Chapter 178: Asking for Guilt
Gu Xixi hasn't spoken yet.
He Jinglan was surprised first, "Master Liu? New here? Isn't your village school teacher... Chen Fang?"
At this moment, she must not blurt out Mu Nanzhao's real name, let alone show that she and Mu Nanzhao knew each other before.
Shitou gnawed on a piece of rabbit meat, nodded with puffy cheeks, "Yes, Master Liu came the day before yesterday."
"Sister Xixi, don't you know yet? It's my fault. I forgot to tell you."
Gu Xixi smiled and said, "It's okay. No wonder I didn't see you when I got up early and went out."
It turned out that there was a new village teacher who went to school.
As Gu Xixi was thinking about it, she felt a little unappetizing.
Huachidu Village has not been able to hire a teacher for many years, so this Mr. Liu should not have recommended himself.
However, Lao Qian did not mention such a big thing when he saw her come back yesterday, which means that this matter was not instigated by Lao Qian.
So……
Gu Xixi looked at Shitou and asked, "What did Master Liu tell everyone when he came to the village school?"
"Why did he come to our village to be a teacher? There must be an explanation."
Shitou raised his head and said vaguely, "He shrank. He was recommended by Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen was visiting friends and was delayed on the way. I'm afraid he won't be back soon, so he specially asked Master Liu to teach on his behalf."
Aunt Zhang and the old doctor both said that this was indeed the case.
Because Master Liu brought Chen Fang's handwritten letter, after reading it, Old Qian immediately agreed to let Master Liu teach on his behalf. He also took Master Liu to every home with student students to introduce him to the class.
Gu Xixi was stunned when she heard this. Could it be that she was the only one who didn't know?
And Shitou! Couldn't he explain the whole story in one go?
He Jinglan also showed a surprised expression, thinking, who would dare to snatch Mu Nanzhao's position openly, it turns out that it was someone Mu Nanzhao himself who transferred it.
Shitou swallowed the meat in his mouth and grinned, "Master Liu said he is a temporary replacement."
"Everyone knows that temporary means temporary. When Mr. Chen comes back, he will definitely continue to teach us."
Gu Xixi and He Jinglan looked at each other.
Later?
After the war, will Mu Nanzhao return to Huachidu Village? Even if he comes back, how long can he stay?
He Jinglan smiled and asked Shitou, "Have you and your classmates ever discussed whether Mr. Liu or Mr. Chen is better?"
"Who do you prefer to study with?"
Shitou didn't need to think and said decisively, "Of course it's Mr. Chen."
He Jinglan couldn't help but secretly complain that Mu Nanzhao was a dark, sinister, evil-minded, cold, and infuriating guy. As a teacher, he must be strict to the point of being abnormal.
He Jinglan was really curious and asked, "Why? Do you like this Mr. Chen very much?"
This time, Shitou put down his chopsticks and thought hard, "Hmm..."
"Maybe you've developed feelings for him? You find him more pleasing to the eye?"
"Maybe he's younger than Master Liu and better looking."
Shitou shook his head in confusion and sighed, "Oh, I can't explain it clearly."
He Jinglan was also very confused. Are the inner worlds of today's children so complicated and difficult to understand?
When Gu Xixi heard the children's choices, she suddenly couldn't bear to look directly into Shi Tou's eyes.
She picked up some vegetarian dishes for Shitou and said, "Don't just eat meat, add some vegetables. It's good for your body."
Although Shitou loves to eat meat, he is not picky about food. Whenever Gu Xixi picks up some dishes for him, he eats them all.
After dinner, He Jinglan and Shitou played spinning tops in the yard.
The spinning top is a product from the Western Regions brought by An Qinghe. It is as big as a man's palm, and has three-color glittering paper pasted on the side. It becomes colorful when it spins.
He Jinglan cheered, stamped her feet, jumped up and down, and she and Shi Tou were like two little kids.
Gu Xixi stood under the eaves and watched, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise, "Don't fight over it, both of you, play one by one."
He Jinglan turned around and waved, "Xixi, come and play with us. Let's compete to see whose spinning top can spin the longest!"
Gu Xixi said, "I can't. I want to go to my master."
"I want to ask him something."
In the backyard, before Gu Xixi pushed open the door, she smelled a strong smell of medicine in the house.
"Master, I'm coming in."
The old doctor was making medicine pills. He was very particular about cleanliness when preparing the medicine, and covered his mouth and nose with a piece of fine gauze.
"This is the recipe for the water-honey pills that can help you in inducing labor and saving your life. Can you help me take a look?"
Gu Xixi sat down opposite him and looked at the pills on the plate in the light of the oil lamp.
“It’s pitch black in color, firm in texture, with a smooth and shiny skin, round and roughly the same size, and a standard portion.”
"According to the prescription you taught me, they are all good pills."
The old doctor smiled and said, "Yesterday at dinner, I heard you say that you encountered a woman with a difficult labor, such an emergency situation."
"I just thought of this recipe and prepared it today."
Gu Xixi asked in surprise, "Is this the medicine you prescribed for the dependents' village?"
The old doctor nodded and said, "Those families of the Northwest Army sacrificed themselves to protect the country. They couldn't go out to see a doctor when they had children during the war. We should prepare some emergency life-saving medicine."
Gu Xixi twitched her nose and sniffed, "What a strong smell of ginseng."
"Master, these medicines cost you a lot of money, right?"
The old doctor laughed and said, "You cunning girl, nothing can escape your nose!"
Gu Xixi said playfully, "Master has the most sensitive nose, and I have only learned 20% or 30% of it."
Gu Xixi washed her hands, covered her face with a towel, and learned from the old doctor's movements while making the pills together.
"Master, I didn't finish telling you yesterday."
Her tone was calm, yet there was a hint of guilt that was barely noticeable.
The old doctor didn't think much about it and said, "If you haven't finished, then continue."
Gu Xixi stared at the pills in her hand. "That woman who had a difficult delivery, I not only provided emergency treatment, gave her sugar water to drink, directed the delivery, but I also..."
"I also gave her an injection."
The old doctor suddenly raised his head, and his eyes, which had been blind for a long time, suddenly burst into light.
"What did you say?"
"Master, I was wrong!" Gu Xixi admitted her mistake with a bitter face.
"I remember you said that according to the sect's rules, one cannot practice medicine without the master's approval."
"Don't let your half-baked skills harm people instead of saving them, thus tarnishing the reputation of doctors."
"Besides...Besides, I originally decided not to study medicine, but only to study pharmacy, so I am not a doctor at all..."
The more she spoke, the lower her voice became, until she was completely silent.
The old doctor faced Gu Xixi and did not speak for a while.
Gu Xixi's heart was beating fast. Was she going to be expelled from the sect?
At this moment, I suddenly heard someone running over with hurried footsteps, and soon there was a knock on the door.
"Sister Xixi! Guests are coming!"
Gu Xixi glanced at the old doctor and answered the door helplessly, "Who is it? My master is teaching me, I can't leave."
Shitou pushed the door open, leaned in and said, "Master Liu, he said that Mr. Chen asked him to come to the village school to teach, and he must greet Sister Xixi in person."
Gu Xixi was helpless, "Why did he greet me?"
The steamer on the small stove made a hissing sound.
The old doctor finally spoke, "You go first, don't neglect the outsider."
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