Not long after Huzi’s mother left, Aunt Zhou’s voice came from outside the courtyard.
“Educated Youth Lin, are you home?”
Lin Xiaxia went out to greet her and saw Aunt Zhou arriving with Gao Dahai and Fengxia.
“Auntie, you’re here. Come inside and have a seat.”
The three had barely sat down when Aunt Zhou anxiously asked, “Educated Youth Lin, you brought the medicine back from the county town today, right? Can you prepare Dahai’s medicine now?”
“Auntie, you came at just the right time. I was actually planning to talk to you about this.”
Lin Xiaxia pulled over a stool and sat down.
“I have the prescription, but the medicine is prepared according to an ancient formula, so it’s rather expensive. One bottle costs twenty yuan. The medicine is meant to condition his body to its best possible state and improve the chances of conception, but it can’t fundamentally change his natural constitution. He can take no more than three courses.”
Aunt Zhou didn’t fully understand the more complicated explanation. She only focused on the one thing that mattered most to her.
“Then… will they be able to have a child?”
“Yes. As long as Dahai takes the medicine according to the prescribed course and Fengxia takes her conditioning medicine as well, their chances will be very good,” Lin Xiaxia answered confidently.
“Then we’ll take it!”
Aunt Zhou slapped her thigh and immediately grabbed Gao Dahai’s arm as she stood up.
“Twenty yuan, right? We’ll go home and gather the money right now! Go ahead and prepare the medicine. As long as it works, it’ll be worth every cent!”
The village chief, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help clicking his tongue in surprise.
“What kind of medicine costs twenty yuan a bottle?”
A strong laborer working an entire month would only earn a few yuan after his work points were converted into money.
Twenty yuan was no small sum.
“Uncle, the medicinal ingredients themselves are expensive,” Lin Xiaxia explained.
“The formula contains tiger penis, seahorse, deer antler, and other rare ingredients. It also requires hundred-year-old fleeceflower root. Twenty yuan is honestly just enough to cover the cost. I’m not charging them anything extra.”
The moment the village chief heard “tiger penis,” he clicked his tongue repeatedly.
Tigers were protected animals these days, and such an ingredient had long since become incredibly rare.
No wonder the medicine was so expensive.
Aunt Zhou, however, didn’t care in the slightest. She tightly gripped Lin Xiaxia’s hand.
“It’s not expensive at all! As long as our family can have a descendant, any amount of money is worth it! Educated Youth Lin, if this medicine really works and our family gets a healthy, chubby grandson, we’ll seat you in the place of honor at the banquet and kowtow to you three times!”
Gao Dahai stood nearby with a flushed face and said awkwardly, “Our family still has some savings. If it isn’t enough, I’ll borrow the rest from relatives. Please go ahead and prepare the medicine.”
Fengxia lowered her head and quietly added, “I… I can also gather medicinal herbs and sell them for money.”
Seeing the urgency and hope in the family’s faces, Lin Xiaxia’s heart softened.
“Don’t worry. You can gather the money slowly. I’ll prepare the medicine first. But this medicine is quite potent, so you must take it strictly according to the dosage I prescribe. You can’t take too much or use it carelessly.”
“Yes, yes! We’ll do exactly as you say!”
Aunt Zhou nodded repeatedly, her eyes shining with hope.
The village chief couldn’t suppress his curiosity and asked, “Is this medicine only for treating Dahai’s condition? What if someone who’s perfectly healthy takes it? Would it still work?”
“Absolutely not!”
Lin Xiaxia quickly waved her hand.
“This is a powerful medicine specifically prescribed for his condition. If someone without a deficiency takes it, it could cause excessive internal heat and other problems. Medicine has to match the patient’s condition, so it must be individually prescribed.”
“Oh, I understand.”
The village chief nodded and stopped asking questions, though inwardly he was impressed.
Educated Youth Lin might be young, but she certainly knew a great deal.
Lin Xiaxia took out a notebook and carefully recorded all of Gao Dahai’s symptoms. She then asked Fengxia several questions and calculated a specific date.
“Come back in three days to collect the medicine. Dahai will need to take it for one month.”
She then quietly whispered to Fengxia that they should abstain from intercourse during that month and focus on resting and recuperating. She also prescribed Fengxia some medicine to replenish her qi and blood.
Aunt Zhou was eager to go home and gather the money. After thanking Lin Xiaxia several more times, she hurried away with Gao Dahai and Fengxia.
Watching them leave, Lin Xiaxia turned toward the village chief and Gao Xiulan.
“I’m going to get the medicinal ingredients. Xiulan, help me prepare the medicine tonight.”
“Okay!”
Gao Xiulan immediately took out her notebook and pen, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
This was the first real lesson she would receive from her teacher.
Dinner that evening was delivered by the village chief’s family.
There were soft steamed buns made from mixed flour, thick cornmeal porridge, and a small plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes cooked with lard. The rich aroma was irresistible.
Lin Xiaxia and Gao Xiulan ate by the light of an oil lamp. After cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks, they began preparing the medicine.
Lin Xiaxia brought out the medicinal ingredients she had prepared in advance.
She sliced the tiger penis, ground the deer antler into powder, and steamed the fleeceflower root. Every step was carried out meticulously.
Gao Xiulan studied attentively beside her, filling page after page of her little notebook. She even carefully recorded how long each medicinal ingredient needed to be processed.
Making the pills was a complicated process.
The medicinal ingredients first had to be finely ground into powder and sifted three times to ensure a smooth texture. Then they had to be mixed according to precise proportions, combined with honey, and rolled into pills about the size of mung beans.
More importantly, some of the ingredients had to be repeatedly steamed and sun-dried. The process used sunlight and moisture to draw out their medicinal properties, and this step alone took two full days.
Lin Xiaxia even asked a village mason to build a small earthen stove in her courtyard specifically for steaming medicinal ingredients.
The fire inside had to remain steady. It couldn’t burn too fiercely, nor could it be allowed to go out. Someone had to watch it day and night to ensure the ingredients were properly processed.
Three days later, ten small bottles of medicinal pills were finally finished.
The porcelain bottles were small and delicate, each filled with smooth, dark pills. When brought close to the nose, they gave off a rich medicinal fragrance.
On the day Aunt Zhou came to collect the medicine, she arrived just after dawn.
She tightly clutched a cloth bundle containing twenty yuan pieced together from bills and coins of various denominations. In her other hand, she carried a basket of eggs.
“Educated Youth Lin, is the medicine ready?”
She rubbed her hands together, her eyes full of anticipation.
“It’s ready.”
Lin Xiaxia handed her the medicine bottle and carefully explained the instructions.
“You must follow the dosage exactly. Three times a day, three pills each time, taken with warm water after meals. This bottle contains exactly enough for one month. By the time Dahai finishes it, the timing will coincide with Fengxia’s ovulation period. Their chances of success should be very high.”
“Yes! Yes! I’ve got it!”
Aunt Zhou carefully tucked the medicine bottle inside her clothes as though she were holding a priceless treasure.
Then she pushed the cloth bundle into Lin Xiaxia’s hands.
“The money is in small bills and coins, so please count it. If it isn’t enough, I’ll borrow more! And take these eggs too. They’re for you to nourish yourself!”
“The money is enough. Take the eggs back and let Fengxia eat them to strengthen her body.”
Lin Xiaxia pushed the basket back toward her.
Aunt Zhou left overjoyed, her steps so light that she seemed several years younger.
Gao Xiulan watched her leave and couldn’t help asking, “Sister Xiaxia, will that medicine really work?”
Lin Xiaxia smiled and patted her shoulder.
“Don’t worry. We followed the prescription properly, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Once Fengxia brings us good news, our clinic’s reputation will truly spread throughout the village.”
The earthen stove in the courtyard still held some warmth, while the fragrance of medicine mingled with the earthy scent of plants in the air.
Just then, Seventh Grandpa entered the courtyard, leaning heavily on his cane.
He was already in his seventies, and his back was slightly hunched.
“Oh, young lady…”
As Seventh Grandpa lowered himself onto a stool, his waist bent almost like a shrimp.
“This old back of mine starts hurting terribly whenever the weather turns cold. Sometimes I can barely straighten myself up, and even turning over in bed at night is difficult. Do you have anything that can help?”
Lin Xiaxia quickly helped him sit comfortably. She gently pressed several areas around his lower back and asked him about his symptoms.
Then she smiled.
“Grandpa, this is an old cold-related back problem. It’s common at your age, so it’s nothing too serious.”
She turned toward the medicine shelf and took down a medicinal plaster.
“This plaster helps improve circulation and relieve pain. Try applying one and see if it helps.”
“That sounds good. How much is it?”
Seventh Grandpa reached into his pocket, searching for some change.
“Five cents per plaster. If paying cash isn’t convenient, you can trade two eggs for one instead.”
Lin Xiaxia handed him the plaster.
“Good, good! You’re an honest girl with a kind heart!”
Seventh Grandpa smiled until his eyes narrowed into thin lines. With trembling hands, he pulled a small cloth pouch from inside his clothes, counted out five cents, and handed it to her.
“I have money. I won’t take advantage of you.”
Lin Xiaxia had just accepted the money when a sudden commotion erupted outside the courtyard.
Several people in uniform pushed open the gate and strode inside.
The man leading them called out in a loud voice.
“Who’s Lin Xiaxia? We’ve received a report and are here to conduct an inspection!”