Chapter 11: The Character of the Youth of the New Era

Naming it outright 'Hei Dian' is simply too arrogant!

Are you trying to keep people from going inside?

But think about it—who would actually name their shop 'Hei Dian'?

Her emotions were mixed; seeing that it was already dark, she hesitated, then parked her cart outside the shop where it wouldn't block traffic, and still went inside first.

Inside the medicine hall, a familiar scent of bitter herbs lingered, and an old and a young person seemed to be arguing—

A childish voice said:

"Grandpa, shouldn't we change the name of our medicine shop? Who would call a respectable shop 'Hei Dian'? People would run away at the sight—who would come in?"

Another, older voice refused to back down:

"What's there to change? Don't you have the surname Hei? Or is it that I, the old man, don't have the surname Hei? Since we're Hei, why can't we call it Hei Dian?"

"It's fine if business is slow—no patients is a good thing!"

It turns out that's the reason!

The few who entered afterward couldn't help but all stare in surprise.

As Yu Hen stepped over the threshold, he almost staggered, but Du Shanü caught him with quick eyes and hands.

That sound startled the grandfather and grandchild who were arguing behind the counter.

The young boy working as an assistant in the shop looked up and saw a plainly dressed young lady enter, followed by three men of different appearances, and he couldn't help but stare.

One was a blind man wearing an eye cover, one was a foolish man with a horrifying scar on his face, and one was a pale, bookish frail scholar......

Would you believe someone would actually go into the 'Hei Dian'?

The boy instinctively asked:

"What are you doing in here?"

Upon hearing that, Du Shanü couldn't help but chuckle:

"We came to eat."

The boy couldn't believe it:

"But this is a medicine shop!"

"Who comes to a medicine shop to eat?"

Du Shanü spread her hands:

"Exactly—since you said this is a medicine shop, of course we're here to see a doctor! What else could we do? We can't really be here just to eat, can we?"

Everyone: "......"

"That makes perfect sense—we actually have nothing to refute."

Du Shanü walked to the counter: "Please, Doctor Hei, take a careful look at these three behind me."

Behind the counter, an old doctor with white hair and beard and a gaunt face rose, his gaze sweeping gently over them:

"Who should come first?"

"Him."

Du Shanü gently led Yu Hen to sit on the stool in front of the doctor:

"His eyes—blind from an external injury—for some time now."

The doctor gestured for Yu Hen to remove the plain cloth covering his eyes.

The cloth fell away, revealing eyes that, though lacking luster, had beautiful contours tinged with amber.

It was the first time Du Shanü had seen such a beautiful eye color, and for a moment she was somewhat startled.

Doctor Hei Lao Daifu grew more doubtful, his expression immediately turning unpleasant:

"You...... actually have some foreign blood?"

Since the Young Emperor abdicated, foreign tribes have occupied most of the northern lands, and southerners hate them to the extreme.

If it were anyone else today, they'd probably have already kicked him out......

The atmosphere grew tense for a moment, until a clear voice rang out——

"Add money!"

Du Shanü hesitated not, pressing her hand onto the money box.

The corners of her lips, her smile gone, her eyes full of solemnity, she spoke word by word:

"Doctor Hei Lao Daifu, you physicians have benevolent hearts, treating all alike; though the northern tribes are mighty, they too have ordinary folk—if we were truly heinous, how could we have ended up in such a plight?"

Four people: one blind, one foolish, one frail scholar, and one young lady who still looks small.

No matter how you look at it, they don't resemble a wealthy family; even saying they're refugees would raise no suspicion.

Doctor Hei Lao Daifu pondered for a few breaths, then sighed:

"All right, treat him."

Those two words proved Doctor Hei Lao Daifu's kindness.

He extended his thin hand, gently lifted the eyelids to examine, and saw that the pupils were scattered, the whites tinged with faint old bloodstreaks.

Doctor Hei Lao Daifu leaned in for a closer look, then pressed his fingers on several acupoints around Yu Hen's eye sockets and head to inquire.

"When injured, did you have severe headaches or vomiting?" the doctor asked.

Yu Hen struggled to recall that chaotic, bloody day, answering vaguely:

"It...... I was underwater too long; when A Chou pulled me up, I couldn't see anything, and my head felt like it would split."

"There must be pooled blood inside the skull, pressing on the eye meridians."

Doctor Hei Lao Daifu reached a conclusion, then mused:

"It's been too long; the blood has clotted and is hard to dissolve. I can prescribe a formula to invigorate blood, dispel stasis, open the orbs and improve vision, combined with acupuncture to try to clear the blockage. But whether sight can be restored, and to what extent, depends on how the clotting dissipates and your own recuperative ability—it's hard to say."

Yu Hen listened silently, his heart sinking bit by bit, yet the words 'can try' held onto a faint hope.

He fumbled, wanting to retie the hemp cloth.

Du Shanü pressed his hand, saying to the doctor: "Please prescribe the best medicine and arrange acupuncture. As long as there is a shred of hope, we will try our utmost."

Speaking, she took the money box from Yu Hen's bosom, opened it, revealing the remaining silver coins and copper cash inside:

"Consultation fee and medicine cost, sir, just calculate."

Seeing her resolute attitude and the silver money sufficient, the old doctor nodded, picked up his brush and began writing the prescription, and also gave a few instructions to the assistant about the acupuncture schedule.

Next was A Chou.

He had already been frightened today; seeing Yu Hen leave his seat, he appeared somewhat agitated and frenzied, and refused to sit.

Du Shanü coaxed and pulled, only then getting him to reluctantly sit on the stool, but his body stiff, his eyes darting around warily.

The old doctor observed his expression and demeanor, then carefully examined the horrifying sunken old scar on his forehead, gently pressing around it, asking about the circumstances of the injury and his usual condition.

"His skull injury is extremely severe; to have survived is already a great fortune."

The old doctor sighed:

"This wound damages the marrow, hence the foolishness and loss of speech. Medicines can be prescribed with calming spirits, resolving stasis, and unblocking meridians, which may somewhat alleviate. But to restore consciousness and speech is not an overnight task; it requires patient guidance and care, and perhaps… also some fate."

He glanced at A Chou's eyes, which occasionally flashed intense emotion yet could not be expressed, shook his head, but still administered acupuncture to him.

A Chou seemed especially distressed, causing the black doctor to give another round of earnest advice.

Du Shanü kept the doctor's words in mind, paid the consultation and medicine fees for several people, and additionally bought some ordinary medicines for treating chilblains and external injuries.

The young boy nimbly grabbed the medicine and wrapped it into several oil-paper bundles.

Leaving Hei Dian, the night was deep, the streets almost empty of passersby, only a few scattered lights in the distance and sparse stars in the sky, the night wind blowing with a chill.

Du Shanü placed the medicine bundles into the empty vat on the cart, glanced at the silent Yu Hen and the still somewhat uneasy A Chou, and said with a smile:

"The illness has been seen, the medicine gathered, half of the worries are set aside."

"Let's go, head home. I said I'd show you a hundred ways to eat jelly tonight… well, although ingredients and time are limited, we can still vary it a bit."

Heading home.

After many years, finally, someone again said they would take him home.

To give him food, give him lodging, give him medical treatment...

Now, they still say they will take him home.

Yu Hen couldn't hold back, clutching the money box, he stumbled toward the source of Du Shanü's voice.

Du Shanü overjoyed, hehe laughed, took the beauty's hand, and led him in the direction.

Liu Wenyuan suddenly spoke:

"Miss Du's treatment for us has incurred great expense."

His tone was flat, impossible to tell whether praise or reminder.

"Wealth is dead, people are alive."

Du Shanü, one hand holding Yu Hen, the other dragging the cart, her voice rang especially clear in the quiet street:

"You might not believe it, but although I call you all good-for-nothings and say your talents are far inferior to mine... I also know that capable people are born to help more of the weak."

"Money can be earned again, but how long is a human life?"

"If you are willing to follow me, then I must cure you all... this is my responsibility!"

?? Empress's bearing initially revealed hehe (*^▽^*)