A peasant girl travels through time with a hospital, rising to become an empress.

Chapter 163 Seeking a Doctor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN“ ““><html><head></head><body><h1 class=“chapterTitle1“ id=“heading_id_2“ idx=““>第163章 来找千大夫</h1>

A hint of interest flashed in Zhang Tuo's eyes, and he pressed on, "Such a promising talent, is he going to take the imperial examination in the next few years?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Tang Jincheng's face. He coughed twice and said, "Teacher, you may not know this, but Gu Xiao is only now preparing to take the imperial examination for the first degree."

Zhang Tuo was slightly taken aback, then laughed heartily: "It's alright, it's alright. Although we started late, we have such potential. We should not underestimate you in the future."

However, he didn't ask Gu Xiao any further questions about his situation.

The hope of Qinghe County? It will only be worth paying attention to him after he passes the imperial examination and becomes a Xiucai. After all, many so-called geniuses have failed the imperial examination and have not passed for many years.

After a few casual words, the atmosphere gradually became serious.

Zhang Tuo, as a fifth-rank official in the provincial capital's Ever-Normal Granary Administration, wielded real power. The young man who came with him was Jiang Zheng'an, a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel, whose rank was slightly lower than Zhang Tuo's.

Although his position is relatively low, Jiang Zheng'an is a high-ranking official in the capital, backed by the Jiang family, one of the most powerful and influential clans in the city. His connections are extensive and his influence is immense. His ability to attain this position at such a young age is certainly not to be underestimated.

Jiang Zheng'an gently put down his teacup, his gaze sharp: "I am here on official business, and the most important thing is to thoroughly investigate the corruption case in Yishui County. This case caused the river embankment to collapse, involved a wide range of people, impoverished the people, and made them suffer unspeakably. I have been ordered to inspect the area with Lord Zhang, and I will do my best."

Zhang Tuo nodded slightly, and the three of them discussed a plan for a while. Then they heard footsteps coming from the door. It was the waiter coming upstairs to serve the dishes.

The waiter was extremely respectful, bowing and scraping, a stark contrast to his previous arrogant attitude towards Nie Qianqian and her group.

Zhang Tuo was very satisfied with the taste of the food. He didn't expect to be able to eat such authentic food in Qinghe County. The taste of Guangjuxuan here is no less than that of the one in the provincial capital.

Having eaten many delicacies in the capital, Jiang Zheng'an naturally didn't find the food particularly amazing. However, he still felt it was quite rare to be able to eat such delicious food in Qinghe County, a remote corner of the country.

Tang Jincheng picked up a piece of crispy duck and put it in his mouth. The duck was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, but he didn't know if it was because he had been eating the food that Liu Yan had brought him recently and had gotten used to the taste, but he felt that this dish was not as good as the food that Liu Yan made.

With the waiter serving the food, it was impossible to discuss the case. Jiang Zheng'an took a sip of tea and said, "Besides that, I have another matter to discuss. My younger sister visited Qinghe County a while ago and mentioned a renowned doctor there, Dr. Qian, whose medical skills are superb and whose healing abilities are miraculous. My mother has been unwell lately, and her spirits are declining. I would like to take this opportunity to confirm with Dr. Qian the specific time for her to go to the provincial capital for treatment, so that my mother can recover as soon as possible."

Tang Jincheng's heart skipped a beat. Others were completely unaware, but he knew very well that Doctor Qian was in Guangjuxuan at this moment, and it was none other than Nie Qianqian.

Recalling their first meeting, Tang Jincheng noticed that Nie Qianqian's medical skills were already quite remarkable, which drew special attention from Director Zhang. However, Tang Jincheng never expected that in such a short time, her reputation would spread so far that even someone from a prestigious family like Jiang Zheng'an would come to Qinghe County to invite her. It was truly astonishing.

He sat by the window of the private room on the second floor, and through the narrow crack in the window, he could see Nie Qianqian and her entourage.

At this moment, Nie Qianqian was all smiles, exuding composure and confidence in every gesture. She was enthusiastically serving everyone dishes, looking completely different from when she was first met, when she was falsely accused by the Nie family and looked disheveled.

Liu Yan sat to the side, dressed appropriately, her hair neatly styled, her gaze always fixed on Nie Qianqian and Tuantuan, full of concern and affection.

The scene before him made Tang Jincheng sigh. In just a few months, Nie Qianqian and Liu Yan were like completely different people, managing their lives with great success. This shattered Tang Jincheng's previous perceptions of women, making him realize for the first time that women could be so independent and strong, emerging from adversity to live a radiant life.

At Nie Qianqian's table, everyone sat around, enjoying their meal in a lively atmosphere. Just then, a mother and daughter walked over from the next table.

The mother was thin and wore a faded white dress. Her hair was somewhat dry and yellowish, with many silver strands. The daughter's name was Su Tan'er. She was about the same age as Nie Qianqian. She was slender and, although not particularly beautiful, she was very energetic. Her eyes were small but clear and bright, curving into crescents when she smiled. Her black hair was casually tied back with a tattered strip of cloth, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks, adding a touch of playfulness.

The two ordered only two dishes, a stark contrast to Nie Qianqian's lavish spread. The waiter who came to take their order was the same one from before. Seeing that they had only ordered two dishes, a look of disdain immediately appeared on his lips, and his attitude became even more arrogant. He asked a few perfunctory questions and then impatiently turned and left.

Su Tan'er picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea for her mother, and said with a bright smile, "Mother, have some tea first. I heard that Guangjuxuan's tea is all top-quality pre-rain Longjing tea. Please try it."

Fu Niang took the teacup and gently brought it to her nose to smell it. However, she could only smell a faint fragrance. Her heart tightened and a wave of sadness washed over her. But she didn't want her daughter to notice, so she just pursed her lips slightly, still wearing a gentle smile, and took a sip of tea.

A refreshing tea aroma instantly spread in her mouth, and Fu Niang was taken aback. So this was the taste of good tea.

"This is truly excellent tea, Tan'er, you should try some too," she said to her daughter with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the waiter serving the food couldn't help but purse his lips and mutter under his breath, "What an ignorant family! This is just ordinary tea, yet they treat it like a treasure."

He put the dishes on the table, turned around and left, not even bothering to introduce them.

Seeing the waiter's attitude, Su Tan'er secretly rolled her eyes at his retreating figure. This scene was witnessed by Nie Qianqian, whose lips curled into a slight smile, finding the girl's straightforwardness endearing.

Su Tan'er quickly composed herself and turned her attention to the dishes on the table. She ordered sweet and sour carp and jade soup. Both dishes were exquisitely presented. The carp was scored with even cuts and drizzled with a bright red, sweet and sour sauce, garnished with tender green cilantro. In the jade soup, the tofu was as white as jade, and the spinach was emerald green and tender. It looked so appetizing and had a wonderful aroma. It was truly a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

But to her surprise, the portion size was so small. She thought to herself that it wouldn't matter if she ate less, but she must make sure her mother ate more.

Su Tan'er picked up a piece of fish and placed it in her mother's bowl, saying, "Mother, please eat it while it's hot. I heard the landlord mention that Guangjuxuan's sweet and sour carp tastes amazing."

Fu Niang looked at her daughter with loving eyes, her thoughts drifting back to the past. Tan'er's father had passed away early, leaving the mother and daughter to depend on each other for survival. Over the years, the family had barely managed to make ends meet with her meager income from making incense, and life had been very difficult.

Tan'er was sensible from a young age. Knowing her family was poor, she was very independent. As a child, she had a tomboyish personality, always bustling around and helping her with all sorts of rough and tiring work. In recent years, she has been learning to make spices from her, doing this woman's business, and has gradually learned to dress up, becoming more and more like a girl.

Fu Niang picked up a piece of fish, brought it close to her nose, and sniffed hard. It took her a lot of effort to catch a faint aroma of meat. However, even this little bit of fragrance brought a satisfied smile to her face.

Fu Niang was a perfumer, and her long hours spent working among piles of incense had dulled her sense of smell, causing it to slowly deteriorate. She knew that it wouldn't be long before she couldn't smell anything at all, and then she would have to give up her craft. If she couldn't make perfume anymore, she would only be able to take on manual labor like washing clothes, and the burden of supporting the family would fall entirely on Tan'er's shoulders. Thinking of this, the fish in her mouth suddenly lost its flavor, feeling like she was chewing wax.

She was widowed young and has raised her child alone all these years, the hardships of which only she knows. To earn more money, she often gets up before dawn and works until late at night, her back often aching from the effort. She had thought about finding someone else to rely on, but the thought of her stepfather possibly treating Tan'er badly made her grit her teeth and persevere on her own.

Over the years, with Tan'er by her side and watching the child grow up healthy, she felt that all the hardship and exhaustion were worthwhile. But the thought that Tan'er might repeat her mistakes in the future and lose her sense of smell in a decade or so made her heart feel like it was being torn apart.

She looked up at Tan'er, whose daughter was smiling at her, a radiant smile that seemed to dispel all the gloom in the world. Suppressing the bitterness in her heart, she forced a smile and said, "I've never eaten such delicious food in my life. It's all thanks to Tan'er that I can enjoy this blessing."

She savored each bite of food, feeling the warmth of the dishes and appreciating her daughter's filial piety.

Seeing her mother enjoying her meal, Su Tan'er felt relieved and started eating. As she ate, she said, "Mmm! It's so delicious! Guangjuxuan really lives up to its reputation! Mother, don't worry, Tan'er will definitely work hard to earn money in the future and take you to eat even more delicious food, just like today every day."

Su Tan'er was exceptionally sensitive to smells, so how could she not notice the changes in her mother's sense of smell? That's why she worked day and night making incense and painstakingly saved up money so that her mother could come to Guangjuxuan, the most famous restaurant in Qinghe County, to taste this rare delicacy before she completely lost her sense of smell.

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