Song Chazai and Jiang Jinxi sat in a horse-drawn carriage heading toward Chuanfu Town. Because Jiang Jinxi was so strikingly beautiful, Song Chazai had specifically given him a face veil to wear. Having lived a long life, she understood the impact of his features; without a veil, he would undoubtedly attract bold and lewd troublemakers.
This was Jiang Jinxi’s first time leaving the village. He was incredibly excited and moved, yet he suppressed his emotions, keeping his hands resting formally on his knees while only his eyes darted around to take in the outside world.
“Hey! Doctor Song, going to town to sell herbs today?”
An acquaintance on the carriage greeted Song Chazai. The woman peered toward Song Chazai’s side, noticing Jiang Jinxi’s bright, spirited deer-like eyes. “Is this a relative of yours, Doctor Song?” she asked curiously.
Song Chazai smiled and lightly patted Jiang Jinxi’s shoulder. “Yes, my nephew’s husband.”
Everyone in the village knew that Song Chazai’s nephew was Song Bo, that useless man who could not be helped. To think that such a person not only had a spouse but such a beautiful one. The woman clicked her tongue inwardly and could not help but mutter, “Truly a bright flower planted in cow dung.”
The woman spoke softly, and Song Chazai was too far away to hear, but Jiang Jinxi was close enough to hear every word. He looked at the woman and retorted, “My husband is not cow dung.”
If this had been back when they first met, Jiang Jinxi might have agreed. But things were different now; he knew exactly how good Song Bo was. He could not stand by and listen to an ignorant woman slander him.
Jiang Jinxi’s voice was not quiet, and everyone on the carriage heard him clearly. Hearing this, they all looked at the woman. Although the others did not know what had been said privately, anyone who would call someone’s husband “cow dung” to their face was likely not a good person. The woman felt so ashamed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into and remained silent for the rest of the journey.
“Did that person say something about Song Bo?” After getting off the carriage, Song Chazai pulled Jiang Jinxi aside to ask. There had been too many acquaintances on the carriage to ask for details, but now that they had dispersed, she felt safe to inquire.
“She said one thing,” Jiang Jinxi replied.
“How dare she speak of my nephew. Next time she comes for a consultation, I will have to charge her extra,” Song Chazai said indignantly.
The streets were bustling. Although Chuanfu Town was not yet the size of a major city, the sheer number of people passing by made it seem no less lively.
Keeping Song Bo’s instructions in mind, Song Chazai first led Jiang Jinxi to the docks. The docks were heavy with the scent of men; the smell of sweat mixed with the briny sea was quite pungent. Jiang Jinxi squinted and covered his nose and mouth with his hand as he followed Song Chazai.
Song Bo had described the boat owner’s characteristics, and he was indeed easy to find. After asking just two passersby, they located the owner’s boat.
“You say a wall collapsed on Song Bo’s head?” The boat owner practically bolted upright from his chair.
“Yes, but the injury is not too severe. He simply needs to rest and recover, so he sent me to give you word,” Song Chazai said.
Hearing this, the boat owner sat back down and said heartily, “Fine, let him rest as much as he needs. He should only come back once he is fully healed.”
Perhaps because both Song Bo and his own younger brother were scholars, the boat owner tended to favor him. A scholar’s head was his most important asset; even a minor bump could delay one’s studies. The boat owner did not want to be the villain who ruined a promising scholar’s future. In his heart, he had already categorized Song Bo as a tragic scholar forced into hard labor to support his impoverished household.
“Thank you, Boss,” Song Chazai said. She had not expected the boat owner, who looked difficult to approach, to be so reasonable.
Jiang Jinxi stood behind Song Chazai, silently memorizing the boat owner’s appearance. Since this man was a contact of Song Bo’s, it was best to remember him regardless of whether the knowledge would be useful later.
After settling the matter, Song Chazai led Jiang Jinxi into the center of town. There stood a medical hall that was famous not just in Chuanfu Town, but throughout the entire Jin Province.
Jiang Jinxi stood before the building. It was a three-story structure with a sign hanging over the main door that read “The Healing Hall,” making its purpose immediately clear. People moved in and out in a constant stream; business was clearly thriving.
Song Chazai took Jiang Jinxi by the wrist and entered. An older man inside, having just seen off a patient, greeted Song Chazai loudly, “Senior Sister, you are here!”
Hearing the title, Jiang Jinxi was surprised. Judging by the scale of this establishment, their medical skills had to be superb. No matter which doctor Song Chazai had studied under, her own skills were clearly significant. He had not expected such talent to be hidden in a small village.
Song Chazai handed her basket to the man and asked casually, “Where is Master?”
“Upstairs, suturing skin,” the man replied.
Song Chazai did not want to disturb her master; she simply asked the man to calculate the payment for her herbs so she could buy some supplies to take back. The man was very familiar with Song Chazai; from their conversation, Jiang Jinxi learned his name was Wu Mo.
Wu Mo handed the herbs to the accountant and began chatting with Song Chazai. He stared at Jiang Jinxi with curiosity and asked, “Is this your Ger?”
“My nephew’s husband,” Song Chazai answered. Mentioning that a Ger was married was usually enough to make most ill-intentioned lechers back off.
Although the Ger’s face was covered, one could tell from his eyes and forehead that he was a beauty. However, Wu Mo was merely curious; he was already married with children and harbored no inappropriate thoughts. He remarked, “Your nephew is a lucky man.”
Jiang Jinxi looked around. The first floor was divided into three sections: the counter, the consultation area, and the pharmacy. The pharmacy held dozens of wooden cabinets, and the variety of herbs was far greater than what Song Chazai had at home. Still in the process of learning to identify herbs, Jiang Jinxi stared at the pharmacy. Though his feet followed Song Chazai, his mind had already wandered off.
Suddenly, he noticed two people chatting while packing medicine. One person accidentally dropped a piece of herb into the other person’s package. The person packing the medicine did not notice; his eyes were fixed on the person he was talking to, and he simply wrapped the stray piece into the bundle.
Jiang Jinxi pulled on Song Chazai’s sleeve and said, “Aunt, I think someone just packed Aconite and Pinellia together.”
“What!” Song Chazai dropped her relaxed demeanor and looked at Jiang Jinxi seriously. “Those are two of the Eighteen Antagonisms! Where did you see this?”
Jiang Jinxi led her to the person who had made the mistake and pointed accurately at one of the bundles. “That package. A small piece of Pinellia got mixed in.”
The staff member did not know what Jiang Jinxi was doing, but upon hearing the accusation, he immediately retorted, “Impossible!”
No one working in a medical hall could be ignorant of the Eighteen Antagonisms and Nineteen Inhibitions. He had worked there for years and never made a mistake; it was impossible for antagonistic herbs to be mixed in his packages.
“There is Pinellia in his package,” Jiang Jinxi insisted, looking at the other person and recounting their conversation.
“Open it and see,” Wu Mo said, his smile vanishing. He ordered the staff member to open the bundle. Since this involved the reputation of the hall, Wu Mo kept his voice low to avoid drawing attention.
The staff member felt wronged and glared at Jiang Jinxi. He defended himself, saying, “Physician Wu, why would you believe an outsider?”
“It is better to be safe,” Wu Mo replied.
The staff member reluctantly opened the package, muttering, “What does a Ger know about medicine?”
Song Chazai was displeased. She snatched the package from the staff member’s hand and tore it open. An irregular piece of Pinellia lay inside, right next to the Aconite that formed an antagonistic pair with it.
“Do you, a man, know medicine so well?” Song Chazai slapped the package onto the table. “If someone died from eating this, how would you take responsibility?”
By packing antagonistic herbs together, this man’s medical career was effectively over.
Wu Mo suppressed the news for the moment, intending to inform his master once he came downstairs. He looked at the staff member and said, “Your work ends this moment. Pack your things and prepare to leave.”
The staff member was also shocked to find Pinellia in his package. The person he had been talking to had already seen the trouble and fled. Unwilling to take the blame alone, the staff member immediately pointed after him. “He purposefully put the Pinellia in my package!”
People facing a threat to their own interests often become desperate. What followed was internal business for The Healing Hall; Jiang Jinxi had no interest in listening or getting involved. The two men nearly came to blows before others stepped in to pull them apart, finally restoring peace to the hall.
“It is truly thanks to you. If the medical hall’s medicine had killed someone, the shop would have had to close,” Song Chazai said, still feeling a lingering fear. This was the shop her master had spent decades building. She had watched it grow from a small shop to its current size; if it had truly been ruined by that man, her master’s reputation would have been destroyed.
“It is because Aunt taught me well,” Jiang Jinxi said.
“When did I teach you? I only gave you a book on Chinese medicine,” Song Chazai said. Jiang Jinxi was truly brilliant. That book was not thin; even she had taken a full month to memorize the contents. The Eighteen Antagonisms and Nineteen Inhibitions were at the very end of the book, yet Jiang Jinxi could already identify them. It was clear he had nearly finished the entire book.
“That is still thanks to Aunt giving me the book,” Jiang Jinxi said.
“Your mouth is as sweet as if you have eaten honey,” Song Chazai said. Her frustration had been smoothed away by Jiang Jinxi’s words, and she found herself liking him more and more.
“Not at all,” Jiang Jinxi said.
Song Chazai needed to wait for her master to come down so she could greet him, so Jiang Jinxi took the opportunity to study more herbs. Knowledge from books was only on paper; he needed to see them with his own eyes to truly commit them to memory.
Wu Mo brought the payment. Herbs were valuable; although Song Chazai had brought common herbs, she still earned five taels of silver. Jiang Jinxi remembered the discussion at the clan meeting; Song Bo still had land. Perhaps he could use that land to grow herbs. He could use them for himself or harvest them to sell. That way, he would have a source of income, and the burden of their life would not fall entirely on Song Bo’s shoulders.
The more Jiang Jinxi thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. As soon as they returned, he would discuss it with Song Bo.