Chapter 343 Untitled

After the monks finished chanting, those who had requested lamps began to light them.

Taking advantage of this time, Li San Niang searched all over the place for Li's mother and the others. In the end, Qiu Xiang, with her sharp eyes, found Li's mother and the others at a stone table next to a tree.

"Mother!"

Li's mother turned around and saw Li San Niang running towards her. "Mother, I've been looking for you everywhere! Didn't you tell me you were waiting for me on the right side of the main hall?"

Before Li's mother could answer, Li San Niang took Lu Zhu'er from Li's sister-in-law's arms and said to her, "Sister-in-law, you must be tired from carrying such a little one."

Then she smiled at Luzhu'er and said, "My darling, let your aunt rest and let your mother hold you."

Once everyone was present, Li's mother took the lead, and the group followed behind her, walking in circles on the stone path in the temple.

Li San Niang noticed that there were other people walking on the gravel path about seven or eight feet in front of and behind her house.

"Sister-in-law, how many more laps do we have to walk?"

Sister-in-law Li said with a smile, "This is just the beginning."

They said you have to walk at least eighteen laps to be considered truly sincere.

Sister-in-law Li pointed to the group at the very front and said, "The family at the front should be walking eighty-eight laps. They're probably praying to Buddha."

Li San Niang was somewhat helpless; the saying "sincerity brings results" was really too idealistic.

However, since Li's mother said she had to walk eighteen laps, Li San Niang naturally dared not disobey.

However, they had to put down Dewdrop halfway there, as their arms were simply too tired to carry her anymore.

"Dewdrop, walk by yourself for a while. If you get tired, tell your mother and she will carry you."

Dewdrop nodded obediently and walked briskly along the cobblestone path, led by Li San Niang.

After completing the eighteen laps, when they returned to the Li family home, Li's elder brother, who had just finished his shift, was already waiting for Li's father in the main hall.

“Perfect timing. I obtained some medicine and food from Ci’en Temple, and I brought back your portions as well. Third Sister, go and deliver them to Doctor Liang and your senior brother.”

Li San Niang was surprised to find that there was food. When her mother handed her two fragrant cloth bags, Li San Niang opened them and exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, it's fried noodles!"

"You child, how old are you?"

Why are you so easily startled?

Mother Li reached out and slapped Li San Niang's arm, "Stop looking, hurry up and tie it up, don't let the fragrance go away. I've sent it to your master and senior brother, so come back quickly and drink your share."

Li San Niang delivered the two portions of medicine and food, and Doctor Liang smiled and said, "Good thing, it's all thanks to Midwife Li for thinking of us. You should go back and eat your portion."

Under the watchful eye of Li's mother, Li San Niang, along with Li's father and eldest brother, drank the expensive fried noodles while they were still hot.

"There's no time for a bath. I'll have Tiger Head bring you two buckets of water, and you can light another charcoal brazier. You can just wipe yourself down in the house."

Li San Niang nodded, agreeing with Li's mother's words.

After everything was tidied up, Li Sanniang lay down on the bed and soon fell asleep from exhaustion.

And so, Laba Festival came to an end.

Time passed by like flowing water, and a rather heavy snow fell in the middle, causing considerable difficulties for Li San Niang, who was out providing free medical services.

After all, no matter how sturdy the medical tent is, it can't compare to a house built of bricks and stones.

Fortunately, they gave us enough honeycomb briquettes, which at least warmed up the cold tent.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the last day of the free clinic, the free clinic in Shengpingfang was still as busy as ever, except for Li San Niang's clinic.

It wasn't that the other doctors had no staff, but compared to the dozens of people in the other doctors' clinics, the line outside Li San Niang's clinic had no fewer than a hundred people.

It's obvious that we won't be able to see all the dozens of people at the back today, but this free clinic won't be open again after today. What should we do?

"Please trouble the manager to tell the women outside that today's deadline is only 100. Those who are over 100, please go back to Yongpingfang Medical Hall 3 to see me, Li Mingfang."

The manager struck a gong and had two errand runners repeatedly shout the same message along the long queue. Although the people after number 100 heard that they wouldn't be able to see the show today, no one caused any trouble.

He just sighed and complained that he was too late.

"Oh dear, I'm late."

My mother had chest pains, and after much pleading, she finally agreed to come to see a female doctor.

"Oh well, we're still too late."

The woman in the gray-brown clothes complained like this, and the person in front of her in line turned around and said to her, "Hey, then you can take her to the clinic where the female doctor is seeing patients."

Now that we finally have a female doctor, we can't be stingy with the money.

As the sun set and the north wind blew, Li Sanniang managed to write a prescription for the hundredth patient and send it out just before her shift ended a quarter of an hour later.

Li San Niang stretched her stiff neck and said to Qiu Xiang, "I'm really exhausted. Luckily, I listened to my father and talked less. I tried to say as few words as possible and drank this throat-soothing herbal tea. My voice is a little hoarse now."

Looking ahead, I really need to get a good night's sleep these next couple of days, I have to sleep until the sun is high in the sky, otherwise I won't feel refreshed.

Qiu Xiang didn't reply. Instead, she went behind Li San Niang and started massaging her neck and shoulders.

The free clinic ended, but it wasn't too late. After listening to the ward chief of Shengpingfang express his gratitude, Li Sanniang got into the carriage with a clay pot of lard, followed by Qiuxiang carrying Li Sanniang's medical kit.

Once inside the carriage, Li Sanniang whispered to Qiu Xiang with a smile, "Shengpingfang is quite interesting; they actually sent two catties of lard."

It smells delicious. Manager Gao said that last year they went to Shengdao Workshop, and they were given fabric as a last-minute gift there.”

After returning home, having dinner, soaking her feet in hot water, and lying in bed, Li San Niang felt as if she had come back to life.

"How many patients can I see by myself? It seems I need to find an opportunity to get more women who are already skilled in medicine to step into the public eye."

Before Li San Niang could continue thinking, she heard Lu Zhu'er's voice: "Mother, tell me a story, Zhu'er wants to hear Xiao Huang's."

Li San Niang kissed Lu Zhu'er on the forehead, hugged her, and whispered the story of a little yellow dog that bravely saved its master.

"A long, long time ago, there was a little girl who raised a little yellow dog. One day..."

The clinic gave the doctors who went to provide free medical services two days off, so the next day, Li San Niang really slept until the sun was high in the sky before getting up.

After tidying up, Li San Niang was still looking for Lu Zhu'er when she saw Chen Yanfu holding Lu Zhu'er in the main hall.

"Sister Afu, you've arrived?"

Li San Niang asked happily, "Sister Afu is here, why didn't you call me?"