Chapter 8 Apprenticeship to a Barefoot Doctor
Gu Baobao knew the timing was right, so she moved on to the next step:
To find a reasonable source and place to use one's medical skills.
She began to casually mention to her family that she seemed to have heard some old doctor who traveled from village to village mention a few herbs, or that she had dreamed of some vague acupoint diagrams.
At the same time, she paid more attention to Old Chen, the only barefoot doctor in the village.
The opportunity came soon.
Old Chen came to examine her again, and she asked curiously about several common roadside herbs.
Old Chen gave a casual explanation, but she was able to draw inferences from it and even mentioned some folk usages or alternatives that Old Chen hadn't paid much attention to but which made a lot of sense upon closer examination.
Old Chen was initially surprised, then excited.
These days, it's so hard to find a young person who's interested in medicine and has a bit of talent, let alone a girl.
He tested Gu Baobao with a few questions, which she answered fluently, and she even explained some medical principles in simple terms.
"This girl, she survived such a close call, she's really blossomed! She's got the makings of a doctor!"
Old Chen was overjoyed and immediately went to find Captain Li Guoqiang.
Li Guoqiang hesitated, after all, Gu Baobao was just a chubby, silly girl before.
But Old Chen strongly recommended that the Gu family's reputation in the village be soaring, and Gu Baobao had indeed become much more composed and clever lately, so Li Guoqiang nodded in agreement.
Gu Baobao was to work as an apprentice under Old Man Chen, earning half the work points. Her main task was to learn and help.
The news spread, and reactions varied.
Most of the commune members felt that Gu Jia's daughter was lucky to have such an easy life!
A few people scoffed, not believing she could even imitate it properly.
But Gu Baobao quickly silenced these rumors with a single act of kindness:
She calmly assisted Old Man Chen in cleaning, stopping the bleeding, and bandaging the arm of a commune member who had been cut by a sickle. Her movements were steady and she showed no fear. She could even gently comfort the wounded man who was wincing in pain.
That day, she heard a pleasant system notification:
[Ding! Assisted in treatment, alleviating the suffering of others, merit points +2.]
Looking at the Merit Mall interface in her mind's eye, and the slowly accumulating single-digit merit points, Gu Baobao's lips curled up slightly.
This is just the beginning.
However, not everyone is happy about this.
Upon hearing the news, Ye Ke, a female educated youth, slammed her copy of the "Rural Medical and Health Handbook" onto the kang (a heated brick bed).
She came from the provincial capital, was a high school graduate, considered herself educated and knowledgeable in science and hygiene, and had long aspired to become a barefoot doctor—a relatively respectable profession.
He didn't want a job that required him to toil in the fields every day, and he had hinted at it to Li Guoqiang and Old Man Chen several times in private.
Unexpectedly, a rustic, seemingly foolish village girl snatched the job away!
"You ignorant bumpkin!"
Ye Ke stared in the direction of the Gu family, her eyes gloomy.
"What does a country girl know about science or hygiene? She must have gotten incredibly lucky, or she must have sucked up to Old Man Chen!"
Her heart was filled with disdain and resentment, not only because her job had been taken away, but also because of the inherent sense of superiority that city dwellers have towards the backwardness of the countryside, and her unwillingness to accept that she had condescended to lower herself but failed to get what she wanted.
She clenched her fingers, thinking:
We need to find an opportunity to make that Gu Baobao show her weakness and embarrass herself. Being a barefoot doctor isn't just about recognizing a few types of herbs.
Meanwhile, Gu Baobao's merit points increased by 1 after she successfully treated a child's minor burn on her own for the first time. Old Man Chen stroked his beard and gave a meaningful reminder:
“Girl, your method of treating wounds is steady, but... it’s a bit different from the traditional methods we usually teach. It’s more like an old-fashioned routine.”
From now on, in public, especially when someone from higher up comes to inspect, be a little more discreet, just do what's common in our village, understand?
Gu Baobao felt a chill run down her spine and immediately understood Old Man Chen's unspoken message.
In this day and age, anything unusual or of unknown origin can attract unnecessary attention and trouble.
Her medical skills, especially the more refined parts derived from her family or the system's online store, must be cloaked in a way that aligns with the understanding of this era.
The system itself is an absolute secret that must never be revealed to outsiders.
"Thank you, Grandpa Chen, I'll remember that."
Gu Baobao obediently agreed, but in her heart, she raised her vigilance to the highest level.
The path of practicing medicine and accumulating virtue is probably far more complex than simply treating illnesses and saving lives; it also requires constant caution in speech and action, and proceeding step by step with prudence.
Beneath the surface of calm, undercurrents began to stir in Qinghetun, Qingshan Commune.
Standing at a new starting point in her life, Gu Baobao, holding her trump card and with a wary look in her eyes, took the first step towards changing her destiny and accumulating merit.
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