Chapter 202:

Early the next morning, as the lively morning market began, Xu Yi went out with a basket on his back.

Zizhou is famous for its mulberry production. When Xu Yi entered the boundary of Zizhou Road, he discovered that there were many mulberry trees planted in the countryside.

He looked at the items sold by the vendors on both sides of the street. In addition to local specialties, what Xu Yi saw the most were items made of mulberry.

The leaves of mulberry trees can be used to raise silkworms. The quality of silk in Zizhou is better and cheaper than other areas. In the silk shop, lustrous silk threads are piled up in a tower shape for merchants to choose from.

Mulberry fruits can be eaten and used to make wine. Xu Yi saw many grandmothers and uncles selling mulberry fruits in the market.

He bought some from an old lady. There are spring mulberries and summer mulberries. The spring mulberries near summer are sweet and sour, and are very appetizing to eat.

Xu Yi grabbed a handful and ate it in his hand. The rest was wrapped in banana leaves and placed in the basket behind him.

Then, he also saw utensils made from the trunks and branches of mulberry trees, and mulberry paper was sold in the bookshop.

The material of mulberry paper is different from that of bamboo paper. It feels silky and soft to the touch. Xu Yi bought two pieces of paper from the shopkeeper excitedly.

Xu Yi knew more about the uses of mulberry trees than ordinary people because, in addition to all the above uses, everything in its body can be used as medicine.

Mulberry leaves have the effect of sedating and treating insomnia; mulberry branches can relieve heat and heat, clear the lungs and remove phlegm; mulberry flowers can relieve pain and treat irregular menstruation; mulberry fruits can appetize, strengthen the spleen, moisturize the intestines and relieve constipation; mulberry bark can be used To treat skin inflammation, remove eczema, etc.

All in all, the whole body is full of treasures.

How could Xu Yi miss such a good thing.

Carrying the suitcase on his back, he came to the hospital and asked the apprentice standing in front of the medicine cabinet for the complete location of Sang.

In the medical clinic in Zizhou, you can buy mulberry leaves, branches, bark, flowers and fruits, which are not available elsewhere.

When the apprentice in the medical clinic heard that Xu Yi wanted to buy these medicinal materials separately, he did not feel strange. Instead, he asked him: "Mr. Sir, how much of each kind do you want?" "

Five taels is enough," Xu Yi said.

The apprentice didn't even blink. After hearing this, he quickly opened the drawer of the medicine cabinet and took out the medicinal materials inside to weigh.

After the apprentice had wrapped all the medicinal materials, he paid the money, put the medicinal materials in the basket, and planned to return to the inn.

In addition to mulberry, Zizhou also has catalpa trees. The young leaves of the catalpa tree can be eaten, and its bark is also called "catalpa bark" and is a traditional Chinese medicine.

The trunks of the catalpa tree can be used to make furniture, musical instruments and coffins.

When Xu Yi came out of the medical clinic, there was a coffin shop opposite.

The coffin shop sells not only coffins, but also various paper utensils. Nowadays, it has become popular to burn paper money. In addition to paper money, there are also various and diverse styles of clothes, dolls, houses, etc.

Outside the door of this coffin shop, there is a tall and handsome painted paper horse.

There was a paper maker pasting rose-red patterns on the hooves of a paper horse. Xu Yi took a second look and saw that the paper maker's eyes were blue and his lips were slightly white.

Before he could take a closer look, a shout came from the coffin shop. The shopkeeper inside came out and shouted to the papermaker who was squatting on the ground working: "The buyer will be here soon, so hurry up!"

The paper maker said bitterly: "Shopkeeper, I haven't slept all night. The construction period is really too urgent."

"That's what Mr. Fang asked for. Are you in a hurry?" The shopkeeper clapped his hands and said, Urging him to go faster, "If I offend Mr. Fang, let alone you, we won't be able to eat and walk around."

Thinking of Mr. Fang's notorious reputation, the papermaker was also afraid of offending this important man. .

While holding the brush in his hand, he raised his hand to rub his stiff neck. He looked down and saw that the paste in the bucket had reached the bottom. He stood up and carried the bucket into the shop. Before he had taken two steps, his vision suddenly went dark.

An overwhelming feeling of dizziness came over him, and the papermaker felt unable to move his limbs, and the barrel in his hand fell to the ground with a "bang".

The next moment, he leaned back.

Amidst the shopkeeper's exclamations, he lost consciousness.

The paper maker didn't fall to the ground. He was supported by Xu Yi who ran over.

"This, this, this... what's going on?" The shopkeeper had not recovered from the shock.

He stared blankly at the sudden appearance of Xu Yi, then paused before realizing it, and then looked at the paper maker worriedly and at the same time at Xu Yi: "This official, where did you come from?

" Yi spoke very quickly: "I am a doctor, please lead the way for this shopkeeper. I want to put others down."

"Oh." The shopkeeper Liu Shen Wu Zhu hurriedly led the way.

They entered the dimly lit coffin shop and entered the back room, where there was a small bed.

This bed is used for taking a nap on weekdays, and there are pillows and bedding for sleeping on it.

Xu Yi placed the person on it and began to check his pulse and heartbeat.

Soon, he concluded that the papermaker suffered a brief syncope caused by overwork.

"What's wrong?" After the shopkeeper asked, he stamped his feet back and forth anxiously, "What's the matter? If he faints, who will paste the paper horse for me!"

Xu Yi glanced at him and looked away silently.

He took out the silver needle he carried out of his suitcase, picked out a thin needle, sterilized it, and inserted the needle into the acupuncture point at his tiger's mouth.

After a while, the papermaker woke up in a daze.

When he lost consciousness, he felt that he was being supported, but he didn't expect to be saved by a doctor.

He opened his eyes and looked at the person who saved him in front of him. Just as he was about to say something, he saw the person smiling towards him.

"You have fainted." Xu Yi said to him.

The papermaker got up from the couch and bowed to Xu Yi: "Thank you doctor for saving your life."

Xu Yi waved his hand: "Even without me, you will wake up after a while."

After saying this, he Then he went to look at the shopkeeper next to him who was anxious to let the paper maker continue working: "He is overworked. If he doesn't rest in time, there will be hidden dangers."

The shopkeeper asked blankly: "What are the hidden dangers?"

Xu Yi said: "Although he fainted this time, It’s not a serious problem, but it can cause illness due to overwork, hard work, and working day and night is too harmful to the body.”

But for the shopkeepers, hard work is to earn money for the master’s family, and their lives are not valued at all. .

When Xu Yi said this, he only said a few perfunctory words and asked the papermaker to thank him properly.

Then, Xu Yi would be asked to leave.

If Xu Yi didn't leave, he wouldn't be able to let the papermaker continue working.

"Shopkeeper, you don't want people to die in your shop." Xu Yi reminded him kindly.

He looked at the paper maker, who still looked unhappy, and said, "Life is precious, rest and then start working again."

The paper maker snorted twice and agreed twice.

The shopkeeper next to him wanted to say more, but when he thought of Xu Yi's words, he looked at the paper maker's unhappy expression and did not dare to push him too much.

If the paper maker is really pushed into a hurry and something happens, he won't be able to make money for him in the future.

...

Back to the inn.

Yan Quyue and others had already eaten too early. They couldn't wait for Xu Yi to come back in the inn lobby, so they went back to the house to do their own things.

A Xu was studying how to pickle whitebait bream in the house, and A Jin was making summer clothes. When Lin was away, A Jin prepared all their clothes.

For example, Erqing is still growing. In less than two years, he has grown more than half a foot taller. The summer clothes he made last year are a lot shorter this year.

Looking at it now, Er Qing is half a head taller than Ah Jin, and is no longer the shortest among them all, a young boy who blushes easily.

Even Yan Quyue would occasionally lament that Erqing grew up so fast.

When she first met him, Yan Quyue thought he was very shy and would blush when seeing a girl. Later, she discovered that Er Qing was very attached to Ah Jin. Wherever she went, Er Qing would follow her.

At this moment, Yan Quyue returned to the house, picked up the uncarved wood carving, and continued carving Xu Yi's appearance.

Seeing Xu Yi coming back, she asked curiously: "You left the house early, where did you go?"

"I went shopping for a while and bought some mulberries."

Xu Yi took out the mulberries from the basket. Open the banana leaf, wash it with boiled cold water, and put it in front of Yan Quyue.

Yan Quyue's eyes lit up when she saw Sang Guo.

She turned her eyes smartly, took a mulberry fruit and put it into her mouth, smiling: "When I was a child, I liked to eat mulberry fruits, but my brother didn't let me eat more, saying that eating too many mulberries would be bad. Bad stomach."

"Mulberry fruit is cool in nature and can moisturize the intestines. If you eat too much, it will really make you feel cold." After Xu Yi finished speaking, he didn't let her eat more.

Yan Quyue pouted: "I didn't expect that after so many years, I would still be controlled by someone."

Xu Yi laughed after hearing this, and he said deliberately: "If you don't listen, you will get a stomachache after eating too much, so don't look for me. "

Yan Quyue was happy and said while eating mulberry fruit: "If you don't treat me, I can't go to Ajin? Ajin is not as bad as you. If she knows that I have a stomachache, she will feel sorry for me.

" Yi pinched his eyebrows: "..."

In just a short time, A Xu and A Jin beside him were "bribed" by Yan Quyue, causing him to speak without any deterrence at all.

No one is afraid of him, and they occasionally tease him along with Yan Quyue. Xu Yi sometimes gets a little annoyed.

"That's it, I can't help you." Xu Yi said, without stopping, he picked out half of the mulberries on the plate and planned to send it to the next room for Ah Jin and the others to try.

The mulberries Xu Yi bought were big and sweet, and Ah Jin and the others liked them very much.

This small half plate of mulberry fruits is just to satisfy my craving, not enough to satisfy my craving.

At noon, Ah Jin went out with a basket in his arms. When he came back, the basket in his arms was filled with mulberry fruits.

"Buy so much?" Xu Yi was surprised.

Now Yan Quyue was not the only one to be happy. A Xu and Er Qing had saliva secreting from their mouths when they saw so many mulberry fruits, and they all came over.

Seeing this, Xu Yi didn't stop them anymore.

He only told them to eat less and not to overeat themselves.

Erqing and the others promised, eating one mulberry fruit after another, and it was easy to accidentally eat too much.

When he came to his senses, he found that half the basket of mulberries had gone into his mouth.

Erqing came to Ah Jin in a panic: "Sister Ah Jin, I ate a lot of mulberries."

"Do you have a stomachache?" Ah Jin asked worriedly, eyes falling on his abdomen.

Erqing shook his head and said he didn't feel any pain.

Ah Jin laughed angrily after hearing this, and scolded with a smile: "It doesn't hurt, why did you come to me in a hurry?" Erqing said aggrievedly: "I was afraid that my stomach hurt, so I wanted to tell you first

."

She scolded him "idiot", but she couldn't bear to scold him seriously. She stretched out her hand to rub his stomach and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no bloating in his stomach.

"You always have a good spleen and stomach. It won't hurt if you eat more mulberry fruits. But after eating so much today, you can't be greedy tomorrow." Ah Jin explained, waving his hand and asking him to help pull the cloth.

She wanted to make clothes for Erqing, pull the fabric flat, and not let him go.

"Open your arms." Ah Jin's finger holding the ruler tapped his shoulder.

Erqing opened his arms obediently.

In a moment, Ah Jin came close to him and measured his body size with a ruler.

Hearing the sound of breathing in his ears, Erqing's Adam's apple rolled slightly, the tips of his ears were stained with bright red, and his eyes moved randomly with nowhere to rest, sometimes falling on Ah Jin's hairpin, sometimes falling on Ah Jin's face, seeing her There were tiny fluffs on his face, and his eyelids trembled slightly.

Ah Jin whispered: "Don't move."

Before he finished speaking, Er Qing froze slightly.

After measuring it, Ah Jin raised her eyes and glanced at him. Seeing his cheeks as red as a monkey's butt, she burst into laughter.

Seeing her smiling face, Erqing blushed and couldn't say anything.

"What an idiot." Ah Jin bit his lip, walked around him, returned to the desk and took note of the measurements, and ignored him.

As the sun sets and it's getting dark, lights are lit in the inn.

The hall downstairs gradually became crowded. The diners shouted at the waiter to serve tea and water. Tables were crowded with each other. The waiter was busy going back and forth in this lively environment.

When Xu Yi and others came down from upstairs, there was no room in the hall.

A Xu, who was standing behind Xu Yi, frowned and whispered, "Why are there so many people?"

Xu Yi raised his eyebrows and reminded: "Tomorrow is a day off."

A Xu was in a daze, they were always running on the road, and sometimes they forgot some days.

On the eve of a holiday, the diners in pubs and restaurants will be more lively and crowded than usual.

There is no doubt that people in the Song Dynasty love to drink, but drinking can easily cause problems. Therefore, even if you get drunk alone on this day, you can still sleep until you wake up naturally the next day, and you are not afraid of missing work.

There are also those who can stay away from dinner until midnight, spending two or three hours in restaurants and pubs, drinking and talking.

It's not like they have never seen scenes like today.

There was no way, they couldn't eat in the inn today, so Xu Yi planned to take them out to find other places to eat.

There are many restaurants on both sides of the street. If you just walk around, you can see several crowded restaurants.

As long as the food inside is more delicious, it is already full.

Some hotels even had queues. Of course, the people in the queue were all female envoys and attendants. The waiting guests were hiding somewhere and suddenly appeared when it was their turn.

Xu Yi and the others searched around and found that they couldn't find anything satisfactory.

It was getting late and everyone was a little hungry.

Xu Yi didn't want to keep them hungry, so he was about to ask A Xu to buy some food from the street stalls.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, bursts of light fragrance suddenly drifted from not far away.

The smell is like the aroma of rice dumplings.

Xu Yi raised his eyebrows and looked around, and saw a hunched old woman in the dim light. Next to her, a little girl with a horn bun sat obediently on a stool, shaking her hand. A loud drum.

"Do you want to eat rice dumplings?" Xu Yi turned around and asked them.

The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon, and there are vendors selling various kinds of rice dumplings in the market.

However, when I was in Yanting, there were not many vendors selling rice dumplings. I didn’t expect that in Zizhou, I would be able to buy rice dumplings so many days in advance.

Yan Quyue's eyes lit up slightly, and she looked around and said, "I also smell the rice dumplings, huh? Over there."

Ajin and the others followed where her finger pointed and saw the old lady's stall.

People were coming and going, but no one stopped at her stall.

The group of them didn't hesitate and went straight to the old woman's stall.

"What trap are you selling?" A Jin asked.

When the old woman saw someone asking, a flattering smile appeared on her withered face, and she quickly introduced: "My rice dumplings are made from millet. The ones in this pot are made of red dates, and the ones in this pot are made of red beans. The taste is It's great."

As she spoke, she pinched her fingers nervously and asked cautiously: "Do you ladies want some?"

Ah Jin didn't answer and looked back at Xu Yi.

Xu Yi nodded toward her, and Ah Jincai said with a smile: "I want four red dates, and four red beans."

After that, he asked her how much they cost.

When the old woman heard that they wanted to buy these, she said happily: "It's not expensive, it only costs three cents each."

A Jin smiled and said: "Okay, wrap it up for us."

This rice dumpling is half the size of a palm and is shaped like a triangle. Wrap the rice with Ruo leaves, cook it in a clay pot, take it out and pour out the water inside, then put the rice dumpling back.

The Dragon Boat Festival will be here in a few days, and the weather is getting hotter. After cooking these rice dumplings and putting them in a jar, they are still warm for more than two hours.

When I first took it out, the rice dumplings were still steaming.

A Xu stepped forward and picked up the rice dumplings. The group found a tea shop and ordered a pot of tea.

Xu Yi opened one of the rice dumplings, with a red date wrapped inside. When he ate it, he only had the aroma of millet rice, and the texture was soft and sticky, very similar to the glutinous rice eaten in modern times.

However, compared with the sweetness of glutinous rice, millet rice has a worse taste, and millet rice is difficult to cook. Ordinary people can eat it after cooking the rice grains slightly. And if you want to sell it, this level is not enough. If you want to cook it to such a soft and waxy texture, you have to waste a lot of firewood.

"The jujube-flavored rice dumplings are delicious." Ah Jin is a glutton and was still unsatisfied after eating.

She blinked her eyes and said to A Xu: "Brother, for this Dragon Boat Festival, let's make rice dumplings ourselves."

A Xu hesitated: "We live in an inn, and it's not convenient to borrow their stove."

A Jin listened. , screamed in disappointment.

Xu Yi's eyes were soft and he smiled without saying a word.

Seeing that his sister was unhappy, A Xu asked Xu Yi in a low voice: "Lang Jun, how long will we stay in Zizhou?"

When he asked, the others turned to look.

Xu Yi looked at them and said slowly: "Zizhou is a county with a vast territory and a dense population. It places great emphasis on filial piety and Confucian education, and has many talented people. It is a good place. In this case, you can stay here for a longer time." "

Since we have to stay for a long time, it will be inconvenient to stay in an inn," Yan Quyue said.

Xu Yi responded with a smile and said, "I am planning to rent a yard in Zizhou. Where do you want to live?"

A Xu and A Jin shook their heads. They can live anywhere.

As for Er Qing, he had no idea of ​​speaking anymore. He would live wherever Xu Yi and the others lived. For him, there was no difference between them.

Seeing that none of them had any ideas, Xu Yi turned his attention to Yan Quyue.

Yan Quyue said: "It's up to you."

After hearing this, Xu Yi said: "You don't have any ideas, so I'll tell you what I think."

Zizhou City was also called Tongchuan Prefecture when Huizong restored peace . Later, in the fourth year of Xianping reign of Song Dynasty, the imperial court changed it to Zizhou Road, one of the four roads in Chuanxia.

However, people still often call Zizhou Tongchuan Prefecture.

But Xu Yi has not forgotten that the head of the Shen family lives in Tongchuan Mansion, which is Zizhou City.

He had been wandering around the city for the past two days. Even if he had no intention of inquiring about the Shen family, he still heard many names of "Jishitang" in the market.

As the largest medical clinic in Zizhou, Jishi Hall is well-known. Many people in the city choose to go to Jishi Hall for medical treatment.

For Xu Yi, Ji Shi Tang was a thing of the past, and he would not be bored enough to challenge the strength of a big family.

What's more, he now has a family and if he really wants to challenge, he is not the only one who is threatened.

Even for Yan Quyue and Ah Jin, Xu Yi would not take this risk.

Therefore, he kept silent about Jishitang for the past two days.

Xu Yi said: "Let's choose South Street for the courtyard. The houses there are cheap and there are many poor people. I can also set up a stall there to treat doctors."

After he said this, no one else had any objections, and the matter was settled so simply. Come down.

The next day, around 6:00 p.m., Xu Yi and A Xu left the inn in a donkey cart and headed to East Street Yaxing.

The dental shop here is not small, with more than a dozen brokers inside. Xu Yi chose one of the dental shops and entered, and saw a young man in his early thirties inside.

Half of the young man's robe was tied around his waist, and the other half was stained with some shiny oil. His mouth and hands were shiny, and he was holding a large piece of roast chicken in his hand.

Bai Xiuyun was startled when he suddenly saw someone coming in.

"Oh, I wonder who it is." Bai Xiujun reluctantly dropped the roast chicken in his hand, wiped it with a handkerchief, and came over and said, "What kind of business is this husband doing?"

Xu Yi's eyes fell. At the corner of his glossy mouth,

he said calmly: "Let's rent a yard." When he heard that the business was really coming, Bai Xiujun's smile became more genuine. There are some good ones in the south courtyard. Which one do you want?"

"Just the south one," Xu Yi said.

Bai Xiuyun narrowed his eyes and asked Xu Yi to take a seat. He took the opportunity to ask: "A certain person named Bai, named Xiuyun, has been an agent in our dental shop for twelve years. He has a photographic memory of most of the people he has met. It's just that I don't know what to call my husband."

Xu Yi said, "My surname is Xu Mingyi, and I am a doctor from Youfang."

"It turns out that I am a doctor. I am disrespectful." Bai Xiuyun looked at him twice in surprise and called his attendants to come in. Room.

The attendant brought a basin for cleaning hands. Bai Xiujun washed his hands and asked the attendant to bring tea.

Bai Xiujun is the youngest son in the family. His eldest brother is twenty years older than him. His mother was already half-old when she gave birth to him. After giving birth to him, her health has not been good.

His family was considered wealthy in Zizhou City, and they had no worries about food and clothing on weekdays. They lived in Furen Lane, South Street, and had an oxcart for traveling. However, because of his mother's frail health, he spent a lot of time asking the doctor to take medicine.

Later, after his mother died of illness, his father also passed away soon. Now his brother, who was twenty years older than him, was gradually getting worse.

Therefore, in the eyes of outsiders, his family appears to be prosperous and well-off, but in fact, the family's wealth is drained a lot. Sometimes when he goes to a fine restaurant to entertain people, he tightens his belt.

As long as he can remember, doctors have often come to see doctors at home. Bai Xiuyun has always respected doctors. When he heard that Xu Yi was a doctor, he took it a lot more seriously.

He said: "I happen to have a house in my hands. It is in Furen Lane, not far from my home. If Dr. Xu is interested, I can take you to see it now."

Xu Yi glanced at him and did not agree in a hurry. , asked him if he had the registration list.

Bai Xiuyun said: "Yes, yes, Doctor Xu, wait a moment." After saying that, he got up and went to get the booklet and came back.

Xu Yi flipped through the book while listening to Bai Xiuyun describe the advantages of this house.

"This house faces south. The original owner made a fortune and bought a big house on East Street, so he thought of renting out the house to make some money." Bai Xiuyun said, "The houses are all good, Dr. Xu If you live in it, you only need to clean it a little."

After hearing what he said so well, Xu Yi nodded and agreed.

The two said nothing more, and the group got into the car and headed towards Furen Lane, South Street.

On the way, Bai Xiujun looked around in the carriage and was a little envious that Xu Yi had such a spacious donkey carriage.

He asked with a smile: "From the accent of Dr. Xu, he is not a native of Zizhou, but he comes to Zizhou to live permanently?"

Xu Yi said: "It's just a temporary stay."

Hearing this, Bai Xiuyun was moved.