Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Madam, Have You Committed Too Many Evil Deeds?

Yan Wen glanced at Su Huaqing. The two rose in unspoken agreement and approached Song Lianhe. “How can we help you, madam?”

Nanny Tian demanded, “My lady is unwell. She wishes for the goddess doctor to see her.”

Cao Ying scoffed, “There are rules everywhere. If you won’t follow the rules of our Medical Clinic, then I suggest you find help elsewhere.”

Mrs. Liu was taken aback when she saw her.

This was the daughter of the Imperial Censor, Mr. Cao, and the “old maid” known throughout all of Ling’an, still unmarried despite being over twenty. It was no secret that she adored Zhou Junlin, which was why she often made trouble for Lan’er.

’But what is she doing at this Medical Clinic?’

’From the looks of it, she’s on rather good terms with the goddess doctor.’

The other patients in the hall began to berate them for cutting in line.

Song Lianhe sat upright at her desk, arms crossed, her cool gaze fixed on them.

Nanny Tian snapped, “How dare you be so impudent! Do you have any idea who our lady is?”

“Hah, the National Guardian General’s wife, of course.” Cao Ying couldn’t be bothered to play guessing games and said bluntly, “Our Medical Clinic has its rules. In here, there are only doctors and patients, not some ’General’s wife’! Everyone who comes here has to get in line!”

Hearing that she was the General’s wife, everyone craned their necks to get a look.

A while back, the simultaneous marriage of the two daughters from the General Mansion had become the talk of the town. And it was this second wife of the National Guardian General who had caused the biggest stir of all!

“So that’s the General’s wife… Isn’t she the one who tried to smash General Li Hua’s memorial tablet?”

“I hear she’s terribly biased!”

“Exactly! If she weren’t so black-hearted, how could she have angered the old master of Dao Yuan Temple so much that he personally wrote a letter severing all ties with her?”

“I always heard it was that Miss Song who was the unreliable one. Looking at it now, it’s really hard to tell who was right and who was wrong, isn’t it?”

Hearing the low whispers all around, Mrs. Liu instinctively raised a handkerchief to hide her face.

“You—”

Nanny Tian was about to lash out, but Mrs. Liu pulled her back and said gently, “Since Miss Cao insists, then we shall follow their rules and wait in line.”

Mrs. Liu was always good at putting on a facade in public. She leaned weakly against Nanny Tian as they stood at the very end of the line. It was now early summer, and the sun was scorching. Mrs. Liu gave Nanny Tian a single look, and the nanny understood immediately. She helped her to the side to rest, then beckoned a young maidservant over.

Inside the hall, Cao Ying whispered, “I hear it’ll be difficult for her to carry this child to term.”

Doctors from every medical clinic in the city, large and small, had been summoned to the General Mansion, so it was impossible to keep this a secret.

“Are you going to help her keep it?”

Song Lianhe lowered her eyes.

’To be honest, I’m very conflicted.’

’To a physician, there are no villains, only patients.’

’If I weren’t a physician, if I didn’t have this duty to save the dying and heal the sick, I wouldn’t give a damn whether Mrs. Liu lived or died!’

’But I am one.’

Song Lianhe didn’t need to say a word. Cao Ying understood. She shook her head and sighed, “You’re a lost cause.”

Song Lianhe felt aggrieved. “I don’t want to, either~”

’That was the truth.’

“And yet, I must.”

’That was also the truth.’

Soon, it was Mrs. Liu’s turn.

Although she had been resting on the side for a long time, she couldn’t hide her pallor. She was utterly exhausted, and when Nanny Tian helped her to her feet, her legs were trembling.

Song Lianhe frowned. Instead of having Yan Wen and the others do a preliminary check, she motioned for Mrs. Liu to come straight to her.

Cao Ying, standing to one side, shot Mrs. Liu a look and said irritably, “Your hand.”

Mrs. Liu held out her hand, and Song Lianhe placed her fingers on her wrist.

The physician wore a veiled hat that obscured her face, yet Mrs. Liu still looked at her with suspicion, her eyes darting back and forth.

’There’s something very familiar about this goddess doctor, as if I’ve met her somewhere before…’

Song Lianhe checked her pulse repeatedly. Indeed, it showed signs of an impending miscarriage.

She lowered her voice and asked, “Madam, is it possible you’ve committed too many evil deeds in your life?”

Cao Ying snorted with laughter.

Mrs. Liu’s expression darkened. Nanny Tian snapped, “How audacious! Do you have a death wish? How dare you slander our lady?!”

Song Lianhe raised a hand, signaling for her to calm down.

“If not for your many evil deeds, why would the karmic retribution fall upon the child in your womb?”

She could ignore anything else, but when it came to her child, Mrs. Liu grew frantic. Forgetting all about the accusation, she asked anxiously, “Goddess Doctor, do you have a way to save my baby?”

Song Lianhe shot her a glance. “There is, but it will require your complete cooperation.”

“No problem! Just tell me what to do! I will absolutely cooperate!”

So many doctors had told her it was hopeless. This was the first one to give a definitive “yes,” and Mrs. Liu was overcome with excitement.

“First, you must write down every single one of your transgressions. Do not leave anything out. Every wicked deed you have ever committed must be written down.”

“What?”

Mrs. Liu was stunned. She had never heard of such a requirement!

“What transgressions have I committed? Goddess Doctor, are you trying to…”

“You won’t write it? Very well, find help elsewhere.”

“Don’t!”

Mrs. Liu gritted her teeth. “Fine, I’ll write it!”

Song Lianhe nodded with satisfaction. “Since evil deeds bring bitter fruit, you must start performing good deeds from this day forward.”

“So… should I distribute porridge to the poor?”

“Why go to all that trouble? It would be enough for you to purchase extra medicine from this Medical Clinic and distribute it to the poor families who cannot afford it.”

Mrs. Liu was so furious she could have ground her teeth to dust. ’So she’s just using this to make a sale off me!’

But she didn’t dare refuse, so she could only agree. “Fine.”

“Next…”

“How can there be more?”

“You’re not willing? Then perhaps you should seek…”

“I am! I am willing! Of course, I’m willing…”

“Excellent. Next, you must remain on bed rest. You are not to get up for any reason until you give birth.”

This part wasn’t difficult to accept. For a pregnant woman with a high-risk pregnancy, extended bed rest was indeed necessary.

“And finally…”

“There’s more?”

“…”

“G-Goddess Doctor, please, go on.”

The smile on Mrs. Liu’s face was about to collapse. She just prayed it wasn’t another outrageous demand.

Song Lianhe glanced at her and said, “Forgive my frankness, but given your character, it will be difficult for you to raise this child properly. He will need a suitable godmother.”

“What!”

Mrs. Liu slammed her hand on the table in a rage. ’Spending some silver was one thing, but now I have to give my son away?!’

But Nanny Tian whispered urgently, “My lady, let’s just get through this crisis first. It’s only about finding a godmother. When the time comes, whether you truly acknowledge her or not is still up to us, isn’t it?”

’On second thought, she was right.’

With that, her anger subsided somewhat. “Then, after the child is born…”

“You’ll acknowledge her now.”

Song Lianhe said, “The wife of Mr. Cao, who is also a court-appointed lady of the Second-Grade. I find her most suitable.”

“Lady…”

Mrs. Liu instinctively glanced at Cao Ying.

“I have no desire for a little brother, especially not one from *that* family,” Cao Ying said, shaking her head emphatically.

The child in Mrs. Liu’s womb was, in a way, Song Lianhe’s own half-brother. She couldn’t bear the thought of him being raised by a mother with Mrs. Liu’s character.

Lady Cao was different; the children she raised were all good-hearted and kind. Song Lianhe would feel at ease entrusting this child to her.

“This is the final requirement. If you do not agree, then we have nothing more to discuss. Please leave.”

Mrs. Liu was flushed with desperation. Right now, this goddess doctor was her only hope. If she had to agree to a godmother, then so be it!

“Fine! I agree!”

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