Chapter 189 Medical Conference
"That's a fairyland, isn't it? Our Lan County has accepted 40,000 to 50,000 refugees, and the population has doubled. This population means business opportunities. Now in Lan County, you can pick up money just by bending down. If you have time, you can take a public carriage to the demonstration village to see how things are changing so rapidly. You can just set up a stall on the side of the road. Oh, just imagine, last time a young boy made half a penny selling hot water in a day!"
The men listened in amazement, "How can you sell hot water for half a penny?"
"That's not true. There are a lot of small vendors over there now, selling everything. They can make a lot of money. Oh, and by the way, you can't go into the back mountain. The city lord said it's a military restricted area. Once you step in, you will be treated as an enemy, even if you are beaten to death."
A few people were a little scared when they heard this and quickly shook their heads, "No, no, why would ordinary people like us go to those places?"
"There's nothing good to do there. It's just a training ground. Our Lan County soldiers are training there."
"Brothers, you guys should take a closer look at these notices. The city lord's notices are all about business opportunities. Look, this medical conference, people coming need accommodation and food, right? This is a reminder for businesses. And this farm is open for visitors. There will definitely be a lot of pig farming this year, and pork will sell well. There's a lot of knowledge in this notice."
The big men were fascinated by what they heard and clasped their fists repeatedly, "Thank you for your guidance, young man."
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Lan County becomes more lively in spring and summer.
It is obvious that the area of Lan County is no longer able to accommodate such a large population. After accepting the refugees, many people in the village saw that there are more opportunities in the city, especially in the demonstration village. They can make more money by setting up a small stall than by farming in the countryside!
Therefore, early in the morning, many people came to the gate of Lan County. No matter they were doing business in the city, participating in standardized breeding tours, or learning pinyin and looking for jobs, they all crowded at the gate of Lan County.
Fortunately, there is no city fee collected at the entrance of Lan County, otherwise Lan County would make a lot of money just from this.
At this moment, a carriage slowly stopped one kilometer outside the gate of Lan County.
At this point, the carriage could not move forward at all. According to Lan County's management, outside carriages were not allowed to enter the city and could only stop at a carriage stop one kilometer away.
The servant complained to the clerk, "Why won't even carriages be allowed into Lan County? The city is so big, there must be a place where carriages are needed. Are you going to let my master walk around barefoot?"
The clerk wasn't annoyed, but his face didn't show any humility or flattery. He spoke in a businesslike tone, "Sorry, the city lord has a rule that carriages from outside the four city gates are not allowed in or out."
The servant was dissatisfied and asked, "Why?"
The common people on the roadside laughed and explained, "Alas, your carriage would be useless even if it went in. Lan County has been so busy lately, with people visiting the pig farm and holding that medical conference. There are so many people in the city that it's impossible to walk. Your carriage would just get stuck in there, unable to get in or out. It's better to rely on your legs."
The carriage curtain opened, and Qiu Hongzheng half-peeked out from inside, asking curiously, "Are there many people coming to this medical conference?"
"Not only that, there are also people selling medicinal herbs! These days, all the inns in Lan County are full... Judging from your appearance, you must be a doctor too. You'd better hurry up, otherwise there won't be a place to stay tonight."
The servant said, "My master's daughter is a doctor in the city, so she won't have to worry about where to stay."
Qiu Hongzheng was about to dissuade her, after all, he really didn't want to say anything bad about his own daughter.
Whenever talking about women practicing medicine, Qiu Hongzheng felt ashamed. After all, his wife... had been restless since childhood, which had ruined the moral of the profession. She was also divorced by her in-laws, making her unable to hold her head up in front of her peers.
"A woman practicing medicine?" Sure enough, the onlookers' expressions changed.
Qiu Hongzheng felt his face flush. He didn't want to listen to the gossip and was about to leave when someone asked in surprise, "Doctor Qiu? Are you Doctor Qiu's father?"
Qiu Hongzheng didn't understand what he meant and was a little hesitant to admit it.
"Oh, you're really Dr. Qiu's father! Are you also coming to our Lan County to attend the medical conference? Oh, you look so energetic, you are worthy of being Dr. Qiu's biological father!"
"How can you talk like that! Do you know how to speak?! Why are you calling me Doctor Qiu now? I call him Dean Qiu! Didn't you see the notice at the entrance of the county government office? Doctor Qiu is now the vice-dean of the medical school."
"Ah, Doctor Qiu is such a good doctor. If my wife gets sick again in the future, can we still ask her for treatment?"
"Why not? Even though the dean is an official, she still has to see patients. I heard she has an outpatient clinic every Tuesday. If you want to get an appointment with her, remember, you can only go on Tuesdays, and you have to go early. There are so many people looking for her treatment. If you go too late, you may not be able to get an appointment!"
The more Qiu Hongzheng listened, the more confused he became.
What dean?
What medical school?
What Tuesday?
What is taking a number?
How come he can't understand what the locals are saying after not being in Lan County for so long?
If it weren't for Doctor He sending out invitations to heroes, saying that there was a national medical skills exchange gathering in Lan County, he would not have set foot in Lan County because of Qiu Ju Niang.
As for the matter of the medical school, Dr. He did mention it. How come Qiu Ju Niang's matter is also involved here?
However, facing the enthusiastic onlookers, Qiu Hongzheng still responded with a smile.
The servant parked the carriage in the designated parking area and then came back and said, "Master, Lan County is well managed. The carriage parking area is even supervised by a dedicated person. Feed and water are all taken care of. Now we can go into the city without any worries."
Doctor Qiu, standing in the queue entering the city, couldn't help but sigh, "There are too many people from Lan County. Could it be that all the doctors from the entire Zhou Dynasty are here? Old He didn't say how many invitations he had sent—"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the servant beside him shouting excitedly: "Master, it's the girl! The girl is here to pick us up!"
Doctor Qiu raised his eyes and saw a man standing at the city gate.
The person had a slim and thin figure, and his pale face was slightly reddened by the sun.
Qiu Ju Niang was wearing a green dress and her hair was tied up in a very strange style. It was not like the hairstyle women have nowadays. Instead, it was tied up high, revealing her full forehead, with not a single hair left by her ears.
Doctor Qiu was about to scold them when he suddenly saw several female soldiers guarding the city also dressed in such a capable manner. He felt strange for a moment, but he could only suppress it with the idea of adapting to local customs.
"Dad!" Qiu Ju'niang walked over quickly, bowing excitedly. Doctor Qiu gave a lukewarm response, frowning and saying, "You're almost twenty-five, how come you still can't learn to be dignified and calm?"
The servants beside her immediately started chattering, "Miss, I'm glad to see you! Why are you here? Did you know in advance that the master was coming to Lan County? Oh, our mistress has been missing you so much. If the young mistress wasn't pregnant and couldn't leave, she would have come with us to Lan County to see you!"
Qiu Ju Niang smiled and asked, "I also heard from Doctor He that Dad was coming. I calculated that you would arrive in Lan County today, so I thought I'd try my luck. Xiao Chan, how is Mom? How is my sister-in-law?"
"It's all very well, all very well! But I'm still thinking of you!"
"Okay, stop talking so much and let's go into the city quickly." Doctor Qiu has never had much patience with his children and always acts like a strict father. Especially towards Qiu Ju Niang, who was kicked out by her in-laws, he has a gloomy face and is even unwilling to go with her.
Qiu Ju'niang followed Doctor Qiu nervously and helplessly.
During this period, I also met another doctor who came to attend the medical gathering. The doctor's surname was Zhang. He mainly specialized in pediatrics and was also invited by Dr. He.
When Doctor Zhang came up, he first chatted with Doctor Qiu affectionately about the past, but then he couldn't help but look at Qiu Ju Niang until Doctor Qiu could no longer ignore his fiery gaze.
Doctor Qiu thought that Doctor Zhang should not be a frivolous person. He would not stare at a widow like Qiu Ju'niang.
Oh, they will probably say that it is immoral for women to practice medicine.
Ever since Qiu Ju'niang was divorced and sent back to her parents' home, and practiced medicine in Jinzhou for a while, the Qiu family has really gained a reputation.
Everyone in Jinzhou knew that the Qiu family had produced an extraordinary female doctor.
Doctor Qiu naturally felt ashamed, but as a father, he had to show his attitude no matter what since outsiders kept looking at Qiu Ju'niang like this.
Doctor Qiu coughed twice and was about to speak, but Doctor Zhang actually bypassed him and walked straight alongside Qiu Ju Niang. There was a barely perceptible hint of humility in his expression. "Niece, I heard that you are now the vice president of Lan County Medical College, responsible for teaching female students in Lan County?"
Qiu Ju Niang subconsciously glanced at her father's face. She was nervous but didn't show it on her face. "Yes, the medical school built by the city lord not only has the task of teaching, but also provides medical consultations."
When talking about medical school, Dr. Qiu couldn't help but prick up his ears and listen.
Doctor Zhang stroked his silver beard and said with a smile, "Your niece has a promising future! I've already taken a tour of Lan County and have some questions for you."
Qiu Ju Niang was a little apprehensive: "Uncle Zhang, just let me tell you."
"I saw a row of shops behind the medical school. Judging from the decoration, they should be herbal medicine cabinets. How come the medical school not only robbed all the doctors in Lan County, but also took away the herbal medicine business of the Lan County Clinic?"
When it came to her profession, Qiu Ju Niang was no longer so nervous. She smiled and said, "Uncle Zhang, you're wrong. Our city lord never competes with the people for profit. Originally, we were talking about the doctors from Lan County teaching every week..."
"Wait a minute." Doctor Qiu at the side finally asked, "What do you mean by weekly? I've only heard of yearly and monthly. How many days are there in a week?"
"Oh, this is our time plan in Lan County. There are seven days in a week, Monday to Friday are working days, and Saturday is the weekend off."
Doctor Zhang seemed to have been in the city for quite some time and had gathered a lot of firsthand information. He smiled and explained to Doctor Qiu, "Old Qiu, Lan County is different from other places. These small shops, the county government, the hospital, and so on, are closed on Saturdays and weekends. I even asked a waiter at an inn, and he said that if you work on Saturdays and weekends, you have to pay double the wages!"
"How can that be?" Doctor Qiu's eyes widened. "If that's the case, a shop assistant would have to take at least eight days off a month. How much money would the owner have to lose in food?"
Qiu Ju Niang said, "Father, you're thinking from a different perspective. The city lord's policies are not implemented for the benefit of a few, but for the benefit of the majority. Waiters, coolies, clerks, accountants, and the like are the majority of the people in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Besides, wages are not the most important expense in maintaining a business."
It was the first time that Doctor Qiu heard his daughter speak for such a long time. As he listened to her story, he felt that Qiu Ju Niang seemed to have changed.
"What is that?"
Qiu Ju Niang lowered her voice and said, "Of course, the dredging fee is the biggest expense."
Doctor Zhang also nodded, as if he felt the same way. "Let's talk about the medical school. My niece just said that the city lord won't compete with the people for profit."
"Yes. Originally, we were all invited to temporarily fill in as substitute teachers, and we were still mainly practicing medicine at the original clinic. But then..." Qiu Ju Niang lowered her voice, seeming a little shy. "The conditions offered by the city lord are really generous. According to the city lord, if we work full-time, the career prospects will be better."
"How can it be better?" Doctor Zhang listened with great interest. It must be said that these doctors were still very curious about what means Xu Zhenying used to gather all the doctors in one place.
It's like there is a clinic that has poached all the doctors in the city. Then when ordinary people go to see a doctor, they will definitely give priority to the clinic with more and more comprehensive doctors.
Qiu Ju Niang thought the city lord hadn't forbidden anyone from sharing this matter, so she found a quiet place and whispered, "The city lord said that as long as we're willing to teach our students everything we've learned without reservation, the wages are one thing, but the main thing is that she can...she can find a way to meet all our needs, including those that go against human ethics..."
Even a steady doctor like Doctor Qiu couldn't help but frown.
Doctor Zhang's eyes sparkled, "Is it against human ethics?"
Qiu Ju Niang lowered her voice even more, silencing her before she even started. "The City Lord has a way to get us some corpses and even allowed us to perform autopsies! Most importantly, he's dug a basement beneath the medical school specifically for us to conduct medical experiments."
Doctor Zhang was so excited that he couldn't express it in words. "Seriously? What experiments are there?"
Although Dr. Qiu felt that dissecting corpses was inappropriate, as a doctor, who wouldn't want to personally dissect a human body to see the internal structures?
Just taking a look at it will definitely help improve your medical skills!
"We have to wait for the city's most severely convicted criminals to be dissected, and we don't do it casually. We have to suture the body afterward, and that requires very high skill. If the family saw the mutilation, they would probably come and make trouble. Besides dissecting, we also have to make penicillin and vaccinate against smallpox."
"What is penicillin?! And what is cowpox?"
Speaking of penicillin, Qiu Ju'niang's lifeless face seemed to suddenly come alive, and even her serious eyes curved into a line.
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