Farmhouse Green Plum

Chapter 406 Changing Destiny

Suddenly, Doctor Lin joked, "It seems that fellow villager usually helps you a lot. The money-grubber is willing to use ginseng instead of codonopsis."

Song Ying's cheeks became hotter and hotter, and he said angrily, "Master, I'm not that stingy. The prescription that time really only needed Codonopsis pilosula. This time Yuan Qing is taking an exam, and using ginseng can not only nourish the spleen and lungs, nourish the blood and produce body fluids, but also greatly replenish vital energy, calm the mind and improve intelligence. It's just right."

When winter came before the New Year, Song Ying put on more clothes late and had a cough when she came to Shen Mansion to study. After Doctor Lin took her pulse and prescribed medicine, he used herself as a case to teach her. As a result, Song Ying said after learning that ginseng was too expensive and Codonopsis pilosula would be enough.

Because of this, Dr. Lin always laughed at her for being stingy.

Song Ying felt very wronged. His master usually stayed in Shen Mansion, treating Princess Shun'an. Naturally, he would not consider the cost of the herbs. He would just use whichever ones worked best.

But when she treated people in the clinic, she had to consider the patient's financial situation. Besides, their Huichuntang was located on West Street where ordinary people lived. Most of the families who came to see the doctor were not wealthy, so they were naturally used to using cheaper medicines.

She felt that she was very generous to herself. When it was not easy to make money in the past, she would buy herself very beautiful clothes. Now that it is easy to make money, she is even more generous to herself.

All her old tattered clothes were given away, and she often went to Yunxiu Tower with Yanxing to buy beautiful new clothes, and to Yulingxuan to buy jewelry. She would never treat herself badly when it came to food, perhaps it was a habit she developed in the Shen Mansion, after moving out, she also made sure to eat enough meat every day, and would alternate between chicken, duck, fish and pork.

Doctor Lin nodded seriously, but his eyes became more and more mischievous, "Well, no, no, this prescription is enough with Codonopsis, but it is better to use Ginseng."

Song Ying: “…”

*

It was almost dawn that day, with a pale sky in the east. Song Ying took Tangtang to the lake as usual. Yuan Qing was already waiting there. This time, he did not bring many books like he did some time ago. He only brought one book. Song Ying glanced at it and it was "Mencius".

She couldn't help but ask, "Have you finished studying Cheng Wen, who was admitted by County Magistrate Chen?"

In order to understand the preferences of County Magistrate Chen, some time ago Yuan Qing asked Shen Jing to find the fifty accepted essays from the previous county examination presided over by County Magistrate Chen, and even took a look at some essays that he did not accept. After carefully studying his annotations, he finally had some understanding of what kind of writing style County Magistrate Chen preferred and what taboos and dislikes he had.

The county examination is imminent, and it is too late to change the writing style now, but it is still easy to avoid offending County Magistrate Chen.

Yuan Qing nodded. "You asked me to come today yesterday. What's the matter?"

Today is already February 15th, and the county examination will be held the day after tomorrow. His original plan was to come both today and tomorrow. He had gotten used to studying here every day, and he didn't feel tired.

But when they parted yesterday, Song Ying specifically asked him to come today, which made him very curious.

Song Ying took out a small porcelain bottle from the basket and handed it over. "This is the pill I made to treat colds. Take it with you as a precaution. Take eight pills at a time, three times a day."

Yuan Qing was very touched, but was shocked when she heard the rest: "Eight?"

"The pills are small, only the size of mung beans, so you can only take a few more."

Yuan Qing realized that this was for the purpose of passing the inspection, and was moved at the moment.

Song Ying handed over a light green sachet and said, "This is a medicine sachet for calming the mind and refreshing the spirit. The top is not sealed. Just open it during the inspection."

Yuan Qing took it.

"Here are a few slices of ginger. Take them with you and soak them in water to drink during lunch. If you unfortunately catch a cold, taking the pills with ginger soup will be more effective.

Oh, by the way, my uncle and I will also go there that day. We will bring a small stove to boil a pot of ginger soup. You can come to our place to drink a bowl before you go in, just as a precaution. Of course, if you don't want to go to the toilet more often, forget it.

This is Auntie Chen's preserved plum and hawthorn fruit. It is the best for quenching thirst. If you are thirsty and don't want to drink water, you can eat this. She is selling it at the entrance of your academy and Qingshui Academy recently. I wonder if you have bought any?"

Yuan Qing shook his head, "I was so absorbed in studying these days that I didn't pay attention to these things."

"Then you can take these. And these Wang Ji candies, I was worried that you had finished the previous ones, so I bought some more."

Yuan Qing's hands were full of things, and he felt warm and touched. "Thank you very much."

Naturally, his family also prepared some things for his county examination, including a newly made cotton-padded jacket and some very small steamed buns, all of which were based on his father and grandfather's experience in the examinations back then.

His father even gave him some extra money and told him to eat good food. He also told him that when he came to the city for an exam, he passed by Zhiwei Restaurant and smelled the braised pig's trotters. He was so greedy, but unfortunately he didn't have enough money on him, so he could only enter the exam room with regret.

This time, his father borrowed more money from him so that he wouldn't suffer.

It was just that the family was limited there and had never thought of preparing medicine just in case, nor had they considered it as carefully and thoughtfully as she had.

"What's there for us to thank each other for? To be honest, I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn't been willing to teach me how to read and write, I wouldn't have been able to work in the Shen residence, and I wouldn't have had the experience later." Song Ying always remembered how difficult it was to learn to read. He tried so many ways, both direct and indirect, but Xu Yuzhi refused to teach him.

In the end, if it weren't for Yuan Qing, perhaps she would have urged Song Yuan now, and finally learned the common characters with difficulty, and still had to look at people's faces in that family. Or maybe she would have been like Xiaoxiang, promised to a widower, a lame or blind man, and the villagers would have told everyone that she had found a good marriage.

"I changed my own destiny. Now it's your turn to change yours. Do well in the exam. People from all over the surrounding villages are waiting to benefit from your success."

Yuan Qing smiled, looked into her clear and bright almond eyes, nodded slowly, and said seriously: "Okay, there is no need to thank each other. Today I accept the convenience of your being a doctor, and you will benefit from my position as Wenkui in the future."

Hearing this, Song Ying also smiled, "There is one more thing I forgot to say. Don't change your diet casually these few days. One or two good meals won't replenish your body. If your stomach can't take it, it will be even more painful."

Yuan Qing nodded, thinking to himself that it was a good thing that his father did not have enough money at that time. If he had rashly bought the pickled pig's trotters, he might have had to go to the toilet again and again during the exam.

On February 17th, the weather was very cold.

Although the county examination started at 1:05 a.m., doctors like Song Ying who were asked to wait for the examination got up before 4:00 a.m. like the scholars, and arrived outside the county government compound, carrying medicine boxes that they had prepared in advance.

When Song Ying arrived, the examination hall in front of the county government was filled with horse-drawn carriages, and the place was jammed. Fortunately, there was a warm yellow lantern hung in front of each carriage, which together illuminated the room exceptionally brightly.