“If you take these too, you’ll turn into a whole blazing universe.”
“Don’t worry. Neither condition is serious. If you trust me, I’ll write prescriptions and make the medicine. If not, that’s fine too. After all, I haven’t obtained a Chinese medicine license yet.”
Jiang Chan had thought it through carefully. Although Wen Jing and the others were close to her, medicine could not be taken carelessly. She would leave the decision to them. With her youthful face, it was only natural that others might not believe her.
Wen Jing and Yang Liuqing were very straightforward about it. Yang Liuqing even clasped her hand. “Xiao Chan, I’m putting all hundred-odd jin of me in your hands. We trust your medical skills.”
Jiang Chan’s lips curved. Being trusted wholeheartedly felt wonderful.
The Placement Test was the next day. Jiang Chan entered the examination room feeling completely relaxed. She had only just passed the grade-skipping exam, so there was really nothing to be nervous about. Besides, her time in the cultivation world had greatly increased her mental strength. Now she could practically remember anything after seeing it once.
Although her stay in the provincial capital had taken up the last few days, she had not gone empty-handed. She had brought study materials. She had no desire to stumble over something trivial. Once she had established her reputation as a top student, she did not intend to lose it.
The second-year students had already separated into arts and science streams, so they had fewer subjects to sit. There were three exams on the first day, followed directly by the combined science exam the next. Jiang Chan handed in her paper early, unintentionally adding considerable pressure to the others in the room.
Apart from Class One, the second-year students still did not know Jiang Chan had skipped a grade. Everyone was eagerly preparing to compete for first place in the year.
After handing in her paper, Jiang Chan returned to the dormitory. Her three roommates were first-years and would not finish until after lunch, so she used the time for a little crafting.
In Jiang Yuhui’s world, she had become fascinated with making robots. Previously, she had lacked money and time. Now that she had money, she intended to take up the hobby again.
Of course, there was little she could make in the dormitory. To do it properly, she would need a workshop of her own. Most importantly, she needed materials, along with a computer and the robot’s internal chips.
These were things she would have to acquire gradually. By the time she had listed a series of plans, Wen Jing and the others were finishing their exams. Jiang Chan tidied her desk and headed out at an unhurried pace.
Their main purpose today was to buy herbs at the Chinese herbal pharmacy. They also needed a foot-soaking bucket for Wen Jing. Of course, finding acupuncture equipment would be even better.
Back at the Sword Sect, Jiang Chan had been a leading master alchemist. Her patients had been cultivators, whose conditions were far more difficult to treat than those of ordinary people.
A practitioner of Chinese medicine might not become an alchemist, but an alchemist was certainly an accomplished practitioner of Chinese medicine. Jiang Chan’s nose was no joke. She had brought the girls to a medicinal-herb market lined almost entirely with Chinese herbal pharmacies.
When had Wen Jing and the others ever visited a place like this? Their noses were filled with the scents of all kinds of herbs. Although not particularly pleasant, after a while the smells seemed refreshing and helped clear their minds.
Jiang Chan confidently led them to a very traditional-looking pharmacy. The old man behind the counter smiled as soon as he saw her.
“You’re here, little girl? Let me see the medicine you made with the herbs you bought last time.” He had a kindly face, and the faint, bitter fragrance of herbs lingered around him.
Jiang Chan rummaged in her backpack and took out a small porcelain bottle. “Grandpa Zheng, please have a look.”
Old Zheng took the bottle and tipped a pill into his palm. It was perfectly round with a smooth, closed surface, seemingly sealing in all its medicinal properties. He scraped a little from its surface and tasted the powder. A few seconds later, his thick eyebrows rose.
“You’re quite good at making medicine, little girl. These Great Tonifying Pills are almost as good as the ones in my shop.”
Jiang Chan smiled. When it came to rolling medicinal pills, who could have more experience than her? She had spent hundreds of years refining pills in the cultivation world. If she could not even make an ordinary Great Tonifying Pill well, her reputation as a great alchemist would have been empty.
“When you came to buy herbs, I could tell you wanted to make Great Tonifying Pills. The finished product is quite remarkable. Talent really does appear in the young.”
The old practitioner nodded appreciatively. Jiang Chan said no more and brought Wen Jing and Yang Liuqing to the counter.
“These are two of my roommates. They have a few minor problems. I know your herbs are good, so I brought them here especially. Would you look over the prescriptions?”
Old Zheng grew serious. “Let me take their pulses first. We can discuss the prescriptions afterward.”
A quarter of an hour later, he was studying Jiang Chan’s two prescriptions, nodding and praising them repeatedly.
“You’ve got skill, little girl. These two girls’ problems aren’t too serious. They simply need sustained treatment. But your prescriptions are very ingenious. Even if I tried revising them, I couldn’t improve much. We’ll use them as written. Wait here. I’ll get the herbs myself.”
Watching him work behind the counter, Jiang Chan suddenly remembered something. “Grandpa Zheng, do you have acupuncture equipment? Gold needles would be best, but silver ones will do.”
Old Zheng sounded exasperated. “Do you think acupuncture equipment is so easy to come by? I can find you a set of silver needles. Gold ones would have to be specially made.”
“Grandpa Zheng, could you help me find a way? I’d like a set of gold needles. Price isn’t a problem.”
“Oh, alright. It’s only because you and I get along so well. Tell me your requirements, and I’ll ask an old friend to make a set. Ordinary Chinese medicine practitioners can’t use gold needles properly.”
Gold was soft to begin with. Made into needles, it bent even more easily. Most ordinary practitioners therefore used silver needles. Those who could use gold ones were extremely rare.
“Then thank you very much. I’ll give you a deposit first. I can’t have you doing this for nothing.” Delighted, Jiang Chan promptly transferred him two hundred thousand yuan. That really was not much. A good set of gold needles was almost impossible to obtain, even with a fortune.
Wen Jing and Yang Liuqing had already collected their herbs and stood to one side, blinking as they watched Jiang Chan talk to Old Zheng.
“Oh, Grandpa Zheng, I’d also like a gold needle about a chi long and two millimeters thick, flexible enough to wrap around my wrist.”
“Alright, alright. You certainly have a lot of requirements. But a needle like that will take time and cost a great deal.” In Old Zheng’s experience, ordinary gold needles only needed to be around three cun long. Jiang Chan, by contrast, had asked outright for thirty centimeters.
Discover more from Lilly Translations
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.