Outside the Xiao family courtyard in Shuikou Village, there was a long line.
Most of those coming for the consultation were women and children, from gray-haired elders to babies in their arms.
Just looking at the things they carried in their bamboo baskets was quite curious.
"Is this a market?"
The bamboo baskets were filled with greens, eggs, some even with dried fish, or a small piece of cured meat, a wide variety of items.
"What market?" A woman at the end of the line turned her head, seeing this so-called Demi Immortal peeking around, and snorted coldly: "Aren’t you a Demi Immortal? Can’t you figure out what’s going on here? Can’t figure it out and still can’t see? Can’t see, can’t hear? Looks like you’re both deaf and blind, you blind Demi Immortal."
Demi Immortal... who did I provoke?
Just casually asking, why such a temper.
"Madam, I calculate with my fingers and figure your liver fire is excessive..."
"You’re the one with excessive liver fire, irritable, headache, flank pain, bitter taste in the mouth, coughing up blood..."
Don’t think I don’t understand. Haven’t eaten pork but haven’t seen pigs walk?
She’s heard these tricks to fool people plenty of times.
The Demi Immortal was stunned... The women in Shu City are fierce!
"What are you still doing here making a fool of yourself? Why don’t you crawl farther away? No one here is dumber than you, and if you know astronomy above the skies and geography below the earth, I’ll pan fry a fish for you to eat with my bare hands."
"Exactly, go tell fortunes and read omens at the wharf, what are you doing in our village? Do you really think we’re easy to trick?" "I’ll count to three, if you don’t crawl away, I’ll have someone escort you out."
A group of women surrounded the so-called Demi Immortal and cursed him roundly.
Demi Immortal... truly can’t afford to provoke, better to avoid.
He quickly withdrew from the courtyard.
It was only after leaving the courtyard that he regained his senses: He was ordered to find the descendants of Doctor Xiao.
How did he get scared away by a group of women?
Indeed, a scholar is useless, having read all these years of classical texts yet can’t outsmart a bunch of women and children.
But wait, the sage said, "Only small men and women are hard to deal with," after all, I’m a learned person, how can I argue with women? Isn’t this asking for trouble?
Therefore, he didn’t get it right from the start.
Seeing a stone bench at the gate, he went straight over and sat down.
He didn’t say or do anything, just waited for all these women to leave before going in to see Miss Xiao.
If he’s guessed right, the person he’s found is exactly who the Empress is looking for.
Doctor Xiao indeed has an inheritor.
Inside the courtyard, Chun Nuan was doing consultations for them.
"Miss Xiao, please have a look, I don’t know how long I can live."
The old lady, dragging her sick body, spoke weakly, and after saying this, coughed for quite a while, even coughing up a mouthful of bloody phlegm.
"Old lady, don’t worry, let me take your pulse first."
The so-called "observe, listen, question, and feel," Chun Nuan instantly noticed the thin, listless old lady wheezing in front of her.
After taking her pulse, she further confirmed it was external cold transformed into pus due to trapped heat, lung abscess, lung heat.
"Can this illness of mine be cured? How many more days can I live?"
The old lady originally didn’t intend to come for treatment, spent her life in suffering, dying would be a relief.
But no matter what, she couldn’t die, and she couldn’t live well either, caught in between.
Neighbors urged her to come to Shuikou Village to see Miss Xiao, saying there was no consultation fee, and the prescription herbs wouldn’t cost much from the herb shop.
Treat the dead horse as if it were alive, if it can’t be treated, she’d accept it.
"Old lady, your illness isn’t that serious; taking three doses of medicine will cure it."
"How much silver would that cost? I’m afraid even my coffin savings won’t be enough."
"Old lady, it won’t cost much, besides, once you take the medicine, you’ll get better, and once you’re better, there’ll be no need for a coffin."
Since Chun Nuan started her practice, she’s become accustomed to such cases with old ladies.
Since arriving in Shu City, she’s deeply realized that for the poor, survival is truly a blessing from heaven.
Food and clothing already consume all their energy, raising children toiling all their life, reaching old age with a body full of ailments, yet their savings are set aside for the coffin, reluctant to spend even on medicine.
"That’s good, I’m just afraid I’d spend money on medicine, have no effect, and die without a coffin, wrapped casually in a mat and buried."
"Old lady, you’ve really overthought."
Chun Nuan, both amused and annoyed: "As long as we’re alive, let’s live well; when we’re dead, it’s up to whoever finds us. They won’t let your body be exposed in the wild, would they? Then they’d be the ones afraid."