Chapter 534: Your pulse is also abnormal [Requesting monthly votes]
The closer to the capital city of Ruyao, the more populated it becomes.
The fields are no longer barren; one can often see two or three figures bending over to work, strangely, mostly women. Although it's common for farm women to work in the fields, it's unusual to see so few able-bodied men: "Where have all the men gone?"
The convoy is resting by the roadside.
The boy asked out of boredom, and Ning Yan replied without looking up, "It's normal that there are few men due to frequent wars."
"That makes sense, but..."
The boy felt that something was wrong.
Ning Yan asked, "But what?"
The boy pointed to the figures in the distant fields and said, "They don't have many farming tools, and I don't see many oxen, but all the fields I've seen along the way have been plowed. Look at the depth; it can't be achieved by just turning the soil once or twice. How much effort must that have taken?"
There are many improved farming tools in Heyin that can greatly improve the efficiency of farming, are flexible in direction, and save time and effort.
The counties bordering He Yin also followed suit, but the efficiency of this spontaneous learning by the people was predictably low.
Once outside that area, the boy saw no more improved farm tools; instead, he saw mostly heavy, clumsy straight-shaft wooden plows.
Oxen are indispensable for spring plowing.
Oxen were a scarce resource, often requiring several households to pool their money to rent one, or even an entire village sharing a single ox. The ox was their lifeline. Some commoners, fearing the ox would be overworked, limited the daily acreage it could plow, leaving other farmers without oxen to carry wooden plows by hand to work in the fields. This heavy work was typically done by the men.
He said with a puzzlement, "The land has been plowed, but I can't see many men, oxen, or farm tools, so it's a bit strange..."
Ning Yan wasn't surprised at all.
"Because this is under Shen Jun's jurisdiction."
The boy, not understanding the logic, said, "So what if it's under his rule? Can the fields plow themselves?"
Before Ning Yan arrived, she had inquired about Shen Tang in detail with Xu Jie and had also spent time roughly reviewing the records of He Yin County to familiarize herself with his governance style. Naturally, she knew what Shen Tang would do when he was in dire need of oxen and farming tools.
She said, "The fields won't plow themselves, but this Lord Shen has compassion for the farmers under his rule. To avoid delaying spring planting, he sends his brave warriors to help the farmers with matters such as spring planting and land clearing. The abilities of these brave warriors are far beyond those of ordinary people."
All the fields have been plowed, that's normal.
This place is also close to the capital of Longwu County, so naturally, they would be the first to enjoy any benefits. Therefore, Ning Yan was not surprised.
The boy listened to his few words as if they were from a foreign language.
"Make a valiant warrior... do chores for peasants?"
This is treating people like oxen or farm tools...
He never dared to dream of it.
The boy swallowed hard.
"Why haven't your troops rebelled yet?"
Ning Yan pictured Xu Jie's dark face.
She smiled and said, "As far as I know, the person this Lady Shen orders around the most is Zhao Dayi, a military general under Wu Xian of Tianhai... She once saved Zhao Dayi's life on the battlefield, and the latter volunteered to lead his troops to repay the favor. Naturally, he has to follow his benefactor's orders."
The boy understood immediately and nodded: "They're not one of our own, so we don't feel bad using them. Sure enough, the rumors weren't unfounded. This Lord Shen and Wu Xian of Tianhai are truly inseparable..."
Ning Yan asked in surprise, "How do you know they have such a deep bond?"
The boy casually replied, "I've heard the King of Zheng mention it."
However, Zheng Qiao's tone at that time was devoid of any appreciation, filled with gloom and mockery. The boy unilaterally believed that Zheng Qiao was jealous, jealous of the deep affection and lack of grudges between the two, while he himself was all alone and abandoned by everyone.
The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.
Ning Yan: "..."
Just then, a middle-aged peasant woman came running up and shouted something to the people working in the fields. A little while later, the people, in twos and threes, called to each other and carried their tools to one place. The boy was curious and puzzled.
It's human nature to join in the fun.
He was no exception.
He said with a hint of excitement, "Is a fight about to break out?"
It was common for fights between villages to escalate from two people brawling over a well or even a bundle of firewood.
Ning Yan said calmly, "...Don't cause trouble."
She wasn't interested in joining in the fun.
The boy pouted, looking bored.
Having rested enough, the convoy continued on its way, and the further they went, the denser the crowds became. Looking closer, they realized that everyone who had left was heading this way. So it wasn't a fight after all. The boy listened intently and vaguely heard something about delivering something for a medical checkup.
This group of people ranged from infants still in swaddling clothes to elderly men and women with hunched backs and stooped upper bodies...
The boy guessed, "Could it be that we're going to the market?"
But you don't need the whole family to go to the market, do you?
until--
A long queue formed.
Every now and then, soldiers would come out and shout, "Line up properly, don't cut in line!" The common people were afraid and dared not disobey, and for a time, order was maintained. At the end of the line, someone was doing something. I was about to walk around them when a soldier walked straight towards me.
"Stop! Where did you come from?"
Ning Yan replied from across the carriage, "Traveling merchants are passing by."
Do you have any proof?
The paperwork is, of course, complete.
The soldier could read a few words, and seeing that the document was issued by the He Yin County, he immediately felt a sense of kinship and his attitude softened considerably. Because the caravan members were dressed so casually, the soldier mistakenly thought they were just merchants trying to make a living.
He then said warmly, "There is a free clinic ahead. If you are not in a hurry, you can stop and get checked before continuing your journey."
Who doesn't like the benefits of getting something for free?
Even if you're not sick or injured, you still want to see a renowned doctor to put your mind at ease.
Normally, there would be no opportunity to pay this consultation fee.
The boy asked in surprise, "Free clinic?"
This answer was unexpected.
Ning Yan keenly grasped something.
"Is this a free clinic organized by the Longwu County government?" If it weren't for the government's intervention, how could they afford to use soldiers to maintain order?
only--
Why hold a free clinic at a time like this?
Even if it's about winning people's hearts, this move is too hasty.
Ning Yan became suspicious and initially intended to politely decline, but then changed her mind and got out of the car to see what was going on. She ordered someone to stay and guard the convoy's supplies, while she, along with her daughter and the boy, joined them.
There were many doctors providing free medical consultations, and since they were only treating minor ailments, the process was quite fast. The three of them were seen after waiting for about 15 minutes.
Before me stood the sprightly Dr. Dong.
He asked Ning Yan's daughter in her arms to reach out her hand.
After taking his pulse for a short while, his brows relaxed.
He pointed behind him.
At this moment, soldiers stepped forward.
Ning Yan immediately became alert: "What are you doing?"
Dr. Dong smiled kindly: "Your daughter's pulse is a little strange. It would be best to have someone examine her more carefully in the bamboo shed at the back."
This girl has quite a bit of potential.
Ning Yan, however, did not believe it.
She had taken meticulous care of her daughter in every way, so how could she not know that her daughter's pulse was abnormal? But she couldn't refuse outright, as the situation was still unclear and it was not advisable to cause trouble.
She feigned concern and said, "But the young lady is shy and timid by nature, and afraid of strangers. It would be best if I accompanied her."
Dr. Dong gestured for Ning Yan to extend her hand as well.
After taking your pulse for a while, his smile widened, and he said, "Your pulse also needs to be examined carefully, so let's go together."
Ning Yan: "..."
How come she didn't know she was sick?
I can't help but suspect that this free clinic is run by quacks.
But she still went over there with her daughter in her arms.
She wanted to see what was going on behind this.
Behind them was a simple bamboo shed, guarded by soldiers on both sides.
Inside the bamboo shed sat a middle-aged scholar in a blue robe, looking somewhat tired and lacking energy; he didn't look like a doctor at all. Since the mother and daughter's pulses were unusual, this scholar should have a doctor examine them carefully and prescribe some potent tonics and aphrodisiacs.
(╬▔盘▔)╯
It's a huge loss! Judging from the male-oriented bestseller list data, it's a real loss that I didn't publish this novel on the male-oriented list first. If it had been on the male-oriented list, it would probably have had more than 20,000 average subscriptions... Today's new subscriptions are even higher than yesterday's on the list, which means that reader retention is still okay.
Sigh, but I love female-oriented content.
The male-oriented online literature market is too competitive, with everyone publishing 8,000 or 10,000 words a day, while I'm just a salted fish, unable to keep up with the updates.
Never mind.
(End of this chapter)
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