After finishing the household chores, Chen Qingqing and her father, Chen Zhanshan, set off for Qingshui Town while the day was still cool.
According to the original owner’s memories, Qingshui Town wasn’t far from Nanshan Village—just a bit over ten li away.
Although Nanshan Village was dirt poor, Qingshui Town was prosperous and bustling.
There was even a wharf there, much like a modern-day service station along a highway.
Merchants traveling north and south would stop to rest, resupply, and trade goods.
Her third uncle, Chen Zhancai, studied at the Kong Family Academy in Qingshui Town.
One day, when she earned enough money, Chen Qingqing wanted to send her younger brother, Chen Han, there too.
He was already eight years old—just the right age for school—and he couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
The road wasn’t far, but Chen Qingqing was panting for breath.
In her previous life, she could stand for more than ten hours straight performing major surgeries, sometimes even back-to-back emergency operations with barely a pause in between.
Even then, she had never felt this tired.
Yet now, after merely walking out of the village, her legs already felt heavy, almost unwilling to move another step.
She couldn’t help but sigh—this body’s physical strength was far too weak.
It seemed she’d have to start exercising again, maybe revive the martial arts she’d practiced in her previous life, and try to regain her former stamina.
But then she smiled bitterly to herself. One moment she was dreaming of earning money to build a new house, the next of sending her brother to school, and now she was talking about training her body—her ambitions were plenty, but reality was cruel.
Life is but a dream; better to go with the flow.
After about half an hour, her legs were so numb she could barely feel them.
At long last, Qingshui Town came into view—and it was more impressive than she had imagined.
Beyond the town gate stretched a street paved with blue stone slabs.
Rows of brick houses lined both sides, their wooden lattice windows carved with delicate designs.
Crowds of people bustled along the streets, and the lively air spoke clearly of the town’s prosperity.
“Qing girl,” her father said, “you go find your eldest brother at the tavern. I’ll head to the docks to see if there’s any work to do. I’ll come for you in the afternoon—don’t wander off or you might meet bad people.”
“I know, Dad. Don’t work yourself too hard,” Chen Qingqing replied.
Chen Zhanshan forced a small smile.
In times like these, having work at all was a blessing—who dared to be picky?
“All right, I’ll be careful,” he said, and strode away toward the docks.
Watching his back disappear into the crowd, Chen Qingqing’s faint smile faded.
Her parents might try to look relaxed, but she was no naïve sixteen-year-old.
Inside, she was a seasoned adult who had long seen through the warmth and coldness of human nature.
How could she not see the worry hidden in their eyes and the exhaustion in their brows?
Her heart grew anxious.
As a poor, reborn soul, she could rely only on herself.
She straightened her back and began walking deeper into the town, planning to visit a few medical halls.
If she could find a place to work—even as a doctor’s assistant—she could earn some money and ease her parents’ burden.
Not far down the street, she spotted a medical clinic with a sign reading “Miracle Hands Rejuvenation Hall.”
Delighted, she stepped inside.
An elderly doctor with a white beard was taking a woman’s pulse at a table.
A young shop assistant quickly came over to greet her. “Miss, are you here for a consultation or to have medicine prepared? Do you have a prescription?”
Chen Qingqing smiled politely. “I’m not here to see a doctor or fill a prescription. I was hoping to meet your master—could you please introduce me?”
The assistant nodded toward the old man. “That’s Doctor Miao himself, our proprietor. You can speak to him once he’s done writing the prescription.”
“Thank you,” she said, stepping aside to wait.
Soon, the old doctor finished checking the woman’s pulse.
“Doctor Miao,” the woman asked anxiously, “what’s wrong with me? My chest feels tight all the time, and I’ve lost my appetite.”
“No need to worry,” Doctor Miao replied kindly. “Your chest tightness is caused by stagnant qi. I’ll prescribe you a few herbal decoctions—take them for three days, and you’ll feel much better.”
The woman sighed in relief, a smile breaking across her face. “Doctor Miao truly has miraculous hands! To be honest, I did have a little quarrel with my husband a few days ago, and ever since then my chest has felt tight.”
“Go to the counter,” he said. “The clerk will prepare your medicine.”
After the woman left, Chen Qingqing stepped forward.
“Doctor Miao, I’m not here for treatment,” she said respectfully. “To tell you the truth, I’ve studied medicine myself. I was wondering if your clinic might be hiring another consulting physician.”
Doctor Miao blinked in surprise, then stroked his beard and laughed heartily. “Young lady, I’ve practiced medicine since childhood and studied for over twenty years before I dared open a clinic. You’re still so young, yet you talk quite boldly.”
His prescription had been scribbled in typical doctor’s scrawl, but Chen Qingqing could read it perfectly. After all, she was no stranger to traditional medicine.
She smiled calmly and said, “The prescription you just wrote included betel nut, dried tangerine peel, San Leng, E Zhu, magnolia bark, soapberry, costus root, and powdered Er Chou, one qian per dose, twice a day with warm water. It’s a formula for opening the chest and regulating qi, effective for indigestion, distention, and gastric discomfort. Did I get that right?”
Doctor Miao raised his brows, clearly impressed.
Then he chuckled again. “You’re quite an interesting girl, but I’m afraid my clinic isn’t hiring.”
Chen Qingqing had half expected that, yet disappointment still pricked at her heart. “If you’re not hiring, then… do you buy medicinal herbs, Doctor Miao?”
The old man gave her a measuring look and soon realized the truth—she wasn’t here seeking a job, but to sell herbs.
For a moment, he had almost believed her act.
He knew how hard life was for farming families.
And for a young girl to come out and sell herbs like this—well, that only meant the family must be desperate.
He smiled and shook his head. “Ordinary herbs we have plenty of. But if you can find ginseng, I’ll buy as much as you can bring.”
“Thank you, Doctor Miao. If I find any, I’ll definitely come back to sell them,” she said and turned to leave.
Once outside, she couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Ginseng? If finding that were so easy, everyone would be rich by now!
But… if she did happen to stumble across one, her luck might just turn.
She asked around at another pharmacy, but the answer was the same—no openings for physicians, no herb purchases, only ginseng in demand.
Clearly, this path was a dead end. If she wanted to make money, she’d have to find another way.
After wandering all through Qingshui Town, she found only two medical shops in total—proof of how few doctors there were in this era.
If she could open her own clinic one day, she was sure it would thrive.
But she had no capital—not even enough for a signboard—so it was nothing but a dream.
She sighed softly. What a waste of all my medical skill, and nowhere to use it.
Forget it.
Time to go check on her simpleminded big brother at the Breeze Tavern.
If she still couldn’t find a way to earn money… she’d have to risk going into the mountains to dig for ginseng.