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

As soon as Wei Susu finished speaking, several voices rang out simultaneously, mingling into a chorus of urgent dissuasion:

Qin Jichuan: "Are you crazy?"

Jiang Lingyang: "Susu!"

Jiang Zheng'an: "Mother!"

Jiang Muxin: "No!"

Although no one could hear each other clearly, they all understood that they were advising Wei Susu to make a careful choice.

Wei Susu smiled faintly at everyone, her tone still gentle, but her attitude was unusually firm.

“I have made up my mind. Just like Doctor Qian said, life and death should be in one's own hands. Now that I have made up my mind, there is no need for you to persuade me anymore. I will not change my mind.”

Qin Jichuan could hardly believe it. Wei Susu didn't trust him, the former chief apprentice of the Imperial Physician of the Imperial Hospital, but instead trusted a "reclusive doctor" who wouldn't even reveal his true face.

He bluntly questioned, "Why do you trust him so much? What if he's a fraud?"

Wei Susu responded gently: "Zheng An told me about Doctor Qian. Doctor Qian led the Jishetang staff to risk their lives to treat the epidemic. How could someone who risks his life like that be a fraud? I trust Zheng An's judgment and my intuition when I met Doctor Qian. If I have made a mistake, I will bear all the consequences."

Qin Jichuan then realized that Madam Jiang, though seemingly gentle, was actually very stubborn. Once she made a decision, she would never listen to anyone else's advice.

He had a sudden thought: swindlers do things for money, power, fame, and profit. Since he couldn't persuade Wei Susu, he would try to find a breakthrough by talking to Doctor Qian.

He turned to look at Doctor Qian and said in a deep voice, "Doctor Qian, you are dealing with the wife of a first-rank official. If anything goes wrong, it won't be resolved with just a 'I won't hold it against you' statement. What exactly are you after? What do you want in return for treating her?"

Nie Qianqian bluntly stated: "I'm asking for a consultation fee."

Qin Jichuan immediately perked up, as if he had found a handle to use against him, and hurriedly said, "Lord Jiang, listen to this! He's only here for money, he doesn't really want to get treatment!"

Nie Qianqian shrugged, her tone frank: "This surgery is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and extremely complex, so naturally there's a consultation fee. What? They invited you to treat them, aren't you going to charge them a fee?"

Qin Jichuan choked.

Although he hadn't come for money, the time and effort had taken, and he certainly wouldn't refuse Jiang Lingyang's payment. He tried to justify himself, saying, "I'm not like you!"

Nie Qianqian raised an eyebrow and retorted, "How are they different? Aren't they all the same—getting paid to do a service?"

Director Zhang was sweating profusely with anxiety, wishing he could cover Nie Qianqian's mouth.

Whenever it comes to these crucial moments where medical skills and ethics are compared, Nie Qianqian always brings up "money".

Jiang Lingyang, however, did not take it to heart and said in a deep voice, "If you can really cure the lady, Doctor Qian, just ask for the price and I will give it to you!"

After a moment's thought, referring to past fee standards, Nie Qianqian said frankly, "Let's make things clear first, so you won't say I'm overcharging later. If the surgery successfully cures Madam, the consultation fee will be 1,500 taels; if it fails, I won't charge a penny."

Director Zhang: It's getting darker and darker...

Upon hearing this, Jiang Muxin frowned even more deeply and couldn't help but interject, "If the disease is cured, then of course we should pay the 1,500 taels; but if it is not cured, while we will not have to pay the money, we will lose the last moments we have with our mother—who should bear such a loss?"

Nie Qianqian glanced at her and noticed her resistance to the surgery. Perhaps it was because women tend to be conservative, but she didn't care much and simply said, "The risks should be borne by Madam herself, just as she just stated."

Jiang Muxin thought to herself that this Doctor Nie was truly impervious to reason, even more so than Qin Jichuan.

Jiang Lingyang turned to Wei Susu, his tone full of seriousness: "Susu, are you really sure?" He had seen his wife looking despondent, and he thought she would never choose such a dangerous surgery, but unexpectedly she suddenly changed her mind.

Wei Susu nodded, her voice gentle yet filled with a do-or-die determination: "Yes, Lingyang, I've decided to have the surgery. I want to live, and I want to continue searching for my daughter."

"Even if I endure until the last moment of my life, even if I turn into a handful of yellow earth, I will never relax even a little. I used to be cowardly, always thinking of escaping this storm, putting all the heavy burden on your shoulders, and letting you suffer so much alone."

These words brought tears to Jiang Lingyang's eyes instantly.

He always knew that his wife was suffering greatly from the pain of losing their daughter, and that this suffering should be understood and tolerated.

Now that she has regained her courage, she is joining him in the search for their daughter, and he is filled with burning hope.

As if a fire were burning in his chest, he raised his voice and said, "Dr. Qian! Since Susu has made up her mind, as her husband, I will fully support her! We agree to the surgery, and I entrust Susu's life to you. I beg you to do everything in your power!"

As soon as he finished speaking, this high-ranking official bowed deeply to Nie Qianqian.

Such a grand ceremony has never been received by anyone other than members of the royal family.

Nie Qianqian quickly helped him up and said in a deep voice, "I will do my best."

Qin Jichuan watched in stunned silence, finding it utterly absurd: "They're all insane! They're all crazy!" He looked at Nie Qianqian, "If you're greedy, just say so. Don't gamble with other people's lives!"

Nie Qianqian glanced at him and said indifferently, "I don't talk to people who don't have gourds."

"You—!" Qin Jichuan was so angry that he immediately turned around and left, slamming the door shut as he went out.

Outside the door, he gritted his teeth: "It's just a gourd! I'll go to the provincial capital's Medical Association right now and apply for a gourd that grants me a five-star physician's title. I'll throw it right in your face!"

With the dust settled, Nie Qianqian didn't delay any longer and said solemnly, "Several days of preparation are needed before the operation. I will conduct a more detailed examination for Madam. Today, I will prescribe a prescription and supplement it with acupuncture to regulate the body and pave the way for the operation."

Looking at Nie Qianqian, Wei Susu felt a strange sense of closeness and trust.

Half of it stemmed from that inexplicable sense of closeness.

The other half was because Dr. Qian respected her wishes greatly and never imposed his own ideas on her. This respect made her willingly reciprocate with her trust.

She nodded gently: "Okay, I'll do whatever Dr. Nie says."