Travels of a Female Physician in the Ming Dynasty

Gu Qingge is looking for me? Countless possibilities suddenly emerged in my mind.

This cold-hearted girl usually has an attitude of "keep away from strangers". Even a man as thick-skinned as Zhu Yuan is subdued by her. But today she actually took the initiative to look for me. There must be something fishy going on.

"Xiao Cui, come on, help me see if there's anything wrong with my face." I said as I looked left and right in the bronze mirror.

Xiao Cui suppressed her laughter and said, "Miss, you wouldn't do that, would you? Miss Gu isn't here for a blind date with you."

"What do you know!" I waved my hands. "If Gu Qingge comes to me, it's definitely not a simple matter. I have to make sure I look reasonable, professional and reliable!"

Xiao Cui rolled her eyes and said, "You are the imperial physician. Can Miss Gu really question your professionalism?"

"That's true, but I always feel that she wouldn't come to me for no reason." I muttered to myself, she is not someone who has nothing to do.

When I arrived at Gu's house, before I even stepped inside, I saw Gu Qingge standing at the door waiting for me.

She was still dressed in simple and elegant clothes, with a calm expression, as if she had never experienced any emotional fluctuations.

"Imperial Physician Yang, please come in." She nodded at me politely, turned around and walked towards the inner courtyard.

I followed her, puzzled. Why was she so quiet today, skipping even the small talk? Could it be that Zhu Yuan had done something stupid again?

As soon as he entered her study, Gu Qingge said straight to the point: "Yang Liu, I have encountered some difficult illnesses in the past few days and I would like to ask you for advice."

I was stunned, thinking: Miss Gu actually has a difficult disease? She has always been a confident female doctor.

"What's the illness?" I quickly sat down and acted like a famous doctor.

Gu Qingge frowned slightly. "I've been treating a patient recently. According to conventional wisdom, his symptoms should be due to a weak spleen and stomach, but—" She paused, confusion evident in her eyes. "No matter what medicine I prescribe, his condition hasn't improved. Instead, it's gotten worse."

I tried to stay calm, but I was a little excited inside: Gu Qingge actually encountered an unsolvable disease. It seems that she is not so omnipotent!

"What are the patient's specific symptoms?" I asked.

"He's been suffering from chronic fatigue, cold limbs, frequent abdominal pain, and poor appetite." Gu Qingge spoke quickly, clearly having studied this case numerous times. "Judging from his pulse, he does have a weak spleen and stomach. Strangely, ordinary spleen-strengthening and qi-invigorating medicines are completely ineffective on him."

I frowned. It did sound a bit complicated. But—an idea suddenly struck me, and I quickly reviewed the knowledge of modern medicine in my mind.

"Gu Qingge," I asked tentatively, "Have you ever considered that this patient might not simply have a spleen or stomach problem?"

Gu Qingge looked at me with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Sounds like—parasites," I said slowly.

"Parasite?" Gu Qingge was obviously stunned.

"Yeah, think about it. Sanitation wasn't very good back then, so many people were likely infected with parasites like roundworms and tapeworms," ​​I began to explain. "Parasitic worms wreak havoc in the stomach and intestines, causing a variety of symptoms. Fatigue, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite are typical manifestations."

Gu Qingge frowned, as if digesting what I said.

"You can try the anthelmintic prescription." I continued, feeling a little proud in my heart. Modern people's knowledge is indeed useful!

Gu Qingge pondered for a moment and nodded slowly: "That makes sense. However, I have never encountered a similar case, and there is no clear record in ancient books on how to treat parasites."

"It's okay, I'll prescribe a prescription for you." I said confidently.

After all, modern medical anthelmintics have been thoroughly studied. Although there is no albendazole here, I still know several Chinese medicines that have similar effects.

I picked up a pen from Gu Qingge's desk and quickly wrote down a prescription.

Gu Qingge picked up the prescription, looked at it carefully, and nodded: "This prescription is simple and easy to use. It's worth a try."

I smiled and said, "When it comes to expelling insects, it's all about speed, accuracy and ruthlessness."

Gu Qingge raised her head, a hint of admiration in her eyes. "Yang Liu, I always thought you were only good at treating common illnesses, but I didn't expect you to have such insights. It seems I underestimated you."

I was secretly proud of myself: Humph, who told me to have the buff of modern medicine!

"No, no, we are all in the same industry and we should learn from each other." I waved my hands modestly, but I was already very happy in my heart.

Gu Qingge raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a rare smile.

Oh my god, she actually smiled! This is huge news! I suddenly felt like I had discovered a new world.

"However," she suddenly changed the subject, her expression returning to her calm and composed demeanor, "I came to you this time not only to consult you about this symptom, but also to discuss something else with you."

"What's the matter?" I asked puzzledly.

"Recently, many patients in the city have suffered from similar symptoms. I suspect this may not be an isolated case." Gu Qingge's voice was low. "If it is really a parasite problem, then this may be an invisible epidemic."

I was stunned. I hadn't expected things to develop so quickly. "Epidemic? You mean, many people are infected with parasites?"

Gu Qingge nodded. "I'm not sure yet, but judging from the symptoms of these patients, the situation isn't optimistic. If there really are parasites spreading in the city, the consequences would be disastrous."

My heart skipped a beat: This is serious! This isn't just a minor illness. If a parasite outbreak were to occur in Yingtian Prefecture, how many people in the city would suffer from diarrhea, fever, and weakness? Just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle.

"So what are you going to do?" I asked. Gu Qingge was always calm and composed, but even she was a little worried this time, which showed that she thought this matter was very serious.

"I hope you can come with me to the city's slums," she said gravely. "Those places have the worst sanitation and are often the source of disease. If this is truly a parasite problem, we need to take action as soon as possible."

Slums? An image of dilapidated houses and overflowing sewage instantly emerged in my mind, and I shuddered slightly.

Although I have modern medical knowledge, after all, I am still a modern person with a bit of a mysophobia. Places like the slums...

"Are you sure you want to go? That place is dirty and messy. What if you get infected?" I asked tentatively, wondering if I could persuade her to give up the idea.

Gu Qingge glanced at me calmly: "Are you scared?"

"Who said that!" I immediately straightened my back, trying to save face and endure the pain. "I just care about you. After all, you are a girl, and it is not convenient for you to go to that kind of place."

Gu Qingge smiled calmly: "Miss Yang, you are much more delicate than me."

I was speechless for a moment, wondering why these words sounded so harsh.

Am I delicate? I'm a woman from the new era who has traveled through time and space. I can withstand the wind and rain and withstand the pressure!

"Okay, since you're not afraid, why should I be afraid?" I patted my chest and agreed reluctantly.

So, the next morning, Gu Qingge and I set out together and headed straight for the slums of Yingtian Prefecture.

Along the way, I secretly swore in my heart: I must be careful and never step on anything dirty!

The situation in the slums is worse than I imagined.

The houses here are dilapidated, the streets are narrow, sewage is flowing everywhere, and the air is filled with a bad smell.

The children ran around barefoot in the mud, their faces dirty, but they still smiled innocently.

I suppressed my discomfort and followed Gu Qingge.

She looked calm, as if she didn't care about the environment in front of her, and her eyes were focused on observing the situation around her.

"Ms. Gu, look this way." An old local doctor took us into the homes of several patients.

The patients were all frail adults or skinny children with pale faces.

Their symptoms were exactly the same as Gu Qingge had described before, mostly fatigue, abdominal pain, cold limbs, etc.

"It's true." Gu Qingge frowned as he took the patient's pulse. "These patients have the same condition as I've seen before. It must be parasites that are causing the problem."

I squatted down, carefully observing the patient's tongue and eyes, and almost confirmed my judgment: "It does look like a parasitic infection, but the scale is quite large. Logically, parasitic infections should be isolated cases, so why do so many people have it?"

Gu Qingge was silent for a moment, and finally said slowly: "Maybe there is a problem with the water source."

Water source? My heart suddenly trembled: Could it be that the drinking water is contaminated? This is very common in modern society, especially in areas with poor sanitation. Contaminated water sources are the most common cause of parasitic infections.

"If it's really a water source problem, then this is a serious matter," I said, frowning. "In this case, the number of people infected with parasites will only increase."

Gu Qingge nodded: "So we must confirm the root cause of the problem as soon as possible."

We walked along the streets of the slum until we came to a small river.

The river water here looks turbid, the banks are littered with garbage and rotten plants, and the air is filled with a pungent stench.

"This river is the main source of water for the residents nearby," the old doctor sighed. "Most of them drink the water here, and they also use it to wash vegetables and clothes."

"This water is totally undrinkable!" I exclaimed. "It's poisonous!"

Gu Qingge's expression darkened: "It seems that this is the root of the problem."

I suddenly felt anxious: This water pollution problem can't be solved by just prescribing a few medicines! If this source of pollution can't be dealt with quickly, the entire slum area of ​​Yingtian Prefecture will be plunged into this parasitic crisis.

"We need to tell the authorities immediately and ask them to send someone to deal with this river," I said hastily. "Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous."

Gu Qingge nodded in agreement: "This matter cannot be delayed, report it today."

After returning home, I sat down on a chair and breathed a long sigh of relief.

This day’s experience made me realize the backwardness of sanitary conditions in ancient times, and also made me realize that as a time traveler, the responsibility on my shoulders seems to be quite heavy.

Not only do we have to cure diseases and save lives, but we also have to help the ancients solve some "social" problems from time to time.

"Miss, has Miss Gu left?" Xiao Cui came in with tea and smiled when she saw how tired I looked.

"Yeah, she's gone." I took the tea, took a sip, and sighed, "She's such a workaholic."

"That's right. Miss Gu is a well-known workaholic." Xiao Cui giggled. "But Miss, you have been amazing today too. You helped Miss Gu solve a big problem."

I gave a wry smile and said, "I'm not helping her at all. I'm being dragged along by her to work."

As I was talking, Xiao Cui suddenly came close to me and said mysteriously, "Miss, did you know that Master Zhu has been to the Gu Mansion again recently?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Zhu Yuan? Wasn't he completely cured by Gu Qingge a few days ago? Why is he here again?"

Xiao Cui laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her waist. "I heard that he came here sincerely to ask for medical advice this time! But Miss Gu is still lukewarm towards him."

"Medical skills?" I immediately laughed. "What kind of medical skills can he learn? He probably wants to get close to Gu Qingge again."

"Who knows?" Xiao Cui shrugged. "Anyway, Mr. Zhu's enthusiasm remains undiminished. He goes to the Gu Mansion every day."

I shook my head: "This guy is really hopeless."

Although he said this, he had a feeling in his heart that Zhu Yuan might really be serious this time.

After all, even I was attracted by Gu Qingge's medical skills. No matter how naughty this kid is, maybe he will be serious one day.