Doctor and His Glamorous Sister-in-Law

"Auntie, listen to my explanation. You've misunderstood. It's not what you're thinking!" Lu Shuangyue began, but before she could say more, the woman became even angrier.

"I've misunderstood? What have I misunderstood?" she retorted. "What isn't the way I imagine it, Shuang Yue! Do you really think your aunt doesn't understand anything? Your aunt isn't deaf! I was standing right at the door and heard everything clearly. I'm a woman who's been around. You think I don't know what those sounds mean?"

"Look, Shuang Yue, I don't mean to lecture you, but don't forget your status! You're from the Jingdu Lu family..."

The woman's words were cut short by Lu Shuangyue.

"Auntie!"

The sharp call made the woman snap back to her senses.

"Ahem. Setting aside your status for a moment, let me tell you, even if free love is in vogue now, you can't be so reckless! You need to have some dignity, understand? This boy is just a country bumpkin. If you marry him, he'll just end up living off of you. If you ask me, you should listen to Grandpa's arrangement and just marry Yuan—"

The mere mention of the name 'Yuan' made Lu Shuangyue's expression darken even further.

"Auntie, if you came to see me today, I welcome you with open arms. But if you're here because of this, then please leave immediately. You are not welcome here! Do you understand?"

The last two words were practically bitten off, her voice laced with an imposing fury.

Seeing Lu Shuangyue's grim face, the woman's expression also grew somber. She said no more, merely letting out a cold snort.

Meanwhile, Liu Ergou was marveling to himself. Lu Shuangyue's aunt was truly formidable. Her mouth was a veritable machine gun, firing off words non-stop. In fact, a machine gun might not even be able to keep up; perhaps only a Gatling gun could compare.

As he was mulling this over, Lu Shuangyue spoke again. "Auntie, don't overthink what happened. You've really got it all wrong." She then pointed at Liu Ergou and introduced him. "This is the doctor I've hired. His skills are exceptional!"

The woman immediately shot Liu Ergou a cold glare, followed by a sneer. "A doctor? What kind of doctor is this? I'd like to ask this 'doctor' of yours just what kind of treatment makes my niece scream like that!"

Finding himself the target, Liu Ergou remained unafraid. He sat on the sofa and said calmly, "Shuang Yue calls you Auntie, so I will as well. Don't be so quick to object; it's a matter of politeness, which I'm sure you understand. You must be aware of Shuang Yue's condition. Her heart problem is quite serious!"

The woman nodded at this, but her tone remained sharp. "I know. Shuang Yue is my niece, of course I know about it. Our entire family knows! But it's an innate disease! Even the best doctors at the hospital can't cure it! What makes you think you can—"

Lu Shuangyue cut her off. "Auntie, can you please stop making a scene? You know it's an innate disease, and you know it's considered incurable! Now that I've finally found a doctor who can treat me, you're accusing him of being a fraud! If that's the case, why don't you find me a doctor? Find me someone who can cure me!"

Her words immediately deflated the aggressive woman.

"It's not like we didn't go to the hospital... but Shuang Yue, let me tell you, there are so many scammers out there these days. Some of them use hormones..."

Hearing this, Liu Ergou leisurely interjected, "Auntie, I practice traditional Chinese medicine. I use acupuncture and tuina massage. What does that have to do with hormones? Are you suggesting I smear hormones on my hands and push them into her body with a massage? If I had that kind of skill, do you really think you could afford me?"

His retort left the woman speechless. She didn't know what to say. It was true, as Liu Ergou had pointed out, that traditional Chinese medicine didn't rely on hormones.

As the woman fell silent, Liu Ergou continued, "Furthermore, I really am treating Shuang Yue. During treatment, it's normal to make some sounds when certain acupoints are stimulated. Auntie, you know about orthopedic surgeons, right? When you hear them swinging big hammers around in the hospital ward, do you assume they're secretly cooking a bone broth hotpot without you?"

This remark was a fatal blow, leaving the woman utterly humiliated. She pointed a trembling finger at Liu Ergou and snapped, "You shut up! If Shuang Yue wasn't constantly defending you, I'd have hit you already! So young and already learning to deceive people with that slick tongue of yours! How old are you to have the nerve to call yourself a TCM practitioner?"

Liu Ergou let out a cold laugh.

It seemed this woman had already written him off as a fraud. He might not be the descendant of some famous physician, but everyone in Fengzhu Village with so much as a headache or a fever came to him for treatment. His credentials as a doctor were genuine; he was no swindler. In that case, he felt it was necessary to show this woman what he could do.

With that thought, Liu Ergou spoke up. "So you think I'm a fraud who can't treat illnesses, is that right? Fine. I'll give you a diagnosis on the spot. I'll let you know exactly what's wrong with you!"

The woman's interest was piqued. "I'm sick? What illness could I possibly have? It's no exaggeration at all to call you a swindler! I'd like to see just how you'll diagnose me. Let's see what illness you can come up with!"

Without further ado, Liu Ergou carefully observed the woman for a moment. Then, a confident smile spread across his face.

"Let's see... Tsk, the most basic issue is a cold uterus. There's no point in mentioning that, though. You wouldn't believe me, and besides, it's such a common ailment that almost every woman has it."

At the mention of a "cold uterus," the woman's face flushed red, and she couldn't help but spit disdainfully to the side.

Hearing the sound, Liu Ergou wasn't flustered. He continued to observe her with narrowed eyes.

"I see it now. Let me ask you, over the past month, have you frequently felt an unusual heat in your hands and feet? And does that heat then travel to your chest, causing tightness and shortness of breath, making you feel like you can't get enough air? Am I right?"