Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

Li Ruoyue was relieved to see that the northwest was now back on track. She decided to take Luzhu with her and her uncle on their journey back to Beijing. The three of them took their time, practicing medicine along the way and observing the local customs and practices.

One day, they arrived at a quiet town. The people were warm and kind, but the medical facilities were very poor. Li Ruoyue and her uncle decided to stay for a few days and provide free medical treatment to the local people.

As the news spread, townspeople flocked to the scene. The makeshift clinic was bustling with activity. Li Ruoyue was in charge of treating the women. Her gentle and attentive manner, softly speaking as she examined them, gradually relaxed the shy women.

At this time, a little girl was brought in by her family. Her face was red and her eyes were swollen like walnuts. Li Ruoyue smiled and asked her: "Little girl, what's wrong? Are your eyes uncomfortable?" The little girl sobbed and said: "Sister, my chickens are always chasing me. I was scared and fell down, and that's how it became." Li Ruoyue couldn't help laughing. While checking her eyes, she said: "Don't be afraid, sister will apply some medicine for you, and you will be well soon. But next time you see a chicken, don't run too fast, otherwise you will fall down again." The people around couldn't help laughing when they heard it.

Luzhu helped pass medicine and assist with the work. She was clever, cute, and sweet-talking, and she got along very well with the people. An old lady looked at Luzhu and said to Li Ruoyue with a smile, "Miss, you are such a lovely maid, and you work so efficiently." Luzhu heard this and quickly said, "Auntie, you are too kind. My young lady is really amazing. Her medical skills are superb." This made everyone laugh again.

My uncle was also busy treating an elderly man who had suffered from rheumatism for many years and was unable to move. While giving him acupuncture, my uncle patiently explained some daily precautions. The elderly man said gratefully, "I used to go to the city to see a doctor, which was not only far but also expensive. I never thought you would come to our little place. You are truly a living Bodhisattva!"

After a busy morning, they finally finished seeing the last patient. Li Ruoyue stretched herself, and Luzhu brought a basin of water and said with a smile: "Miss, you must be exhausted, wash your face and take a rest." The three were about to eat something when they heard a commotion outside. Li Ruoyue went out to check curiously, and saw a young man leading a donkey with two large bundles of herbs on the donkey. The young man looked anxious, and when he saw Li Ruoyue and the others, he hurriedly said: "Doctor, I heard that you are doing free clinics. I want to sell you the herbs I collected with great difficulty so that you can use them to treat the villagers." Li Ruoyue looked at the pile of herbs, which were of good quality, so she discussed it with her uncle and paid for them. The young man was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling, and kept saying: "Now I can buy more rice and flour for my family."

Watching the young man leave, Li Ruoyue's heart was filled with warmth. Although the journey had been arduous, she had helped so many people and encountered so many interesting people and stories during her medical practice. This journey back to Beijing was destined to be filled with memories.

After staying in the town for a few days, Li Ruoyue and her group continued on their journey. That day, they arrived at a bustling market. The market was bustling with people, and the sounds of various vendors rang out one after another.

Li Ruoyue was very interested in the various herbs and peculiar little items at the market, so she dragged Luzhu along as they wandered between the stalls. Her uncle, on the other hand, stopped at a stall selling pens, inkstones, and paper, selecting some stationery items.

Li Ruoyue was selecting herbs at a herbal medicine stall when she heard a quarrel nearby. Curious, she looked in the direction of the sound and saw a ragged old woman arguing fiercely with the cloth vendor at a cloth stall. The vendor, his face etched with rage, shouted, "You old woman, you clearly pulled my cloth, and you're trying to cheat me out of paying!" The old woman sobbed, "I didn't pull your cloth. I was just checking. Don't accuse me of something so wrong!"

Li Ruoyue walked over and took a closer look. She saw the old woman clutching a small bundle tightly in her hand, and her clothes were patched and patched, making her look very pitiful. The stall owner was a burly man with a fierce look on his face. Li Ruoyue felt something was amiss and asked softly, "Uncle, you said the old woman tore your cloth, do you have any evidence?" The stall owner snorted, pointed to a tear in the cloth and said, "Here, she tore it. She was just looking at it in her hand and wanted to leave after looking at it!"

Li Ruoyue looked at the old woman again, and the old woman hurriedly explained: "I really didn't lie, I just touched it.

As the old woman spoke, tears couldn't stop flowing down her face, "My granddaughter is sick, and I wanted to see if I could get some cloth to make her some new clothes, but I really don't have any money." Li Ruoyue's heart moved, and she carefully observed the gap in the cloth. She found that the edges were neat, not torn, but more like they were cut with scissors.

She slowly turned around, her eyes fixed on the stall owner, and softly said, "Uncle, don't worry. Look at this cloth. The tear doesn't look like it was torn forcibly. Instead, it looks more like natural wear and tear. Did you misunderstand this old woman?"

The stall owner was furious when he heard this. His eyes widened and his voice rose: "What do you know, little girl? If she didn't pull it, then did I cut it myself? I'm running a stall here to do business, how could I wrongly accuse her for no reason?"

The people around heard the stall owner's shouting and gathered around, talking about it. Some said that the old woman didn't look like a good person, while others thought that the stall owner was being too aggressive.

Just as the two sides were deadlocked, Li Ruoyue suddenly had an idea. She quickly pulled a piece of silver from her bag, walked quickly to the stall owner, handed him the silver, and said, "Uncle, I'll buy this cloth as a favor to this old woman. But please don't make things difficult for her. She's an old lady, and it looks like she's having a hard time."

The stall owner looked at the silver in Li Ruoyue's hand, and the anger on his face eased slightly. He hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out to take the silver and quickly put it in his arms, muttering, "You're lucky you met me in a good mood today, otherwise it wouldn't be so easy!"

Seeing that Li Ruoyue had helped her out of trouble, the old woman burst into tears of gratitude. She took her hand and said, "Girl, you are such a good person! But I really don't have the money to pay you back." Li Ruoyue smiled and comforted her, "Grandma, it's okay. Your granddaughter is sick. Use this money to buy some delicious food for the child to nourish her body. Where is your home? Can you take me to see her? I know some medical skills and may be able to help." The old woman nodded repeatedly when she heard this, and hurriedly took Li Ruoyue and others home.

After passing through several narrow alleys, they arrived at the old woman's house. Inside the dimly lit, dilapidated thatched hut, a little girl lay on the bed, pale and coughing weakly. Li Ruoyue hurried forward to diagnose the little girl's condition. After a while, she frowned slightly and said to the old woman, "Grandma, the child is suffering from a cold and malnutrition, which is why she's so sick. Don't worry, I'll prescribe some medicine, and she should get better after taking it."

Luzhu immediately ran to a nearby pharmacy to get some medicine, while Li Ruoyue stayed inside to teach the old woman some simple nursing care techniques. A short while later, Luzhu returned with the medicine. Li Ruoyue helped her boil it and watched the little girl drink it. The old woman stood by, wiping away tears and expressing her gratitude.

Seeing the little girl's condition gradually stabilize, Li Ruoyue breathed a sigh of relief. She left some more silver and asked the old woman to buy some nutritious food for the child. As they left, the old woman stood at the door, watching them go, muttering, "We've met some kind people..." Li Ruoyue and her companions continued their journey back to Beijing. The turmoil at the market and the help they had given the little girl added a special touch of warmth to their journey.

Chapter 3: Strange Diseases in the Mysterious Village

After leaving the bustling market, Li Ruoyue, Luzhu, and their uncle walked along a winding path. They arrived at a remote village. Surrounded by verdant hills, the village appeared peaceful and tranquil, yet a faint, oppressive atmosphere hung in the air.

As soon as the three of them entered the village, they noticed something was amiss. Most of the villagers looked haggard and listless, and when they saw them coming, a hint of vigilance flashed in their eyes. Li Ruoyue took the initiative to step forward and asked a passing villager, "Brother, what's going on in your village? Everyone doesn't look well." The villager looked them over, hesitated, and said, "Hey, recently, for some reason, many people in the village have contracted a strange disease. They feel weak all over and have fevers from time to time. We've consulted several doctors, but none of them can cure it."

Li Ruoyue and her uncle exchanged a glance. Doctors couldn't just sit back and watch a patient suffer. After they explained their identities and purpose, the villagers immediately warmed up and took them to visit their sick family members.

Li Ruoyue walked into a room and saw a young woman lying on a bed. Her eyes were tightly closed, beads of sweat covered her forehead, and she occasionally let out painful moans. Li Ruoyue hurriedly felt her pulse. It was disordered, and her qi and blood were not flowing smoothly, but it didn't seem like a common symptom. Her uncle also carefully examined her, his brow furrowed.

They then visited several more households and discovered that the symptoms of the sick villagers were largely the same. Li Ruoyue fell into deep thought, recalling her medical knowledge, trying to identify the root cause of the illness. Meanwhile, Luzhu noticed something unusual outside the house. She saw a strange powder with a slightly greenish hue near a well in the village. Curious, Luzhu picked up some and showed it to Li Ruoyue.

Li Ruoyue looked at the powder and felt something in her heart. She put the powder under her nose and sniffed it gently, and there was a faint pungent smell.