The Martial Doctor

"Why are you running? Isn’t it just to ask about what that feels like?" Yue Mei stomped her foot and hurriedly got dressed. The sun was already high, and if she didn’t get up, Si Miaoxue would definitely mock her.

What does it feel like? Why don’t you try it yourself?

Ji Fei’Er had incredibly keen hearing, even being at such a distance, just a murmur, how could she struggle to hear?

...

In the carriage returning to the city, Lin Miao held onto his senior sister’s hand. Tonight, he helped Ji Fei’Er open up the meridians within her body, and corrected her cultivation technique’s pathway. Later, let’s not talk about it.

Sun Youwei leaned into Lin Miao’s embrace, feeling this was good. She even wished this journey back to the city could last longer.

But things don’t always go as one wishes.

From Miaoxue Residence to Dongshan City was actually quite close, the carriage took just an hour.

They had to wait a bit while lining up to enter the city, but as soon as the tax officer saw it was the Lin Family’s carriage, he didn’t even bother checking and let them pass directly.

Lin Miao was a sixth-ranked official, he had the privilege of exemption from checks, even if there were valuable goods on the carriage, it couldn’t be inspected easily.

This was privilege.

However, holding an official position in the Da Li Dynasty wasn’t easy; the imperial examinations were the only path forward. Even inheriting a title didn’t suffice without achievements.

In other words, even if one inherited a title or got appointed to a position, one had to have certain achievements, as the court did not support idle people.

Otherwise, there would be countless of parasites fostered, a profound lesson from how previous dynasties fell.

However, good systems still need people to enforce them. In the later stages of any dynasty, corruption inevitably breeds, unavoidable.

Within the Da Li Dynasty, there were many shortcomings and contradictions growing sharper, it’s just that it hasn’t reached the twilight stage of the dynasty.

Currently, the court maintains some prestige, at least not falling into total disfavor yet, so an overthrow isn’t imminent unless the Zhao Li royal family bungles things themselves.

"Yu’Er told me she wants to take the pharmacist exam this year?"

"What? She’s only been learning from you for a year." Lin Miao was somewhat surprised. Although the pharmacist exam is much simpler than the physician exam, taking it after just a year seems too hasty.

"I tested her. This year’s exam, as long as there aren’t any particularly arcane questions, she should pass, but her ranking may not be high. Waiting another year would ensure success." Sun Youwei replied.

"Why rush then?"

"Yu’Er said only by obtaining the pharmacist qualification can she help the family, since working at Yongning Hall requires a qualification." Sun Youwei explained.

"How old is Yu’Er this year?"

"Thirteen, nominal age."

"Alright, if she wants to take it, let her take it. Getting the pharmacist title early is good; the ranking isn’t that urgent." Lin Miao nodded. Taking the exam at thirteen isn’t extraordinarily rare, though taking the physician exam at eighteen is as rare as phoenix feathers.

"Then I’ll urge her to prepare for the exam seriously, leave household chores aside for now."

"Alright, sister, you go ahead and arrange it." Lin Miao nodded. He was nurturing these adopted children to be pillars of the Lin Family’s future, providing them the best resources. If half turn out talented, he’ll be satisfied.

Though he didn’t harbor grand ambitions like unifying the world or commanding the four seas, at the very least, leaving a significant legacy in this world—a mark made by a passing bird—is necessary.

At the entrance of Anning Hall, many people had already gathered.

Clearly, they were patients coming to seek treatment.

It was past the appointed time, the special consultant Mr. Wen had arrived, but Lin Miao, the official physician, hadn’t. Those who couldn’t wait went to see Mr. Wen.

The rest insisted on waiting for Lin Miao.

But whether Lin Miao would arrive today, even Xia Zhu, his chief disciple, didn’t know, as she had no idea where her master Lin Miao had gone.

"He’s coming, he’s coming..."

The carriage stopped directly at the entrance, Lin Miao helped Sun Youwei down.

"Sorry everyone, just came back from seeing patients outside the city," Lin Miao explained, cupping his hand in gesture.

Oh, it was an out-of-town consultation.

Everyone understood this, Lin Miao had principles, only attending to emergencies or immobile patients, not expecting one to carry the patient here.

"Mr. Lin, you’re being too kind!"

"Xia Zhu, distribute the number tokens, call them one by one according to the tokens." Lin Miao instructed and entered the consultation room with Sun Youwei to prepare for the session.

The first patient came in.

Lin Miao examined the tongue coating and pulse, then nodded, "No major issues, just a bit of intense stomach fire. I’ll prescribe you a remedy, take it for three to five days and it’ll be resolved."

"Thank you, Mr. Lin."

"Hmm, encountering good news on the first day of the new year." With a laugh, Lin Miao welcomed the second patient, a young woman seemingly from a well-off family, accompanied by a maid. Judging from her hairstyle, she appeared to be married. Reassuringly he spoke, "It’s a slippery pulse, pearls rolling into the disc, the baby is healthy, very good."

The woman exclaimed with surprise, "Mr. Lin, are you saying I’m pregnant?"

"Yes, you are pregnant, around two months. However, this period is the most dangerous. You must be careful, avoid lifting heavy objects, running, jumping and certain foods." Lin Miao instructed Sun Youwei, "Sister, could you please give this lady a copy of pregnancy precautions?"

Sun Youwei nodded, retrieved a pregnancy guide and handed it to the woman saying, "Take it, just follow it at home."

"Mr. Lin, can you tell if I’m having a boy or girl?"

"The baby is too small now, it’s not visible yet." Lin Miao chuckled, even if he could see, he wouldn’t say, after all, this little thing is also life.

As a physician, one must revere life, some things one must not do, as it harms one’s moral integrity.

"Oh." The woman happily left.

"Next."

A mother brought in a little boy, the boy appeared sickly, very thin, lackluster, and lost appetite.

Lin Miao, just a touch, understood the issue, the child had intestinal problems, quite common.

"Sister, this is a classic case of internal parasites, observe the white spots on the child’s face, with smooth boundaries around, indicating parasitic worms in the gut..."

"Mr. Lin, are you saying there are worms in my son’s stomach?" The mother, upon hearing her son had worms, turned pale with fright.

"Ma’am, don’t worry. Children getting parasitic infections is normal, adults can get them too. With worms, we use medication to expel them. Your son has no major problem, I’ll prescribe him medicine, take it, expel the worms, and it’ll be fine." Lin Miao explained cheerfully.

Considering the boy had roundworms, Lin Miao prescribed Four Gentleman Powder, comprising Dangshen, Baizhu, Fuling, and Gancao.

This deworming medicine reminded Lin Miao of the pagoda sugar from childhood folklore, though pagoda sugar is made from an extract of a plant called wormwood. Whether this world has the plant or not is unknown, as it requires specific growth conditions, but it could be cultivated to produce pagoda sugar.

Don’t underestimate parasites, they compete for nutrition within the human body, causing malnutrition in children, stunted growth, impacting their entire life. If they penetrate organs entering the spleen, liver, even the brain, it can lead to serious consequences, even death.

"Sister, can you check our case records, see how many child parasitic cases we’ve handled?"

"Brother, there really aren’t many. I recall only a handful of cases." Sun Youwei remembered clearly, although Lin Miao saw patients without her usually facing him, such cases were truly rare.

"Are you sure?" Lin Miao exclaimed in surprise. Given this world’s hygiene and medical conditions, akin to the fifteenth-sixteenth century Ming Dynasty, logically, the prevalence of child parasitic diseases should be substantial, yet few visit him for these conditions?

Could it be because it’s Dongshan City, with better sanitary conditions, making infection less likely?

That doesn’t make sense.

He’s witnessed the average living conditions and hygiene habits of Dongshan’s residents, the infant mortality rate is quite high.