Mother Pei then lowered her voice and said, “They came and sat down. They also told me that Xisheng’s mother went to the team doctor at noon and caused a scene. It was so ugly that people from surrounding villages came to watch. Everyone now knows that the team doctor sold ordinary tonic medicine as a high-priced secret recipe for having children. He messed up, and now people say he can’t be a team doctor anymore.”

“You have no medical ethics; you deserve it,” Jiang Xi said with a rare sarcastic tone.

Mother Pei agreed, saying, “He so evil-hearted; he deserves it!” But she was also a bit pleased: “If he can’t do it anymore, the captain should let you take over, right?”

Jiang Xi shook her head: “I’m not sure. The situation with several team leaders might be complicated.”

Mother Pei frowned, “Yes, it is a bit. I heard the team leader has been doing very well lately, and others are a bit resentful. Plus, our village has no connections in the commune, so it’s tough. Your Aunt Yuezhi, the team leader’s wife, told me secretly that he’s been in a bad mood recently, probably because of these issues. He might not want to continue.”

Jiang Xi understood this well. When she first became a doctor, many patients doubted her because of her youth and good temper. They would question her prescriptions, asking why they were different and more expensive.

Later, Jiang Xi learned to be more stern, which helped. As more people came to see her, her reputation grew, and fewer people questioned her.

The captain’s situation must be tough.

“Let it be up to fate. We can’t interfere. Things are actually pretty good now. We’re not short of money,” Jiang Xi comforted her. Mother Pei was worried she might not become a team doctor, which would make her sad.

Mother Pei nodded and was about to continue cooking when she suddenly widened her eyes.

While talking, Jiang Xi was sorting the herbs and found the Ganoderma lucidum at the bottom of the basket!

“God!”

Mother Pei thought she was dreaming and pinched herself. The pain made her face contort, and she realized, “You found the Ganoderma lucidum?!”

She remembered to keep her voice down to avoid alarming the neighbors.

Jiang Xi smiled like a cat that had stolen some fish and nodded vigorously: “Yes, I found it by accident.”

“May the God bless us!” Pei’s mother was thrilled and clasped her hands together, bowing to the sky.

Even though they didn’t worship anything now, it was a habit to attribute good fortune to divine blessings.

Jiang Xi nodded and carefully took out the Ganoderma lucidum. It needs to be kept in a cool, dry place. Once the moisture has dissipated, it can be packed and hidden.

“Mom, is there a suitable place?”

“Yes, yes! If not, I’ll make space,” Mother Pei said eagerly, taking her to a small room in the back. She whispered, “This is a small compartment I made when your father and I were angry. It’s dry and ventilated, perfect for storing it.”

To protect it from mice, Mother Pei covered it with a vegetable cover and placed a stone on top.

Jiang Xi went back to continue processing the bamboo ginseng.

The remaining bamboo ginseng needed to be dried and preserved. That night, Pei’s mother made a soup with the bamboo ginseng and cooked an old hen for it.

The dinner was quite extravagant.

The meat was finely chopped, and a lot of water was used. After cooking, a bowl of the soup was sent to the eldest and second sons, as well as to Pei’s father’s two brothers. This surprised the relatives, as it wasn’t a festival, so why were they suddenly killing chickens?

Pei’s mother just brushed off the question.

The chicken soup with wild bamboo ginseng is very delicious. The chicken was a genuine old hen, and there were still many unlaid eggs inside, which Pei’s mother shared with Jiang Xi and her two younger sisters.

After dinner, everyone was still savoring the meal, wishing for more.

It’s not common to have a meat meal these days.

Jiang Sanmei felt even more regretful. She hadn’t expected to find bamboo ginseng and enjoy its meat. She looked at Jiang Xi eagerly: “Sister, can we go collect herbs ourselves again? I promise not to go to the forest.”

Jiang Ermei didn’t say anything but nodded vigorously, full of anticipation.

The more they enjoyed the food from the Pei family, the more uneasy they felt. Even though this was also their eldest sister’s home, their surname was Jiang, so they wanted to contribute to the family. Daily chores like feeding chickens, sweeping the floor, and washing dishes seemed too simple for them.

However, Jiang Xi had already decided. She had enough medicinal herbs and shook her head, saying, “No, second sister, you’ll be going to school in two months. You’re ten years old. If you start first grade now, you might be a bit older than usual. I thought of giving you extra lessons in the next two months so you can skip to the second or third grade. How does that sound?”

Most children started school at seven or eight years old, so Jiang Ermei being ten meant she was a bit late. Skipping grades was easier at the beginning, and it became more challenging later.

Jiang Ermei was surprised, a little happy, and then hesitantly said: “Sister, I don’t want to go to school.”

“Why?” Jiang Xi asked, frowning.

Jiang Ermei lowered her head and whispered, “It’s useless for me, a girl, to go to school. I’ll still have to get married in the future, and tuition is very expensive.”

Jiang Xi pulled her close and said, “Look at me. Don’t keep your head down whenever something happens. Who taught you that?”

Jiang Ermei trembled, as if frightened, and looked up with red eyes.

Jiang Xi stared at her and said seriously, “No one says girls must get married. Second sister, if you want to study, then study. I can afford it, so you don’t have to worry. And if you choose to focus on your career without getting married, that will make me happy too. You can live your life however you want.”

Jiang Ermei looked dazed, nodded, and said nothing.

Jiang Xi continued, “Starting the day after tomorrow, you will have classes with me every morning.” Seeing her nod again, Jiang Xi smiled and looked at Jiang Sanmei who was watching curiously: “You’ll recite the acupoints from the medical books every morning and learn acupuncture from me in the afternoon.”

Jiang Sanmei: “!!!”

“I don’t want that! Why can’t I have a break in the morning and afternoon?!”

Jiang Xi smiled: “Didn’t you say you wanted to learn acupuncture? Studying medicine is tiring.”

“Why?” Jiang Sanmei asked blankly.

Jiang Xi looked at her sympathetically: “Because the human body is very complex. To be a doctor, you need to understand it well. A mistake can cost lives, so there’s a lot to learn.”

Jiang Sanmei took a breath, feeling a chill. She regretted asking to learn acupuncture and wished she hadn’t been so impressed a few days ago.

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Xi laughed.

Jiang Sanmei stamped her feet in anger: “Big sister! Did you lie to me?”

Jiang Xi laughed more: “Of course not.”

Jiang Sanmei felt hopeless and was about to refuse, but was interrupted by the captain’s loud voice at the entrance of the yard: “Sister-in-law, is Doctor Jiang here? I need to speak with her.”

Captain?

Jiang Xi looked at the dark sky outside, wondering if it was something urgent.

***

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