Li Ping'an paid it no mind at all, his fingers feeling the resistance of her pulse.
If the pulse felt hard and solid when pressed, rebounding strongly,
that proved it had strength.
If his fingers met little resistance when pressing down, and even a slight increase in pressure
made the pulse disappear, then it lacked strength.
There were many ways to treat wind-cold, yet they differed greatly.
For example, an Ephedra Decoction presentation required a tight pulse.
Chengqi Decoction and similar prescriptions required a full pulse.
Tight and full both meant that the pulse had to be forceful.
Using these prescriptions on someone with a weak pulse could very well have the opposite effect.
It could cause the patient to collapse, or even lose consciousness.
"It's nothing serious. I'll prescribe some Cinnamon Twig Decoction for you."
He could not use a purgative treatment, only nourishment.
"Sorry for troubling you again," Widow Wang said, rather embarrassed. "I still don't know how to repay you."
"It's no trouble. I'll go prescribe some medicine. Take it as directed over the coming days."
Watching Li Ping'an walk away, Widow Wang felt a trace of warmth rise in her heart.
The summer heat had not abated, and the scorching temperatures were unbearable.
The weather was as hot as a steamer, without a breath of wind. The thick air seemed to have congealed, and cicadas called from nearby.
It was precisely at this time that chaos broke out in the county town.
Outside, roving bandits besieged the town; inside, villains stirred up trouble.
In weather like this, leaving corpses lying around might well breed a plague.
The county magistrate understood this too, so these past days, besides defending the town and seeking reinforcements,
he had people dispose of the dead, cremating every corpse.
Li Ping'an