The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

There was a long queue outside the Xiao family's house in Shuikou Village.

Most of those who come for treatment are women and children, ranging from elderly people with white hair to babies in their arms.

I was just curious about what they were carrying in their bamboo baskets.

Is this a market?

The bamboo baskets were filled with all sorts of things: vegetables, eggs, some even dried fish, or a small piece of cured meat.

"What market?" A woman in the last row turned her head and saw this self-proclaimed sage peeking into the inner room. She sneered, "Aren't you a sage? How come you can't figure out what this place is for? If you can't figure it out, can't you see it? If you can't see it, can't you hear it? It seems you're a blind sage who's both deaf and blind."

Half-immortal... what did I do to deserve this?
I was just asking around, why are you so angry?

"Sister-in-law, I've calculated with my fingers and found that you have excessive liver fire..."

"You have excessive liver fire, which causes irritability, headaches, rib pain, bitter taste in the mouth, and coughing up blood..."

Don't underestimate yourself just because you don't know anything. You may not have eaten pork, but you've seen a pig walk, right?

She'd heard these kinds of silly tricks countless times.

The fortune teller was taken aback... These women from Sichuan are all so fierce!
"What are you doing here making a fool of yourself? Get out of here! Nobody here is as stupid as you. You know everything from astronomy to geography. I'll fry a fish for you with my bare hands."

"That's right, if you want to tell fortunes, go to the docks. What are you doing in our village? Do you really think we're easy to fool?" "I'll count to three, and if you don't get further away, I'll have someone help you out."

A group of women surrounded the man called "Half-Immortal" and started cursing him.

The fortune teller... truly someone you can't afford to offend, so it's best to avoid him.

Quickly evacuate the courtyard.

It wasn't until he stepped out of the courtyard that he realized he was a descendant of the physician Xiao, whom he had been ordered to find.

How did he get scared out of there by this group of women?
As expected, scholars are utterly useless; after studying the classics for so many years, they still can't outwit a bunch of women and children.

That's not right either. The sage said, "Only petty men and women are difficult to deal with." I'm a scholar, after all. How could I argue with women? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?

So, he got the direction wrong from the start.

Seeing a stone bench at the entrance, he walked straight over and sat down.

He didn't say or do anything, just waited for the group of women to leave before going in to see Miss Xiao.

If I'm not mistaken, the person I found is the very person the Empress is looking for.

Physician Xiao, indeed, has a successor.

Inside the hospital, Chunnuan was examining them.

"Miss Xiao, please take a look at my situation. I don't know how long I'll live."

The elderly woman, dragging her ailing body, was weak and listless. After saying this, she coughed for a while and coughed up a mouthful of thick, bloody phlegm.

"Grandpa, don't worry, let me take your pulse first."

The traditional Chinese medical methods of observation, listening, questioning, and palpation allow Chunnuan to immediately discern that the old woman before her is thin, listless, and short of breath.

After taking her pulse, it was confirmed that she had suffered from external cold pathogens that had accumulated heat and caused suppuration, resulting in lung abscess and internal heat in the lungs.

"Is my illness curable? How many days do I have left to live?"

The old lady originally didn't want to come for treatment anymore; she had suffered all her life, and death would be a relief.

But he just couldn't die, he couldn't live well, and he couldn't die either.

The neighbors all advised her to come to Shuikou Village to see Miss Xiao, saying that there would be no consultation fee and the prescription would not cost much to get at Baicao Herbal Medicine Shop.

Let's try anything, even if it's hopeless. If it doesn't work, we'll accept it.

"Grandpa, your illness isn't that serious. You'll get better after taking three doses of medicine."

"That would cost so much money! I doubt it would even cover my funeral expenses."

"Old man, it won't cost much. Besides, you'll get better after taking the medicine, and once you're better, you won't need a coffin."

Since starting her clinic, Chunnuan has become accustomed to seeing cases like this involving elderly women.

Since arriving in Sichuan, she has come to deeply understand that it is truly a blessing from God that the poor can survive.

Food and clothing have taken up all their energy. They have toiled their whole lives raising children, and in their old age they are plagued by illnesses. Their savings are used to pay for their coffins, and they can't even afford to see a doctor or take medicine.

"That's good. I'm afraid that I'll spend money on medicine, but it won't work and I'll die without a coffin. I'll just be wrapped in a straw mat and buried casually."

"Grandpa, you're overthinking things."

Chunnuan was both annoyed and amused: "If we can live, we'll live well. If we die, who cares who we see? We're not going to leave your body to rot in the wilderness, are we? They'll be the ones who'll be scared then."

"Hey……"

With a sigh, the old lady took the prescription handed to her by Chunnuan and asked in confusion.

"Can my illness really be cured?"

“It really will help,” Chunnuan said. “However, you need to be careful about your diet. Don’t eat raw, cold, spicy, or smoked bacon. You can only eat those when you’ve stopped coughing and have more strength.”

"Where would I find cured meat? Look, I only raised one chicken, and it laid ten eggs in half a month. Miss Xiao, please don't mind, consider this my consultation fee."

"Grandpa, you..."

"Please don't say you won't accept my eggs," the old lady said. "Every trade has its own rules. Your rule here is to accept everyday items but not money. So please accept these eggs too, so that I won't feel bad. I may have been poor all my life, but I've never owed anyone a favor."

“Okay, I’ll accept it.” Chunnuan knew that accepting these things was a sign of respect for the elderly and would also put her mind at ease: “Grandma, you can’t eat eggs while taking your medicine. You can eat eggs when you’re feeling better.”

"Okay, okay, I understand. Thank you so much, Miss Xiao. You are such a good girl. You will definitely have a bright future and be destined for great wealth and honor."

"Thank you for your kind words."

Chunnuan hears these words every day, but she just smiles.

Ever since what happened to her grandfather, she has come to believe that good people don't necessarily get good rewards.

Of course, these words from the villagers were also their heartfelt blessings to themselves, so they should naturally be accepted.

The fortune teller sitting at the door glanced at the old lady and felt that she was the one who should be doing his job.

This Miss Xiao has medical skills, so isn't she destined for great success and wealth?
The half-immortal, no, to be precise, his name is Qian Yuanli. On the surface, he is a half-immortal, but in fact, he is a spy who came to Changzhou to investigate the women of the Xiao family with the secret order of the Marquis.

He traveled cautiously, enduring wind and rain, and somehow managed to elevate himself to the level of a demigod.

He became increasingly skilled in divination and fortune-telling, speaking fluently and persuasively.

Right now, judging by my calculations, this Miss Xiao probably won't finish her consultation until late afternoon.

Sure enough, it was late afternoon when Chunnuan saw off the last patient.

Wu Ma is sorting through the various "thank you gifts" she received today.

"Girl, today we collected fifty eggs, three pieces of cured pork, five cured fish, over twenty catties of green vegetables and radishes, several catties of soybeans, several catties of peanuts, and mung beans..."

The variety is truly abundant.

However, Wu is also capable.

The eggs that couldn't be finished were soaked in salt water, and it was said that they would taste better after a month or two.
The cured pork hangs on the wall above the stove, smoking, so there's no need to worry about it spoiling even if we don't eat it right away.

"I dry the greens directly to make pickles, which are then steamed with braised pork belly – delicious and perfect with rice; I cut the radishes into strips and hang them under the eaves to dry to make dried radish. When vegetables are scarce, I grab a handful, add some lard, and steam them – also great with rice; I grind the soybeans into soy milk to make tofu pudding; I sprout the mung beans, and I roast the peanuts to make dried peanuts as a snack..."

"Aunt Wu, you can handle it as you see fit." We receive so much every day, we can't possibly finish it all. "Okay, I'll go and take care of it."

Madam Wu thought that the second daughter of the Xiao family was really capable, as she could take pulses, diagnose, and prescribe medicine. Moreover, she heard from those who had treated her that her medical skills were quite remarkable.

This truly overturned her imagination of women.

A woman who reaches adulthood, marries a man, and lives a peaceful and stable life is considered capable.

Surprisingly, women can also do things, and they can do them just as well as men.

I wish my daughter could learn even a little bit of this.

Yes, that's right. She saw it too. Mei'er often followed the girls around, learning how to make pills and how to read. Yes, her daughter will definitely be luckier and more capable than herself in the future.

Thinking this way, Ms. Wu felt more and more hopeful about life after the divorce.

Wu went to prepare the ingredients.

Chunnuan looked at the person sitting at the door and then went out.

"This gentleman is not here for a medical consultation."

"I'm here for a medical consultation, I'm here for a medical consultation, but I felt embarrassed because it was all women earlier, so I..."

Although the other party was trying his best to hide it, Chunnuan still heard his hidden Beijing accent.

People from the capital have arrived!

Spring's warmth made my heart skip a beat.

Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem like a bad person.

Of course, evil people don't have words written on their foreheads.

Therefore, whether he was friend or foe was still unknown, so Chunnuan naturally pretended not to have seen through his identity.

"Since you're here, please come in, sir. It's perfect timing; I'd also like to have my fortune told by you."

Qian Yuanli was taken aback when he heard Chunnuan ask him to do a fortune telling.

With his limited skills, he might be able to fool ordinary people, but it would be difficult for him to fool the descendants of Physician Xiao.

Chunnuan didn't miss the moment he froze, and she found it amusing.

They're all ancient foxes, why are they playing at some kind of ghost story?

Don't think of yourself as a fool!

"Please have a seat, sir. Would you like me to tell your fortune first, or should I examine you first?"

"See a doctor first, see a doctor first."

Fortune telling is something that can be postponed as long as possible.

"Please extend your left hand first, sir."

Chunnuan took his pulse and said, "Forgive my bluntness, but you have many health problems, including your stomach, intestines, liver, lungs, heart, and kidneys..."

"Young lady, just tell me, what ailment am I not sick about?"

It's quite alarming that all five internal organs are malfunctioning.

"Sir, you also have some skin problems, and your bones... you should have discomfort in your lumbar spine and knees."

Qian Yuanli was truly terrified this time.

He fell on his way to Sichuan and was in so much pain that he was numb. Because he was in a hurry, he didn't go to see a doctor. As a result, it hurt for several days when he could only walk a few steps. Later, he saw a doctor who said that he had broken his ribs.

The doctor treated him with bone-setting powder, but he was in so much pain that he begged the doctor to give him an antidote to reduce the effects of the medicine. The doctor said that his recovery was not very good.

This condition was diagnosed by the girl in front of him.

"So, does that mean I don't have many days left to live?"

It's quite tragic; he didn't die on the road, but he's going to die from illness.

"It's not that bad, but it would be best if you could take the medicine for a long time and take it slowly to recover, addressing one aspect at a time..."

Chunnuan thought to herself, "This is a big fat sheep that has arrived."

It's obvious he's quite afraid of dying!
I wonder who his master is. Sending such a cowardly person to Shu, and for him to actually get to me, he must have some skill.

Or perhaps, it was his fear of death that made him so cautious and prudent to have survived all this way.

"Alright, alright, please prescribe some medicine for me, young lady. I'll take it obediently and take it properly. I'm not even sixty yet, I don't want to die..."

Moreover, he might die in Shu (Sichuan), and the thought of dying far from home made him even more anxious.

"Okay, let's regulate your stomach and intestines first. If your stomach and intestines are healthy and you can eat well, you'll be in good health. Your stomach and intestines are the foundation."

Chunnuan picked up her pen and wrote down a prescription: "Go to Baicaotang to get the medicine; only they can provide a complete range of herbs."

How much is the consultation fee?

"Two taels of silver."

Qian Yuanli... reasonably suspects that she is trying to extort money from him.

"Um, I noticed that none of the women who came for the consultation paid any fees. Is this discriminatory treatment?"

"They didn't pay the consultation fee, but they gave you eggs, vegetables, and grains. Did you have any?"

"It's not too late for me to go to town to buy it now."

“Sir, you’re quite amusing. Have you ever seen a guest who eats the banquet first and then gives gifts?” Chun Nuan laughed. “Besides, those women are all from the village, all fellow villagers, so I naturally can’t charge them for their consultations. But you are different, sir. You’re not related to me at all, yet you’ll treat your illness and solve your big problems… Of course, if you feel that your life isn’t worth two taels of silver, then that’s fine too.”

Chunnuan took the prescription back from his hand.

“It’s worth it, it’s worth it, it’s worth it, how could it not be worth it?” Qian Yuanli quickly snatched the prescription back: “I just said it was a bit expensive, not that I wouldn’t pay the consultation fee.”

"Sir, you don't seem like someone who's short of a consultation fee." Chun Nuan said with a half-smile.

"Why did the girl say this?"

"Wearing fine silks and satins inside, and then wearing a coarse cloth shirt on top, honestly, sir, is really putting you in a lot of trouble."

Goodness, they figured that out?
Qian Yuanli was secretly annoyed, realizing he had been too careless and had slipped up so easily.

"Well, when I'm out and about, it's safer not to flaunt my wealth."

"That's true."

At this moment, Chunnuan had already made up her mind: this person was neither an enemy nor a friend.

Yes, if they were friends, they should have recognized each other upon entering; if they were enemies, he would have turned against them long ago.

They can only be neither enemies nor friends.

Who is the mastermind behind this?
"Um, Miss Xiao, please don't look at me like that. I feel like you're looking at a dead person."

Seriously, her eyes are kind of scary.

"That's not true. I've said it before, your illness is treatable and controllable. Just don't get angry or use force." I wonder if this person is here to reason with me or to fight, or is just a bystander?
"How long will it take for this medicine to work?" "No rush, take it slowly. First, take two doses to regulate your stomach and intestines, and then we'll treat the other parts. In short, be prepared to stay here for a long time. It will definitely take a year or two to fully recover. Of course, you can also choose not to get treatment." "I will definitely get treatment."

Fortunately, the Marquis only instructed him to gather information and send it back; he didn't need to return himself. This time could be used for treatment. (End of Chapter)