Chapter 6: The Old Chinese Medicine Practitioner

Chapter 6: The Old Chinese Medicine Practitioner

The distance was indeed not far; just past the intersection ahead, they spotted it.

The medicine shop looked even more run-down than the health clinic, with a pair of worn-out couplets pasted on the door.

"May all in the world be free of illness, even if it means our medicines gather dust."

Pushing the door open, the interior was surprisingly decent, with a large Chinese medicine cabinet filling the small room.

A white-bearded old man was sitting at a wooden table, dozing off.

The noise of the three entering didn't even stir him.

"Doctor, wake up!"

Ye Changyuan stood by the table and rapped on it.

"Hmm... hmm. Who's sick? Sit down and let me see..."

The white-bearded old man, still half-asleep, fumbled for his spectacles as he spoke.

"Doctor, we're not here for a consultation. We're here to get some medicine."

Ye Xiaoxiao took out a prescription from her pocket and handed it to him, clearly prepared.

"Let me see... leech, white mulberry, myrrh, frankincense..."

After reading the prescription, Song Guangjing smiled, "This prescription is quite ingenious. I wonder which doctor came up with this."

"Doctor, is there a problem?" Ye Changsheng asked, concerned.

Song Guangjing: "There's no problem with the prescription. It's for treating bone injuries and pain, but the dosage is daring. Only a veteran practitioner would dare to prescribe it."

"Doctor, I prescribed it."

Seeing that the other party had identified the issue and was a capable senior, Ye Xiaoxiao didn't hide the truth.

Song Guangjing was genuinely surprised this time.

He didn't expect that the person who prescribed this was just a young girl.

"How long have you been studying medicine?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I began studying medicine before I even learned to read. It's been over ten years since I began."

Song Guangjing nodded. This girl from the small town was better than the heirs trained for decades by those incompetents. He praised her generously: "Not bad. Wait here, I'll get your medicine."

The old man prepared the medicine quickly. Even in the dimly lit back room, he could accurately pull out the correct drawers.

While others would weigh the medicine as they prepared it, this old man quickly and deftly gathered the herbs and then placed them on the scale, and they were spot on.

Song Guangjing: "Five packets of medicine, totaling five dollars and seventy-five cents."

After Ye Xiaoxiao paid, she accepted the medicine packages.

Song Guangjing: "Child, who taught you medicine?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "My teacher told me not to tell."

Song Guangjing didn't make things difficult for the child, only saying, "Feel free to drop by more often. You're always welcome here."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "...Thank you."

It wasn't until they were out the door that Ye Changyuan grumbled, "That old guy's weird. Who hangs out at a pharmacy for fun?"

Ye Xiaoxiao just smiled without saying anything, thinking the old man probably didn't mean it that way.

As they headed home, they passed by the clinic, but since Ye Changsheng was already better, they didn't need to stop by. Besides, they still had the medicine Ye Xiaoxiao had bought, and it wasn't finished yet.

As they passed the clinic, they noticed a ruckus at the entrance, with a crowd gathered and people shouting curses.

Ye Changyuan: "What's going on? Looks like a fight."

Ye Xiaoxiao looked up too, realizing it was a medical dispute.

Ye Changsheng, not one to stick around for drama, urged, "It's not our problem, let's get home. Grandpa will be worried."

Even though he was a year older, Ye Changyuan wasn't as calm as his younger brother. He handed his stuff to Ye Changsheng and went to check it out.

A little later, Ye Changyuan came running back.

He waved his arms excitedly, "Guess what? A kid got a shot here and ended up paralyzed. Now they can't even get out of bed or walk."

Ye Xiaoxiao's expression changed slightly.

So Ye Changsheng's accident wasn't a one-time thing!

The harsh reality was way worse than anything she'd read in books, and she started to get it.

This wasn't a storybook; it was a brutal, real world.

Ye Changyuan continued, "Good thing you didn't get your shot here, Sheng. That doctor's no good."

Ye Changsheng retorted, "Not everyone ends up like that..."

But he didn't say anything else, walking home quietly.

Out of the three, only Ye Changyuan seemed excited.

When they got home, Ye Xiaoxiao had decided. She pulled out fifty yuan from her bag and handed it to Ye Changsheng.

"This is for groceries. You guys take care of it."

Both Ye Changyuan and Ye Changsheng were in their late teens, and the adults handled the family's money. They had never had so much money before.

"Xiao Xiao... you spent all your money! You won't be able to go back to Beijing."

Ye Changyuan stared wide-eyed. He had heard from his parents that their new cousin from their aunt's side had come from faraway Beijing and might leave at any time.

Ye Xiaoxiao shouted, "I already said I'm not leaving!"

Ye Changyuan: "Uh... okay."

Ye Changsheng pursed his lips, saying nothing.

He knew the family was short on rice and flour, and he didn't have the confidence to refuse the money or say anything else. But he vowed to repay Ye Xiaoxiao once he earned some money.

When the three returned with so many things, Miao Fengshan was startled.

After hearing the explanation, he said, "Xiao Xiao's clothes aren't thick enough, she really needs a new padded jacket. Grandpa has some money here, come get more if you need it."

"Grandpa, I still have enough for now." Ye Xiaoxiao indeed wasn't short of money at the moment, but making money was a pressing need.

Because the money she had was not enough to help this family with anything.

"Grandpa, do we have a medicine pot here? I'll brew the medicine, it's for leg pain."

Miao Fengshan: "Don't spend money unnecessarily, my legs don't hurt."

Ignoring the old man's protests, Ye Xiaoxiao persuaded him to get the medicine pot, placed it on the stove, and started brewing the medicine.

As it grew darker, Ye Changsheng and Ye Changyuan got ready to go buy grain.

Ye Xiaoxiao warned anxiously, "Be careful when you go out, even if the prices are steep, that's fine, don't pick fights with anyone..."

After all, a lot of shady characters hang around the black market, and gangs often target outsiders. She didn't want any more drama over a few pounds of grain.

Ye Changsheng: "Why are you being such a worrywart? We'll be fine, we're off."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "..."

This kid... has no idea what's good for him.

Ye Changsheng and Ye Changyuan went out and still hadn't returned by the time Ye Xiaoxiao finished brewing the medicine.

"Grandpa, drink your medicine."

After giving Miao Fengshan the medicine, Ye Xiaoxiao hurried to the courtyard gate to peek outside.

The front and back were lined with mud houses, forming a small alley, and everything turned pitch black as night fell.

Ye Xiaoxiao took a few steps toward the alley entrance but still didn't see anyone.

A cold wind blew, cutting through her padded jacket and chilling her to the bone.

She turned to go back, but suddenly someone covered her mouth from behind.

Muffled sounds...