Farmhouse Green Plum

Under the blazing sun, the blue cloth curtain of the carriage was lifted by the wind, and a wave of heat, along with the water vapor from the river, rushed towards us.

The coachman pulled on the reins, and the horse stopped, foaming at the mouth. Its horseshoes clattered out a few final, scattered notes on the scorching hot flagstones.

The coachman wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Lord Yuan, we have arrived at Linjiang Post Station."

Yuan Qing lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at the post station not far away. There were three main rooms with green tiles and two rows of side rooms. The brick walls still had inscriptions from the Chenghua period when the building was rebuilt. However, the stone tablet with the "Etiquette Order" was leaning to one side and was entangled with a clump of wild ramie.

"Let's rest at the inn and continue our journey tomorrow."

From here to the next post station, and then to Tong County, it would take more than half a day.

The postmaster inside the post station seemed to have heard the commotion; as soon as they got off the carriage, the door opened.

A clerk dressed in an oil-green official robe respectfully asked, "Are you a scholar going to take the provincial examination?"

Yuan Qing nodded, took out his examination results slip and handed it over, "I am a scholar from Shunqing Prefecture in the year of Bing Shen. This is my examination results slip."

The postmaster took the document, glanced at it quickly, and smiled broadly. "So it's you, Master Yuan. The one in the carriage must be Physician Song. Please come in and rest!"

Yuan Qing paused as she took the examination ticket, looking hesitantly at the postmaster. "You know us?"

"I am unfortunate to have never had the chance to see your esteemed faces, but your virtuous reputation has long been renowned. To meet you today is truly a great honor!"

Yuan Qing didn't believe this. It was not surprising that Song Ying's reputation had spread to other prefectures and counties, but he was just a scholar. He might have some reputation in Qingshui County and Shunqing Prefecture, but outside his hometown, who would recognize him?

The postmaster noticed his suspicion and quickly explained, "Your classmate, Young Master Shen, specifically instructed that if you arrive, you must inform him immediately. He is waiting for you in Yan County."

"Shen Jing?" Yuan Qing was taken aback. They had set off late because they were going to Yan Xing's wedding banquet, but Shen Jing and the others kept saying that they wanted to go to Dongshan Temple to pray to Buddha for blessings.

According to the timeline, they should be almost there by now, so why are they still in Yanxian?

Shen Jing acted quickly; before they had even finished a pot of tea at the post station, Shen Jing arrived with his servant.

Before even entering the door, he said, "We've been waiting for you! Come quickly, follow me to Yan County!"

"What are you doing in Yanxian? And why are you still in Yanxian?"

"We'll talk on the way, you guys come with me first!" Shen Jing looked very anxious.

Song Ying and Yuan Qing had no choice but to suppress their doubts and call the driver to continue their journey.

Once in the car, without waiting for any questions, Shen Jing said, "There is a patient I would like to ask Sister Song to take a look at."

Yuan Qing coughed lightly and corrected, "You should call her sister-in-law."

Shen Jing rolled his eyes at him and retorted, "Song and I have been friends for many years. Why should I be associated with your relationship? Can't I act like her brother?"

Song Ying chuckled, "I'm so glad to have an older brother like you."

Shen Jing raised an eyebrow at Yuan Qing with a smug look.

Yuan Qing gave Song Ying a resentful look and changed the subject: "What kind of patient is making you so concerned? You even stayed behind to wait for us."

“Yes, yes, yes, important business is more important,” Shen Jing couldn’t resist his urge and hurriedly said, “It’s a distant cousin of mine who lives in Yan County. Knowing that I would be going to Rongcheng for the provincial examination, he sent someone to wait for me at the post station a few days in advance.”

I had no choice but to visit your home. My cousin caught a cold recently and couldn't be cured despite seeing many doctors. I thought since Sister Song was going to accompany you to Chengdu, I would stay and wait for you.”

Song Ying hurriedly asked, "What are the symptoms?"

"The high fever wouldn't go down, and my nose kept bleeding, as did my gums; my mouth would bleed if I touched it."

Yuan Qing was taken aback. "Why is it a nosebleed again?"

"What do you mean 'again'?" Shen Jing asked, annoyed by his interruption.

“Back in the prefectural city, didn’t we also encounter a child with a nosebleed?” Yuan Qing explained, feeling that fate was truly wonderful.

When he went to the prefectural city to take the provincial examination, he and Song Ying encountered a patient with a nosebleed; now, when he went to Rongcheng to take the provincial examination, he encountered another patient with a nosebleed.

Shen Jing was really annoyed. "Sister Song treats so many patients every day, I don't know how many people she's treated for nosebleeds, what's so remarkable about that?"

After saying that, he looked at Song Ying and said, "Sister Song, can you cure him? My cousin is probably different from other patients with nosebleeds."

He was very pampered from a young age, like a girl. Even the slightest bump or bruise would leave him covered in bruises. When he was little and didn't understand, we all teased him, saying he should have been a girl but was mistakenly born a boy.

"Nosebleeds are just a symptom; there are many causes, and I can only determine the specific cause after I take your pulse."

Upon arriving at the residence, the host eagerly came out to greet them at the gate, "Has Doctor Song arrived?"

Song Ying lifted the carriage curtain and nodded to his host, "That's me."

Perhaps because she's been called a miracle doctor so many times, she's now accepted it with equanimity.

As long as the patient can be cured, no amount of correction from her will matter; if the patient cannot be cured, there is no need for her to correct them.

As if grasping at a lifeline, the patriarch of the Sheng family was excited, expectant, and somewhat worried: "Oh, Dr. Song, we've been waiting for you! My nephew Shen Jing must have already told you about my son's condition, he..."

“Take me to see the patient first,” Song Ying interrupted him.

"Yes, yes, yes, follow me!"

Soon they arrived at the patient's courtyard. The gate was wide open, and from outside, they could see a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old sitting in a round-backed chair in the main hall. His plain white undershirt hung loosely on the rack, as if it were just a cicada shell being supported by a clothes rack.

In the left wing room, an elderly man with gray hair sat in front of a stove with a furrowed brow. White smoke rose from the earthenware pot on the stove, and a strong smell of medicine wafted into his nostrils when the wind blew.

The patriarch of the Sheng family pointed to the old man and introduced him, "This is Doctor Fang from Baohetang."

He then beckoned the other person over, saying, "Dr. Fang, let me introduce you to someone. This is Dr. Song from Qingshui County."

The elderly man with gray hair looked Song Ying up and down, his face showing some surprise: "You're the miracle doctor from Qingshui County?"

"I dare not claim to be a divine doctor in front of such a senior," Song Ying said modestly.

Doctor Fang waved his hand, "I've heard of your deeds, there's no need to be modest. I wonder if you have any clues about Young Master Sheng's illness?"

"Let me take your pulse first."

After carefully examining the patient's pulse and looking at the purple spots on his body, and inquiring about his diet and excretion, Song Ying instructed someone to prepare pen and ink to write a prescription.

Seeing her so calm and composed without the slightest hesitation, the old doctor couldn't help but ask, "Does Doctor Song already have a prescription?"

Song Ying nodded and said gently, "I observe that he is listless, emotionally distressed, physically weak, with a pale tongue and no coating, and a wiry and weak pulse..."

"You mean his illness is caused by emotional distress?" Dr. Fang asked, taken aback.