Chapter 291: Lively Yide Hall

Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Lively Yide Hall

Yang was even more enthusiastic than Ji Xuelan and Ji Mingfang themselves.

Every day before dawn, she would get up early to make breakfast. The moment the siblings finished eating, she would rush them off to work.

The workplace was inside Ji Huan’s large house, sheltered from the wind and rain. The work wasn’t tiring, and they could each earn ten cents a day. For both of them together, that was twenty cents a day!

With a steady income, the family no longer had to worry about starvation, and Ji Liansong didn’t have to risk his life on construction sites anymore.

So how could Yang not be invested?

’If I’m not proactive and vigilant, what if someone else snatches this opportunity away?’

Now, without anyone needing to tell her, she kept her lips sealed tight.

This, in turn, made Ji Xuelan and Ji Mingfang feel a little guilty.

In truth, they had worked for twelve days in the eighth month, and each had received two hundred and forty cents in wages.

But if they handed all of it over to the family, they were afraid Yang would get excited and go brag to others, so they had hidden half of it. That way, even if she let it slip, it wouldn’t be too conspicuous.

They hadn’t expected...

However, they hadn’t hidden this from Ji Liansong. He was aware of the real amount, but he clearly had no intention of telling Yang either.

Ji Liansong already felt he had let Ji Huan down. Now that his two children were earning money from her, he felt even worse.

He constantly reminded Ji Xuelan and Ji Mingfang to work hard. Now that Ji Huan herself had asked Ji Mingfang to accompany her to town, he certainly wouldn’t say a word against it.

He cleared his throat and urged, "It’s getting late. If you’re going, then go. Don’t keep Wuan waiting. In town, keep your eyes peeled. Help her out as much as you can, don’t let her get cheated, and don’t let her get bullied."

Ji Xuelan thought to herself, ’With Ji Huan’s sharp mind, anyone trying to cheat her would have a hard time. They’d have an easier time cheating Ji Mingfang.’

Ji Mingfang felt a bit embarrassed. He knew he couldn’t be of much help to Ji Huan... but he would do his best.

On the way to Ji Huan’s house, Ji Xuelan suddenly spoke up. "You’re not telling the truth. You have other business in town, don’t you?"

Ji Mingfang knew that some things could be hidden from others, but not from his own sister.

He really did want to find someone to share his overwhelming excitement and joy with, but he had to be cautious.

"Sis, can I tell you after I get back from town?"

Ji Xuelan looked at her brother, his face an open book of emotions, and nodded. "Alright. I’ll wait for you to come back and tell me the good news."

"Today, we’re processing seed-based spices. Most seeds are threshed and sun-dried. For this kind, you just roast it and grind it directly into a fine powder. For this other kind, it needs to be steamed and then dried again before it can be crushed... For rhizomes, we dig up the roots, wash them, peel the skin, and then sun-dry them. Processing them is a bit more troublesome... We’ll handle that the day after tomorrow. Today, I’m leaving things here to you, Aunt Xie and cousin. And don’t you two be envious of my other cousin; he’s just accompanying me to town for a change of pace, so he won’t be getting paid."

Ji Xuelan shooed her and Ji Mingfang away. "Then you two should get going. Don’t keep me and Auntie Xie from making money."

Seeing that Ji Huan was about to start nagging again, Widow Xie waved her hand as well. "We know, we know. Just go on, don’t you worry. We won’t let Dabao get thirsty, and we certainly won’t let him go hungry. If you two aren’t back by noon, the one in the earthen hut won’t go hungry either."

Ji Huan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She went to the front yard to give Dabao a few instructions before finally setting off with Ji Mingfang.

When they reached the village entrance and Uncle Niu’s cart arrived, Ji Mingfang insisted on paying the fare.

He was earning money now, and he was Ji Huan’s older cousin. It wouldn’t be right to let his younger cousin pay. Besides, this trip was for his sake.

Ji Huan understood and didn’t argue with him.

After paying, they sat in the cart. Ji Huan could clearly sense Ji Mingfang’s tension, and beneath it, a palpable excitement mixed with a trace of fear.

He even became uncharacteristically talkative, asking Ji Huan many questions about the town.

Ji Huan chatted with him casually, but her heart felt heavy.

Once in town, they returned a book to the bookshop and then headed straight for Yide Hall.

Compared to its previously deserted state, Yide Hall was now much livelier. Although it didn’t have as many patients as Jishi Hall, there were still quite a few.

A quick glance revealed that most patients needed stitches for external wounds or had their arms and legs in plaster casts and bandages for broken bones.

"A few days ago, my third son accidentally tumbled down a mountain and got a long, bloody gash on his calf. Scared me half to death... I rushed him to town, wanting to go to Jishi Hall, but they wouldn’t let us in because I didn’t have enough money. We had no choice but to come here to Yide Hall. Hey, I’m telling you, this Doctor Xin’s technique is amazing! He was stitching up my son’s skin, just like doing embroidery, and my son didn’t even feel any pain..."

"Really? Just hearing about it gives me the shivers..."

"You bet! I can’t even imagine it! What does that prove? It proves Doctor Xin is highly skilled!"

"And another thing! My little grandson broke his arm while playing. Doctor Xin set the bone, then wrapped it up in several layers of white cloth, setting it firmly in place. It didn’t matter how rowdy the kid was. After half a month, they took that white thing off, and his arm had healed up perfectly!"

"My, my. How did we never know the doctor at Yide Hall was so skilled? All we ever heard about was Jishi Hall..."

Ji Huan and Ji Mingfang stood at the entrance, listening to the discussions of the patients coming and going.

One was lost in thought, the other’s heart was racing.

Ping’an, who was busy tending to patients inside, spotted Ji Huan at a glance and hurried out to greet her.

"You’re here, Miss Ji! Please, come in!"

Yide Hall wasn’t large to begin with. It had no dedicated consultation rooms or main hall, just a long table that served as Xin Ziqi’s usual workspace.

Now, another table had been added in front of that long one. Seated before it, taking a patient’s pulse, was a young man with plain features and a dark, thin complexion. By his age, he looked to be slightly older than Xin Ziqi.

Xin Ziqi was writing a prescription for a patient. He saw Ji Huan as well, gave her a nod of acknowledgment, and then returned his focus to the task at hand.

Ji Huan told Ping’an to go back to his work. She led Ji Mingfang across the hall and went directly to Xin Ziqi’s study in the back courtyard, which was where he usually received guests.

After waiting for about half an hour, Xin Ziqi finally had some free time.

Upon entering the study, he still bowed to Ji Huan before taking a seat.

Ji Mingfang watched this, a little puzzled.

Ji Huan, however, acted as if she hadn’t noticed and teased, "Doctor Xin, business is booming."

Xin Ziqi shook his head slightly. "I would rather that no one in the world fell ill, and that the medicine on my shelves gathered dust."

’The sentiment is beautiful, of course, but is such a thing possible? Of course not.’

’People will always get sick. And when they get sick, they’ll always need medicine and a doctor. In that case, it’s better they come to Yide Hall than some other clinic.’

’Alright, there I go being pragmatic again.’

Ji Huan cleared her throat and got down to business. "That medicine... have you used it on a patient?"

Xin Ziqi knew what she was referring to and nodded.

"The local anesthetic has undergone multiple trials and was just waiting for clinical use. I only recently started using it on patients, and the effects are good. The general anesthetic isn’t ready yet. I can’t quite get the dosage right."

Ji Huan wasn’t worried about Xin Ziqi’s rigor when it came to using medicine; she was worried about something else.

"With your business suddenly picking up like this, haven’t you attracted Jishi Hall’s attention?"