Shopkeeper Mei didn't stand on ceremony, and said with a troubled expression, "Her illness is indeed rare. The preliminary diagnosis is a type of 'porcelain doll disease' recorded in ancient books, but there are no cases of cure. If you trust me, I can give it a try. The result won't be worse; it might even improve."
The family had no other choice. The father even listened to the imperial physician and prepared a tomb for his sister in the eastern suburbs. Thinking of that place, Murong Xingchen's eyes reddened. She said, "Please, Manager Mei, do your best. As long as you can cure my sister's illness, I will find a way to get the most precious medicines."
"The medicine will definitely be quite a lot, but I will do my best. There's no time to lose, so please take your leave now." With that, Manager Mei took out some silver needles.
Downstairs, given her younger sister's very special situation, Murong Xingchen dared not leave her alone at the barbecue restaurant, so she suggested to the restaurant that she stay and take care of her sister.
They offered a thousand taels of gold; we have to agree to that request.
However, there are only five rooms in the shop. Lan Yamei, Aunt Guan, Butterfly, Qiu Zeyu, and Wang Fengyang each have their own room. Now that one room needs to be vacated, Aunt Guan and Lan Yamei can only squeeze in. After all, they used to share a room, so they are familiar with each other.
Business downstairs was still booming. Based on her experience, Aunt Guan tentatively inserted a few needles into the movable part of the face. Shopkeeper Mei dripped wax oil onto the needled areas, and Murong Lan cooperated quietly and obediently.
The shop was doing very well. While eating, everyone was secretly peeking at the young master of the Murong family. Several tables were even whispering about what kind of illness he had that cost a thousand taels of gold!
As expected, within an hour, the entire Longyang Town knew that Aunt Guan, who ran the barbecue restaurant, was actually the legendary Doctor Mei who had suddenly disappeared years ago and earned a thousand taels of gold for each patient.
Suddenly, people came with their sons to become apprentices; people with headaches and fevers came to seek medical help; and some came simply to watch the excitement. Together with the customers who came to eat, the originally spacious place was packed with people.
Tie Tou, ever the shrewd one, carried two baskets of tempura, going from person to person trying to sell it. Since everyone needed to eat anyway, they either ordered a few skewers or wontons. Tie Tou then set up a two-meter-long grill in a prominent spot near the entrance, the charcoal fire roaring. The large meat skewers sizzled with oil, and his brothers fanned them, filling the air with an irresistible aroma. People from all directions couldn't resist buying a couple, eating as they walked.
After about twenty days of training, these roguish young men had all managed to make the customers happy, and even more people were recommending their restaurants. For a time, several Chinese restaurants almost lost their customers, relying on a few old acquaintances to stay afloat. The owners were furious, but they couldn't afford to offend the other side, so they could only suppress their anger, their faces covered in pimples and mouth ulcers.
After continuous acupoint adjustments, Aunt Guan finally found the most suitable acupoints, and the little girl was able to slowly start speaking. Her first words were, "Brother, you are so handsome!" This surprised everyone, as they were indeed siblings.
Murong Xingchen excitedly told her anxious mother about her sister's improved condition, and the two wept with joy. Murong Feng, standing by the window, merely wiped away a single tear and stopped. Who wouldn't want their child to be healthy? Even the powerful Murong Feng couldn't help but show respect to Manager Mei in this regard.
Grandpa Ouyang had finished taking care of things at home and had changed into plain clothes early to help. Knowing Grandpa Ouyang's true identity, none of the younger brothers dared to order him to cook wontons; instead, they pushed him to help Grandma Guan.
As the treatment progressed, Grandpa Ouyang made a special medical bed according to Grandma Guan's requirements, while also treating patients who came to Grandma Guan for treatment. After all, this was Grandpa Ouyang's old profession.
Qiu Zeyu and his two disciples still went out to practice martial arts every day, sometimes by the river, sometimes in a valley—always quiet places. They brought their own food and didn't return to the shop at noon, working very hard.
Lan Yamei gained a new understanding of the basics of martial arts. It wasn't about running, doing somersaults, or brute force punching a sandbag. Instead, it involved playing with stones, climbing trees and walls, and arm wrestling—seemingly unorthodox. Strangely, Lan Yamei could feel herself getting stronger, her movements becoming more powerful and agile, and even her hearing improving.
They also meditate to cultivate their internal strength, which is the way to make rapid progress by cultivating both internal and external skills.
The two young apprentices obeyed his every command. Qiu Zeyu would sometimes deliberately tease Lan Yamei. Whenever Lan Yamei became suspicious about why Wang Fengyang didn't need to practice, he would give her one of two reasons: "You're older, it's different." or "You're a woman, it's different."
Seeing the bustling activity in front of their neighbor's shop, while their own shop was so quiet you could hear your own heart pounding, the grandfather and father who ran the Deli Massage Shop were frantic, scratching their heads in frustration. In the past, when people had a headache or fever, they'd go to the shop for a massage to relieve the discomfort, since it was cheaper than medicine. Who knew that a perfectly good barbecue restaurant would have a miracle doctor whose consultation fees were incredibly low? Who would still come for a massage?
At Aunt Guan's request, Grandpa Ouyang finally found the time to transform a wooden bed into a breathable one riddled with tiny holes. He placed a custom-made rectangular pot under the bed and, following Aunt Guan's recipe, simmered over a hundred kinds of precious medicinal herbs in it. Then he gently placed Murong Lan on top of it, allowing the medicinal vapors to fumigate her.
The kitchen was ordered to stop providing Murong Lan with highly nourishing and refined foods, replacing them entirely with easily digestible whole grains. A special dish of fermented tofu was also prepared, deep-fried until crispy, for Murong Lan to eat alone.
People who could smell the stench from afar covered their noses. Er Gou complained, "The smell is too strong. It won't dissipate for a long time. It might affect the shop's business."
Just as she finished speaking, Lan Yamei, who had been tricked by Qiu Zeyu, returned dejectedly. As soon as she entered the door, she smelled the overwhelming aroma of stinky tofu and excitedly said, "It smells so good! I want to eat some." With that, she picked up a piece, dipped it in dried chili powder, and swallowed it in one gulp. Oil dripped from the corner of her mouth as she said with satisfaction, "It smells so good! I want more."
Everyone stepped back, covering their mouths and noses. How could anyone eat something that stinks like that! They must have lost their minds from practicing martial arts!
Lan Yamei ate two more pieces with satisfaction before asking, "Who ordered this?" These past few days, the shop had been completely handed over to Er Gou, and Lan Yamei rarely asked what dishes were being developed, assuming it was a new product.
Er Gou's wife covered her mouth and said, "This was prepared for Miss Lan on the third floor, according to Aunt Guan's request."
"Okay, send it up quickly!"
While Er Gou's wife was delivering food, Lan Ya Mei told Er Gou to quickly fry the rest for her. As soon as the stinky tofu hit the oil, the entire shop was filled with a stench like a tidal wave, causing everyone to run out of the shop.
Lan Ya Mei, carrying a half-basin of stinky tofu, sat at the shop entrance, legs crossed, basking in the sun. As she ate, she said, "What a waste! You guys, come and try some." The young men scratched their heads, unwilling to come forward.
"Whoever dares to eat this will receive a bigger bonus at the end of the month!" As soon as these words were spoken, seven or eight hands reached out at the same time. Holding my breath, I bit off a small corner, chewed it, and surprisingly found that although it smelled rotten, it tasted delicious—a very unique kind of delicious.
The onlookers were intrigued and eager to try it, after all, only foodies are the boldest.
Lan Yamei added fuel to the fire, saying, "Miss Lan upstairs, you all know about this, right? You have to eat this to strengthen your body, it's specially made by Doctor Mei! Hurry up if you want some, it's only a few dozen yuan, you can try it for free. You'll have to pay tomorrow!"
Upon hearing that it was developed by Dr. Mei, good heavens, a swarm of people rushed forward to grab it, and Lan Ya Mei was squeezed out from between her legs.
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