"What?"
Lu Qing looked at the old doctor in surprise, wondering if he had misheard.
"Grandpa Chen, you just said you wanted me to learn medicine from you?"
"What, you're not happy about it?" the old doctor asked.
"No, but Grandpa Chen, didn't you say that you just wanted me to stay by your side and learn some knowledge about herbs?"
“I’ve changed my mind. Old Wang’s words reminded me that the village will indeed need a doctor in the future.”
"As the only literate person in the village, perhaps I should give you this opportunity."
Old Man Wang was the same old man who patted Lu Qing on the shoulder and told him to learn medicine from Doctor Chen.
Lu Qing was stunned.
He thought it would be a long time before he would have the opportunity to study medicine.
Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better so quickly.
His face lit up with joy, and he was about to bow in gratitude.
Dr. Chen added, "However, don't be too happy yet. Studying medicine requires qualifications. If you're not qualified, even if I'm willing to teach you, you might not be able to learn."
"So, what constitutes being qualified?" Lu Qing asked.
“One month,” the old doctor said. “If you can memorize the names and properties of all the herbs recorded in the ‘Compendium of Materia Medica’ within a month, I will formally take you on as my apprentice.”
"If you can't do that, then you should honestly learn some knowledge about herbs and become a herb gatherer to make a living."
"Grandpa Chen, I will definitely try my best to memorize this entire 'Compendium of Materia Medica'!"
Lu Qing said with excitement on his face.
It's just memorizing the "Compendium of Materia Medica," he can do that now.
However, Lu Qing also knew that if he were to recite the entire "Compendium of Materia Medica" in front of the old doctor right now, it would be a disaster.
What awaits him may not be the old doctor's surprise, but rather fear.
So we can't rush this; we need to give the senior doctor time to adjust.
After all, he had told people himself that he only knew some characters, not that he was well-read.
Next, Lu Qing took the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and asked Doctor Chen about some of the questions it contained.
It mainly consists of some uncommon characters and the pronunciation of medicinal herb names.
Although his superpowers helped him memorize the entire "Compendium of Materia Medica".
But there are some words whose meanings he still wants to understand more deeply.
This also serves as a confirmation of how it differs from my own understanding.
The old doctor, of course, answered all his questions without reservation and explained everything to Lu Qing in detail.
It was during the explanation that the old doctor was surprised to find that Lu Qing had an excellent memory.
He only had to explain many words once or twice before the child could memorize them, without needing further explanation.
"Lu Qing, you are indeed a very intelligent child," the old doctor said with great satisfaction.
Lu Qing's performance greatly exceeded his expectations.
If things continue like this, he might actually be able to memorize the entire "Compendium of Materia Medica" within a month.
"It's all thanks to Grandpa Chen's excellent teaching," Lu Qing said modestly.
At the same time, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This was the first time he had realized that pretending to be confused could be tiring.
Even though he already understood many things, he still asked the doctor several times, and he couldn't let the old doctor see through his act.
This will be a great test for his acting skills.
"Alright, that's enough for today. It's not good to learn too many characters at once, or you'll easily get them mixed up. Take this 'Compendium of Materia Medica' back with you and study it carefully tonight. Come back tomorrow and I'll test your knowledge."
"Grandpa Chen, do I not have to wait until the next acupuncture session to come back?" Lu Qing asked in surprise.
"You're about to study the 'Compendium of Materia Medica,' why wait so long? If you wait three days, I'm afraid you'll forget everything you learned today!" the old doctor said with a laugh and a scolding.
"Then we'll come up again tomorrow to say hello to you," Lu Qing said happily.
"Grandpa Chen, does that mean Xiaoyan can come up to play with you again tomorrow?" Xiaoyan asked happily.
"Of course, Grandpa will make you some new pastries tomorrow so you can try them." The old doctor picked up the little guy.
Xiaoyan's eyes lit up: "A new kind of pastry, is it as delicious as yam cake?"
"It's no worse than yam cake."
The little guy immediately felt his mouth watering.
Even after leaving the small courtyard halfway up the mountain with Xiao Yan, Lu Qing's heart remained joyful.
His gains today are still enormous.
I originally intended to give the Red Moon Carp to the old doctor, but I never expected it to be such a rare and precious fish.
After the old doctor sells the red moon carp, after deducting the cost of the medicine owed to him, there should still be some silver left.
He was currently very poor, and with the money, many of his urgent problems could be solved.
More importantly, he learned that the Red Moon Carp liked to eat blood apricots.
If the river outside the village can produce a Red Moon Carp, then there must be others as well.
If he's patient, he might be able to catch another one.
At that time, it will be another fortune.
Besides the red moon carp, the biggest gain was receiving the opportunity bestowed by Doctor Chen.
Next, as long as he follows the steps, thoroughly studies the "Compendium of Materia Medica," and gains the approval of the senior doctor, he will truly have the opportunity to study medicine.
Lu Qing believed that with his special abilities, he would definitely be able to master medical skills as long as he studied diligently.
Moreover, the function that was suddenly discovered today also made Lu Qing realize.
His superpowers are more powerful than he imagined, with many functions waiting for him to discover.
Filled with excitement, the brother and sister walked home.
Meanwhile, news of what happened at the old doctor's house that day was spreading throughout the entire village.
In particular, the fact that Lu Qing was learning medicine from the old doctor attracted the attention of almost all the villagers.
Under a large tree in the center of the village, a group of villagers were discussing something.
"You mean Lu Qing is really learning medicine from Doctor Chen?" a villager asked in surprise.
"Of course it's true! Everyone saw it with their own eyes. Lu Qing was holding a medical book and reciting it!" a villager replied.
“That’s right, and when we asked Lu Qing, the old doctor didn’t deny it, so isn’t it true?” another villager said.
"So, does this mean our village will produce a doctor in the future?" an old man said excitedly.
"It's still early. Lu Qing is only learning from the senior doctor right now. It's hard to say when he'll be able to graduate and treat patients."
"No matter what, it's still a glimmer of hope. If there's no doctor in the village, everyone will have to go back to the old ways."
Upon hearing this, the villagers fell silent.
Yes, before the old doctor came, they had to endure whatever illness they had on their own.
Some minor ailments can be cured if you just wait it out.
But the fear is that if you keep trying, you might end up with serious problems.
Many people in the village used to leave this way.
After Dr. Chen arrived, everyone's lives became easier.
No matter what the illness is, the senior doctor can treat it. Even if he can't cure it immediately, he can at least relieve the pain and make the patient feel less uncomfortable.
Most importantly, the senior doctor's medical fees were not expensive.
Even if someone can't afford the medical bills right away, he will still help and allow them to pay in advance.
Where else can you find such a good doctor?
Therefore, everyone has a deep and heartfelt respect for Dr. Chen.
However, as everyone knows, the doctor is already very old.
Therefore, I sometimes can't help but wonder what will happen to them if the old doctor is no longer around.
Nobody wants to go back to the old days when they were sick but had no medical care.
Everyone was genuinely happy to hear that Lu Qing was learning medicine from the old doctor.
As everyone was chatting under the tree, suddenly, someone shouted something.
"Lu Qing is back!"
I noticed the following content was pasted incorrectly; it has been corrected. Sorry.
