Spring arrived early in Shengjing.
In the main street of West Street, the taverns hung up spring banners early; only a few withered petals remained on the plum trees, while the willows by the Luoyue Bridge began to sprout.
Against this backdrop of new spring, Lu Tong returned to Renxin Medical Hall.
After Miao Liangfang had someone inquire about the news at the Medical Officer Institute, he and Du Changqing prepared early in the medical hall. They even went to Renhe Restaurant to order a table of good food and drinks to set up in the courtyard. As soon as Lu Tong reached the entrance of the medical hall, she was hugged tightly by Yin Zheng, who wouldn’t let go.
"Miss," Yin Zheng said, "Didn’t you mention that you’d be back at the hall after a ten-day rest this month? Why did you come back early?"
The medical officers who had gone to Su Nan to treat the epidemic had performed meritoriously and were to be rewarded after returning to the Imperial City. There were also some documents about the epidemic treatment that needed to be organized. It was quite busy for a while.
"I asked for leave from the Chief Physician."
Du Changqing was eyeing her from the side. He still looked the same as he had months before, wearing bright clothes, with a listless expression, but now he seemed to have more confidence and appeared more like a young, ambitious shopkeeper.
He grabbed a handful of walnuts, gave half of one to Lu Tong, and said to everyone, "Look, what did I tell you? She’s definitely lost weight! When she left the medical hall back then, I took good care of her with plenty to eat and drink. After serving as a Medical Officer for half a year, she’s slimmed down to this. It proves one point."
Yin Zheng asked curiously, "What point?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
"One shouldn’t work!" Du Changqing crushed the walnut with one bite, "If you ask me, you should stop being a damn Medical Officer. Isn’t being a person here better than laboring as an ox or horse at the Medical Officer Institute? And it’s not like they gave you much salary."
Ah Cheng spoke up quietly, "Boss, the Medical Officer Institute is still better than our medical hall."
Du Changqing rolled his eyes.
Miao Liangfang pretended to hit him with his cane and helped Lu Tong set down her medicine chest, laughing as he said, "It’s good that you’re back. Since your return was rushed, we couldn’t prepare a meal at home. Little Du specially arranged this feast for you; he even had someone slaughter a hen that had been raised for a year to stew soup..."
At this, Yin Zheng said, "Why stew chicken soup? It’s not like she’s a cat in confinement."
"I just wanted to nourish Doctor Lu’s body," Du Changqing objected, "To replenish her vitality!"
"Well," Miao Liangfang conceded, "Actually, even those in confinement don’t need to drink so much stewed chicken soup."
"So I stewed it for nothing?"
The conversation gradually veered off as they bickered.
In the courtyard, the tent that had been up before was taken down. After the New Year, Shengjing hadn’t seen any more snow and each day was warmer than the last. As everyone sat down to eat, they began talking about Lu Tong’s trip to Su Nan.
"Doctor Lu," Du Changqing said, picking out chicken meat with his chopsticks, "I heard from Old Miao that those of you who went to treat the epidemic are going to be evaluated for your contributions at the Medical Officer Institute, with a three-grade promotion and then you’ll be going inside the Palace to serve as an Imperial Physician to the nobility. Is it true? Did they reward you with silver?"
Yin Zheng scorned, "Boss, why are you so mercenary?" She then filled a bowl with chicken soup for Lu Tong, "Miss, does this mean you have to switch the color of your Medical Officer robe now?"
Newly appointed Medical Officers wore light blue robes, which would gradually change in color to reflect their rising status.
Holding a spoon, Lu Tong stirred the soup and said, "I’m not going back to the Medical Officer Institute."
Ah Cheng, who was eating, asked, "What does that mean?"
Lu Tong looked up, "I’ve resigned from my position as a Medical Officer."
The courtyard fell silent.
Du Changqing’s chopsticks dropped to the ground with a "clatter."
"What?"
"I’ve resigned from being a Medical Officer."
"...Why?" Miao Liangfang was puzzled, "Why would you resign out of the blue?"
Lu Tong stirred her soup, her tone calm, "I thought about it, and the Medical Officer Institute just isn’t a good fit for me. I prefer the days I used to spend at the medical hall on West Street, so I resigned."
"Hold on, if you liked running the hall on West Street, then why were you so eager to go to Su Nan?" Du Changqing pushed away his bowl, anxious, "People go to treat an epidemic and they gain reputation and a promotion. Why is it that in your case, it seems worse off than before?" As he spoke, something occurred to him; he slapped the table and stared intensely at Lu Tong, "I’ve got it!"
"Did you cause some sort of trouble out there again?"
Lu Tong didn’t say a word.
"It must be," Du Changqing became more convinced about his speculation, "You were contemplating over an Imperial Apothecary prescription last time and spent three months in solitude when you got back to West Street. You must have poked your nose into something you shouldn’t have in Su Nan and it’s not that you voluntarily resigned but that you were kicked out of the Medical Officer Institute, right?"
Upon hearing this, the rest in the courtyard also turned to look at Lu Tong.
It was indeed puzzling how someone could return from a trip to Su Nan only to lose her official position.
Lu Tong appeared untroubled, "Assume that after witnessing the dire situation with the epidemic, I grew fearful of dying. Serving as an Imperial Physician involves dealing with nobility; mishandling that could bring disaster, so I’d rather be comfortable on West Street."
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