Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

The knocks on the door became more and more urgent. Hu Bugui jumped out of bed, grabbed the sword hanging on the wall, rushed to the door, and asked in a stern voice, "Who is it?"

"Brother Hu, it's me, Zhang Qiang!" The anxious voice of a villager came from outside the door.

Hu Bugui's heart tightened, and he quickly opened the door, only to see Zhang Qiang sweating profusely and looking panicked. "Brother Hu, Aunt Li at the east end of the village suddenly fainted, please go and take a look!"

Wu Tao heard the noise and came out, and seeing this, he said quickly, "Don't worry, Zhang Qiang, I'll go with you to take a look."

The three of them lit up lanterns and hurried to Aunt Li's house. Under the dim light, Aunt Li was pale and lying on the bed with a weak breath, while her husband, Old Li, stood by helplessly, tears streaming down his face.

"Doctor Hu, please save my wife!" When Old Li saw Hu Bugui, he was like grabbing a life-saving straw, his cloudy eyes full of pleading.

Hu Bugui didn't have time to say anything and immediately stepped forward to check Aunt Li's pulse. Wu Tao stood by to comfort Old Li and inquire about the situation.

"I don't know what happened. She was fine this afternoon and was working in the fields. Who knew she came back saying she felt dizzy and then fainted." Old Li burst into tears.

After a moment, Hu Bugui withdrew his hand, frowned, and said in a deep voice: "Aunt Li has heatstroke. In addition, she has been working for a long time and her body is weak, so she suddenly fainted."

He took out a silver needle from the medicine box he carried with him and gave Aunt Li acupuncture with skillful movements. Wu Tao brought hot water and wiped Aunt Li's body.

With the help of the two, Aunt Li gradually regained consciousness, but her face was still pale and her body was weak. Hu Bugui prescribed some more medicine and told Old Li to take it on time.

"Thank you, Doctor Hu, and Miss Wu Tao, you are really our benefactors!" Old Li was grateful and shed tears. He held the hands of the two and kept thanking them.

"Old man, you're welcome. This is what we should do." Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other with mixed feelings.

When they left Aunt Li's house, it was already dawn. The two of them walked along the way in silence, but their hearts were filled with complex emotions.

When they got home, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao had not yet recovered from what had just happened. They looked at the rising sun outside the window, and suddenly a strong sense of responsibility surged in their hearts.

"Taotao, I want to stay here and help those in need." Hu Bugui suddenly said, his tone firm and resolute.

"Me too." Wu Tao nodded without hesitation, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

In this way, an idea quietly sprouted in the hearts of the two and gradually took root.

The morning light shines through the window lattice, casting a warm glow, illuminating the hearts of Hu Bugui and Wu Tao. They decide to sow the seeds of hope on this land and protect the health of the villagers with medical skills and love.

After breakfast, Hu Bugui couldn't wait to hold Wu Tao's hand and went door to door to tell the villagers about their decision to open a clinic. This news blew into everyone's heart like a spring breeze, and the villagers' faces were filled with joyful smiles.

"That's great! We don't have to run to town when we're sick anymore!"

"Doctor Hu is a skilled doctor, and with the help of Miss Wu Tao, our illness will definitely be cured!"

"We will do our best to help!"

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were deeply moved by the villagers' enthusiastic support, which also strengthened their determination to stay here.

The preparations began in full swing. With his superb medical skills and connections in the palace, Hu Bugui contacted the most famous herbal medicine merchants in the city and purchased a large amount of high-quality herbs. He also asked someone to bring some advanced medical equipment from the capital, which he had seen in the palace and was very helpful in treating various difficult and complicated diseases.

Wu Tao used her design and management skills in modern society to arrange the clinic in an orderly manner. She personally designed the layout of the clinic, divided the consultation room, pharmacy, ward and other areas clearly and reasonably, and added some comfortable tables, chairs and beds so that patients could feel the warmth of home.

In order to make it easier for villagers to find the clinic, Wu Tao also erected a striking signboard at the entrance of the village with three large characters "Jishitang" inscribed on it. These were written by Hu Bugui himself, with powerful and sweeping strokes.

Seeing the clinic taking shape, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao smiled at each other, their hearts full of expectations. They believed that with everyone's joint efforts, Jishiditang would surely become the patron saint of the villagers' health and bring more hope and light to this land.

As the days passed, the clinic's framework was built, but new problems also arose. Hu Bugui had originally thought that the gold and silver he brought with him and some precious jewelry he sold would be enough to support the construction of the clinic, but as he purchased medicinal materials and tools, the silver he had originally had was running low.

"What should I do?" Wu Tao looked at the decreasing numbers in the account book and couldn't help but feel worried.

Hu Bugui held her hand and comforted her, "Don't worry, there will always be a way out. We will think of a solution."

They tried to cut back on expenses and even pawned some of their less important items, but it was still a drop in the bucket. Just when the two were at their wits' end, the village chief brought a few villagers to the clinic.

"Doctor Hu, we heard that the clinic is short of money. This is a small gift from us, you must accept it!" The villagers handed over the heavy packages in their hands, which contained the silver and copper coins they had saved by living frugally.

"Yes, Doctor Hu, you and Miss Wu Tao have done so much for us, and we hope to do our part!"

Seeing the sincere eyes of the villagers, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao's eyes were moist. They deeply felt the trust and support of the villagers, and this friendship was more precious than any gold or silver. They solemnly accepted the villagers' kindness and promised to do their best to cure every patient.

After many twists and turns, "Jishitang" finally opened in everyone's expectation! On the opening day, the villagers came to help spontaneously, cleaning the inside and outside of the clinic early in the morning, and specially placed flowers at the door, and the whole clinic was filled with a festive atmosphere.

In the early morning, the villagers who heard the news filled the clinic. Some of them came to see a doctor, while others came simply to congratulate. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao did not have time to rest and immediately threw themselves into the intense work.

With his superb medical skills, Hu Bugui carefully diagnosed each patient and patiently explained their condition. Wu Tao assisted him by picking and decocting medicine for the patients and carefully reminding them of the precautions for taking the medicine.

Although they are busy all day, seeing the smiles on the patients' faces makes their hearts filled with satisfaction and joy. They know that all the efforts are worth it.

As the sun set, the sunset dyed the sky with a layer of brilliant colors. Hu Bugui and Wu Tao dragged their tired bodies back home. Before they stepped into the courtyard, a strong aroma of food hit their noses.

"Doctor Hu, Miss Wu Tao, you are back!"

In the yard, several enthusiastic villagers were sitting around a table filled with delicious food, including steaming chicken soup, fragrant braised pork, and lush green vegetables, which made people salivate.

"This is..." Wu Tao looked at everything in front of him in surprise, and was unable to react for a moment.

"This is a small token of our appreciation. Thank you for treating us today!" a villager said with a smile, "We don't have anything special, so we just made some home-cooked dishes. Please don't despise us!"

"Yes, Doctor Hu, Miss Wu Tao, please sit down and have a taste!" another villager greeted them enthusiastically.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, and a warm feeling welled up in their hearts. They knew that the villagers were expressing their gratitude to them in the simplest way.

The two of them did not refuse any more and sat down under the warm invitation of the villagers.

"Come here, Doctor Hu, try this chicken soup. It's made from my old hen. It's so delicious!"

"Miss Wu Tao, please try this braised pork. It's a secret recipe passed down from my family. It's fatty but not greasy!"

The villagers chatted with each other and enthusiastically picked up food for them, fearing that they would not eat well.

Hu Bugui and Wu Tao ate the delicious meal while listening to the villagers talking about their daily lives, their hearts filled with warmth and emotion.

"In the past, although I lived a life of luxury in the palace, I always felt like something was missing." Hu Bugui put down his chopsticks and said with emotion, "Although my life is simple now, I feel unprecedented happiness and satisfaction."

"Yes," Wu Tao also nodded and said, "Being able to use my medical skills to help those in need, I think all the efforts are worth it."

As night fell and the sky was dotted with stars, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao walked side by side on the way home. The moonlight made their figures look particularly slender.

"Bugui, do you think it's really worth it for us to do this?" Wu Tao looked up at the starry sky and asked softly.

"Of course it's worth it." Hu Bugui held her hand tightly, his tone firm, "As long as it can bring health and happiness to the people, it's worth it even if I give up everything."

Wu Tao didn't say anything, but just leaned her head gently on his shoulder. The two of them walked quietly in the moonlight, their hearts full of longing and hope for the future.

A gust of night wind blew by, and Wu Tao couldn't help shivering. Seeing this, Hu Bugui took off his cloak and gently put it on her.

"It's cold at night, be careful not to catch a cold."

Wu Tao raised her head and gave him a sweet smile: "Bugui, I am more and more glad that I left that cannibalistic place with you. What do you think, we can live here forever from now on, okay?"

Hu Bugui stopped and looked at her tenderly: "Okay, as long as you like, we won't go anywhere, we will stay here and treat these kind villagers."

"Yeah!" Wu Tao nodded heavily, with happiness shining in his eyes.

The next morning, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao got up early and began to prepare for the opening of the clinic. They sorted out the herbs they bought from the pharmacy yesterday, placed them in the medicine cabinet, and wiped the examination table and chairs clean.

"Bugui, how many patients do you think will come to see the doctor today?" Wu Tao asked curiously while busying himself.

"There should be quite a few." Hu Bugui said as he sorted the silver needles, "When we went to the village for free clinic yesterday, many villagers said they wanted to come."

"That's good." Wu Tao said happily, "This way we can help more people."

As they were talking, there was a sudden knock on the door, interrupting their conversation.

"Who is it?" Wu Tao asked puzzledly.

"I'll go take a look." Hu Bugui put down what he was holding, turned around and walked towards the door.

When I opened the door, I saw a man wearing black clothes and a hat, whose face could not be seen clearly standing outside.

"Who are you?" Hu Bugui asked vigilantly.

The man didn't say anything, but slowly raised his head and took off his hat.

When he saw the man's face, Hu Bugui's face suddenly changed, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"why you?!"