Chapter 1285

In a third- or fourth-tier city of the empire, a family could live frugally for a whole year on five gold coins, but in Boulderhold Fortress City, five gold coins might only last five or six days.

That is the economic gap between cities. Likewise, the salary and benefits for the same position can vary enormously from city to city.

Meanwhile, the little girl Shangguan Wan arrived at the Zhai family clinic to buy medicine, and mustered the courage to invoke Lin Cheng's name, which immediately drew the attention of Physician Zhai. Upon learning that it was Master Lin Cheng who had sent the little girl before him to buy medicine, Physician Zhai carefully asked about her mother's symptoms, and after hearing the initial situation—

—Physician Zhai immediately had Shangguan Wan lead the way; he would go make a house call himself. As for the fee, Shangguan Wan was still a little worried, but Physician Zhai told her not to worry too much.

Since she was an employee of Master Lin Cheng's blacksmith shop, he would naturally give her at least a twenty-percent discount. After all, Zhai Yuanba was his own teacher, and that much face still had to be given.

When Physician Zhai came out from Shangguan Wan's home again, he had fully grasped her mother's condition—it was just an ordinary wind-cold, but because she was advanced in years and her body's resistance was poor, the high fever would not break. After taking the fever-reducing medicine from Physician Zhai's personal medicine chest, her condition improved considerably.

As long as she kept taking the medicine, she would recover completely within three days. However, considering that Shangguan Wan's mother was advanced in years, Physician Zhai also prescribed several doses of medicine to calm the spirit and replenish qi and blood.

"Thank you, Physician Zhai. The fee for your house call and the medicine is…" As she asked, Shangguan Wan clutched tightly the pouch of gold coins Lin Cheng had given her, her brow furrowed, her expression genuinely nervous.

"Ha ha, child, don't be nervous, it's not—how much money."

Seeing that the child before him seemed about the same age as his own Zhai Yuanba, Physician Zhai couldn't help—pat her on the head.

"Your mother is blessed to have such a filial child like you… The house-call fee is waived. As for the medicine, you'll still need to come back to the clinic with me. When the time comes, I'll have my apprentice decoct the medicine for you; just carry it home in a water-skin and give it to your mother to drink."

Because he was worried that Shangguan Wan was only a child and wouldn't know how to decoct medicine, Physician Zhai gave her special treatment. For an ordinary person, these services would incur an extra charge.

"Thank you, Physician Zhai." Shangguan Wan was a polite, well-behaved child, and she bowed deeply.

"Don't mention it. If you want to thank someone, thank Master Lin Cheng. My child is also receiving an education under the Master; he will surely surpass me in the future."

"Physician Zhai, is your child also working for Boss Lin Cheng?" Hearing that Physician Zhai's child was also receiving instruction from Boss Lin Cheng, Shangguan Wan tilted her head, somewhat puzzled—did Boss Lin Cheng also understand medicine?

"Not exactly… My child likes forging; he's a disciple of the Master. Master Lin Cheng is an eighth-rank Forger, and I'm very at ease letting Yuanba study under the Master."

As he said this, the unmistakable look of a father content to see his child succeed shone on Physician Zhai's face; the warmth and love in his eyes were enviable. As long as the child liked it, then he, as a father, would support it unconditionally.

When she was very young, her father sacrificed himself in the magical-beast domain; only her mother had always been with her… She liked drawing, and her mother had always supported her.

Yet she still longed for a father's love.

Afterwards, Shangguan Wan returned to the clinic with Physician Zhai and settled the bill. Just as Physician Zhai had said, it was only an ordinary wind-cold; the dispensing and decocting of the medicine were not very expensive—only a bit troublesome.

· ·······Seeking fresh flowers····· ·····

Three times a day—morning, midday, and evening—take one dose each time.

If Shangguan Wan didn't have time to come pick it up herself, she could also have someone from the clinic deliver the medicine and make sure her mother took it on time, but in that case, she'd have to pay a small errand fee. Shangguan Wan thought it over and decided she'd come pick it up herself.

In the morning she could get up early to fetch the medicine, giving the clinic staff advance notice to decoct the morning, midday, and evening doses; at noon she'd also have time to pick up the medicine, and after work in the afternoon she could still fetch it in time. After discussing this with the clinic staff, Physician Zhai gladly agreed—after all, the clinic decocted medicine for patients every day, and one more wasn't too many.

After picking up the medicine and returning home, it was already noon.

Though she was still only a child, Shangguan Wan had long since taken on the housework at home, especially now… with her mother ill, she had also taken on the responsibility of lighting the fire and cooking.

After feeding her mother the medicine, her mother fell into a drowsy sleep once more. Helpless, she could only leave the food and rice simmering in the pot so that when her mother woke, she could still eat a warm meal.

In the afternoon, Shangguan Wan hurried back to the blacksmith shop to work.

Even though Lin Cheng had told her she could stay home today to look after her mother, the simple and stubborn girl felt she ought to come to work, to repay Boss Lin Cheng.

By this time, Lin Cheng had already thrown himself into the research of the twin revolvers. Forging a hero's signature weapon was not difficult; the difficulty lay in how to fuse the weapon with the inheritance orb and extend the corresponding inheritance power from it.

Simply put, the inheritance within Ma Keboluo's twin revolvers could not be the inheritance of other Marksmen heroes like Garo, Huang Zhong, Sun Shangxiang, and the like—otherwise, even if the twin revolvers were forged, they would be completely unusable, the weapon and the inheritance not matching. Extinct.