Chapter 334 A Single Red Flower Amidst a Sea of Green
A biting wind howled against the window.
Just after dawn, Li San Niang woke up and got up at the sound of the watchman's clapper.
Li San Niang was washing her face in the kitchen with the hot water from the bottom of the pot when Li Da Sao, who came in carrying a lantern, saw her and said, "San Niang, did you say when you were supposed to come over? I'll get you some food, will you have time to eat?"
Li San Niang wiped her face with a cloth and said, "Sister-in-law, just cook some chicken for me. I'll go early so I can follow the instructions."
Sister-in-law Li deftly picked out a few large chickens from the basket. She had already taken eight, but thinking that it might not be enough for the nineteen, she took two more, making a total of ten.
As dawn broke, Li San Niang, Qiu Xiang, and Shi Jiu each carried a still-warm boiled chicken in their arms and boarded the carriage.
This free clinic was organized by various medical clinics under the medical alliance in Chang'an City. Each clinic sent at least three doctors, so by this time, the streets of Jingzhao Prefecture were already packed with people.
The armed constables patrolling the streets were maintaining order and handling disputes, while the Imperial Guards on horseback were simply riding around on guard.
Li San Niang got off the carriage at the street corner and handed her household registration certificate and the doctor's certificate issued when she arrived at the clinic to the soldiers standing guard there. She also handed them an iron plaque with her name and the location of the clinic engraved on it.
As for Qiu Xiang, she came as an apprentice and only needed to submit her household registration certificate.
When Li San Niang arrived at the meeting place at the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture, as agreed by Manager Gao, it was already 7:15 AM.
Li Sanniang glanced around and saw that there were probably six or seven hundred people gathered in front of the large square in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture.
Furthermore, there are quite a few apprentices like Qiu Xiang among them.
Because qualified doctors all wear iron badges on their waists to identify themselves.
When Li San Niang and Qiu Xiang walked into the crowd, the previously noisy crowd quieted down a bit. Many people who had only heard of Li San Niang, the female doctor, but had never seen her in person, all turned to look at them.
"Look, that woman in red with a doctor's badge hanging from her waist, that's Li San Niang."
"Oh! Is it that Li Sanniang?"
"Yes, it's that Li Sanniang!"
This was just the whispering gossip that Li San Niang could hear; presumably, there were many more people talking about her in places beyond her hearing range.
Before I left today, Sister-in-law Li asked, "Third Sister, is it inappropriate for you to wear this outfit on a day like this, with free clinics?"
At that moment, Li San Niang looked down at her own bright red padded jacket and pomegranate red trimmed skirt, then looked up with a smile and asked, "Sister-in-law, doesn't it look good?"
On days like these, even if I'm dressed in drab clothes, will they stop criticizing me?
No, they will still talk about me. What do I have that I can't let people see?
No.
Wearing this outfit, I'll probably be the most conspicuous person in the crowd.
I'm going to save people today. There will surely be many women coming to see me. I'm all red, so they should be able to see me. That will make it easier for me to save them.
That's good.
At this moment, Li San Niang looked at the male doctor who was closest to her. He was looking her up and down while whispering something to his friend beside him.
"Hey, look at this, isn't this the female doctor? She even brought a female apprentice with her, hehe."
The man didn't receive a reply from his friend, so he turned to look at him. As he turned back to see his friend's somewhat embarrassed gaze, he saw Li San Niang smiling at him.
Li San Niang calmly looked from left to right. Haha, you know what, learning this male gaze trick really works!
Then I heard someone calling out, "Dr. Li, Dr. Li, come this way, come this way."
Li San Niang looked to the west and saw Manager Gao, Tang Mingyue, and Qi Li. It was Qi Li who had called her over.
Therefore, Li San Niang walked over there, leaving the male doctors with only her back to them.
Manager Gao must have seen Li San Niang's actions of looking from left to right.
When Li Sanniang walked up to them, Manager Gao said with a smile, "Haha, Doctor Li's red dress is quite eye-catching today. When we follow her to the free clinic, she definitely won't get lost."
Qi Li, the thirteen or fourteen-year-old apprentice, praised Li San Niang: "Doctor Li looks good today, and you look radiant."
"Haha, you're saying nice things to me, but you're probably just thinking about lunch and want me to treat you to a bowl of mutton soup with flatbread, aren't you?"
"Alright, just because Qili praised me like that, I'll definitely treat you to soup noodles for lunch today. And let's see if they sell any sweets; we'll buy some and eat them together."
Le Qili bowed to Li Sanniang and said, "Haha, even if it weren't for Doctor Li's soup dumplings, I would still praise her."
Fifteen minutes later, Li San Niang followed Manager Gao and the other doctors from four other medical clinics into the car and headed to the assigned free clinic location.
It was on the bus that Li San Niang learned that, including the medical apprentices, there would be about seven hundred people at this free clinic.
Two hundred people were assigned to a gathering point, and this was one of the gathering points in Jingzhao Prefecture.
Then, according to the number of people in each ward, more than two hundred people were assigned to each of the east and west cities of Chang'an, and another two hundred people were assigned to the expanded outer three cities. In addition to the outer three cities, this place also provided free medical services to more than a dozen villages in the vicinity of Chang'an.
"Actually, it basically disrupted the original locations of each medical clinic. For example, our Third Medical Clinic was originally located in Yongping Ward in the West City, but this time we have been assigned to Shengping Ward in the East City."
Every year, the higher authorities decide by lottery whether doctors from the east and west cities can switch places, mainly to prevent anyone from using underhanded tactics to deprive the people of their precious opportunity to see a doctor.
Li San Niang nodded: "I see. Then how much will the medicinal herbs and supplies be consumed?"
"I do know about that. The Imperial Medical Bureau has signed contracts with major pharmaceutical merchants to buy them at cost price. However, the contracted pharmaceutical merchants will receive a certain tax reduction. Furthermore, if the palace needs them in the future, these people will be given priority."
"Dr. Tang is right, that's exactly it."
These twice-yearly free clinics were ordained by the sage.
There have been people who tried to make money off this free clinic before, but they all ended up as the ghosts of Suzaku Square.
Therefore, when we get there, we just need to follow the instructions, treat the sick, and prescribe medicine; we don't need to worry about anything else.
"Yes, sir."
Li San Niang and Tang Mingyue responded to Manager Gao's words together.
The car stopped, and Li Sanniang got out. She saw that this was the entrance to Taipingfang, and there were people negotiating in front.
Sure enough, after a while, two soldiers came over, checked each carriage, and then the procession continued on its way.
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