Chapter 02: Golden Finger

Translator: Krukist

Despair!

My heart aches...

For a moment, I really couldn't figure out what this sudden computer that appeared in my sea of consciousness could do. The key was that it was stuck on a frozen screen. If it were a normal computer, I could perhaps use it as a calculator and become a math whiz in the Tianyang Continent.

The spiritual energy in the Heavenly Sun Continent is far denser than that of my previous Earth village. People here live longer and have higher IQs. But even with high intelligence, it wouldn't surpass the capabilities of a computer from my past life. In every field, there are exceptional talents, and if I could be the best in mathematics across the continent, I shouldn't have to worry about a comfortable life in the future.

Or, even if I didn't become a math genius, as long as it could be used normally, I could play games to pass the time when I was bored, which would still be putting it to good use.

But the problem was that this computer was frozen, and my attempts to click on it didn’t yield any response.

Normally, I could just unplug it, but where would I find a power source in my sea of consciousness...

Life is unfair!

It must be because I didn't help an old lady cross the street in my previous life, which led to insufficient cultivation. I even peeked at the neighbor's... bathing, leaving a mark on my destiny.

That's why...

"Help!"

Just as Lin Yu was pondering, a woman suddenly ran past him like the wind, cradling a swaddled bundle in her arms, entering the hall.

Lin Yu felt a fragrant scent wafting up to his nose, and he regained his composure.

Li Chaohua was still there. She had just seen Lin Yu dazed and thought he was weighing his options, not knowing that he never intended to sell Ganoderma Hall.

The pride of a time traveler!

“Pharmacist, please save me! My child is dying, please help it!”

The woman in the hall was around twenty, wearing a colorful silk dress, looking panicked as she hurriedly searched around. She was out of breath, having rushed in, and a thin layer of sweat glistened on her forehead.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow; this young woman was quite oblivious. How could she not see a living person standing right at the entrance? Did people in the Heavenly Sun Continent also have the same notion as in Earth Village where a doctor's age was paramount? Was it a must for physicians, especially traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, to be elderly, otherwise, they’d be ignored?

“Miss, I can’t help,” Lin Yu walked into the hall and said sincerely.

“Wh-why?” The woman’s face immediately darkened in despair. This was already the sixth shop she had visited, and all had turned her away.

It wasn’t that she didn’t have money; wearing colorful silk in Heavenly Cloud City was a symbol of wealth.

And it wasn’t because the swaddled bundle contained a difficult-to-treat human, but rather...

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I’m an incompetent doctor.” Lin Yu maintained a sincere attitude, without an ounce of shame.

Ah?

The woman was momentarily stunned, doubting whether she had misheard. She had seen many pharmacists, but it was the first time meeting one who actively admitted to being incompetent and seemed perfectly unashamed about it. What a thick-skinned person!

Plop...

The next moment, the woman knelt on the ground, looking up with tears in her eyes, “Sir, please save my child! It really can't go on like this. If it dies, I can’t...”

As she spoke, she opened the swaddled bundle, and Lin Yu was somewhat dazed, his expression frozen.

Inside the swaddled blanket was not a human but... a cat!

This cat was completely snow-white, plump and round, looking auspicious and prosperous. But at the moment, its eyes were closed, appearing listless and obviously unwell.

From his experience back on Earth, this cat resembled one of Persian lineage.

Lin Yu glanced once more at the woman on the ground, secretly scolding. Whether in his previous life on Earth or the current Heavenly Sun Continent, wealthy young women all shared a common folly—treating their pets like children.

He wouldn’t dare treat a human; the medical incidents in this world were frightening, and medical disputes were even scarier.

But treating a cat? That should be plausible, right? Even if he couldn’t cure it, he wouldn’t make it worse, would he?

After all, he was a fairly trained pharmacist.

“Put it on the examination table beside us.” Lin Yu collected himself and instructed.

“Thank you, thank you, pharmacist!” The young woman quickly stood up, a look of gratitude on her face as she carried the cat to the examination table.

The examination table was simple, just a wooden board, but it had worn smooth over the years, polished by many people who sought medical help.

Standing at the door, Li Chaohua, upon seeing Lin Yu actually treating a cat, immediately yelled as if her tail had been stepped on, “No! You can't treat that cat!”

The Lin family had a long-standing rule that female members, whether daughters or daughters-in-law, were strictly forbidden from entering the front hall of Ganoderma Hall. In other words, it was a patriarchal tradition established by the ancestors, who believed that women would bring misfortune to the shop.

Li Chaohua had never set foot in the front hall before, but now she dashed in recklessly without a care.

Lin Yu, having crossed over from Earth, had long discarded patriarchal views, but seeing Li Chaohua’s excited expression, he had just reached out to examine the cat when he paused, frowning at her, “Ganoderma Hall is still part of our family for now; whether I treat it or not is none of your concern!”

“You’re being foolish!” Li Chaohua cried, filled with anguish and indignation. Since she planned to take over Ganoderma Hall, she couldn’t bear to watch it be ruined by Lin Yu.

She didn’t bother to explain further, turning to the young woman in the colorful silk dress, speaking in a colder tone, “Miss, judging by your attire, you must be from the Soutwestern Marquis’s residence. The beloved pet of Miss Nalan, a precious blue bamboo cat worth a fortune, is probably this very one. Miss Nalan has been away hunting with the royal family recently, and you were responsible for caring for this cat. Due to your negligence, it appears to have come down with some illness. If it dies, you’ll certainly be punished by Miss Nalan when she returns. I’m afraid you’re going to face grave consequences here in Heavenly Cloud City.”

Lin Yu had a poor impression of Li Chaohua and thus did not believe anything she said and looked down on her from the bottom of his heart. However, as soon as she finished speaking, the young woman in the colorful dress turned pale, her eyes dropping, no longer daring to meet Lin Yu’s gaze. Her hands tightly clutched her dress, clearly realizing the truth in Li Chaohua’s words.

Li Chaohua wasn’t trying to help Lin Yu; she was worried he would end up killing Miss Nalan’s pet, which could implicate Ganoderma Hall. If that happened, Ganoderma Hall might be shut down by the Soutwestern Marquis’s estate, which would jeopardize her acquisition plans.

“Please, please…” The woman’s voice dropped, knowing the truth was laid bare. She remained hesitant and still looking down, pleading, “If the treasure dies, I will definitely be punished by my mistress. I truly have been caring for it; I don’t know why it suddenly got sick this morning. Wuwu…”

As she spoke, her voice choked, tears cascading down her cheeks.

“Begging won’t help!” Before Lin Yu could speak up, Li Chaohua coldly interjected, “We at Ganoderma Hall won’t take this risk. I advise you, no pharmacy in Heavenly Cloud City would gamble their future over a mere cat. You should seek your own fortune.”

“You should leave now.” Lin Yu finally spoke up at this moment.

Li Chaohua had spoken nothing but truth. Having heard that, the young woman also recognized that further pleading would be futile, so she prepared to pick up the examination table's blue bamboo cat to leave, feeling despondent and aggrieved, trembling in fear at the thought of seeing it dead when her mistress returned.

“I didn’t mean for you to leave.”

Lin Yu then spoke again, his gaze steady as he looked at Li Chaohua, “What I meant was…”

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