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Chapter 26: Test and Joy
Chapter 26: Test and Joy
"What?" Lu Qing exclaimed, staring at the elderly doctor in surprise, wondering if he had heard him correctly.
"Did you just say that you want me to learn medicine from you, Grandpa Chen?"
"Why? Are you unhappy about it?" the old doctor asked.
"No, it's just that... I thought you only wanted me to follow you and learn about herbal medicine," Lu Qing clarified.
"I've changed my mind," Grandpa Chen replied. "Elder Wang's words earlier reminded me that the village will indeed need a doctor in the future. As the only literate person in the village, perhaps I should give you this opportunity."
Elder Wang was the elderly man who had patted Lu Qing on the shoulder earlier, encouraging him to learn medicine from Grandpa Chen.
Lu Qing was stunned. He had assumed that it would take a long time before he would get a chance to learn medicine. Unexpectedly, things were already taking a turn for the better.
A delighted expression appeared on his face, and he was about to express his gratitude when Grandpa Chen continued, "However, don't get too excited too soon. Learning medicine requires talent. Even if I am willing to teach you, if you don't have the aptitude for it, you may not be able to master it."
"Then what constitutes having talent?" Lu Qing asked.
"One month," the old doctor replied. "If you can memorize the names and properties of all the medicinal herbs recorded in the Hundred Herb Classic within a month, I will formally accept you as my apprentice."
"If you can't do it, then you should just honestly learn some herbal knowledge and make a living as a herb collector."
"Grandpa Chen, I will definitely work hard to memorize this Hundred Herb Classic!" Lu Qing exclaimed excitedly.
It was just a matter of memorizing the book, and with his ability, he could do it right now.
However, Lu Qing also knew that if he recited the entire Hundred Herb Classic in front of Grandpa Chen at this moment, the old doctor might not react with joy but with fear instead.
Thus, he couldn't rush this; he had to give Grandpa Chen time to accept his abilities gradually. After all, he had already told the old man that he could only recognize a few characters and was not well-versed in literature.
From then on, Lu Qing took the Hundred Herb Classic and asked Grandpa Chen about some of the more obscure characters and the pronunciations of the herb names. Although his ability had helped him memorize the entire book, he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of some of the words and compare them with his own knowledge.
Grandpa Chen patiently explained everything, and in the process, he was amazed by Lu Qing's exceptional memory. Lu Qing was able to remember most of the characters and names after just one or two explanations, without needing further repetition.
"Lu Qing, you are indeed a very smart child," Grandpa Chen said with satisfaction.
Lu Qing's performance far exceeded his expectations. At this rate, he might truly be able to memorize the entire Hundred Herb Classic within a month.
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Grandpa Chen," Lu Qing replied humbly.
At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. He had never realized how exhausting it could be to pretend to be ignorant. Despite understanding many things, he had to ask repeated questions and be careful not to reveal any signs of his true knowledge to the old doctor. This was quite a test of his acting skills.
"Alright, let's stop for today. It's not good to try to recognize too many characters at once; it can get confusing. Take the Hundred Herb Classic with you and study it well tonight. Come back tomorrow, and I'll test you on what you've learned," Grandpa Chen said.
"Grandpa Chen, do I have to wait until the next time I come for acupuncture treatment to visit you again?" Lu Qing asked in surprise.
"Why wait so long? If you're going to learn the Hundred Herb Classic, you should come sooner rather than later. If you leave it for three days, I'm afraid you'll forget everything we discussed today!" Grandpa Chen teased.
"Then we'll come back to greet you tomorrow," Lu Qing said happily.
"Grandpa Chen, does that mean Xiao Yan can come and play with you tomorrow too?"
Chapter 26: Testing and Joy
"Xiao Yan is happy too," Old Doctor Chen said as he picked up the little one.
Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. "Are you going to make taro cake, Grandpa Chen? I love taro cake!"
"It will be even better than taro cake," the old doctor promised with a smile.
Xiao Yan's mouth watered at the thought.
As Lu Qing left the mountain courtyard with Xiao Yan, his heart was still filled with joy.
Today's gains had been significant.
He had intended to give the red moon carp to Old Doctor Chen, but he had never expected it to be such a precious and rare fish.
Once the old doctor sold it, they would have enough silver to pay off their debt and perhaps even have some left over.
This came as a relief to Lu Qing, who was currently strapped for cash. With this money, he could solve many of his pressing problems.
More importantly, he had learned that the red moon carp had a fondness for blood apricots.
If one such fish could be found in the river outside the village, there were sure to be others.
If he was patient, he might be able to catch another one, which would be a great windfall.
Aside from the red moon carp, the most significant gain was the opportunity granted to him by Old Doctor Chen.
Going forward, as long as he followed the old doctor's instructions and committed the Hundred Herb Classic to memory, he would earn the old doctor's recognition and truly have the chance to study medicine.
Lu Qing believed that with his unique ability, as long as he applied himself, he would undoubtedly master the art of medicine.
Moreover, the newly discovered function of his ability made him realize that it was even more powerful than he had imagined, with many more capabilities waiting to be uncovered.
Filled with excitement, the siblings made their way home.
At that moment, news of what had transpired at Old Doctor Chen's house was spreading throughout the village, particularly the fact that Lu Qing was learning medicine from him, which caught the attention of almost all the villagers.
Under the village's central tree, a group of villagers were deep in discussion.
"Do you think it's true that Lu Qing is studying medicine with Old Doctor Chen?" one villager asked, astonished.
"Of course, it's true! We all saw it with our own eyes. Lu Qing was holding a medical book and reciting from it," another villager replied.
"That's right, and when we asked Lu Qing about it, Old Doctor Chen didn't deny it either," added another.
"Does this mean our village will have its own doctor soon?" an elderly man asked, his voice trembling with emotion.
"It's too early to say. Lu Qing is just starting to learn from the old doctor. It's hard to tell when he'll be skilled enough to treat patients," someone else said.
"Regardless, it's a glimmer of hope. Without a village doctor, we would be back to suffering through our illnesses on our own," another villager said.
At these words, the villagers fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
Yes, before Old Doctor Chen's arrival, they had no choice but to endure their ailments.
Sometimes, a minor illness could be endured and might even get better on its own.
But there was always the risk that a minor issue, if left untreated, could turn into a major problem.
Many villagers had lost their lives this way in the past.
It was only after Old Doctor Chen's arrival that their lives improved.
No matter the ailment, the old doctor could provide some relief, even if he couldn't cure it immediately. He could at least lessen the pain and make the patient more comfortable.
Most importantly, Old Doctor Chen's fees were reasonable.
Even if someone couldn't pay, he would still treat them and allow them to pay later.
Where could you find such a kind and skilled doctor?
The villagers held Old Doctor Chen in high esteem and were truly grateful for his presence in the village.
However, they were also aware of his advanced age and couldn't help but worry about the future.
What would they do if something happened to him?
No one wanted to go back to the days when they had no access to medical care.
That was why the news of Lu Qing studying with Old Doctor Chen brought genuine happiness to the villagers.
As the group chatted under the tree, someone suddenly exclaimed, "Look, Lu Qing is back!"
(End of Chapter)
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