Just as Lin Wan straightened up, an excited old man suddenly rushed toward her.
The pharmacy assistant immediately called out, “Old Doctor Zheng, you’re back!”
Lin Wan understood at once. The assistant had mentioned him earlier—this elderly man was the physician who normally practiced at the pharmacy.
At that moment, Old Doctor Zheng was staring at her excitedly.
“Miss, the method you used to save that child was quite unusual. Is there some special principle behind it?”
When he had returned, he happened to see Lin Wan take the child into her arms, so he had witnessed the entire rescue process.
Having practiced medicine for many years, he knew better than anyone how dangerous airway obstruction could be. Several children among his former patients had suffocated because foreign objects lodged in their throats could not be removed.
That was why he was so excited after seeing Lin Wan save the child.
Faced with his question, Lin Wan did not hide anything.
She carefully explained the entire method. Young children were especially prone to choking while eating. Every additional person who knew this lifesaving technique might one day save another child’s life.
As he listened, Old Doctor Zheng experimented with the motions himself.
Then he exclaimed in surprise, “So it can be done like this!”
Lin Wan nodded lightly.
“There are many other emergency techniques as well. For example, when someone falls into the water…”
The two continued talking in the pharmacy hall for a while.
Finding the hall too noisy, Old Doctor Zheng simply invited her into the rear courtyard.
After hearing her explanations, he sighed with admiration.
“The art of medicine is truly vast and profound. This old man has learned something new today.”
Then he looked at her curiously.
“You’re so young, yet your medical skills are already so impressive. May I ask who your teacher was?”
The emergency methods Lin Wan had described were completely unfamiliar to him.
However, after careful consideration, he could tell they were genuinely effective.
Old Doctor Zheng had developed a very favorable impression of her.
Though young, she possessed remarkable medical knowledge and, more importantly, was willing to share it openly for the sake of saving lives. She explained every method in great detail without holding anything back.
“My grandfather once ran a medical clinic in the county town,” Lin Wan replied, bringing out the original owner’s grandfather, whom she had never actually met.
Old Doctor Zheng looked puzzled.
“I know most of the clinics in this county…”
He had lived in Laiyuan County for decades and was well acquainted with the local medical community. He couldn’t recall any clinic associated with such extraordinary knowledge.
Then a thought suddenly struck him.
“Girl, could your grandfather’s clinic have been Miaoshou Hall?”
His tone carried a hint of surprise.
Lin Wan nodded.
“My mother mentioned that it was called something like that. But the clinic closed long ago, and my grandfather passed away many years ago.”
That made her medical skills impossible to verify.
Naturally, whatever explanation she gave would be accepted as fact.
Old Doctor Zheng was genuinely shocked.
When the incident involving Miaoshou Hall had occurred, he had only recently arrived in Laiyuan County.
He had heard that the clinic’s owner, Old Doctor Wang, possessed exceptional medical skills. The patient whose death led to the clinic’s downfall had not died because of a misdiagnosis—the illness itself had been incurable. The family had merely used the tragedy as an excuse to extort money.
At the time, he had felt deeply regretful about the matter.
He never expected to meet Old Doctor Wang’s granddaughter today.
If this young girl already possessed such skills at her age, then Old Doctor Wang himself must have been even more extraordinary.
Thinking of this, he sighed.
“What a pity about Old Doctor Wang.”
Lin Wan remained silent.
Medical disputes had existed from ancient times to the present day and were far from uncommon.
Many highly skilled physicians had become disheartened because of such incidents.
Human nature was difficult to predict. As long as greed and malice existed in people’s hearts, such things could never be completely eliminated.
Changing the subject, she said,
“If these emergency methods could be spread among the public, many accidents could be prevented.”
Laiyuan County was located near a river, and every year people accidentally drowned.
If these rescue techniques were made public and ordinary citizens learned them, many lives could undoubtedly be saved.
Old Doctor Zheng looked at her in surprise.
“Girl, you don’t mind letting more people learn these methods?”
By now, his form of address had changed from the polite “Miss” to the much warmer “girl.”
He felt a genuine affinity with this young woman.
“Why would I mind?” Lin Wan asked with a raised eyebrow.
“The purpose of studying medicine is to heal the sick and save lives. If more people learn these methods, then more lives can be saved. Why should I object?”
Old Doctor Zheng’s eyes lit up.
“To have such insight at such a young age… even I feel ashamed in comparison.”
Not everyone studied medicine with the intention of helping others.
Many did so simply to make money.
Whenever they learned a new technique, they guarded it jealously, afraid someone else might steal their knowledge.
Yet Lin Wan, despite her youth, possessed such a broad-minded outlook.
It was truly admirable.
As it happened, Old Doctor Zheng’s original motivation for studying medicine was much the same as hers.
That was why the medicinal herbs at Huichun Hall were so inexpensive, and why he never charged consultation fees.
His goal was simple: to ensure that ordinary people could afford medicine and receive treatment.
The more he spoke with Lin Wan, the more he felt as though he had found a kindred spirit.
Their ages differed greatly, but wasn’t there a saying about friendships that transcended generations?
After chatting for a while longer, Old Doctor Zheng said,
“I have some connections with the county magistrate. If we want to spread these emergency methods, the yamen would be the most suitable organization to handle it.”
Lin Wan nodded.
“They could post public notices. If the methods prove effective, they could even be promoted throughout the entire Great Li Kingdom.”
Originally, Lin Wan had intended to buy her medicine and leave.
But after speaking with Old Doctor Zheng, an entire morning had passed before she realized it.
Time had flown by.
Only when she suddenly remembered that two people at home were waiting to eat lunch did she notice it was already noon.
There was no food left in the house.
If she didn’t hurry back, the two men at home would have nothing to eat.
Lin Wan stood and took her leave.
Old Doctor Zheng was still reluctant to see her go and repeatedly reminded her to visit the clinic whenever she came to the county town.
When she purchased her medicine, he even refused to accept payment.
Through their discussion, he had learned many things that broadened his horizons and deepened his medical understanding.
Those insights were worth far more than a few taels of silver.
But Lin Wan insisted on paying.
She disliked taking advantage of others.
Besides, she had also learned a great deal from Old Doctor Zheng during their exchange.
It was much like the medical conferences of her previous life—only through mutual discussion could people continue to improve.
After settling the bill, Lin Wan hurried out of the clinic and rushed off to purchase everything else she needed.
She first visited a cloth shop.
There, she bought two cotton quilts and two new sets of clothing for Gu Zhixing. The clothes he currently wore were so worn and tattered that they were barely wearable.
Since she was buying clothes for Gu Zhixing, she naturally couldn’t leave Lin Sheng out.
By the time she emerged from the cloth shop, the thirty-three taels of silver she had brought with her had dwindled to twenty-five.
The medicine, quilts, and clothing alone had cost eight taels.
She had deliberately chosen items that offered the best value for the money.
She hadn’t even purchased several of the expensive medicinal ingredients listed in her prescriptions.
Otherwise, her savings would have been nearly exhausted by now.
Earning silver was difficult.
Spending it, however, was remarkably easy.