Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ever since losing her nightlife, Gu Jiao woke up earlier than a rooster every morning.
Before dawn, she carried the bucket out the door.
She went to the old well at the entrance of the village to draw water.
The villagers woke up early. At this mont, there were already a few wives and their daughters-in-law fetching water beside the old well. Everyone was taken aback when they saw her.
The news of Gu Jiao causing a ruckus at the ox cart spread like wildfire in the village. Everyone knew she had dragged Gu Dashun down from the ox cart. She must be a fool through and through; after all, nobody in their right mind would raise a hand against their own cousin!
But…
What’s with her fetching water so early in the morning?
That fool had never worked a day in her life, sleeping in until late in the morning every day!
Gu Jiao ignored everyone’s gazes and calmly went to the old well. She put down the bucket and fetched water before carrying it ho with a shoulder pole.
It was not until she was far away that everyone ca back to their senses.
Were they seeing things? That little fool did not look silly at all just now. Moreover, she looked really good when she was fetching water, and she looked good when she walked.
After Gu Jiao finished fetching the water, she stead a stear of at buns.
She had bought a piece of cured at yesterday and soaked it in water before she went to sleep. The excess salt was leached out, while the flavor of the cured at had been preserved.
As the fragrance of the at buns wafted out, even the dogs next door were drooling and whining.
Gu Jiao brought two buns as she went up the mountain.
She had picked most of the wood ear fungus, though there were still many wild mushrooms.
In actual fact, the villagers would also see these ingredients when they went up the mountain to chop firewood, but most of them did not dare to pick them. Firstly, they did not know how to differentiate poisonous mushrooms, and secondly, they did not know how to remove the poison from fresh wood ear fungus.
After picking the mushrooms, Gu Jiao went straight to the market.
The eastern part of town was a rich and prosperous area, and the best dical halls and restaurants were there, as well as the magistracy and the academy. In comparison, the western part of town was far more complicated; markets, workshops, gambling houses, brothels… all sorts of people were gathered there.
Gu Jiao arrived at the market and casually found an empty space to set up a stall.
The woman beside her rembered her and smiled at her. “Oh, you’re here. Do you still have the mushrooms from last ti? My eldest grandson likes them, can I exchange sothing with you for them?”
She sold sweet potatoes, and while the price of sweet potatoes was not comparable to that of the mushrooms from the mountain, Gu Jiao did not mind. She handed the basket to her and let her pick them herself.
The woman grabbed two handfuls and replaced them with two large and red sweet potatoes.
After a while, the woman on the other side also ca over and said with a smile, “I… Can I exchange so radishes with you? I also want to stew so for my family.”
“Okay.” Gu Jiao nodded carelessly, signaling with her eyes for her to help herself.
The woman exchanged two of her big radishes for two handfuls of Gu Jiao’s mushrooms.
After that, a few more vendors ca and exchanged their vegetables for Gu Jiao’s mushrooms.
All of these were being observed by two n in the tea shed diagonally opposite.
“Shopkeeper Wang, were you talking about her?” The person asking was a man in his early thirties. He was tall, and had strong facial features.
A middle-aged man in his forties beside him said, “Yes, Boss, that’s her.”
The younger man was the branch manager where they worked. He looked at Gu Jiao and frowned. “Exchanging such expensive mountain goods for so cheap vegetables. Is she stupid? Soone even put rotten food inside, but she didn’t even say anything. She must be really stupid!”
“This…” Shopkeeper Wang could not say anything.
He had a feeling that she was not stupid, but simply did not care.
“Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” the branch manager asked.
“I was there when she saved the patient, I saw her suture that deep, long gash with my own eyes. I won’t be mistaken,” Shopkeeper Wang said as he gestured.
What Shopkeeper Wang did not ntion was that that was the second ti he had seen her—the first ti was at this market. This was the reason why he knew that she would co here to do business.
“How old is she?” The branch manager frowned. He found it hard to believe that she was the doctor who managed to save a man who had one foot in the grave.
She’s too young and too poor, and she even has that birthmark on her face.
But surely Shopkeeper Wang wouldn’t lie to .
The previous incident at the dical hall left a huge impact. Not only was Doctor Zhang gravely offended, it also greatly upset the headquarters in the capital. The branch manager’s position was in danger, and he urgently needed a capable doctor to hold the situation together.
The branch manager said, “Go and ask her where’s her master. I’m willing to pay a high price to hire her master.”
This girl’s dical skills couldn’t have co from nowhere. It’ll definitely be more reliable to hire her master over her.
Shopkeeper Wang felt that this was feasible, and turned around to approach her. Unexpectedly, as he took his first step a young man collapsed in front of a chicken stall, scaring the chickens in the cages away.
“Ahh! My chickens! My chickens!” The chicken seller hurriedly went after his chickens.
The marketplace descended into chaos.
Shopkeeper Wang and the branch manager looked at the young man at the sa ti, stunned.
The young man showed symptoms of chest tightness, blueness in his skin, and shortness of breath. This was almost identical to the symptoms of the patient who had died after being treated at the dical hall. However, this was more violent and urgent; that patient at least managed to make it ho, but this young man was about to suffocate to death on the spot.
It’s an incurable disease. Even if the doctors from our dical hall ca, he can’t be cured!
At this critical juncture, a lithe figure rushed over from the crowd and knelt down on one knee in front of the young man. With one swift motion, she ripped open his clothes and stabbed him in the chest with sothing!
Everyone gasped!
Is she trying to kill him!?
In the next second, Gu Jiao pulled out the needle core, and a small stream of air hissed out.
Everyone saw the chest of the young man who was about to suffocate deflate, and his breathing instantly returned to normal.
Shopkeeper Wang was dumbfounded. “Do… Do we still ask for her master?”
“What’s there to ask!?”?If our dical hall had a doctor like this, then nobody would’ve died after treatnt that day!
The branch manager pushed Shopkeeper Wang away resolutely; he stood up and strode towards Gu Jiao.
“You an, you want to practice dicine at your dical hall?” While listening to the branch manager’s words, Gu Jiao cast a glance at the young man’s fading figure.
His lungs were ruptured by a broken rib, eventually leading to air getting trapped in his chest and thereby causing his lungs to collapse. Although the air in his chest had been released, he still needed follow-up treatnt. Unfortunately, he had promptly left after his breathing recovered.
Gu Jiao pulled her gaze back and asked the branch manager, “Which dical hall are you from?”
The branch manager grinned. “In Clearspring Town, only our Spring Rejuvenation Hall can be called a proper dical hall!”
“Hm.” She rubbed her chin.
The branch manager thought that she would not agree easily, and he was already anticipating that she would put on airs. Unexpectedly, Gu Jiao said, “You ca at the right ti, I was about to look for you. I can work at Spring Rejuvenation Hall, but let make it clear—I’ll only have consultations once a month.”
“One–, once?” The branch manager was stunned.?No way, she already agreed? Not putting on airs? Or negotiating the price? No, I an, just once!? She’ll receive consultations only once a month?!
“I’m very busy,” Gu Jiao added earnestly.
Busy… selling vegetables?
The branch manager looked at her basket, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
Frankly speaking, he was truly unsatisfied with only once a month. However, doing business was about taking things one step at a ti; he would have her enter Spring Rejuvenation Hall first, then he would bargain with her slowly when they beca more familiar with each other.
The branch manager said, “Fine… Once a month it is!”
Gu Jiao then looked at him firmly, as though what followed was actually the important part. “In addition, I have another condition.”
—
After class, Feng Lin rushed to the dical hall.
After the incident, business was a little quieter at the dical hall, and the staff were listlessly sorting out the herbs in the great hall.
“May I ask if Doctor Zhang is here?” Feng Lin called out to a shop assistant.
The shop assistant said, “Doctor Zhang has returned to the capital.”
“When will he co again?” Feng Lin asked politely.
“I’m not sure,” the shop assistant replied.
“Can you help ask? My friend’s leg has been injured for half a year. Only Doctor Zhang can treat him,” Feng Lin asked persistently.
The shop assistant looked at him impatiently. “To tell you the truth, Doctor Zhang won’t co again. If you really want to find him for treatnt, you can go to the Spring Rejuvenation Hall headquarters in the capital to look for him. However, his consultation fee is very expensive.”
“How much?” Feng Lin asked.
“Ten taels.”
“What? Ten taels?”
Feng Lin was stunned. Even if he and Xiao Liulang added up all their savings, they would not have so much silver.
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