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

Chapter 173

When Tang Liu sent another letter home, one of them was from Huang Shi.

Chunnuan glanced at the handwriting and felt the thickness of the letter, finding it quite amusing.

how to say?

When the Xiao family fell on hard times, the old lady told her three daughters-in-law that if they wanted to leave, she would write a letter of divorce on behalf of her son; if they didn't want to leave, they should stay away from their own families to avoid implicating innocent people.

None of the three wanted to leave.

This made the old lady very happy.

However, being far away from their maternal home made them somewhat panicked, and they also harbored fantasies that their maternal home could secretly help and support them when the Xiao family fell on hard times.

Contrary to expectations, all three women's families, including the old lady's, kept their distance.

They probably wish they had never given birth to this daughter who married into the Xiao family.

The Huang family was quite famous in the capital, mainly because their ancestors included great Confucian scholars.

Normally, people who read books have integrity and only value honesty and right and wrong, never caring about other people's opinions.

The reality is that the Huang family avoided the situation faster than anyone else and never got involved with the Xiao family in any way.

Now, how much sorrow and longing are written in these thick envelopes?

How much do they think of the Huang family?

How much of that longing is genuine and how much is feigned? Isn't that ironic?
When Huang saw the letter from her family, she was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes.

"Thank you, Second Miss."

The difference between Huang and Xu is that Xu would call her Nuannuan and remember her kindness; Huang calls her Second Miss, which is somewhat distant.

"Third Aunt, you don't need to be so polite."

Chunnuan smiled as she saw Huang Shi excitedly holding the letter: "Let me know when you reply, and I will deliver it to the trading company for you."

"Okay, thank you very much."

Huang went inside to read the family letter, and Chunnuan went to do her own thing.

When patients come to see her, Chunnuan welcomes them all.

Qian Yuanli came for a follow-up visit.

"How do you feel after taking the medicine for one cycle?"

"Miss Xiao, you are truly amazing."

At first, Qian Yuanli only came to see a doctor and take medicine with the intention of trying it out... no, he just wanted to get closer to the target so that he could report back to his master.

However, after taking the medicine for one cycle, he realized that he had underestimated Xiao Chunnuan.

He was freezing cold all over, and even with a thick quilt covering him at night, he couldn't get warm.

He attributed all of this to the lack of heating and hand warmers after leaving the capital.

Yes, winters in the South and the North are truly different.

In the north, you can take off your thick cotton-padded clothes as soon as you enter the house in winter, and your whole body will feel warm and cozy.

In the south, winter brings a biting wind that chills you to the bone. You have to wrap yourself in layers of clothing, and feel like you could squeeze through any gap.

He felt the cold as soon as he left the capital.

The nights were even colder, with hands and feet feeling icy cold.

Who knew that after taking the medicine prescribed by Chunnuan, his appetite returned and he was able to eat meat heartily.

One of the benefits was that he could feel his hands and feet getting warmer.

I slept very comfortably that night.

"Tell me whether your money was well spent or not."

"Value, exceptional value."

Money is meant to be earned and spent, and besides, he only needs to eat his fill so his whole family won't go hungry, so the money from selling things is naturally meant to support his life.

I didn't really believe in Chunnuan before, but now I'm superstitious about her.

"Miss Xiao, if I take the medicine as you instructed, will I really be fine? I won't die?"

You can actually feel the improvement in your physical condition.

For example, I used to get out of breath when walking fast, and I still do, but not as badly; I used to cough at night, but I don't cough as badly anymore; I used to only be able to eat a little bit of food, but now I can easily finish two large bowls of rice.

Yes, I used to attribute my poor eating and sleeping habits to being far away from the familiar capital city.

I only realized it now; it's because I'm not in good health.

"All I can do is treat your illness. Your life is in your own hands, or rather, it depends on whether you can get on the good side of the King of Hell."

Chunnuan said with a smile.

The job this person does is full of risks and uncertainties; whether something happens or she dies is not something she can decide.

"I understand, I will definitely cherish my life. Please take my pulse again and prescribe some medicine for me."

"You don't think the medicine is too expensive?"

"There's a reason it's expensive." Qian Yuanli was particularly good at comforting himself at this moment: "I'm worth the price."

Spring is here, and I'm happy.

I took his pulse and asked about other things.

Qian Yuanli looked at Chun Nuan with a complicated expression.

"Why are you looking at me?" Chun Nuanqi laughed: "The person sitting in front of you is a doctor. Just answer his questions honestly."

"No, not for a long time. I'm so old now. Besides, I'm not married..."

"Come back after you finish this cycle of medication. I'll prescribe some medicine to help you get better, and then you can get married and have children without any problems."

"No, Miss Xiao, is my health really good enough for me to get married and have children?"

When he was young, he had an accident while working, and the doctor said that he would never be able to marry and have children, and that he was destined to be a lonely man.

At first, I felt a little regretful and helpless.

I gradually got used to it; if it's not there, it's not there.

Something will occur if it belongs to your life, if not, do not push it.

Now that he's reached the age of fifty, the young girl in front of him suddenly asked about these things, and his expression was complicated as his thoughts raced.

"Of course, it can be done with some treatment." Chunnuan buried her head in writing the prescription: "You're still young, why are you giving up so easily?"

"Young lady, if you can really get married and have children, I will definitely reward you handsomely."

“No need for that,” Chunnuan said. “Right now, I’m just a doctor.”

If you really want to thank me, then tell me some of the inside information you know.

Chunnuan didn't say this explicitly.

Chunnuan finished prescribing Qian Yuanli's medicine and gave him some instructions. Just as Qian Yuanli was about to leave, someone suddenly burst in and shouted, "Chunnuan, Chunnuan, quick, quick, save him!"

It's Aunt Zuo.

"Aunt Zuo, don't panic. Tell me first whose life you're saving and what happened?"

“It’s my maternal family. My mother, my younger brother, and my sister-in-law are all vomiting and having diarrhea. The whole family is sick and can’t get up now.”

Vomiting and diarrhea?

"What did you eat?"

“I don’t know either. I asked them, and they said they didn’t know either. I had no choice but to ask you for help to save my life.”

"Let's go."

Aunt Zuo's family lived in the next village, and she practically ran towards them with Chunnuan.

Fortunately, Chunnuan is usually in good health and can walk fast, so she can keep up with Aunt Zuo's pace.

When spring arrived, the whole village gathered at his doorstep.

"Make way, make way, the doctor is coming."

Some people recognized Chunnuan and were very surprised.

"Isn't Miss Xiao only good at treating gynecological diseases? Can she cure this kind of illness?"

Chunnuan didn't pay much attention to it. That's how rumors are; they can become more and more outrageous with each passing statement.

How did this misunderstanding come about—that she only treats gynecological diseases? "Miss Xiao, please help me take a look, look at this..."

Aunt Zuo's maiden name was Hu, and the Hu family had a total of nine people. At this moment, they were all slumped weakly on the chairs in their main room or on the beds in the house.

Their faces were ashen, and there were puddles of vomit in front of them.

In the spring, I went to check their pulses one by one and asked what they had eaten.

"I didn't eat much. I just cooked some vegetables and made a cold dish, as usual."

"What dish?"

Shredded white radish.

"Any more?"

"There should still be a little bit left; we haven't finished eating."

Led by Aunt Zuo, Chunnuan entered the kitchen and took out half a bowl of cold shredded white radish salad from the dimly lit cupboard.

I smelled it, and there was no strange odor.

Chunnuan took the bowl outside to the courtyard and looked at it carefully, and couldn't help but frown.

What did you put in here?

"It's just ginger, garlic, and chili peppers, the same as usual."

"No, it's not the same."

Spring warmth had already noticed: "Where did you get your ginger?"

"It's wild ginger that Sanwazi dug up in the back mountain. This wild ginger doesn't taste very good."

"Any more?"

"Yes, it's under the small wooden table in the kitchen."

Aunt Zuo immediately went to find it.

After Chunnuan saw it, she had already determined what had caused the trouble.

"Don't worry, you didn't eat much. Just drink more water now and you'll be fine after you poop it out."

what?
“This isn’t wild ginger, it’s Solomon’s seal. Eating Solomon’s seal raw can easily cause diarrhea,” Chunnuan said. “You’ve mistaken it for something else, so you’re lucky to have suffered this loss.”

Polygonatum has a sweet taste and is used to replenish qi and nourish yin, strengthen the spleen, moisten the lungs and benefit the kidneys. It can be used to treat symptoms such as fatigue, dry mouth and poor appetite, dry cough due to lung deficiency, cough with blood due to overwork, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, premature graying of hair, and internal heat and thirst. However, it is not suitable for everyone and should not be eaten raw.

The Hu family members ingested the food by mistake, which is why they experienced vomiting and diarrhea.

Once the cause of the illness is found, things will be much easier.

It's terrifying! Many people say that the Hu family must have done something bad and are being punished by the Bodhisattva.

There are all sorts of rumors.

As a result, Chunnuan immediately discovered the problem.

Aunt Zuo was extremely grateful to Chunnuan.

However, Chunnuan was more interested in the Solomon's seal they mentioned growing on the back mountain.

Upon asking, they said there was a large area of ​​it.

Aunt Zuo took Chunnuan to see it.

Just as I thought.

Who owns this mountainous area?

I want to buy it when spring arrives.

"I don't know whose it is; it's probably unclaimed," Aunt Zuo said. "If you want to buy it, I'll ask the village chief for you."

"Okay." Chunnuan was planning to acquire a manor as part of her dowry.

Aunt Zuo took Chunnuan to find the village chief.

“This mountain is called Hujia Mountain. We’ve never bought it before, mainly because it’s full of rocks and miscellaneous trees, so we can’t grow crops.” The village chief, an honest old farmer, said, “Young lady, if you’re going to buy it to farm, I advise you not to. The crops grown here haven’t changed much. You’ll work hard all season and barely harvest any grain. If you really want to buy, go buy a farm on Chaoyang Mountain. The land there is very productive, sunny and fertile.”

"The prices there must be expensive too, right?"

"It's a bit expensive, but once you start selling, you can make your money back quickly. Buying this mountain is unlikely to result in a complete loss."

The old village chief had good intentions.

"It's alright, the money I have is only suitable for buying places like this."

Chunnuan insisted on buying it, and the village chief had no choice but to tell her that she needed to go to the county town to complete the handover procedures.

"Can we go tomorrow? I'll have my younger brother go."

“Yes, yes, this mountain has been barren for decades with no one buying it.”

Chun Ning spent twenty taels to buy one hundred acres of Hujia Mountain, where no crops grew and only weeds grew.

“Sister, the village chief said that crops don’t grow here. How about we buy Chaoyang Mountain as part of your dowry?”

"Chuning, when have you ever seen me make a losing deal?"

Spring warmth asked with a smile.

Chun Ning was taken aback... Yes, her older sister was such a smart person, there was no reason for her to buy a barren mountain for no reason.

Even if it's a small amount of money, she won't spend it in vain.

In my sister's words, spending money where it's due and saving money where it's due are both perfectly fine.

"Sister, are you interested in finding medicinal herbs on that mountain?"

"There aren't many medicinal herbs on the mountain, but there is one that is available."

That's Polygonatum.

This mountain area is full of Solomon's seal, also known as tiger spirit.

This herb is referred to as a Taoist immortal herb in ancient books. It is listed as one of the four great immortal herbs, along with ginseng, lingzhi, and poria cocos. It is said that eating it can prolong life and lead to immortality with prolonged use.

When Chunnuan went to see it, Aunt Zuo said it was called tiger ginger. Her little nephew thought it was old ginger, dug it up, and the whole family ate it, and ended up getting poisoned.

Spring warmth brought joy to the mountains and fields.

This indicates that the land is suitable for growth; it is a treasure trove.

I can buy this mountain for twenty taels of silver, and I am overjoyed in the spring.

Chun Ning was unaware of its medicinal value.

After the explanation, Chun Ning suddenly understood.

Therefore, his older sister never does anything useless, let alone engages in unprofitable business.

“These Solomon’s seals, after being washed and steamed nine times and dried nine times, can be used as a substitute for grain to survive famine years. They also have a sweet aftertaste and are known as ‘rice shop’,” Chunnuan said. “After buying this mountain, we’ll need to find someone to help keep an eye on it.”

It used to be an unclaimed mountain, and these were wild animals that anyone could dig up.

Now that it's their own home, Chunnuan naturally wants to protect it.

"How about having Aunt Zuo's nephew keep watch?"

The child looked to be only eight or nine years old, but he was quite clever.

"Of course, he can pay us some wages."

Being close to the water tower gives you an advantage, and it's only convenient to have someone nearby watch over things.

Hu Sanwa had no idea that mistaking a plant had caused his whole family trouble, and that this trouble had also earned him a small job.

Although the job was small, the Xiao family said they would give him two taels of silver a year, which was no small amount. Even his own father might not have the ability to earn two taels of silver a year.

"Sanwa, you must guard this mountain well for Miss Xiao, and not let anyone dig or dig on this mountain."

Every spring, when food is scarce, many people go up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables.

“Aunt, I know. Miss Xiao is our family’s savior. Even if she didn’t give me money, I would still keep a close watch on her and not let anyone go up the mountain to dig for things.”

“That’s right.” Aunt Zuo was very clever. She remembered how the Luo family had made a good living by following the Xiao family: “Sanwa, don’t underestimate this job. If you do it well, you can work for the Xiao family in the future and receive a monthly salary. Then you won’t have to worry about not having money to get married in the future.”

"Auntie, is it true that we receive a monthly allowance?"

"Yes, of course there are."

Aunt Zuo wasn't making this up; she heard it from Aunt Luo.

Aunt Luo said that the Xiao family has a wet nurse named Wu who works with her daughter. The mother and daughter receive a monthly allowance and can save a lot of money every year.

Recently, Wu has also been responsible for cooking and preparing medicine for Mr. Qian Yuanli. Mr. Qian also gives Wu a monthly allowance of one tael of silver. Wu earns more than a grown man.