Chapter Five: The Revival Hall

  The room is spacious, and although the furniture is simple, it's enough. The only thing missing is a quilt.

  At that time, cotton was not widely planted, and weaving technology was not advanced. Quilts were very expensive, obviously, Song Kai could not enjoy the warmth of quilts at this time.

  Fortunately, it was early autumn, and even in the deep night, the weather wasn't cold.

  Song Kai took a brief look around his entire inn and then went to sleep.

  I'm really tired...

  The next morning, Song Kai got up early and went to the toilet. After relieving himself, he discovered a very serious, embarrassing, and realistic problem - damn it, people in the Tang Dynasty didn't use paper to wipe their butts. At least, poor people in the Tang Dynasty didn't use paper, but instead used a wooden stick-like thing called a "latrine scoop".

  "I'm going..."

  He cursed in his heart, and indeed the poor man's life was difficult to live. Song Kai opened his mouth and shouted loudly: "Fu Bo! Fu Bo, bring the account book here."

  A Fu was sweeping the yard when he heard shouting, and hastily carried the account book to the outhouse, thinking to himself that this young master had indeed changed his ways, even doing business while going to the toilet. Ah, Heaven blesses the Song family, Heaven blesses the Song family!

  Just as the account book was handed in, a rustling sound came from the thatched house, followed by Song Kai's whisper: "What kind of paper is this? The quality is too good, it's not comfortable to wipe my butt."

  Upon hearing this sentence, Ah Fu's face turned pale, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

  Three-cash-page account book white paper, you...you...use it to wipe your butt.

  Song Kai pulled up his clothes, furrowed his brow and walked out. No matter what, he had to get the start-up capital for the shop first. He had looked over the entire inn and apart from the name being a bit tacky, everything else was fine. The location was decent, the area was big enough, and the environment wasn't bad. If it weren't for his old man's love of gambling and whoring, this inn wouldn't have gone bankrupt in the first place.

  As long as I can get three coppers, I can keep the guest house open. As long as it's open, I can make a profit. It doesn't matter how much money I make, but at least I can afford to buy toilet paper!

  "Uncle Fu, are there any rich relatives or friends in our family who can lend us some money?" Song Kai asked.

  A Fu shook his head, "Young Master, don't think about it, for now, we can only wait for someone to come and stay at the inn and pay, or... Young Master, you might as well sell me, I have always been loyal to the Song family, until death..."

  Saying so, she burst into loud sobs again.

  Song Kai turned his head to look at Ah Fu, how did this old fellow suddenly bring up this matter? Could it be that he himself had said something about selling off this old goods before? However, it was also reasonable, this old man spent the whole day crying and being dirty, not as good as buying a young maid.

  Shaking his head, Song Kai said: "Alright, Fu Bo, don't mention those words again. Since I couldn't borrow it, I'll go around and see how I can get a few taels of copper coins."

  A Fu saw Song Kai not selling himself, immediately stopped crying and said: "Young master, I think it's better to investigate that Nie Lingdang. If she is a black household without official documents, we can send her to the government office and get a lot of reward money."

  "Fu Bo, never mention this again! Not a word, and especially not to anyone else about the girl in our shop!" Song Kai shouted with an angry face.

  A Fu hastily nodded and didn't dare to refute.

  Song Kai patiently explained, "Fu Bo, think about it, this woman has been staying in our shop for a night. What if she's really a runaway slave? If we hand her over now, not only won't we get any reward money, but we'll also be punished by the authorities! This is harboring a fugitive slave, punishable by exile."

  A Fu covered his mouth with one hand, "Yes, yes, young master, I won't say a single word."

  "Uh-huh, I'll go out for a bit." Song Kai combed his hair and walked outside.

  A Fu hastily pulled Song Kai, "Young master, you have to comb your hair..."

  In a guest room, Nie Lingdang was wearing clothes and leaning against the door, listening to the conversation between the master and servant in the courtyard. Her silver teeth were chattering with anger. This old man is still after the young lady of this county, but Song Kai is quite good. Hmm, after the Holy City is restored, I will definitely reward him with an official position.

  But now I can only hide in this small inn... Ah...

  An hour later, Song Kai finally walked out of the hotel and headed towards the main street.

  After inquiring about it, Song Kai turned around and headed towards the center of Suzhou City.

  Suzhou city is naturally not as big as later generations, but in this era of traveling on foot, today's Suzhou city can also be considered magnificent.

  Another hour passed, and Song Kai lifted his head to see a luxurious small wooden building in front of him. The exterior was decorated with elegance, and in the center were three ink-red characters: Hui Chun Tang.

  It is said that all the best hospitals in China are called this name.

  Now Song Kai is really seen.

  Come to Hui Chun Tang, of course, not to practice medicine, Song Kai is here to sell medical prescriptions. In the Tang Dynasty, Chinese medicine had not fallen to its lowest point. During the Qin and Han dynasties, a hundred schools of thought contended, "Huangdi Neijing" and "Shanghan Lun" were born, allowing traditional Chinese medicine to reach its peak for the first time. However, printing technology was too backward at that time, and paper-making technology was also backward. These two classic works of traditional Chinese medicine were written on bamboo slips. Later, they were scattered and lost, and only imperial court doctors had the chance to see them, but they could only see a small part.

  By the Song Dynasty, there were movable type printed books, and with the rapid progress of papermaking techniques, medical classics became popular. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, traditional Chinese medicine experienced a peak.

  This information Song Kai naturally knew, if it was facing the doctors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, perhaps Song Kai would have been a bit hesitant, after all he didn't dare say that he surpassed them in terms of Chinese medical skills. However, when facing the Tang Dynasty doctor, he was still very confident.

  Inside Baichuantang Hall, there were many patients. More than a dozen Chinese medicine doctors wearing long gowns were diagnosing by looking, smelling, asking and feeling the pulse. Over 100 patients lined up in a long queue, waiting.

  Huisheng Hall is the largest medical hall in Suzhou City, its status is equivalent to the provincial central hospital in later generations, and naturally there are many patients.

  Song Kai arrived at the counter and knocked on it.

  A young man in his early twenties ran over, "Lang Jun, to see a doctor, you need to line up first. To get medicine, you have to show the prescription to that old gentleman over there for him to review."

  "I'm not here to see a doctor or grab medicine, I'm here... uh, is the boss around?" Song Kai leaned on the counter, unfazed by the commotion.

  That young man looked up and down at Song Kai, who seemed like a scholar. His clothes were ordinary, not those of a wealthy person, but he had an air of grandeur about him.

  "Mr. Lang, our master is currently examining a patient in the inner room, you'd better not bother him with small matters," said the young man with a sly smile, and didn't go to report.

  Song Kai furrowed his brow and said, "I really have something to discuss."

  Just then, the door curtain was lifted and a woman with a bun and wearing a white robe came out.

  "Li Erlang, what are you doing? I told you to get the broad beans, have you finished yet?" The woman's expression was somewhat urgent, although she was not yet twenty years old, but she had a certain air of authority about her.

  "Yes, Third Sister, I'll send him over right away," Li Erlang turned his head and waved his hand at Song Kai. He had just been scolded and was in a bad mood, so he chased Song Kai away, saying: "Hurry up and go queue for the doctor, if you cause any trouble, be careful or I'll get my buddies to beat you up."

  Song Kai ignored the three-eyed "Li Erlang" and turned his head to look at the woman. The woman had fair skin, a few points of beauty, and a strong aura about her, clearly someone in charge.

  "The young lady has been polite, I have a prescription in my hand and would like to discuss the price with the shopkeeper," Song Kai said directly.

  The woman looked up and down at Song Kai, this kind of thing is very normal, mainly because the information is not developed, and many doctors regard certain prescriptions as family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation.

  The ancestral doctors are still okay, but the ones who bring apprentices are the most ruthless. As the saying goes, "teach your apprentice and starve yourself to death", so the masters often hide a few tricks up their sleeves and don't teach them to their apprentices. When the apprentices become doctors themselves, their skills naturally decline greatly. And when they bring their own apprentices, they will again hold back some techniques, passing it down this way, it's truly impossible for medical skills to flourish.

  The woman turned around and entered the inner room, saying: "You wait for a moment first, I'll discuss with you in a while."

  Song Kai followed the woman into the inner room very naturally.

  Inside is a VIP clinic, and the consultation fee here costs 300 wen at a time. Outside only needs 10 wen.

  Of course, those who are sitting in diagnosis here are all descendants of Mr. Sun's family, that is to say, they are doctors who have received the true transmission from Mr. Sun.

  Mr. Sun Lao's name is Sun Tang, the first big husband in Suzhou City, and it is said that his ancestors were the imperial physician Sun Simiao of the previous dynasty, anyway, he has a great origin.

  The woman's face was anxious, and after entering the inner room, she continued to walk inside.

  At the far end of the VIP ward, there was a small door. When you pushed it open, it was a small room with a stove.

  Several doctors looked at Song Kai, unaware of what he did, but seeing him follow behind San Niang, no one asked questions.

  At this time, Li Erlang brought a bag of beans and rushed over. The woman took it from him and was about to enter the small hut of the kiln when she saw Song Kai still following her. She raised an eyebrow and said, "You wait here."

  Song Kai ignored him, stretched out his hand, pushed open the door and walked straight into the innermost room.

  The fire is burning fiercely, and the smell of medicine is spreading everywhere.

  There were three people in the room, two old men sat by the fire, and there was a bed beside the stove, on which lay a middle-aged man, his face pale, shivering with fear.

  It's a critical condition, judging from the complexion and state, it should be septicemia-induced high fever and coma. In ancient times, without antibiotics, this kind of illness was quite serious.

  "Get out!"

  The woman behind him stretched out her hand with an angry face and pulled Song Kai back.

  The sound came, and the two old men sitting by the stove turned their heads at the same time. One of them was wearing a light blue long gown with an incense bag around his waist and holding an ancient medical book in his hand, which should be Sun Tang, the owner of Hui Chun Hall.

  Another one turned out to be an acquaintance, it was the old man who was fishing by the river yesterday, the one who saved his own life.

  The old fisherman saw Song Kai and let out a sound of surprise.

  Song Kai bowed his head slightly towards the old man.

  The woman behind saw that Song Kai and Xue Weihai knew each other, so it was not good to drive Song Kai away anymore. He closed the door, handed the broad beans in his hand to Sun Tang, and said, "Grandpa, I've brought back the broad beans."