Chapter 1575 - 1422: The Fake Commandery Princess 32
Because Zhang Jingguo openly supported Ye Shuangshuang, people from the government were sent one by one to Ye Shuangshuang’s place to help her maintain order.
Under the pressure of the governor, doctors who came to learn pharmaceutical manufacturing from Ye Shuangshuang began to learn obediently and respectfully, regardless of their personal thoughts or agendas.
As for the pricing issue, initially, some doctors thought the price was too low and considered secretly increasing the price without anyone knowing.
Unfortunately, later, Zhang Jingguo issued a public notice and sent people to promote it everywhere, saying there was a powerful Divine Doctor named Ye Shuangshuang who developed medicines for malaria and athlete’s foot.
Currently, this Divine Doctor has decided to teach this medicinal recipe to all the doctors in Nanzhao without charge, pricing the foot powder at ten copper coins per package and the malaria medicine at a hundred copper coins per piece.
If any doctor dared to raise the price for sale, the common people wouldn’t have to spend money to buy; they only needed to report it to the government, and the doctor would be severely punished and revoked the authority to sell these two medicines.
It must be said that ginger gets spicier as it gets older. Zhang Jingguo’s tactic essentially allowed the entire populace to supervise these doctors, and since it concerned their personal interests, the common people would surely be serious about it.
Moreover, rarity increases value; if only one or a few people held something, they could naturally inflate the price.
But if it became widespread, if you chose not to sell it, others would, making price increases difficult unless a strong monopoly was enforced, but with Zhang Jingguo around, probably no one could achieve that.
This time, the situation kept Ye Shuangshuang busy for three full months before she managed to teach all the doctors who came to learn, finally allowing Ye Shuangshuang to relax.
Yet, just as she found some leisure, Zhang Jingguo brought Zhang Qijun along with several large carts of gifts to visit, naturally for the matter of apprenticeship.
Previously, Ye Shuangshuang was extremely busy and couldn’t attend to Zhang Qijun, so she found several introductory medical books for him to read.
Zhang Qijun was very sensible; apart from reading medical books, he stayed around Ye Shuangshuang to help with serving tea and handing tools, fulfilling the dutiful role of a filial apprentice.
During the period Ye Shuangshuang was teaching doctors how to manufacture pharmaceuticals, the malaria medicine had already healed countless patients who came for treatment.
Ye Shuangshuang’s reputation as a Divine Doctor spread throughout Nanzhao, and with the special promotion by Zhang Jingguo, the common people knew that Ye Shuangshuang not only was willing to publicly share the recipe without charge but also teach all doctors how to make the medicine for treating malaria, establishing rules to prevent high prices.
Since the news spread, Ye Shuangshuang became a living Bodhisattva in the hearts of Nanzhao people, a representative of the highest virtue in healing, and some common people voluntarily built a shrine to praise her merit.
Now, when the Ye Family went out, they were warmly received by the common people, and every day, many people brought various items to Ye Shuangshuang’s home, mostly foods considered good by the common people.
No matter how Ye Shuangshuang tried to refuse, she had no choice but to accept, and hence her household had an abundant variety of foods.
Since the Ye Family couldn’t consume all the food, they selected the vegetarian options and sent them to the nearby temple, where the monks led a blessed life as they owned land and didn’t have to pay taxes.
Some monks regularly provided porridge and meals to nearby beggars. Those wishing to do charity but found it troublesome to do it themselves would send items to the temple, letting the monks distribute them.
The Ye Family sent items into the temple, ensuring these foods wouldn’t go to waste and helping some struggling beggars, accomplishing multiple tasks with one effort.
Because they learned pharmaceutical manufacturing from Ye Shuangshuang, all doctors in Nanzhao were considered her students, and a few insightful ones wanted to formally apprentice under Ye Shuangshuang, although she firmly refused.
However, the few who were rejected stirred Zhang Qijun’s sense of urgency, prompting him to immediately drag his grandfather, Zhang Jingguo, with gifts to formally apprentice with Ye Shuangshuang as soon as her affairs concluded.
The Zhang Family had always been generous with gifts, and the gifts brought this time were quite valuable, causing Ye Shuangshuang to frown: "These gifts are too generous; there’s no need for such lavish gifts for apprenticeship."
Zhang Jingguo, however, nonchalantly smiled and said: "These gifts are not too generous, and not only for my grandson’s apprenticeship but also to thank Miss Shuangshuang for what you’ve done for the common people of Nanzhao.
Furthermore, for this matter, I, as the governor, will also benefit quite a bit, and I feel these gifts are even too sparse. If Miss Shuangshuang doesn’t accept them, it means you are disdainful of my sincerity."
Since Zhang Jingguo put it this way, Ye Shuangshuang had no choice but to accept, and then preparations for the apprenticeship ceremony began. As Zhang Jingguo’s favorite grandson, this ceremony was meticulously attended to.
Nowadays, Ye Shuangshuang was considered a well-known figure. Among the common people of Nanzhao, no one dared claim the top spot if Ye Shuangshuang was the second favorite person, and her apprenticeship ceremony attracted many attendees.
Zhang Jingguo also invited numerous prominent figures from the Nanzhao Prefecture to his grandson’s apprenticeship ceremony, while Ye Shuangshuang invited several well-known physicians from Nanzhao to attend, showing significant respect.
The entire apprenticeship ceremony was solemn and serious, and before the ceremony took place, Ye Shuangshuang had an inspired moment and personally carved a small gourd out of jade.
During the apprenticeship ceremony, Ye Shuangshuang handed this small jade carving of a gourd to Zhang Qijun as a token of apprenticeship, symbolizing the intent to serve humanity.
After the apprenticeship, Zhang Qijun began formally studying medicine with Ye Shuangshuang; his talent for medical studies was apparent as he self-taught the basics just by reading the introductory medical books Ye Shuangshuang provided.
Ye Shuangshuang was quite strict when teaching medicine, but Zhang Qijun never complained and diligently studied, reading until late at night each day.
Due to Ye Shuangshuang’s reputation, her medical clinic now saw a steady stream of patients seeking treatment from morning until night, even forming a long queue down the street.
Feeling helpless, Ye Shuangshuang decided to implement a system of numbers, allowing patients to seek treatment based on their number, and simultaneously hired several doctors to distinguish between severely and mildly ill patients.
Severely ill patients were personally treated by Ye Shuangshuang, while mildly ill ones who could be advised otherwise were encouraged to leave, and those who couldn’t were asked to wait in line according to their number.
With so many patients, Zhang Qijun had more opportunities for close-up practice accompanying Ye Shuangshuang, where he wasn’t diagnosing patients but was taught by Ye Shuangshuang about their conditions and treatment methods.
Then, with some minor ailments, Zhang Qijun would be allowed to check the pulse and prescribe, upon which Ye Shuangshuang reviewed and guided before personally rechecking the pulse and prescribing medication for the patient.