Promotion to Doctor, Monthly Pay Soars

"Elder Huang, I heard you wanted to see me yesterday?"

Before dawn the next day, in the master's room at Hanging Pot Medical Hall, the richly dressed Master Han Zhengming smiled as he asked Huang Tie.

Huang Tie sat beside Han Zhengming. "Yes. I came looking for you several times, but you were never here."

Han Zhengming asked curiously, "I made a trip to Yun Province these past few days. Elder Huang, what could be so urgent that it had you in such a hurry?"

As the master of the medical hall, he understood Huang Tie well.

In this vast medical hall, Huang Tie had the greatest seniority and the most even-tempered nature. He took nearly everything as lightly as drifting clouds and a gentle breeze; ordinary matters could scarcely stir Elder Huang's interest.

"To be frank, I came because of an apprentice."

"Oh?"

Han Zhengming found it even stranger.

Huang Tie said, "His name is Shen Han, and he is an apprentice in my Clinic No. 8."

Han Zhengming poured Huang Tie a cup of tea. "What happened to him?"

"Little Shen's medical skills have already surpassed mine. He is no longer suited to remain an apprentice!"

Huang Tie spoke each word with firm emphasis.

"What?"

Han Zhengming could hardly believe it. "Elder Huang, I know your medical skills well. There is absolutely no way someone could be stronger than you."

Huang Tie shook his head. "The indigo is extracted from the blue, yet it is bluer than the blue.

"During the time Little Shen has spent in Clinic No. 8, I have seen his ability to practice medicine with perfect clarity.

"It can be said that I have never seen anyone so formidable!"

"This..."

Han Zhengming stood frozen on the spot.

After quite some time, he opened the register and said, "Elder Huang, this Little Shen only entered the medical hall as a menial worker a little over a month ago. Could he truly have progressed so rapidly?"

"Yesterday, Guard Zhan's uncle, Chi Qingshan, suddenly fell ill. Even I was helpless.

"Guess what happened?

"Little Shen used a single silver needle and brought him directly back from the brink of death.

"Everyone in the clinic saw it clearly at the time, and all of them applauded him."

Huang Tie recounted Chi Qingshan's matter from beginning to end, without leaving out a single detail.

Han Zhengming said in shock, "Who would have thought that, through a twist of fate, our medical hall would gain a medical genius!"

Huang Tie struck while the iron was hot. "Therefore, given time, Little Shen's name will surely resound throughout Three Rivers County.

"Master Han, we must keep Little Shen!"

"What do you mean?"

"Promote Little Shen directly to doctor!"

Huang Tie stated his purpose.

Han Zhengming nodded. "I have always cherished talent. Since Little Shen excels in every regard, and with Elder Huang's recommendation, good, it is settled!"

"Promote me from apprentice to doctor?"

In Clinic No. 8, Shen Han was somewhat slow to react upon hearing the news.

Whew! From menial worker to apprentice, then from apprentice to doctor, it had taken only a little over a month. It was far too fast!

"What? Master Han announced it personally. Could it possibly be false?"

Huang Tie patted his shoulder and smiled.

Han Zhengming, standing nearby, said, "Little Shen, I never promote unknown nobodies. Your abilities make you worthy!"

"Thank you, Master Han, for your support!"

Shen Han hurriedly said.

Feng Hao, who was making preparations nearby, stood dumbfounded. Senior Brother Shen, just how many more surprises are you hiding?

Han Zhengming smiled. "There is no need to thank me. This is what you earned through your own hard work.

"Hanging Pot Medical Hall has stood since my great-grandfather founded it.

"In nearly a hundred years, there has never been such a young master of medicine as you."

Next, Han Zhengming explained the differences between a doctor and an apprentice.

The first was monthly pay.

Twenty taels—fully ten times an apprentice's wages!

However, that amount was no loss to the medical hall. The higher a doctor's monthly pay, the more wholeheartedly he could devote himself to studying medicine, and the greater the income he would bring to the medical hall. The two complemented each other.

Food for my clone will no longer be a problem... Shen Han thought.

The second was the clinic.

As a doctor, his status had changed. He could no longer remain in Huang Tie's Clinic No. 8; he needed a clinic exclusively his own.

"Little Shen, there are still four vacant clinics in the medical hall. Pick one."

"Then I'll take Clinic No. 13."

Shen Han chose one at random.

The third was staffing.

By the rules, he could designate an apprentice to handle odd jobs and such for him.

"Just tell me whoever you have your eye on!"

Han Zhengming was very open-minded.

At once, Feng Hao looked over eagerly.

Shen Han naturally understood what Feng Hao wanted. "Then Brother Feng Hao. Elder Huang, would you be willing to part with him?"

Speaking of which, Feng Hao suited his tastes quite well.

Moreover, they were already familiar with one another, making everything more convenient.

"Haha, no matter, no matter."

Huang Tie stroked his snowy white beard. "It is a good thing for Little Feng to follow you. You are both young people and can communicate more freely. It will also be more beneficial for Little Feng's future development."

The fourth was the schedule.

Unlike menial workers, doctors expended a great deal of energy seeing patients, so they were granted rest days. They could rest one day every five days, which counted as a benefit provided by the medical hall.

But there was one point: the rest days of each clinic had to be staggered as much as possible.

Once all the arrangements had been made, Shen Han's new identity as a doctor was completely settled.

Clinic No. 13 was officially opened.

A notice was posted at the entrance to the medical hall so patients could choose the doctor they preferred.

Since Shen Han had already gained a modest reputation, from the moment he brought Feng Hao to Clinic No. 13, patients came in an endless stream.

Naturally, with his perfected medical skills,

he handled every patient with exceptional ease.

At noon.

"Senior Brother Shen, I'll go get your meal."

When no outsiders were around, Feng Hao's way of addressing Shen Han remained unchanged.

The moment he ran out, a woman with light footsteps entered Clinic No. 13.

"Sister Yun Yi!"

The woman was none other than Yun Yi.

Shen Han invited her to sit.

Yun Yi glanced over the clinic's furnishings. "Little Shen, I never expected you to be promoted to doctor. Congratulations!"

"Just luck."

Shen Han said, "Sister Yun Yi, why have you come?"

Yun Yi's expression darkened. "I came to find Supervisor Qian and ask whether there is any news of my brother."

Your brother!

Shen Han slowly said, "Doctor Lu Qiling?"

Yun Yi nodded solemnly. "Yes. My surname is Lu. I did not make it clear last time, but Lu Qiling is my elder brother.

"My brother had devoted himself to practicing medicine since childhood.

"Before you, he should have been the youngest doctor in all of Hanging Pot Medical Hall.

"But it has been over a month already, and my brother has never returned home."

By the end, her eyes had reddened.

Elder Huang once said that Doctor Lu had gone to Liu'an County to make house calls, and he had vanished ever since... Shen Han silently pondered. There must be something fishy going on here.

"These days, I come to ask Supervisor Qian every so often," Lu Yunyi sighed. "But there has never been any news. Where exactly is my brother...?"

"Other than Doctor Lu, Sister Yun Yi, do you have any other family?"

"I still have a father and an older sister. They are in Yun Province and have always wanted me to return, but with my brother's fate still unknown, how could I possibly leave without worry?"

As she spoke, Lu Yunyi added, "Little Shen, you are a doctor at the medical hall now. Could you help me keep an eye out?"

"No problem."

Shen Han naturally would not refuse.

Without Lu Yunyi, he would not be where he was today.

Suddenly, Shen Han recalled something. "Sister Yun Yi, have you heard of Guan Shu from Miaoyu Pavilion?"

"I have heard a little. She seems to be some sort of courtesan queen."

"Did Doctor Lu know Guan Shu?"

"Absolutely impossible!"

Lu Yunyi immediately shook her head. "I understand my brother. He puts his whole heart into medicine and has no interest in such matters."

Shen Han secretly thought, Then that is strange. If so, why had Guan Shu come to the medical hall looking for Doctor Lu yesterday?