A Test, and Joy (Please Keep Reading This Tuesday)

Chapter 26: A Test, and Joy (Please Keep Reading This Tuesday)

"What?"

Lu Qing stared at Old Doctor Chen in shock, wondering if he had misheard him just now.

"Grandpa Chen, did you just say you wanted me to study medicine under you?"

"What, you're unwilling?" the Old Doctor asked.

"No, but Grandpa Chen, didn't you say you only wanted me to stay by your side and learn some knowledge about herbs?"

"I've changed my mind. What Old Man Wang said earlier reminded me that the village will indeed need a physician in the future."

"As the only literate person in the village, perhaps I should give you this opportunity."

Old Man Wang was the elder who had patted Lu Qing on the shoulder earlier and told him to study medicine properly under Old Doctor Chen.

Lu Qing froze.

He had thought it would take him a long time before he got the chance to study medicine.

He had not expected things to turn around so quickly.

Joy appeared on his face as he was about to thank him with a bow.

Old Doctor Chen continued, "But don't celebrate too soon. The path of medicine requires talent. If you lack the aptitude, then even if I wish to teach you, you may not be able to learn it."

"Then what counts as having aptitude?" Lu Qing asked.

"One month," the Old Doctor said. "As long as you can memorize the names and properties of all the herbs recorded in the Classic of Materia Medica within one month, I'll officially take you on as my apprentice."

"If you can't do it, then honestly learn some herbal knowledge and make a living as a herb gatherer."

"Grandpa Chen, I'll definitely work hard to memorize this entire Classic of Materia Medica!"

Lu Qing spoke excitedly.

Wasn't it just memorizing the Classic of Materia Medica? He could already do that now.

But Lu Qing also knew that if he truly recited the entire Classic of Materia Medica in front of the Old Doctor right now,

what awaited him might not be the Old Doctor's surprise, but fear.

So he could not rush this matter. He had to let the Old Doctor have time to accept it.

After all, he had personally told him before that he only knew a few characters, not that he was widely read and deeply learned.

Next, Lu Qing took the Classic of Materia Medica and asked Old Doctor Chen about some of its contents.

Mainly, he asked about certain obscure characters and the pronunciations of medicinal herb names.

Although his Supernatural Ability had helped him memorize the entire Classic of Materia Medica,

he still wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the meanings of some characters.

It was also a good chance to verify how they differed from his own understanding.

Naturally, the Old Doctor held nothing back and explained everything to Lu Qing with great care.

It was during these explanations that the Old Doctor discovered, to his surprise, that Lu Qing's memory was exceptionally good.

Many characters only needed to be explained once or twice before Lu Qing could basically remember them, without needing further explanation.

"Lu Qing, you truly are a very clever child," the Old Doctor said with great satisfaction.

Lu Qing's performance had far exceeded his expectations.

At this rate, perhaps he really could memorize the Classic of Materia Medica within a month.

"It's because Grandpa Chen teaches so well," Lu Qing said modestly.

At the same time, he quietly let out a sigh of relief.

It was his first time realizing that pretending to be muddleheaded could be exhausting too.

He clearly understood many things already, yet he still had to ask about them several times, while making sure the Old Doctor did not notice any flaw.

It was quite a test of his acting skills.

"Alright, let's stop here for today. You shouldn't learn too many characters all at once, or they'll easily get mixed up. Take this Classic of Materia Medica home and study it carefully tonight. Come up tomorrow, and I'll test your lessons again."

"Grandpa Chen, I don't need to wait until my next acupuncture treatment before coming again?" Lu Qing asked in surprise.

"You're going to study the Classic of Materia Medica, so why wait that long? After three days, I'm afraid you'll have forgotten everything you learned today!" the Old Doctor said with a laughing scold.

"Then we'll come up again tomorrow to pay our respects to you, Elder."

"Grandpa Chen, does that mean Xiao Yan can come up tomorrow to play with you too?" Xiao Yan asked happily.

"Of course. Tomorrow, Grandpa will make you some new pastries to try." The Old Doctor picked up the little girl.

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up. "New pastries? Are they as tasty as Yam Cake?"

"They won't be any worse than Yam Cake."

The little girl immediately felt as though her drool was about to spill out.

After leaving Half-Mountain Courtyard with Xiao Yan, Lu Qing's heart was still filled with joy.

His gains today had once again been immense.

The Red Moon Carp he had originally intended to give the Old Doctor had unexpectedly turned out to be such a precious Rare Fish.

Once the Old Doctor sold the Red Moon Carp, after deducting the medicine fees Lu Qing owed him, there should still be some silver left over.

He happened to be desperately poor right now. With silver, many urgent matters could be resolved.

More importantly, he had learned of the Red Moon Carp's habit of liking Blood Apricots.

Since the river outside the village could produce one Red Moon Carp, there had to be others.

As long as he was patient, perhaps he could catch another one.

When that time came, it would be another fortune.

Aside from the Red Moon Carp, his greatest gain was undoubtedly the opportunity Old Doctor Chen had granted him.

Next, as long as he proceeded step by step, thoroughly studied the Classic of Materia Medica, and earned the Old Doctor's approval, he would truly obtain the chance to study medicine.

Lu Qing believed that with his Supernatural Ability, as long as he studied diligently, he would certainly master medical arts.

Moreover, the function he had suddenly discovered today made Lu Qing realize

that his Supernatural Ability was even more powerful than he had imagined. Many functions still awaited his discovery.

With excited hearts, the siblings headed home.

Meanwhile, word of what had happened at the Old Doctor's home today was spreading throughout the entire village.

In particular, the fact that Lu Qing was studying medicine under the Old Doctor had drawn the attention of nearly every villager.

Beneath a large tree in the center of the village, a group of villagers was discussing it.

"Do you think Lu Qing is really learning medical arts from Old Doctor Chen?" one villager asked in surprise.

"Of course it's true. Everyone saw it with their own eyes. Lu Qing was holding a medical book and memorizing it!" another villager replied.

"Exactly. And when we asked Lu Qing about it, the Old Doctor didn't deny it either. If that isn't true, what is?" another villager said.

"Does that mean our village will have a physician in the future?" an elderly man asked excitedly.

"It's still too early. Lu Qing is only studying under the Old Doctor for now. Whether he can ever complete his apprenticeship and treat people is still uncertain."

"No matter what, it's still hope. If the village has no physician, we'll have to return to the old days again."

At those words, the villagers fell silent.

That was right. Before the Old Doctor came, whenever they fell ill, they could only endure it themselves.

Some minor illnesses might get better if they endured them.

But what they feared was enduring and enduring until it turned into a serious problem.

Quite a few villagers had died that way in the past.

Only after Old Doctor Chen arrived did their lives become easier.

No matter what illness it was, the Old Doctor could treat it. Even if he could not cure it at once, he could ease the pain and make the patient suffer less.

Most importantly, the Old Doctor did not charge much for his medical fees.

Even if someone could not pay the fee for the time being, he would still treat them and allow them to owe it.

Where else could they find such a good physician?

That was why everyone held Old Doctor Chen in heartfelt reverence.

But everyone also knew that the Old Doctor was already very old.

Thus, they could not help thinking sometimes: if the Old Doctor was gone one day, what would they do then?

No one wanted to return to those days when they fell sick but had no physician to see.

Now that they had heard Lu Qing was studying medical arts under the Old Doctor, they were genuinely delighted.

As everyone chatted beneath the tree, someone suddenly shouted.

"Lu Qing's back!"

I discovered that the later content had been pasted incorrectly. It has already been corrected—sorry.