When he first arrived in the capital, he took advantage of his mother's trip to the temple to pray for him, and met her secretly, avoiding all guards and maids. Seeing her son unharmed, Yun Ya was so moved that tears streamed down her face.
They agreed not to reveal his whereabouts, as he wanted to catch them off guard from the shadows. To cooperate with her son's plan, Yun Ya did not dare to disclose any of his movements after returning. She continued to send people to look for him as usual, displaying the sorrow a mother would have after her son's disappearance.
She kept a close watch on every move in the mansion, believing that with her son's intelligence, he would surely make a move.
To her disappointment, after such a long time, the mansion had become even calmer than before his disappearance. Jiang Chen and Yun Duo wore unconcealed joy on their faces. Although the Marquis showed no outward expression, he was clearly pleased with the situation and was even secretly preparing to replace the heir.
Yun Ya often sought help from the Yun family, but to her disappointment, in her father's eyes, she and Yun Duo were both daughters of the Yun family. No matter who ascended to the position of heir, they would be his nephews. Her mother, devoted to her elder brother, cared for her daughter only to a limited extent and never defied Master Yun's opinions, fearing that any negative impact on her son would lead to her own downfall.
Setting aside the upheavals in the Marquis's mansion, Jiang Feng was secretly building his forces. This situation was a perfect example; if he had his own people, he wouldn't be in this predicament.
To increase her visibility and gain recognition for her medical skills, Wu Caiwei held free clinics almost every five days, yielding significant results. Many common people who had minor ailments and could not afford treatment, thinking they could endure it, now went to see Wu Caiwei during her free clinics.
This led to the discovery of many problems. While most were minor ailments that could be treated with medication, a small number appeared minor but would lead to significant issues later. When Wu Caiwei informed them of these potential problems, they initially disbelieved her, thinking she was merely seeking fame and had no genuine concern. Wu Caiwei, however, was unbothered by this, as she had already informed them, and whether they chose to treat it was their decision.
An elderly neighbor of Wu Caiwei, who appeared healthy and robust, came for a free clinic, thinking it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity.
"Elderly lady, you're here. You look quite healthy; what's bothering you?" Wu Caiwei asked warmly as the old woman approached. Building good neighborly relations was essential, especially as she didn't know how long she would be staying.
"I feel a bit unwell all over, but I can't quite pinpoint the problem. Could you take a look?" the old woman asked, feigning a troubled expression.
Initially, Wu Caiwei didn't take it too seriously, but as she took her pulse, her brow furrowed slightly, and her expression became grave.
"Chun Yan, am I going to be alright?" the old woman's heart skipped a beat. Seeing Wu Caiwei's increasingly serious demeanor, she asked uncertainly.
"If I'm not mistaken, you have the precursor signs of a stroke. Starting today, you must take medication from my clinic for a full half a month, and everything will be fine. If you don't, you will surely have a stroke in half a month," Wu Caiwei stated sternly.
"We're neighbors, how can you cheat everyone? I'm so healthy, do I look like I'm sick?" the old woman flared up the moment Wu Caiwei finished speaking. As a long-time resident of the capital, she looked down on outsiders. Today, she had spoken politely to Wu Caiwei only to gain an advantage; normally, she wouldn't bother with her.
"I've told you the prognosis. Whether you believe it or not is up to you." Having lived for several lifetimes, Wu Caiwei was unfazed by people like the old woman and spoke calmly.
"Everyone, look! This quack doctor wants me to buy medicine from her, saying I'll have a stroke in half a month. Do I look like I'm about to have a stroke?" the old woman exclaimed, seeing everyone shake their heads. As she spoke, her agitation grew. "Everyone, don't be deceived." Sudanshan Novel Network.
Seeing the onlookers nod in agreement, the old woman felt satisfied.
Wu Caiwei remained indifferent. The more the old woman made a scene, the more she would be proven wrong in half a month, and the better her clinic's business would become.
As the old woman saw fewer and fewer people lining up for the free clinic, she grew more pleased. She knew her earlier remarks had made people doubt Wu Caiwei's skills. Although she didn't believe she would have a stroke, seeing Wu Caiwei's calm and assured demeanor made her inwardly uneasy, wondering if she might actually have a stroke.
After returning home, the old woman recounted her experience to her son and daughter-in-law. Her son was quite filial. Although they didn't believe Wu Caiwei's medical skills, they feared for their mother's health and took her to various clinics for follow-up examinations. Only after every doctor assured them that their mother was in good health did they feel relieved.
While it was good news that she was not ill, the old woman was infuriated by the wasted money spent on visiting other clinics due to her greed. She began to cause trouble daily in front of Wu Caiwei's clinic, spreading her story to everyone she met. Consequently, Wu Caiwei's reputation in the capital was tarnished.
Jiang Feng felt immense sympathy for her. While others might doubt her skills, he had absolute faith in Wu Caiwei. Seeing people point and speak ill of her, his fists clenched, and veins bulged on his arms as he longed to defend her. Wu Caiwei smiled and shook her head, telling him, "In life, opportunities and challenges coexist. How do you know this is necessarily a bad thing?"
Seeing her confident demeanor, Jiang Feng, though unwilling, obeyed her and put the matter aside for the moment, ready to intervene if she couldn't handle it.
Jiang Feng was also busy. Before his disappearance, he wasn't as harmless as he appeared, or he wouldn't have survived this long. Over the years, he had accumulated considerable wealth and secretly acquired several estates.
One of these estates bordered the mountains and was now proving useful. He had taken in over five hundred orphaned children, including some who were already adults and beggars. He trained them according to their individual strengths; some excelled in business, others in academics, some in medicine, and others in gathering information.
Of course, cultivating his own people took time. His primary task was still to win over people close to Jiang Chen.
Children from families of merit and nobility were never simple. They grew up amidst deception and intrigue. Moreover, Jiang Chen was several years older than him and coveted the position of heir. If not for the Marquis and Marchioness at the time, Jiang Feng had no doubt that the heirship would have had nothing to do with him.
Although after meeting Wu Caiwei, he prioritized her in everything and was indifferent to inheriting the Marquis's mansion, he wanted her to live a prosperous life and be respected wherever she went.
Furthermore, they had tried to sell him to a place like Nanfeng Pavilion, which was a grave insult to him. He would be less than a man if he didn't seek revenge.