The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 198 - 197

Chapter 197

The owner of this medical clinic was Doctor Tao, a kind-hearted and gentle thirty-year-old man. Due to his nature, his clinic was very popular among the locals.

After the clinic workers helped Ke Jiaren down from the carriage, Doctor Tao immediately came over to check on him.

As he felt Ke Jiaren’s pulse, he shook his head and said, "If he had arrived any later, he wouldn’t have survived."

The boy’s condition was dire. His wounds were untreated, and he was severely malnourished. How could he possibly survive such a harsh winter?

After assessing the boy’s condition by feeling his pulse, Doctor Tao ordered the workers to bring medicine and bandaging supplies. Seeing Doctor Tao’s grave expression, Mu Yingying felt a surge of worry. Was the boy’s condition truly that severe?

"Can you save him, Doctor?" The girl’s large, pleading eyes looked at Doctor Tao. "I’ll cover all the medical expenses. Please, just save his life."

"Miss!"

Susu’s eyes widened in shock when she heard that her young miss was willing to pay for the beggar’s treatment. Bringing him to the clinic was already a generous act, but to pay for the treatment of this beggar of unknown origin as well seemed excessive.

"You needn’t say anything more. Just give me all the money."

Having decided to help the boy, she intended to see it through to the end. Despite her reluctance, Su Su handed over the money pouch to her young miss. As the money belonged to Mu Yingying, Su Su had no choice but to comply, though she voiced one last concern in hopes that her young miss might reconsider.

"Are you sure you want to spend all this money on this beggar, Miss? Perhaps you should think it over once more?"

The money in the pouch was no small amount. Su Su felt it was a waste to spend it on a beggar. Even if her young miss helped him, Su Su could not see how this beggar would repay the favor later. Helping him seemed like throwing money away.

However, Mu Yingying did not share her maid’s view. She wanted to help the boy simply because she wished to, without expecting anything in return. It was enough for her if he could survive. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"I have thought it over. Now, give me the money."

Mu Yingying took the money from Su Su and handed the entire pouch to Doctor Tao, requesting, "Please take care of him. If it isn’t too much trouble, could you also provide him with shelter until he recovers? If you need more money, I will bring it to you later."

Doctor Tao smiled at the girl. Even though she hadn’t given him a large sum, he would take care of the boy regardless. He couldn’t leave a suffering child to endure the harsh cold outside. He was bound by his medical ethics to help.

"Rest assured, Seventh Young Miss, I will take good care of him. Please don’t worry."

With Doctor Tao’s promise, Mu Yingying felt a bit more at ease.

"Then, I entrust him to you. If there are any issues, you can always send someone to the Mu Manor for assistance."

The little girl’s genuine concern for the boy moved Doctor Tao, and he couldn’t help but admire her. The Seventh Young Miss Mu was indeed kind-hearted and compassionate. He believed that her future would be filled with prosperity and success.

"Well then, I shall take my leave now."

After Doctor Tao had treated the boy’s wounds, Mu Yingying prepared to return to the manor. The snow was piling up steadily, and she worried that if they stayed any longer, the carriage might struggle to navigate the roads, forcing them to walk back through the snowstorm.

"Safe travels, Seventh Young Miss," Doctor Tao bid her farewell and returned to tend to the patient.

After being treated, Ke Jiaren gradually regained consciousness, he slowly opened his eyes, feeling a bit disoriented. The bitter cold that had gripped his heart seemed to fade.

"You’re awake?"

Doctor Tao asked, noticing the boy had woken up. However, Ke Jiaren didn’t respond, as if he hadn’t heard the question. His eyes were fixed on the small figure of a girl walking away.

Was that the girl who had saved his life? Ke Jiaren tried to reach out towards her, but his hand grasped only empty air.

Mu Yingying and her maid had already left the medical clinic in their carriage, and Ke Jiaren’s consciousness faded once more...

Ke Jiaren slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times to adjust to the light. He had been unconscious for three full days and nights at the medical clinic, with Doctor Tao closely monitoring his condition. When the doctor saw that the boy had finally woken up, he asked with concern,

"How are you feeling? Any better?" With that, he reached out to check Ke Jiaren’s pulse again.

Ke Jiaren looked at the middle-aged man with suspicion. Although he knew the man was a doctor who had treated his injuries, he still couldn’t bring himself to fully trust him.

"I’m better," Ke Jiaren replied curtly.

He could feel that his body was much stronger than before, likely due to the proper treatment and rest he had received, allowing him to recover quickly.

"That’s good to hear,"

Doctor Tao sighed softly. The boy’s cold demeanor and emotionless expression made him wonder what kind of hardships the boy had endured to become so guarded and distant all the time like this. Just thinking about the difficulties the boy must have faced made the doctor sigh again with pity.

Ke Jiaren glanced around the room before his gaze settled back on the doctor.

"How did I end up here?"

His mind was filled with questions. He remembered being thrown out of the slave market into the heavy snowstorm. After that, he vaguely recalled a carriage passing by...

"Seventh Young Miss Mu saved you. Her name is Mu Yingying,"

Doctor Tao explained to Ke Jiaren. If the Seventh Young Miss Mu’s carriage hadn’t passed by three days ago, it was uncertain whether the boy sitting before him would still be alive. It was indeed his good fortune to have encountered such a kind-hearted girl.

Mu Yingying...

Ke Jiaren vowed to remember this name.

At that moment, in his memories, he saw the image of a young girl running down from the carriage. Though he couldn’t recall her face clearly, Ke Jiaren was certain that she must be as beautiful as her kind heart.

"Where are you going?"

Seeing Ke Jiaren trying to get up from the bed, Doctor Tao hurriedly stopped him, "Your wounds haven’t healed yet. You can’t just get up like that."

"I have no money to pay for your treatment..."

Ke Jiaren’s previously stoic face showed a hint of worry. He had no money at all, so how could he stay in the clinic?

"You don’t need to worry about that."

"..." Ke Jiaren frowned in confusion.

Seeing his reaction, Doctor Tao continued, "Seventh Young Miss has already paid for your treatment and your meals. Just focus on recovering. Leaving before you’re fully healed would waste her kindness."

After hearing this, Ke Jiaren’s mind was filled with questions. He had never met Seventh Young Miss Mu before, so why was she so kind to him? At that time, he looked like a dying beggar. She didn’t need to get off her carriage to help him, yet she chose to bring him to the medical clinic and even paid for his treatment.

What was the reason behind her actions?

Seeing Ke Jiaren’s changing expression, Doctor Tao seemed to guess his thoughts. "If you’re wondering why Seventh Young Miss Mu saved you, you can stop wondering."

Ke Jiaren’s curiosity only grew with Doctor Tao’s words.

"Everyone knows that Seventh Young Miss Mu is a kind-hearted girl. She likely saved you because she pitied you, seeing you about to die like a worthless person on the street. Additionally, she might have been thinking of her elder brother, which prompted her to help you."

Mu Yingying had an elder brother who should be about Ke Jiaren’s age. Doctor Tao believed that part of the reason she saved Ke Jiaren was because she missed her brother, whom she rarely saw due to their separation.

However, the main reason was her inherently kind nature. Hence, Doctor Tao was not surprised by her actions in helping Ke Jiaren.

Mu Yingying was truly a kind-hearted girl...

After listening to Doctor Tao’s explanation, Ke Jiaren didn’t say anything further. He simply committed Mu Yingying’s name to his memory. This time, he survived because of her. If he ever got the chance to meet her again, he promised himself that he would repay her kindness.

One month later.

Ke Jiaren had been recovering at Doctor Tao’s medical clinic for over a month. From a skinny, malnourished boy, he had gained some weight and looked much healthier. His body was now strong and fit, like that of any other young boy. Though the burn scar on the right side of his face remained prominent and unsettling to most people, it didn’t bother Doctor Tao in the least.

"Is that ugly boy still staying at your clinic? Why do you keep someone like him here? Aren’t you afraid people will be disgusted by his hideous face?"

This was not the first time Doctor Tao had heard this sentiment. Every time these patients came for treatment and saw Ke Jiaren, they would look at him with disdain, as if he were some repulsive creature.

"Every time I see that boy, my wound hurts more. It feels like my injury is getting worse,"

Another man chimed in, showing the unhealed wound on his right leg. He had been receiving treatment at Doctor Tao’s clinic for several days, but his wound showed no signs of improvement. He attributed his worsening condition to the presence of the ugly boy.

Doctor Tao shook his head at such unfounded beliefs. The real reason for the man’s slow recovery was his poor wound care and his high blood sugar levels, which made the wound heal slower than normal people. But those who harbored prejudice and hatred towards Ke Jiaren readily agreed with the man’s complaint.

"Indeed, maybe it’s his ugly face causing our conditions to worsen."

"That must be it. Having someone so unlucky around must be why we’re not getting better."

Doctor Tao, tired of hearing such nonsense, finally spoke up. "Ke Jiaren may have a disfigured face, but he certainly can’t worsen your conditions. Besides, he’s a hardworking boy. How can you accuse him of being unlucky? If you had followed my advice from the start, you would have seen improvements by now. Stop blaming others."

Hearing Doctor Tao’s reprimand, the patients who had been slandering Ke Jiaren fell silent and quickly left in embarrassment.

Since Doctor Tao had provided shelter and food for Ke Jiaren, the boy worked diligently at the medical clinic to repay the kindness. Over the past half month, Ke Jiaren had significantly eased the workload at the clinic, endearing himself to the middle-aged doctor, who treated him like his own family.

Whenever someone slandered Ke Jiaren, Doctor Tao would defend him.

The incident where Doctor Tao scolded those patients was all in Ke Jiaren’s sight. Although he could have stood up for himself, he chose not to cause any trouble for Doctor Tao. Instead, he kept his feelings of humiliation and contempt to himself, treating the hurtful words as meaningless chatter unworthy of his attention.

"Thank you, Doctor, for your kindness,"

After those people had left, Ke Jiaren approached Doctor Tao and bowed his head in gratitude. He no longer harbored any suspicion towards Doctor Tao; instead, he felt only gratitude for the food, shelter, and care provided to him.

"This is nothing to be thankful for. Those people judged you merely by your appearance. It’s unacceptable." Doctor Tao shook his head. He was too tired to pay attention to people who looked down on others.

"In the future, you won’t have to defend me anymore."

"What do you mean by that?" Doctor Tao couldn’t hide his shock. What was the boy trying to imply?

"My body is much stronger now, and I have many matters to attend to. I can no longer stay and help you,"

Ke Jiaren explained truthfully. Though he felt a pang of sadness saying it, he knew his path lay elsewhere. He had many things to resolve and couldn’t afford to waste any more time in Qingyun City.

"Where will you go?"

Doctor Tao felt a sense of loss when the boy suddenly acted like he was about to bid his farewell. Over the past month, he had grown attached to the hardworking and intelligent boy. If Ke Jiaren wanted to continue working at the clinic, Doctor Tao would have gladly accepted him.

"I have to travel to a distant place to take care of some matters. Thank you for your help. I will never forget your kindness,"

Ke Jiaren bowed deeply again. He didn’t know when he would return after setting out on this journey.

"Then I wish you safe travels,"

Doctor Tao gave his blessing, despite feeling sad. Since Ke Jiaren said he still had some matters to attend to, he couldn’t selfishly keep him here.

"I will definitely return to see you," Ke Jiaren said with determination.

Doctor Tao smiled and handed him some money. Ke Jiaren didn’t want to accept, feeling it was too generous, and tried to return it. But Doctor Tao insisted, "Traveling costs money. Take it with you."

"But..." The boy hesitated. The money that Doctor Tao was offering was too much; how could he accept it?

"No buts. If you don’t take this money, then I won’t allow you to leave."

Despite Doctor Tao’s firm words, Ke Jiaren could immediately sense how much the doctor cared for him. This money would allow him to travel far without starving along the way. Ke Jiaren felt deeply grateful for Doctor Tao’s kindness.

"Thank you very much. I will use the money you gave me wisely,"

Ke Jiaren said, expressing his gratitude once more. Besides Young Miss Mu Yingying, Doctor Tao was another person he was determined to repay in the future...

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