CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 74: GOOD TIMES

After the paper workshop and medicinal herbs business, Li You felt a mysterious anticipation for Chen Family Village; this village always amazed him.

Li You nodded and said, "If we can make familiar medicines work, Chen Family Village could be considered a medicinal herb village."

Xie Liangchen not only wanted a "medicinal herb village," she mentioned familiar medicines in front of Mr. Li, paving a clear path ahead; she was focused not on the pharmacies near Zhenzhou, but on the soon-to-be-opened Official Medicine Bureau.

Li You did not know that Song Xian had long revealed the news of the Official Medicine Bureau to her, so she mentioned it in advance to prevent Mr. Li from getting suspicious later.

Li You greatly appreciated Xie Liangchen, and Chen Zigeng was his junior apprentice. Although he couldn’t reveal the matter of the Official Medicine Bureau in advance, he did offer Xie Liangchen some advice: "Many medicine merchants now process familiar medicines, so if you plan to do it, strive to do it well." Perhaps in the future, it could be adopted by the Official Medicine Bureau.

Xie Liangchen responded affirmatively.

Li You and Old Mrs. Chen each went to the government office and back to the village, leaving only Xie Liangchen in the courtyard.

As Xie Liangchen was looking down at her sketches of tools used for processed medicines, she heard the door open.

Following the sound, Xie Liangchen saw a familiar face and instinctively stood up, showing some surprise on her face, hesitating for a moment before calling out, "Grandma."

Xu Tingzhen lived next door and had already heard the commotion here; she came to check on the situation after Li You left.

Xie Liangchen continued, "Grandma... why are you here... are you looking for the teacher? The teacher is teaching my younger brother to read."

When mentioning Mr. Dongli, Xu Tingzhen showed both disdain and helplessness: "I’m here to make food for him." Her gaze fell on the two hens in the courtyard.

It goes without saying that these were definitely gifts, does that old geezer deserve these? He said he would no longer take on disciples, so how could he shamelessly snatch another child to shut his doors?

Just as Xu Tingzhen thought this, she heard the sound of Chen Zigeng reading aloud from inside the house, his voice was clear and pleasant.

"Grandma, what do you want to do?" asked Xie Liangchen. "Let me help you."

Xu Tingzhen gazed at Xie Liangchen heading to the kitchen to light the fire: "Girl, did you bring any medicinal herbs with you?"

Xie Liangchen replied, "Yes, I brought the processed Huang Jing you’ve seen before, as well as processed He Shouwu."

Although Xu Tingzhen hadn’t been to Chen Family Village in recent days, she was always concerned about the situation there. She knew the village had made documents with a trade caravan, sending medicinal herbs out of Zhenzhou, and couldn’t help but praise the Xie girl for her cleverness.

Knowledgeable in herbs, skilled in commerce, broad-minded, visionary; such individuals are indeed rare.

Xu Tingzhen brought the Huang Jing closer to smell, then took a piece and tasted it; after a while, she nodded: "This processed Huang Jing is done just right."

That’s precisely why the restaurant personally went to Chen Family Village to purchase medicine.

Xu Tingzhen continued, "The He Shouwu is also good."

Since medicinal herbs were mentioned, Xu Tingzhen asked Xie Liangchen, "What are you planning to do next?"

Xie Liangchen’s eyes gleamed: "I want to build a Familiar Medicine Institute in the village, so even in winter when herbs can’t be harvested, we can still prepare familiar medicines."

Upon hearing "Familiar Medicine Institute," Xu Tingzhen’s eyes flicked, and she laid down the He Shouwu: "You may be young, but your ambition is not small."

After saying this, Xu Tingzhen deliberately observed Xie Liangchen’s expression, only to see the young girl smile gently, her entire being enveloped by a layer of dazzle from the sunlight.

Xie Liangchen said, "Once the Familiar Medicine Institute is completed, I wish to produce pills, powders, tinctures, and decoctions - such traditional Chinese finished medicines."

Xu Tingzhen asked, "Why did you think to do these?"

In her previous life, Xie Liangchen had talked about this in front of Old Master Su; she didn’t expect to say it again when living anew, just that the person in front of her was different.

Xie Liangchen said, "One can hope."

Xu Tingzhen didn’t understand: "Hope for what?"

"Have you seen Plague Village?" In Xie Liangchen’s mind, fragmented scenes vaguely flashed by, "Sick people always hope for a doctor to come and heal.

Finally, when the court provided disaster relief herbs, it was unexpected that the medical workers and doctors fell ill themselves after just a few days in the village.

Because there were simply too many patients, not enough hands to care for them.

Villagers who wanted to survive would steal herbs to take back, but without a doctor’s guidance, regardless of whether they managed to procure any herbs, they ultimately couldn’t escape death.

This was an epidemic that made people’s expressions change from dread; even common diseases could be fatal, causing many people to lose their lives in confusion.

Do we lack medicine? Or doctors? In the face of acute illnesses, even if there’s a doctor available, is there time to gather herbs and make decoctions? Doctors are important, but so are medicines.

For some easily treatable illnesses, if finished medicine is available, patients can take it immediately.

In remote villages, trade caravans on the road, where it may be inconvenient to take medicine; finished medicines can be carried. Even for epidemics, if finished medicine arrives first, decoctions can be adjusted, wouldn’t it be much more effective?

I don’t know if what I say is right, I’ve forgotten the things of the past, but having experienced tribulations, knowing that my foster parents died in the epidemic, there’s always a thought in my mind: I want everyone to have access to medicine, to be able to hope for treatment and life-saving medicine."

Xie Liangchen said determinedly, "Medicine that truly can be taken, that can cure diseases; doctors diagnose, medicines treat, they should complement each other."

Xu Tingzhen’s chest involuntarily swelled, her emotions uncontrollably surged with the girl’s voice.

After a while, Xu Tingzhen said, "It’s easy to talk but hard to do; a true Familiar Medicine Institute should be able to do more than just process a few herbs."

Xie Liangchen nodded, "I know, I’m inquiring with pharmacies, hoping to learn some things from the old workers there."

Xu Tingzhen slightly raised her head, revealing a faintly contemptuous smile: "Even if they know, they won’t tell you; that’s the secret of pharmacists and pharmacies."

Xie Liangchen remained silent, saying nothing.

Xu Tingzhen lightly raised her eyebrows: "Once you’ve repaired the house and prepared the tools for familiar medicine, inform me, and I’ll teach you."

Xie Liangchen was stunned for a moment, then quickly saluted Xu Tingzhen.

Xu Tingzhen was already prepared; she reached out to support Xie Liangchen: "I’m different from that old geezer, I don’t fuss over these things. I just want to see what it would be like for everyone to have medicine."

Having said this, Xu Tingzhen looked at Xie Liangchen: "Come, to my courtyard, I will see how much you know about herbs, how many processing methods you can recite, and how much you understand about prescriptions."

Xie Liangchen responded, following Xu Tingzhen out.

Mr. Dongli put down the book in his hand; today’s teachings were concluded.

"Let’s go, have a meal."

The teacher and student left the house together.

Chen Zigeng looked around and noticed Xie Liangchen wasn’t there; he went to check the kitchen and found cold stove and pot, no warm food.

Chen Zigeng returned to Mr. Dongli: "Teacher, the kitchen hasn’t been fired."

Mr. Dongli’s mustache twitched; she ditches him on the first day after taking on a student? How would he maintain his dignity before his disciple? If he didn’t discuss theory with her today, he’d never dare to straighten up in front of her again.

Chen Zigeng watched as his teacher rolled up his sleeves in a posture ready to settle accounts, intending to speak kindly, but saw the teacher stomp at the doorway before turning and heading to the kitchen in large strides.