Chapter 41

Two thousand coins is two thousand coins. In the eyes of the people at the bottom, this is a lot of money. Even if you save for a year and a half, you may not be able to save it.

What's more, in the eyes of many people, a finely crafted embroidery needle only costs a few pennies. This needle is made of stone, and stone is a cheap thing. There is no difference between a good meteorite and an ordinary one. How can it be compared with a needle made of iron?

The stall owner still dares to sell it at this price. He must be coming to the night market to blackmail people.

There are so many people who have this idea that stall owners are ready to be scolded when they see someone asking about the price.

Especially in Yanting County, not many people know how to use acupuncture to treat diseases. Most people who ask about the price are out of curiosity.

Xu Yi was young and was classified as this type of person by the stall owner, but out of habit, he still introduced the point.

After hearing the request for two guans of money, Xu Yi did not answer immediately. Instead, he picked out a few stone needles and placed them in the palm of his hand to observe.

The surrounding lights were dim, illuminating every detail of the stone needle. It was no worse than the needle and stone needles collected by his family.

There is a passage in "Xizhai Hua Ji" written by Zu Shiheng: "The Taoist priest Zeng Ruoxu of Longzhou is a good doctor, especially the wonderful skill of acupuncture and Bianstone." This is an allusion to the use of acupuncture and Bianstone to treat diseases. . Moreover, the method of use has almost been lost. If Xu Yi hadn't collected a set of needles at home, he would have known even less about it. [Note 1]

It’s a rare encounter, how can you miss it?

"Uncle? Is it true that this acupuncture only sells for two guan?" Xu Yi asked seriously.

The craftsmanship of acupuncture is more important than the materials.

Abo's bitter face was slightly stunned, as if he didn't expect that Xu Yi would confirm the price again. He was subconsciously worried, and the two hands hanging in front of him had nowhere to put them.

"This gentleman... wants to buy this acupuncture?"

Xu Yi smiled and nodded: "I want to buy it. Uncle, the acupuncture you make is really good."

After making sure that the person in front of him really wanted to buy it and was not making fun of him, A smile finally appeared on Uncle's embarrassed face, and he happily said to Xu Yi: "My family used to make acupuncture. It is a polishing technique passed down from our ancestors. The stone needles made are durable and not easy to fall. In the past, there were doctors. I came all the way here just for the acupuncture grinded by my family."

After saying this, he couldn't help but sigh a little. Times have changed. In the past, there was a huge market. Even if they didn't buy acupuncture, all the doctors would come to see it. Gradually, no one came anymore.

There are very few people who know how to use acupuncture to treat diseases. This acupuncture is durable and the demand is reduced. It is impossible to make a living relying on this craft. Later, he took his grandson to the night market to set up a stall, just to sell the prepared needles and subsidize his family's income.

After hearing that he was setting up a stall with his grandson, Xu Yi looked around and saw no children.

Xu Yi then asked, "Uncle, where has your grandson gone?"

Uncle smiled awkwardly and said that the things his two grandsons brought here to sell were trinkets, so he started to sell them on foot. One sells fried peanuts, and the other sells cotton insoles. We have been there for more than an hour, and it is almost time to come back.

Hearing this, Xu Yi took out the money bag from his sleeve pocket, opened it and counted the money inside. He found that after buying the medicine mortar and other things, there was not enough money left.

He asked sheepishly: "Uncle, can you wait for me? I will go home to get the money and come back. Do you want to keep this needle for me?"

Uncle was stunned: "This..."

It's rare for someone to sincerely want to buy it. Uncle After hesitating for a few seconds, he quickly agreed, saying that he would definitely wait for Xu Yi to come back.

After Xu Yi finished speaking, he took the things he bought in the night market and left quickly.

...

in the night market.

Xin Shengyuan and Tao Qinghao, along with two book boys, stopped in front of a food stall.

What this stall owner sells is a kind of candy fried out of flour, fried to a golden and crispy outside, and then sprinkled with white sesame, black sesame and sugar frosting. When you bite it while it's hot, it's very crispy on the outside, hollow on the inside, soft and tender, and fragrant and sweet.

It is different from the exquisite snacks made by the cook in the back kitchen of Xin Mansion. Although they look ordinary, they have a different taste when eaten.

The two of them were blushing and their mouths were shiny. Xin Shengyuan thought about the mint and loquat drink he had eaten after school, licked his mouth and asked the book boy to pack a portion and take it away.

Tao Qinghao asked: "Why haven't you eaten enough?"

There are so many delicious things in this night market, you can't just focus on the same food.

Xin Shengyuan pouted: "You don't understand, I'm going to take it to Xu Yi."

Tao Qinghao: "..."

OK, OK, he doesn't understand, but this thing has to be cooked and eaten now, take it back and deliver it tomorrow If it's in Xu Yi's hands, can it still be eaten?

He didn't argue, he just wanted to see how deflated Xin Yao was the next day.

Then he casually looked around to see if there were any other delicious snacks. When he turned his head casually, he saw a familiar figure.

"..." What does it mean to say that Cao Cao and Cao Cao have arrived? No, he just mentioned the other party, and within a few seconds, the other party appeared.

Tao Qinghao touched Xin Shengyuan with his elbow and said with a smile, "Look, look who's coming."

"Who?" Xin Shengyuan turned his head and looked over, stunned for a moment.

"Xu Yi!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, then pushed aside Tao Qinghao who was an eyesore next to him, grabbed the book boy's hand and walked towards Xu Yi.

As soon as Xu Yi walked past the south of the bridge, he smelled the aroma of sheep sausage, the rich aroma of mutton soup, and the stall was filled with white smoke. The hot atmosphere was particularly attractive even in summer.

But he still thought about going back to get the money, so he didn't stop.

But he never expected to be stopped. He looked at Xin Shengyuan, who was happily running over and wearing a ginger gown, with strange eyes.

Xin Shengyuan stopped in front of him: "What's wrong?"

Xu Yi said: "It's okay, I just thought of something." At that moment, he seemed to see a happy Xiao Huang.

Xin Shengyuan said, "I was thinking of going to look for you tomorrow, and I saw that you were also at the night market. What good things did you buy?"

He glanced at it, wanting to see what Xu Yi had bought in the night market. , like a child with no sense of boundaries.

But facing Xin Shengyuan's occasional innocence, Xu Yi didn't stop him.

"It's a medicine mortar, not something to eat." He explained.

"Oh." Xin Shengyuan's curiosity was instantly reduced by half, and he added, "I bought you candy, it's delicious."

Xu Yi raised his eyebrows, thinking it was a modern candy. Unexpectedly, the book boy showed it to him, but it was a fried snack similar to oil fruit.

It's natural for children to love sweets. Xin Shengyuan's food is controlled at home. When he goes out, he thinks about where to find delicious food every day. In addition, Tao Qinghao's family owns a large restaurant and is very knowledgeable about food. The two of them are always looking for various kinds of food secretly. Now that there is an extra Xu Yi, Xin Shengyuan has drawn him into his camp.

Xu Yi said: "Eat less fried sweets at night."

Xin Shengyuan pursed his lips after hearing this: "I can only come out in the next few days. In a few days, I will have a quiz, and I can't even think about it."

It is rare for him to have it . I had the opportunity to eat such a snack and wanted to share it with Xu Yi. After being told about it, I immediately felt emotional.

Xu Yi sighed: ...

Xu Yi put away what he wanted to say, such as eating sweets so late, you should brush your teeth and rinse your mouth well when you get back. He also wanted to say, even if you don't eat sweets, you should brush your teeth well. He swallowed these words back into his stomach, looked at the bag of still warm candies, raised the corners of his mouth and said, "Buy something for me to eat?

" But I won’t eat it.”

Xu Yi laughed and said, “I don’t like eating these.”

Although he said this, he took out a handkerchief in his arms and stared at him with a piece of candy. Eat it in front of Xin Shengyuan.

"It tastes good." Xu Yi said.

Xin Shengyuan's expression softened slightly and returned to the look of a noble young master.

He said: "We also want to eat something else, do you want to come with us?"

Although he asked this, his eyes kept staring at Xu Yi, and it was obvious that he wanted Xu Yi to play with them.

Xu Yi was silent after hearing this.

He just said that he had to go home, someone was waiting for him, and he couldn't stay too long.

Xin Shengyuan looked at Xu Yi with disappointment in his eyes, but did not force him. He talked about what happened after school: "You asked me to eat the mint loquat drink brought by Xing Wu. It is really good. After drinking it, everyone is happy." I'm so impressed, I ate more at dinner than at other times. How could you come up with such a good Xiangyinzi? I've never tasted anything like this."

Xu Yi introduced the efficacy of mint loquat drink to him. And told him how to do it.

He spoke very carefully, and Tao Qinghao, who was walking over, happened to hear him and looked at him with a strange look in his eyes.

His gaze was too direct, so Xu Yi asked him what was wrong.

Tao Qinghao opened his mouth and said without words: "This prescription for Xiangyinzi is not a prescription for treating patients. How can you just tell others?"

Even if they are friends, he and Xin Shengyuan have known each other for so many years, and they are very fond of each other. Be restrained and polite. Of course, this politeness corresponds to not inquiring into the privacy of the other person's home and how to make money.

Only then did Xu Yi realize it, thinking about how much people nowadays value secret recipes. For them, this is not only a recipe for drinking, but it can also be passed down from family to family.

In particular, the "mint and loquat drink" made by Xu Yi is unprecedented. If you go to other prefectures such as Tongchuan Prefecture, or to Shuntian Prefecture in Tokyo, you will not have to worry about selling such a soup drink.

Tao Qinghao's family runs a restaurant, and he knows the importance of this recipe better than Xin Shengyuan.

Now you will hear Xu Yi pouring his money into teaching. In the past, there were prejudices, but now they have turned into admiration.

Tao Qinghao restrained his usual frivolous manner, saluted Xu Yi and said, "I didn't expect Doctor Xu to be such a generous person, but I misjudged you originally. This recipe is too important, Xin Yao, you can't take it."

The following words were Said to Xin Shengyuan.

Xin Shengyuan was stunned, but then he realized what was happening and said with a shameful face: "I didn't remember."

Xu Yi: "..."

Tao Qinghao: "..."

*

There was already a lot of delay when Xu Yi said goodbye to the two of them . He didn't dare to delay the time any longer. When he got home, he went in and took out the money.

When he returned to the night market, there were only a few people left in the bustling night market.

Most of the stall owners have closed their stalls. There is no curfew in Yanting County, but so late at night, only a few of them are still out looking for food.

Xu Yi saw from a distance that the acupuncturist Abo was looking forward to it, and there were two more children beside him. There was a boy in his early ten years and a girl who looked to be eight or nine years old. They were all wearing patched burlap short-brown clothes. They all looked thin and frail, and their faces looked yellow with malnutrition.

Seeing Xu Yi coming, Uncle's eyes were filled with joy. After waiting for so long, he was worried that the other party would not come.

"The young man is finally here," Abo said.

Xu Yi said apologetically: "Something happened on the road and I was delayed for a while. I kept Abo waiting for a long time."

"It's not in the way, it's not in the way."

As long as I can come.

Xu Yi didn't talk nonsense and took out two coins to pay Uncle.

After the uncle received the money, he carefully wrapped the set of acupuncture and acupuncture with a piece of cloth and delivered it to Xu Yi.

Xu Yi took the package and laughed when he saw two children looking at him with wide eyes. He also saw that there were unsold peanuts and cotton insoles in their baskets.

His insoles wore out very quickly and he had to buy new ones every month. When he saw them, he asked the boy if he had any insoles suitable for him.

The two children were sad because they couldn't sell all the things at night. When they heard that Xu Yi wanted to buy, they were naturally overjoyed.

The little girl who was standing next to her brother immediately said sweetly: "There are some. My mother has made many sizes. There are all sizes."

She and her brother searched for a while in the basket and found two pairs. Insoles that fit your size. The insole has dense stitching and good workmanship. Although it is made of the most ordinary cotton cloth and thick paper laminated together, it looks durable and wear-resistant.

Xu Yi asked them what the price was.

The boy said: "Two pairs of insoles only cost ten cents."

Prices are like this, some are too expensive to afford, and some can be bought for a few cents. It takes a lot of time and effort to make such a pair of insoles, and the selling price is only five cents.

Then look at the little girl's basket. There is half a basket of peanuts in it.

Seeing Xu Yi looking over, the little girl took the initiative to scoop a spoonful for him to try.

The little girl: "It's fried with salt at home. It's very fragrant. I'm so kind, so I gave it to you."

Xu Yi laughed and took the peanuts unceremoniously. The peanuts fried with salt water are not that high. It's hot, and although it's not as crispy as the fried peanuts, it's salty and delicious, making it a great dish to go with drinks.

The alcohol content in the Northern Song Dynasty was not high. Because of the filial piety period, he had not drunk wine at this time. But peanuts can not only be used as food and drinks, but can also be used with porridge.

After Xu Yi finished eating, he was still not satisfied and asked: "How can I sell these peanuts?"

The little girl was delighted and said quickly: "It only costs two cents per piece."

One piece is ten spoons. With a special wooden spoon, each spoonful is about ten cents. Five grams or three ounces of peanuts fried with salt are sold for two cents, which is really not expensive.

There were three more peanuts left in the basket, and Xu Yi took all of them without hesitation.

Tonight, Xu Yi was the most generous customer their family met. Not only did he buy the unsold needles, but he also bought their insoles and peanuts.

When Abo heard this, he couldn't help but his eyes turned red, and he took two steps forward to thank him.

Seeing him step forward to salute, Xu Yi said with a gentle smile: "It's Uncle, you are destined to be with me. This kind of criticism is very rare in Yanting County, but today I came to the night market and encountered it. Insoles and peanuts are not casual. Just buy it. You see, the bottoms of my shoes are almost worn out. It’s time to buy new mats. Peanuts are delicious and I’m greedy. I just like them.”

He said so much, but Abo was even more grateful. .

After thanking Xu Yi again and again, he put the stall away after saying goodbye to Xu Yi.

It was too late tonight and the city gates were closed, so they could only stay in the county town for one night. Fortunately, the uncle who came to the county town with them to do business had an unoccupied house on the south street of the county town.

The house was very dilapidated and no one lived in it on weekdays. Knowing that they would come to the county town to set up stalls and would not be able to go back at night, they rented a house to the three of them at a price of two cents per night.

The next day.

The grandfather and grandson got up early as usual and were preparing things to sell at the market. Grandson Ping's brother suddenly suffered from abdominal pain and rolled on the floor in pain.

"Oh, what happened to my brother Ping? Tell grandpa, where are you hurting?" Abo turned pale with fright. When he looked at Brother Ping's sweat-soaked appearance, he suddenly felt uneasy.

Their village is poor, and it is not easy to raise a child. Before Brother Ping was born, his daughter-in-law gave birth to two children who were too early. When Brother Ping's child was born, they hoped that the child would grow up well, so they named the child "Ping", which means peace and safety and that he can grow up smoothly.

"Brother! Brother!" The little girl was so frightened that she cried loudly, hugging her brother and shouting, "Don't scare me, little sister is scared."

"Sister, brother, it hurts..." Brother Ping clutched his stomach and trembled. At the corner of Bai's mouth, he endured the pain and whispered.

Seeing him like this, the uncle knew that he would not be able to go to the market today, so he had to take his grandson to see a doctor first. He took the two pieces of money he had earned yesterday with great difficulty. As soon as he went out, he saw fellow villagers who heard the noise and came out to see what was going on. .

The fellow countryman frowned and said, "What's going on?"

Uncle said in a panic: "I don't know what I ate, but my stomach suddenly hurt so much that I couldn't stand it. Does my nephew know if there is a medical center nearby?"

"Abdominal pain? "The fellow countryman frowned deeply. Abdominal pain can easily kill someone, but he can't let anything happen at his uncle's house.

Although the house is shabby and is still located in the South Street area where there are many poor people, it will cost at least dozens of dollars to sell it.

Seeing that Uncle was so nervous, the fellow villagers knew that this matter could not be postponed, and when they heard that he was looking for a medical center, they couldn't help but think about it and said: "There is a doctor Xu in the alley next door. He is also a wandering doctor with excellent medical skills. A while ago, he treated us This man who almost died after breaking his leg was saved."

Although he didn't see it, he heard a lot of rumors about Dr. Xu, and he also heard that Dr. Xu's medical consultation was not expensive, and many people paid for it. Affordable.

After the uncle knew that there was such a doctor, he anxiously returned to the house and came out with brother Ping in his arms. The little girl followed closely, and followed the fellow villager to find the doctor named Xu.

...

Xu family.

Xu Yi didn't go out today. Tomorrow is the day to deliver Xiaoshi pills. He was steaming medicinal materials in the kitchen.

The thick medicinal fragrance spreads from the Xu family's house to several surrounding houses.

The neighbors were used to the smell of medicine coming out of the Xu family from time to time, but it was their first time for Abo and the others to come to South Street. As they ran into Shijing Lane, they smelled the strong smell of medicine, accompanied by the pained groans of their grandson who could endure it from time to time. I feel more and more anxious.

"We're almost there. That tiled roof is Doctor Xu's house." The fellow villager pointed to that place and spoke faster.

Soon, a group of them arrived outside Xu's house.

The fellow villager knocked on the door and shouted loudly into the house: "Is Doctor Xu at home?"

"Here he is."

Xu Yi's clear voice came from the kitchen.

Immediately afterwards, a yellow figure rushed over first, wagging its tail at the people outside and calling out "woof, woof, woof".

The little girl was frightened by this sudden turn of events.

Just as the fellow countryman was about to scold the dog, he heard a gentle voice saying: "Xiao Huang, come here."

When Xiao Huang heard Xu Yi's voice, he immediately abandoned these people and ran to Xu Yi's side.

After Xu Yi finished speaking, he realized that the person looking for him outside was the uncle he met last night.

At this time, his face was tense, and the child in his arms was pale, with cold sweat on his forehead. You didn't need to guess what was going on.

He immediately came over and opened the door to let them in.

"It's the young man?" Abo was also stunned when he saw Xu Yi.

However, he was worried about his grandson's condition, so he hurriedly carried his grandson into Xu's house without having time to think about it.

Xu Yi took them to the main room and asked him to put the child on the bench.

He leaned over to check on the child and asked Uncle: "What's going on?"

Uncle quickly told what he knew: "Not long after breakfast, Brother Ping said he had a stomachache, and it started to hurt soon after. He was rolling on the ground and couldn't stand up."

Xu Yi frowned and asked, "What did you eat for breakfast?"

Abo said, "He ate two pieces of the bean cakes he brought from home."

Xu Yi touched his stomach. and abdomen, he felt a slight heat, which was higher than body temperature. He felt for his pulse and asked, "What else?"

Abo's face was pale. In addition to the bean cakes he ate for the market in the morning, I don’t know what else my grandson ate.

At this time, the little girl suddenly said: "My brother also ate two bowls of water, saying that this way he could eat less bean cakes."

Bean cakes are made of bean dregs mixed with flour mixed with wheat bran, added with salt, and served on the kang. Grilled over charcoal fire. After it is made, it can be stored for a long time. It will be hard to eat and you need to drink more water to avoid choking.

If such a young child eats two pieces of bean cake and drinks two bowls of water, the probability of being overstretched is very high.

Xu Yi listened to the sound in his abdomen, then looked at the child's face and eyes, and felt that he was not being stretched.

More like eating something unclean.

He frowned deeply and thought of the key question, so he asked them: "This water... is raw water?"

Upon hearing this, Abo nodded hurriedly: "It is water picked up from the well. I asked, He said the water in this well is drinkable. "

Half of the residents in South Street drink the water from this well.

Xu Yi always boils it before drinking it. He has also warned Mrs. He and others. Anyone who trusts him will listen.

This summer, there are fewer people suffering from stomachache and diarrhea in South Street than before. If you think about it carefully, you will know that most of these people who rarely suffer from stomachache and diarrhea have listened to Xu Yi's advice and developed the habit of drinking "hot water" .

When Xu Yi heard this, he was almost sure.

He said: "The child has dysentery due to cold and heat, so the abdominal pain is unbearable. I will boil him some medicinal soup first. You don't have to worry too much."

After Xu Yi comforted him, he got up and went to the kitchen to put the food in the kitchen. On the wooden shelf of medicinal materials, find medicinal materials such as Coptis chinensis, dried ginger, Atractylodes macrocephala, and cypress leaves.

Take one to two portions of each medicinal material, put it into a medicine pot for decoction, boil it over high heat, then change it to a small pot and continue to fry it.

At this time, there was an exclamation in the main room, and soon a little girl ran out in a panic to look for Xu Yi.

She pinched her neck, pulled Xu Yi's sleeve with a cry and shouted: "Xiao Langjun, it's not good, my brother has vomited."

When Xu Yi heard this, he stood up and said, "I'll go take a look. "

After saying that, he didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, he had something to tell the little girl.

"Don't be afraid, my decoction cannot be separated from people. Just watch here and don't let the medicine decoction disappear. Do you understand?"

The little girl nodded heavily: "I know, little man, this is for my brother. I will take good care of the medicinal soup."

Xu Yi nodded with satisfaction and patted her head before leaving the kitchen.