Pei Luo spent the entire night working tirelessly—grinding herbs until she doubted her sanity, mixing honey, combining it with the powdered medicine, and rolling the pills until her hands ached. At last, over three hundred Four Gentlemen Pills were completed. To enhance their efficacy and reduce their size, she added a generous amount of purified spring water. With the addition of this magical water, Pei Luo felt confident that the medicine would be flawless.
Early the next morning, she packed the medicinal decoctions, the heart-nourishing soup formula, and the large jar of Four Gentlemen Pills. After settling the two little ones, she set off for the county. This trip had two goals: deliver the medicine to Fu Yunqing and stock up on food supplies.
Her silver was running low. She had earned some money before, but after purchasing ingredients and tools for Fu Yunqing’s medicines, she had spent sixty taels, leaving her with just over seventy. For an ordinary villager, seventy taels might be a fortune, but for Pei Luo, it was hardly enough to manage her plans.
To maximize efficiency, she decided to use her space storage. All the rice and millet she purchased were discreetly stored in the space, unnoticed by anyone.
With most of her silver spent, Pei Luo then delivered the medicine to Fu Yunqing at the county’s largest and most luxurious inn. Showing the jade pendant, the innkeeper promptly led her upstairs.
After several days of rest, Fu Yunqing’s injuries had mostly healed, though he still appeared weak. Seeing Pei Luo, a smile finally appeared on his face, though he still struggled to say her name properly.
“Why aren’t you resting in bed? You’ve injured your vital energy, not just the surface,” Pei Luo chided gently, placing a small pouch on the table and opening it.
Fu Yunqing’s young attendant peeked curiously. Only thirteen or fourteen, he was alert and smart, watching Pei Luo handle the medicines. His master had mentioned a ‘miracle healer,’ and he suspected this simple mountain woman might be the one.
Pei Luo nodded. “You should rest more. These are your medicines. The jar contains the Four Gentlemen Pills, for congenital weakness—one pill a day, a year’s supply. This is the heart-nourishing soup formula: boil three bowls of water into one, twice a day for six months, then once daily. Here is the medicinal food recipe; instruct your cook to follow it for at least a year. Later, it can be eaten regularly.”
Fu Yunqing watched the two of them bent over the prescriptions. “Xiao Wu, you may leave. I should note these myself.”
“Master, let me write them down instead, so you don’t forget while busy,” Xiao Wu suggested, only to see Fu Yunqing’s face darken, scaring him into retreat. Even someone as gentle as Fu Yunqing could be intimidating when displeased.
Pei Luo explained additional precautions, which Fu Yunqing nodded along with obediently. When she mentioned her medical skills, she hesitated briefly before claiming, “I apprenticed under a master since childhood. Though I’m young, I’ve studied medicine for over a decade. My master is low-profile and currently traveling, which is why I’ve never mentioned it to anyone.”
Fu Yunqing nodded, impressed but respectful. “Your skills are indeed remarkable, yet it is a pity you are a woman. In this world, it is not easy for a lady to practice medicine freely.”
Pei Luo shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Even if societal norms restrict me, I’ll find a way to help women. Many suffer silently from illnesses; having a female doctor would relieve much pain. If I cannot freely practice in general, I’ll focus on treating women’s ailments.”
Fu Yunqing felt reassured, sensing in Pei Luo a rare combination of cleanliness, decisiveness, and openness—qualities often more straightforward than most men. Initially, he thought her frail appearance made her seem ordinary, but as he spent time with her, he found her increasingly admirable.
The young woman had not only healed his body but had also captured his attention with her spirit.