Chapter 187: Chapter 183: Apprentice_1

Translator: 549690339

A few days later, the golden ear and snow fungus that Yingbao had planted were ready to be harvested.

She and Chuchu were busy for several days, picking all the fungi and drying them, then replanting. They planted another six hundred golden ear and three hundred snow fungus.

She handed the dried golden ear and snow fungus to Mrs. Wen, also giving her some fruit preserves and freshly ripened apples for her and her daughter to eat on the journey.

On that day, Ms. Wen left the village with her daughter in a horse cart.

Surprisingly, Xu Kun and Chuyan also left with them.

Master Zhang Meng said Xu Kun and Chuyan were just escorting Mrs. Wen and would return after a few days.

But Yingbao didn’t believe it at all because Chuchu cried a flood of tears when she was saying goodbye to Chuyan, as if they were parting forever.

In the blink of an eye, it was already May, and all the grapes had been sold out. Still, the apples and pears in the orchard were maturing one after another, and were picked by Jiang Quan to be sent to the store in the county town.

Now Yingbao’s shop was on track, not only officially hanging a signboard of “Jiang’s Specialties” but also had Jiang Cheng registered as the store manager.

Despite his reluctance, second cousin Jiang Quan had to reluctantly agree. After all, his older brother was older and had given up inheriting the family property to establish another family on his own.

But Jiang Quan was not resigned, so he assigned himself the job of steward, responsible for procurement and transportation.

As for the store’s profit distribution, Yingbao took fifty percent, and the remaining fifty percent could be divided however Jiang Cheng and Jiang Quan two brothers wanted.

For the fruit preserves, since Yanru took part in making them, Jiang Cheng gave her a processing fee of thirty coins per pound. More than three hundred pounds of fruit preserves amounted to a dozen taels of silver.

Yanru didn’t refuse, and after the market of apricots and peaches ended, she began to make rouge and face powder again at the request of Yingbao.

Dani and the second son’s wife kept themselves busy with their things and sometimes took along the few girls in the village to help.

Yingbao was sending a big basket of flower petals every day, such as roses, peonies, oenothera, lotus flowers, etc., different ones every day, giving them to the second brother’s wife to make rouge and face powder.

From time to time, Yanru would find it strange why her niece could pick so many petals, each one was large and brilliant, with a strong aroma, and she didn’t know where she got them from.

One morning, as Yingbao was leading the deer home, she saw a donkey cart stopped at the door of her house.

Doctor Li from the town was talking with her father.

“Sanlang, isn’t your daughter Yingbao considering studying medicine? My pharmacy needs an attendant. Why not have her become an apprentice there?” Doctor Li was sitting under the grape vines in the yard talking to Jiang Sanlang.

Jiang Sanlang hesitated for a moment, “I’ll ask Baobao about it first.” His daughter was headstrong and whether or not she could become an apprentice in the pharmacy still had to be her own decision.

Doctor Li laughed, “Actually, this is also the opinion of my senior doctor. Do you remember him? It’s Wen Jingyan, the father-in-law of Mrs. Wen, and he is now serving at the Imperial Medical Bureau in Beijing. Ahem he said that your daughter has excellent potential, where she can learn how to identify medicine and diagnose patients in my pharmacy.”

Jiang Sanlang certainly knew about his daughter’s potential, but he was surprised to hear that the old Wen fellow was from the Imperial Medical Bureau.

But considering his daughter’s unique abilities, he didn’t feel that the old fellow was so remarkable.

But Doctor Li had good intentions, and he should consider it carefully.

Being an apprentice at the pharmacy is of course excellent, once she completes her training, it will be a lifelong job.

Moreover, considering the abilities she already had, she definitely could become a renowned little divine doctor in the neighbourhood, receiving admiration and respect for a lifetime.

While he was thinking, Yingbao rushed over and said, “Dad, I am willing.”

Upon hearing this, Doctor Li’s eyes lit up, he looked at Jiang Sanlang expectantly, waiting for his acquiescence.

Jiang Sanlang frowned, “But where will you live in the town as a girl?”

The South Slope was more than ten miles from town, and the family’s horse cart was used by his nephew for transporting fruit to the county town, so he could not drop off his daughter at the pharmacy in the morning and pick her up in the evening.

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Doctor Li said: “Let Yingbao stay in my house. My little granddaughter is about the same age as Yingbao, and they can live together then.”

Jiang Sanlang looked at his daughter, “Baobao, what do you think?”

Yingbao nodded, “I can do it.”

Her master had mentioned that she should try to learn more at the pharmacy if she had the opportunity.

Although she could recognize some common herbs, she didn’t recognize a single one that was prepared as a medicine.

And since Doctor Li’s family owned a pharmacy, she could not only learn how to identify medicines there but also meet many patients, which would allow her to practice the four diagnostic methods more frequently.

“Alright then.” Jiang Sanlang patted his little daughter, “Then you go.”

Consequently, Nanny Chun helped her daughter pack some clothes, shoes, and personal items, even brought some apples and pears as gifts, and sent her little daughter to Doctor Li’s house in the town with her husband Jiang Sanlang.

Doctor Li had two sons and two daughters. His old wife had already passed away, and he lived in the pharmacy in town with his eldest son’s family.

His younger son set up a small pharmacy in the county town with his wife and children, and they were living pretty well. Both his daughters got married early, one stayed in the town, and the other moved to the county town.

Doctor Li’s little granddaughter, called Li Xihua, was seven years old this year. She was very happy to have a little sister of similar age in her house. She took Yingbao’s hand and showed her the rooms.

“From now on you can live with me. The beds are already ready. You can sleep in this one and I in the one over there.” Li Xihua took Yingbao to two tables, “My grandfather had someone bring two writing desks. You can have one, and I can have another. The brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones have all been prepared for you.”

“Also, there’s this medicine box.” Li Xihua opened a medicine box on the table, saying “There’s a box of silver needles, five cupping tools, and a piece of stone needle.”

Then she gave a small lock to Yingbao, “Grandfather said the medicine box must always be carried by a person practicing medicine, otherwise, it should be locked and shouldn’t be rummaged by strangers.”

Noticing Yingbao staring at her, Li Xihua blushed and said, “I I only had a look before, absolutely didn’t rifle through your medicine box.”

Yingbao took the lock and nodded, “I know.”

Seeing the little girl did not blame her, Li Xihua smiled, pointing at the clothing box next to the bed, “This clothing box is new, just for you to use.”

“Thank you, Sister Xihua.” Yingbao put her clothes into the clothing box and asked, “Are we going to the pharmacy now?”

She had met all members of the Li family, and now it was time to familiarize herself with the pharmacy environment.

“Okay.”

Actually, Li Xihua didn’t like the pharmacy very much. Her head would ache after smelling the medicinal smell for a long time. However, her parents insisted she learn medicine with her brothers, which was really annoying.

The two girls arrived at the pharmacy, Li Xihua’s older brother Li Lin was crushing medicine with a stone mill.

Li Lin nodded at Yingbao then he continued doing his own thing.

Behind the counter, there was a boy about ten years old, Doctor Li’s second son, Li Qing, was using a steelyard to weigh medicine for a customer.

Every time he weighed an herb, he divided it evenly into five paper bags, his technique was skillful and natural.