There was no clinic in the village. To get medical treatment, they had to go to the county town, which took about half an hour by ox cart.
Doctor Li was the village doctor, and his medical skills were the best in the village. He should have medicine for treating external injuries.
He had once been an educated youth sent to the countryside. Since both of his parents were doctors, he had learned medicine from them from a young age.
Whenever someone in the village fell ill, they would first come to him. Only if he couldn’t treat them would they go to the county hospital.
Song Wanning carried Xu Lanjiao toward Doctor Li’s house.
Li Lan and Wang Jianguo followed behind them, wanting to know what had happened to Xu Lanjiao.
Seeing Song Wanning’s thin frame carrying another person, Li Lan wanted several times to have her put Xu Lanjiao down and let Wang Jianguo carry her instead.
But for Xu Lanjiao’s reputation, and to avoid giving the villagers something to gossip about, Song Wanning insisted on carrying her herself.
Besides, she hardly felt the weight at all, so she carried Xu Lanjiao the entire way without any difficulty.
Li Lan had no choice but to walk beside her, ready to take over if Song Wanning became exhausted.
Doctor Li’s house wasn’t far away.
After walking for only a few minutes, they arrived at Li Deshun’s home.
“Deshun! Are you home?”
“Come quickly and take a look at this child!”
The moment they entered the courtyard, Wang Jianguo called out anxiously.
Li Deshun happened to be inside.
Hearing someone calling, he immediately came out.
When he saw Song Wanning carrying an injured person, he quickly ushered them inside.
There was a small partitioned room in his house with a narrow bed that served as a simple treatment room.
He had Song Wanning lay Xu Lanjiao on the bed before taking out his medical equipment to examine her.
When he saw the wound on the back of her head, he was startled.
The gash was nearly three centimeters long.
It would need stitches.
Fortunately, he had a suturing kit.
He took out a pair of scissors, cut away the hair around the wound, and began stitching it.
Song Wanning winced as she watched.
There was no anesthetic.
He was stitching the wound completely awake.
Just watching made her scalp tingle.
She glanced over at Xu Lanjiao.
Sure enough, Xu Lanjiao’s face was twisted in pain.
After finishing with the head wound, Li Deshun examined her broken leg.
Although the leg was fractured, Song Wanning had treated it extremely well.
The bones had already been properly aligned.
It only needed time to heal.
Curious, Li Deshun turned to Song Wanning and pointed at Xu Lanjiao’s leg.
“Did you splint this yourself?”
Song Wanning nodded.
Li Deshun continued,
“You know medicine?”
She nodded again and answered modestly,
“A little.”
“I’ve read some of your medical books before and taught myself.”
Li Deshun was greatly surprised.
He remembered something.
Once, when Song Bao had fallen ill, Song Wanning had come to ask him to make a house call.
He had been preparing some supplies and asked her to wait in the courtyard.
Coincidentally, one of his medical books had been left on the table.
When he came back outside, he found Song Wanning reading it with great interest.
At the time, he had been astonished.
As far as he knew, Song Wanning had never attended school.
How could she possibly understand a medical text?
At first, he assumed she was simply flipping through it.
But then she had pointed at something in the book and asked him an insightful medical question.
Only then did he realize she was actually literate.
Although he had been curious about how she had learned to read, Song Bao had still been waiting for treatment, so they hadn’t discussed it further before heading to the Song family home together.
After that, Song Wanning often came to borrow his medical books.
She would take them home to study and later return them.
He had never expected her talent to be this remarkable.
Just by reading those books on her own, she had already learned basic emergency treatment.
Li Deshun looked at Song Wanning with shining eyes.
Seeing that Xu Lanjiao was no longer in serious danger, he asked Song Wanning several medical questions.
She answered every one correctly.
Satisfied, he nodded.
“Song girl, would you be interested in studying medicine with me?”
He didn’t want to let such an outstanding talent slip away.
Li Deshun had two daughters.
Unfortunately, neither of them had any interest in medicine.
Now that he had discovered Song Wanning’s exceptional aptitude, he genuinely wanted to teach her.
Song Wanning was pleasantly surprised.
Li Deshun specialized in Western medicine, while she had previously studied traditional Chinese medicine.
Her knowledge of Western medicine wasn’t extensive.
Now that Li Deshun was willing to teach her, she naturally welcomed the opportunity.
Besides, this would provide a perfectly reasonable explanation for why she knew medical skills.
“Of course.”
“I’m very interested in medicine.”
“Doctor Li, I’ll study under you from now on.”
“You’ll be my teacher.”
Without any hesitation, Song Wanning agreed.
She respectfully bowed to him three times.
Seeing how polite she was, Li Deshun liked her even more.
“Good, good, good.”
“Come over whenever you have time.”
Li Lan was also delighted that Li Deshun was willing to teach Song Wanning.
At the same time, she couldn’t help thinking to herself that Liu Cuihua truly had no idea what she had thrown away.
Such a wonderful girl…
One day she would definitely regret it.
“Doctor Li, is Xu Lanjiao alright?”
“If she’s fine, I’ll ask someone to carry her back so she can rest and recover.”
Song Wanning remembered that Xu Lanjiao lived at the educated youth residence.
She had a rather solitary personality, and the other educated youths didn’t seem to like her very much.
If she were sent back there, there probably wouldn’t be anyone willing to take care of her.
After thinking for a moment, Song Wanning turned to Li Lan and Wang Jianguo.
“Li Auntie, Uncle Wang, everyone at the educated youth residence has to work during the day.”
“It won’t be convenient for her there.”
“How about letting her stay with me?”
“I know some basic nursing care.”
“I can look after her.”
Li Lan considered it for a moment.
Song Wanning was living alone now, and she had worried that she might be lonely or frightened.
Having Xu Lanjiao stay with her would at least give them companionship.
She nodded.
“Alright.”
“Since you have room, let her stay with you.”
After saying that, Li Lan asked Wang Jianguo to find several male educated youths.
Using a simple stretcher from Li Deshun’s house, they carried Xu Lanjiao to Song Wanning’s home.
Once they arrived, Song Wanning quietly pulled Li Lan aside to a secluded spot where no one else could hear them.
Speaking softly enough that only the two of them could hear, she asked,
“Li Auntie… do you know where the black market is?”
“I’d like to go there.”
Li Lan was rather surprised.
“Song girl, what do you want to do at the black market?”
“Is there something you need to buy?”
“If you need anything, I’ll bring it back for you the next time I go to the county.”
Song Wanning wanted to find out how much the lingzhi mushroom was worth and see whether she might meet someone at the black market who would be willing to buy it.
She hesitated, wondering whether she should tell Li Lan about it.
After thinking it over carefully, she decided there shouldn’t be any problem.
Li Lan had sincerely treated her well.
“Li Auntie, when I went into the back mountain today, I found a lingzhi mushroom.”
“I wanted to see if anyone at the black market would buy it.”
“Maybe I could exchange it for grain or sell it for some money.”
The moment she heard that, Li Lan immediately looked around cautiously.
After confirming that no one was nearby listening, she nervously pulled Song Wanning even farther into a secluded corner.
“Song girl, it’s fine to tell me.”
“But don’t ever tell anyone else.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the county.”
“And make sure you hide that lingzhi well.”
“Don’t let anyone see it.”