Chapter 7: Guizhi Tang and Langzhong Decoction

  Zhao San Niang stopped and turned around to look at him, while continuing to eat and said: "Zuo Da Lang, are you going to pay my rent?"

  Zuo Dalang? - Sounds like Wu Dalang selling pancakes. Zuo Shaoyang muttered to himself.

  During the Tang and Song dynasties, men were generally referred to by their surname followed by their birth order, with the character "lang" added at the end. For example, Yang's family general's seven lang eight hu, and Water Margin's Wu Song Wu Erlang, all originated from this practice. In ancient times, children's birth order was counted separately for boys and girls. Therefore, even though Zuo Shao Yang had an older sister, he was still the eldest among his brothers (even if there were no other brothers). That's why Zhao San Niang called him Zuo Da Lang.

  Zuoyang had already learned this from Ai Xiang, but now it still sounds unfamiliar. Taking two steps forward, he glanced at the food in her hand and smiled slightly: "Third Aunt, are you eating hawthorn?"

  "Really? You want some too?"

  "Oh no, Aunt San, it seems like you really love eating hawthorn. Did you often eat them in the past?"

  "Yes," Zhao San Niang replied to Zuo Shao Yang with a very gentle attitude, answering every question: "Auntie, I like the sour and sweet taste of hawthorn the most. I don't usually like eating things, my stomach is not good, but after eating this hawthorn, it can open up my appetite."

  "Uh-huh, Third Aunt, you usually don't just have a poor appetite, but also often get stomachaches and mouth ulcers, right?"

  Landlord Zhao San Niang was taken aback: "Ah, how did you know? I've never been to your pharmacy for treatment!"

  "Hey, Auntie, haven't you taken less medicine for this illness? How is it? No effect, right?"

  "Really? Can you cure it?"

  Zuo Shaoyang's smile faded, and he said lightly: "Auntie, I'm not trying to scare you, but this illness needs to be treated as soon as possible. If not, it will get even more severe. By then, it will be too late!"

  "Alright! Don't scare me, your father's medical skills are just so-so, can you be more fierce than him? However, since you can say what my illness is, I'll believe you this once. Now, cure my illness and how much do you want for it?"

  "Alright, I'll cure your illness and you can have half of our rent waived..."

  " Bah!" Landlord Zhao San Niang spat on the ground, glaring at him and said: "Zuo Dalang, you're not a good person! You rented my three large tile houses to open a pharmacy, and the rent I charged is the cheapest on this street. You should know that in your heart, right? Good fellow, it's been many years now, hasn't it? In the past, when you didn't pay the full rent on time, I gave you a cold face, didn't I? Of course, year after year, you owed me hundreds of copper coins, and this year you owe even more. I got anxious, and at the end of the year, I said harsh words to urge you to repay the debt. That's also the rule, but in the end, I didn't make things difficult for you, did I? It's been many years now, and the rent you owed has added up to 9,000 copper coins! Half of that is over 4,000 copper coins! Do you know how much 4,000 copper coins are worth? How much rice or cattle can be bought with it? Can it support a family of several people from starving to death?" Zhao San Niang spoke with flying spittle, and one hand patted her chest loudly: "Zuo Dalang, as a human being, you must have a conscience! You should know how I treated your family. Now that you're helping me treat my stomachache and acid reflux, you want me to give you over 4,000 copper coins? Don't you feel guilty...?"

  Left Shǎoyáng came over, naturally didn't know these backgrounds, and had no concept of the value of copper coins. After hearing her say this, he felt that it must be worth a lot of money. Thinking about it, 4,000 wen is equivalent to 20,000 yuan, and spending 20,000 yuan to treat a common stomach disease would be considered an astronomical price even in modern times. Busy accompanying smile said: "Okay, okay, I was wrong. Then you tell me, how much money are you willing to spend to treat this illness?"

  "Alright, Zuo Dalang, don't try to be clever. If you're going to treat me, do it at the standard rate your father charges for a consultation. I'm not ignorant of the customs. Your father diagnoses and prescribes medicine for two coins per visit, and the cost of the medicine is calculated separately. Am I right? Let's just follow that! Whatever the total comes out to be, that's what it'll be!"

  Zuo Shaoyang thought for a moment and said: "How about this? I'll treat you for free, and you can give us some more time to pay the rent, okay?"

  "This still sounds like human words!" Landlord Zhao San Niang continued to throw hawthorns into her mouth, chewing and staring at him with wide eyes. "I'm not a person who takes advantage of others, you treat my illness and I'll pay for it, no need for free. If the treatment is good, I'll even give you a few more coins. However, this rent can't be delayed any longer. You've all been dragging it out for many years, if you don't treat me, I won't believe there's no one who can cure it. But if we don't collect the rent, my daughters and I will all starve to death! It's still the same words, tonight you pay up and that's settled, if not, get out! No room for negotiation!"

  "Auntie, can't you just wait a few more days?"

  "No way! - What? How many days? In how many days can you come up with 9,000 won to pay me the rent?"

  "I can! I must!"

  Zuo Gui and the other two looked at him in surprise, unsure of what made him so certain.

  Landlord Zhao San Niang looked up and down at Zuo Shao Yang: "Can you really raise the money?"

  "Haha, there's always a way if you think about it. If nothing unexpected happens, it should be fine, but you'll have to wait a few more days. After all, 9,000 yuan isn't a small amount."

  "It won't work, it's been too long."

  "Good auntie, I'm begging you!" Zuo Shao Yang saw that Zhao San Niang was a sharp-tongued but soft-hearted person, so he shamelessly begged and pleaded.

  Zhao San Niang gave him a white eye, sighed and said: "Alright! Auntie San, I'm afraid of you, I'll trust you one more time, this is the last time, okay? So, on New Year's Eve at noon, I'll come to collect debts again, there are still five days from now, did you hear clearly? If I still can't get the money by New Year's Eve at noon, I won't bother to tear my face off, you can leave by yourselves, but the medicine must be left behind. How about that?"

  "No problem!" Zuo Shaoyang touched the musk in his arms and said confidently.

  Zhao San Niang turned her head to look at Liang Shi and Zuo Gui. The couple looked at each other, and now that things had come to this point, there was no other way out, so they could only nod their heads in dejection and helplessness.

  "Alright then, it's settled." Zhao San Niang walked over to the long table and sat down, placing her hands on the table. "Here, take a look at my illness."

  Zuo Shaoyang walked over to the table and was about to sit down when Zuo Gui said in a low voice, "Zhong Er, what are you doing!"

  "Let Zhao's aunt take a look at her illness."

  "What did your father tell you? - You're not allowed to practice medicine or prescribe medication until you've finished your studies! Get out!"

  Zuo Shaoyang wanted to say more, but Liang had already pulled him over and whispered, "Zhong'er, don't be rash, let your father take a look at Zhao Dajie."

  "But..."

  "Listen! Don't make your father angry!"

  "Brother, don't be reckless, getting treated isn't a joke. You've already managed to drag this out for several days, let Father take a look."

  "Oh——" Zuo Shaoyang understood, all three of them thought they had just seen someone about to kick their whole family out, and in a panic, they boasted wildly. If they really wanted to diagnose an illness, it wouldn't be enough. On the way, I also heard Xie Xiang say that Zuo Zhong used to only be responsible for picking medicine and helping patients with decoctions at the pharmacy, although he had been learning medicine from his father since childhood, but had never practiced medicine independently. It seems that his skills were not refined, and he did not meet his father's expectations.

  Zuo Gui lifted his sleeve and sat down behind the long table, composed himself, stretched out three withered fingers, and lightly placed them on Zhao Sanniang's wrist. After a moment, he furrowed his brow and said, "Please switch to your other hand."

  Zhao San Niang switched the hawthorn bag to her other hand and placed that hand on the table. Zuo Gui also changed hands to take her pulse. After a moment, he let go of her hand, thought for a bit, and then picked up his pen to write a prescription. The first medicinal herb he wrote down was indeed cassia twig.

  Someone once asked him why the first prescription he wrote was always Guizhi, and Zuo Gui smiled but didn't answer. When pressed for an answer, he reluctantly said that his teacher, who was also his father, had taught him to use Guizhi in prescriptions, and that it was a favorite of his. He claimed there were many benefits, but when asked what they were, he privately admitted that he didn't actually know. He just knew that using this medicine worked well.

  Actually, Cinnamon Twig is widely used. According to statistics, among the 112 prescriptions in "Shang Han Lun", 43 of them use Cinnamon Twig, accounting for more than one-third! Cinnamon Twig can harmonize and tonify, dispel cold and warm the middle, promote urination, descend Qi, move blood stasis, supplement the center, especially regulate Ying and Wei. As it is said "When Ying Qi is not harmonized, all vessels are diseased", many diseases benefit from adding Cinnamon Twig without harm. Moreover, Cinnamon Twig is pungent, sweet and warm, can induce sweating, relax muscles, warm and unblock channels, dispel external Wind-Cold. It can be used for treating external contraction of Wind-Cold, whether there is exterior excess with no sweating or exterior deficiency with sweating, as well as Yang deficiency with Cold invasion. It is the first essential medicine for treating externally contracted diseases.

  Of all the illnesses, none is more urgent than injury from cold. This has been true everywhere throughout history. Even the healthiest of people will inevitably contract some kind of external illness such as a cold, fever or cough. Whether in modern hospitals or ancient pharmacies and clinics, the most common ailments treated are wind-cold and other illnesses caused by colds. Therefore, Lao Tzu's prescription uses cassia twig, although he can't explain it clearly, but upon close analysis, there is still some logic to it, also reflecting a kind of empirical medicine from ancient folk doctors.