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

Chapter 72: Taking on an Apprentice

When Chunnuan went to the village again in the spring, Chunning and the others had already planted the autumn sweet potatoes.

"Have you dug up all of these?"

Several children, not even as tall as the handle of a hoe, had to do so much work; Chunnuan felt sorry for them.

"Sister, we were able to plant quickly because of the help of Uncle Luo and Luo Xiaogang. Otherwise, it would have taken us ten days to half a month to do it on our own."

"Uncle Luo's legs hurt, but he still came to help us."

"Uncle Luo said that after using the medicinal wine you gave him to rub on his skin for a few days, he was completely cured. If you hadn't told him to rest for half a month, he would have gone to the dock to pull the boat long ago. Luckily, he listened to you and didn't go, which saved his life. Now Uncle Luo is not planning to go to pull the boat anymore. He said he wants to find some job to do."

Spring warmth remembered that Uncle Luo said he would give the wine medicine to the brothers who pulled the boats to apply, and he would get paid after applying it. Why not give him a chance to make money?

"Chunnuan, are you telling the truth?" Aunt Luo was very surprised after hearing Chunnuan's words: "Can you really make money like this?"

“Yes, Uncle Luo said that many boatmen have this condition, and they can feel the effects of this medicinal wine.” Chun Nuan said, “I will teach Uncle Luo a few massage techniques. Massage can regulate bodily functions, promote blood circulation, relax muscles and tendons, and alleviate or improve diseases.”

"Does he know how?"

"Just keep learning. I can give you a few more massages. Once you're proficient in the techniques, you can start your own stall."

Aunt Luo immediately told Sanya to hurry up and call back the man who was cutting bamboo and weaving bamboo baskets in the bamboo forest.

Uncle Luo's eyes lit up when he heard Chunnuan's words.

"You know what, it really is a good idea," Uncle Luo said. "I also found that I really enjoy applying medicated wine to people. When I use the method you taught me to apply it to them, they are all very grateful to me after a few times, which makes me feel very happy."

"What are all these hobbies of yours?" Aunt Luo asked with a smile.

"Relieving others' pain is also a way to accumulate good karma and do good deeds," Uncle Luo said. "Many of my brothers jokingly call me Doctor Luo."

"Not just anyone can be a doctor. To be a doctor, you need to have skills. With just these few tricks, you're not even half-baked. What kind of doctor are you? Don't cause a death or lawsuit."

"Uncle Luo, Aunt Luo, this massage is very simple. It's all about practice makes perfect," Chunnuan said. "How about this, I'll teach you first, and then you can give Aunt Luo a massage. You'll get the hang of it after a few tries."

How to teach?
Naturally, he practiced on Aunt Luo.

"Aunt Luo, didn't you say your back hurt?"

"That's right, it's from not taking proper care of myself during postpartum period. I often have back pain."

"Okay, I'll give you a massage."

They helped Aunt Luo lie down on the bed and then asked Uncle Luo to pour some cooking oil over.

"This oil mainly serves as a lubricant to prevent skin abrasions."

"My skin is older than your hands, I hope I don't hurt your hands," Aunt Luo said. "Or you could let Old Luo massage it for me, and you can give me some pointers."

"That's fine, but the main problem is that massage requires a bit of force, and I really don't have enough strength."

"Okay, I'll do it. Chunnuan, tell me how to do massage?"

"Massage techniques include finger pressing, palm pressing, and rubbing," Chunnuan demonstrated to Uncle Luo one by one: "Pushing, grasping, lifting, pinching, and kneading are commonly used methods..."

"For the head, face, limbs, chest, and abdomen, use the straight-line pushing method..."

"Spring warmth, wait a moment, let me explain it to you, see if I remember it correctly."

It must be said that Uncle Luo is a good student; he summarized the key points that Chunnuan mentioned.

"Very good, Uncle Luo, you're absolutely right." "This person is usually so carefree, but I didn't expect you to remember what Chunnuan said." Aunt Luo praised him: "Looks like you can really learn this?"

"That's right, you can remember what you like, and you don't want to remember what you don't like," Uncle Luo said. "I've discovered that I'm interested in this."

Chunnuan then explained the precautions for massage to him.

"Pay attention to keeping warm, staying hydrated, and getting enough rest. Contraindications include not taking a bath immediately, not being exposed to cold environments, and not engaging in strenuous exercise..."

"Massage also requires diagnosis and treatment based on syndrome differentiation, distinguishing between yin deficiency and yang deficiency, whether qi is present or blood is deficient, and identifying which organ is affected..."

That's a bit profound.

Fortunately, Uncle Luo was very eager to learn. He would ask questions whenever he didn't understand something. He taught diligently and studied hard. Aunt Luo, the practical tool, was repeatedly kneaded and massaged by the master and apprentice.

At first it hurt a little, but then it felt comfortable.

"I feel much more relaxed now." Aunt Luo felt that being treated like a tool by them was also a kind of enjoyment.

"You'll feel pain in the areas you massaged tomorrow. That's normal," Chunnuan reminded her.

"I'm not afraid of pain, as long as it's not my back that hurts, I can bear it," Aunt Luo said. "To be honest, my back is so bad that I can't straighten up after bending over for a while. It's really getting worse as I get older."

Chunnuan's words were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.

You know, the prescription was given to her.

"Oh, right, I remember now." Aunt Luo brought up the matter herself: "The prescription you gave me before, which was for treating women's diseases, I need to go find it and buy some medicine to take."

"Yeah, sure."

"Mainly because I didn't have money before, I didn't think it was a big deal, so I didn't pay attention to it..."

Aunt Luo's attempt to cover up her embarrassment was somewhat forced.

In fact, she was skeptical of Chunnuan's medical skills. What if it was useless and the money was wasted?
So I didn't take it seriously.

Now that we see that the medicinal wine she brews can actually cure the legs of Lao Luo and the other boatmen, it proves that Chunnuan is truly skilled.

Especially today, she taught Lao Luo massage techniques in a very eloquent and knowledgeable way, clearly demonstrating her expertise.

Aunt Luo no longer doubted Chunnuan's abilities.

"It's getting late," Chunnuan said. "I'm heading to the village now. Uncle Luo, if you give Aunt Luo a few more massages, she can go to the docks to give massages to those people and earn some money to supplement her family's income."

"Thank you so much, Chunnuan. We really don't know how to thank you enough."

"It's alright, it's only right for neighbors to help each other." Chunnuan said, "Look, you even helped us plant sweet potatoes. If it weren't for your help, Chunning and the others would have had to work for a long time."

"Oh, we don't have any other skills, but we have a lot of brute strength. We can dig up this little bit of land in no time. It won't cause any trouble."

Aunt Luo said, "Chunnuan, if there's any heavy or tiring work to do at home in the future, just call Chunning to come find your Uncle Luo. He's your apprentice, so it's only right that he helps his master with some work."

Spring is here... When did you take on an apprentice?

“You teach him these survival skills, so he is your apprentice.”

Aunt Luo insisted on giving her a formal status.

"No, no, no, you shouldn't say that I taught you this. Just say that the old hunter in the mountains taught you."

(End of this chapter)