After the New Year’s Eve, on the seventh day, the dical officers from Pingzhou arrived in Su Nan.
The handover of the epidemic control tasks in Su Nan had been completed; it was ti for the dical officers to return to Shengjing.
At the city gate, carriages and horses converged, Cai Fang and Li Wenhu ca to see them off at the city gate; spontaneously, the common people erged from the city behind them, with the forr patients of the Plague Hospital at the very front, bowing deeply in thanks to the dical officers.
After switching to new treatnts, the epidemic victims, save for a few with extrely severe conditions, gradually began to improve.
During their months in Su Nan, the dical officers from Shengjing shuttled daily between the plague hospitals, weary from their toils. Shengjing and Su Nan had different climates, and the older dical officers often complained about the bone-chilling dampness of Su Nan’s winter days, clamoring to hurry back to Shengjing. Yet, after sharing weal and woe for a ti, they felt a certain reluctance to leave.
Cuicui approached Lu Tong.
"Thank you, Doctor Lu."
The young girl kept her head down, ashad to look into Lu Tong’s eyes: "...I’m sorry."
"It doesn’t matter." Lu Tong patted her head.
Cuicui’s parents were no longer alive, and Red Matchmaker, who diated marriages in the plague hospital, took pity on her being alone without support. Having no children of her own, she adopted Cuicui.
After the great epidemic, there were many who lost their families in Su Nan, leaving Cai Fang and Li Wenhu with much to tend to. Such is life, full of hardships, but one must always move forward.
"Doctor Lu, I also want to study dicine in the future." Cuicui mustered the courage to speak, "I want to save more people like you."
She had stayed in the plague hospital for a long ti and had personally experienced the despair of illness. The dical officers had brought vitality back into that dead end of a place.
With the gods of no help, she wanted to be the one to save others, to offer hope to others.
"That’s good," Lu Tong said with a smile, "In Shengjing, there is the Imperial dical Bureau. If you ever have a chance to co to Shengjing in the future, you can co and find at the West Street Benevolent Heart dical Hall."
Ji Xun was slightly stunned.
But she remained completely unaware.
Cai Fang gave a deep bow to everyone.
"You all traveled thousands of miles to Su Nan, and for the past few months, you have shared the sa boat with Su Nan. This kindness, the people of Su Nan dare not forget."
"Yet gatherings and partings are always in haste, and there must eventually be a farewell. When the dical officers return to Shengjing, if there is a chance to visit Su Nan again in the future, Cai will make sure to extend his utmost hospitality."
"Take care."
Gatherings and partings are always in haste, and there must eventually be a farewell...
Lu Tong looked back.
Spring was already upon them, and Su Nan had not seen snow for a long ti. The morning sunlight spread through the mountains in a rosy glow.
It seed as if she could see on Luoi Peak, a little girl with a bamboo basket walking along the mountain paths.
She walked slowly, step by step, not yet completely shedding her childlike innocence, occasionally breaking into brief monts of laughter, walking toward her from among the sunlight filtered through the morning mist, and passing by her side.
Lu Tong gazed at her absently.
"Doctor Lu."
A voice ca from behind her, and she turned around to see Pei Yunng walking toward her from in front of the carriage, smiling.
The sunlight fell upon him, bright and warm; he took Lu Tong’s hand, "Let’s go."
She was montarily startled, then smiled.
"Alright."
He led Lu Tong onto the carriage, then mounted his horse to ride alongside the procession. The journey began, and Li Wenhu’s voice ca from behind, "Have a safe trip, everyone!"
...
Ti passed quickly.
Shortly after the New Year, as the warmth returns and the earth revives, all things herald the coming of spring.
The day before the beginning of spring is known as "heralding spring." Boys in green clothes and hats would go door to door delivering Spring Ox Pictures.
The Benevolent Heart dical Hall received a Spring Ox Picture as well, which was affixed to the main gate of the hall. Ah Cheng went to Official Lane to buy spring pancakes and sesa candies and put them on a plate to offer to every patient who ca for dicine.
As soon as spring arrived, Du Changqing felt sleepy, propping his head up and dozing off in the shop, when Yin Zheng passed by him and said, "Boss, shouldn’t we go to Official Lane to buy so things?"
Du Changqing barely opened his eyelids, "Buy what?"
"The lady will soon return to Shengjing, we should prepare so things in advance, don’t you think?"
Not long after the New Year, Miao Liangfang inquired through old contacts at the Hanlin dical Institute and learned that Su Nan had sent word that the epidemic control was proceeding very smoothly. The Emperor had ordered the closest Pingzhou dical Practice to send dical officers to take over, and the group of dical officers who had gone to Su Nan from the dical Officer Institute would soon begin their journey back to the Imperial City.
Du Changqing counted on his fingers for her: "They said ten days until their arrival last month, seven days ago they said it was in another seven days, five days ago they said it was in another five days, yet they still haven’t arrived! This date changes more than your complexion; anyone who believes it is a fool. I don’t believe it; you can go if you want to."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ah Cheng ran in from outside, gasping for breath, and announced loudly, "They’re here! They’re here!"
Du Changqing jumped up in alarm, "Who’s here?"
"Doctor Lu!" the young man said, "Doctor Lu has arrived in the Imperial City!"
Lu Tong had returned.
On a clear spring morning, the dical officers who had gone to Su Nan to fight the epidemic returned to Shengjing, stirring excitent in the Imperial City. The dical officers from the Hanlin dical Institute crowded out to welco them, packing the entrance of the dical Officer Institute to overflowing.
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