Chapter 310: Chapter 277: Teacher Takes Action

"I won’t ask you to take Xia Zhu as your only wife for life. Your Wen Family is prestigious, and you’ll definitely be expected to take concubines. But I want to fight for the position of the primary wife for my apprentice. Can you do it?" Lin Miao asked calmly.

"I can!"

"Can your family accept you marrying someone like Xia Zhu, who is not from a matching background and is even a few months older than you?" Lin Miao continued with a probing question.

"A disciple of Mr. Lin is a family of the highest order. How could the mundane understand this!" Wen Ruyu replied solemnly.

"You haven’t said many flattering words like this in your life, right?" Lin Miao smiled slightly. "But I like to hear it."

"Thank you, Mr. Lin, for your support." Wen Ruyu’s cheeks turned red.

"It’s too early to talk about this now. Although I’m Xia Zhu’s master, her marriage is ultimately up to her parents. I can only help speak on your behalf," Lin Miao said. "But remember, you must not reveal anything to Xia Zhu. Understand?"

"Understood, Mr. Lin. I know the consequences of this matter. Even if my reputation suffers, I can’t let Xia Zhu be wronged in the slightest." Wen Ruyu immediately responded.

"Extend your hand." Lin Miao glanced at Wen Ruyu, instructing him.

"Huh?" Wen Ruyu didn’t quite understand what Lin Miao intended to do, but he complied and extended his right hand.

"The other one."

Lin Miao placed three fingers on Wen Ruyu’s left wrist. After about three breaths, he released it and said, "Hmm, you weren’t lying earlier, and your kidneys are fine too."

"Mr. Lin, you were checking my pulse to see if I was lying?" Wen Ruyu was taken aback.

"Yes, what’s the problem?"

"Can lying really be detected through the pulse?" Wen Ruyu asked in amazement, as this challenged his understanding.

"Of course. When a person lies, they tend to be nervous, and a rapid heartbeat follows. In the left wrist, the sections represent the heart, lungs, and kidneys. A normally healthy person, when lying suddenly, will show a floating pulse. If you don’t believe it, feel it for yourself," Lin Miao chuckled. "Or find someone to test it out, see if what I’m saying is true?"

"Mr. Lin, did you come up with this three-finger pulse diagnosis on your own, or was it passed down from a teacher?" Wen Ruyu asked curiously, as he had inquired about this with Xia Zhu, who also didn’t know.

Wen Ruyu’s question was also challenging to answer. Lin Miao thought for a moment and said, "I summarized it from what my master taught me."

"Then, Mr. Lin, without so many practical cases, how do you accurately judge based on pulse diagnosis?"

"Well, although I previously didn’t have an independent practice qualification, I followed my master and felt many pulses, seen many cases," Lin Miao had to say. Although the town didn’t have many cases, it could be considered so.

If one insisted on digging further, it would be meaningless.

Fortunately, Wen Ruyu hadn’t lived in a remote town and didn’t know about these, so he didn’t continue pressing.

"I have matters to attend to, Mr. Wen. I’ll take my leave now." Lin Miao also feared that Wen Ruyu might ask more questions that he couldn’t handle, so it was better to leave proactively.

"I’ll see Mr. Lin out." Wen Ruyu quickly stood up and said.

Lin Miao didn’t refuse. He was Xia Zhu’s teacher, and if Wen Ruyu wanted to marry Xia Zhu, he needed to show some attitude; otherwise, he wouldn’t pass on his end.

...

"Old Xia, Old Xia..." Lin Miao left the Xinglin Institute and went directly to Xia Yuan’s home. With not many people at Xia Yuan’s residence, once the gatekeeper opened the door for him, he directly went in.

"Oh, Mr. Lin, you come without any prior notice; I’m not prepared at all..." Xia Yuan walked out from the inner courtyard, wearing wooden clogs and rolling up his sleeves, seemingly holding some small tools.

Lin Miao spotted with his sharp eyes that they seemed to be for trimming nails.

The setup indicated that it wasn’t for himself, making it clear who it was for.

This couple truly seemed loving. Lin Miao felt a bit envious. If in old age, he could also live in harmony with his senior sister like this, how wonderful it would be.

"Oops, sorry about that, Mr. Lin. Please go to the main hall for some tea, I’ll be right there," Xia Yuan quickly hid the tools behind him, smiling awkwardly.

"Do carry on, haha."

In the main hall, the butler served a cup of tea.

Lin Miao didn’t sit down, just stood and waited. After about half a cup of tea’s time, Xia Yuan came out in a change of clothes.

"Sorry for keeping Mr. Lin waiting, please, have a seat," Xia Yuan invited.

"No worries. Coming unannounced, it’s I who troubled you." Lin Miao chuckled. "I hope your wife doesn’t mind?"

"No, no..." Xia Yuan blushed. Having such a little secret interaction between husband and wife seen by others was indeed somewhat embarrassing.

"Did you receive the items I asked Xia Zhu to bring you?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"I did. Mr. Lin, you’re too kind to bring me anything."

"It’s nothing, just some local specialties for you to try." Lin Miao laughed and explained.

"What brings Mr. Lin here today? Is there anything urgent?" Xia Yuan asked.

"There is something, and although I wasn’t daring enough to intervene, as Xia Zhu’s teacher, I’m afraid that if I don’t handle it, the trouble might only grow larger if something happens," Lin Miao straightforwardly stated his purpose related to Xia Zhu and Wen Ruyu.

"Did something happen to Xia Zhu?"

"Xia Zhu cannot marry Shen Haidong," Lin Miao said.

"Why is that?" Xia Yuan became anxious upon hearing this.

"Xia Zhu and Shen Haidong are maternal cousins, aren’t they?" Lin Miao asked.

"Yes, his mother and my wife are sisters, but not blood-related, they’re considered cousin sisters, why?" Xia Yuan nodded.

"In terms of blood relations, their relationship is very close. Although our dynasty doesn’t prohibit maternal cousins from marrying, the children born from such unions have a high probability of being born with congenital defects. You know this, don’t you, Xia?"

Xia Yuan shook his head; he really didn’t know this. Apart from direct blood relations being prohibited from marrying, any other relationships are permissible.

"Let me put it this way: marriage between close relatives will inevitably have conflicts in some respects, which may easily cause problems in the offspring. Moreover, these are congenital issues that medicine cannot solve. Xia, you could do a bit of research to verify what I am saying, then compare with normal couples, and you’ll easily come to this conclusion." Lin Miao explained.

"Mr. Lin, Xia Zhu and Shen Haidong have been engaged for nearly a year—you’re bringing this up now about their unsuitability?" Xia Yuan suspected Lin Miao might have other motives.

Even though Xia Zhu is in her early thirties, she has inherited her mother’s genes. Though not extraordinarily beautiful, she is definitely attractive, and aside from being somewhat older, she is outstanding in many ways. He initially opposed Xia Zhu taking Lin Miao as a mentor, fearing this very day, which is why he insisted on her engagement to Shen Haidong.

The dubious matters between mentor and student were too common; he worried Xia Zhu might follow this path.

If Xia Zhu indeed had an affair with Lin Miao, he would find it utterly unacceptable, for in Xia Yuan’s heart, Lin Miao had always been an upright and talented young man, not to mention that he wasn’t even without a fiancée himself?

"Xia, I wish for Xia Zhu to have a brighter future. She and Shen Haidong have only sibling-like feelings and lack romantic love. Forcing them together would ultimately bring neither of them happiness."

"Mr. Lin, is this Xia Zhu’s wish?"

"Xia Zhu doesn’t know; it’s a decision I made as her mentor. If she had brought it up, it would have been a completely different situation."

"Then, Mr. Lin, how should Xia Zhu address you in the future?" Xia Yuan asked, his voice trembling. He wanted to confirm whether Lin Miao and Xia Zhu had breached that boundary.

"What do you mean by address? I’m her mentor; of course, she should call me ’mentor,’" Lin Miao answered without much thought.

Xia Yuan felt as if his backbone had been removed. If he reneged on the marriage agreement, it would ruin his credibility, and he feared he wouldn’t be able to explain it to his wife’s family either.

But things had reached this point—should he force Xia Zhu to break it off? If it became a scandal, it would cause a citywide uproar...

Xia Yuan couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of regret in his heart; had he known it would come to this, he wouldn’t have allowed Xia Zhu to become Lin Miao’s disciple.

The question was, now that things had come to this, what could be done?

"Xia, there’s another matter. I’d like to recommend you for the position of Vice President of the Physician Association. If you have no objections, I’ll discuss it with Mr. Wen Ruyu," Lin Miao said. On his end, Xia Yuan seemed to be the most suitable candidate for the Vice President role of the Physician Association.

"Mr. Lin, let me consider it," Xia Yuan said. Distracted by Xia Zhu’s affairs, he had no mind to think about it.

Was this compensation?

He even had the thought that Lin Miao, having taken his daughter, was offering him a concession—a stick followed by a sweet reward.

"Okay, then please give it some thought, Xia," Lin Miao nodded. Such a significant matter couldn’t be decided without consideration.

"Mr. Lin, anything else?"

"No more."

"Then, if Mr. Lin has no further business, I must excuse myself." Xia Yuan lifted his teacup.

Serving tea to signal a guest’s departure was a courtesy he understood. Lin Miao then rose and took his leave.

...

Once Lin Miao left, Xia Yuan put down his teacup, his spirits draining instantly. He had no idea how to explain this to his wife.

He feared her illness could not withstand such a shock.

Xia Yuan’s face turned as bitter as a gourd.

He couldn’t even summon Xia Zhu back to inquire; if it was true, there truly would be no room for maneuvering.

For the moment, Xia Yuan didn’t dare go to the inner quarters; his appearance was such that his wife would immediately sense something was amiss. He truly didn’t know how to handle this.

...

Meanwhile, Sun Youwei arrived at Yongning Hall in Qingyuan Square (formerly Yong’an Hall, now the headquarters of Yongning Hall). As the behind-the-scenes owner of Yongning Hall, it was appropriate for her to inspect the main hall.

Though Yongning Hall was an established medical clinic, beside the original Cheng Liujia, they had now recruited Shen Haidong as well.

While its prestige was not what it once was, it now had Mr. Lin as a significant backing, which meant a completely different future.

Especially after the change of ownership at Yongning Hall, its patent medicine business became a gold standard. Everyone knew these patent medicines came from Mr. Lin’s expertise, ensuring they were safe, reliable, effective, and reasonably priced.

As a result, the business at Yongning Hall’s Qingyuan Square main store was now better than before, with income from the pharmacy accounting for more than eighty percent.

Even Cheng Liujia would now consult the transcribed Lin’s Medical Case Collection when diagnosing, prescribing patent medicines whenever applicable.

This spared patients the hassle of decocting herbs and saved unnecessary trouble, also helping patients reduce costs through patent medicines.