Chapter 202: Chapter 198: Seeing a Doctor_1

Translator: 549690339

“Hey! Don’t go!!”

The proprietor of the bamboo ware shop reacted quickly, rushing out and calling out, “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. Let’s talk some more.”

Yingbao turned her head and said, “Name your price first. If it’s reasonable, we can negotiate further.”

The shopkeeper gritted his teeth, “Twenty coins, twenty for the one with a lid included. I can’t go any lower than that, you can check with any other shop.”

“Alright.” Yingbao was satisfied and returned to the Bamboo Ware Shop with the shopkeeper to discuss the details of the custom bamboo box.

After leaving the bamboo shop, Yingbao went with the two maids, Jiang Quan, to buy a stack of colored paper and stationery.

Later, they visited a porcelain shop, ordering a batch of small porcelain bottles of various colors and shapes.

The colored paper was for writing product introductions, and the small porcelain bottles were for containing medicinal powder and pills.

Back at the shop, Yingbao cut the colored papers into pieces, writing item descriptions categorically according to color.

It was written: Jin’er, a specialty of Qinchuan County. Produced in Dongchen Village, Chuanhe Town. A rare and highly valued product that prolongs life and beautifies the complexion.

There were also descriptions of Xue’er and preserved fruits, etc. The finished papers were sorted by category, ready to be packaged once the bamboo boxes arrived.

Finally, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Quan understood their little cousin’s intention, and they also joined in to help with the writing.

Jiang Quan had a brainwave and wrote a few auspicious phrases for her gourds.

After writing, she stuck a note on each gourd.

On the papers were written: Fortune-Turning Magic Gourd, Attracting Wealth and Success, Making Wishes Come True, Turning into a Dragon at the Dragon Gate, Dispelling All Illnesses, Immune to All Poisons.

Then, she placed the gourds facing the entrance of the shop and sat nearby admiring them.

Good thing, the gourds quickly attracted quite a few people to gather and watch.

Among them were scholars from the school across the street.

As the Chongyang Festival just passed, the scholars were still on holiday. Many people didn’t go home but chose to hang out in groups, some just came back from the poetry conference.

They planned to see if this specialty shop still had fresh fruit for sale, but they ended up seeing a room filled with large gourds.

“Ten taels each, it’s too expensive.” Someone shook their head, complaining about its high price.

One of them burst into laughter, “This is a good omen. Brother Huaiming, why don’t you buy one? It will bring good luck for the Imperial Examination next year.”

The young scholar named Huaiming blushed with embarrassment, waving his hands, “It’s too big, there’s no space for it in the dormitory.”

Another person said, “That’s not a problem, you can turn it into a bathtub when you get home.”

Everyone laughed heartily.

After a while, the group left to return to the dormitory, but one person lingered, hesitating to leave.

This man is about forty, with a pale and gaunt complexion. He was staring at the gourd the entire time, seemingly uncertain.

“Young man, is is this gourd really effective?” He asked.

Jiang Quan laughed and said, “Of course.”

“Then I’ll take it.” The gaunt man gritted his teeth, “But, young man, can you give me a discount? I I only have seven taels left.”

As soon as Jiang Quan heard this, he immediately shook his head, “No, no! Who bargains like you? The lowest price is nine taels, not a single coin less.”

The gaunt man hesitated for a long time before sighing, “I will come back tomorrow.”

As they watched the gaunt man leave, Yingbao frowned and glared at her second cousin. “How could you deceive people so casually? What if this person takes your words seriously, or even blackmails you?”

Jiang Quan scratched his head and stole a glance at his little cousin, “Everyone knows that these are just auspicious words. Who would be silly enough to believe them?”

“What if he is in a real predicaments and sees this gourd as his last straw? Do you know how to defuse the situation?”

Yingbao frowned and scolded her second cousin, “Are you prepared to go to court or compensate people?”

“I” Jiang Quan had nothing to say.

Jiang Cheng also walked over and said, “Even fortune-tellers don’t dare to make definitive statements. You’re pretty bold, making such a grand statement.”

Jiang Quan lowered his head.

After a while, the man hurried back, undid the bundle he was carrying, and poured out a bunch of coins. “Here is nine taels”

Jiang Quan had already seen this man running back from a distance, and had hid in the backyard. The second maid also went into the kitchen to cook chestnuts, so only Jiang Cheng and Yingbao were left in the shop.

Playing dumb, Yingbao asked, “What would you like to buy?”

Seeing a five or six-year-old child talking to him, the man was taken aback, pointing at the gourd and saying, “I’d like to buy this one The one that says ‘Dispelling All Illnesses.’”

Yingbao’s eyes flickered, “Our gourds are merely symbolic, they cannot really dispel all illnesses.”

“Can’t they” The man revealed a look of desolation and his shoulders sagged.

Without changing her tone, Yingbao asked, “Do you have a sick person in your home?”

The man was stunned for a while before nodding slowly.

Yingbao studied this man closely. He was wearing a yellowish hemp robe with several patches of the same color sewn onto the corners of the robe. Nevertheless, the color mismatch made him look extremely shabby.

“Do you know what the illness is? I have studied medicine, I can have a look at the patient.” Yingbao proposed.

The gaunt man looked closely at Yingbao for the first time, shaking his head weakly. “There isn’t much use.”

Yingbao knew that he didn’t believe her, so she asserted, “Don’t underestimate people. Let’s quickly discuss the patient’s condition.”

The gaunt man hesitated for a while before saying, “My child is sick. The illness is persistent and doesn’t seem to get better. I I’ve run out of ideas.”

Finishing his sentence, he turned around, quietly using a sleeve to wipe his eyes.

“Can you take me to see?”

Yingbao decided to help him because he had taken her in his previous life, allowing her to live in the county town under his daughter’s name.

Although the man didn’t fully trust her, seeing the young girl take out a medicine box out from the house, he finally agreed to take her with him.

So Yingbao and the two maids, Jiang Quan, followed Gao Lifan to a dilapidated alleyway.

There were several households in the alley. When they saw Gao Lifan, they greeted him, “Mr. Gao is back. Oh? Who are these people?”

Gao Lifan: “They’re the doctors that I’ve invited.”

The others looked enlightened. Just as they were about to say something, Gao Lifan had already ushered the group into the house.

The interior of the house was dim, similar to the lawyer’s residence.

A woman in a coarse cloth dress came out, seeing her husband bringing a group of people home, she asked, “Alang, who are they?”

“They’re here to treat Dongmei.”

Gao Lifan led Yingbao into his daughter’s room, saying, “My daughter Dongmei has a strange illness that has remained unhealed for a long time. If you would like to look, feel free to.”

As Yingbao stepped forward, she saw a young girl around sixteen or seventeen years old lying motionless on the bed, as if she were dead.

A faint stench lingered in the room.

The second maid stood by her cousin, pinching her nose and whispered, “Yingbao, what is this smell? It’s so horrible.” She didn’t even dare to breathe.

Yingbao had experienced this smell before. It was the odor from a human body, possibly even the smell of a rotting wound.

“Are you alright?” She asked the girl lying on the bed, “Where are you hurt?”

The young girl slowly opened her eyes to look at Yingbao. She seemed somewhat reluctant to speak, but her survival instinct allowed her to reply, “I haven’t stopped bleeding since I had a miscarriage.”

“A miscarriage?” Yingbao frowned, “Can I examine you?”

“Uh-huh.” The girl nodded gently.

She didn’t want to die. She wanted to live a long and fulfilling life, to live even longer and better than that person.