Seeing the man shrink back in fear and dare not utter a sound, Shi Taishou cleared his throat again and spoke with a smug look on his face.
"I am Shi Taishou, the head steward of the Fan family in Qingshui Town. I have come here today specifically to seek medical treatment with a large sum of money. My master has contracted a strange illness, suffering from unbearable itching in his abdomen. Anyone who can provide a folk remedy or cure him is welcome to come to the Fan residence."
As soon as he finished speaking, the onlookers started chattering amongst themselves.
"Is this guy out of his mind? His master is sick, so he goes to see a doctor. Why is he putting up notices in this poor, remote place? This is just utter nonsense!"
"Exactly! With all this commotion, I thought the monkey show had arrived, and I haven't even finished my work."
"Nobody around here knows how to treat illnesses. There is one person who can castrate pigs and horses, but he hasn't been home lately!"
The villagers burst into laughter again.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Butler Shi, how much money is your master willing to pay? He won't renege on the debt, will he?"
Shi Taishou's eyes widened. "What nonsense are you talking about? Master Fan is a man of immense wealth. Do you think he's short of money? Let me tell you, Master Fan said that whoever can cure his illness will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver."
After he finished speaking, he waved to the servants behind him, "Hurry up and post the notice."
Upon hearing this, the villagers erupted in another uproar.
"My goodness, he truly lives up to his reputation as a wealthy man. He spends twenty taels of silver in one go. That's enough to feed a family for two years."
"That's right, we can eat meat every meal without any problem."
"Alright, stop daydreaming. That rich man Fan in Qingshui Town is a notorious miser. Do you think he'd actually part with twenty taels of silver? I don't think so."
“You’re right. Master Fan is cunning and vicious. Last year, I worked hard for him for half a month. He promised me ten coins a day, but when we settled the accounts, he only gave me fifteen coins. I can’t believe my ears. He’s blatantly lying. How can he pay me only one coin a day? He’s obviously bullying me!”
"They have big mouths, where can you reason with them? Now that they've contracted this strange disease, it's karma, they deserve to suffer!"
"Yes, yes, that's right, he's just too wicked!"
From the villagers' gossip, Chen Qingqing knew that this wealthy man surnamed Fan was not a good person.
I didn't want to get involved in this, but as a doctor, I felt a deep sense of compassion.
Regardless of the wealthy man's character, as a doctor, she should have prioritized treating and saving lives.
Besides, there's also the reward of twenty taels of silver, which not only fulfills my desire to study medicine but also helps solve my family's financial difficulties. Why not do it?
She loudly asked Shi Taishou, "Is your master really willing to pay twenty taels of silver?"
"Of course, it's all written in black and white, who would dare to go back on their word?" Shi Taishou squinted and glanced at Chen Qingqing. "What, you little brat, do you dare to question my master's character?"
"No, I'm just checking."
Shi Taishou ignored her and shouted to the onlookers in a high-pitched voice, "Everyone, please tell each other that anyone who wants to earn these twenty taels of silver can take down the notice and go to the Fan residence."
After saying that, he waved to his servants on either side and said, "Let's go to the next village."
"etc."
Chen Qingqing called out to Shi Taishou, who was turning to leave.
The onlookers were stunned and turned their gazes toward Chen Qingqing.
Shi Taishou paused, turned around with a puzzled look, and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something else?"
Chen Qingqing said earnestly, "I can save your master's life."
"What, you?" Shi Taishou looked Chen Qingqing up and down with disdain, and sneered, "Are you so poor that you've gone crazy? You dare to talk nonsense and say you can treat diseases? Let me tell you, this is not a joke. If something goes wrong, you'll be in trouble with the court."
Chen Qingqing remained calm. She was a medical prodigy who was proficient in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine. So what if she had an unbearable stomach itch? How could that possibly stump her?
A confident glint appeared in her eyes: "If I get injured while treating a patient, I'll pay you if I'm cured; if I'm not, I won't charge you a penny."
The villagers who were watching were immediately in an uproar when they heard Chen Qingqing say this.
"Oh, isn't this Chen Zhanshan's daughter? I remember his family has been farmers for generations, and no one in his family has studied medicine. How come she says she can treat people?"
"That's right. Who knows what's wrong with this girl? That rich man Fan in Qingshui Town is not someone we ordinary people can afford to mess with. If something goes wrong, he could bankrupt you."
"Yes, Qing's family has had a tough time. I heard that a few days ago, Old Madam Chen kicked Chen Zhanshan out to live alone and even wrote a letter severing ties with her eldest son's family."
"It's better if it's over. That biased old lady Chen spent all the family's savings on her third son so that her youngest son could pass the imperial examination."
"Who says otherwise? Old Mrs. Chen is willing to sell her own granddaughter, Qing'er, to Li the butcher in town as a second wife for fifty taels of silver. Everyone in the surrounding area knows that Li the butcher is a notorious beast. What good can come of marrying him? Isn't this just throwing a beautiful young woman into a fire pit?"
"That's true, but in these times, isn't leaving to live separately just suicide?"
"Either way, I'm going to die, and I wouldn't be willing to marry my daughter off to a beast."
"Yes, in my opinion, Qing'er is just grasping at straws in her desperation. Her family is starving and she's going after those twenty taels of silver. If she's lucky and Master Fan actually cures her, she won't starve to death in the future."
"Give me a break. This money isn't so easy to earn. If the treatment goes wrong, she'll be skinned alive, if not killed."
“You’re right. Who knows what Qing’s thinking? Maybe she’s acting impulsively, or maybe she’s just a bit dim-witted.”
"......"
Shi Taishou wanted to get angry, but then he thought that his master was desperate for a cure and had repeatedly told him to bring home anyone who was willing to try, regardless of age or gender.
Why not let her try? If she recovers, he, as the steward, will have done a great service and will naturally receive a reward.
Having made up his mind, he chuckled and said, "Since you are so confident that you can cure my master, I am naturally pleased. May I ask your name?"
Chen Qingqing said calmly, "Chen Qingqing, if you want me to treat your illness, we can leave now."
"So you are Miss Chen. My surname is Shi, and I am the steward of Master Fan's household. You can just call me Steward Shi."
"Alright, Butler Shi, let's go!"
Shi Taishou's eyes flashed, and he turned to look at the big locust tree behind him. "No rush, no rush. Since Miss Chen said she can treat illnesses, let's go and take down the notice. With this, we'll have proof of each other's abilities. If anything unexpected happens, we'll have somewhere to seek justice."
Chen Qingqing understood what he meant and smiled calmly, "Okay, no problem."
After she finished speaking, she strode forward and tore the notice down...
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