Chapter 46 Going to Ji'an Hall
Just then, Meng Yutong suddenly nodded, a frank smile spreading across her lips: "What Physician Ji said makes sense. I was indeed a bit impulsive at the time, and I will take this as a warning and act more cautiously in the future."
Ji Yun's fingertips, which were resting on the medical kit, paused slightly, but he didn't show it on his face. He casually withdrew his hand and placed it on his knee.
His voice was calm as he subtly changed the subject: "If it's convenient for you, Dr. Meng, could you lend me the detailed records of the medical consultations at Zhaoyutang over the past two weeks?"
Meng Yutong opened the medical kit as instructed, took out the detailed booklet, and handed it over.
Ji Yun took it, quickly flipping through several pages, and then pointed out: "There is another matter. The 'Guidelines' mentioned earlier also state that if the number of the same over-the-counter medicine (such as sachets, pills, powders, etc.) sold exceeds three hundred units within a month, the excess will not be counted in the official record assessment."
He looked up at Meng Yutong and said, "For example, the number of calming sachets that Doctor Meng has been selling recently has already exceeded the limit."
These detailed rules... who on earth drafted them? They're hindering us at every turn!
Meng Yutong was secretly annoyed, but quickly opened the book in her hand to search for it.
"Page twelve, top left, second paragraph," Ji Yun's voice rang out calmly, providing a timely reminder.
Meng Yutong flipped the page as instructed, her eyes sweeping over the clear ink writing. Sure enough, the black and white characters on the white paper were clearly written.
The calming sachets were the key to Zhaoyutang's establishment and fame. She originally hoped to sell more sachets to win first place in the evaluation. Now, this regulation has shattered her hopes.
She suppressed her emotions and continued flipping through the book, only to find that the entries were numerous and detailed:
When diagnosing a patient, one must record the patient's symptoms, pulse, and the basis for medication in detail, without being vague or ambiguous.
When selling medicines, the properties and contraindications must be clearly indicated, and their effects must not be exaggerated or their harms concealed.
The methods for decocting medicinal herbs and the rules for making pills and powders must all follow established practices, and the core ingredients must not be added or subtracted without authorization...
This set of guidelines is so detailed and comprehensive that it covers almost every aspect of running a medical clinic. Rather than a set of inspection regulations, it is more like a strict "medical practice code".
Meng Yutong felt slightly dizzy. Why did all the rules and regulations seem to be designed specifically to restrict her newly opened small clinic?
She snapped the book shut, her composure fading slightly, and spoke a little faster: "Physician Ji's thoughts are thorough. I will definitely study them carefully and memorize them when I get back."
Ji Yun handed back the detailed medical record: "Dr. Meng is intelligent, and it is not difficult for him to understand the key points. However, there are still a few irregularities in this April's record. I hope you will pay more attention to them in the future and avoid them."
"Hmm." Meng Yutong packed her medical kit, stood up to leave, and said, "If Physician Ji has no further instructions, I will take my leave now."
“On the first and fifteenth of each month, I will be here at the Imperial Medical Bureau lecturing on the Treatise on Febrile Diseases and the diagnosis and treatment of common ailments.” Ji Yun looked at her calmly. “If Doctor Meng has some free time, you may come and listen.”
Meng Yutong was bending over to carefully put the medical records on the table into her medical kit. Upon hearing this, she didn't stop her work or look up, but simply replied, "Okay."
"That copy of Pharmacology that I had Yunzhou take to Zhaoyutang a few days ago," Ji Yun said, his gaze falling on her busy fingertips. He brought it up casually, his tone as calm as if it were a casual chat, "I wonder if Doctor Meng has had any free time to look through it recently?"
Meng Yutong closed the box, straightened up, and casually replied, "Old Master Ji is a man of profound learning and deep expertise. His insights into the properties, properties, qualities, and flavors of various medicinal herbs are penetrating and unique. This book draws on the strengths of many schools of thought, detailing the origins of medicinal herbs and elucidating the subtleties of pharmacology. I have been busy with various matters lately and have only read the first few chapters intermittently, but I have already benefited greatly." She paused, turned to Ji Yun, and gave a polite but distant nod, "Thank you for the book, Physician Ji."
Upon hearing this, a faint smile flickered across Ji Yun's dark eyes, like a spring breeze brushing across an ice surface. Though it did not completely melt away the chill, it did create a gentle ripple.
His face still had that aloof look, but the aura of "keep away" around him seemed to have softened a bit, indicating that he was in a good mood.
"I'll be going to Ji'an Hall later for a routine check-up on the children they've taken in." Ji Yun also stood up, speaking naturally, "Would Doctor Meng like to come along?"
Since the last time the two of them went to Ji'an Hall for treatment, Meng Yutong has not been to Ji'an Hall for nearly a month.
After opening her clinic, she would occasionally have Bai Zhi deliver some medicinal tea or porridge to her, but she never went inside to treat patients alone without Ji Yun's permission.
Meng Yutong stopped tidying up, looked up at him, and then nodded: "Okay."
The two then walked out of the assembly hall one after the other, and strolled side by side along the quiet courtyard path of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Three or two students walked together, and when they saw Ji Yun passing by, they all stopped to greet him.
Ji Yun walked slowly, his expression still aloof, but he nodded in return for each greeting.
“Physician Ji holds multiple positions,” Meng Yutong said, walking beside him with an emotionless tone. “He has to handle the heavy workload of the Physician’s Office, teach at the Imperial Medical Bureau, and also perform charitable medical services at the Ji’an Hall. Now, the heavy responsibility of the new policy’s inspection has also fallen on his shoulders. He is truly very hard-working.”
Every word seemed to be a compliment, but upon closer listening, one could detect a hint of something unusual.
She seemed dissatisfied with many of the things written in the book she had just read.
Ji Yun turned his head to look at her. Meng Yutong was always distant and aloof in front of him, and on several occasions when they were together, he could clearly feel a bit of hostility from her.
Today's seemingly blunt and slightly temperamental remarks felt more genuine to him than his previous aloof and impeccable demeanor.
Having practiced medicine for many years, he has always admired people with genuine talent and ambition.
Meng Yutong's courage in opening her own medical clinic, her ingenuity in prescription formulation, and even the sharp edge she occasionally reveals when she shows her claws.
He didn't want to hide it; he also admired Meng Yutong.
A faint smile, like a dragonfly skimming the water, brushed across the corner of his lips.
He softened his voice, speaking clearly with a calm strength: "Having chosen the path of medicine, one should dedicate one's life to saving lives and helping the world. Promoting medical administration is to benefit more people; imparting knowledge and skills is to pass on the torch; sitting in the clinic to take pulses is a doctor's duty. As long as what I do benefits people, I will be happy to do it, how dare I complain about hardship?"
Ji Yun's voice, like his personality, was always cool and aloof, carrying a hint of unapproachability. But now, listening to him speak of his grand ambitions in medicine, it was rare to feel a touch of warmth in his voice.
Like the melting of ice and snow in a mountain stream, the murmuring water seems to carry a faint sense of vitality and hidden power.
It touches the heartstrings.
Meng Yutong paused involuntarily, turned her head to look at his handsome profile, and was momentarily lost in thought.
“Doctor Meng,” Ji Yun said, his steps very slow, and the two of them almost stopped under the lush shade of the trees by the roadside.
He turned his gaze, which fell on her face. "Why did you choose the path of practicing medicine and helping the world?"
Meng Yutong met his gaze and said frankly, "Naturally, I am like most doctors in the world, dedicated to curing diseases and saving lives."
"Treating illness...saving lives?" Ji Yun repeated in a low voice, as if pondering the deeper meaning.
“Yes,” Meng Yutong nodded, her gaze sweeping over Ji Yun’s shoulder before turning to the distant void. A trace of melancholy and desolation, incongruous with her age, flickered deep in her eyes. Her voice was cold and deep, as if looking back from another world, “To heal the deep-seated ailment in the heart and to save the body from its predicament.”
For some reason, the expression on her face when she said these words was exactly the same as when she uttered the four words "Do not seek outside" in front of Zhaoyutang that day.
With a melancholy born of insight into the ways of the world, yet after the initial sorrow, one finds peace and tranquility.
"I wonder if Doctor Meng's illness has been cured now?" A faint ripple flashed across Ji Yun's eyes, and his voice lowered slightly.
The dappled sunlight filtered through the layers of branches and leaves, casting pale golden spots on the ground.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the shimmering light, like agile fish swimming in a stream, danced lightly across her smooth forehead, delicate nose, and rosy lips.
Upon hearing this, Meng Yutong smiled.
A dappled spot of light landed precisely on her slightly raised brow bone, making her dark eyes shine brightly and captivating all who looked at them.
She replied loudly, "I'm probably healed. It will only get better from now on."
Ji Yun gazed at the gleam in her eyes and slowly nodded.
For some reason, a slight bitterness flashed through my heart.
Without another word, the two walked side by side toward the gate of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Outside the gate, a simple carriage with a blue canopy stood quietly, its style understated and unassuming. Yunzhou sat on the carriage shaft, and upon seeing Ji Yun emerge, immediately signaled the driver to bring the carriage to the two of them.
"Dr. Meng, let's go together." Ji Yun stepped aside and raised his hand in invitation.
The carriage was quite spacious, easily accommodating two people. Meng Yutong did not refuse, but whispered "thank you" before lightly lifting her skirt and gracefully boarding the carriage.
Ji Yun waited until she was seated before lifting his robe and stepping in.
Yunzhou peeked inside through the curtain, and once the two were seated, he signaled the driver to crack the whip. The blue-draped carriage steadily drove away from the Imperial Medical Bureau and rumbled toward Ji'an Hall.
As soon as they sat down, Meng Yutong noticed that the carriage was much more cramped than it appeared from the outside. The two sat facing each other, with their knees barely a foot apart, and any slight movement would inevitably cause their clothes to touch.
She leaned back against the carriage wall without making a sound, pulled her legs in a little further, and lifted a corner of the curtain, pretending to look at the street scene, but her gaze was somewhat unfocused.
Ji Yun, sitting opposite him, was also sitting upright, his back pressed against the car wall, his jawline slightly tense, showing a deliberate sense of aloofness and unease.
The carriage left the Imperial Medical Bureau and passed a clinic with a gold-lacquered sign that read "Jishetang" hanging above its entrance.
Meng Yutong's gaze was drawn to a young man in a gray jacket waving a familiar indigo-covered booklet, passionately arguing with an elderly doctor with white hair and beard:
"What a load of crap, the Medical Academy! All they do is cause this trouble!"
"If I had known it would be this troublesome, I wouldn't have bothered running for this damn official list!"
"Look at this! Is this something a human being wrote? It's full of rules and regulations, longer than a foot-binding cloth!"
...
The booklet in the man's hand looked very familiar. She peeked out and saw that it was the detailed rules that Ji Yun had just given her.
I see.
Meng Yutong's lips curved slightly, and she felt a sense of relief. She lowered the carriage curtain, turned back to look at Ji Yun, who had a cool expression, and her eyes held a knowing smile: "Among the three medical clinics under Physician Ji's jurisdiction, Jishetang must be one of them?"
Ji Yun nodded: "Exactly."
Meng Yutong suddenly chuckled softly, the sound extremely faint, yet clearly audible in the cramped carriage.
"Why is Doctor Meng laughing?" Ji Yun raised his eyes and calmly locked his gaze on her.
"I'm just a little curious," Meng Yutong tapped the medical kit with her fingertip, "is Physician Ji's 'grand masterpiece' exclusively for our three families, or is it something that all medical clinics in Lin'an City that want to be included in the official register must follow?"
Ji Yun's eyes narrowed slightly: "This 'Guideline' is uniformly promulgated, not just for you all. As for..." He paused slightly, looking at her probingly, "I don't recall saying that I personally wrote this booklet. How did Doctor Meng know?"
“What’s so difficult about that?” Meng Yutong recalled the booklet with a confident tone. “The clarity of its organization, the rigor of its standards, and the meticulousness of its logic are simply impenetrable. The meticulousness that shines through the lines is clearly the work of Physician Ji.”
In my previous life, we were husband and wife for several years, so I was very familiar with his way of doing things.
Flipping through two pages, one could only imagine the meticulousness with which he meticulously controlled even the volume of the medicine grinding in the clinic. Who else could it be but Ji Yun?
“The regulations are clear and complete,” Ji Yun said earnestly, seemingly oblivious to the sarcasm in her words, or perhaps he chose to ignore it. “At first, they may seem cumbersome and restrictive, but once they become established norms and are thoroughly memorized, they can achieve twice the result with half the effort and become proficient.”
"The foundation of running a clinic lies in 'stability' and 'trust.' Doing a good job in these areas in the early stages may seem like a lot of work, but it actually helps to avoid countless hidden dangers in the future and lays a long-term foundation. Never underestimate the importance of laying this foundation."
It was rare for him to say so much.
He could see that Meng Yutong was exceptionally talented and quick-witted, handling both the Sun family's schemes and dealing with Li Jing with ease.
However, her actions were too sharp and sometimes even reckless, which made her inexperienced in running a clinic even more apparent.
Since they were traveling together today, he didn't mind taking the time to explain the pros and cons, both for her long-term benefit and to avoid the trouble of checking things out later due to her carelessness.
"Physician Ji is insightful and thoughtful; I, Yutong, have learned a great deal," Meng Yutong replied readily, her smile appropriate.
She knew perfectly well what was going on. Ji Yun was a man who valued rules and regulations to an extreme degree.
Trying to explore flexible, even unorthodox, solutions in front of him is like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree.
She will follow the instructions in this booklet as long as they are harmless and do not hinder her business.
However, with clinics open to customers, there are countless things to deal with and unexpected situations arise one after another. How could a mere booklet possibly cover everything?
No matter how meticulous Ji Yun is, she can't predict everything. As long as things are outwardly acceptable and don't touch the core issues, she knows how to be flexible and tactful.
The carriage passed through the bustling Imperial Street and turned into a quiet alley paved with bluestone slabs. At the end of the alley was Ji'an Hall.
“Medical Officer Ji,” Meng Yutong broke the silence, asking with a hint of curiosity, “Are there any other charitable institutions in the city, like Ji’an Hall, that take in orphans, widows, and the sick, as well as nursing homes and relief centers, also cared for by the Medical Officer’s Office?”
“Hmm.” Ji Yun nodded and explained in a steady voice, “In previous years, the imperial court set up a special department to allocate money and supplies to various charitable institutions, which also included funds for medical treatment and medicine.”
"However, upon investigation, it was found that doctors often made excuses or demanded exorbitant prices, leaving the elderly, sick, and infirm with no way to seek medical treatment."
"Therefore, the Medical Academy reformed the old system by assigning a fixed medical officer to each charitable organization, who would personally visit them regularly to provide free medical consultations. The medical materials and manpower consumed were all allocated and provided by the Medical Academy, without taking a penny from the charitable organizations."
"I see." Meng Yutong's eyes revealed sincere approval. "Such a pragmatic approach to understanding the people's conditions must be the result of His Excellency's foresight. He is truly a good official who cares about the people."
Hearing her praise Zhu Zhi so highly, Ji Yun suddenly pictured Zhu Zhi's round, comical face. If he knew someone was praising him like that, he would be strutting around with pride.
His lips twitched slightly upwards, then returned to normal. At that moment, the carriage had come to a steady stop outside the gates of Ji'an Hall.
"Dr. Meng, we've arrived," Ji Yun said, lifting the carriage curtain.
Meng Yutong stood up in response. The carriage was low, so she had to walk out while half-bending over. When she reached the carriage shaft and was about to get off, she suddenly remembered that she had left her medical kit in the carriage.
She instinctively turned to retrieve it, but the movement was too sudden. Ji Yun, who was about to get out of the car right behind her, was caught off guard and only felt a figure flash before her eyes before someone bumped into her arms.
The carriage shaft was narrow, making it difficult to stand steadily. Ji Yun was jolted by the impact and swayed. He quickly braced himself against the carriage wall with one hand to regain his balance, while his other hand instinctively reached out to hold the shoulder and back of the person in his arms to prevent her from losing her balance and falling.
Through the thin spring shirt, I could feel the warmth of his hand and the clear outline of his shoulder blades.
The delicate scent of mint leaves instantly fills the air, carrying the coolness of early summer morning dew.
Meng Yutong steadied herself and suddenly looked up. Their eyes met, but in the blink of an eye, they quickly looked away as if burned.
Ji Yun abruptly withdrew his hand from her shoulder and back, his fingertips seemingly still feeling a strange burning sensation.
He quickly turned his head to the side, a faint blush rising at the base of his ears, but his voice remained as cool as ever: "But...did you leave something behind?"
Meng Yutong also felt embarrassed, and forced a smile: "My medical kit is still inside."
"You may go down and wait a moment." Ji Yun's voice was slightly tense. After speaking, he quickly bent down and crawled back into the carriage.
Seeing this, Meng Yutong took a deep breath, suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, deftly lifted her skirt, and steadily jumped down from the carriage shaft.
Yun Zhouhou, who had just witnessed the scene, was somewhat dumbfounded. When he came to his senses and reached out to help her, she gently waved him away.
A short while later, Ji Yun got out of the car carrying two medical kits and handed Meng Yutong hers. The two of them entered Ji'an Hall one after the other.
Qiu Niang was pacing anxiously in the courtyard when she saw Ji Yun and Meng Yutong. As if seeing saviors, she rushed forward and said, "Physician Ji, Doctor Meng, you've come just in time!"
She led the two of them quickly toward the inner courtyard, her voice anxious, "Xiao Hui and Xing'er, the two children in the hall, have had a persistent high fever since yesterday. We gave them some common cold remedies, but today they're not getting better at all; instead, they're complaining of unbearable abdominal pain. I'm worried about having to go and ask Physician Ji for help!"
The three hurried towards the children's house. On the way, Ji Yun asked in a low voice, "How old are the two children? How is their health usually? Have they been eating anything unusual lately?"
Qiu Niang hurriedly replied, "They are all eleven years old. They used to be quite healthy and rarely had any illnesses. They eat the same food as everyone else in the hall, nothing special. I haven't seen them eating anything else these past two days either."
To make it easier to care for them, the two children were placed separately in a quiet little room.
Upon entering, one sees a simply furnished room with two small beds facing each other.
The boy, Xiaohui, lay on the left side of the bed, while the girl, Xing'er, lay on the right. Both were curled up, their faces as pale as paper, and their foreheads were covered with fine beads of cold sweat, clearly in great pain.
Ji Yun walked straight to Xiao Hui's bedside. He saw that the boy's eyes were closed, his breathing was rapid, his cheeks were flushed abnormally due to the high fever, but his lips were dull.
Ji Yun extended his cool fingertips to touch the side of his neck, finding it burning hot to the touch. Upon closer inspection of the whites of his eyes, he could faintly see dense blood vessels.
Most strikingly, several pale reddish-rose spots appeared on the skin of his neck, chest, and abdomen, a typical sign of severe typhoid fever.
After quickly scanning Xiao Hui's symptoms next to Ji Yun, Meng Yutong tacitly turned to the right side of the bed.
She bent down to examine Xing'er carefully. The girl's symptoms were exactly the same as Xiao Hui's: high fever, abdominal pain, and sparsely distributed pale red rose spots.
Meng Yutong gently pressed on Xing'er's abdomen, and the girl groaned in pain, curling up even tighter.
Seeing her two children suffering, Qiu Niang was extremely anxious: "What...what kind of illness is this? How did it come to be so dangerous?"
Ji Yun turned his gaze to Meng Yutong, his expression inquiring, as if he wanted to hear her opinion.
Meng Yutong understood and said in a deep voice, "Judging from their high fever, rose rash, and severe abdominal pain, it should be typhoid fever with dysentery. Qiu Niang, you just said that the two children's diet has been the same as that of the other children in the hall recently. Is there anything else they are eating?"
Qiu Niang frowned in deep thought, then suddenly remembered something. She quickly walked to the low table between the two small beds, picked up the two bamboo tubes that still had half a tube of water left, and said, "That's right! Xiao Hui and Xing'er went to Yiwen Medical Clinic to help out for two days the other day. They brought this water back with them! They must have drunk this!"
She handed the bamboo tubes to Ji Yun and Meng Yutong respectively, feeling annoyed. "We usually drink water from the well in the backyard, and everyone in the hall is fine. Only the two of them drank this..."
Sun Yiwen, the head of Yiwen Medical Clinic, is nearly sixty years old. He has been practicing medicine on Beiyu Street for many years and is very kind-hearted, having helped many poor people.
Because he had achieved academic success in his youth and was recommended by the local gentry, he took on the role of head of the Ji'an Hall and was in charge of all its affairs.
However, he was busy with his clinic, so his wife mostly managed the daily operations of Ji'an Hall.
The older children in the clinic would often go out to do whatever chores they could to earn some pocket money. When Yiwen Clinic was busy, Sun Yiwen would ask Qiu Niang to send a few children over to help.
Ji Yun took the bamboo tube and examined it intently.
The water in the tube appeared ordinary at first glance, but upon closer inspection, its color was slightly murky, unlike the clear and bright water of a spring, and it seemed somewhat stagnant when flowing. He brought the bamboo tube close to his nose, sniffed it carefully, and frowned slightly: "There's probably something wrong with this water, but the smell doesn't seem to be anything unusual."
The water appears flawless on the surface, but if it is indeed the source of the disease, as Qiu Niang claims, its hidden dangers must be lurking in the shadows.
He planned to take it back to the Imperial Medical Academy and have it examined in detail by Chen Bin, a physician skilled in identifying drugs and toxins and who dealt with various medicinal materials and toxins year-round.
The copy that Meng Yutong had was kept by Qiu Niang for the time being, as it might be used as evidence later.
He turned his head and saw that Meng Yutong had already dipped her hand lightly into the bamboo tube and then pointed it onto the tip of her tongue without hesitation.
"You!" Ji Yun could hardly believe his eyes.
Almost instinctively, he snatched the bamboo tube from Meng Yutong's hand. The movement was swift, and the bamboo tube shook violently. The icy water inside suddenly splashed out, soaking the back of his hands and the cuffs of his moon-white uniform, quickly spreading into a dark water stain.
"This water has an unknown origin and harbors hidden dangers. How could you be so reckless!" His voice was low and urgent as he stared intently at Meng Yutong, his usually cold and indifferent expression cracking for the first time.
Meng Yutong seemed oblivious to his anger, savoring the minuscule liquid on her tongue. After a moment, she nodded solemnly: "The water is murky, slightly astringent, and has a lingering bitterness like rust. It is definitely not ordinary clean water."
Watching from the side, Qiu Niang was terrified and clapped her hands repeatedly, saying anxiously, "Oh dear Doctor Meng! How could you taste it directly! If something bad happens to you, how could I bear the responsibility!"
Meng Yutong shook her head reassuringly at Qiu Niang: "Qiu Niang, there's no need to worry. I only took a tiny amount with the tip of my tongue, just a light taste. The strength of toxicity depends on the dosage. Such a tiny amount is not enough to pose a threat to an adult."
She said calmly, "You can rinse your mouth later and it will be fine."
Qiu Niang was slightly relieved, then looked at Ji Yun's sleeves, which were soaked with sweat, and said with concern, "Physician Ji, your clothes..."
“It’s alright.” Ji Yun interrupted her, his face already regaining its usual coldness. Without even glancing at his soaked cuffs, he took a leather water pouch from his medical kit and handed it to Meng Yutong expressionlessly: “It’s clean, go rinse your mouth quickly.”
"Yes, yes, yes! Doctor Meng, go and rinse your mouth!" Qiu Niang urged repeatedly.
Meng Yutong looked at the water pouch handed to her, hesitated for a moment, but finally accepted it: "Thank you for your trouble, Physician Ji."
She turned and quickly left the house.
Holding the water pouch that still retained a trace of his palm's warmth, a strange feeling swept through his heart.
She knew that Ji Yun was a germaphobe and never drank water directly from his mouth, so this water pouch should be fine.
But in the end… she shook her head, banished her distracting thoughts, walked to the courtyard, unplugged the water bag, and raised it high, letting the clear water flow out.
She tilted her head back slightly, letting the water barely touch her lips and teeth before quickly spitting it out, repeating this several times to ensure there was no residue left in her mouth.
In just a few breaths, he had already put the stopper back on, turned around and went back into the house, handing the water bag back to Ji Yun.
"Thank you," she whispered, her gaze sweeping over his soaked sleeves.
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