Having been busy for an entire day like this, Song Wenqing felt exhausted, but his heart was filled with even more happiness. It had been so long since he came to this world, yet this was the first time he had practiced medicine in a true sense.
Young Master Chuan was also busy, and his figure had long since vanished from sight. After sending off the last elderly uncle who came for a consultation, Song Wenqing lowered his head to pack up his instruments, thinking to himself that by all rights, he ought to treat Young Master Chuan to a meal to express his gratitude.
He had not eaten anything all day, so he picked up a flatbread from his bundle that had grown cold long ago and began to eat.
Suddenly, a little boy whose entire body was covered in dirt burst inside, asking cautiously with a sobbing tone, “Excuse me, benefactor, are you still seeing patients here?”
Song Wenqing raised his eyes. The clothes the boy before him wore were completely ill-fitting and covered in patches. His face was drenched in tears as he wept, begging Song Wenqing to save his older sister.
Song Wenqing set down the flatbread in his hand, walked slowly to the front of the little boy, helped him up, and asked, “What exactly happened? Do not be anxious, speak slowly.”
Hearing this, the little boy sniffled and held back his tears, saying, “Benefactor, my older sister is about to die. Can you please save my sister?”
Song Wenqing patted the little boy’s back, saying in a warm voice, “Of course.”
The little boy widened his eyes, freezing for a few seconds before knocking his head heavily against the ground, “Thank you very much, benefactor.” After speaking, the little boy stood up, lifted the tent flap, and ran outside.
After a long pause, the little boy returned carrying a young girl who was much larger than him on his back. Song Wenqing quickly gathered the person from his back into his own arms. There was no bed inside the tent, and the table was far too small, so Song Wenqing said, “Bring the clothes resting on the stool over here.”
The little boy was very obedient, quickly bringing the clothes over.
Song Wenqing instructed, “Spread the clothes on the ground.”
The little boy froze slightly. He and his sister had managed to escape from a bandits’ den with great difficulty. On the road during their escape, his sister had contracted some unknown illness and kept coughing up blood. He had no money on him, and though he tried to stop several carriages belonging to wealthy households, none were willing to pull over upon seeing how filthy they were, let alone save them.
When his sister was still conscious, she had told him to leave her behind and simply urged him to run faster. Yet the person before him had not only agreed to save his sister but also showed no aversion to them, even using his own garments as a cushion for his sister.
He collected his thoughts, staring blankly as Song Wenqing protected the young girl’s head and laid her flat upon the ground.
After checking her pulse, Song Wenqing used his fingers to gently part the young girl’s eyelids. After a long moment, he turned his head and asked with a trace of perplexity, “Has she been coughing up blood?”
The little boy nodded his head. Song Wenqing formed a judgment in his heart and asked, “What is your name?”
“My name is Jiang Yao, and she is my older sister, Jiang Zhi,” Jiang Yao said.
Song Wenqing paused for a moment before offering words of comfort, “Your sister’s illness is not remarkably severe. She is simply suffering from a lack of nutrition, coupled with the heavy toll of running all this way, which brought on an attack of phlegm-induced asthma that caused her to lose consciousness. She is currently unfit to travel. If you do not mind, she can stay at my home to recuperate for a period of time. You can resume your journey once her constitution improves a bit.”
Jiang Yao’s eyes welled with tears. The nose of the boy, who was only eight or nine years old, turned sour, and bean-sized tears cascaded down his face. He and his sister had been held captive by the bandits for four months, and during those four months, he rarely cried for fear of worrying his sister. At this exact moment, all the grievances rushed to his heart.
Song Wenqing squatted down to look at Jiang Yao at eye level, gently stroking his furry head to coax him, “A proper young man should not cry.”
Jiang Yao nodded amidst his sobs, using his hands to wipe his eyes.
He asked timidly, “Will my sister wake up tomorrow?”
Song Wenqing replied, “She will.”
Only then did Jiang Yao smile. Song Wenqing hoisted Jiang Zhi onto his back, instructed Jiang Yao to gather the garments from the ground, took his bundle, and headed home.
Along the path, Jiang Yao would look up at him from time to time. Song Wenqing sighed silently and said, “Child, what are you doing?”
Jiang Yao withdrew his gaze, his eyes shifting about as he hesitated, “You, do you not want to ask me what happened?”
Song Wenqing let out a lighthearted laugh, “If you wish to speak, you will naturally do so. Right now, I am simply doing what a physician ought to do.”
The sky had already grown dark, and as Jiang Yao looked at the person before him, he felt as though he were radiating light.
Before they had even reached the house, Song Wenqing could already smell the fragrance drifting along the small path. Jiang Yao had not eaten a full meal in a very long time, and his stomach was rumbling loudly.
Song Wenqing said softly, “My home is just ahead.” He leaned down to look at Jiang Yao, “Can you guess what we are eating tonight?”
Before Jiang Yao could reply, Song Wenqing continued, “I guess it is spicy boiled fish.”
As Song Wenqing spoke, Jiang Yao felt even hungrier.
By the time they arrived home, Pei Jinrong had already laid out the dinner upon the table in the yard.
Jiang Yao said excitedly, “Benefactor, benefactor, tonight truly is spicy boiled fish!”
The temperament of an eight or nine-year-old child was still exceptionally tender. Knowing that Jiang Zhi was out of danger, Jiang Yao let his true nature show, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Song Wenqing.
Song Wenqing smiled, “That is right, my guess was correct. Child, are you happy?”
Jiang Yao nodded his head heavily. Pei Jinrong froze for a moment before stepping forward to lift Jiang Zhi down from Song Wenqing’s back.
Song Wenqing squatted down and said to Jiang Yao, “Shall we settle your sister in first before we have our dinner?”
Jiang Yao hesitated slightly. Seeing his expression, Song Wenqing assumed he wanted to eat right away, but after a short silence, Jiang Yao asked in a quiet voice, “Benefactor, can we save a little fish meat for my sister later?” Fearing that Song Wenqing would not agree, he quickly added, “My sister likes to eat it.”
Both Song Wenqing and Pei Jinrong froze slightly. Upon recovering his senses, Song Wenqing said with a smile, “We will prepare it fresh for your sister once she wakes up. Saving it until tomorrow would mean it is no longer fresh.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yao’s eyes shimmered with tears.
Song Wenqing said, “Then, Yao Yao, why do you not play with Gray Ball first?”
Gray Ball, who had been sleeping in the corner of the wall, seemed to understand his words perfectly, instantly wagging its tail as it dashed toward them.
Jiang Yao’s attention was indeed captured by Gray Ball, and before long, the boy and the dog were playing happily together. Only then did Song Wenqing turn around to explain the situation to Pei Jinrong, “This young girl is ill. We will send them on their way once she has recuperated sufficiently at our home.”
Pei Jinrong offered no objections, asking, “Ah Wen, should we find a set of clean clothes for the two of them first?”
“Naturally, we must. In a moment, you can simply find any garment to change the boy into. After dinner, I will head over to Li Langzhong’s place to gather the medicinal ingredients, and I will request a set of clothes for the young girl from his wife while I am at it.”
Song Wenqing recalled hearing someone mention previously that Li Langzhong’s household also had a daughter of a similar age, so her build should be roughly equivalent. He would purchase well-fitting clothes for both of them when he visited the market tomorrow.
After settling Jiang Zhi in, the three of them finished their dinner, and Song Wenqing hurriedly took some silver to head toward Li Langzhong’s house.
Li Langzhong was just about to close his doors when he saw Song Wenqing, asking with some confusion, “Wen-ger, is there some matter of great importance at such a late hour?”
If it had been in the past, he would not have asked an extra question. However, since that incident involving Young Master Chuan, his perception of Song Wenqing had undergone a massive shift. Furthermore, several individuals had brought medicinal prescriptions to him today to have them filled. Those prescriptions were items he had never encountered before, leaving him both fascinated and thoroughly shaken.
It would be one thing if they were useless, but the crucial point was that the formulations were exceptionally brilliant. Li Langzhong had previously undertaken advanced studies in the county seat, yet he had never seen any physician write a prescription in such a manner.
His intuition told him that Song Wenqing would absolutely not be confined to this small corner of the world. Consequently, a trace of respect naturally infused his tone.
Song Wenqing had run quickly to get here, and after catching his breath, he said, “Li Langzhong, I have come to gather a prescription of medicine.”
Li Langzhong reopened the door, allowing him to enter, “What illness is it meant to treat?”
“It is for treating phlegm-induced asthma.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “I require two qian of pinellia, one qian and five fen each of licorice and honey locust fruit, and one qian of fresh ginger.”
The few ingredients he specified were all highly common. Li Langzhong marveled inwardly at the sheer height of Song Wenqing’s medical proficiency. Utilizing these specific medicines together was indeed the finest prescription for treating phlegm-induced asthma. Compared to the remedies they frequently prescribed at present, it omitted many rare ingredients while yielding an equivalent efficacy, which also meant it was far more affordable.
Li Langzhong weighed the matter for a moment, “Wen-ger, may I commit this prescription of yours to my records?”
Having gathered the medicine, Song Wenqing looked up at him upon hearing the request, “If you have need of it, you may simply record it down.”
Li Langzhong’s expression turned complex. For a physician, a medicinal prescription was an item of paramount importance; many clinics went so far as to ensure patients could only have prescriptions filled within their own proprietary pharmacies. He never expected that Song Wenqing would not care in the slightest.
Unaware of the inner thoughts processing in the physician’s mind, Song Wenqing hesitated for a moment before asking, “Li Langzhong, could I request a set of your daughter’s clothes, and perhaps trouble your wife to make a trip back with me?”
Li Langzhong asked, “What is the reason?”
Once the details were explained clearly to Li Langzhong, he immediately agreed to the request. He was not a hard-hearted individual, and he would certainly offer his assistance for a small favor within his power, given that he was also someone dedicated to saving the dying and healing the wounded.