Chapter 129 You have collected all the building materials...
After everyone else happily took their red envelopes and left, Zhang Ying was left alone, feeling uneasy, wondering why the two old gentlemen had kept her behind.
Zhang Zhongjing remained gentle and gestured for her to sit down. Gao Gongming then walked up to her, his expression returning to its usual seriousness, but there was no reproach in his eyes. Zhang Ying even felt a hint of inquiry in his gaze, and her heart skipped a beat. She immediately lowered her head.
"Stretch out your hand," Gao Gongming said in a low voice, "show your arms."
Zhang Ying, not understanding why, obediently stretched out her hands and then exposed her arms.
Gao Gongming didn't take her pulse, but gently held her wrist and examined it from all angles. Zhang Ying then realized something, her expression changed slightly, and she instinctively tried to pull her arm back.
Zhang Ying's cheeks flushed instantly, like a child caught doing something wrong, and she stammered, "I...I..."
On the once smooth skin, dozens of tiny red needle marks of varying ages were clearly visible!
She can explain!
Gao Gongming released her hand and looked at her intently: "When do you practice each day? How long is each session? Have you ever experienced fainting, needle retention, or hematoma?"
Seeing that she couldn't hide it any longer, Zhang Ying had no choice but to confess honestly: "I usually practice before going to bed at night... for about half an hour each time. I fainted from the needle once, but I've been more careful since then. I sometimes have a small hematoma, but it goes away quickly."
Her voice grew softer and softer, and her head drooped lower and lower.
Zhang Zhongjing, standing to the side, sighed, his tone filled with pity: "Foolish child, how can you act so recklessly? Without guidance, you practice on your own. What if you go astray?"
Gao Gongming remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Why do you do this?"
Zhang Ying kept her head down and didn't say anything at first.
After a long pause, she finally raised her head, her eyes sparkling with a determined yet shy light: "I, Dr. Gao, like acupuncture!"
She initially came to Guanmai Hall simply to find a way out for herself. After all, running a school was difficult, and she neither liked nor was good at the other skills. By chance, she helped out a little when Doctor Zhang first arrived, and thus joined Guanmai Hall.
At first, Zhang Ying also dreamed of becoming a doctor like that, not necessarily as skilled as Dr. Zhang, but just having a skill to earn a living. But soon, she fell into despair.
Compared to Qian Bojiang and the other interns who had graduated from medical school, she had absolutely no background in medicine and knew nothing about medicine, so she could only do odd jobs. Sometimes Zhang Zhongjing would give lectures, but she couldn't understand them very well. Fortunately, Qian Bojiang and the others would often give her extra help.
And so, half a year passed by in this way.
Zhang Ying often felt lost and occasionally suffered; pharmacology and medical theory were simply too profound. She worked at Guanmaitang while also studying at home, the pressure pushing her to the brink of collapse. She repeatedly asked herself, "Do I really want to go down this path?"
Just then, Gao Gongming appeared. His superb acupuncture skills seemed to open a completely new door for her.
Zhang Ying found those difficult-to-memorize meridian and acupoint diagrams quite interesting, and she could easily remember them. She also enjoyed watching Gao Gongming perform acupuncture on patients, watching him accurately locate acupoints and manipulate needles. The silver needles, as fine as hairs, seemed to possess life and will in his hands, able to probe the root of the disease.
She witnessed firsthand how patients who had suffered from headaches for years had their brows unfurrowed after just a few acupuncture treatments, how patients with facial paralysis gradually recovered after a period of treatment, and how children who had been groaning in pain from a cold fell into a deep sleep after having acupuncture needles left in...
Last time, Zhang Ying accompanied Gao Gongming to Anping County People's Hospital to give acupuncture to Chen Lifang and several other paralyzed patients. Seeing that people who were originally bedridden could now stand up shakily, she felt that the magic of acupuncture was simply unimaginable.
“I saw Dr. Gao using silver needles to relieve patients’ pain, and I thought it was amazing. I… I want to learn… but I’m afraid I’m not smart enough to ask you for advice, so I can only try it myself by secretly following the acupuncture point diagrams in the book first,” Zhang Ying said, becoming more and more anxious. “I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have stuck the needles in randomly. Please punish me, doctors!”
Gao Gongming and Zhang Zhongjing exchanged a glance, both seeing understanding and a hint of admiration in each other's eyes. This dedication to secretly working hard, this yearning for medical skills, were, in their eyes, far more valuable than talent.
The seriousness on Gao Gongming's face finally disappeared completely. He turned around, picked up a cup of hot tea that had been prepared beforehand from the table, and handed it to Zhang Ying.
“Since you know you’ve made a mistake, I’ll punish you—” He paused, and under Zhang Ying’s tense gaze, slowly said, “You will be punished by following me every day from now on to practice acupuncture and medicine. If you dare to act recklessly again, I will not let you off lightly.”
Zhang Ying froze, almost unable to believe her ears.
Zhang Zhongjing smiled and reminded him, "Silly child, what are you standing there for? Physician Gao is going to take you as his disciple and personally teach you acupuncture! Hurry up and serve tea and perform the apprenticeship ceremony!"
Overwhelmed with joy, Zhang Ying was so excited that her fingers trembled slightly. She quickly and respectfully accepted the warm teacup with both hands, took a deep breath, knelt down, and raised the teacup above her head. Her voice was choked with emotion:
"Disciple Zhang Ying greets Master! Please have some tea, Master!"
Gao Gongming, with a solemn expression, accepted the cup of tea that symbolized the established master-disciple relationship, lifted the lid, and slowly took a sip.
"Get up." He placed the teacup back on the table, his tone still calm, but with a hint of gentleness that was less noticeable than usual. "Now that you've entered my school, you must abide by the rules, study diligently, practice hard, keep the patients in your heart, and not slack off."
"Yes! This disciple will follow Master's teachings!" Zhang Ying stood up, her eyes already brimming with tears of excitement, but her face beamed with an incredibly radiant smile.
When I first came to Guanmai Hall, I wondered if I might catch the eye of the renowned doctor Zhang, but I later realized I was just overthinking it. I never imagined I would actually be able to become his disciple!
Zhang Ying was so overwhelmed with joy that she was dizzy even when she went out.
Zhang Zhongjing couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head and saying, "This child..." He turned to Gao Gongming and said, "Brother Gao, this child is good; you will not be disappointed."
Gao Gongming stroked his beard and smiled: "I hope she will pass on her mantle to me!"
He never imagined that his first disciple in this era would be a woman. But after living here for so long, gender didn't seem so important anymore; instead, it reminded him of his own daughter...
He sighed softly. Why had he been so bound by societal prejudices back then, and not passed on his skills to his daughter? She was clearly a girl with exceptional talent in acupuncture. He took Zhang Ying as his apprentice precisely because, at times, he saw a reflection of his daughter in her.
Shaking his head, Gao Gongming stopped thinking about it.
He turned to Zhang Zhongjing and asked, "Master Zhang is quite satisfied with Xiao Qian, so why don't you take him as your apprentice?"
In his memory, Zhang Zhongjing was not stingy in taking on apprentices; on the contrary, he had quite a few. In the past six months, he had seen that Zhang Zhongjing had shown a great interest in cultivating Qian Bojiang and several other interns, giving them lessons from time to time and teaching them carefully. However, he didn't know why Zhang Zhongjing never mentioned taking on apprentices.
It's important to understand that for old-fashioned people like them, formally accepting apprentices is quite different. As far as Gao Gongming knows, even in the medical field today, this remains true; there's a huge difference between a personally mentored disciple and an ordinary student.
Zhang Zhongjing stood with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance and sighing, "I'm afraid that if I were to take on disciples and then disappear from this place, I would be letting them down."
Therefore, it's better to forgo these empty titles and just focus on teaching regularly.
Gao Gongming then remembered his own wish and was momentarily at a loss for words. Their wishes were all born from deep-seated obsessions, and they could not be easily changed.
In the end, he could only offer a few feeble words of comfort: "Perhaps, when the opportunity arises, your wish, Lord Zhang, will soon be fulfilled."
Zhang Ying returned home and told her parents and uncle about being accepted as a disciple by Gao Gongming.
"Really?! Imperial Physician Gao?! Imperial Physician Gao from Guanmai Hall has taken you as his apprentice?!" Zhang's mother was the first to react, grabbing her daughter's hand and raising her voice with surprise.
Zhang Dalang and Zhang Erlang had returned from the brick kiln in Meishan Village to prepare for the New Year, but they didn't expect to hear such big news as soon as they entered the house. They were so excited that they stood up from their stools and paced back and forth in the room, rubbing their hands together.
"Great news! Incredible good news! This is a legitimate apprenticeship! And it's with a royal physician! Our Zhang family has truly accumulated a lot of good karma from our ancestors!"
While they were skilled in tile-making, they also knew that modern society preferred professions like doctors and lawyers—respectable and stable. Besides, that was Physician Gao! Even the renowned Physician Zhang had praised his acupuncture skills as divine.
Those people from Guanmai Hall are always treated with utmost respect when they see them.
Zhang Erlang grinned from ear to ear, nodding repeatedly: "Ying girl is promising, very promising! This is a rare opportunity that you couldn't find even with a lantern!"
After the initial joy subsided, Zhang's mother suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "That's right, that's right, you can't go empty-handed when you become an apprentice! You need to prepare the tuition fee. I'll go prepare it right away!"
She was in a hurry to make the arrangements. According to the old custom, she had to prepare six gifts as a token of her appreciation: celery, lotus seeds, red beans, red dates, longan, and dried lean meat strips—none of them could be missing. She also had to give a red envelope as a token of her good wishes.
Zhang's father also calmed down and repeatedly agreed: "Yes, yes, we can't neglect etiquette! Besides, Physician Gao is from the same place as us."
It's not that the other party lacks these things, but since we are all from the Ming Dynasty, if we don't follow the rules, he might feel that we have been impolite.
The family immediately busied themselves, rummaging through drawers and cabinets for red paper, discussing how much money to give as a gift so as to be both polite and not presumptuous. The house was filled with a joyful and busy atmosphere.
Seeing her family busy and happy for her, Zhang Ying felt a warm glow in her heart. She helped them for a while, and seeing that it was still early, she told her parents and went out to find her best friend to share the good news with her third aunt.
As soon as she stepped out of the house, the strong festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year enveloped her. Zhang Ying then realized that this was the second Lunar New Year they had spent here.
It's been so long without me even realizing it...
In the streets and alleys of District Four, every household is busy preparing for the Lunar New Year. The air is filled with the aroma of fried meatballs and smoked fish, new paper-cut window decorations are pasted on the windows, and red lanterns hang under the eaves. Children, dressed in new clothes, chase and laugh in the alleys with small windmills and sugar figurines, while the occasional sound of firecrackers rings out. Adults are busy sweeping courtyards and pasting Spring Festival couplets.
She strolled through the familiar and bustling streets, feeling her mood as bright and warm as the red lanterns hanging high in the sky. Reaching Xiang San Niang's house, she first saw the door of Xiang Dali's house next door open. Xiang's mother and Ali were outside, helping their one-year-old child practice walking, while Xiang Dali was busy inside. She didn't see Huang Si Niang; she must still be at work.
"Oh dear, let Auntie hug me."
When Zhang Ying saw Xiang Xinsheng wearing a red baby down jacket and toddling on the ground while holding onto a small chair, she thought she was incredibly cute. She picked her up and kissed her twice before letting go.
"Auntie, are you packing your things?" She happened to see Xiang Dali packing things inside.
Before the old lady could speak, Ali blurted out, "Aunt Ying, we're moving to a new house!"
Zhang Ying asked in surprise, "You're moving to the new neighborhood?"
The staff housing complex has already been handed over; it's fully furnished and ready to move in. Basically, every household here has bought a unit, but isn't it a bit early to be preparing to move now?
With a beaming smile, he said to his mother, "No, no, we have to move after the New Year, and we need to air it out for a few months, right? We're taking advantage of the New Year's cleaning to pack up some things and move them over first."
Children are always excited when they hear about moving to a new house, their eyes shining: "After we move to a new house, we won't have to climb stairs anymore. I fell down on the stairs last time, and it hurt so much!"
He said to his mother, "That's because you're always jumping around on the stairs! You never stop."
She worried about this child when she couldn't talk, and she's worried about her now that she can talk—she's just too naughty! This little girl is just like those boys, climbing up and down all day long, she's practically a monkey!
Zhang Ying laughed heartily: "Auntie, it's good that you're lively. Besides, girls can do a lot of things nowadays, so it's normal for them to be just as capable as boys."
He told his mother, "You still need to be more quiet and reserved."
However, although she expressed her disdain, her eyes revealed a smile, clearly agreeing with Zhang Ying's words. She added, "I don't expect her to be very successful. I just hope she can find a job to support herself like you."
Now, apart from a few older women, all the women in Zone 4 have legitimate jobs. Even those virgin dancers and musicians who look like fairies earn their own wages here, and the wages are incredibly high.
After being exposed to this for so long, everyone has come to the consensus that women can also work, earn money to support their families, and are no less capable than men.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Xiang Laoniang, Zhang Ying arrived at Xiang Sanniang's house with practiced ease. Before even entering, she could smell the enticing aroma of fried pastries. There, she saw Xiang Sanniang wearing an apron, busy with her mother in front of a wok set up in the yard. Fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, and her cheeks were flushed from the firelight.
"Third Sister!" Zhang Ying called out, and then greeted the other members of the Xiang family.
When Xiang's mother saw her, she immediately smiled broadly: "Yingzi is here! Perfect timing, I just fried some Qiaoguo and Ma Ye, come and have a taste!" As she spoke, she used a strainer to scoop up a handful of golden and shiny pastries and was about to stuff them into Zhang Ying's hand.
Zhang Ying took the still-hot Qiaoguo (a type of pastry), took a bite, and exclaimed, "Delicious!"
Unable to finish the fruit, she could no longer contain her joy. Grabbing Xiang San Niang's hand, her eyes sparkling, she said, "San Niang, I have something important to tell you!"
She told Xiang San Niang about her situation.
"Really?" Xiang San Niang suddenly raised her voice, her eyes widening, and then hugged Zhang Ying tightly, jumping with joy. "That's wonderful! This is amazing! I knew you could do it!"
She was genuinely happy for Zhang Ying.
The two young women hid to one side, whispering and eating freshly baked, fragrant fruit while discussing the present and the future.
"How are you doing with your studies?" Zhang Ying asked Xiang San Niang. The last time they chatted, Xiang San Niang seemed a little frustrated, thinking that she might not be cut out for carpentry.
"It's great." Xiang San Niang was in a good mood and very cheerful. "I've figured it out. I don't necessarily have to follow my father and brother's path. Even if I learn carpentry, I can take other paths. For example, my teaching in District 5 is more popular than theirs."
She is patient and gentle, and very popular in the preschool class. Moreover, she has ingenuity; some of her small wooden ornaments and decorations have even been appreciated by the cultural and creative department of the ancient town, who have bought the copyright to her to turn them into cultural and creative products for sale.
Xiang San Niang immediately understood that there are many opportunities in this world, and one does not necessarily have to become a master craftsman to have a way out.
"That's good, that's good." Zhang Ying was immediately relieved after hearing what she said.
At that moment, the two heard their father and mother talking inside the house.
Mr. Xiang, holding his phone, said to Mrs. Xiang, somewhat hesitantly, "Come and take a look, which of these two rice cookers is more suitable for us?"
Xiang's mother put down the freshly cooked pastries she was holding, took the phone, and carefully looked at the product description and price. She said confidently, "Buy the more expensive one. The fish restaurant uses this brand, and the rice cooked from it tastes completely different. If you can't bear to pay the price difference, I'll cover it."
Xiang's father clicked his tongue and muttered, "Why should you pay for this? It's not like it's anything expensive!"
Zhang Ying and Xiang San Niang listened from the side, exchanged a glance, and secretly smiled.
Xiang San Niang whispered to Zhang Ying, "See? My dad used to never ask anyone when he bought something. At most, he would discuss it with my brother. But now it's different. He has to discuss everything with my mother first."
She remarked with a sigh, "However, my mother has definitely changed since she started working in the ancient town..."
Zhang Ying nodded: "Of course, your mother deals with so many people every day now."
At first, Xiang's mother helped clean the ancient town. She was diligent and hardworking, and she kept her assigned area spotless. Later, the ancient town expanded rapidly, so she was promoted to a junior supervisor. Now, she mainly inspects the sanitation of Zone 2 and deals with the merchants every day.
As the days went by, Xiang San Niang could clearly feel that her mother was no longer the woman who only revolved around the stove. She had her own job, her own income, and her own opinions. Her words carried real weight in the family, and even Xiang's father began to rely on her judgment with complete respect.
Such examples are by no means isolated cases in Xiangjia Village.
As a daughter, she is also very proud of her mother.
......
Qinghe Ancient Town issued a holiday notice well in advance, stating that it would be closed for two days on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month and Lunar New Year's Eve, and would reopen to visitors on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
When the holiday and work schedule was first being planned, the sales director frowned and approached Lu Xiaoqi.
"Mr. Lu, shouldn't we reconsider this holiday notice?" He tried to make his tone tactful. "Giving everyone two days off... the losses... are probably not small. Besides, other scenic spots are all gearing up to welcome guests, and we're closing down. Doesn't that seem too unconventional?"
He did a preliminary calculation and estimated that, based on the daily visitor flow and spending at the scenic spot, closing the gate for even a day would result in a loss of at least three to four million yuan in revenue.
Lu Xiaoqi smiled after listening, her tone gentle but firm: "I understand your concerns, but you can't just look at the revenue from these two days. From the first day of the Lunar New Year to the fifteenth, it's the golden period. Let the employees rest well for two days before that, recharge and prepare for the Spring Festival. When we open on the first day of the Lunar New Year, everyone can greet customers with smiles and sincerity. This is better than forcing them to work out when they are exhausted."
Even shift work feels different from this kind of holiday for everyone.
"Moreover, after being busy from the beginning to the end of the year, everyone should spend time with their families and have a reunion dinner."
Please let her rest, I beg you!
Although Lu Xiaoqi doesn't have to work regular hours like other employees and can even slack off occasionally, she's never truly idle as long as the ancient town is open; she always has things to handle. Her phone is constantly flooded with messages.
While others take turns working shifts, she doesn't. Perhaps, once the ancient town stabilizes and gets back on track, she'll be able to relax.
So, she doesn't want to care about anything these past two days!
The sales director opened his mouth, wanting to try again, but looking at Lu Xiaoqi's eyes, he ultimately swallowed his words and sighed helplessly, "Alright, you're the boss, I'll listen to you. I hope you're right."
He muttered to himself, "They really are rich and willful."
However, when this capricious holiday notice was posted on the official app and social media, the effect completely exceeded the sales director's expectations. Netizens felt that this decision was great, allowing employees to enjoy a proper reunion dinner with their families.
Amidst widespread resentment towards cattle and horses, this topic even climbed to the top of the trending search list, sparking a discussion and bringing extremely high brand reputation and public goodwill.
Seeing the almost unanimous positive reviews online, the sales director was stunned for a long time, then suddenly slapped his thigh, his face full of admiration.
"Mr. Lu, you're amazing!" He was so excited he was almost incoherent, full of admiration. "That was a brilliant move! Giving us two days off not only didn't result in a loss, but it also earned us a great reputation and a surge in customers. I was worried... but I didn't expect you to have anticipated the effects of this marketing campaign. Brilliant! Truly visionary!"
Lu Xiaoqi was drinking tea when she heard this and almost choked.
She was speechless: "...Think whatever you want."
I'm mentally exhausted.
During the two-day holiday, Qinghe Ancient Town was deserted and extremely quiet. She had a meal with her parents, as well as Yuwen Kai, Su Jun, Song Wu Sao, and other single relatives and friends who were not living with their families. It was a lively and bustling meal.
With those minor work-related troubles gone, Lu Xiaoqi felt as open and bright as the winter sky.
On New Year's Eve, she still brought out the large TV from before and placed it in the small square in front of the mansion in Zone 4 so that everyone could gather together to watch the Spring Festival Gala. But unlike before, it wasn't open to the public; it was only for her own family.
There were even more people this year. Some elderly people who had come last year and watched the Spring Festival Gala were showing off to the newcomers. The scene in the small square was even more lively and funnier than the gala on TV.
When she saw the dance performance, Lu Xiaoqi couldn't help but turn around and say to Zhao Feiyan, who was also engrossed in the performance:
"I was watching your dance show at this time last year."
Zhao Feiyan smiled gently. The director of this year's Spring Festival Gala had actually approached her, but she declined. Once was enough of an experience like this.
Just as she was about to say something, she and Lu Xiaoqi simultaneously heard a voice:
"Congratulations, player! SSR character Zhao Feiyan has fulfilled her wish to become Empress. Her life form is about to solidify and she will gain the special ability, Dance of Allure."
"You have obtained the Heart of Architecture Fragment, 3/3".
"You have collected all the fragments of the Heart of Architecture, which can be combined into a complete Heart of Architecture."
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