Chun Nuan diagnosed Sister-in-law Qin at Eldest Sister-in-law’s house with a joyful pulse and prescribed medicine for Aunt Zuo, who, unlike Aunt Luo, doesn’t talk about everything.
The Xiao family’s front door was frequently visited; neighbors would come by to request her diagnosis.
"Isn’t Nuannuan working too hard?"
Mrs. Xu was growing concerned for Chun Nuan: "Just look, three groups came this morning to ask Nuannuan for a diagnosis, and she didn’t charge them any fees. Rural folks do love to take advantage, and if this continues, they’ll all come to our home. Won’t this offend the town’s doctors?"
"Not all of them will come to us," observed Mrs. Xu, understanding the situation: "Wealthy families are more cautious and still trust the town’s doctors, whereas these are poorer villagers who don’t have money, but are particular. Look, when Nuannuan treats them, they either bring eggs or vegetables. They never come empty-handed."
Aunt Zuo, to express her gratitude to Chun Nuan, also brought ten eggs.
Chun Nuan’s busyness resulted in eggs and vegetables piling up in the Xiao family’s kitchen.
Moreover, without exception, they all went to Hundred Herbs Hall to fill their prescriptions.
That’s because Hundred Herbs Hall is owned by Chun Nuan’s fiancé’s family, and its medicines are slightly cheaper than those at Qianjin Hall.
When prescribing medicine, Chun Nuan often favored substituting expensive ingredients with ordinary ones as long as the efficacy was the same.
Doctor Chen at Hundred Herbs Hall handed the prescription written by Chun Nuan to Fusheng.
"Fill this prescription accordingly."
One has to acknowledge that the prescriptions by the future Third Young Madam left him in admiration. In recent days, the villagers frequenting the hall for medicine had noticeably increased. It seems this Third Young Madam does not intend to stay low-profile.
"Miss Xiao’s handwriting is truly beautiful." Among Fusheng’s admirations for Chun Nuan were her excellent prescriptions and her pretty handwriting: "Filling prescriptions according to her writing is effortless."
"Is it that my prescriptions are tiring to read?"
Though old, Doctor Chen wasn’t ready to concede.
"Doctor Chen, would you care to see what your handwriting looks like?"
There was something Fusheng was too polite to say: Your prescriptions are almost indistinguishable from the ones of those fortune-telling Demi Immortals on the street.
Anyone else would be unable to decipher them.
It was fortunate that he had partnered with him for so many years, having developed sharp eyes, recognizing the medicine at a glance.
"You know nothing," Doctor Chen glared at him: "It’s prescriptions like Miss Xiao’s that are truly problematic."
What?
Isn’t he contradicting himself?
"The treatment varies for the same illness, a thousand prescriptions for a thousand people; that is true medical practice. Many people recite from textbooks, believing that the same symptoms should have the same prescription, often resulting in misdiagnosis or incorrect medication." Doctor Chen explained: "Go out and observe, how many doctors’ prescriptions can you actually read?"
Everyone has their own unique preference for writing prescriptions, and the medicine-grabbing apprentices, having already adapted, can recognize the medicine at a glance, but others cannot.
Within this, there’s also the intention to protect one’s exclusive formula.
Ah, young Fusheng is still too inexperienced.
Furthermore, Chun Nuan probably writes this way mostly because she fears Fusheng might not understand.
Yet she overlooks one aspect: protecting her secret formula.
This matter needs to be discussed with the Third Young Master, so he can talk to Miss Xiao.
Zhao Minghua sneezed several times consecutively in Shuzhou.
"Young Master, someone from home is thinking about you." Qingsheng then felt it was incorrect and corrected himself: "Miss Xiao is thinking about you."
"That’s more like it." Zhao Minghua’s expression visibly brightened: "Qingsheng, how long have we been out?"
"Young Master, forty-two days now."
"And how is Taikang Hall coming along?"
"Young Master, haven’t you been having Carpenter Lin make improvements?" Qingsheng said: "Why don’t we go take a look."
"Let’s go check it out."
Zhao Minghua plans to open a pharmacy called Taikang Hall in Shuzhou.
His strategy is to use the pills and ointments made by Chun Nuan to build the pharmacy’s reputation.
Indeed, Zhao Minghua’s ambition is to grow strong and prosperous, partnering with Chun Nuan to revive the "Doctor Xiao" brand.
Taikang Hall is his private venture; he informed his father when setting out, and his father expressed full support.
Indeed, securing an excellent fiancée is truly a good thing, even his typically disdainful father is now treating him warmly.
In the past, whenever he spoke of doing anything, it always led to lecturing—this won’t do, that’s impossible—before he even started, several bowls of cold water had already been poured on his plans.
In his parents’ eyes, his elder brother is steadfast and reliable, possessing skill in medicine, deeply inheriting his grandfather’s and father’s teachings, holding the Zhao family’s medical secrets, poised to inherit the family business, destined to be the future head of the household.