Chapter 8: Dr. Li

Only after she had finally moved out of the man’s sight did Lin Chuyi’s gait return to normal. She spent the entire time mentally cursing that certain someone, while also making sure to send a few choice words toward the unscrupulous merchant she had just encountered.

Lin Chuyi soon reached the apothecary. As it was the only clinic in town, a long queue of patients was already snaking out the door. Looking at the line from a distance, she felt a wave of helplessness. What was she to do? If that fellow couldn’t hold on and died... No, he absolutely could not die. If he perished, her entire family would be dragged down to the grave with him!

"Next!" a young apprentice at the door called out. As his voice faded, an elderly man stepped out holding his medicine, and a man leaning on a crutch walked inside.

The apothecary was small. Almost all the patients waited outside, entering one by one; only after one consultation finished would the next person be allowed in. The room contained only a single table and two or three chairs—not out of stinginess, but because the space was so cramped. Most of the room was taken up by floor-to-ceiling cabinets filled with herbs. Aside from the physician, even the assistants tasked with weighing the medicine had to stand.

"Dr. Li, my knee joints have started aching again. What should I do?" the man asked, his brow furrowed in distress. With his legs in this state, he couldn't work the fields.

"It is nothing serious; it is just a reaction to the weather," Dr. Li replied, his hand moving rhythmically as he scribbled down various herbs. After a brief pause, he added, "I will prescribe you two poultices. Take one orally for the next two days, and use the other to apply to your knee joints. Return to me in two days for acupuncture."

As he finished speaking, he completed the prescription. Dr. Li looked up, handed the paper to the man, and said with a gentle smile, "Dahan, be sure to come back in two days."

Only then could one get a clear look at Dr. Li. He was an incredibly young man. While not classically handsome, he possessed a pleasant, wholesome appearance that put people at ease and made them instinctively trust him.

"Thank you, Dr. Li!" Dahan beamed. He took the prescription and went to collect his medicine. As he stood up, the next patient quickly entered.

"Phew, that’s a relief. It won't affect me for too long," Dahan muttered, clutching his medicine bag as he stepped outside. Having resolved his most pressing concern, he headed home in high spirits.

However, he hadn't gone far before a woman came rushing toward him. They collided, and because his legs lacked strength, Dahan was knocked to the ground.

"Ah! This person is covered in blood!"

Someone shouted, and the crowd erupted in chaos. Dahan was helped to his feet by passersby. He had intended to reprimand the reckless person, but when he saw the figure collapsed on the ground, he gasped. The person looked wretched, soaked in blood—the injuries must have been horrific.

Hearing the commotion, the apothecary's assistant rushed out and lifted the woman from the ground. Upon seeing her face, the assistant’s eyes widened in shock. He scooped her up and dashed back into the clinic.

"Cough, cough... Save... save me..." the woman whispered, her voice weak and intermittent.