Chapter 26: The Test, Happiness (Please support with reads this Tuesday)

"What?"

Lu Qing looked at the old doctor in shock, wondering if he had misheard just now.

"Grandpa Chen, did you just say you want me to study medicine with you?"

"What, are you unwilling?" the old doctor asked.

"No, but Grandpa Chen, didn't you say before that you only wanted me to stay by your side to learn some knowledge about herbs?"

"I've changed my mind. Old Man Wang's words earlier reminded me that the village will indeed need a doctor in the future."

"As the only literate person in the village, perhaps I should give you this opportunity."

Old Man Wang was the elderly man who had earlier patted Lu Qing on the shoulder and told him to follow Old Doctor Chen closely to learn medicine.

Lu Qing was stunned.

He had thought it would be a long time before he could get the chance to study medicine.

He hadn't expected things to take such a sudden turn.

A look of joy appeared on his face, and he was about to bow in thanks.

The old doctor added, "However, don't celebrate too early. The path of medicine requires aptitude. If you lack the talent, even if I am willing to teach you, you might not be able to learn it."

"Then what counts as having aptitude?" Lu Qing asked.

"One month," the old doctor said. "As long as you can memorize the names and medicinal properties of all the herbs recorded in this *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* within one month, I will formally take you on as an apprentice."

"If you cannot do it, then you should just stick to learning some herbal knowledge and make a living as a herb gatherer."

"Grandpa Chen, I will definitely work hard to memorize this entire *Classic of a Hundred Herbs*!"

Lu Qing spoke with excitement on his face.

It was just memorizing the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs*; he could do it right now.

However, Lu Qing also knew that if he actually recited the entire book in front of the old doctor right now, what would greet him might not be the doctor's surprise, but his fear.

Therefore, he couldn't rush this; he had to give the old doctor a process of acceptance.

After all, he had personally told the man before that he only knew a few characters and was not well-versed in literature.

Next, Lu Qing took the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* and began asking the old doctor questions about its contents.

His questions mainly concerned rare characters and the pronunciation of medicinal names.

Although his superpower helped him memorize the entire book, he still wanted to gain a deeper understanding of certain word meanings.

It also served to verify if there were any discrepancies between the text and his own knowledge.

Naturally, the old doctor answered everything he knew, explaining things to Lu Qing with great care.

It was during this explanation process that the old doctor discovered to his surprise that Lu Qing's memory was exceptionally good.

For many characters, after only one or two explanations, Lu Qing could basically memorize them without needing further instruction.

"Lu Qing, you are indeed a very bright child," the old doctor said with great gratification.

Lu Qing's performance had greatly exceeded his expectations.

At this rate, he might actually be able to memorize the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* within a month.

"It is because you teach well, Grandpa Chen," Lu Qing said modestly.

At the same time, he breathed a secret sigh of relief in his heart.

This was the first time he had felt that playing dumb could be exhausting.

Even though he already understood many things, he still had to ask several times without letting the old doctor see through him.

This was quite a test of his acting skills.

"Alright, let's stop here for today. One shouldn't try to learn too many characters at once, or it's easy to get them mixed up. Take this *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* back with you and study it well tonight. Come up tomorrow, and I will test your progress."

"Grandpa Chen, don't I need to wait until the next acupuncture session to come back?" Lu Qing asked in surprise.

"You're going to study the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs*; why wait so long? If you wait three days, I'm afraid you'll forget everything you learned today!" the old doctor scolded jokingly.

"Then we will come up to greet you again tomorrow," Lu Qing said happily.

"Grandpa Chen, does that mean Xiaoyan can come up to play with you tomorrow too?" Xiaoyan asked excitedly.

"Of course. Tomorrow, Grandpa will make some new pastries for you to taste," the old doctor said, picking up the little girl.

Xiaoyan's eyes lit up. "New pastries? Are they as delicious as the yam cakes?"

"They won't be any worse than the yam cakes."

The little girl's mouth practically watered instantly.

After leaving the courtyard halfway up the mountain with Xiaoyan, Lu Qing's heart remained joyful.

His gains today were immense.

He hadn't expected the Red Moon Carp he intended to give to the old doctor to be such a precious rare fish.

Once the old doctor sold the Red Moon Carp, after deducting the cost of the medicinal decoctions he owed, there should be some silver left over.

He was currently very poor, and with silver, many urgent problems could be solved.

More importantly, he had learned that Red Moon Carp liked to eat blood apricots.

Since a Red Moon Carp could be found in the river outside the village, there must be others.

If he was patient, he might even catch another one.

When that happened, it would be another windfall.

Aside from the Red Moon Carp, his greatest gain was the opportunity bestowed upon him by Old Doctor Chen.

From now on, as long as he followed the steps, studied the *Classic of a Hundred Herbs* thoroughly, and gained the old doctor's recognition, he would truly have the chance to practice medicine.

Lu Qing believed that with his superpower, as long as he studied diligently, he would surely master the medical arts.

Furthermore, the function he had suddenly discovered today made Lu Qing realize that his superpower was even more powerful than he had imagined; many functions were still waiting to be discovered.

With excitement in their hearts, the siblings walked toward home.

Meanwhile, news of what had happened at the old doctor's house today was spreading throughout the entire village.

In particular, the fact that Lu Qing was studying medicine under the old doctor drew the attention of almost every villager.

Under a large tree in the center of the village, a group of villagers were discussing the matter.

"Do you think Lu Qing is really studying medicine with Old Doctor Chen?" a villager asked in surprise.

"Of course it's true. Everyone saw it with their own eyes; Lu Qing was right there reciting a medical book!" a villager replied.

"Exactly. And when we asked Lu Qing, the old doctor didn't deny it, so it must be true," another villager added.

"Does this mean our village is going to have a doctor in the future?" an elderly man asked excitedly.

"It's still early. Lu Qing is only studying under the old doctor for now. It's uncertain when he'll be able to graduate and treat patients."

"Regardless, it's a sign of hope. If the village doesn't have a doctor, we'll all have to go back to the old days."

Hearing this, the villagers fell silent.

Indeed, before the old doctor arrived, whenever they fell ill, they could only endure it themselves.

Some minor ailments might clear up if left alone, but the fear was that they might turn into major problems while waiting.

Many people in the village had passed away that way in the past.

It was only after Old Doctor Chen arrived that everyone's lives improved.

No matter the illness, the old doctor could treat it; even if he couldn't cure it immediately, he could alleviate the pain and make the patient more comfortable.

Most importantly, the old doctor's medical fees were not expensive.

Even if someone couldn't afford the fees at the time, he would still treat them and allow them to pay later.

Where else could one find such a good doctor?

Therefore, everyone's respect for Old Doctor Chen came from the bottom of their hearts.

But everyone also knew that the old doctor was quite old.

Thus, they couldn't help but think: what would they do if one day the old doctor was no longer here?

No one wanted to return to those days of being sick with no doctor to turn to.

Hearing that Lu Qing was studying medicine under the old doctor, everyone was truly happy.

As the crowd was chatting under the tree, someone suddenly shouted.

"Lu Qing is back!"