A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Gu Xixi said gratefully, "Thank you, Master. I was just about to ask you to help me review the process."

"That woman is still in her postpartum period. If I do anything wrong, my master can intervene and perhaps make amends in time."

Gu Xixi recounted in detail everything about Zhou's wife's childbirth process and symptoms, as well as the acupuncture points used and the depth of the needle insertion.

Upon hearing this, the old doctor's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a smile even appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Gu Xixi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her illegal medical practice hadn't caused any major problems.

The old doctor nodded and said, "Although your acupuncture technique was clumsy, resulting in insufficient needle depth, you did find the right acupoints."

"In addition, the symptoms of the new mother are indeed consistent with those of other postpartum women. She just needs to rest and recuperate like any other postpartum woman."

Gu Xixi's terrible mood instantly brightened up a lot. "Is she really alright? Will it cause her any lasting effects?"

The old doctor said, "Don't worry."

Gu Xixi had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the old doctor turn to her, his face full of wrinkles like a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Xixi, you were able to do it almost perfectly after only watching it once. You truly are my good disciple."

Looking at his expression, Gu Xixi sensed that something was wrong.

He then said seriously, "Master, you flatter me. There was really no other way. I was just a blind cat who happened to catch a mouse. In the end, the mother was able to get out of danger thanks to her own good luck."

However, the old doctor still smiled and, in a high-pitched voice, said those words:

"Why don't you follow your master and learn medicine?"

Gu Xixi said helplessly, "Master, didn't we agree on this before? Why are you bringing this up again?"

The old doctor said, "Medicine and medicine are inseparable. Learning one is learning, and learning two is just a matter of course."

"With your talent, I guarantee you'll be a master within three years!"

"No way!" Gu Xixi's attitude was firm, and she refused to back down.

"You know I'd rather farm. I'll have more and more things to do in the future, and I won't be able to concentrate on studying medicine at all."

"As the saying goes, 'Don't bite off more than you can chew.' Let's leave Master's medical skills to some destined junior brother or sister to inherit."

She picked up the medicine box on the table and ran away, saying, "I'm taking the labor-inducing and life-saving pills you made. Thank you on behalf of everyone in the village."

"I'll get you some more good medicinal herbs later. Or if there's anything else you want, think it over tonight and make a list for me, and I'll get it for you."

"Master, you should go to sleep early. I'm going back now."

With a soft bang, the door closed, and the person ran away.

The old doctor shook his head and sighed, both amused and exasperated, "Such talent, yet he refuses to learn medicine; what a waste!"

"If I had taken her on as a disciple when she was young, before she became so focused on farming, our sect might have had a chance to flourish!"

Half a month later, news of the Northwest Army's victory in the great battle reached the small village of Huachidu.

It is said that the Northern Li army was defeated and retreated, and was pursued by the Northwest Army into the territory of the Northern Li for dozens of miles.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Northwest Army reclaimed the land that had been occupied by the Northern Li and pushed the Daye Dynasty's border to the canyon area.

After such a big incident, many villagers gathered at the village entrance at noon, carrying their lunch bowls, just to hear Old Qian give them the latest news.

Under the warm spring sun, it was already getting a bit hot.

As everyone ate their meal and listened to the exciting news, some people even broke out in a sweat.

"Great! After holding back for so many years, we can finally hold our heads high!"

"More than ten years ago, our village was robbed of its grain by the Beili people, but we don't have to worry about that anymore!"

"If the border advances northwards, wouldn't our village be safer?"

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, speaking with great enthusiasm.

After talking for a while, someone asked Lao Qian again, "Have the Northern Li people already surrendered and admitted defeat?"

Old Qian straightened his back and waited until everyone's eyes were on him before saying with no small amount of pride, "We beat them so badly they cried for their parents, and their fighting strength was reduced by more than half. It's not as easy for them to just admit defeat."

"In the next few years, they will not have the strength to fight us anymore. It is said that their king has already sent a letter of truce to the general of the Northwest Army. After that, they will probably have to pay reparations and tribute to our court."

Outside the circle of people, under the shade of a small tree.

He Jinglan leaned against the tree trunk and shoveled chicken soup wontons into her mouth.

"That's amazing! It's a pity I didn't get to see it in person."

Gu Xixi, holding a bowl in her hand, said calmly, "Don't think about it. Even if we hadn't left, we wouldn't have had the chance to witness the magnificence of the battlefield firsthand."

She glanced at He Jinglan out of the corner of her eye, "But you're adapting much faster than I expected."

Holding their rice bowls, they would stand or squat outdoors in full view of everyone, shoveling rice into their mouths without a care for their image, all while talking and laughing.

This is hardly something that Miss He, a well-bred lady from a prominent family in the capital, would do.

However, she not only did it, but she also seemed very comfortable and relaxed, as if she was born this way.

He Jinglan kept her eyes fixed on the center of the circle of people, and didn't delay eating or talking.

"Hey, do you really think Beili will pay reparations and tribute? Wouldn't that just boost the prestige of that person in the palace?"

"Would General Huo and Mu... Chen Fang agree to this thankless outcome?"

"Of course I won't agree," Gu Xixi said, her voice ethereal as the wind.

He Jinglan turned her head abruptly, thinking she had misheard, "How do you know they definitely won't agree?"

Gu Xixi was in a daze and blurted out something she shouldn't have.

She snapped out of her daze and said, "I was just guessing."

"Didn't you say that it's a thankless task? Those two are more cunning than thousand-year-old foxes, how could they possibly suffer such a loss?"

He Jinglan nodded in agreement, and said thoughtfully, "That's right, if things continue like this..."

"I might be staying at your house for a long time."

She turned to Gu Xixi, her eyes sparkling, "Xixi, I suddenly thought of a job I can do, you have to help me!"

Two days later, a female teacher joined the village school at the local temple.

Some of the mischievous boys had never seen a woman as a teacher before, and inevitably harbored thoughts of causing trouble.

However, with Gu Xixi personally escorting He Jinglan to the school gate in the morning, and Gouwa and Shitou acting as her protectors, no one dared to openly bully Mr. He.

He Jinglan was very confident in herself. "Today you have helped me to build up my reputation, but in the future, I will have to rely on my own abilities to win these kids' respect!"

Starting today, Master Liu and He Jinglan will take turns giving lectures.

Master Liu taught literature and scholarship, while He Jinglan taught literacy and character writing.

Before leaving, Gu Xixi felt a sense of unease, like she was sending her child to kindergarten for the first time.

As she walked away, she kept looking back, thinking to herself that she had already told Shi Tou to protect He Jinglan and not let her be bullied by the village children.

Hopefully nothing bad will happen.

Gu Xixi planned to go to the tea plantation at the foot of the mountain, but first she went home to get her tools.

As soon as I stepped outside my own courtyard wall, I saw Aunt Zhang pacing back and forth in a panic.