"I never expected Master to live in a place like this. Aren't there a lot of mosquitoes in the summer?" Sun Miao'er pushed open the fence and stepped into the courtyard. There were so many herbs in the courtyard that she couldn't take them all in. She could feel the lack of knowledge she had. What she knew in the past was nothing compared to what she saw in front of her.
Fu Yuchi bent down and picked up the herbs scattered by the wind. "This place is backed by mountains, and there's a path leading into the mountains right next to it. It's convenient for me to go into the mountains to collect herbs since I live here. Besides, if I, a doctor, were afraid of mosquitoes, wouldn't I be ruining my reputation?"
Looking around, Sun Miao'er realized that there were not only many herbs here, but each one was also neatly categorized and arranged, just like when she met Fu Yuchi that day. In the large bamboo basket on Fu Yuchi's back, all the herbs were neatly arranged without exception.
Upon entering the inner room, the furnishings were simple: a row of medicine cabinets, a desk, a wooden chair, and an inner room separated by a cloth curtain. Sun Miao'er guessed that this was where Fu Yuchi rested.
"Master, this is quite simple." Sun Miao'er had followed him all the way and had been surrounded by the smell of herbs the whole way. At first, she couldn't get used to the smell, but now that she had been smelling it for a while, she actually started to like it.
Fu Yuchi sat down. The ink in the inkstone had dried. He quickly ground the ink a couple of times, added a prescription to the paper, got up, opened the medicine cabinet behind him, and pulled out a small compartment. "You must remember the names on these medicine cabinets and where each one is placed. In the next few days, I will teach you how to identify, store, and process herbs."
"I will follow Master's arrangements." Sun Miao'er picked up the herbs beside her, which had been dried so much that their original color was no longer visible. She held them to her nose and smelled them; they smelled very pleasant.
"Physician Fu, Physician Fu—!"
Hurried footsteps sounded outside. Sun Miao'er looked through the window and saw a boy who looked to be about ten years old enter.
Fu Yuchi put down his pen and stood up, his smile not being noticed by Sun Miao'er. "What's wrong?"
The boy ran in, panting, "My family's lambs had a difficult birth. Only one has been born so far, and the other two are probably going to suffocate!"
Sun Miao'er initially thought Fu Yuchi was just joking when he said he would treat the village's livestock, but now it seems that it's not only true, but also well-known.
"Fu Dan, don't worry, take me to see him. Miao'er, you come along too." Fu Yuchi packed his medicine box and some fine cloth, and handed them all to Sun Miao'er.
The boy named Fudan was in a hurry, afraid of delaying. "Doctor Fu, you touched them last time and said there were at least three, but only one has come out. My family is counting on this litter of lambs this year. They are my mother's lifeline. You must help me."
"It's easy, but we'll have to see how things go first." Fu Yuchi wasn't entirely confident he could save her either, so he could only say he would do his best.
When they arrived at Fu Dan's house, Fu Dan's mother stood anxiously in Mankou, rubbing her palms together. When she saw Fu Yuchi, she couldn't hide her excitement. "Doctor Fu, you've finally arrived! Please come and see my lambs!"
Upon entering the sheepfold, a lamb was curled up under its mother's body, whimpering. The mother sheep lay on the ground, her breathing already somewhat weak, with bloodstains on the hay beneath her, while her legs remained upright.
Sun Miao'er stood behind him, waiting to assist him; the situation didn't look good.
Fu Yuchi stepped forward and checked the ewe's breathing, then turned the sheep over to lie on its side. "Go and get some hay."
"Place these haystacks under the lamb's legs to elevate the lower body as much as possible." Beads of sweat seeped from Fu Yuchi's forehead. A southerly wind swept by, ruffling the hair at his temples, but his calm and composed expression remained unchanged.
Sun Miao'er responded and settled the ewe as Fu Yuchi instructed. Fu Yuchi's hands were already between the ewe's legs, and after receiving confirmation, he said, "The lamb is still alive."
This offered some comfort to Fudan's mother.
The ewe's breathing became increasingly rapid, and the pain caused her upper body to twist uncontrollably. To make it easier for Fu Yuchi to operate, Sun Miao'er leaned forward and pressed down on the ewe, grabbing the ewe's front hooves with both hands to try to keep the ewe from moving around.
Fu Yuchi was adjusting the lamb's position with great care, and only after ensuring that everything was in order did he slowly withdraw his hand, which was covered in dirt. Sun Miao'er cooperated methodically and handed him the fine gauze that had been prepared in advance.
After the ewe's fetal position was corrected, the birthing process went much more smoothly. In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the second lamb slid out, making a loud squeak, and soon began to nurse from the ewe.
Another half incense stick passed, and one lamb still hadn't come down. This worried Fu Dan's mother greatly, and tears were almost welling up in her eyes. "Doctor Fu, what should we do with the other one? Oh..."
"Don't rush, let me take another look." Fu Yuchi steadied his hand, reached in again to probe, and frowned slightly, the situation was not as good as before.
Sun Miao'er stood to the side, unsure of what she could do. After all, this was her first time helping an animal give birth. However, with this experience, she could use it when her own sows gave birth in the future.
With Fu Yuchi's careful manipulation, the last lamb finally emerged from its mother's womb, but because it had been holding its breath for too long and was the smallest, its breathing was already very weak.
"Oh dear, what am I going to do!" Fu Dan's mother collapsed to the ground, her hands supporting the dying little lamb, heartbroken.
Sun Miao'er saw it all and felt a pang of pain in her heart. Although she hadn't been here long, she knew that for families like this, a few lambs represented their only hope for the year. Even losing just one lamb felt like tearing flesh from their bones.
Fu Yuchi lifted the weak lamb from the ground, holding it by its hind legs, and carried it upside down to the well. He then slapped the lamb's back hard, and the lamb suddenly reacted, letting out a soft whimper.
Fu Dan's mother suddenly saw a glimmer of hope and stumbled to the well, pleading, "Doctor Fu, please help me, save this lamb!"
In the past, Sun Miao'er would have thought that Fu Dan Niang was being unreasonable. Her master had already done his best to save her, and she was allowed to keep one of the two, but she still wanted to be greedy for the second one. Wasn't that moral blackmail? But now Sun Miao'er wouldn't think that way. This sheep could become the last straw that broke the camel's back for this family.
"Bring some warm water."
Fu Yuchi used a fine gauze dipped in warm water to clean the lamb's mouth and nose. The lamb's condition gradually improved, and its whimpers became much louder. Fu Dan's mother finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The lambs were returned to their mother, and the three little ones nestled in her arms, greedily suckling at her milk. Fu Dan's mother was filled with gratitude. Before leaving, she took ten copper coins from her house, wiping away tears as she said, "Thank you so much, Doctor Fu. You've worked so hard."
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