Copper Bell Physician
Yu Jinnian walked downstairs and saw a burly man leading a group of servants carefully carrying a stretcher inside. On the stretcher lay a young man with a flushed face. Judging by his clothes, he appeared to be the son of a wealthy family, but now he was disheveled, his complexion waxy and haggard. He clutched his right leg with both hands, wanting to touch it but not daring to, groaning continuously, and crying out, “It hurts! It hurts so much!”
Passing guests pinched their noses and avoided getting close. Some bad-tempered ones even muttered under their breath, “How unlucky!”
The burly man continued carrying the stretcher further inside, trying to stop in the hall, but was blocked by Su Ting, who said with an awkward expression, “Dear guest, this is a restaurant. I’m afraid bringing a stretcher inside isn’t very appropriate…”
“How is it inappropriate? Our young master—” The man was about to lose his temper but turned around and saw everyone in the hall had stopped eating to stare at them. Considering the famed medical skills of the owner and the rumor that the true backer of this restaurant was an influential figure, the man dared not make trouble here today. Besides, they were here seeking help.
So he immediately bowed and pleaded with Su Ting, “Little Boss, please, we’re here for the little divine physician to take a look at our young master. He’s been in unbearable pain for days. Please, have mercy!”
Su Ting glanced at the patient on the stretcher. The young man’s foot was covered with a brocade cloth, likely concealing the injury. Still, he hesitated—after all, this was a place for dining. Bringing a sick person inside could risk spreading illness to their guests. How could they continue running the business afterward?
Yu Jinnian stepped forward, patted Su Ting’s shoulder, signaling him to step aside. He approached, lifted a corner of the brocade cloth slightly, glanced at the wound, frowned, and instructed, “Su Ting, borrow a room from the inn next door and have them carry him to a bed.”
The burly man’s face twitched, and he immediately thanked Yu Jinnian profusely, hurriedly ordering his servants to carry the young master to the neighboring inn.
Yu Jinnian returned to the private room and efficiently prepared his things.
Min Mao, gnawing on a chicken claw, watched him bustling around. When Yu Jinnian picked up his medical kit to leave, Min Mao asked what he was up to. Yu Jinnian grabbed a piece of cake from the table, stuffed it into his mouth, and mumbled something unclear. Min Mao handed him a cup of tea to help him swallow. After gulping it down, Yu Jinnian said clearly, “A patient showed up outside. I’ll take a look… Don’t forget to pay the bill when you’re done!”
Then he ran off.
Min Mao bellowed from behind, “What? You’re charging me too?!”
—
Yu Jinnian, carrying his medical kit, walked out of Sanyu Pavilion, lost in thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to glimpse someone, but the figure vanished as quickly as it appeared. He turned to look, saw only passersby on the bustling street, and dismissed it as his imagination. Then he entered the neighboring inn and went upstairs to the young master’s room.
Su Ting, observing as an apprentice, naturally followed closely behind.
Inside the room, the burly man immediately approached, babbling about the young master’s illness. Perhaps out of panic, his explanation was incoherent, making it difficult to understand what he meant. Yu Jinnian, uninterested in deciphering the man’s complaints, simply nodded along while unpacking his medical kit. From the bottom layer, he pulled out two white cloth masks with long ties. Handing one to Su Ting, he instructed him to tie it over his mouth and nose.
These masks were something Yu Jinnian had devised with Jinyouting and a group of maids. His family had made quite a few, all washed and sun-dried. Su Ting silently recalled that the little divine physician called these “masks,” meant to prevent dirty things from entering through the mouth and nose.
Yu Jinnian rolled up his sleeves and approached the bed. Before he could inspect the wound, the wailing young master grabbed his sleeve, tears still in his eyes, and stammered, “You… You’re the divine physician? If you cure me, my family will reward you handsomely… My father has plenty of silver!”
Yu Jinnian studied the young man carefully. Oh, wasn’t this the infamous troublemaker, Xue Ding, from the southern part of the city?
Xue Ding’s family dealt in fur goods, running a shop called “Fugui Zhai” in the southern city. They were renowned for their premium tiger pelts, fox furs, mink cloaks, and other fur products. Not only was their material authentic and of the highest quality, but their styles were always the latest trends, catering to the tastes of the capital’s nobles. This made them a favorite among the elite. A popular saying in the city went, “Nine out of ten furs are Fugui,” a testament to the Xue family’s success.
As the youngest in the Xue family, Xue Ding was pampered endlessly. The saying “the youngest son is the root of an old man’s life” is perfectly applied here. The Xue family spoiled him to the extreme, and coupled with their influence and connections, even his mischief went unpunished. As a result, this little young master grew up arrogant and lawless, notorious for his antics in the southern part of the city.
Though troublesome, he was ultimately just a spoiled rich kid—young and mischievous but not truly wicked. Still, merchants in the southern city found him unbearable and avoided him whenever possible.
Yu Jinnian had long heard of Xue Ding’s “famous deeds” even though he hadn’t caused any trouble on East Cross Street yet. Smiling faintly, Yu Jinnian teased, “Young Master Xue, fate is determined by the heavens. No amount of silver can buy back a life! I think you’d better burn some incense and pray to the Buddha to spare you.”
“Tut-tut… Look at this wound!”
Xue Ding, being young, nearly fainted from fright at Yu Jinnian’s words. He was convinced he was close to death and, in his panic, actually began to mutter prayers. However, being neither knowledgeable nor literate, he couldn’t recall any scripture properly. Instead, he pieced together scraps of phrases he’d overheard from his aunt and elders at temples, mumbling nonsense repeatedly to console himself.
The burly servant, however, proved to be a loyal follower. He immediately threw himself by the bedside and vowed with conviction, “Young Master, don’t be afraid! Even if you become lame and lose this leg, I, Xue Dahai, will still serve you! If worse comes to worst, I’ll carry you everywhere myself!”
Hearing this, Xue Ding cried even harder.
The master and servant clung to each other as if mourning at a funeral, as though their legs were about to be sawed off at any moment.
“Enough, enough! If you keep crying, I really *will* saw the leg off!” Yu Jinnian muttered irritably. After washing his hands with Su Ting and returning, he found they were still crying. Unable to bear it, he nudged the burly man’s leg with his foot to make him move aside and ordered Xue Ding to roll up his trouser leg so he could examine the wound properly.
Xue Ding’s injury wasn’t large—just a small wound on the top of his foot, slightly smaller than a copper coin. A thick black scab had already formed over it. Normally, once a scab forms, it should heal gradually. However, his entire foot was now red and swollen, with the top of his foot puffed up like a steamed bun. He couldn’t move it, likely couldn’t even wear a shoe, let alone walk. No wonder the Xue family had to carry him here on a stretcher.
Yu Jinnian gently pressed on the swollen area with his fingertip. The tissue beneath was soft, and the temperature felt warmer than the surrounding areas. The swollen skin was also taut and shiny, as if something underneath was stretching it thin.
After observing, checking his pulse, and examining his tongue, Yu Jinnian reached a conclusion. Calling Su Ting over to observe, he explained, “If you’d come any later, the infection would’ve spread into the blood and internal organs. Then you really *would* be losing this leg.”
Prompted by this, Su Ting’s eyes lit up. “It’s an abscess! …‘Excessive heat rots the flesh, and when the flesh rots, it turns into pus. However, if it hasn’t penetrated, the bones remain intact, and the five organs are unharmed. This is called an abscess.’” He recited from memory, then turned back to Yu Jinnian to confirm, “Am I correct?”
Yu Jinnian smiled approvingly. “That’s right. Now, since it’s an abscess, what do you think we should do?”
Su Ting furrowed his brow, deep in thought, and hesitated before responding, “We should drain the pus and remove the abscess first?” Seeing Yu Jinnian’s encouraging smile, he gained confidence and continued, “And then administer heat-clearing and detoxifying medicines, treating both internally and externally. Once the pus is completely drained and the body’s vital energy is restored, the wound will naturally heal.”
He added with some guilt, “But I’m still not very clear about the pulse diagnosis.”
Yu Jinnian nodded, feeling reassured. He recalled how, back in Xin’an County’s Backstage Alley, Su Ting had immediately identified the Six Gentlemen Decoction in the prescription he’d given Bai Haitang and even recited its effects. That alone placed Su Ting far above most beginner apprentices. Over the past few months, Yu Jinnian had only assigned him medical texts to memorize, occasionally offering guidance when Su Ting struggled with understanding.
But Su Ting was truly gifted. Despite having such a lazy and “unfocused” teacher, he had still managed to thoroughly memorize those dry and tedious medical texts. Now he could even diagnose Xue Ding’s condition as a subcutaneous abscess—a significant achievement.
Mastering pulse diagnosis was difficult even for experienced physicians, and it couldn’t be rushed. With continued practice and observation over time, he would gradually gain a deeper understanding.
Yu Jinnian considered himself lucky to have such a talented apprentice who, despite being picked up by chance, showed promising potential in medicine.
Su Ting asked, “But his wound has already scabbed over. What should we do now?”
By this point, Yu Jinnian had retrieved a cloth bundle from his medical kit. Unwrapping it, he spread it across the edge of the bed, revealing an array of silver surgical tools—needles, knives, and blades, all gleaming coldly in the candlelight. He selected a lancet, heated it over the flame until it turned red, and let it cool to a safe temperature. Twirling the needle between his fingers, he gestured toward Xue Ding’s swollen foot and said, “We need to tear off the scab.”
Xue Ding cried out, “No, no, no, no, no!”
Xue Dahai also pleaded, “It took so long for that scab to form. Removing it must be terribly painful! Little Divine Physician, please…”
Yu Jinnian patiently explained, “You didn’t clean the wound properly when it first happened, leading to the abscess under the skin. This scab has become a shield for the pus underneath. If we don’t remove it early, the pus will spread deeper into the flesh and bloodstream. By then, it won’t just be about tearing off a scab—it’ll be life-threatening. Look at how swollen your foot already is. It’s full of pus. Do you want to choose the scab, or your life?”
Who would choose the scab?
But Xue Ding, his face scrunched up in despair, was already on the verge of tears again.
“It was just a small cut from a dagger—how could it turn into something life-threatening?” Xue Dahai rubbed his hands, pacing nervously before leaning down to comfort his precious young master. “Young Master, the lord said before we left that we must follow the little divine physician’s advice. The little divine physician has shown his skill before His Majesty—he must be capable. Young Master, your life is more important…”
Xue Ding bit down on a handkerchief he pulled from his robe, mumbling through gritted teeth, “If I catch that thief, I’ll break his leg!”
Yu Jinnian instructed Su Ting to hold Xue Ding’s injured leg steady to prevent any accidents while he worked with the blade. Holding a clean piece of cotton cloth in one hand and the blade in the other, Yu Jinnian carefully used the scalpel to make a small incision at the edge where the hard scab connected to the swollen skin. Slowly prying it open, he pressed gently on the swollen area with his other hand. A soft squelching sound followed as thick yellowish-white pus oozed out of the incision, carrying an unpleasant odor.
Xue Dahai took one glance and nearly vomited but quickly turned his head away, trying to save face in front of his young master.
Yu Jinnian wiped away the pus with the cotton cloth and asked Su Ting to replace it with a fresh one. The two of them worked together systematically until the copper-coin-sized scab had been completely removed, exposing the real wound underneath.
Only now did Su Ting truly witness what “rotted flesh turning into pus” looked like.
Removing the scab alone wasn’t enough—the pus and decayed flesh had to be thoroughly cleaned away until only fresh, pink tissue remained. Otherwise, the pus would reform. Back in the Hot Valley palace, when he’d hastily distilled water to use, it had inspired Yu Jinnian to think creatively. Since then, he had distilled water and even experimented with distilling alcohol for future use.
Fortunately, Ji Hong was wealthy enough to support Yu Jinnian’s peculiar experiments. Otherwise, any normal family would have gone bankrupt under his pursuits.
“Su Ting, go back to Sanyu Pavilion and bring the distilled water and distilled alcohol we made earlier,” Yu Jinnian instructed.
Su Ting tossed the soiled cotton into a basin and quickly ran to fetch the supplies. While waiting, Yu Jinnian turned to chat with Xue Ding to distract him and asked about the circumstances surrounding his injury.
Xue Dahai was the first to speak indignantly. “That day, there was a man on the street selling himself to bury his father. He was incredibly ugly, with a large black birthmark on his face! Our young master, being kind-hearted, pitied him and bought him back to work as a servant in the courtyard. Who would have thought that ungrateful wretch would turn out to be a thief! While the young master was bathing, he snuck into his room and turned everything upside down.”
“What a coincidence, though,” Xue Dahai continued. “That day, the young master was angry that the bathwater wasn’t hot enough and decided not to bathe. He threw on a robe and returned to his room, only to catch that rascal red-handed stuffing things into his clothes. Naturally, our young master’s temper wouldn’t let him get away with it, so he charged forward to fight him. But who could’ve expected that thief to have a dagger hidden in his shoe? That’s how our young master got cut!”
Yu Jinnian asked curiously, “Doesn’t your courtyard have guards? How did this thief act so brazenly?”
Xue Dahai sighed. “Of course we do! But that day, there were some matters to attend to, and the guards were temporarily reassigned elsewhere. Who would’ve thought something like this would happen?”
Yu Jinnian pressed further. “Did you catch the thief? Was he handed over to the authorities?”
“Catch him? He got away!” Xue Dahai stomped his foot furiously. His face, already fierce, looked even more menacing as he spat, “But he can’t run forever! If we catch him again, we’ll break his arms and legs!”
Hearing the story, Yu Jinnian couldn’t help but think of the old tale of the farmer and the snake. Xue Ding had shown rare compassion, only to bring a wolf into his home. Not only did he lose money, but he also suffered this misfortune. For once, Yu Jinnian sympathized with the young master and offered a few comforting words, assuring him that the injury was not life-threatening and that with proper care, he would recover soon.
Just then, Su Ting returned with the distilled alcohol and water.
Yu Jinnian took the jar of alcohol, unsealed it, and a strong, pungent smell immediately filled the room. The potency of the alcohol overpowered its original aroma, leaving only a sharp, nose-stinging odor. Holding the jar, Yu Jinnian selected a spoon-like blade. “Young Master, bear with me. I need to scrape away the decayed flesh from your wound. If the bad flesh isn’t removed, new flesh won’t grow.”
Xue Ding, to his credit, nodded resolutely. He bit down on his handkerchief, signaling Yu Jinnian to proceed.
Yu Jinnian wasn’t entirely unfeeling. He pressed a few acupuncture points to dull the pain and had Su Ting assist with needle therapy to further relieve the discomfort. Only then did he meticulously scrape away the remaining pus and decayed flesh, periodically flushing the wound with distilled alcohol. The alcohol stung, of course, but it was necessary to disinfect the wound. After thoroughly cleaning it with alcohol, he rinsed the area repeatedly with distilled water to remove any residual alcohol, then patted it dry with clean cotton cloths.
By the time the procedure was complete, Xue Ding’s face was pale as paper. He whimpered softly, tears soaking the pillow beneath him.
Yu Jinnian folded a clean piece of cotton cloth into a square and gently placed it over the wound. Noticing Xue Ding’s pitiful expression, he patted his pockets and rummaged around. As a traveling physician, he hadn’t brought much with him, but he managed to find a few pieces of candied fruit. Peeling one open, he popped it into Xue Ding’s mouth and said gently, “It’s all done now.”
Xue Ding, his “little overlord” demeanor completely gone, sniffled, looking at him pitifully.
Yu Jinnian instructed Xue Dahai, “The wound has been thoroughly cleaned. Make sure nothing dirty touches it—not even your own hands. Your young master is young and strong, so this time it was only subcutaneous pus. If it gets infected again, the consequences won’t be so simple. The next few days are critical. It’s best if you stay here until the granulation tissue grows and the wound heals inward. Only then should you return home.”
Xue Dahai nodded vigorously and promptly paid for a full month’s stay, clearly determined not to leave until his young master was fully recovered.
Yu Jinnian glanced at the dirty cloth thrown into the basin and instructed them to burn it. He then washed his hands and instruments thoroughly with distilled alcohol, followed by clean water, before strapping on his medicine box and returning to Sanyu Pavilion.
As they climbed the stairs, Su Ting followed behind, muttering angrily, “There really are such ungrateful wretches in the world!”
Yu Jinnian chuckled. “Ungrateful people like that are only going to become more common. Who knows? We might encounter one ourselves someday. After all… ‘The wicked prosper while the good die namelessly.’”
Su Ting’s eyes widened in shock and immediately grabbed him, saying, “Spit that out! Quick, spit it out!”
Yu Jinnian had only been joking and hadn’t taken it to heart, but seeing Su Ting so serious, he gave in and spit theatrically toward the ground a few times. Satisfied, Su Ting made him touch the wooden railing for good luck, then grabbed his medicine box and slung it over his own back. With genuine admiration, he declared, “You’re a divine physician who does nothing but good deeds. You’re a living Bodhisattva. You’ll never encounter such vile people.”
When they returned to Sanyu Pavilion, Yu Jinnian changed into clean clothes and found that Min Mao was still there. He joined him for a conversation.
Min Mao picked up where they had left off earlier, recounting his second brother’s strange behavior. He talked about how his brother had hired a house full of maids and secretly hidden erotic picture books under his bed, the pages filled with indecent scenes and “overflowing juices.” Sighing in frustration, Min Mao asked, “Do you think my second brother is lovesick? Why else would he suddenly start looking at that kind of stuff? But if he really is lovesick, why doesn’t he just marry a sister-in-law already?”
Yu Jinnian replied helplessly, “Only you would dare break into your second brother’s room, rummage through his things, and talk about him like this. If he finds out, he’ll definitely punish you with house arrest for five or six months!”
“How would I know what he’s up to if I didn’t snoop?” Min Mao retorted indignantly.
Yu Jinnian thought for a moment and asked tentatively, “Has there been any news from the palace recently? Or has anyone come to visit him?”
“The palace? Nothing from the palace—His Majesty just sends occasional inquiries about his health,” Min Mao replied thoughtfully. “Oh, wait! There was one thing. Yesterday, someone delivered a bottle of wound medicine to our house, leaving a note saying it was for my second brother. But when my second brother saw it, his expression turned strange, and he shut himself in his room without saying a word.”
As they spoke, a commotion erupted downstairs.
Yu Jinnian ignored it at first, trying to pretend he hadn’t heard anything. But the noise continued unabated. Finally, unable to endure it anymore, he slapped the table, jumped to his feet, and shouted, “What’s going on now?! Can’t a person have a quiet cup of tea?! Send the sick to Baohe Inn next door! If it’s diners making trouble, shove their heads into their bowls! And if someone’s smashing up the place, call Shi Xing to handle them! Whoever keeps causing a fuss will leave with one less tooth!”
“…”
After a moment, a young servant timidly ran downstairs, then quickly came back up. “Young Master, it’s… it’s not anyone from here. It’s the little beggars outside—they’re fighting over food…”
Yu Jinnian paused and walked over to the window. Peering outside, he saw a group of scruffy children surrounding a boy, beating him mercilessly. The boy’s face was streaked with dirt, his cleaner spots showing bruises and swelling. His clothes were tattered, and the only piece of bread he had was being snatched away by the other beggars.
“Get lost, you stray mutt! This is *our* turf!” the ringleader, a small beggar, cursed loudly. The others joined in with a stream of vulgar insults, kicking the boy viciously for good measure.
The boy, cowering in the corner, didn’t dare fight back or even speak, but his eyes glared at them resentfully.
Yu Jinnian watched for a while before calling the young servant inside. “We run a business here. We can’t let this kind of thing go on outside. Go to the kitchen, grab a few leftover pastries from yesterday, and hand them out. Make sure to sneak an extra one to the boy being beaten—otherwise, those bullies will just steal it again.”
The servant hesitated. “But…”
Yu Jinnian waved him off. “Just go. Oh, and bring me more tea.”
Min Mao, lounging nearby, smirked at him. “They’re just beggars. Why bother getting involved? If you’re really worried about them disrupting your business, just send someone to give them a beating. I bet they’ll never come back again! I think you’re just using this as an excuse to feed them. But mark my words—once you feed them today, they’ll keep coming back for more.”
Yu Jinnian snorted. “My man has plenty of money. Mind your own business.”
Min Mao: “…”
Was this really happening? Was he openly flaunting his man’s wealth like this?!
Min Mao clutched his chest in mock despair. “Fine, fine! I don’t have a man. I lose!”
The two of them lingered at Sanyu Pavilion until the afternoon when a servant boy arrived from Jinyouting’s household, relaying that the heir had returned home. Yu Jinnian immediately stood up. He had promised Min Mao earlier that he’d prepare some snacks for him, but now he abandoned the idea entirely. It was a clear case of forsaking friendship for love—he tidied himself up in haste and followed the servant back home.
—
Ji Hong had just returned home, barely removing his court robe and not yet donning his outer garment, when someone suddenly embraced him from behind. Two hands slipped snake-like into his lapel, rubbing and kneading his abdomen before commenting with teasing satisfaction, “This waist and stomach of yours—daily and nightly use is starting to show some definition.”
“…” The words were far too brazen. *Daily and nightly?* What “daily and nightly”?!
Ji Hong’s ears flushed red, though his face remained as cold and composed as ever. He caught the wandering hands, flipped Yu Jinnian over with a quick maneuver, and deposited him onto a table, brushing the clutter aside.
With a yelp, Yu Jinnian landed sprawled across the hard tabletop, still unrepentant. His gaze darted mischievously as he smirked, “What are you doing, Lord Ji? Daylight debauchery?”
Ji Hong leaned down, biting the lips that uttered such nonsense. His body pressed between Yu Jinnian’s knees, kissing him until the boy whimpered and clung instinctively to him. Only then did Ji Hong chuckle softly and murmur by his ear, “Daylight debauchery with you—why not?”
Yu Jinnian licked the corner of his lips, arms still wrapped around Ji Hong’s neck, and whispered breathily, “Fine, do as you please.”
For a brief moment, they stared at each other. Ji Hong dropped a few light kisses on his lips, then suddenly straightened up. With impeccable composure, he turned away, smoothed his inner robe, and picked up his outer garment, dressing neatly once again—a picture of unshakable restraint.
Daylight debauchery was, of course, only a playful jest between the two of them. How could they truly indulge in such activities before nightfall?
Yu Jinnian grinned and chased after him, trailing all the way to the flower hall for tea.
Over tea, he shared everything that had happened during the day, from Min Xuefei hiding away a “Miss Min,” to Min Mao’s newfound crush, and finally to the treasured young master of the Xue family coming to him for treatment. Once he started, it was hard for him to stop. Ji Hong listened quietly, holding his tea cup. When Yu Jinnian reached the happy parts, his eyes curved into crescents, and Ji Hong couldn’t help but smile along, his own lips lifting involuntarily. Even when Yu Jinnian mentioned how much silver he had wasted these past few days, Ji Hong didn’t seem to care in the slightest.
Yu Jinnian leaned forward mischievously, stealing a few more kisses until Ji Hong was completely disoriented, unable to tell north from south. At this rate, even if Yu Jinnian asked for the moon, Ji Hong would probably climb a ladder to pluck it down and bottle it for him.
*See?* Yu Jinnian thought smugly. *This is what they mean by “blinded by love.”*
The two of them spent the evening in the flower hall, eating dinner and preparing for a more amorous night—until a servant from the garden gate arrived in a flurry, holding something in his hands. He was brought to the flower hall, visibly flustered.
Yu Jinnian assumed it was someone looking for Ji Hong, so he prepared to leave for the bedroom. But the servant walked straight up to him instead. “Young Master, there’s a young man outside the estate claiming to be your blood relative.”
“My blood relative? Mine?” Yu Jinnian asked in surprise.
The servant quickly handed him the item in his hands. “This is the token he brought. The boy does bear a resemblance to you, so we weren’t sure whether to believe him. That’s why I came to report.”
Yu Jinnian accepted the so-called token and couldn’t help but laugh. “The world is full of strange things. Someone’s come to pretend to be related to me now?” But as he lowered his gaze to examine the item, his smile froze. His expression shifted, and he turned the object over several times to scrutinize it carefully.
Ji Hong glanced down at the item in Yu Jinnian’s hands—it was a small bronze medical bell, tarnished with a greenish patina. One side of the bell bore an engraved character: “Yu.”
Yu Jinnian said solemnly, “Bring him in. Let’s have a look.”