Qingshui City was roughly twenty li from Baitou Village.
In early summer, daylight came relatively early. It was only the Hour of the Dragon, yet the county town’s streets were already crowded with people, and carts and horses clattered past. The shops along the street had opened long ago, while the roadside vendors had already set up their stalls and were calling out to passing customers.
Dressed shabbily, Li Qingshi and Li Gouzi walked down the main street, examining the various novel goods displayed on both sides. Under the condescending gazes of the townspeople, Li Gouzi felt somewhat uncomfortable, a hint of timidity hidden in his eyes. Li Qingshi, however, remained perfectly composed.
Li Gouzi said quietly, “Brother Stone, we’ve already looked at several shops, and the rent is frighteningly expensive. Do you have the capital?”
Li Qingshi shook his head. “Where would I get that much money? If all else fails, I’ll find a medical clinic or pharmacy and practice medicine at a clinic for someone else. We can talk about opening our own place after I’ve saved enough capital.”
Li Gouzi said, “Look at how old those Physicians practicing at clinics are. As the saying goes, someone without hair on his upper lip can’t be trusted to handle matters. You’re so young—which medical clinic or pharmacy would dare hire you? Even if someone did hire you, with your half-baked medical skill, you might manage minor ailments like headaches and fevers, but what would you do if you encountered a serious illness? Sooner or later, they’d dismiss you anyway.”
Li Qingshi’s delicate brows drew together slightly. He felt that Li Gouzi had a point. The older one was in this profession, the more popular one became. He was only eighteen, and even if a medical clinic or pharmacy agreed to let him practice medicine at a clinic, few people would dare seek treatment from him. Thus, the most important thing was to establish a reputation first. Everything was difficult at the beginning.
The reason he wanted to open a medical clinic was actually to prepare for learning martial arts. He had heard the saying, “Poor scholars, wealthy martial artists,” and knew that learning martial arts required a great deal of money. Although Old Liu had not yet begun teaching him martial arts, and he did not know whether Old Liu’s particular path would be expensive, earning more silver could never hurt.
He patted Li Gouzi on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. As long as our thinking doesn’t go astray, there are always more solutions than difficulties.”
Li Gouzi blinked. “How come I’ve never heard that before?”
Li Qingshi said, “You haven’t read enough books.”
Li Gouzi: “…”
At that moment, someone suddenly began striking a bronze gong in the distance. A yamen runner shouted at the top of his lungs, “Everyone, come and take a look! A chance to make a fortune has arrived!”
Hearing the commotion without knowing what had happened, the people discussed it among themselves while surging toward the area.
Li Qingshi said, “Come on, let’s go take a look too.”
After pushing through the crowd, they saw a proclamation posted on the wall. Its general meaning was that the County Magistrate’s daughter was critically ill and apparently close to death. Left with no choice, the County Magistrate’s family had resorted to this last measure, searching among the people for extraordinary people. Anyone who could cure her would be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver.
Li Qingshi laughed. “Damn, I was just getting sleepy when someone sent me a pillow. Once we get our hands on a thousand taels of silver, why bother opening a medical clinic? We can also use this opportunity to get in good with the County Magistrate. Wouldn’t the two of us be able to strut around in Qingshui City from then on?”
The people of the Great Ren Dynasty were tough and martial-minded. There were countless gangs in Qingshui City alone. Although the Imperial Court had grown increasingly corrupt and its suppression of the Jianghu had weakened day by day, at least in Qingshui City, no one yet dared use martial force to violate the law. Thus, if they could gain the County Magistrate’s protection, they really would be able to move freely through both the lawful and unlawful worlds in this city.
Li Gouzi was startled and hurriedly grabbed him. “Brother Stone, don’t act recklessly. That’s the County Magistrate’s daughter. They must have already invited the famous physicians in the city to examine her. They only posted this proclamation after those physicians failed. If even the famous physicians in the city couldn’t cure her, what can your medical skill do? Jumping into this blindly is just asking to die!”
Li Qingshi said, “What are you afraid of? If I can’t cure her, don’t I still have Old Liu to cover for me?”
Li Gouzi said, “Oh, give me a break. How much better than you can Old Liu really be?”
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” Li Qingshi broke free of his grip and walked over to the yamen runner.
Li Gouzi was not as strong as him and was unable to hold him back. He stamped his feet anxiously and was about to stop him again when Li Qingshi had already begun speaking with the government constable.
Li Qingshi cupped his fists and said, “Officer, I’ll take this proclamation.”
The yamen runner looked him over several times. Seeing that he was a country youth, he cursed, “Where did this peasant come from? Get lost, get lost! Stop making trouble here.”
Li Qingshi had expected this, which was why he spoke the official language he had learned from Old Liu, pretending to be an outsider. With a cheerful smile, he said, “I can tell you’ve never seen much of the world. Every extraordinary person is like me—never showing his true ability or drawing attention to himself. That is what you call a reclusive expert.”
After a pause, he continued, “I have traveled throughout the world with my Master and treated countless people. What rare and difficult illnesses have I not seen? I happened to come here through a twist of fate. I intended to save your young lady’s life and form a good connection, yet I never expected you to look down on people with your dog’s eyes. If your young lady perishes because of this, and the County Magistrate finds out, I wonder how he will deal with you.”
Seeing him spout nonsense at the government constable, Li Gouzi’s face turned pale with fright. Yet he did not dare pull him away at that moment, and could only anxiously scratch his ears and cheeks.
Hearing his extraordinary manner of speech, the yamen runner immediately regarded him with new respect, though he was still somewhat skeptical. He thought, Since he has put it this way, if I don’t let him try and word gets back to the County Magistrate, I’ll surely suffer terribly. But judging by his age, he really doesn’t look like someone with remarkable medical skill. If he’s a bold Jianghu swindler, I’ll be punished too…
He said, “Have you thought this through? That is the County Magistrate’s daughter. If you fail to cure her, being caned and thrown into prison would be the least of your worries. You might even lose your life!”
Li Qingshi said, “Saving a life is what matters. Hurry and lead the way.”
Seeing that he insisted on wading into these muddy waters, implicating himself and leaving him caught between two choices, the yamen runner could not help cursing inwardly. After hesitating for a long while, he finally gritted his teeth and said, “Follow me.”
Li Qingshi said to Li Gouzi, “Go back first. Don’t wait for me.”
Seeing that matters could no longer be changed, Li Gouzi stopped trying to persuade him. “You said that we’re Brothers for life. I’m going with you. Whatever happens, we’ll bear it together.”
Li Qingshi was touched and tried to persuade him a few more times, but Li Gouzi refused to leave, so he said nothing more.
He had confidence in himself, and even more confidence in Old Liu. Old Liu had told him that, with his current medical skill, there was no illness under heaven that he could not cure.
Li Gouzi whispered, “You pretended to be an outsider to deceive him. If you’re exposed later, this government constable definitely won’t let the matter go.”
Li Qingshi said, “If we cure her, we’ll be the County Magistrate’s Benefactors. Even if I’m exposed, he won’t dare offend us. If we fail to cure her, we won’t get past the County Magistrate anyway, and that government constable won’t even have a chance to deal with us.”
Li Gouzi was deeply worried.
Before long, the three of them arrived at the residence behind the county yamen. The yamen runner sent a servant inside to make a report.
When the county magistrate heard that someone had taken the proclamation, he was overjoyed and hurriedly ordered the steward to go out and receive him.
His name was Zhang Gaoshan, a name taken from the saying “To gaze up at a lofty mountain.” He was in his forties. Though he had quite a few sons, he had only this one daughter, whom he had always cherished as the apple of his eye. Who could have known that she would suddenly develop a strange illness and become bedridden? It was enough to drive a man mad with worry.
He had invited all the famous physicians in the city to come for a consultation. Her condition had initially begun to improve, but who could have expected it to suddenly worsen yesterday, leaving her unconscious? Yet those famous physicians were all helpless and told him to prepare for her funeral. They were nothing but a bunch of useless fools, famous only in name!
He wished he could have them all beheaded.
But now things were looking up. Since this person had dared to take the proclamation, he was certainly capable. After all, no one would dare make sport of him, the County Magistrate of an entire county.
Inside the main hall, the couple could neither sit nor stand still. They paced back and forth in searing anxiety while secretly praying in their hearts.