Chapter 76
Lin Yi went from initial hope to self-doubt. She couldn't help but wonder if she had been too one-sided, presumptuously "doing what's best for them," unaware that such thinking itself was a form of condescending arrogance. Perhaps she couldn't fully empathize with or understand what they wanted. Or perhaps, in their eyes, she was the one who was naive and out of touch with reality.
She received nine years of compulsory education and studied for 18 years. From a young age, she was instilled with the idea that she should study and go to school, as naturally as breathing.
But these women are different. They toil and struggle every day, enduring humiliation, just for a meal and a roof over their heads. So-called knowledge seems so pale in the face of reality.
Her disappointment did not last long.
A cool night breeze blew, and in the cold moonlight, Lin Yi saw the numb and weary eyes of the women. She suddenly realized that their rejection didn't stem from ignorance or foolishness. They were simply exhausted by the weight of their lives and hardships, limited by the perceptions of this world and society. Deep down, they didn't believe they could improve; they had never been given more choices. Literacy had once seemed so distant to them, and societal prejudices had bound them tightly—that was the formidable chasm between Lin Yi and them.
Reading may not bring immediate sustenance, but it can break the shackles of thought, allowing them to see the existence of prejudice and thus giving rise to the desire to break free from those shackles.
With this in mind, Lin Yi became even more determined in her belief. Since the world lacked a place and conditions for them to learn, she would create one herself.
She wants to establish a school, not just for them, but for the millions of people like them in this world. She wants to sow a seed, perhaps called 'hope,' perhaps 'awakening,' or perhaps 'self'—whatever it may be. She wants them to know that none of the thousands of difficulties in this world can be a reason to give up on becoming better or to give up on themselves. Their lives should be, and can only be, defined by themselves.
Having figured all this out, Lin Yi was fearless, even knowing the road ahead would be difficult.
But then trouble struck again. Just when she needed manpower the most, Wang Chunsheng returned from visiting relatives, bringing back news that was far from good.
—He's leaving.
Wang Chunsheng's hometown was in Nanyang. His father was a well-known doctor in the surrounding area, but they lived a poor and difficult life. His mother was always unhappy that he gave away the money he earned from treating patients to those who couldn't afford medicine, and the two argued every few days. At that time, Wang Chunsheng was only in his early twenties. He had learned a lot of medical skills from his father and had achieved some success. He thought about going out to try his luck, to go to the most prosperous capital city, to treat the high-ranking officials and nobles, and then return home after earning enough money.
He was gone for more than 30 years. He returned home to visit his family once, but they were always separated more often than not.
When I first arrived in Mingzhou, I was overconfident, thinking I had all the skills I needed to use. But once I settled down, I realized that this place was full of talented people, and my own skills were simply not up to par.
He didn't have much money to begin with, and he couldn't find a good shop. Being new to the area and not well-known, he soon couldn't even afford the cheapest inn.
Wang Chunsheng had no choice but to move to a remote suburb, settling in a nearby village. There was an abandoned courtyard there, with a crooked sapling in the yard. Wang Chunsheng repaired the courtyard, which later became Xinglin Garden. He couldn't afford to hire anyone, so he lived alone and maintained the clinic's operation. Until that year, when he adopted Erhei, who had been abandoned in the village.
He had considered opening a clinic in the bustling streets of Mingzhou City once he had made enough money. However, the villagers he lived with day and night were all poor people with little money, so Wang Chunsheng always charged very little for his consultations.
He couldn't bear to leave like this. The villagers always said that life had been much better since he came. In the past, they would just tough it out when they were sick, but now they could finally get some medicine to treat their long-standing ailments.
Wang Chunsheng knew that he had simply changed locations and was repeating his father's old path. He was drifting further and further away from his childhood ideals, but he never once considered leaving again.
I returned to Nanyang to visit relatives because I received a letter saying that my father was seriously ill. He is already over seventy years old, and his hands and feet are not very nimble, but he still insists on practicing medicine. Suddenly, he fainted while taking someone's pulse.
Wang Chunsheng suddenly realized that he had been absent from his own family's life for far too many years because of unrelated people. He himself was already old, and how much time did he have left to waste?
He's going back to his hometown in Nanyang, where his fellow villagers, who have been with him since childhood, need him.
Lin felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. She hadn't yet fulfilled her promise to Old Wang, and now they had to part ways. Many things in this world are like this; you always feel there's still time, that you can take your time, but perhaps, unforeseen events always come faster than expected.
“Miss Qiu, let Erhei follow you. This boy is reliable and capable, but he’s a bit tongue-tied. I’ll feel at ease with him following you.”
Lin nodded in agreement and handed him a large bag.
Besides the dry food and snacks for the journey, there were also a few clothes to wear when the weather gets colder in autumn.
Wang Chunsheng touched the thick fabric and smiled with satisfaction.
Hidden beneath his clothes was a huge money bag, bulging with cash.
Lin Yi explained, "This is a share of the profits for you. The clinic has made a lot of money, all thanks to your name. I can't keep it all for myself."
Wang Chunsheng declined, but Lin Yi persuaded him again: "Take it, it's what you deserve. You left Erhei to me, so you should at least have some savings for your retirement."
Hearing her say that, Wang Chunsheng did not refuse anymore, wrapped the bundle again, and carried it on his shoulder.
His back was slightly hunched, and his gray hair was more silver than black.
Lin Yi's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "If we have the chance, Erhei and I will go to Nanyang to see you."
"Then this old man will wait for you at home. I'm getting old, and this is probably the last time I'll come to Mingzhou City," Wang Chunsheng said, then laughed.
Lin Yi also smiled, but no matter how he tried to move the corners of his mouth, it was stiff and bitter.
She blinked, her eyes surprisingly bright. "Let Erhei see you off. Before you leave, go to Xinglin Garden one last time."
Wang Chunsheng nodded and laughed heartily: "The girl is very thoughtful!"
...
Lin Yi hadn't cried in a long time, and she didn't cry this time either. She thought that if she could hold back this time, nothing would make her shed tears again.
But when Erhei returned with the bundle, she still couldn't resist.
Lin Yi stared at the brocade bundle he had packed himself, and asked incredulously, "How did you get it back?"
“Master said that your package is too clean and will get dirty on the long journey.”
Lin Yi untied the knot on the package, and sure enough, the prepared food and clothes were gone, leaving only the money bag lying there all alone.
She was still heavily pregnant, and the money inside her belly remained untouched. "Why don't you try to persuade him?" Lin Yi asked softly.
“Master has already received enough wages from you, he shouldn’t take any more.”
Lin Yi couldn't help but sniffle, "But he's getting old, and there's no one to take care of him. There will be many expenses in the future."
"Don't worry, Miss Qiu, I will take care of my master in his old age."
"Are you leaving too?"
Erhei shook his head: "I promised my master that I would learn enough skills here before leaving. But I want to go back as soon as possible, so please teach me, Miss Qiu."
He was ready to learn, so Lin Yi immediately assigned him homework. After he finished reading those several thick medical books, he followed her to practice medicine.
The departure of one person always changes things. I don't know when it started, but Erhei has been able to speak long sentences in one breath without blushing.
That night, Lin Yi was alone in the empty room and couldn't help but cry.
She is allowed to cry, and she is allowed to feel confused and sad, but after crying, she will gather all her emotions and continue on her way.
Xinglin Medical Clinic has finally reopened.
In business, the worst thing you can do is work sporadically; prolonged closures easily lead to a loss of customers. Many shops that were once thriving lost their business simply because someone went back to their hometown for the New Year and returned to find that their customers had been snatched up by other shops. But this Miss Qiu—or perhaps we should call her the Lady of the Marquis's Mansion—is truly an extraordinary person.
On the very first day that Xinglin Medical Clinic reopened its signboard, many people came seeking its services.
It is said that this was because the manager of the clinic, Qiu Qing, also shone brightly at the palace banquet with her medical skills. She could treat high-ranking officials, princes and princesses, and even His Majesty the Emperor praised her highly.
Everyone knows that the imperial physicians in the palace have superb medical skills, but they are only for the royal family, and ordinary people cannot hire them even if they have money.
There is a physician in the neighborhood who can rival the imperial physician; who else would you turn to if not her?
Even healthy people are willing to come here for a pulse diagnosis to check their health. When walking through the streets and alleys, the usual question, "What did you have for lunch?" has been replaced by "Have you gotten an appointment with Dr. Qiu today?" For a time, going to Xinglin Medical Clinic to have Qiu Qingye's pulse checked has become a new trend in Mingzhou City.
Many noble ladies in the city, who had previously lost contact with Qiu Qing, are now coming to her to curry favor and build connections.
In the past, Lin Yi would have scoffed at this and refused to see anyone, no matter who came. But now he welcomes everyone and can chat with anyone.
Xueya watched her young mistress bustling about, feeling worried and distressed. She thought it was because her mistress had been neglected by her son-in-law, and that she herself had spoken unpleasantly, so her mistress could only seek out some excitement elsewhere. Xueya felt incredibly guilty.
Lin Yi did this simply to build up connections in the city, and it would be even better if he could secure some sponsorship.
She had thought it through. The school still needed to be run. These days, Xinglin Medical House was gaining momentum, so why not use the name of the medical house to set up a women's medical school?
Setting up a school is no small matter, and Lin Yi has absolutely no experience. If she and Xie Chengnan hadn't been having a cold war, she could have asked him for advice, but now, let alone talking to Xie Chengnan, he leaves early and returns late every day, and the two of them rarely even have a chance to meet.
But Lin Yi wasn't one to procrastinate. She listed all the problems she could think of on paper and looked for solutions item by item.
The most crucial factor was funding. Renting a venue, buying textbooks, hiring teachers—money was needed everywhere. Her target students were women from ordinary families who couldn't afford to go to school, which meant she received almost no tuition fees and was essentially running the school at her own expense.
Lin Yi had never had such a profound understanding of how difficult it is to get by without money.
This is her own business; she cannot touch the money from the Yong'an Marquis's residence or the Qiu family unless absolutely necessary. Currently, she can only rely on the surplus from the clinic, and although business has been good lately, it's barely enough to cover the expenses of a school.
Lin Yi pressed a crease down the middle of the paper, wrote "open source" on one side and "cost reduction" on the other, with the words "run a school" in the middle.
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