Chapter 74 Which kind family runs a clinic in a scenic area...?
Lu Xiaoqi is terrible at naming things.
After hesitating for a while, she said, "How about... we name him Xiang Xinsheng?"
It also represents their new beginning.
Xiang Dali fell into deep thought.
Lu Xiaoqi hurriedly added, "I'm not good at naming things. Why don't you remember this first, and then ask Teacher Yuwen and Doctor Zhang Su Jun when you get back? They are all scholars, so they should be better at naming things than I am."
Being a newcomer is already the upper limit of her skill level.
You can tell from her name that her family members are probably not good at this; they're quite ordinary.
Xiang Dali, however, thought the name was excellent: "Thank you, Miss Lu, for bestowing this name upon me. From now on, this little girl will be called Xiang Xinsheng! Xinsheng... Xinsheng..."
He clearly liked the name very much, and said, "It just so happens that Ali's formal name hasn't been decided yet. We'll use the character 'Xin' in it. When Teacher Yuwen comes back, we'll ask him to name Ali."
Xiang Ali's current name on her ID card is "Xiang Ali". Xiang Dali's family feels that this name is a bit unlucky and they are considering changing it.
After hearing this, Lu Xiaoqi chuckled a few times. Looking at the little boy Xiang Xinsheng's face, she thought to herself, "Kid, don't blame Aunt Lu when you grow up. Aunt Lu did her best!"
Huang Si Niang was wheeled out of the delivery room, the baby already placed back in her arms by the maternity nurse. She looked a little weak, but her overall condition was quite good, and Xiang Dali followed her to the ward.
Lu Xiaoqi stretched and followed behind, just in time to run into Zhang Zhongjing and Gao Gongming, who had just arrived at the inpatient department. Hearing that they had spent most of the night wandering around the hospital researching medical specialties, Lu Xiaoqi paused for a moment, then gave them a thumbs up.
The boss truly lives up to his reputation!
After Zhang Zhongjing and Gao Gongming visited Huang Siniang, they planned to return to Qinghe Ancient Town with Lu Xiaoqi, as they needed to catch up on sleep in the morning. The flow of people at Guanmai Hall was moderate, and there wasn't much to handle, so missing a morning wouldn't be a big deal.
For more than a week after its opening, Guanmaitang didn't have much of a presence. Many tourists would come in out of curiosity, peek inside, and then quickly leave once they saw it was indeed a legitimate traditional Chinese medicine clinic. Apart from treating a few children's scrapes and a few tourists' bumps and bruises, Guanmaitang didn't have much interaction with the outside world.
The main reason is that Zhang Zhongjing has been seeing fewer patients lately—he's seen a lot of new things in the provincial capital and has been focusing on modern epidemiology and microbiology for the past few months, leaving him with little time. Aside from acquaintances and referrals from previous patients, he hasn't been accepting anyone else, nor has he advertised for them.
Physician Gao has only recently arrived from ancient times and is not yet well-known.
The newly arrived interns, along with Zhang Ying and Qian Bojiang, were mainly responsible for organizing and taking care of the medicinal herbs in the clinic, making Chinese herbal sachets and other honey pills, and learning a little something from the two teachers.
Guanmaitang is arguably the most leisurely place in the bustling Qinghe Ancient Town, making other departments envious.
When Lu Xiaoqi was busy, she would sometimes visit Guanmaitang to smell the medicinal fragrance, which made her feel much calmer. She had no objection to Guanmaitang's leisurely pace and didn't urge them on. The sachets had already been arranged for mass production at a medicinal herb factory, so Guanmaitang could continue at their own pace.
As the group left the inpatient department, they happened to run into Director Zhou of Anping County People's Hospital at the main gate, followed by several senior department heads.
When Dean Zhou saw Zhang Zhongjing, his eyes lit up, and he abruptly changed direction and rushed over, warmly shaking Zhang Zhongjing's hand: "Dr. Zhang, why didn't you tell me you were coming to the hospital? Is someone in your family hospitalized?"
Zhang Zhongjing smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with Dean Zhou, mentioning that a relative of his had just given birth there. Dean Zhou immediately instructed the obstetrics department to arrange the best ward for Huang Siniang.
Dean Zhou practically held his hand tightly, unwilling to let go: "Dr. Zhang, when would you be free to open a specialist clinic here? You don't need to be in the office every day, just two mornings a week would be enough. It's such a waste of your talent to stay in a scenic area like Qinghe Ancient Town..."
That would be like having a clinic in an ancient town. Is it appropriate for a renowned provincial doctor to be working in a clinic in a scenic area?
After hearing this, Lu Xiaoqi coughed heavily.
This is blatant poaching of her boyfriend right in front of her! This is absolutely intolerable!
Zhang Zhongjing smiled and said, "Dean Zhou, this is Miss Lu, the owner of our ancient town."
Dean Zhou chuckled, showing no embarrassment at being caught poaching talent. Clearly, he was a cunning and ruthless old fox. After a few pleasantries, he even asked Lu Xiaoqi to persuade Zhang Zhongjing.
"Boss Lu, why don't you persuade Dr. Zhang to open a specialist clinic here? It wouldn't interfere with things at the scenic area. Besides, this way more patients can benefit, right?"
Lu Xiaoqi said that what he said actually makes some sense.
However, she smiled and said, "Dean Zhou, I have no say in Dr. Zhang's affairs. Whether he comes or not is up to him."
The ball was thrown back to Zhang Zhongjing.
Zhang Zhongjing still didn't quite like the feeling of being controlled; he felt more at ease in Qinghe Ancient Town. So, after a few modest words that were tantamount to a polite refusal, he chatted for a while before bidding farewell to Dean Zhou and his group, and got into Lu Xiaoqi's car.
Dean Zhou watched his retreating figure from behind, feeling great regret.
A senior department head who had just been transferred nearby asked curiously, "Who is this doctor?"
Another department head explained with a smile, "This guy is really impressive. He passed the provincial-level renowned doctor certification a few months ago, and almost unanimously. He's also frequently invited to lecture at the Provincial College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He's truly skilled."
"Old Liu, don't you have trouble sleeping? You can buy some herbal sachets from his clinic. Let me tell you, they're incredibly effective! Everyone in Anping County knows that."
"Dr. Zhang is really skilled, but I don't know why he ended up opening a clinic in a tourist area..."
"I guess he's helping a relative out."
Dean Zhou listened to the discussion among his subordinates but didn't say much. He thought to himself, "That's more than that!" From the information he had gathered, this Dr. Zhang's pulse diagnosis was like that of a detective solving a case; he was accurate every time, and subsequent verification through instruments and various testing methods was almost always correct.
He's practically a legendary "miracle doctor".
He spent a few days seeing patients at the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and he has practically become a legend there. That's why Director Zhou is so eager to recruit Zhang Zhongjing; the Traditional Chinese Medicine department at Anping County People's Hospital is really not that great.
However, Dr. Zhang, who was used to a carefree life, didn't seem to be very interested.
Dean Zhou was not discouraged; he had to try again.
After returning to the ancient town, Lu Xiaoqi brought the good news to the people who were waiting.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the mother and daughter were safe.
Xiang's old friend comforted her: "Your granddaughter is great too. Look at the girls these days, they're all so capable and can make money, maybe even more than men."
“That’s right, that’s what I think too.” Old Lady Xiang said with a smile, though it was hard to tell if she was being sincere or forcing a smile.
Lu Xiaoqi pretended not to understand the legal case and didn't say much. Even many modern people still prefer sons and believe that only sons can carry on the family line, let alone these ancient people?
All she can do is guide and educate them to change their mindset, but whether they truly understand it depends on themselves.
She had no intention of interfering in their family affairs, but simply picked up Ah Li and smiled, "Ah Li has a little sister now, are you happy?"
Ahri smiled, nodded emphatically, and whispered, "I like it."
Lu Xiaoqi played with her for a while longer before going back to her room to sleep.
She woke up in the afternoon, ate lunch in the cafeteria, and then texted Su Jun and the others to ask for their address before heading over.
They were listening to Zhu Lianxiu's "The Tragedy of Dou E" at the Huanyin Pavilion.
Xiao Meiyun listened with tears streaming down her face, and threw all the copper coins and silver notes from her purse onto the stage.
Even Lu Weijun, who usually dislikes listening to such things, was nodding and swaying, clearly engrossed, and didn't even utter a sound when Xiao Meiyun gave such a large reward. It's worth noting that he was usually one of the most frugal people.
Lu Xiaoqi secretly sat in the back and found that even though it was a weekday, the theater was full of people. When she first came in, the hostess told her that the private rooms upstairs were almost full.
"It's a group of elderly gentlemen and ladies who have come almost every day these past few days. And the amount of money they give as tips is also quite large."
When Lu Xiaoqi entered, she noticed that, apart from the private room, a small portion of the people sitting in the front row were indeed elderly. However! The vast majority were young people, and they were all listening intently, even forgetting to crack open their sunflower seeds and peanuts.
She expressed her relief.
"good!"
After Zhu Lianxiu finished singing, cheers erupted from the private box, followed by the sound of tipping coins being thrown onto the stage. Lu Xiaoqi was terrified, fearing someone might get hit. She felt it was necessary to change the way tips were given.
"You sang so well!" Xiao Meiyun exclaimed after the performance. "Now I finally understand your grandma. She used to love listening to this."
Su Jun nodded in agreement, "Zhu Dajia really sings well; both her breath control and voice are top-notch."
He watched a lot of plays since he was a child and could appreciate some of them.
Xiao Meiyun: "Xiao Su has good taste. There aren't many young people who can appreciate traditional opera these days."
Su Jun said obediently, "Since Miss Lu is here, then Uncle and Aunt, I'll be leaving now. Have a great afternoon."
He really doesn't have time.
Lu Xiaoqi waved to him, and he returned her a smile.
"Why is this guy acting so strange lately..." This thought flashed through Lu Xiaoqi's mind. She always felt that Su Jun's attitude towards her was a bit odd after New Year's Day. He always seemed awkward, and occasionally he would be a little sarcastic, although it wasn't obvious.
Maybe they're just too busy?
Lu Xiaoqi shrugged and didn't take it to heart.
After he left, Xiao Meiyun praised Su Jun to Lu Xiaoqi over and over again, making Lu Xiaoqi a little jealous. Then she heard Xiao Meiyun ask, "Xiao Su and you are colleagues?"
Lu Xiaoqi finally realized what her mother was thinking and almost choked on her own saliva: "Otherwise what?!"
Xiao Meiyun: "This kid is so handsome, don't you have any feelings for him?"
Lu Xiaoqi: "You're making me sound like some kind of lecherous woman! He and I are just colleagues!"
She was innocent! Although she often coveted his beauty, she never harbored any improper thoughts. She also coveted the beauty of Zhao Feiyan, Li Guinian, and Gongsun Jin...
However, she is indeed beautiful... Lu Xiaoqi's heart wavered for a moment.
No, no, the other party is from ancient times.
Moreover, she really doesn't have that kind of thought at this stage.
"It's impossible for us." As if to convince herself, she said to her mother righteously, "Please don't say anything carelessly, it'll be so embarrassing later."
Xiao Meiyun rolled her eyes: "Alright, alright, I know. Don't worry, your old lady isn't that idle, and I'm not that eager to play matchmaker for you. Let's go, we'll go look at houses in the county later!"
She's also a woman of action.
Lu Xiaoqi was pleasantly surprised: "You've made up your minds?"
Her father, Lu Weijun, smiled and nodded: "Since you're here, we can only follow you now. By the way, can we go to Song Sao Fish Restaurant again tonight?"
Lu Xiaoqi waved her hand confidently: "Definitely! You can eat there every day if you want!"
She had originally planned to take her parents backstage to see Zhu Lianxiu because they really enjoyed "The Injustice to Dou E," but these two things completely distracted her, and she excitedly took her parents out of town to find an agency.
The elderly people in the front row, however, remained seated for a long time, unwilling to leave.
Among them are Liu Han and her grandmother Liang Xiufen, as well as several other grandmothers who are also fans of the opera.
Liang Xiufen is a theater enthusiast, and she loves all kinds of operas, including Peking Opera, Yue Opera, and Huangmei Opera. She also has a group of fellow opera lovers, which consists of retired elderly people who have some money and plenty of free time. They often get together to listen to operas and occasionally take the high-speed rail to the provincial capital and Hangzhou to see performances.
Last time, Liang Xiufen watched the video Liu Han sent her and was amazed. She immediately forwarded it to her opera enthusiast group, and then four or five elderly people rushed over.
They had travel experience, so Liu Han didn't have to worry about them much. She just bought tickets for her grandparents, booked a hotel near Qinghe Ancient Town, picked them up from the high-speed rail station and brought them over, and then went back to continue her classes and prepare for her final exams.
But she didn't expect that her grandmother and the others had stayed in Qinghe Ancient Town for three or four days and still hadn't left!
In fact, on the very first day we entered the town, we paid the difference to upgrade to an annual pass!
"Zhu Lianxiu sang so well, one time is not enough!" Liang Xiufen looked at her with a "you're making a fuss" expression. "Since we're here, of course we have to listen to her to our heart's content, otherwise it would be a waste of the high-speed rail ticket money."
Therefore, they planned to stay in Qinghe City for half a month, and had even negotiated a more favorable room rate with the hotel owner.
Liu Han was speechless and could only say, "I admire you, retirement is truly wonderful."
She had just finished her exams today, so she decided to come and listen to opera with her grandmother. And let me tell you, the actor sang really well. She hadn't forgotten the performance since the last time she heard it, and had searched for many opera videos online, but none of them felt quite the same.
Hearing it live today, wow, it's definitely different!
The lingering sound resonates for three days, and that's what it means.
“Zhu Dajia really sings well,” Liang Xiufen was talking with her fellow opera enthusiasts, still not recovered from the shock she had just experienced. “Last time we went to the provincial capital to see that play, Xiao Baihua, who was sung by the mainstay of the provincial troupe, didn’t feel as good as Zhu Dajia.”
The other elderly gentlemen and ladies also nodded in agreement with her statement.
Having listened to operas for so many years, their ears are very discerning. Even if the opera genres are different, they can tell whether someone is singing well or not just by listening.
"However, what kind of opera is Zhu Dajia singing? Some of the singing sounds like Peking Opera, while others have a Kunqu Opera feel, and I even heard a bit of Qinqiang Opera... It's quite unique."
"Alright, alright, old man Xu, stop showing off your knowledge. As long as it sounds good, that's enough." Old man Xu's wife, an elderly woman with a full head of white hair, rolled her eyes.
Old Xu snorted: "I'm giving you free tutoring."
"Go to hell."
"Okay, stop arguing. I just feel that her singing style is more Northern, it's all heptatonic scale."
"What kind of stereotype is that? The play 'The Tragedy of Dou E' is meant to be sung in a more forceful way, so the Southern opera singing style is definitely not suitable. Zhu Dajia's singing style is a bit of a hybrid, and it sounds beautiful."
Although they didn't know what kind of play it was, it blended the strengths of both northern and southern operas, making it irresistible to the audience.
Liu Han heard them start discussing professional issues, but she couldn't join in at all. She could only sit on the side, eating melon seeds and admiring the scenery of the theater. In a glance, she saw Zhu Lianxiu walking out from backstage.
On a whim, she rushed out and said, "Master Zhu, can we take a picture with you? We all love your performance!"
Zhu Lianxiu was somewhat surprised and stood there stunned for a while. Just when Liu Han thought she would disagree, he saw her smile gently:
"sure."
Liu Han immediately called her grandmother and her friends over. The group of people were both nervous and excited to take a photo with their new idol, and they were overjoyed.
Liang Xiufen was extremely pleased with her granddaughter's initiative and decided to give her another big red envelope later.
Remembering their earlier discussion, she immediately seized the opportunity to ask, "Master Zhu, what kind of opera are you singing? It seems somewhat different from the current opera genres..."
Zhu Lianxiu paused for a moment, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes, and replied, "What I sing can be called a miscellaneous drama, or a legend."
Liang Xiufen and a group of veteran opera enthusiasts looked at each other in bewilderment: "Zaju...chuanqi..."
I don't think I've heard of these two among the popular local opera genres these days.
Old Xu, who has some knowledge of traditional opera and often likes to show off, racked his brains trying to figure out where these two opera genres came from... They sounded a little familiar.
Seeing their bewildered looks, Zhu Lianxiu felt a pang of sadness and smiled, "These are all things of the past, and perhaps no one sings them anymore. However, I have a family tradition of performing these songs, so it's an honor for me to have your appreciation."
The once-glorious zaju (a type of Chinese opera) has been largely lost to the sands of time. Some stories and lyrics remain, but the singing styles have long since disappeared, evolving into bangzi, qinqiang, kunqu, jingju, yuju...
Now she is the only one left on the stage, trying to recreate its glory.
"No matter what it is, Master Zhu, your singing segments are too short. When will you be able to stage a complete performance?" Currently, both the morning and afternoon performances are half-hour segments, which leaves opera fans wanting more.
Zhu Lianxiu told them that rehearsals were already underway and that they would be able to perform in the main theater some time after the New Year.
A group of people were immediately delighted, realizing that their annual pass purchase had not been in vain!
They will definitely come to support us.
After chatting and taking photos, the elderly ladies took out small notebooks from their bags and asked Zhu Lianxiu to sign them. Liu Han felt that Zhu Lianxiu must have a very good personality, as she fulfilled all their requests and even smiled as she said goodbye, showing no airs whatsoever.
In fact, Zhu Lianxiu was startled when Liu Han stopped her.
In the past, when she performed in various places, she had to accompany the troupe leader to socialize with audiences who had status or wealth. Over time, she became somewhat tired and weary of it, but there was nothing she could do. Actors were considered the lowest of the low back then, and had no choice in what they did.
It wasn't until she became famous that she was able to avoid a lot of trouble thanks to her fame and the help of some super fans.
But after coming here, she discovered that after her performance, she only needed to retreat backstage to enjoy peace and quiet, without having to worry about anything outside the stage.
So Zhu Lianxiu has really been enjoying singing during this time.
She had previously studied the history of Chinese opera and its development in modern times, and discovered that after the founding of the People's Republic of China, those who were originally called "lower class" or "actors" now had a new name: "People's Artists".
Zhu Lianxiu liked the name.
......
"Hanhan handled this matter well!"
"Yes, young people are quick-witted and bold."
After leaving the small theater, Liang Xiufen and her friends were overjoyed and sent red envelopes to Liu Han. Liu Han grinned, thinking that her trip had definitely been worthwhile.
In return, she enthusiastically helped the grandmothers take photos inside the Huan Yin Ge (幻音阁). She was even the person who published "Recommended Top Five Photo Spots in Huan Yin Ge" on Xiaodigua (小地瓜), and she directed the grandmothers and grandfathers to pose in various ways.
Even if you don't bring colorful silk scarves, you still have to take beautiful photos of them!
As a result, joy turned to sorrow.
As she was coming down the steps, she lost her footing and fell flat on her face.
Liang Xiufen rushed over: "Oh dear, Hanhan, are you alright?"
Liu Han got up from the ground, then hissed and frowned. She looked miserable and said, "Grandma, I think I twisted my ankle."
My ankle hurts a little when I move it.
"Your hand!" the elderly woman with a full head of white hair exclaimed. Only then did Liu Han realize that when she fell, her hand had scraped against the ground, and now the skin between her thumb and forefinger was scraped, with small beads of blood oozing out.
"Go to the hospital right away," the old ladies said all at once.
At this moment, a security guard who was patrolling nearby came over. After seeing Liu Han's condition, he immediately called a carriage: "Go to Guanmai Hall. It's nearby. There are doctors there."
Liang Xiufen: "...What place is that?"
The security guard said, "That's the clinic in our ancient town, a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, and the doctor there is a famous one. You can go there without worry."
The group was immediately relieved. After discussing it briefly, they sent Liang Xiufen with Liu Han. Old Man Xu and his wife also went along.
To be honest, this was Liu Han's first time riding in a horse-drawn carriage in Qinghe Ancient Town, and she found it quite interesting. Lifting the curtain and looking out, it felt like she had truly returned to ancient times. For a moment, she even ignored the slight stinging pain in her ankles and palms.
She saw the carriage pass by Song Sao Fish Restaurant and then turn right into another alley.
Liu Han remembered!
She had been here the first time she came. It was a very quiet place. There was a large Chinese medicine shop in the alley, and further in there seemed to be a clinic that was open. But when they saw that it wasn't interesting, they turned around and left.
Which kind-hearted person would open a clinic in a tourist area?!
Liu Han finally understood; it turned out to be a medical room, treating tourists like her who had suffered accidental injuries.
However, this infirmary seems a bit too big...
Just then, the carriage stopped in front of the Guanmai Hall. The coachman helped Liang Xiufen help Liu Han down.
After getting off, Liu Han realized that they weren't the only group that had come. Next to them, an elderly woman was pushing a wheelchair, in which sat a thin woman in her thirties.
"Is this also a medical appointment?" Liu Han wondered to herself.
Are you here in the scenic area for medical treatment?
Something seems off...
Just then, a balding man squeezed through from behind, hurriedly stepped over the threshold and went inside, his voice enthusiastic and high-pitched: "Dr. Zhang, I've finally found you!!"
Liu Han: ? ? ?
She couldn't help but look up and saw a plaque hanging high above the door, with three large, elegant characters written on it—
Guanmai Hall!
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