Chapter 422: Chapter 155: Visiting Pei Mansion_2
When he was conducting his diagnosis, the Qi Family’s servants were constantly watching inside the house. Later, Miao Liangfang found an opportunity to send several servants out and observed Madam Qi carefully, eventually detecting something amiss.
Madam Qi was whispering to someone beside her, yet there was no one there. She also said she heard musicians playing and clapped joyfully.
Miao Liangfang watched with growing alarm.
Such symptoms of hearing illusions and hallucinations were clearly a sign of delusional disorder.
For no apparent reason, how could Madam Qi have developed a delusional disorder?
He did not dare to alarm others and pretended to be puzzled when he returned to the Medical Officer Institute, saying he needed to look through medical texts. To his surprise, the next day, people from the Qi residence sent a note saying Madam Qi had improved and no longer required his treatment.
"Recovered?" Lu Tong furrowed his brows.
"Who knows?" Miao Liangfang sighed, "I haven’t seen her since."
But he was young at the time and always concerned about his patients. Doubtful of the claims of Madam Qi’s recovery, he searched through medical records and texts at the Medical Officer Institute, trying to find a cure for delusional disorder, until an elderly medical officer found him and shared a secret about Madam Qi with him.
Lu Tong asked, "What did he say?"
"He said..." Miao Liangfang paused for a moment before slowly continuing, "Madam Qi’s mother, who died young, also had episodes of screaming and running around, acting as if she were mad."
The honest old medical officer patted his shoulder with sincere consolation in his eyes, warning him, "Vice Director, don’t get involved in this affair anymore. The Medical Officer Institute is not like other places; you must learn to discern what to listen to and what not to."
"There are some people you can treat, and others you cannot."
The old medical officer retired and went back to his hometown, leaving Miao Liangfang at the Medical Officer Institute to ponder his words. Later, he heard that the young Madam Qi passed away due to accumulated melancholy. Afterwards, he was dismissed from the Medical Officer Institute, and the secrets of these noble families no longer had anything to do with him.
He didn’t expect to hear Lu Tong bring it up today.
Miao Liangfang looked at Lu Tong and asked, "Xiao Lu, the way you’re asking, has something happened to Young Master Qi?" His expression changed, "Could it be that he also..."
For a moment, Lu Tong looked blank, as if she had come to a realization, and smiled absently.
Her voice was very soft, "Mr. Miao also knows, if a family has relatives suffering from foolishness, forgetfulness, or hearing disruptions, it’s highly possible that their children will inherit the same madness, and sooner or later, they will fall ill."
Miao Liangfang’s face twitched, and he asked, "Has Young Master Qi fallen ill too?"
Lu Tong shook her head, "Not now."
The costly and long-term use of Calming Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance, the vaguely written medical records of the Medical Officer Institute, his weak pulse...
She was beginning to understand.
It seemed that Qi Qing was very afraid that his son would follow the same path as his mother and had been carefully treating him with calming medication since he was young.
Ironically, Qi Yutai had developed a fondness for wearing loose clothing.
It was absurd.
Miao Liangfang was increasingly puzzled, "Then why bring this up all of a sudden?"
Lu Tong had no prior connections with the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion and was suddenly inquiring about Qi Yutai. Back when he was Envoy, there were old medical officers who kindly advised him. But now that Lu Tong had just joined the Medical Officer Institute...
He did not know what Lu Tong intended to do, but he felt uneasy.
"Xiao Lu, you’re not at odds with the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion, are you?"
Lu Tong looked up and smiled at Miao Liangfang.
"I’m just puzzled about some aspects of the medical case, so I came to ask Mr. Miao. Rest assured," her expression was calm, "I am just a common Medical Officer, of little significance; there’s little I can do."
This was indeed true; the Qi family had enormous power, and someone like Lu Tong, a mere female doctor, would likely struggle to even meet them—worlds apart it was.
Miao Liangfang felt somewhat relieved.
"However," Lu Tong paused and then asked, "Does Mr. Miao know anything about Qi Yutai’s aversion to Light-vented birds?"
"An aversion to Light-vented birds?" Miao Liangfang was taken aback, "I’ve never heard of that. Didn’t his father love to raise birds? They even hired a Bird Trainer for the mansion, and sometimes the annual expenses for a single bird equalled what a commoner family spends in a year. It was quite extravagant."
Lu Tong nodded.
That was true; Miao Liangfang had left the Medical Officer Institute ten years ago, and the medical record of Qi Yutai that mentioned Cui Min’s first diagnosis was from five years earlier.
By that time, Miao Liangfang was no longer serving as Envoy, so naturally, he would not have known.
After some more conversation, Miao Liangfang asked about Lu Tong’s recent situation at the Medical Officer Institute. As the day was no longer young, he then left using his walking stick.
Lu Tong stood up to go back inside; Yin Zheng was organizing trunks beside the bed.
Hearing movement, Yin Zheng turned to look, "Miss, has Mr. Miao left?"
Lu Tong hummed in acknowledgment.
"Good timing, I made you two new skirts and some silk flowers; you should try them on." As she spoke, Yin Zheng took several brand-new dresses out of the trunk.