The sudden noise startled Lu Qing at first, and then he became somewhat alert.
What was that sound?
Human, beast, or rat?
He thought of the mysterious little beast that had stolen two large pieces of fish last night.
Could it be that guy again?
He had already put the fish and meat inside the house. Would this guy be so bold as to break in?
Thinking of the information he had gleaned from his supernatural abilities that morning—that the mysterious little beast seemed to possess sharp claws—Lu Qing couldn't help but grip a stick placed beside his bed.
At this moment, he felt an overwhelming longing for the electricity of his past life.
If this were a house from a past life, no matter what kind of small animal it is, just turning on a light would probably scare it away.
Unfortunately, he can barely afford to light an oil lamp now, let alone use light to scare away wild animals.
The noise outside continued, like something was scratching at the door.
Even though Lu Qing was usually bold, he felt a little uneasy at this moment.
He gripped the stick tightly, quietly walked out of the room, and came into the hall.
Suddenly, the stick slammed against the door, making a loud noise.
The sounds outside the door immediately disappeared.
Lu Qing gripped the stick, forcing himself to remain calm as he stood in the hall.
A long time passed, and he didn't hear that sound again.
However, he didn't dare to open the door and go to check rashly.
After a long while, and after confirming that there was no movement outside, Lu Qing returned to the room.
It must be said that the calming and tranquilizing effect of the blue-shelled fish stone is quite good.
Even with such a loud noise, Xiaoyan wasn't awakened.
Otherwise, Lu Qing would have to coax her for a long time.
That night, Lu Qing couldn't sleep well.
Fearing that the thing might return, he barely slept all night, only managing to doze off for a short while as dawn approached.
So much so that when Lu Qing went to see Dr. Chen the next day, he had two big dark circles under his eyes and looked listless.
The old doctor frowned when he saw him like this.
“Lu Qing, I know you want to master the ‘Compendium of Materia Medica’ as soon as possible, but learning requires a balance of work and rest. Sometimes, burying yourself in studying can be counterproductive.”
"Furthermore, if you want to become a doctor in the future, you need to cherish your own body. If you can't even take care of your own body, how can you maintain a clear mind to treat and save lives?"
They assumed that Lu Qing's listless appearance was because he had stayed up late reading last night.
“Grandpa Chen, it’s not what you think,” Lu Qing said with a wry smile. “I didn’t sleep well last night for another reason.”
Then he recounted what had happened last night.
"You mean, last night a wild beast tried to enter your house, which is why you didn't sleep well all night?" the old doctor asked in surprise.
"Yes, because I was worried it would sneak in and hurt Xiaoyan, I haven't dared to sleep," Lu Qing said, rubbing his eyes.
"Brother, how come Xiaoyan didn't know?"
The little guy had no idea that something like this had happened last night, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"You slept like a log last night, of course you didn't know."
Lu Qing reached out and tapped her little sister's nose.
"But this can't be a solution. You can't stay up all night every night."
The old doctor thought for a moment, then turned and went back into the house. Not long after, he came out with a package and handed it to Lu Qing.
"Take this powder."
"Grandpa Chen, what is this?" Lu Qing asked, holding up the item.
"This is a medicinal powder that I mixed myself. It contains a variety of herbs that can repel insects and animals. I usually use it for self-defense when I walk in the mountains."
"From what you've said, that beast shouldn't be very big."
"When you get back, sprinkle some powder around the house. That wild beast will probably be more cautious and won't bother you anymore."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing was overjoyed: "Thank you, Grandpa Chen!"
The old doctor really gave us the medicine powder just in time.
Otherwise, Lu Qing would have to consider setting a trap to capture that mysterious little beast.
However, some information he had previously gleaned through his supernatural abilities made him hesitant to act rashly.
After all, the footprints of that mysterious little beast alone were already at the level of white light.
Who knows just how powerful it really is, being the main entity?
After putting away the medicinal powder, Lu Qing took out the "Compendium of Materia Medica" and continued to consult the old doctor.
This time, Dr. Chen was even more pleasantly surprised.
He discovered that Lu Qing learned the "Compendium of Materia Medica" very quickly.
Not only did he teach me yesterday, but he also completely remembered everything.
Even the remaining content has been thoroughly reviewed, enabling students to apply what they've learned to other situations.
At this rate, it won't be long before I finish learning the whole book.
"Very good, it's clear you really worked hard yesterday."
The old doctor stroked his beard and nodded in satisfaction.
"I dare not forget Grandpa Chen's instructions," Lu Qing said respectfully.
"Alright, let's stop here for today. You're gradually becoming familiar with this 'Compendium of Materia Medica,' but simply being familiar with medicine books isn't enough."
"Whether you are a doctor or a herb gatherer, you need to know how to identify and select genuine medicinal materials."
"I remember there are some common medicinal herbs growing near the village. You can observe them more often and compare them with the descriptions in the 'Compendium of Materia Medica' to see if the actual herbs match the descriptions in the book," the old doctor advised.
"Yes, Lu Qing has noted it down," Lu Qing replied.
"By the way, you and Xiaoyan don't need to come up tomorrow. I'm going into town and will sell the Red Moon Carp for you while I'm at it. You can study at home," the old doctor added.
"Grandpa Chen, are you going to the city?" Lu Qing asked excitedly.
“That’s right. The pharmacies in the city have ordered some medicinal herbs from me, and I need to deliver them.” The old doctor said, “What, do you need me to buy something for you? You’ll have a considerable sum of money after the Red Moon Carp is sold.”
"Yes!" Lu Qing replied immediately.
He actually had something he wanted the old doctor to help him buy.
"Oh, what do you want to buy?"
“I want to buy a cast iron pot!” Lu Qing said. “Grandpa Chen, as you know, our family suffered a misfortune before, and I sold a lot of our belongings, including our only cast iron pot. So I want to buy a new one.”
"An iron pot... that's not entirely out of the question." The old doctor pondered for a moment, then agreed. "Anything else?"
"And salt, we're almost out of salt at home, I'd like to buy some more."
"Do we need to buy anything else?"
"We don't need anything else, let's just buy these two for now," Lu Qing shook his head.
Actually, there are many other things he wants to buy.
He wanted to buy many things, including oil, food, clothes, and shoes.
But he knew that he had to be careful in his actions.
The doctor is an elder, and it's already quite kind of him to be willing to help carry things. If he takes advantage of this and asks the doctor to buy everything for him, he'll be showing a lack of tact.
If it weren't for the fact that iron pots and salt could only be bought in the city, he wouldn't have bothered the old doctor with even those two things.
As for the rest, he can buy them at the market later; it's the same thing.
Upon returning from Dr. Chen's place, Lu Qing immediately sprinkled the packet of medicine powder around the house.
I thought everything was fine now and I could finally get a good night's sleep.
However, when Xiaoyan fell asleep that night, he heard that sound again.
