Even less than the span of a single incense stick passing, the lower abdomen that had felt as though it were constantly tearing was somehow warm now, and her entire body felt indescribably light.
To the extent that the young woman herself could hardly believe it.
Having previously listened to physicians at medical clinics, she had tried brown sugar ginger water and Siwu decoction, while those had some effect, it always required a painful day or two before she improved, never this fast.
Walking over to Shi Mu, the young woman wore an expression of mixed surprise and joy: “I’m not hurting anymore.”
At this, those cracking melon seeds and chatting idly fell silent, turning to look at the young woman in astonishment.
Is this real or fake?
It got better just like that?
The Geer physician, by contrast, showed no particular expression, as though everything was a matter of course, and nodded: “However, this is only temporary pain relief.”
That’s right, the medicine Shi Mu gave the young woman was the ultimate pain-relieving wonder drug, a must-have during the COVID era: Ibuprofen.
Capable of relieving pain, reducing inflammation, and lowering fever, it could take effect rapidly within twenty minutes.
It was definitely an effect that Siwu decoction and brown sugar water could hardly hope to rival.
Thinking she was already cured and not expecting to suffer from abdominal pain again next month, a fresh knot tightened in her heart, and she hurried to ask: “Doctor, what should we do then?”
Shi Mu first confirmed: “Is the young woman still unmarried?”
The young woman’s cheeks grew warm as she shook her head: “No.”
Shi Mu produced a small porcelain bottle: “Starting from the fifth day of your menses, take one pill daily for twenty-two consecutive days. Next month, continue taking them starting from the fifth day of your menses for another three consecutive months. After that, come back and see me for a follow-up consultation.”
The two married women sitting on the wooden bench exchanged glances again and curled their lips.
“He’s actually prescribing this much medicine all at once? He just wants to make more silver.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, three months’ worth of medicine, I’ve never seen such a thing.”
“Look at how tattered he’s dressed, he must be desperately short of money. I bet he’s going to charge the girl five qian of silver.”
“Such a black heart, truly of depraved character.”
Mid-discussion, they heard the physician’s crisp, clear voice ring out: “Young woman, the medicine and consultation fee come to fifty copper cash in total, thank you!”
Suddenly, the surroundings fell dead silent.
This, this cheap?
Not to mention the large medical clinics in the West Market staffed by imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau, even the slightly well-known ones right here in the West Market like Zhende Hall would charge fifty copper cash just for a pulse-reading by a doctor. As for the herbs, let alone, prescribing ten days or half a month’s worth of medicine casually would run several qian of silver.
Hence, when minor aches and illnesses struck, commoners simply refused to see a doctor.
Hoping only to endure it until it passed.
Shi Mu knew that the fees charged by medical clinics around here weren’t low, but he was different, his medicines all had zero cost.
So he intentionally priced them lower, since after all, it was all net profit.
What Shi Mu had prescribed for the young woman was compound norethisterone tablets, which were essentially oral contraceptives.
Modern medical research has shown that oral contraceptives are remarkably effective in treating primary dysmenorrhea, with side effects smaller than standard pain relievers. Furthermore, after discontinuing the medicine, ovarian function remains unaffected, allowing for normal conception.
Therefore, oral contraceptives can be used to treat primary dysmenorrhea in unmarried women under forty who have no immediate plans for pregnancy.
Leaving with her medicine, the young woman’s steps were light and bouncy, her back held straight as an arrow.
Anyone could feel the joyful mood radiating from her.
Instantly, the gazes of the onlookers shifted.
The grandmother suffering from lower back pain had been aching for over a month, truly suffering terribly, finding it strenuous even to sit down or stand up.
At this moment, her heart itched, she desperately wanted to give the little Geer a try. Yet glancing sideways at the sister-in-law suffering from dysentery who had just unified opinions with her to stand against the outsider, how could she betray her?
The dysentery-stricken sister-in-law lowered her head to watch her shifting toes, her mind racing with calculations.
For the past two days, whatever she ate passed right through her, she truly couldn’t take it anymore. She was dying to have the Geer physician treat her right away.
Yet, having just finished scolding him, how could she shamelessly ask him for a consultation?
While she hesitated, the Geer had already shouldered his medicine chest and walked away into the setting sun.
As dusk gathered, shops along Liuli Street hung lanterns from their doorways, and flickering candlelight blossomed bit by bit, resembling the Milky Way fallen to earth.
Prince Ling Xie Yi, Prince Jing Xie Xu, and Marquis Huo Ziqi sat upstairs at a window-side seat, where a slight sideways glance allowed them to clearly survey everything transpiring on Liuli Street.
Watching the Geer physician depart, Xie Xu withdrew his gaze with a listless air, clapping his hands with a smile: “Interesting, truly interesting! Not only does this little Geer have quite some nerve, but he also seems to have some genuine skill, he can actually treat people!”
Xie Xu was the only direct grandson of the fourth emperor of the previous dynasty, making his uncle Prince Ling Xie Yi.
Huo Ziqi, son of the Marquis of Anguo, spoke up: “This Geer is the concubine-born son of Shi Xian, the Junior Official of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.”
The little Geer’s smiling, beaming countenance had left Xie Xu’s mind somewhat unsettled and restless even now: “Whoever he is, Marquis here fancies him anyway.”
Huo Ziqi shook his head helplessly: “Word is that the mother and son pair were driven out of their home for lacking moral conduct. I’m afraid curing illnesses is a fake, while attracting bees and butterflies is the real truth.”
Xie Xu couldn’t care less: “Just for play, what influence could it have?”
Glancing toward the Prince Ling beside him who was merely drinking in silence without joining the conversation, Xie Xu changed the subject: “Let’s stop talking about Geers. You aren’t unaware that my imperial uncle has no interest in Geers. Why not help my uncle rack his brains over Lady Xiaodie instead?”
Three days ago, Xie Yi had mistakenly drunk the Jiaoniang wine used for merrymaking at Qingyin Pavilion, resting in a quiet backroom of the pavilion to wait for the drug’s effects to wear off.
Yet because his personal bodyguard happened not to be by his side at the time, an outsider managed to break into the room.
Unconscious and unable to control his passions, Xie Yi had engaged in intimacy with the other person. Waking up in the morning, the other party had quietly slipped away, leaving behind only a trace of a green skirt and the butterflies embroidered upon it.
Xie Yi had questioned the pavilion manager, only to learn that she was a young woman who had come to help with odd jobs just two months prior, called Xiaodie. As for her full name or where she lived, absolutely no one knew.
Xie Xu and Huo Ziqi had also been at Qingyin Pavilion that day and knew the ins and outs of the matter intimately. Over the past few days, they had been helping inquire across all of Yidu for a girl around eighteen or nineteen years of age, but still found no trace.
Xie Xu clapped his hands and sighed: “Could this Lady Xiaodie be a spirit transformed? She vanished without a trace?”
Huo Ziqi felt thoroughly puzzled as well: “Still, this young woman is rather unique. If it were any ordinary woman knowing she had encountered Prince Ling, she would certainly fawn over him in a thousand ways. Even taking just a reward would be more than an ordinary family could earn in a lifetime, yet she, of all people, chose to leave on her own initiative.”
Xie Xu looked at Xie Yi, amusement dancing in his eyes: “To be able to keep our Prince Ling lingering in memory, this Lady Xiaodie must truly possess a unique charm and boundless allure.”
Xie Yi curled the corners of his lips, uttering leisurely: “Naturally.”
That evening, upon returning home, Shi Mu suddenly felt a sensation of low-grade fever and a dry, parched throat.
When he measured his temperature, however, it was completely normal.
What’s going on?
Taking a pill of Ibuprofen, fortunately, nothing happened the following day.
Arriving at his usual spot to prepare to continue setting up his stall and dedicate himself to medical science, he suddenly found today’s surrounding atmosphere rather peculiar.
Although it was still the same familiar neighbors, everyone was moving according to their established routines.
Yet it felt as though all gazes were drifting toward him in a subtle, lingering manner.
What is this?
Shi Mu was puzzled for two seconds before breaking into a radiant smile: “Good morning, everyone.”
The neighbors’ footsteps halted abruptly, the atmosphere growing increasingly subtle, as if brewing a fierce storm.
The grandmother with lower back pain and the dysentery-stricken sister-in-law stared at each other, then launched forward at the very same instant, charging toward the medical stall.
He cures, and the consultation fee is cheap too.
No more pretending, charge forward!
The back-pain grandmother took the lead: “Doctor, doctor! Help me look, my back has been aching for a month.”
The dysentery sister-in-law caught up from behind: “Young master, young master! I came first, I’ve been running to the latrine for three days! If you don’t cure me something bad is going to happen!”
“Doctor Shi, me too, my menses are out of whack and my lower abdomen drags with pain, only you can cure it! Help me quickly.”
In a mere instant, the medical stall was surrounded by crowds.
Seeing so many patients, Shi Mu couldn’t suppress the corners of his lips, pulling a medical face mask from his medicine chest, he put it on and unhurriedly maintained order: “Don’t crowd, everyone! One by one! Everyone will be seen!”
After completing a bone density check, Shi Mu told the back-pain grandmother: “Grandmother, your back ache is caused by osteoporosis after menopause.”
“What? Bone crisp-ness?” Grandmother waved her hands repeatedly, “I never eat bones or crispy pastries.”
Shi Mu:
Squeezing out a radiant smile: “It’s fine! Minor issue, take the medicine and it’ll get better! Remember to drink more cow’s milk.”
“Cow’s milk?”
“Yes, ewe’s milk works too!”
Grandmother didn’t understand, but felt deeply shocked, could cow’s milk and ewe’s milk actually cure backaches?
Shi Mu handed over the medicine: “Thank you, Grandmother, thirty copper cash! Once Grandmother finishes this medicine, you’ll be as lively as a tiger in no time!”
Clutching her calcium tablets, grandmother walked away happily.
“Sister-in-law, dysentery, right? Here, montmorillonite powder, take it twice and you’ll be well. Remember to drink plenty of water, don’t cure the dysentery only to give yourself constipation.”
The sister-in-law looked bewildered: “Dream what?”
“Never mind what you dream, just eat it.”
The sister-in-law replied crisply: “You got it!”
All morning long, people suffering from headaches, fevers, coughs, running noses, dysmenorrhea, and irregular menstruation came in an endless stream.
Shi Mu hadn’t experienced such a busy outpatient day in a long time.
Checking the diagnostic list, he told the fourteen-year-old girl before him: “Your condition falls under adolescent dysfunctional uterine bleeding, this is a common problem during puberty, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
Though the young girl couldn’t understand the medical cause, hearing the doctor’s final sentence made her heart relax instantly, bringing a smile to her face: “Meaning I’m in no major danger, right?”
After all, bleeding that much, who wouldn’t be scared?
“Right, put your mind completely at ease, just take the medicine.”
Aside from progestin preparations used to treat adolescent dysfunctional uterine bleeding, Shi Mu also prescribed her a Chinese patent medicine for replenishing blood.
“Take this medicine for ten consecutive days, and take this other one for a month. Neither of them is bitter, rest assured.” The little Geer smiled, revealing neat, white teeth that made the young girl’s cheeks grow warm.
“Thank you, doctor.” She grabbed her medicine and bolted.
Shi Mu panicked: “Hey, your consultation fee!”
It wasn’t until noon that the patients waiting since morning had all been seen.
With a few neighbors promising to return in the afternoon for a look, Shi Mu bought a steamed bun from the nearby stall to serve as lunch while he awaited the afternoon consultations.
This gave the steamed bun vendor’s assistant, Bao Xiaoji, his chance.
He had long suffered from a chronic ailment that had accompanied him for ages. Taking medicine failed to cure it, and topical ointments always treated the symptoms rather than the root cause.
Especially lately, ever since he moved his stall from the end of the street to right opposite Chunshi Tower, it flared up almost every single day.
Though it was merely an itchy symptom, it was excruciatingly torturous.
At this moment, seeing that this Geer physician possessed such exceptional medical skill, he couldn’t help wanting to try his luck.
“Doctor Shi, look at my hand, can it be cured?”
Accompanied by the motion of scratching all over his body, Bao Xiaoji poured out his misery with a face full of agony: “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, it itches fiercely every day. Even though it clears up after a day or two, it flares up constantly, it’s sheer torture.”
Shi Mu saw that from the back of Bao Xiaoji’s hands to his arms and even his exposed neck, he was covered in red wheals.
Hives at a single glance.
Yet such a massive area was quite rare.
Ancients called hives “wind wheals,” believing they were caused by external cold binding the exterior and wind carrying pathogenic qi into the human body.
However, modern medical research has discovered that hives are an allergic disease.
The young vendor experienced frequent hives likely because he came into contact with an allergen unknowingly.
Pulling out a small porcelain bottle, Shi Mu had him take a dose of loratadine tablets, which could quickly relieve allergic symptoms.
Bao Xiaoji had seen it before, the pills inside the Geer physician’s small porcelain bottle, though of unknown ingredients, worked wonders.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he took them.
Sure enough, as Shi Mu rested under the tree for just a brief moment, the red wheals covering Bao Xiaoji’s entire body vanished completely, and the itchy sensation disappeared entirely as well.
Bao Xiaoji examined his arms in astonishment, repeating the motion: “Every time it would itch for a day or two, and it’s never gotten better this fast before!”
不过，荨麻疹是反複出現的疾病，要讓他以後少犯，乃至不犯，需要找出過敏原，並且少接觸。
“It’s not completely cured yet.” The vendor saw the doctor take out silver needles again.
“I still need to give you a few acupuncture needles.”
After drawing blood from the vendor using “silver needles,” Shi Mu conducted an allergen test for him inside his medical space.
When the results came out, Shi Mu glanced to the side and understood.
Noticing the doctor’s expression, the vendor hurried to ask: “How is it, Young Master, can it be cured?”
Shi Mu walked over to the nearby cluster of lush green jasmine flowers, plucked a small white blossom, twirled it between his fingertips, and smiled with upturned lips: “So, the reason you keep breaking out in wind wheals is because of this.”