Chapter 28

The door was closed. Zhang Xiuyun tried to speak, but her daughters ignored her. One fetched water, the other took a towel. They washed up, blew out the oil lamp, and went to bed without speaking.

Zhang Xiuyun felt disappointed and realized she had finally become separated from her daughters. She had listened to her brother and allowed Jiang Xi to marry as a stepmother, believing it was for the best because the man was a battalion commander and would provide a good life.

Now, without a husband, Zhang Xiuyun wondered how she would survive on her pension. If Pei Hejun had problems, she might have no son, no husband, and would be left with aging in-laws to care for.

Like her, her husband had an accident, and she had only daughters. Her daily life was barely sustainable, and she couldn’t see any future prospects.

Zhang Xiuyun felt hopeless, lying quietly on the bed, waiting for dawn.

When it was daybreak, she heard noise outside and got up to pack her things, ready to leave. She ran into a group of people waiting at the main hall door. Seeing her, they looked disappointed and said, “It’s not Doctor Jiang. Does anyone know when Doctor Jiang will get up?”

“I told you guys you came too early. Doctor Jiang wakes up around seven o’clock every day,” someone whispered.

They had been told by the Pei family not to speak loudly in the morning to avoid disturbing Doctor Jiang.

Zhang Xiuyun, puzzled, asked, “Are you all here to see a doctor?”

There were many patients, including several from Jiangjia Village.

Zhang Xiuyun wondered what illnesses they had. One villager explained, “Yes, I came for a follow-up check-up. I had gastritis and took medicine for a few days. I felt better, so I came back because Doctor Jiang asked for a follow-up. I thought the clinic would open officially tomorrow and came early. I didn’t expect so many people.”

He added, “Seeing a doctor is cheap—just one work point.” 

Zhang Xiuyun was shocked. If it only cost one work point, it seemed almost free. Why open a clinic if it was a waste of time?

The villager continued, “It’s not entirely free. My wife had a migraine and needed two injections costing three work points each. Medicines cost extra. The doctor’s fees in other villages are twice as much. But Doctor Jiang is great—her treatments worked, and the medicine made a difference.”

Zhang Xiuyun’s expression changed. With more than twenty people waiting, she realized that despite the low cost, a lot of patients meant it was profitable.

She thought, “Wow. Even if it looks cheap, it’s profitable when there are so many people. It’s better than farming all year!”

She realized that the eldest sister’s ability to make money was significant. If Jiang Xi could support herself, she would be fine on her own.

Zhang Xiuyun remembered Jiang Xi’s words from last night.

It made sense now why her husband wanted Jiang Xi to go to school. Educated people have better earning potential.

_

Zhang Xiuyun left without breakfast, still dazed, and didn’t say anything unusual to her daughters.

Pei’s mother wanted to keep her for breakfast but was turned down and let her go.

Jiang Xi didn’t open her eyes until 7:30. The first thing she did when she woke up was to reach out for Pei Hejun’s hand.

After searching for a while without finding it, she opened her eyes in surprise. She remembered that when she had turned Pei Hejun over in the middle of the night, she had let him lie flat with her hands on his sides. Now, his hand was on his stomach.

Pei Hejun had lost weight due to poor nutrition. His once strong arms were now just skin and bones. His fingers were thinner, and his skin had become pale from not seeing the sun.

He looked much more handsome, but his eyes were closed, and he was breathing shallowly.

Jiang Xi held his hand and checked the task panel.

The task panel opened, showing a list of tasks:

[Task 1: Treat villagers’ scalp ringworm, task reward: 8 points]

[Task 2: Treat villagers’ constipation, task reward: 2 points]

[Task 3: …]

There were a total of twenty-five tasks.

Jiang Xi checked carefully to see if there were any urgent tasks. After a while, the tasks refreshed, and there were now 26 tasks.

Jiang Xi thought, “This is a lot of work.”

Many people came to see the doctor, mostly with minor illnesses and pains. The points earned were small, and there were no emergencies.

Jiang Xi saw that her balance was 18 points. Although it wasn’t a lot, with so many people, she could earn more points quickly.

Feeling confident, Jiang Xi stretched, moved her arms, and started giving Pei Hejun his daily massage. After a busy period, Jiang Xi felt that the man seemed to enjoy the massage.

Jiang Xi thought it was nice but wished someone would give her a massage too.

When she finished, it was already past 8 o’clock, so she went out to wash up.

The villagers were used to her routine and weren’t surprised. However, visitors from other villages were surprised to see that Dr. Jiang, known in the area, was a young girl who looked no older than 20. Some were surprised she got up so late.

People from other villages, who knew each other, asked if Dr. Jiang could really treat illnesses and why she got up so late.

Pei Mingchang said lazily, “If you didn’t believe in her abilities, why did you come here?”

The person asking was embarrassed but stopped questioning. A woman next to him asked why she got up so late and if she wasn’t afraid of being scolded by her mother-in-law.

The Peijia Village people laughed, saying, “Who would scold Dr. Jiang?”

Mother Pei then brought a bowl of hot noodles from the kitchen and handed it to Jiang Xi, who had just finished washing up. “Eat quickly, then see the patients.”

Jiang Xi noticed the curious looks from the visitors and felt uncomfortable. She said, “Mom, I’ll eat inside.”

“Go ahead,” Pei’s mother said with a smile, her face showing more wrinkles but a good mood.

As Pei’s mother left, someone remarked, “Sister-in-law, are you pampering your daughter-in-law?”

Aunt Lanhua, who was there for fun, glared and said, “What do you mean by that?”

The man apologized, and Mother Pei explained, “I’m just helping out. My daughter-in-law is very busy, so I take care of her food and drink while she focuses on her work.”

“Got it,” everyone agreed.

After eating, Jiang Xi gave her bowl to Jiang Mi to wash and then started seeing patients. The first in line was Pei Mingchang, coming for a follow-up check-up.

Jiang Xi checked his pulse and asked about his health. After confirming he was fine, she said, “It’s nothing serious. Just drink less alcohol.”

Pei Mingchang’s face turned red. He thanked her and left.

Jiang Xi then called, “Next!”

A villager came up and asked, “Doctor Jiang, I don’t know where I feel uncomfortable. Can you check me?” He was curious and didn’t want to miss out on the cheap treatment.

Jiang Xi smiled and accepted him gladly.

_

The health center in Peijia Village was busy.

The clinic in Zhoujia Village was much quieter. 

In the beginning, many people came for treatment, but after the incident with Xishengniang, people lost faith in Li Quan and only came if they had no other choice.

Now, there were only a few visitors each day.

Li Quan was so idle that he slept all day until a villager in his forties came and asked, “Doctor Li, I still can’t defecate.” 

Li Quan, annoyed, said, “Stay away from me!”

Zhou Baoquan, embarrassed and angry but needing help, took a few steps back. He asked, “Doctor, can you help me? The medicine you gave me worked for a while, but now I can’t poop anymore. Did you lie to me?”

Li Quan remembered Zhou Baoquan from his first day as team doctor. Zhou had complained about severe constipation, saying he had to stay in the toilet until he nearly passed out. Li Quan had given him some medicine, which worked temporarily but failed in the long run. 

The medicine was expensive, and Zhou couldn’t afford it, so he returned for more help. Li Quan prescribed a mild laxative, expecting improvement within two days. 

However, Zhou was skeptical and worried he might have been cheated. His family was poor, and with his son’s wedding coming up, he wanted to avoid unnecessary expenses. He warned Li Quan that if the medicine didn’t work, he would cause trouble and demand compensation.

Li Quan, annoyed, asked, “Did you eat chili peppers again?” Zhou denied it, claiming he only ate potatoes and corn, avoiding sweet potatoes. 

Li Quan realized Zhou’s constipation might not be due to diet but was unsure how to solve the issue since he had only learned medicine from a barefoot doctor for three months. He vaguely suggested the medicine might not be effective enough and promised to prescribe more.

Zhou remained doubtful and insisted on immediate results, threatening to ruin Li Quan’s practice if he failed again. Li Quan, stern, gave him the new medicine and urged him to pay and leave.

Seeing his cousin Lin Tao and deputy captain Zhou Xin nearby, Li Quan felt nervous. He knew Zhou Xin and Lin Tao had recommended him for the position, so he couldn’t afford to offend them. He greeted them respectfully.

Lin Tao, seeing only two patients listed, was frustrated. He told Li Quan to visit each household to check on their health since he believed there was a better doctor in the neighboring Peijia Village.

Li Quan explained that a new doctor in Peijia Village, promoted by the team leader, was treating patients for only one work point, which was cheaper than his fees. This had led villagers to prefer her over him.

Zhou Xin, displeased, wanted to know more. Li Quan exaggerated, saying that Pei Sheng, the team leader, had personally persuaded villagers to see the new doctor, making Li Quan’s practice appear less attractive.

Zhou Xin was annoyed, feeling that setting up a village doctor next door was an insult to his efforts. Li Quan, worried about losing his job, hoped to regain Zhou Xin’s trust.

Li Quan was desperate and planned to compete with the new doctor. He told Zhou Xin he could handle the situation and prove himself. Lin Tao, believing in his cousin, supported his claim.

Zhou Xin, still doubtful, agreed to give Li Quan a chance and urged him to act quickly.

Lest the impact become greater and greater.

“Of course, of course.”