. But the old lady’s talent for making a scene surfaced again, bluntly stating that the survival of her daughter-in-law and grandson was entirely thanks to Xie Qingtang. If any medical fees were to be paid, they should go to the Temple of Benevolence, not the Gu family hospital.

This infuriated the doctors who had worked hard at the Gu hospital, but the old lady simply dragged Aben across the street to the Temple of Benevolence.

After hearing Aben recount the events, Xie Qingtang’s eyes narrowed slightly. Watching the old lady before her, who kept repeating her thanks yet never mentioned the consultation fee, she understood the woman’s true intentions.

So Xie Qingtang withdrew her hand from the old lady’s grasp, her lips curling into a faint smile as she called Zhou Jingfan to her side. “Jingfan, please tally up the consultation charges for the old lady.”

“Certainly, Boss.” Somehow, Zhou Jingfan produced an abacus and began clicking the beads, quickly calculating a figure.

The old lady was stunned. She had intended to gloss over the medical fees, but Aben, ever the honest nephew, had betrayed her intentions. As she saw Zhou Jingfan seriously calculating the costs, she turned to glare fiercely at Aben, but she also knew Xie Qingtang had saved her grandson’s life. So, forcing a smile, she said, “Doctor Xie, you and Aben seem close. I’m Aben’s third aunt. Couldn’t the medical fee be a bit less?”

Looking at the shrewd old lady, Xie Qingtang smiled gently and nodded. “Rest assured, the Temple of Benevolence deals fairly with all, young or old. You’ll receive a just price.”

“That’s good, that’s good.” The old lady’s mouth twitched, her heart aching as she watched Zhou Jingfan flick the abacus beads, each click seeming to tug at her heartstrings.

Once Zhou Jingfan had arrived at a sum, he turned to Xie Qingtang. “Boss, what medicines did you use? I’m not sure of their prices.”

“Oh, I used Revival Powder for the expectant mother. It’s about a hundred thousand per gram, and I used two grams.” As Xie Qingtang finished speaking, the old lady’s jaw dropped so wide it could have swallowed a whole egg.

Zhou Jingfan nodded knowingly, adding the two hundred thousand to the total, then smiled at the old lady, whose soul seemed to have flown from her body at the price. “Consultation fee, acupuncture fee, and the cost of the powder, all together comes to four hundred thousand. Will you pay by card or cash?”

At that, the old lady staggered backward several steps, coughing violently and blushing, clutching Aben’s hand as she gritted out, “Aben, you’re ruining our family!”

“Third Aunt, what are you talking about? How could I possibly harm our family?” Aben was utterly baffled.

The old lady’s heart trembled at the thought of handing over four hundred thousand to the Temple of Benevolence, and she couldn’t help but blame Aben. “If you hadn’t introduced this so-called doctor, we wouldn’t have used her, and we wouldn’t be spending so much.”

“Old lady, you can’t say that. Life is priceless, and my boss saved both your daughter-in-law and grandson. Is twenty thousand per life really too much?” Zhou Jingfan remained smiling, but in the old lady’s eyes, he now looked every bit the cunning merchant.

Aben also felt the price was perfectly reasonable. If it meant saving his wife and child, he would not hesitate to sell everything he owned, even his own blood, to raise the money.

“Doctor Xie, you’re a healer, but asking us common folk for four hundred thousand—how could we afford it? Could you make it a bit cheaper?” The old lady finally recovered and began haggling with Xie Qingtang.

Xie Qingtang looked at her calmly, saying nothing, but Zhou Jingfan responded, “Old lady, our price is already fair. Don’t forget, my boss pulled your daughter-in-law and grandson back from the gates of death. She even used extremely rare medicine—this powder is so precious that only a tael can be extracted every ten years. At ten thousand per gram, it’s already a bargain.”

In truth, Zhou Jingfan had no idea where Xie Qingtang’s Revival Powder came from, but in order to convince the old lady to pay willingly, he made it sound as expensive as possible.

Though it wasn’t quite as exaggerated as he claimed, the Revival Powder was indeed rare. It had been specially prepared by her master, using unique methods, and only one bottle could be produced a year, making it truly priceless.