Of course, if she could go out, she would insist on not staying at home.
In the purse of her clothes were five taels of silver, leftover from when she had sold her dowry.
Health was more important than anything else, so Gu Youyou decided to use the remaining money to buy some simple herbs to recuperate. The excessive blood loss from a few days ago had weakened her again, and her poisonous qi was rather restless and uneasy, which was not a good sign.
For the first time since she had arrived, she went to town.
This town, named Qingshui Town, had a clear river running through it, originating from the mountain behind Jin Zijin’s house.
Although it was just an inconspicuous little town in Zhuzhao Country, it was bustling with activity.
The town was small, but it had everything it needed. Following the street, Gu Youyou soon found a pharmacy in the town.
There was a crowd gathered at the entrance of the pharmacy, clamoring and blocking the doorway. Gu Youyou heard a young boy patiently explaining, "Fellow townsfolk, my master Doctor Zhou is really not at home. If he were, he would certainly treat everyone. Ah, please believe my words and seek medical help elsewhere quickly!"
"When on earth is Doctor Zhou coming back? It’s been over half a month now. Everything can be delayed, but can illness be delayed?"
"Exactly, if Doctor Zhou doesn’t return, what are we supposed to do? Qin Changlin, when is Doctor Zhou coming back? Give us a straight answer!"
The attendant Qin Changlin was clearly in a difficult position and said, "Where can I give you a straight answer? Everyone knows my master Doctor Zhou’s medical skills are outstanding. He was invited by someone important in Beijing to give treatment. How could we offend that person of high rank? Only after the nobleperson’s illness is cured can my master return!"
Dissatisfaction arose from the crowd, "Oh, who knows what illness that nobleperson has caught, how long will it take to heal? If it drags on for a year and a half, what will we do then?"
"That’s right, my mother is still lying in bed waiting; what do we do if Doctor Zhou doesn’t come back?"
At that moment, the sound of crying and shouting came from the back of the crowd; it was the speaker’s wife. She cried out, "Husband, stop waiting for Doctor Zhou here. Mother... Mother has passed away..."
"What? What did you say?"
The man glared at the woman with wide eyes full of rage.
The woman, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, cried out, "Mother is gone. Even if Doctor Zhou returns, it won’t matter anymore. You should come back with me quickly!"
The man wailed loudly and left with the woman, while the crowd was filled with sighs and a chorus of breaths of pity.
"Who knows when Doctor Zhou will return, what are we to do?"
Gu Youyou squeezed into the crowd and casually asked an old lady, "Old lady, is Doctor Zhou the only doctor in Qingshui Town? If he doesn’t come back, does it mean that when people get sick, there’s no doctor available?"
The old lady sighed, "Originally, there was another Doctor Li in the west of the town, but Doctor Li passed away two months ago. His son took his wife and children to the larger Yangguan City to open a medical hall, so now our town is left with only Doctor Zhou as a doctor! And now, Doctor Zhou has also gone to Beijing half a month ago with no known return date. We... we just don’t know what to do!"
"Then... what about Qin Changlin? He is called Doctor Zhou’s disciple, so he must know some medical skills, right?"
"Ah..." The old lady sighed deeply and said, "This Qin Changlin is a new disciple that Doctor Zhou only took in a few months ago. Previously, he had other disciples, but those disciples were ambitious; after learning Doctor Zhou’s skills, they did not stay to inherit his mantle and also went to Yangguan City to open medical halls."