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At dawn, they left the county town.
Since the Wan family’s mule cart was too full, Sun Sichen let the two children ride in his cart, while Jixiang and Ruyi sat outside to drive. The cart was spacious with only three people inside.
Erqiang sat obediently to one side, feeling overwhelmed by the luxury of the cart. The interior was even carpeted, and he hardly knew where to place his feet.
Sun Sichen quietly observed the two children. Erqiang seemed a bit restrained, while his little apprentice sat upright, as if he were born to be a young master.
As far as he knew, this was the first time the child had traveled far, and his temperament was indeed suitable for studying medicine.
“Ping’an, do you understand anything about Old Magistrate Huang’s illness this time?”
Understand? He understood it very well.
Ping’an picked up his backpack, which his mother had made for him in the last couple of days, using thick fabric. It worked out quite well.
He handed over the medical case notes he had written over the past few days. “Master, I’m not very clear, but I’ve tried to jot down what I could.”
He had a beautiful calligraphy style, but it wasn’t convenient to write at the moment, and his small hands weren’t yet capable of writing real small characters.
He had collected a lot of fine charcoal from the inn’s kitchen, which his mother wrapped in cloth strips for him. It was usable for now, but over time, it would become unclear.
Sun Sichen looked at the thick stack of paper in his hands; the characters were somewhat crooked but very fine and clear, with only a couple of misspelled words missing parts.
He was quite impressed. The child had only been with him for a few days, and he hadn’t even asked him to take notes. This child had only learned a bit of writing from his parents and had never formally attended a school.
Who would have thought the child would give him such a pleasant surprise?
He truly had the makings of a medical student: attentive, steady, and courageous—everything was excellent.
He had indeed recognized a talent.
“Ping’an, this isn’t regular calligraphy, is it?”
“Master, I can’t write calligraphy well yet, especially small characters. This is fine charcoal I got from the kitchen; my mother wrapped it for me. I call it a charcoal pen.”
Sun Sichen smiled. “Not bad, you’re resourceful. Once we arrive, I’ll have someone teach you calligraphy. Charcoal pens can be used daily, but they won’t last long. Your notes are excellent, though there are still many unclear parts; that’s normal. Ping’an, make sure to read the books I gave you whenever you have the chance. If you don’t understand something, just ask your master.”
He had initially planned to teach the child to read himself, but that was too much. He was too busy. Sun Wen was more suitable for this task; he was his chief steward and also a talented scholar, patient and meticulous.
As for martial arts, let Da Wu and Xiao Wu teach him. Their skills were more solid than Jixiang’s and Ruyi’s.
His first disciple must be well-rounded, excelling in both literature and martial arts, surpassing him in every way. Besides, he had no intention of letting this good fortune go to waste.
“Understood, Master.”
The official roads in the Great Zhou were good. The Wan family’s cart had shock absorbers, and Ping’an felt it wasn’t too bumpy. Seeing his master reviewing his medical notes, he picked up the Baicao Collection to read.
In fact, this book had been gifted to him by Physician Sun.
Such a book was perfect for reading on the road; he understood most of what was written, and he recognized the characters, but it didn’t hurt to read it again to reinforce his memory. Furthermore, it helped him avoid drawing attention; even a genius couldn’t know everything without learning.
Erqiang felt distressed. He didn’t want to read on the cart and couldn’t recognize many characters. If only he had stayed away at first, sitting with his aunt, he could have snacked on some treats.
In the afternoon, he was determined to return to his aunt’s cart.
With nothing to do, he could only look out the window. Such good roads didn’t exist in the countryside. His father and grandfather had never been to the prefecture city. Ping’an had said they would go to the capital in the future, and if Ping’an went, he would naturally go too.
The young boy’s heart raced.
What kind of place was the capital? The home of the emperor!
Erqiang clenched his small fists tightly. He didn’t like reading; Brother Jixiang had said that following Ping’an meant he had to develop some skills, or he would eventually have to change to a better position.
Martial arts were essential,but reading was also necessary. When out and about, there might come a time when he needed to write a letter. If he couldn’t even recognize the name of an inn, that would be unacceptable.
He loved martial arts and would study diligently. The past few mornings, he had been learning from Jixiang and the others, and he didn’t expect that Ping’an, such a small child, was working hard at his studies, even better than him.
He was puzzled as to why someone under eight would work so hard.
Erqiang felt confused.
Sun Sichen was all smiles. Ping’an’s notes were excellent, far better than his own at seven or eight years old.
“Ping’an, put the book down. Master will explain this illness to you in detail. Don’t worry if you don’t understand; just try to remember as much as you can. We’ll take it slow.”
Ping’an nodded, putting down the book and leaning closer to his master.
Erqiang watched as the Young Master and Ping’an were fully engaged in learning—one teaching and the other learning. After an hour, didn’t they feel parched?
He understood nothing, feeling like he was in a fog. So he simply closed his eyes, recalling the moves Brother Jixiang had taught him over the past few days.
…
Meiniang was sewing a new backpack for Erqiang on the cart. Although it used a lot of fabric, it was quite practical.
With so many small bags, it was suitable for carrying anything.
Her husband also wanted one, saying it would be convenient for traveling. So she decided to make him one.
Later, she would make another one for their son, and one smaller for herself. In this way, a piece of thick fabric would be nearly enough.
During their days in the county town, she became more aware of the importance of clothing. Jewelry didn’t matter, but clothes couldn’t be torn. Wearing ragged clothes would embarrass the Young Master.
Not just Ping’an; she and her husband, along with Erqiang, needed to be presentable.
After all, they were Ping’an’s family. Their son was now the Young Master’s apprentice and might become a renowned physician in the future. As parents of a physician, they couldn’t be too shabby.
With the silver from their son, the monthly allowance from the Young Master, and previous savings combined, they had just about one hundred taels.
Once they reached the prefecture city, they could try to buy some farmland as soon as possible. Wealth must be accumulated little by little.
Wan Changsheng glanced back, vaguely seeing his wife working on her sewing. The distance to Jiaoxian felt farther away, and the heavy burden on his heart seemed to have lifted.
The more he cherished this family, the more he felt anxious about losing it, but he had no one to confide in—no one to share his thoughts with.
For lunch, they only had some dry rations. In the afternoon, they planned to reach Zao Town and settle down there, as it was a two-town journey.
Hastily making their way, they finally arrived at Wanshun Inn just before dusk.
After settling their luggage and freshening up, they had just sat down to dinner when a group of people rushed in.
“Innkeeper, quickly send someone to fetch a doctor! My son has injured his leg. Also, please prepare three rooms—one premium room and two standard ones!”
A man hurriedly approached the innkeeper, blood streaming down his forehead.
“Doctor Xu is the decent one in town, but if the injury is severe, we may need to go to the county town. No, the county town is too far. Xiaoliu, hurry, take this guest to find Doctor Xu.”
In the midst of the conversation, a group of people carried a young man inside. The boy was nearly unconscious, moaning in pain.
It turned out to be members of the Bai family—what a coincidence!
Sun Sichen stepped forward. “I am the Young Master of Baicaotang and have some medical skills. Would you like me to take a look?”
A man who looked like a steward suddenly knelt down. “Heaven bless us! Please, Young Master, help us! We are from the Bai family in the prefecture city. This is my young master; he fell hard while riding a horse.”