The Prime Minister's Darling novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Medical Practitioner

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Ever since losing her nightlife, Gu Jiao woke up earlier than a rooster every morning.

Before dawn, she carried the bucket out the door.

She went to the old well at the entrance of the village to draw water.

The villagers woke up early. At this moment, there were already a few wives and their daughters-in-law fetching water beside the old well. Everyone was taken aback when they saw her.

The news of Gu Jiao causing a ruckus at the ox cart spread like wildfire in the village. Everyone knew she had dragged Gu Dashun down from the ox cart. She must be a fool through and through; after all, nobody in their right mind would raise a hand against their own cousin!

But…

What’s with her fetching water so early in the morning?

That fool had never worked a day in her life, sleeping in until late in the morning every day!

Gu Jiao ignored everyone’s gazes and calmly went to the old well. She put down the bucket and fetched water before carrying it home with a shoulder pole.

It was not until she was far away that everyone came back to their senses.

Were they seeing things? That little fool did not look silly at all just now. Moreover, she looked really good when she was fetching water, and she looked good when she walked.

After Gu Jiao finished fetching the water, she steamed a steamer of meat buns.

She had bought a piece of cured meat yesterday and soaked it in water before she went to sleep. The excess salt was leached out, while the flavor of the cured meat had been preserved.

As the fragrance of the meat buns wafted out, even the dogs next door were drooling and whining.

Gu Jiao brought two buns as she went up the mountain.

She had picked most of the wood ear fungus, though there were still many wild mushrooms.

In actual fact, the villagers would also see these ingredients when they went up the mountain to chop firewood, but most of them did not dare to pick them. Firstly, they did not know how to differentiate poisonous mushrooms, and secondly, they did not know how to remove the poison from fresh wood ear fungus.

After picking the mushrooms, Gu Jiao went straight to the market.

The eastern part of town was a rich and prosperous area, and the best medical halls and restaurants were there, as well as the magistracy and the academy. In comparison, the western part of town was far more complicated; markets, workshops, gambling houses, brothels… all sorts of people were gathered there.

Gu Jiao arrived at the market and casually found an empty space to set up a stall.

The woman beside her remembered her and smiled at her. “Oh, you’re here. Do you still have the mushrooms from last time? My eldest grandson likes them, can I exchange something with you for them?”

She sold sweet potatoes, and while the price of sweet potatoes was not comparable to that of the mushrooms from the mountain, Gu Jiao did not mind. She handed the basket to her and let her pick them herself.

The woman grabbed two handfuls and replaced them with two large and red sweet potatoes.

After a while, the woman on the other side also came over and said with a smile, “I… Can I exchange some radishes with you? I also want to stew some for my family.”

“Okay.” Gu Jiao nodded carelessly, signaling with her eyes for her to help herself.

The woman exchanged two of her big radishes for two handfuls of Gu Jiao’s mushrooms.

After that, a few more vendors came and exchanged their vegetables for Gu Jiao’s mushrooms.

All of these were being observed by two men in the tea shed diagonally opposite.

“Shopkeeper Wang, were you talking about her?” The person asking was a man in his early thirties. He was tall, and had strong facial features.

A middle-aged man in his forties beside him said, “Yes, Boss, that’s her.”

The younger man was the branch manager where they worked. He looked at Gu Jiao and frowned. “Exchanging such expensive mountain goods for some cheap vegetables. Is she stupid? Someone even put rotten food inside, but she didn’t even say anything. She must be really stupid!”

“This…” Shopkeeper Wang could not say anything.

He had a feeling that she was not stupid, but simply did not care.

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” the branch manager asked.

“I was there when she saved the patient, I saw her suture that deep, long gash with my own eyes. I won’t be mistaken,” Shopkeeper Wang said as he gestured.

What Shopkeeper Wang did not mention was that that was the second time he had seen her—the first time was at this market. This was the reason why he knew that she would come here to do business.

“How old is she?” The branch manager frowned. He found it hard to believe that she was the doctor who managed to save a man who had one foot in the grave.

She’s too young and too poor, and she even has that birthmark on her face.

But surely Shopkeeper Wang wouldn’t lie to me.

The previous incident at the medical hall left a huge impact. Not only was Doctor Zhang gravely offended, it also greatly upset the headquarters in the capital. The branch manager’s position was in danger, and he urgently needed a capable doctor to hold the situation together.

This girl’s medical skills couldn’t have come from nowhere. It’ll definitely be more reliable to hire her master over her.

It’s an incurable disease. Even if the doctors from our medical hall came, he can’t be cured!

Is she trying to kill him!?

“What’s there to ask!?”?If our medical hall had a doctor like this, then nobody would’ve died after treatment that day!