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

Chapter 185

Zhou Sanwa is a filial son.

He immediately took Chunnuan to see her mother's feet.

Aunt Zhou was lying in bed when she heard someone enter the room and immediately asked.

"Is that Sanwazi back?"

"Mom, it's me, I'm back."

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Aunt Zhou quickly reached out her hand: "Help me up, let me see you."

"mother."

On Wednesday, the child rushed forward and picked his mother up from the bed.

"Mother, Sanwa is fine, he's fine."

Aunt Zhou touched her son's face.

"What's so good about it? My legs are bad and I can't get out of bed, but my eyesight isn't bad, I can see very clearly. And I've lost a lot of weight." Aunt Zhou said, "Your employer is heartless, making the child work but not feeding him, right? How come you've lost so much weight every time you come back?"

When Chunnuan heard the old lady say that, she thought that it must be that Zhou Sanwa and his friends made more mistakes than they actually managed to steal anything.

Everyone says that bandits live a life of luxury, and they are all fat and bloated. It's rare to find a bandit as thin and pale as Zhou Sanwa.

"Mom, it's tough being a boss. I've always had a good appetite and can eat a lot, but I just don't gain weight. You know that." Zhou Sanwa lied without batting an eye, and fearing his mother would ask more questions, he quickly changed the subject: "Mom, I called a doctor for you to take a look at your feet."

"Why bother seeing a doctor? My foot has been a chronic problem for a long time, and it can't be cured." Aunt Zhou said, "You don't earn money easily, don't waste it on me. Save it for your wedding."

“Mom, I need to find a wife, and I also need to get your illness treated. I’m counting on you to help take care of my child once your leg is healed.”

"My dear Sanwa, it's your mother who's dragging you down."

"Mom, don't worry too much. The doctor is here. He'll examine your leg and it'll be fine once it's healed."

Seeing how kind and filial he was to his mother, Chunnuan felt even more that it was a wise choice to ask Zhao Minghua to show mercy back then.

Otherwise, this family would lose a filial son.

"Auntie, please extend your right hand so I can take your pulse."

"you are?"

Aunt Zhou looked at Chunnuan and asked, "Are you a girl?"

"Yes, ma'am, I am also a doctor."

"Female doctor?"

Aunt Zhou expressed her doubts, saying that she had never seen a female doctor in her many years of life.

"Sanwazi, where did you find this female doctor?"

Is this some kind of scam?
Zhou Sanwa was stunned for a moment. It couldn't possibly be that they came to us on their own.

“Auntie, we are from Sichuan. We were passing through this area to buy medicinal herbs. Your son saw that we were doctors and came here specifically to seek medical treatment.”

"Oh, I see. Thank you so much."

A female doctor named Zhou from Sichuan accepted this explanation, after all, Sichuan is a big place, and it is said that the girls from Sichuan are very strong.

It seems that's indeed the case.

Even the doctors are women.

"Auntie, let me take your pulse."

"it is good."

This time, Aunt Zhou had no further objections and extended her right hand.

Chunnuan took Zhou Da Niang's pulse, then asked her to stick out her tongue and examine her eyelids.

"When did your leg start hurting, ma'am?"

"The pain started about five years ago. About three years ago, I gradually became unable to walk, and last year I was completely bedridden."

"How does it hurt?" Chunnuan asked. "Is it a needle-like pain, or a sore, aching pain?"

"Yes, I feel both." Aunt Zhou felt so numb from the pain that sometimes she couldn't even feel it anymore.

"Let me see your legs."

From the ankle to the calf and then to the knee, every time Chunnuan presses on it, a deep indentation appears.

It's swollen.

"Doctor, what illness does my mother have?"

Wednesday, the child looked worried.

"You didn't see a doctor when the pain first started?"

“We country folk never think of seeing a doctor for minor illnesses,” said Aunt Zhou. “Older people always have aches and pains here and there, and nobody takes them seriously. But I was unlucky enough to fall into a limbo and become bedridden.”

“If you don’t treat a minor illness, it can turn into a major one.” Chunnuan said, “If you’re sick, you have to see a doctor. Minor illnesses can be treated lightly, but major illnesses are much harder to treat.”

"Seeing a doctor costs money. If you see a doctor for a minor illness, a year's income won't be enough," said Aunt Zhou. "The lives of farmers aren't so precious. If you don't treat minor illnesses, you won't have the money to treat major illnesses. You'll be at the mercy of the King of Hell whenever he calls. Life is cheap."

"That's not the case. Minor illnesses can be treated with very little money, and most importantly, people don't have to suffer."

Chunnuan said this, but she knew very well that most rural families thought this way; it was a deeply ingrained belief that couldn't be changed.

They often let small problems turn into big ones because of their frugality. They say they will go whenever the King of Hell summons them, but they ignore the fact that the King of Hell will not let them go unless they have experienced pain.

It's better to treat minor illnesses when they're not causing you so much pain.

It would be wonderful if someone like Aunt Zhou, who isn't very old, could recover and live a carefree life.

"Oh dear, my illness is incurable. I've seen three doctors, and they all said it's incurable."

Aunt Zhou sighed again.

“It can be cured.”

The three words "spring warmth and gentle breeze" made the eyes of Zhou's mother and son light up.

However, in the blink of an eye, Aunt Zhou's eyes dimmed again.

"Let's not waste that money. This family is poor enough. It's not easy for Sanwazi to earn money. I can't be a burden to him."

“Mother, as long as your legs can be healed, your son is not afraid of being a burden.” Zhou Sanwa said to Chun Nuan, “Doctor, please, heal my mother’s legs, I…I…I kowtow to you.”

As Zhou Sanwa was speaking, he immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times with a "thump, thump".

"Get up quickly. I can prescribe medicine for you. Go and get the medicine according to the prescription. Avoid the foods you should avoid. You can stand up after taking the medicine." Chunnuan said, "You can only walk, not lift heavy objects."

"As long as you can walk, as long as you can get out of bed, it's fine if you can't be carried." Zhou Sanwa was overjoyed: "I never thought about asking my mother to carry me."

“I don’t ask for anything more. I’d be content if I could just walk, cook for them, and do their laundry,” said Zhou Sanniang. “I also hope that Sanwa can get married soon, so I can die in peace.”

"Mother, please don't say such discouraging things."

"Yes, Aunt Zhou, you're still young. This illness can be cured. Don't give up on yourself."

Chunnuan was shocked to hear that Aunt Zhou was only forty-three years old, the same age as her own mother. Although her mother had aged a bit in the past two years, she was still a beautiful middle-aged woman, while Aunt Zhou's forehead was covered with wrinkles and her hair at the temples was already gray.

If Chunnuan hadn't heard it from her own ears that she was forty-three, she would have thought she was at least fifty-three.

Therefore, poverty and illness can really age a person by ten years.

"Doctor, my mother's illness..."

"Aunt Zhou's illness is caused by insufficient vital energy, weak pores, and poor external defense, allowing her to be exposed to pathogenic wind, cold, dampness, and heat. This leads to obstruction in the muscles, joints, and meridians of her knee, resulting in poor blood and qi circulation," Chunnuan said. "I'll prescribe some medicine and do a few acupuncture sessions. After taking the medicine and recuperating, she should be able to get out of bed and walk again."

"Thank you so much, doctor. Thank you so much, doctor."

At this moment, Zhou Sanwa felt extremely fortunate.

If he and his brothers had actually hurt the girl, his mother would truly be confined to her bed. Suddenly, he remembered why everyone had inexplicably collapsed.

"Did the young lady use a sleeping potion?"

Chunnuan looked at him, her eyes asking if he was sure he wanted to talk about this.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was too talkative."

Zhou Sanwa felt like slapping himself a few times.

"Sanwazi, the doctor has come from afar, quickly cook a meal to entertain them."

Aunt Zhou was a very kind and righteous person. She immediately instructed her son: "There is still half a liter of rice at home, and there are two eggs in the rice jar. Boil them to serve our guests."

Chunnuan knew in her heart that two eggs were already the highest form of hospitality this family could offer their guests.

When spring arrives, one should find pen, ink, paper, and inkstone to write out prescriptions.

As a result, the family couldn't afford a single thing.

“We’ve never been to school, and we don’t have any of these at home,” Zhou Sanwa said. “But that’s alright, I’ll go to Scholar Tang’s house right now and get some.”

"Alright."

As spring warms up, I think it will be more convenient to bring writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones when I go out in the future.

Zhou Sanwa went to Tang Xiucai to ask for the Four Treasures of the Study, while Grandpa Zhou returned.

“Young master, this is all horse feed. Also, the grain store is out of rice, only millet and some other grains. I didn’t know what you wanted to eat, so I just bought some of each.” Old Master Zhou was an honest man: “It cost less than a thousand coins, the rest is yours.”

"Sir, I promised to give it to you, so please accept it."

Zhao Minghua was a man of his word and did not take back the extra silver.

"This……"

"Uncle Zhou, we're sorry to trouble you again, we're hungry."

"Alright, alright, this old man will go cook for you right away." Grandpa Zhou was still a little embarrassed: "I only learned to cook after my wife got sick and couldn't get out of bed. I can only say that it's well made, but don't worry about the taste."

“Alright, we’ll eat whatever the host has.” Zhao Minghua was actually worried that Grandpa Zhou might cook some undercooked rice for them: “Qingsheng, go and help.”

"Yes, Master."

Celebrating a birthday... Luckily, I learned a couple of tricks from my mother, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do.

While Grandpa Zhou was cooking, Zhao Minghua would stand by the kitchen and ask him questions.

"Sir, do you sell rice here at this time of year?"

It's unusual for a local rice shop to not sell rice and only sell miscellaneous grains.

"After the Third Prince's troops arrived, the rice shops stopped selling rice. There were rumors circulating that war was coming."

fight?

“Some people say it’s a rumor, but we ordinary folks don’t understand. We’re very anxious when we have no food at home.”

When rice shops run out of rice, everyone except landlords with surplus grain is panicking.

When war actually breaks out, prices skyrocket, with rice prices increasing dozens of times.

Zhao Minghua understood perfectly well that the owner of the rice shop was hoarding grain so that he could raise prices later.

A thought also flashed through his mind.

I'll talk to Chunnuan about this right now.

"The Third Prince has already..."

Although it was a royal secret, Xiao Chunyu informed Chunnuan in a secret code. When Chunnuan got to this point, she realized that she hadn't told Zhao Minghua about it yet.

Yes, the Third Prince was confined to the Imperial Clan Court.

Logically speaking, this matter should be considered closed.

However, even in this remote place, soldiers are still causing trouble under the banner of the Third Prince.

There are two possibilities: one is that they are indeed soldiers of the Third Prince, indicating that his power is so great that he has henchmen everywhere; the other is that someone may be impersonating the Third Prince's soldiers to spread rumors, with the aim of stirring up trouble and disrupting the world.

Both of these possibilities would ultimately lead to war.

When the world prospers, the people suffer; when the world is in chaos, the people also suffer.

When gods fight, mortals suffer.

"Grain prices are definitely going to rise, but won't making this kind of money be universally condemned?"

I'm still a little worried about the warmer spring weather; I'm afraid the imperial court will settle scores later.

"What I mean is to buy a batch of grain before the people of Shu realize what's happening. When the price of grain skyrockets, even if we double the price, we'll still make a huge profit, and there will be no risk involved."

Zhao Minghua was well aware of Chunnuan's worries.

"Okay, since you think this will work, then go ahead and do it this way."

In terms of doing business, Chunnuan still trusted Zhao Minghua.

Someone who has been in the business world since the age of twelve doesn't need Chunnuan's guidance on making money.

"Here it comes, Doctor, the Four Treasures of the Study are here."

On Wednesday, the boy went to Tang Xiucai to ask for writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone. Tang Xiucai said that they were the Four Treasures of the Study. He said that this was the first time he had learned this name. The Four Treasures of the Study sound nice!

When Chunnuan needed to write a prescription, Zhao Minghua volunteered to help her grind the ink.

"Nuan Nuan, isn't this a case of a beautiful woman adding fragrance to one's life?"

Suddenly, Zhao Minghua asked her jokingly.

Spring is here... This person can be really unreliable sometimes. Is the phrase "a beautiful woman adding fragrance to one's sleeves" appropriate here?

Chunnuan prescribed medicine for Aunt Zhou.

“Achyranthes bidentata, Paeonia lactiflora, and Angelica sinensis…” Zhao Minghua carefully picked them up to study, and even asked Chunnuan to explain the uses and effects of each herb in detail.

"You're not a doctor anyway."

This person's eagerness to learn is in no way inferior to Chun Ning's.

“But I am the husband of a doctor.” After Zhao Minghua finished speaking, he looked at Chun Nuan and felt as if he had gained a great advantage: “Besides, I also run a pharmacy and sell medicinal herbs. I may not need this knowledge, but I must know it.”

"Okay, okay, I'll teach you."

"Achyranthes bidentata has a bitter, sweet, and sour taste, is neutral in nature, and enters the liver and kidney meridians. It has the effects of promoting blood circulation and regulating menstruation, promoting urination and relieving strangury, guiding blood downwards, tonifying the liver and kidneys, and strengthening tendons and bones..." Chunnuan explained in detail. Zhao Minghua immediately gave a thumbs up.

"Nuan Nuan, how do you remember so many medicines so clearly? Don't you ever get them mixed up?"

“Are you joking? This is a matter of life and death, how can you be confused?” Chun Nuan said, “Practice makes perfect, you must understand the compatibility of medicinal materials, and you must remember the mutual generation and restraint of each other. You have been learning these since you were a student.”

You'll never forget what you've learned seriously.

"Just like eating, you get hungry at mealtimes. It's the same with medicine prescriptions. As soon as you see the symptoms, you know which medicine to use. All these things are firmly memorized in your mind, and you won't forget a single thing."

"Nuan Nuan, you doctors are truly amazing."

Is that amazing?

Everyone starts from not knowing to knowing, gradually filling in the blankness in their mind.

Moreover, truly skilled doctors must have inherited their skills from a family with a long tradition of medical expertise.

Like how his great-grandfather passed it down to his grandfather, his grandfather passed it down to him, and he passed it down to Chun Ning, and then to Mu Yang.

It took generations of support to achieve your remarkable success!

It's not easy.