Chapter 27: Traveling from Village to Village as a Bell Doctor

  Angelica smiled and nodded repeatedly: "That's right, otherwise I'll write this case too?"

  "No way! That's the sign of Hui Min Tang, we earn our own hard-earned money, they earn theirs, don't be jealous. You can boast that your package cures all diseases, but you can't squeeze out others, and even more so, don't step on their shoulders to climb up."

  Zuo Gui and Huixiang exchanged a glance and stuck out their tongues.

  Zuo Gui picked up his pen to write, and Zuo Shao Yang said again: "Wait a minute, we also need to write the sign of our Guizhitang pharmacy. Firstly, it will make people believe that we still have a pharmacy here. As the saying goes, 'you can run away from the temple but you can't run away from the monk'. What worries patients most about doctors is their glib tongue and swindling them out of money. Secondly, it's also good for advertising our Guizhitang. In the future when we become famous and have savings, we will open a pharmacy and clinic to see patients."

  "Ah, this will do." Zuo Gui said, picking up his brush and writing a line of characters on the white banner. At the top, in large horizontal characters, were the three words "Gui Zhi Tang". In the middle, two characters read "Special Treatment", while below them, in vertical columns on either side, were the phrases "Coughs and Cold, Diarrhea" and "Boils and Abscesses, Male and Female Infertility". On the reverse side, a line of large characters read: "Specializing in all kinds of difficult and miscellaneous diseases."

  After finishing writing, Zuo Shao Yang praised: "Dad's handwriting is really not sloppy, I'm afraid even Wang Xizhi can't surpass this!"

  "Nonsense! How can I compare with the Saint of Books?" Left Guo smiled, his smile still had a few points of pride.

  The Liang family had prepared a medicine box, and Zuo Gui personally selected some commonly used medicinal herbs and pills, as well as some powder medicines. He also prepared surgical instruments for treating boils and abscesses. While Zuo Gui was not paying attention, Zuo Shao Yang secretly picked out some of the medicines he needed and also packed into the medicine box the Zi Xue Dan and other powdered medicines that he had concocted the previous night.

  It took almost an hour to get ready, Zuo Shaoyang carried the medicine box, held the flag and bell, shook the bell, and led the way out of the door with his head held high. Zuo Gui followed far behind, covering his hands.

  The owner of the grocery store opposite, Cai, burst out laughing as soon as he saw him: "Hey, Left Gentleman, are you going to hang a bell and start practicing medicine?"

  Zuo Gui's face was a bit hot, and he smiled awkwardly. Zuo Shao Yang, however, said loudly, "Yes, uncle, we call this 'sending doctors to your doorstep', service right to your home. Haha."

  "Good!" Cai Zhanggui stroked his beard and praised, "This idea is great! Yesterday you cured that woman who couldn't give birth to a stillborn child, I heard many people talking about it. Your house calls are definitely better than waiting at home!"

  Zuo Shaoyang listened and his confidence greatly increased. He smiled gratefully: "Thank you, Uncle, for your praise! We're leaving!"

  They shook the bell, walking forward along the main street, walked several streets, and didn't meet anyone who asked them to see a doctor. However, no one came to watch the excitement or novelty, after all, in ancient times, bell doctors were very common, just like small vendors pushing carts selling things on the streets of modern society, except for city administrators, no one would think it's strange.

  They walked several more streets, still no one asked them to see a doctor. Zuo Shao Yang stopped and said to Zuo Gui: "Dad, let's go into the alley, probably nobody on the main street will ask us to see a doctor."

  "Uh-huh!" Zuo Gui responded from a distance, also stopping and looking around cautiously, as if afraid of running into someone familiar. Zuo Shao Yang was a stranger here, so there was no need to worry; besides, he was working hard to earn money, what was there to be ashamed of? He adjusted the medical box on his back and turned into a small alley. The alley had fewer people, but after turning for more than half an hour, still no one came to ask them to see a patient.

  Just as Zuo Shaoyang was about to give up, he heard Zuo Gui's voice behind him, saying: "Leave the city and go to a nearby village!"

  Zuo Shaoyang slapped his forehead, Ah, yes! Dingyuan was originally a traveling doctor who wandered in the countryside. People in the city had fixed pharmacies and clinics to see patients, ordinary people wouldn't look for Dingyuan to get medical treatment, only villages with a lack of doctors and medicine would have a market for Dingyuan's services, just like peddlers selling goods from village to village. He was really foolish!

  "Father, which way are we going?"

  "Let's go to Qianren Mountain area."

  He turned around and headed towards Mount Qianren, knowing that the mountain was actually a general term for a mountain range, and there should be villages on it. The two of them walked out of the city, one in front of the other, along the official road.

  Having walked a long way, there were fewer people, and Zuo Gui also gradually got used to it. Seeing Zuo Shaoyang carrying a medicine box, holding a flag, and shaking a bell, he was really busy, so he quickened his pace to catch up, saying: "Give me the banner bell."

  "Good!" Zuo Shaoyang knew that this was a major change in Old Master Zuo Gui's way of thinking, and happily handed the banner to him.

  Zuo Guidao said, "Let's take a detour and head up the mountain to the stockade. I remember that once we climb this mountain, we'll arrive. It seems like there are several connected villages there, let's go take a look."

  "Hmm!"

  Zuo Gui walked ahead, Zuo Shao Yang followed behind, climbing up the mountain, walking on the winding path covered with thick snow, occasionally slipping and getting back up again. Neither of them spoke a word, not knowing if they would find anyone to treat their illness when they arrived at the village, each lost in their own thoughts as they trudged along.

  The village that Zuo Gui chose was on the main peak of Qianren Mountain, and the road was very steep. They had been climbing for more than half a day before they finally saw the village in the distance. The village was almost at the top of the mountain, scattered on a gentle slope, with smoke rising from the chimneys. At the entrance of the village stood a large pagoda tree, several people hugging its trunk, and under the tree stood a stele with three large characters "Lao Huai Village" carved in Lishu script. Next to the stele were two rows of simple wooden benches.

  Two people came to rest under the pagoda tree for a while. Zuo Shaoyang put down the medicine box, stood on a large stone, and looked far away towards the mountain below, only to see the mountains surrounded by white clouds floating like a belt wrapped around the mountains at their feet, occasionally hearing a few clear bird calls in their ears, The branches of the old pagoda tree above their heads were covered with silver-white snow, and when the mountain wind blew through, it shook the branches, causing the snow to fall down on the two people's heads and shoulders.

  Upon seeing this heavenly place, Zuo Shao Yang's gloomy mood of many days was lifted in an instant. He couldn't help but take a deep breath and stretch his waist, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. With a sudden inspiration, he composed a short poem, but lacking the talent, he wanted to recite a famous verse, yet couldn't think of one at the moment. So, he simply shouted out loud: "Damn it! This is really comfortable!"

  Zuo Guike didn't have the mood to care about him, and said a sentence: "Let's go!" Shaking the bell, holding the flag, walking into the village, Zuo Shaoyang hurriedly carried the medicine box, followed behind, and stepped into the village.

  As soon as the bell rang, everyone knew that Dr. Bell had arrived, and all the village children ran out to see the excitement.

  Itinerant doctors also have rules, different from peddlers. You can't go door-to-door asking if people want to see a doctor, and you can't even walk along the edge of their doors. You can only slowly ring the bell on the stone road in the village, and if someone wants to see a doctor, they will naturally come out to greet you.

  As they slowly made their way through the village, almost to the edge of the village, and were feeling disheartened, a little kid called out to them: "Hey! Doctor, my grandma wants you to come over and take a look at her illness!"

  The two were overjoyed and followed the child to a house, where the neighbors on both sides heard the sound of the bell and also came out to watch the commotion, hugging their shoulders and shrinking their necks.

  An old woman brought over two low stools and invited them to sit at the entrance, which was also the custom. Unless the patient was seriously ill and unable to get out of bed, they would all be diagnosed at the entrance and not allowed inside.

  Then, the woman led out a young man, who was seen to have his hands slightly trembling, his eyes were uneven and slanted, his tongue was sticking out halfway, making "heh heh" sounds, as he sat down on the stool, despite wearing thick padded clothes, he was still shivering violently.

  The old woman said, "Doctor, take a look at my son. He came back from the fields yesterday afternoon and became like this. Yesterday afternoon, Dr. Ling happened to be here and took a look, but he didn't get better. Originally, we were going to go to the city tomorrow to find a doctor to take a look, but then we heard that the doctors in the city charge too much for their diagnoses, and we can't afford it. You take a look."

  Zuo Gu nodded, held his wrist to feel the pulse, looked at his tongue, and asked about his symptoms, diet, bowel movements, and urination. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Hmm, I'll prescribe you a formula to try."

  The woman saw Lao Guizhen's expression and seemed uncertain, so she anxiously asked: "Doctor, what is wrong with my son?"