In the evening, when the bustling Qianjin Hall quieted down, Qi Yue and A’Ru walked out the door.
“Oh right, Yan’er should come for her follow-up. Find a way to notify eldest sister,” she said, remembering something.
A’Ru nodded.
Qi Yue stretched her arms.
“I’m so tired today,” she said. “How about we get some wine to go back and drink?”
A’Ru pursed her lips and glanced at her.
“The doctor said you’re not allowed to drink,” she said.
“Which doctor said that?” Qi Yue said with a grin, linking arms with A’Ru. “I’m also a doctor – I say it’s fine.”
“Your word doesn’t count. If you can read pulse, then I’ll listen to you,” A’Ru said with a huff.
Qi Yue laughed heartily.
“Don’t underestimate me – I’ll learn it soon,” she laughed, shaking A’Ru’s arm again. “Just a little bit.”
A’Ru was completely unmoved.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said. “Go back and drink the fish soup A’Hao made.”
Qi Yue covered her eyes with her hand.
“Oh God, A’Ru, even delicacies get boring if you eat them all the time, let alone fish brains…” she wailed.
A’Ru pulled her forward while laughing.
“You are what you eat,” she laughed.
“Fish only have seven seconds of memory, dear. What does that supplement?” Qi Yue laughed.
Seven seconds? What does that mean?
“Anyway, don’t think about drinking,” A’Ru said, brooking no argument.
Qi Yue put on a dejected expression.
“Pay up, pay up!”
Suddenly children’s voices rang out in the street.
“Eat my scallion pancake, pay up!”
“What payment? I’m just tasting whether your pancake is edible or not – what payment?” two idlers said, throwing down a pancake that had only one bite left, spitting. “Tastes awful.”
As he said this, he pushed away the child who was tugging at his sleeve.
“Get lost.”
The child was pushed to the ground, and the basket on her arm tipped over, several pancakes sliding out.
Passersby showed some indignation in their eyes, but seeing the idlers’ demeanor, they all lowered their heads and pretended not to see.
The child cried as she frantically picked up the pancakes.
“Little brat, even wearing a face covering, thinks she’s some courtesan,” the idler laughed. One of them simply reached out to pull off the child’s face covering.
The girl was startled and cried as she tried to dodge, hurriedly covering her mouth, but it was too late. The idler let out a yell.
“Good heavens, such a big scar on her mouth!” he shouted dramatically, grabbing the girl who was covering her mouth. “Look, look, like an earthworm…”
The girl cried loudly, desperately covering her mouth and trying to break free, but how could she match an adult’s strength? Passersby also looked over.
“Yan’er?”
A woman’s voice suddenly rang out.
Yan’er shuddered and saw a woman standing in front of her, looking at her with disbelief.
“What are you doing here?” Qi Yue asked, thinking she was seeing things.