A dical license? Granny couldn’t have cared less. She asked, "Were you the one who healed Jing Qi’s crippled legs?"
Qin i rolled her eyes. ’Everyone knows I’m treating Jing Qi’s legs. Aside from family, plenty of outsiders are watching, treating Jing Qi like my own personal experint. Granny is only asking this pointless question to set up what she really wants to say.’
"If I said no—that I don’t have that ability, and Jing Qi’s legs healed on their own—would you believe ?" Qin i retorted with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Granny plopped down on the edge of the bed. She stopped beating around the bush and said bluntly, "Jing Si’s wife, my second son’s eldest, Jie Anlin... ahem. He’s been married for years and still doesn’t have any children. I want you to treat him."
Infertility. The corner of Qin i’s mouth twitched. ’Granny actually wants to treat infertility.’
Qin i didn’t refuse outright. Instead, she said, "Granny, if they’ve been married for years without children, are you certain the problem lies with your grandson and not your granddaughter-in-law?"
Granny rubbed her nose, answering with so embarrassnt, "His wife got checked. There’s nothing wrong with her."
Qin i didn’t press the issue. ’In this day and age, for a couple to be childless after so many years of marriage... that granddaughter-in-law must have shouldered so much unfair bla. For her to be vindicated and still remain devoted to her husband is truly admirable.’
"Jing Si’s wife, I must remind you," Granny said, "you cannot tell anyone about treating my grandson’s... delicate condition. No one outside the family knows about his problem, not even his wife’s family. You must keep his treatnt an absolute secret."
Qin i watched Granny with a cool indifference. ’I haven’t even agreed yet, and she’s already laying down warnings.’
’Such is human selfishness. If the roles were reversed and it was the granddaughter-in-law with the problem, she’d probably make sure the news spread like wildfire.’
Qin i nonchalantly flicked a fingernail and smiled at Granny. "My fees are very expensive, Granny."
"Fees?" Granny’s eyebrows shot up, and she was on the verge of losing her temper. But then she rembered she was the one asking for a favor. Swallowing her anger, she forced a smile and said to Qin i, "We’re all family. Why would you charge a fee? It’s so impersonal. Your mother-in-law never charged us a thing when she treated our illnesses."
’There it is again,’ Qin i scoffed inwardly. She said aloud, "My mother-in-law is my mother-in-law, and I am . She didn’t charge because she wasn’t short on cash. In fact, I’d wager that when she treated you, not only did she not charge you, but she probably ended up giving you both dicine and money. My mother-in-law is rich, Granny, but I’m not."
"Jing Si is your grandson, too. You’ve seen Jing Qi’s condition. Jing Si works all by himself to support , Jing Qi, and himself. It’s incredibly difficult. You should have so sympathy for him. It’s one thing to not offer us any support, but now you don’t want to pay my dical fees and expect to cover the dicine and expenses to treat your other grandson’s delicate problem? Granny, does your conscience not bother you at all?"
Granny was taken aback. ’This wife of Jing Si’s has a sharp tongue.’ She retorted, "Jing Si brought this on himself. Wouldn’t it be better for the family to live in peace and harmony? He was the one who insisted on splitting off. You don’t know how expensive life is until you’re the one running the household."
"And do you, Granny?" Qin i asked. "Do you know how expensive life is?"
Granny gritted her teeth and glared at her. ’As if I’d know!’ she thought. "How about this? You two go have a nice talk with his parents, admit you were wrong, and I’ll put in a good word for you. His father will forgive you then."
Qin i shook her head. "We’re doing just fine as we are."
"You can barely put food on the table, and you call that ’fine’?" Granny said with a sneer.
Qin i raised an eyebrow. "Who said we can barely put food on the table?"
"You did, just now," Granny said.
Qin i fell silent. ’Did I say that? Of course not.’ Granny was deliberately twisting her words. "Granny, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. I can treat your grandson, but I will be charging a fee. And it will be expensive. You can think it over."
Granny didn’t need to think. Seeing Qin i’s unyielding stance, she imdiately conceded. "Fine. A fee it is."
"Very expensive," Qin i reminded her pointedly.
"Let it be expensive, then," Granny said through gritted teeth.
’So generous?’ Qin i was skeptical, recalling the raw deal she’d gotten from Jie Jingchen. "I get paid first, then I provide the treatnt."
"Jing Si’s wife, now you’re going too far. That’s not reasonable," Granny protested. "You want to get paid before you’ve even started the treatnt? What if you can’t cure my grandson’s delicate condition?" She wasn’t about to agree to everything.
"I’ll take your grandson’s pulse first. If I determine it’s sothing I can treat, I will. If not, I won’t. Rest assured, I have my professional ethics. I won’t scam you," Qin i guaranteed.
"But what if you try and fail to cure him?" Granny persisted.
Qin i raised an eyebrow. "If I can’t cure him, you’ll get a full refund."
"Deal." That was exactly what Granny had been waiting to hear.
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