Chapter 51 - 50: Today, She Acts as a Living Bodhisattva (Second Update)

Chapter 51: Chapter 50: Today, She Acts as a Living Bodhisattva (Second Update)

Their free clinic was scheduled to start at 7 a.m. (8 a.m.), and to be well-prepared, Xu Jing came at 7 a.m. (7 a.m.). Unexpectedly, there was already a long line outside Xinglin Hall, with definitely more than fifty people in line!

In the line, there were beggars in tattered clothes, ordinary citizens in simple cloth garments, and wealthy young masters in flamboyant, extravagant attire.

Looking at the diverse crowd, it was easy to tell who was genuinely seeking medical help and who was just there for the spectacle.

Regrettably, most of them were clearly there for the spectacle.

Cheng Xianbai waited for Xu Jing by the back door early in the morning. As an experienced wanderer, he could tell that most of the people coming today were troublemakers. He couldn’t help but grit his teeth and say, "Those bastards who have nothing better to do, if they dare cause trouble, see if I don’t knock their teeth out."

"The medical hall is a place for treating and saving people; don’t act recklessly."

Xu Jing said calmly, "Isn’t this normal? I’ve said before that relying solely on that incident last time won’t instantly fix Xinglin Hall’s already terrible reputation, not to mention those big medical halls are probably guarding against us. Among today’s crowd, half are here for the spectacle, and the other half probably includes many spies sent by other medical halls."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xianbai became anxious, "Then what do we do? Just let them ruin our free clinic?"

"What else can we do? As I said, the medical hall is a place for treating and saving people. They came, so just treat them properly."

Xu Jing smirked slightly, with deep meaning, "In our medical hall, everything else is superficial. We should cure them with our medical skills so they’re utterly convinced."

Who can guarantee that they have no ailments at all?

Today, she intended to act as a living Bodhisattva.

The free clinic started quickly.

The first few patients who came in were genuinely seeking treatment, so Xu Jing earnestly diagnosed them, performing acupuncture when needed and prescribing medication when necessary.

Some patients hesitated when they saw Xu Jing wearing a veil at first. But when Xu Jing accurately and swiftly described their symptoms, their hesitance quickly turned into admiration.

Since Xinglin Hall was small, Xu Jing didn’t have Chunyang and Chunxiang follow her. She sent them to do other tasks, with only Cheng Qingqing assisting her, while Cheng Xianbai maintained order outside.

Soon, Cheng Qingqing noticed something unusual.

So far, Xinglin Hall had received a total of ten patients, of whom five had summer ailments related to heat and dampness! Simply put, these are symptoms caused by heatstroke, with mild symptoms including fever, heavy limbs, sweating, and thirst, while severe symptoms include low-grade fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea.

This ratio was quite high among the patients being treated! But considering that it’s currently July, during peak summer, it’s normal for many ordinary citizens to feel unwell while working under the scorching sun for their livelihoods.

Whenever encountering such patients, before prescribing medication, Sister Jing always took out a pill to dissolve in water for the patient to drink.

That was... the medicine they’d been making during this period!

She remembered that it was a medicine she had never seen before, with a strange smell that was both bitter and pungent, a smell she could never forget after experiencing it once.

Could it be that the medicine Sister Jing gave these patients was a special remedy for treating summer heat ailments?

Cheng Qingqing’s heart started racing as she suddenly understood why Sister Jing said her medicine would absolutely sell without worry!

Now is the high season for summer woes, and if Sister Jing’s medicine works, there must be quite a demand!

Xu Jing, unaware of the thoughts running through the little girl’s mind, noticed the patients’ conflicted and disdainful expressions when she took out her special medicine, largely due to the unpleasant smell.

However, when they mustered the courage to drink it, they realized its magical effect; it was almost instantaneous as if the blockage in their bodies was suddenly cleared by an upsurge of energy!

Every patient who drank this medicine looked at Xu Jing with shock and admiration, almost ready to revere her as a divine physician.

They were fully expecting Xu Jing to prescribe this medicine, but to their surprise, she swiftly scribbled a prescription and handed it to them, instructing them to get their medicine at another pharmacy.

Even Cheng Qingqing was bewildered, let alone the patients.

Wasn’t Sister Jing making this medicine to sell? Why... why was she sending them to the pharmacy for medicine instead?

Among the five patients, two foolishly left with their prescriptions.

The other three, perhaps not facing this ailment for the first time, were aware of the effectiveness of Xu Jing’s medicine and insistently wanted to buy the medicine she gave them.

Seeing this, Xu Jing’s lips curled slightly behind her veil, and she deliberately sighed, saying, "Today’s free clinic means we can’t charge, and this secret medicine was passed down by my master. I only made some for treatment, and I don’t have much on hand..."

A patient immediately said, "I have to spend money buying medicine at a pharmacy too! I’m already tremendously grateful that the divine physician didn’t charge me for the consultation! Please, you must sell me the medicine I just took! I feel unwell almost every summer, and it’s the first time I’ve encountered such an immediate remedy!"

Xu Jing finally sighed deeply, seeming troubled, and said, "Since you insist, alright, but please don’t mention to anyone that you got medicine from me. I truly don’t have much.

Today is a free clinic, so I shouldn’t charge too much. There are six pills per packet, and each packet is thirty cents. Take three days to observe, one pill in the morning and one in the evening; just dissolve it in water and drink it."

The patient gratefully agreed immediately.

Even after receiving thirty cents from the patient, Cheng Qingqing was still in a daze.

Before the next patient came in, she hurried to ask Xu Jing, "Sister Jing, why did you say that just now? Weren’t our medicines made to be sold?"

Xu Jing looked at her amusingly, with a slight tilt of her eyes, "They are meant to be sold, but we started under the banner of a free clinic, which generally doesn’t include selling medicine to patients either.

If we rushed to sell the medicine, how would others see us? Those who dislike us would have even more reasons to slander us.

But what if the patients are pleading to buy the medicine?"

Cheng Qingqing was stunned.

Could... could it really be done this way?

Xu Jing took a sip of water from the nearby jug and said, "Just now, I told them not to tell others they bought medicine from me, but people’s minds work like this — the more you tell them not to say, the more they want to say. Just watch, within two days, the rumor about getting special medicine for summer heat ailments from us will spread across the county.

After that, when we open sales, after a couple of days of the free clinic, people will trust Xinglin Hall more and will be more willing to buy our medicine."

Cheng Qingqing felt her mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an entire egg, quickly closing it. "Sister Jing, you’re amazing! I never even thought of that!"

She initially thought holding a free clinic itself was impressive enough to show Sister Jing’s greatness.

Little did she know that the free clinic was just the first step in Sister Jing’s plan!

She and her brother must have accumulated blessings over several lifetimes to meet Sister Jing!

Xu Jing couldn’t help but smile.

Just then, the curtain outside the room was suddenly lifted, and a slick voice rang out, "Oh, so you’re the famous female divine physician of Xinglin Hall? Why are you wearing a veil for consultations? Is it because you’re too ugly and don’t dare to show your face?"