A medical license? Granny couldn’t have cared less. She asked, "Were you the one who healed Jing Qi’s crippled legs?"

Qin Mei 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 experiment. 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 me?" Qin Mei 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." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Infertility. The corner of Qin Mei’s mouth twitched. ’Granny actually wants me to treat infertility.’

Qin Mei 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 some embarrassment, "His wife got checked. There’s nothing wrong with her."

Qin Mei 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 blame. 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 treatment an absolute secret."

Qin Mei 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 Mei 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 remembered she was the one asking for a favor. Swallowing her anger, she forced a smile and said to Qin Mei, "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 Mei scoffed inwardly. She said aloud, "My mother-in-law is my mother-in-law, and I am me. 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 medicine 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 me, Jing Qi, and himself. It’s incredibly difficult. You should have some sympathy for him. It’s one thing to not offer us any support, but now you don’t want to pay my medical fees and expect me to cover the medicine 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 Mei 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 Mei 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 Mei raised an eyebrow. "Who said we can barely put food on the table?"

"You did, just now," Granny said.

Qin Mei 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 Mei’s unyielding stance, she immediately conceded. "Fine. A fee it is."

"Very expensive," Qin Mei reminded her pointedly.

"Let it be expensive, then," Granny said through gritted teeth.

’So generous?’ Qin Mei was skeptical, recalling the raw deal she’d gotten from Jie Jingchen. "I get paid first, then I provide the treatment."

"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 treatment? 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 something I can treat, I will. If not, I won’t. Rest assured, I have my professional ethics. I won’t scam you," Qin Mei guaranteed.

"But what if you try and fail to cure him?" Granny persisted.

Qin Mei 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.