Peerless Physician: The Path of a Foolish Eldest Daughter's Rise to Power

Gu Ran helped them wash their hands and faces, and then everyone ate porridge and pancakes together in the hall.

Seeing the children's cautious expressions, Gu Xinyue said, "You can eat, I'll make sure you're full today."

The hall was filled with the fragrant aroma of porridge, but they restrained themselves.

The children looked at each other, and eventually the younger ones slowly picked up their bowls to drink, and the other children followed suit.

Soon, they started eating faster, and Gu Yang thoughtfully refilled their bowls. Some children wanted more, but Gu An stopped them.

"From now on, you'll all have food to eat. Be careful not to overeat." Everyone laughed, and the children's faces lit up with smiles after they had eaten their fill.

Gu An went to prepare for the porridge distribution. Granny Liu liked the children very much and was happy that her young lady had taken them in. Gu Ran helped Hui Lan clear the dishes.

Seeing that most of the children had a sallow complexion, Gu Xinyue said, "Come here, let me take a look at you."

She took the pulse of the older child first, and then the other children lined up in order, waiting for Gu Xinyue to treat them.

Looking at the pretty young girl, the children began to have new expectations for life.

They are all suffering from malnutrition. As long as they have a balanced diet, they will recover quickly.

She discovered a big secret: two of the children were girls. How difficult it must be for girls among beggars!

Looking at the children's innocent faces and clear eyes, Gu Xinyue asked, "You'll stay here for now. What can you do?"

The eldest child said, "We can gather information, we can move things, we can do anything, it's just that the younger ones can only gather firewood."

"Do you have names?"

“My name is Gouzi, but most of us use humble names,” the oldest child said, pointing to a boy who looked about 10 years old. “His name is Fugui, and his younger brother is Fusheng.”

Fusheng was a girl. Gu Xinyue pointed to another girl and asked, "What's your name?"

She looked at Gu Xinyue timidly, and Gouzi said, "She's mute, we all call her Mute."

He pointed to the youngest child and said, "He has six fingers; we've had him for two years."

Having six fingers is an ominous sign of this era. Once the child is healthier, we can have him undergo a minor surgery.

Gu Xinyue asked the dog, "How long have you been living together? How long have you been beggars?"

"When I was seven, my parents died one after the other. To pay for their medical treatment, we had to sell our house and land to pay off debts, so I became a homeless person. I found that the temple had been abandoned, so I made it my home and lived there for five years. Unfortunately, it collapsed last night."

He said dejectedly, "Eight children who have lived with me in the past five years have died. They all died of illness. Just two days ago, one of them died of illness."

Medical conditions here are poor, and the people suffer from chronic malnutrition and weak immune systems; even a minor cold can be fatal.

He pointed to a handsome boy and said, "He is Haozi. His family was poor, and his father sold him to work as a servant. Unexpectedly, the young master was a wicked man who often beat them. Three years ago, the young master went to the countryside for a trip and died in an accident. When the madam saw them, she remembered the young master. She was kind-hearted, so she let the servants go home."

Haozi looked at Gu Xinyue and said, "After I got home, I didn't see my parents. I heard from the villagers that my sister was sold to a wealthy family. She was beaten to death for stealing steamed buns from her master. My mother died of illness, and my father went mad and drowned in the river. That's when I came here and saw Gouzi. I became a beggar with him."

Such a tragic background silenced everyone present. Despite the heartbreaking past, they still live strong lives. In modern times, children their age would be in school, living in a comfortable environment.

Fugui said, “My father died in the army. My mother fell ill when she heard the bad news. My grandmother received a pension. My uncle and aunt thought the three of us were freeloaders, so they separated us. We were too young to get land or a house, so we lived in an abandoned house in the village. My mother was very angry and died the next day. The villagers helped us bury my mother. My uncle and aunt were afraid that we would come looking for her, so they avoided us. We left the village and came here, where we met Brother Gouzi.”

They are the descendants of martyrs, yet they have not enjoyed the treatment they deserve, experiencing the harsh realities of life at such a young age.

“My name is Ali, and I am 11 years old. My family is very poor, but I eat too much, and my parents can't afford to feed me, so I came out to fend for myself. I met Brother Gouzi. I am strong and can do a lot of work.”

The little boy with a limp said, "Everyone calls me Cripple. I've been in poor health since I was little. One day, my leg became limp, and I couldn't work anymore. My family brought me here, but then they disappeared. It was Brother Gouzi who took me in."

Gu Xinyue knew that his condition was caused by calcium deficiency and malnutrition, and that it could be treated gradually.

These children are pitiful. Looking at them, Gu Xinyue thought about how at least she didn't have the trouble of not being able to afford food and had someone to protect her. Compared to them, she was indeed very lucky.

She decided to help them before returning to Beijing, and then leave the rest to fate.

She pointed at the mute man and Fusheng and said, "Come here."

The two of them walked up to Gu Xinyue, who said, "I'm sorry to have to make you suffer. From now on, you'll wear pretty floral clothes."

Besides the fact that he was rich, everyone was stunned. Why would a boy wear such colorful clothes?

The mute woman looked at Gu Xinyue, her eyes brimming with tears, and said with difficulty, "My mother never had another child after I was born. She did all the work inside and outside the house. My father wanted a son, and he would beat my mother every day when he was drunk. Once, my mother was beaten so badly that she couldn't get out of bed, so she told me to dress up as a boy and escape, otherwise I would die too. Later, I secretly saw my mother, but she was dead. She was beaten to death by my father. The people in the village said it was better that the girl from that family disappeared, otherwise she would have been sold by that drunkard long ago."

The dog excitedly said, "So you're a girl! No wonder you look like a girl."

The mute man said, "I'm sorry, Brother Gouzi, I really have no choice. I'm afraid that I'm a girl and I can't protect myself."

The dog gave a silly smile. "It's okay, just be alive."

Fusheng timidly said, "Brother Gouzi, I'm sorry. You made me dress up as a man to protect me."

Fugui looked at the dog with a face full of guilt.

The children looked at each other and then laughed. Six Fingers said, "Then you're the older sisters."

"Dog, you're the boss here, you lead everyone, what are your plans?"

"Sister, I've thought about making everyone's lives better, but we're just kids and our wages are low. I'm only worried about keeping everyone from starving. Now, I'm begging you, sister, to show me a way to improve our lives."

The word "sister" stirred something within Gu Xinyue. She was an orphan; in this life, she had parents, but they only had her as their child.

At that moment, she seemed to realize that she was also greedy; she not only wanted her parents' love, but also wanted to have brothers and sisters.