Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Really Sick
263 Really Sick
In the front hall of the medicine store.
"Who is it? Who’s picking a fight!"
A thunderous roar, filled with imposing momentum, suddenly erupted. Sun Youli, powerfully built, then rushed in like a fierce bear, brandishing a pitchfork.
Niu Baishun was startled by Sun Youli’s sudden entrance.
But that wasn’t all. Zhao Yu followed, holding a treasured sword. He walked in with light steps, positioning himself fiercely protectively in front of the others. Flexing his hands and feet, he said coldly, "I haven’t sparred in a long time, and my hands are itching. Now someone has kindly delivered themselves to our doorstep!"
As he spoke, he skillfully twirled the treasured sword in a flourish. With a CLANG, the sword was unsheathed. The cold glint of the blade made Niu Baishun recoil a step in fright.
Just then, Zhao Cheng and Zhao Ya also ran in. Seeing the imposing stance of Sun Youli and his group, Sun Youwei and his companions quickly joined them.
In an instant, the large family group stood united before Niu Baishun, immediately crushing his aggressive aura.
"Hmph! Still not leaving?"
Zhao Yu’s threatening shout startled Niu Baishun, causing him to stagger and nearly fall. Xiao Guizi quickly supported him.
Then, Niu Baishun, flustered, backed away towards the exit, pointing at them and threatening, "Fine! Just fine! I’ll let you off today! But you—you just wait!"
"Get lost!"
A unified roar erupted, accompanied by the waving of brooms and sticks, and the splash of a basin of dirty water being poured out. Niu Baishun shrieked and, seeing no other choice, turned and fled in panic.
Seeing Niu Baishun’s pathetic state, the surrounding commoners felt a great sense of satisfaction, and everyone burst out laughing.
"HAHAHA! So Niu Baishun has days like this too!"
"That was so satisfying!"
However, after their initial delight, some people began to worry.
"Oh dear, Doctor Sun, you’ve truly offended Niu Baishun deeply today. He won’t let you off easily!"
"Perhaps you shouldn’t run this medicine store here anymore. We’re afraid Niu Baishun will retaliate against you!"
"Yes, alas! In these times, it’s even difficult to get medicine!"
Zhao Zhitong stood at the very front and said, full of confidence, "We’re not afraid of him at all! He’s a bad person, and the judge will punish bad people!"
The patients saw that this young girl was not only highly skilled in medicine but also spoke with surprising maturity and conviction. This made them like her even more.
"Oh, little physician, you’re still young and don’t understand the evils of this world. If there were truly someone to stand up for us common folk, that medicine tyrant would have been punished long ago. He wouldn’t still be at large now!"
Zhao Zhitong still firmly believed that bad people would be punished. So, she held her little head high and said undeterred, "He will definitely be punished!"
"Alas! Let’s hope so."
...
The surrounding commoners chattered amongst themselves for a while longer.
Since Zhao Zhitong’s medical skills had earned everyone’s recognition, she and Sun Kang took over as the consulting physicians.
With two physicians attending to patients, the progress was much faster. The queue visibly dwindled, and soon, they had seen the last patient off.
The backyard of the medicine store Sun Youwei had taken over was quite large. It had not only a kitchen and a woodshed but also several bedrooms, making it convenient for Sun Kang and the others to stay there at night.
Seeing it was getting late and everyone had been busy for so long, they were all starving, their stomachs practically stuck to their backs.
Sun Mei came out from behind the counter and went to the backyard kitchen to prepare lunch for everyone. Zhao Ya, Sun Xiaoyu, and the others hurried over to help.
After lunch, there weren’t as many patients in the afternoon. Zhao Dong and the others helped for a while longer, then took the children home while it was still daylight.
In the end, only Sun Kang, Sun Youwei, Daji, and Daqing remained at the medicine store.
「 」
After the start of spring, the Elementary Scholar examination was scheduled for the twenty-sixth of the following month.
After the school term began, Scholar Meng focused on lecturing about essays and giving the children quizzes.
Although Scholar Meng was a man of letters from ancient times, he wasn’t rigid or pedantic. On the contrary, he was adept at tailoring his teaching to each student’s abilities.
He knew Zhao Zhitong was studying medicine, so Scholar Meng was very flexible with her study schedule.
She would come to the school very early in the morning to study, and Scholar Meng customarily used this opportunity to give the young girl some extra, individualized instruction.
When it was time for the other children’s quiz in the afternoon, he would let Zhao Zhitong leave. He only asked her to take the quiz questions home, and he would go over them with her the next morning.
As the examination drew nearer, Qiao Muchen and Zhao Yue also rarely went out to play after school finished; they both stayed home to study.
Furthermore, since Zhao Zhitong was often absent from the school in the afternoons, the four youngsters had very little time to play together. However, this didn’t affect their friendship in the slightest.
「Two days later.」
After returning from school, Zhao Zhitong went to the county town with her Eldest Uncle, who had come to pick her up.
Since Niu Baishun had come looking for trouble on the opening day, he hadn’t reappeared in the past two days. It was unclear whether he was too busy or was concocting some malicious plan.
That afternoon, when Zhao Zhitong arrived at the medicine store, there weren’t many patients seeking treatment. Sun Kang simply handed them over to Zhao Zhitong and observed from the side.
Just as Zhao Zhitong had seen off a patient, a portly man, supported by an underling, suddenly rushed into the medicine store with hurried steps.
"OUCH, OUCH!"
Accompanied by those groans, Niu Baishun, his face contorted in pain, cried out, "Doctor! Doctor! OUCH! It’s killing me! Killing me! Where’s the doctor?"
Sun Daqing, who had just fetched some herbs from the backyard to replenish stock, saw Niu Baishun’s agonized expression and his stiffly held right hand, and instantly understood.
He immediately started to jeer. Instead of going to the counter, he walked over to Niu Baishun and circled him. "Well, well, well! Look who it is! So you really did get a poisoned sore! HAHAHA! Hey, didn’t you say you didn’t believe it?"
Sun Daqing was clearly gloating.
His comically earnest yet gloating expression made Zhao Zhitong want to laugh, but she managed to suppress it.
As for Niu Baishun, he had lost all his previous arrogance. His right hand was held stiffly out, his other hand clutching its wrist, and he kept groaning, "OUCH, OUCH..."
Seeing Sun Daqing looking at him, Niu Baishun’s fleshy cheeks trembled as he pleaded, "Quickly, get your doctor to look at me! The pain is killing me, killing me!"
Sun Daqing, however, decided to play hardball. "Hey! Didn’t you refuse to believe my younger female cousin before? You even said she cursed you! What are you doing here now? Do you think this is your family’s medicine store? No consultation for you! Get lost!"
By the looks of it, Niu Baishun was truly in unbearable pain. He didn’t even have the strength to get angry at Sun Daqing’s words. He just reached out, tugged at Sun Daqing’s sleeve, his face trembling, and said, "Please don’t be like that! You run a medicine store, don’t you? How can you refuse to treat people?"
After speaking, he started groaning "OUCH, OUCH!" again.
Xiao Guizi, supporting Niu Baishun, chimed in, "That’s right! Whoever heard of a medicine store that doesn’t treat patients? Quickly bring your doctor out!"