Chapter 297: Three Prescriptions

Yan Lao’er sneezed twice in a row.

He rubbed his nose.

Qi Da looked at him with concern. “Yan Er, you should wrap yourself up.”

Indeed, Yan Lao’er had brought a quilt with him again on this trip.

If there had been room, he would’ve brought a charcoal brazier too. It was just too useful when traveling.

He didn’t care what others thought. Health came first.

Once the sun went down, the breeze over the river turned chilly.

“Heng’er, wrap yourself up too,” Yan Lao’er reminded his nephew.

Yan Xiangheng obediently did as he was told.

The others had been instructed by Yan Lao’er before setting out, so they followed suit.

Only the few men poling the raft remained active. They didn’t feel the cold, still working hard to keep the raft moving.

Though they were going with the current, they were in a hurry. They’d rather exert more effort to make the raft go faster.

Yan Lao’er focused, trying to recognize the surroundings. His spirits lifted.

He shouted, “Gufeng is just up ahead!”

He pointed to the riverbank, directing everyone to pull over.

He was the first to jump off the raft.

The unsteady, drifting feeling faded as his feet touched solid ground, and he felt a surge of strength.

He grabbed the reins and pulled hard.

Everyone disembarked.

They dragged the raft partway onto the shore—half on land, half still in the water—then began unloading.

Grain, medicine… everything had to be carried by hand.

When Yan Lao’er and his group appeared outside Gufeng City, Chai Tou and his men were resting at their usual spot, cooking a simple meal to fill their stomachs.

“We’re not far from the river. Think we could catch a few fish? I’ve been craving the fish from Yan Er’s family—salty, fragrant, perfect with rice…” the round-faced constable mumbled as he casually looked up. The next moment, his eyes went wide, as round as his cheeks.

“No wonder they say not to talk about people behind their backs. Speak of the devil, and here he is again?!”

The others followed his gaze.

Well, well! It really was that rascal Yan Er.

And those men carrying supplies looked familiar too. Who else could they be but the villagers from Xiao’an Village?

…

**Grain Collection**

Young Doctor An was at a loss for words.

Spring planting and autumn harvest—this was the season the people of Guanzhou worked all year for.

Collecting grain into storage was also a top priority for the government office.

Crouching Tiger had only two household registrars. Registrar Yan and Registrar Liang were both newly appointed and naturally wouldn’t leave their posts at such a critical time.

Yan Yu felt quietly triumphant. This was a rock-solid excuse, more than enough to keep her uncle from leaving.

Yan Huaiwen said thoughtfully, “With the warm spring and summer, the harvest came early. Magistrate Tian granted me and Manshan three days off after the festival to return to Crouching Tiger. The first task he assigned was overseeing the grain tax.

As for the transfer request from Gufeng, the magistrate has yet to approve it.”

Yan Yu was delighted to hear this. Master Tian had even given them three days off after the festival—how generous.

Her uncle was stuck in Crouching Tiger and couldn’t return. The family worried about him, and he was so busy. He really deserved a proper rest.

Young Doctor An said, “There are more patients in Gufeng, and I imagine they’re running low on medicinal herbs. I noticed some herbs drying in the village. Could they be sold to Gufeng?”

He figured if the Gufeng government office was willing, great. If not, Huimin Hall could purchase them instead.

Most of the medicine in Yongning City had already been transferred out. The herbs gathered by Xiao’an Village were exactly what the prefectural city lacked.

Several of them were commonly used in winter—treating colds, reducing fever, and easing heat symptoms. They were often used in prescriptions during this season.

Yan Huaiwen looked at Yan Yu.

She immediately understood what he meant and said, “My father has already taken the herbs and some villagers to Gufeng City. We just don’t know if the officials there will be like Master Tian of Crouching Tiger and agree to buy this batch of herbs.

Young Doctor An, are you leaving today? Or tomorrow morning? If you do go to Gufeng, could you put in a word for my father? Our village is very willing to sell the herbs to Gufeng.”

Before Young Doctor An could respond, she seized the opportunity to explain the connection between Da’an Village and their own, how they were currently stuck outside Gufeng City, and how families with relatives in the village had brought grain and medicine along.

Yan Huaiwen watched her with a faint smile, not interrupting.

Young Doctor An was a perceptive man. He picked up on her unspoken message.

They wanted him—or Huimin Hall—to lend a helping hand.

First, for Da’an Village, which had ties to Xiao’an Village. Second, for Xiao’an Village’s medicinal herb trade.

Young Doctor An said, “I’ll leave at dawn tomorrow. I’ll be imposing on you for the night.”

Yan Huaiwen smiled. “You’re too polite, Young Doctor An. After all, it was Tian You who invited you from Yongning City. Since you’re headed to Gufeng, you might as well ask him when he plans to settle your consultation fee.”

Young Doctor An knew he was joking and played along. “That donkey cart Magistrate Tian gave me doesn’t quite cover it. I might just have to ask your younger brother for the rest.”

Yan Huaiwen’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “That sounds about right.”

…

Li Xuemei called Madam Cui over. The two of them chatted while keeping an eye on the study.

They sipped chrysanthemum tea.

It cleared heat and reduced internal fire—just what they needed.

When Young Doctor An came out, Li Xuemei quickly brought Madam Cui over to him.

Upon hearing there was a patient, Young Doctor An borrowed space from the Yan Family to conduct the consultation.

He examined her complexion, asked about her symptoms, and took her pulse. After that, he had a general understanding of Madam Cui’s condition.

From their conversation, he learned that her husband was the village physician. He had already prescribed medicine, which she had been taking for two days. After thinking it over, Young Doctor An asked to see the prescription.

His young servant looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. One sharp glance from Young Doctor An made him swallow his words.

Yan Yu caught the whole exchange clearly.

She quickly figured out what was going on.

Physicians were often wary of each other, and there were many unspoken rules in the medical profession. She remembered that one of them was not to casually examine another doctor’s prescription, and taking over a patient already under someone else’s care could also be problematic.

“My uncle left in a hurry and didn’t explain anything to my aunt. He just told her to take the medicine. But after drinking it, not only did she not get better, she started having new symptoms—her head feels foggy and stuffy. We were about to head into town to find another doctor, but then Uncle said you were coming today, so we waited.

Young Doctor An, what’s wrong with my aunt? What illness does she have?”

Young Doctor An couldn’t help but smile at her little grown-up act. “You sure know a lot for your age.”

He hadn’t paid much attention during his last visit, but this time, he took notice of this little girl from the Yan Family.

She was small, but sharp.

“It’s nothing serious. I’ll prescribe two formulas. Take the first one for three days. After a two-day break, start the second formula. Continue for half a month. If she feels any improvement, switch to taking it every other day. After ten days, she can stop altogether.”

He paused, then added, “Physician Cui’s prescription was appropriate for the original condition. But it seems Madam suddenly developed an excess of internal heart fire, likely from worrying about her family. Her symptoms flared up, making the previous medicine ineffective. We need to clear the heart fire first, then rebalance her yin and yang.”

Li Xuemei promptly shooed her daughter out of the room.

Yan Yu: …

She nonchalantly found a corner and crouched down like a pro.

She perked up her ears to catch the conversation inside.

If you’ve got the guts, try closing the windows!

As long as there’s a crack, I can hear everything!

Li Xuemei examined the two prescriptions Young Doctor An had written.

The first one was easy to recognize—standard herbs for clearing heat and purging fire.

The second one bore some resemblance to the formula Physician Cui had prescribed, but the ingredients were more refined and aligned closely with a pill recipe she had once copied down from a book.

(End of Chapter)