Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Such a big thing happening in the gang had no impact on Luo An and Nan Fei in the slightest.

On the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, just as dawn was breaking, Luo An, as usual, took Nanfei to Wudong County for a free medical clinic. Half of the island's inhabitants had already left, and there weren't enough people to see them off, so Nanfei simply rowed the boat himself.

At Wudong Ferry, the carriage from Zhongjingtang, who had come to pick them up, was already waiting on the shore. Nanfei, carrying a medicine chest, lifted the carriage curtain for him and saw that there were people inside.

Zhang Mingyue said, "Brother Luo, come on up."

Nanfei loved listening to Zhang Mingyue speak; it was like the warbling of a nightingale, clear, melodious, and heavenly music.

Most of the men on the island are rude, and even the women are more rude than the men. Looking across the entire island, only the young master is truly refined and polite. Oh, no, Nanfei counts too.

Nanfei is most enthusiastic about the free clinics held from the sixth to the eighth of each month. Those are three days of escaping vulgarity. Being able to spend time with a well-educated, gentle, and virtuous young lady like Zhang Mingyue is undoubtedly the ultimate enjoyment.

Nanfei asked, "Why is the Second Miss here?"

Zhang Mingyue said, "Brother passed the imperial examination and entered the Hanlin Academy, so he won't be returning to Wudong County for a while. Father is getting old, and I need to learn how to manage the pharmacy. Father wants me to learn more from Brother Luo. Brother Luo, could you stay a few more days this time?"

Luo An shook his head. Seeing Zhang Mingyue's disappointment, Nan Fei quickly said, "Second Miss, our young master was originally supposed to provide free medical consultations for one day, but then it was postponed to two days, and then to three days. If it were postponed any longer, even our gang leader would have objections. However, your father is truly blessed. He has a son who is exceptionally talented and brings glory to the family, and a daughter who is as beautiful as a fairy and whose talents are second to none."

Nan Fei's few words of praise made Zhang Mingyue's eyes crinkle with delight. Her smile, never revealing her teeth, was truly that of a well-bred young lady, unlike the female bandits on the island whose laughter revealed their throats.

The largest pharmacy in Wudong County, Zhongjingtang, was owned by the Zhang family. Originally located in the center of the county, it became increasingly popular after Luo An's free medical consultations. So, Mr. Zhang acquired a large plot of land on the east side of the city, near the river, and built a new Zhongjingtang, turning the original store in the county center into a branch.

The new Zhongjing Hall occupies a large area, with a plaza in front and a courtyard in the back. A two-story building was also built along the river for storage and living quarters. There are also special horse stables on the side for people to park their horses and cars.

From afar, one could see people queuing up. Zhang Mingyue said, "Brother Luo, your reputation in Wudong County is growing, and more and more people are coming to see you. Many people have come from afar because of your reputation, and there are even patients from the capital."

The carriage entered through the back gate, and they arrived at the backyard after alighting. Maids Tao Yao and Xu Ma came up to greet them warmly.

As usual, when the carriage arrived, Master Zhang would be waiting for them in the backyard. But today he wasn't there. This was unusual; something was definitely going on…

Nanfei looked around: "Uncle Zhang isn't here?"

Zhang Mingyue said, "Father is now focused on researching pharmaceuticals, so I'm mostly in charge of Zhongjingtang."

With his children's success, Master Zhang was content and gradually began to consider retirement, so he stopped coming often. In the pharmacy, preparations were underway for January, March, and July; writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were prepared, and the consultation table was placed in the middle of the main entrance.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), the doors of Zhongjingtang Pharmacy opened precisely on time. People waiting for their turn lined up outside the pharmacy to see a doctor.

Luo An sat in the center, examining patients and writing prescriptions. Nan Fei sat to his left, responsible for translation, grinding ink, and preparing paper. Following Luo An's instructions, they asked the patients to open their mouths, extend their hands, and lower their heads…

Patients entered the lobby from the left with their prescriptions, collected their medications in order, paid on the right, and left in an orderly fashion.

During Luo An's free clinic, Zhongjingtang sold all its medicines at cost price, making no profit whatsoever. Although they weren't making money selling medicine these past few days, Zhongjingtang's reputation grew, and the pharmacy's business improved dramatically. Not only did people from neighboring counties come specifically to buy medicine, but people from Songzhou Prefecture and even the capital city also came to Zhongjingtang.

Master Zhang had originally promised the boatmen that they would get medicine for free using Luo An's prescriptions. Luo An did not agree, so Master Zhang stipulated that the boatmen would only use medicine at cost price.

The medicine cabinet is divided into three sides. January is in charge of the left side, March is in charge of the middle side, Zhang Mingyue is in charge of the right side and handles the accounts, and July assists and helps out.

The Zhang family is a family of doctors, and Zhang Mingyue was exposed to medicine from a young age, so she handled medicine very efficiently. She was busy but not chaotic, and even had some free time. In her spare time, she would sit at the counter and look at Luo An at the door.

She stood on the counter and caught a glimpse of Luo An's profile. She liked looking at Luo An; he was a compassionate doctor, composed and noble, unhurried and unperturbed—even her brother couldn't compare.

Zhang Mingyue got distracted while thinking, and several people who were getting medicine lined up in front of her, smiling at her, but they didn't disturb her when she came back to her senses.

Zhang Mingyue, the second young lady of Zhongjingtang, is the most famous beauty in Wudong County; everyone knows her. The line of patients is mostly from Wudong County, many of them regulars. Some have chronic ailments requiring medication year-round and are taking advantage of the cheap prices at the free clinic to stock up.

July couldn't stand it anymore, so she came over to help get the medicine and pay the bill, coughing as she said, "Second Miss."

Zhang Mingyue snapped out of her daze and, seeing the person waiting in front of her, immediately blushed. She tried to cover her embarrassment with small talk: "Uncle Lu, is your mother still not better?"

Lu Dongdao said, "Her asthma can't be cured, but it's much better now, and she can get out of bed and walk. Nanfei said that as long as she keeps taking her medicine, she can live for at least five years or even longer. I'd like to say, Mingyue, the girls of our Nanyue are all capable of becoming heroes and officials. It's only natural for men to marry and women to marry when they're of age. What's there to be shy about? I think Doctor Luo is quite good. If you need a matchmaker to propose marriage, you can tell Uncle Lu to have him drink a matchmaker's toast."

Lu Dong's words made perfect sense, and the people waiting behind him nodded in agreement. Zhang Mingyue secretly glanced at Luo An, who was completely absorbed in taking pulses and writing prescriptions and hadn't heard a thing.

After the misunderstanding, Zhang Mingyue focused on getting the medicine and dared not look at Luo An any longer.

At noon, Luo An and Nan Fei ate and rested, leaving one person on duty at the pharmacy to pick up medicine. At 1 PM, Luo An and Nan Fei went out to make house calls on time. As evening approached, the sun set and night fell. There were still people outside the door being hostile, so Zhang Mingyue forcibly closed the door, telling them to come back the next day.

Their living quarters were in the backyard, and they would quickly prepare the meals and bring them up. The Zhang family had very strict upbringing, so Zhang Mingyue wasn't spoiled and didn't need many servants. Two guards did the heavy work, Xu Ma cooked, and Tao Yao helped with the cooking.

Evenings offer more time to take our time, unlike the rush at noon. Everyone can relax, chat, and laugh.

Aunt Xu especially liked Luo An. She put a piece of braised pork into Luo An's bowl and said, "Xiao An, you are too thin. Eat more. This was specially made for you. It's not greasy."

Tao Yao said, "Young Master, as long as you're here, Aunt Xu doesn't care about anyone else. You came on the sixth day of the month, and Aunt Xu started making menus on the first day, making sure every meal is different. She's like a madwoman when she goes to the market, not knowing if this Xiao An will like this food, not knowing if that Xiao An will like that food... Nan Fei even said you're not picky about food, and she still keeps nagging about it..."

Nanfei quickly said, "Aunt Xu, I like steamed lamb, steamed bear's paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose, soy sauce chicken, cured meat, preserved eggs..."