"Madam Jiang, please wait," the old doctor urged. "Does Madam Jiang have any female relatives at home?"
"Yes, I have three daughters-in-law and one daughter, but my daughter is still young, only seven years old by the traditional Chinese age reckoning."
Jiang Nuan was puzzled. Why would she ask this out of the blue?
Could it be that he took her as an apprentice?
Thinking of this, Jiang Nuan hesitated.
The family wasn't so poor they couldn't afford food, and she took good care of both her daughters and daughters-in-law, because she couldn't bear to see them suffer.
But even if we don't treat illnesses and save lives, it's still a good thing to learn some skills to help yourself.
"Madam Jiang," Doctor Gu said with a hint of surprise in his voice, "you have a daughter?"
This is wonderful!
If the mother is so intelligent, her daughter must be just as good.
Even if he only possesses half the intelligence of Lady Jiang, taking him as an apprentice would not be a loss.
"Yes, the little girl is very well-behaved." Jiang Nuan smiled as she mentioned Xiao Wu.
"Madam Jiang," Doctor Gu said without further hesitation, "I would like to take your daughter as my apprentice. Is that alright?"
really!
Jiang Nuan sighed.
“Dr. Gu, how about this,” Jiang Nuan said, “you can test her first. If Xiao Wu has the talent in this area and she likes it herself, I won’t stop her.”
“That’s only right,” Doctor Gu said with a kind smile. “Very well, I’ll go with Lady Jiang.”
Outside the small hall, the two people waiting could vaguely hear the conversation between the two.
They exchanged a glance, both sensing the other's shock.
"Brother Huang Lin, Grandmaster actually wants to take on a disciple?" the young apprentice asked, on the verge of tears.
She's only seven years old!
It's a bit hard to accept being pressured by younger children about one's seniority.
Father only asked him to take care of the master, but now he also has to take care of a baby.
“I heard that too,” Huang Lin frowned in thought. “Dr. Gu really is bold and decisive.”
Actually, he meant to say he was willful.
However, using this term to describe a doctor who has dedicated his life to saving lives is not quite appropriate.
This would be a good thing for any boy, but not for Xiao Wu.
Their family had already passed the point of not knowing where their next meal would come from. Xiao Wu only needed to study, learn to read and write, and learn needlework, so that she could get married when she reached marriageable age.
Studying medicine is tough and tiring, and you also have to endure all kinds of gossip. It's hard to imagine that you can have such a stable life now.
"Master, he..." The young apprentice's expression was somewhat complicated, "...was indeed a bit impulsive!"
So many girls in the family are not allowed to study medicine, so if they suddenly take on a female apprentice, who knows what kind of uproar it will cause if word gets to the capital.
However, Madam Jiang is indeed very talented, and her daughter is no ordinary person either, so it's not unacceptable.
“Yuzhu, what are you muttering about?” Doctor Gu shook his head. “Pack your things and come with me on a trip.”
This grand-disciple, born into wealth, is able to settle down and stay here with the old man. He's talented and good in every way, but he just can't keep his composure.
However, this is not a big problem. It's normal for a thirteen-year-old child to be a little unsteady.
If one were to be as lifeless as this old man in his sixties, it would be unattractive.
"Yes, Master."
As the young apprentice was about to leave, the old doctor suddenly remembered something, "Take a jar of the distilled alcohol with you as well."
Since it was Jiang Niangzi who gave us this recipe, we should at least let her see the results.
Although Doctor Gu had received the prescription some time ago, he only received the alcohol two days ago.
Conditions in Ping'an County were already very poor, and the town was not much better. In addition, the pharmacy was run by only him and his grand-apprentice, which made it inconvenient to operate. After much consideration, the old doctor sent the prescription to his eldest apprentice.
The round trip already took a lot of time, not to mention the craftsmen had to tend to it little by little.
"Okay, I'll go get it right away!"
Upon learning the purpose of Dr. Gu's visit, the entire family, except for the children who were too young to understand, became excited.
"Yaya, this is great news!" Sister-in-law Huang couldn't wait to agree on behalf of her brother and sister-in-law. "Although it's a bit tough and tiring, and you'll have to deal with gossip, having a skill to rely on means having more options, right?"
If they hadn't specifically asked for Xiao Wu, she would have preferred to push her own son out.
That's right, I'm too old, and doctors won't take me in.
"That's not a good idea," Old Mrs. Huang disagreed. "It's not like we can't afford to raise a daughter."
The entire Huang family only has this one daughter, so she's extremely precious. They wouldn't raise her like a young lady of a prominent family, but they also wouldn't allow her to show her face in public.
"Don't rush," Grandma Jiang said slowly, "Let's hear what the doctor has to say first."
The doctor himself hasn't even made a decision yet, and this group of people are already worrying about it. They're being too hasty.
If you upset the doctor, a good thing could turn into a bad thing.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately fell silent.
Even with a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind, he dared not utter them aloud, and simply stared intently at the doctor.
Doctor Gu seemed oblivious to these gazes. He squatted down, gave a kind smile, and asked softly, "Girl, would you like to learn medicine from me?"
"Mom~" Xiao Wu looked at Jiang Nuan helplessly.
In her heart, her mother was omnipotent and could solve anything.
"Xiao Wu," Jiang Nuan explained softly, "this grandfather is a doctor, a doctor who treats patients. He wants to take you as his apprentice and let you learn medicine from him. Are you willing?"
"Mother, I'll listen to you, Fifth Brother."
“No,” Jiang Nuan shook her head and said seriously, “This matter can only be decided by Xiao Wu himself. Whether he is willing or not, Mother will respect Xiao Wu’s choice.”
"Third Brother~" Xiao Wu's voice was full of grievance, "What should we do?"
"You brat, only now you know to come to your brother?" Huang Lin curled his lip. "It's no use coming to me, I can't help you."
He's an adult, he knows the gravity of the situation, and he's even more conflicted than his own younger sister.
I want my younger sister to be successful, but I also worry about her suffering. It's so hard!
"Sister-in-law~" The little girl's eyes reddened with distress.
“Even your sister-in-law can’t help,” Wang said softly. “Don’t be afraid. No matter what you choose, no one in the family will blame you.”
"Xiao Wu," Jiang Nuan rubbed her daughter's head, "Don't ask others, ask yourself if you like treating people."
Jiang Nuan knew her daughter liked flowers and plants, especially anything pretty, even foxtail grass, she would bring them home.
Studying medicine involves dealing with many flowers and plants, so she probably wouldn't refuse.
Jiang Nuan's words left Xiao Wu silent for a long time. After a while, he poked his finger and asked, "If Xiao Wu learns medicine from Grandpa, can he save Daddy?"
These words caused everyone in the hall to freeze for a moment.
A group of people never imagined that the seemingly carefree little girl would care so much about her father, whom she had never even met.
The old doctor's expression froze for a moment. "I'm afraid that won't work. People can't be brought back to life. Doctors aren't gods; they can't do something so defying the heavens."
"No way," the little girl said, very disappointed. "Then forget it, Xiao Wu doesn't want to learn."
Don't assume that just because she's young she doesn't know what it means to take on apprentices.
My master is very fierce; he will hit people.
Every time Fourth Brother was beaten, he would say at home that he regretted becoming an apprentice and that he couldn't take revenge, so he could only endure it.
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