The sky was only beginning to brighten, with the faintest hint of pale light appearing on the horizon. The entire world was still wrapped in peaceful silence when Yun Yixuan was jolted awake by Li Meiling shaking her urgently.
“Yixuan, it’s time to get up. If we’re any later, Uncle Wei will leave for town with his ox cart.”
Her anxious voice sounded especially loud in the quiet early morning.
The moment Yun Yixuan heard they were going to town, her sleepy eyes instantly lit up. All traces of drowsiness vanished as she sprang out of bed as if propelled by a spring.
She quickly washed up and got ready. With her hair still damp, she began rummaging around for everything she needed to bring.
Standing nearby, Li Meiling watched her rushing about and couldn’t help shaking her head. Yet the corners of her lips curved upward in amusement.
Yun Yixuan really was impatient when she got excited.
Each carrying a large sack of medicinal herbs, Yun Yixuan and Li Meiling hurried toward the village entrance.
The freezing morning wind cut across their faces like knives, turning their cheeks bright red, but neither of them slowed down.
Fortunately, Uncle Wei was still waiting there, sitting steadily on his ox cart. Two older women and a young woman were already aboard, bundled tightly in thick cotton-padded coats as they huddled in the corners against the cold.
“Uncle Wei, it’s freezing today. Sorry to trouble you with taking everyone to town.”
As Yun Yixuan spoke, she struggled to lift her heavy sack of herbs onto the cart. The white mist from her breath quickly disappeared into the freezing air.
Uncle Wei smiled and waved dismissively, the wrinkles on his face deepening with his grin.
“It’s no trouble. But you two girls always carry such huge bags with you. What’s in them this time?”
Yun Yixuan proudly patted the sack.
“They’re all mountain products we gathered ourselves. We’re planning to mail them home today so our families can have a taste.”
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, as though she could already imagine the delighted expressions on her family’s faces when they received the package.
After securing their sacks, the two quickly climbed aboard.
The ox cart slowly began moving.
It swayed and rocked along the entire journey, its worn-out wheels struggling over the rough dirt road. Every violent bump made Yun Yixuan feel as though her bones were about to fall apart.
She tightly gripped the side of the cart and desperately tried to keep her balance, but she was still tossed from side to side. Before long, her stomach began churning so badly that she nearly threw up.
With all the endless jolting, the journey seemed to stretch on forever.
Finally, the ox cart slowly entered town.
The moment everyone climbed down, they heard a commotion coming from the side of the street.
A middle-aged woman had suddenly collapsed.
A large crowd had gathered around her. Everyone spoke anxiously at once, their faces filled with worry, but no one seemed to know what to do.
Seeing this, Yun Yixuan immediately pushed her way through the crowd to examine the woman.
The woman’s face was as pale as paper, while her lips had turned bluish-purple. There was hardly any color left in her face, and her breathing was extremely weak.
Yun Yixuan quickly crouched beside her and expertly checked her pulse.
Her brows furrowed slightly, but her eyes remained focused and calm.
Without panicking, she reached into the bag she carried and pulled out a small bottle of medicine—or at least, that was what it looked like to everyone else.
In reality, she had secretly taken it from her spatial storage.
She carefully administered the medicine to the unconscious woman.
Before long, some color gradually returned to the woman’s pale face.
Then, slowly, she opened her eyes.
Everyone around them stared in amazement.
“This young lady is incredible! She brought her back around so quickly!”
“That’s right! Thank goodness she was here.”
Voices of admiration rose throughout the crowd as everyone praised Yun Yixuan for her remarkable medical skills.
Li Meiling stood nearby with a broad smile, her eyes filled with pride.
She knew that Yun Yixuan was capable of far more than this.
“Make way! Everyone, please make way! Let Doctor Meng examine her!”
A young man led an elderly man in his fifties or sixties through the crowd, struggling to push his way toward the patient.
The old man, whom everyone called Doctor Meng, was startled the moment he saw the unconscious woman.
“Wang Lingfang!”
He immediately crouched down and checked her pulse, his expression solemn.
A short while later, his tense expression relaxed slightly.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the young woman’s emergency treatment had been timely and appropriate.
After resting for a while, Comrade Wang should be fine.
Doctor Meng turned toward Yun Yixuan, his heart filled with questions.
Wang Lingfang suffered from heart disease, and there was currently no way to cure her condition completely. Whenever she suffered an attack, it came suddenly and severely.
So how had this young woman managed to stabilize her condition so quickly?
“Young lady, could you tell this old man how you treated Comrade Wang?”
His voice carried unmistakable curiosity and anticipation.
“Of course.”
Yun Yixuan handed him the bottle of medicine she was holding.
Doctor Meng carefully examined the bottle and softly read the name written on it.
“Fast-Acting Heart Relief Pills.”
He opened the bottle and took a sniff.
A rich aroma of traditional Chinese medicine immediately filled his nose. From the scent alone, he could tell that the pills had been made using several precious medicinal herbs.
At that moment, Wang Lingfang finally regained full consciousness.
Doctor Meng looked at her with concern.
“How are you feeling?”
Wang Lingfang looked gratefully at Yun Yixuan, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“It’s all thanks to this young lady for saving me. I’ve never felt this comfortable after an attack before.”
She paused before asking hopefully, “Young lady, would you be willing to sell me some of this medicine?”
“Of course. That’s not a problem. It’s just that the medicinal ingredients required to make these pills are extremely valuable, so the medicine is relatively expensive.”
Yun Yixuan patiently continued, “Also, these pills can only be used in an emergency to relieve your symptoms. They can’t cure your illness.”
“I understand. This is already more than good enough.”
Wang Lingfang’s voice contained a trace of helplessness, but even more than that, gratitude.
“Doctor Meng already told me that there currently isn’t any way to cure my condition.”
Looking at Wang Lingfang, Yun Yixuan sincerely said, “Since you really need it, I’ll give you the bottle at cost price. Eighty yuan.”
When Wang Lingfang heard the price, she felt it was still within an acceptable range.
Without hesitation, she readily paid for the bottle.
Doctor Meng carefully studied Yun Yixuan, deep in thought.
He had practiced medicine for many years and encountered countless unusual prescriptions and remarkable medicines, but both the formula and effectiveness of these Fast-Acting Heart Relief Pills greatly intrigued him.
“Young lady, would you be willing to share the prescription for this medicine with this old man? I’m willing to pay a substantial amount for it.”
Doctor Meng spoke sincerely, his eyes filled with expectation.
Yun Yixuan looked at him and thought for a moment before replying,
“Doctor Meng, could we find somewhere more private to discuss this?”
Doctor Meng immediately nodded.
He then led Yun Yixuan to his clinic—Huairen Pharmacy.
The two entered a private room at the back.
A faint medicinal fragrance filled the room. Various herbs were neatly arranged throughout the space, while diagrams of traditional Chinese medicine meridians hung on the walls.
The entire room had an old-fashioned yet solemn atmosphere.