At this critical moment, there was no room for retreat. Old Wang stubbornly insisted, "He'll definitely pass. Your brother is quick-witted and will surely be a top candidate."
The boy subconsciously looked at Jin Shanyao and, sure enough, saw a mocking smile. He raised his hand to cover his ears, but the next moment he was pulled down by Old Wang.
His face flushed and his neck thickened as he said, "Listen to what she has to say... let's see what she has to say."
The boy was heartbroken... He wanted to get angry, but then he looked at Constable Wang... Never mind, it wasn't worth it.
Jin Shanyao's gaze swept over the boy's face. "You don't have a brother."
The boy's eyes lit up instantly, and he said happily, "How did you know I don't have a brother, young lady?"
He came to accompany the examinee. The young master lives in the capital, but his household registration is in Qingzhou Prefecture, so he must Qingzhou Prefecture to take the imperial examination.
"No brother... "Old Wang stiffly turned his head, staring at the boy's guilty eyes. All sorts of curses rushed to his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word.
Just then, the bell rang, and the gates of the examination hall slowly opened. Constable Wang dared not linger, and carried his grandfather home.
Old Wang was furious. "Put me down! I'm going to settle this with her today!"
Constable Wang dared not stop; he wished he could turn back time.
I thought Jin Shanyao would be respectful to the elderly and kind to the young, but I didn't expect her to hit me so hard.
What surprised him most was that his grandfather was defeated in just a few words. In his memory, his grandfather was invincible and never won a battle, but he never expected that he would lose to Jin Shanyao.
It was his fault... He shouldn't have asked his grandfather for help... He tarnished his grandfather's illustrious life.
The imperial examination had just ended when Wu Zhuangzi personally came to visit, saying that several children in the village had fallen ill one after another and he wanted to ask Meng Anzhi to take a look at them.
Jin Shanyao resented Wu Zhuangzi for deceiving her and didn't want to go, but Wu Zhuangzi said that several doctors had examined the child and couldn't find anything wrong. There was really no other way; if they delayed any longer, the child's life would be in danger.
Jin Shanyao finally agreed.
When they entered the village, the village head was already waiting at the entrance. He didn't bother with pleasantries and led them to their respective homes.
"These children fell ill one after another, all of them had rashes, low-grade fevers, and were occasionally delirious."
The village head hurried along, and before long he had arrived at a courtyard gate, calling out, " Maodou's Mother, open the gate!"
"Yes..." a woman in the courtyard responded, putting down her bowl and hastily wiping her hands a couple of times, "The village head is here..."
Maodou's Mother opened the courtyard gate and led everyone inside. The village head noticed the dark medicine bowl on the windowsill, frowned, and asked, "What are you doing?"
"A folk remedy made with Maodou, black dog blood mixed with cinnabar, supposedly to ward off evil spirits."
"Nonsense... Giving this to a child will kill them!" the village head said, striding into the house, where a strange smell wafted out.
"The village children are running all over the place, and we don't know where they've gone. Several doctors have examined them, but they can't figure out what's wrong."
Meng Anzhi put down her medicine box, rolled up her sleeves, and took Maodou's pulse. The village head, seeing this, lowered his voice slightly, "The village elders say the child is possessed by an evil spirit..."
Jin Shanyao looked at Meng Anzhi with admiration in her eyes, and casually said, "Oh, she's not possessed..."
"Not possessed by evil spirits..." The village head stroked his beard thoughtfully. A few days ago, his son Wu Zhuangzi returned from the prefectural city and mentioned Anzhi Hall several times.
It is said that Anzhi Hall is particularly famous in the prefectural city. Whether it is treating illnesses or exorcising evil spirits, once they take on a case, there is nothing they cannot accomplish.
Zhuangzi is usually carefree and easygoing, so if he remembers something and talks about it so often, he must have some real skills.
However, Zhuangzi also said that Shopkeeper Jin is very unscrupulous and a shrewd businessman... He wonders how much this illness will cost.
Thinking this, Meng Anzhi had already finished taking the pulse and came over. "Auntie, the patient has parasites in his stomach. A few doses of deworming medicine will do the trick."
After the follow-up examination, Jin Shanyao, "The diagnosis is correct. Write the prescription."
Meng Anzhi wrote down the prescription, and after Jin Shanyao checked it to make sure it was correct, she handed it to Maodou's Mother. "The child must have drunk unclean water. Get the medicine according to this prescription."
The village head, with a stern face, scolded, "Did you hear me? He's sick... Don't give the child any random things to drink."
Maodou's Mother asked nervously, "How much does this medicine cost?"
Meng Anzhi smiled and said, "The pulse diagnosis costs five coins, you can get the medicine yourselves, Uncle Zhuangzi already paid the visit fee."
Upon hearing this, the village head's brows furrowed instantly. He cursed the brat inwardly, thinking, "How much money do you make that you dare to pay for the villagers' medical bills? When he gets back, I'll skin him alive!"
The village head forced a smile and led the two men, Jin Shanyao, to other homes. Their symptoms were similar along the way. When they left the village, they saw several old men sitting under the roots of trees chatting.
I heard that Licentiate Candidate Li fainted several times from crying.
"How could I not feel dizzy? I came back from the exam to find a coffin in the yard, and I didn't even get to see it one last time. Who could bear that..."
"His family was afraid he wouldn't be able to handle it, so they put him in the coffin early," the speaker sighed. " Old Man Li's life has been worthwhile..."
"Absolutely! There aren't many people in the whole village as filial as Licentiate Candidate Li. I'd be content if my son were half as good as him."
"I heard that Licentiate Candidate Li knelt before the coffin, weeping uncontrollably until his voice was hoarse, and no one could pull him up."
"What a filial son! He has indeed studied the classics. It's just a pity for Old Man Li; he worked hard all his life, and the funeral was arranged far too hastily."
"That's right. They only lay in state for three days before hastily burying him, saying... saying it was too hot and they were afraid his body wouldn't hold up. So they buried him on the hill behind our house."
"So urgent? Sigh, that's true. The Li Household doesn't have any close relatives to help them. He's their only son, and he has to keep vigil and make arrangements. It's tough. Look how thin he's become in just a few days."
Once outside the village, Jin Shanyao and Meng Anzhi mounted their horses and rode side by side. "Auntie... I wonder what medicine Old Man Li took to be able to hold on for so long."
If she could ask Li Yuan which doctor prescribed the medicine, she would like to learn how.
With Jin Shanyao, "A person's lifespan is predetermined before birth. There must be something fishy about Old Man Li's longevity."
Meng Anzhi felt a chill run down her spine.
"Auntie, are you saying... that wasn't the effect of medicine? Could it be... that some kind of evil magic was used..." Before she could finish the word "magic," her aunt pointed ahead and shouted.
"Hey... what are you doing... are you taking your pants off?"
Jin Shanyao dismounted and ran towards the figure, calling out, "Come out, I see you."
The man was terrified and panicked, hurriedly pulling his clothes tighter as he fled in all directions, yelling, "Get lost! Are you crazy?"
"Hey... don't hide! I'm asking you if you're taking your pants off?"
The man, his face flushed, hurriedly fastened his clothes behind a tree. The footsteps grew closer, and he shouted urgently, "Get out... I'm in the toilet!"
Jin Shanyao down to look at the man's lower body, but the man suddenly darted far away.
The man, enraged, yelled, "Are you crazy? Stay away from me!"
"You're the one who's sick! Why don't you go to the outhouse when you need to use the toilet? Taking your pants off in public is perverted! Hahaha... I've met a pervert."
"Roll..."
"Come out here..."
"Get lost, don't follow me," the man said, pulling up his pants with one hand and covering his face with the other, wishing he could disappear into the ground.
The more Jin Shanyao her hand, the more excited she became, "You little pervert, where do you think you're going! Wahahaha... Everyone says I'm a pervert, but today I've finally met a real one."