Throughout the morning, Mu Xing saw seven or eight women, most of whom had inflammation caused by hygiene problems. Although he knew it would be difficult to implement in practice, Mu Xing repeatedly emphasized the importance of hygiene.
Minkang Clinic is affiliated with Minkang Pharmacy, which is owned by Mu Xing's uncle, Mu Fuqian. The pharmacy operates on a model of combining traditional Chinese medicine with Western medicine, thus the clinic and pharmacy complement each other. Apart from some specialized Western medicines, such as aspirin and vitamins, or those requested by patients, most prescriptions are for traditional Chinese medicine to support Minkang Pharmacy's business.
This put Mu Xing in a difficult position. The medicines she had learned about were all Western medicines such as berberine, paincain, and sulfonamide powder, but she had no idea what "Nüjin Pill," "Qingxin Pill," or "Zaizao Pill" meant. She could only fill in her notes with great speed while awkwardly dealing with the questioning looks from her patients.
Zhao Zheng, who was in charge of affairs, knew Mu Xing's identity and sent his servants several times to invite her to rest and have tea. Mu Xing had to be distracted to deal with them, and she really wished she had three heads and six arms.
The charity hall finally had some free time as it approached noon and closed for the day.
Just as Mu Xing put down her pen, Zhao Zheng sent a servant to invite her to lunch. Having already declined several times, Mu Xing couldn't refuse again and had no choice but to agree and get up.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped out of the charity hall, she saw her own car parked in front of the clinic. Fu Guang was getting out with a food box in his hand. Upon seeing her, he happily exclaimed, "Miss, I've brought you your meal!"
Mu Xing instantly felt countless gazes directed at him from behind.
She hurried over and pulled Fu Guang back into the car: "What's going on? Who told you to deliver this?"
Fu Guang, puzzled, said, "It was Madam who asked me to bring this. She said she was worried you wouldn't like the food provided by the clinic and would find it unpalatable, so she asked me to bring it."
Mu Xing felt his head had swelled up.
Although Minkang Medical Clinic is owned by the Mu family, she is just an unknown doctor in the medical field. The medical field only values ability and seniority, and she has no face to flaunt her family background or put on airs.
Moreover, as a woman practicing medicine, even if no one says anything, she can sense the distrust from the patients' attitudes. If she were to share a meal with everyone at this time, she would likely face even more criticism.
Fu Guang glanced at her expression and roughly understood what her young mistress was thinking. She quickly said, "Madam said that you shouldn't worry about whether it's appropriate or not. Your own comfort is the most important thing. Besides, this is the Mu family's clinic. Who would dare to say anything to you?"
“Precisely because it’s the Mu family’s clinic, we need to set an example!” Mu Xing said, “My father has been practicing medicine here for so many years, have you ever seen him have meals delivered from home?”
Fu Guang thought for a moment and whispered, "Never."
"That's settled then?" Mu Xing said. "You can go back now, and don't bother seeing me off tomorrow."
Fu Guang immediately panicked: "No, Miss! Madam repeatedly told me to make sure it's delivered. How can I explain it to you if you ask me to send it back!"
Mu Xing waved his hand: "Then you and Uncle Song find a place to eat before going back."
Upon hearing this, Uncle Song, who was driving in front, was so frightened that he dared not stand there in a daze any longer and turned around: "Miss, this was prepared by the kitchen at the madam's own request. These are all your favorite dishes. If we were to eat them, wouldn't we be letting the madam down?"
Fu Guang nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, inside is Chinese cabbage and ham soup, as well as eight-treasure tofu and shrimp balls, and oh yes, grape jelly too!"
Mu Xing was getting a headache from their nagging, and he was also genuinely hungry, so he could only say, "Alright, alright, are you going to recite the menu?"
She took the food box: "Put the food box here. I plan to go home at four o'clock this afternoon. Come pick me up then."
“Okay!” Fu Guang quickly agreed.
After getting off the car, the servant was still waiting at the door. When he saw Mu Xing carrying a food box, he hurried over to take it from him.
Mu Xing spoke up before he could, saying, "My mother sent it over; it's just some simple home-cooked dishes. She asked me to give it to Dr. Zhao and the others. Let's go inside quickly, so Dr. Zhao doesn't have to wait."
Upon arriving at the clinic's small canteen, Dr. Zhao and the two traditional Chinese medicine practitioners were indeed there. When they saw Mu Xing bring over a food box, their expressions became somewhat subtle. Mu Xing repeated what he had just said, emphasizing that it was for everyone to share, and the others' expressions softened, exchanging a few polite words.
One of the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, Dr. Liu, said, "Madam Mu, you are too kind. Miss Mu's help at the clinic not only alleviates our manpower shortage but also sets a good example for other apprentices. We seniors should learn from her."
Mu Xing was so flattered by his compliment that he almost fell to the ground, and could only politely return the compliment.
After a while, I finally got to eat the food before it got cold.
In the afternoon, the charity hall closed, and Mu Xing assisted Dr. Zhao in his clinic.
—Although she was supposed to be an assistant, Dr. Zhao didn't let her do anything, and didn't even want her to see anything. He practically had to personally ask her to leave.
Mu Xing naturally sensed his exclusion, but since the clinic currently only had one Western doctor, Dr. Zhao, and she wasn't qualified to practice medicine on her own, she could only learn by following Dr. Zhao.
At first, Mu Xing tried to endure it, but in the end she found that Dr. Zhao was even covering the prescription with his hand when writing it, more carefully than he would guard against a thief. It was so infuriating that she simply went to another traditional Chinese medicine clinic.
This traditional Chinese medicine doctor, surnamed Zhang, was different from the other two doctors. He did not show any hostility towards Mu Xing during lunch and welcomed Mu Xing's desire to come to his clinic to observe and learn medicine.
After observing for only half an hour, Mu Xing left—she really didn't understand what "men and women have upper body heat and lower body cold, or exterior excess and interior cold" meant, nor did she understand what "the pulse has twelve meridians, and it should not be too frequent or rapid, because frequent pulses cause heat" meant.
After circling around for several times, Mu Xing returned to the lounge in frustration to retrieve his notes and prepare to go home.
After making a phone call to ask Uncle Song to pick him up, Mu Xing went to say goodbye to Dr. Zhao, which naturally involved a round of troublesome small talk and pleasantries.
Having finally gotten away, Mu Xing didn't want to stay in the clinic for even a second longer, so he simply went to the teahouse outside the clinic to wait for his car.
Chapter Eleven
It was afternoon, and the pavilion was mostly filled with children from the nearby neighborhood playing, chasing each other, making noise, crying loudly for a piece of candy, or fighting over a tough grasshopper.
Mu Xing found a clean spot, sat down using a newspaper from his bag as a cushion, and closed his eyes to try and rest.
But as soon as she closed her eyes, all the medicines she had just copied rushed into her mind: phlegm-heat syndrome, colds, dryness-heat, Niuhuang Qingxin Wan, Zirong Wan, tiger bone wine, Paincain (use sparingly), gypsum (cold nature, damages the kidneys)...
She opened her eyes abruptly, muttered a curse under her breath, and was so angry that she wanted to throw the candy in her hand away—wait, where did the candy come from?
Sensing something was wrong, Mu Xing slowly opened her clenched right hand, revealing a piece of candy wrapped in tin foil lying in her palm. The tin foil glistened with the sweat on her hand.
"Sister, are you feeling better?"
Mu Xing then noticed that a little girl had been sitting next to him at some point.
The little girl blinked her large, clear black and white eyes and tilted her head to look at her.
Seeing that she didn't speak, the little girl said again, "Sister, eat the candy. My sister said that if you eat the candy, you won't feel sad." She said it very seriously, but she was missing a front tooth, so her words were slurred and childish. It took Mu Xing a while to understand what she was talking about.
So you thought she wasn't feeling well?
Looking at the little girl's last piece of candy, Mu Xing felt a mix of amusement and emotion.
You silly girl, you're almost gone yourself, yet you still want to give it to others.
Perhaps sensing Mu Xing's gaze, the little girl looked down at the candy in her hand, clenched it, and then let go.
"This candy is for my sister," she whispered. "That one was originally for Sister Yan."
The little girl wrinkled her chubby face and, with a reluctant expression, handed the candy to Mu Xing: "But, sister, if you want it, I'll give it to you."
Mu Xing teased her intentionally: "If you give them all to me, then your sister and Sister Yan won't have any left, right?"
The little girl sighed, "Well, there's nothing I can do about it. Next time I'll eat one less and give it to my sister."
Although the little girl's face and clothes were very clean, it was clear from the fact that her clothes were adult clothes that had been altered to fit her size that her family was probably struggling financially, and it was uncertain when she would be able to eat candy again.
Mu Xing put the two candies into his bag, then rummaged through them and took out a small glass box.
The glass box was about the size of a palm and contained toffee, which she used to stay awake while working.
"Thank you for the candy. I'll give you a box too, so you can share it with your sister." She handed the candy to the little girl and smiled.
The child hadn't yet developed the concept of politely refusing, so when she saw Mu Xing offering it to her, she immediately became happy and accepted the candy, saying, "Thank you, sister!"
She happily held the glass box and examined it for a while before carefully putting the candy into her small cloth bag.
Since the car wouldn't arrive anytime soon, Mu Xing chatted with the little girl and learned that she didn't have a formal name yet, but her nickname was Xiao Azhen. She was only seven years old and had come to Minkang Medical Clinic to see a doctor and get medicine. She was currently waiting in the pavilion for her older sister to take her home.
Upon hearing that she had come to see a doctor, Mu Xing became interested and asked about her symptoms.
Little Zhen tilted her head and counted them one by one: "It's been several years. I often have stomach aches, diarrhea, and my stomach is bloated. Um... I also have a fever. The doctor said I have indigestion."
"indigestion?"
Little Zhen's complexion was a bit yellow, and she was thinner than other children her age. In addition, she had abdominal pain, which was indeed a sign of indigestion. But why did she have abdominal distension and fever? And why did it last for so long?
Mu Xing asked her in more detail about the specific symptoms of her abdominal pain, but Xiao Azhen was too young to express herself clearly, only knowing that it hurt a lot.
As Mu Xing was pondering, Xiao Azhen suddenly called out happily, "Sister!" She ran over in a few steps.
Little Zhen doesn't understand. If she could ask her older sister, she probably would get some answers.
Thinking this, Mu Xing thought of getting up to ask, but when she looked up, the first thing she saw was the red-clad beauty she had met before!
Oh, Bai Yan, her name is Bai Yan. Isn't she the "Sister Yan" that Little A-Zhen mentioned?
Beside Miss Bai Yan was another woman. As expected, Xiao Azhen ran towards that woman. The three of them talked for a while, and then Xiao Azhen turned her head and pointed at Mu Xing.
Mu Xing was a little happy and was about to go over, but then he suddenly remembered that he was not dressed as a man today.
During her visit to the brothel that day, she could sense that the primary goal of the gentlemen there was "money."
Even if I could strike up a conversation with Miss Bai Yan as a woman, I wouldn't be able to provide any consumption services, and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get to know her more deeply. Wouldn't that be quite boring?
A thought flashed through Mu Xing's mind, and she was trying to figure out how to escape, but it was too late. Little A-Zhen had already come over with her two older sisters, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and face her, hoping that Bai Yan had forgotten that she had run into her.
Knowing that Mu Xing had given Xiao Azhen a box of candy, Xiao Azhen's older sister naturally declined for a while, but then expressed her gratitude.
As they spoke, Mu Xing clearly felt Bai Yan scrutinizing him.
Does she still remember me?
Mu Xing was overjoyed, but also worried that Bai Yan would recognize her and make it difficult to interact with her in the future. After thinking about it, she decided to take the initiative.
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Mu Xuan, and I am also a doctor at Minkang Medical Clinic. If Xiao Zhen needs any medicine in the future, you can come to me."
"Miss's surname is Mu? Could she be Dr. Mu's daughter?" Little Zhen's older sister asked in surprise.
Mu Xing nodded.
Bai Yan, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up: "No wonder I felt that Miss looked very familiar. I met your brother once before and thought he was very handsome. Now that I see Miss Mu, I feel that he is even more extraordinary."
Perhaps because she was speaking to someone of the same sex, Mu Xing felt that her demeanor lacked the coquettishness one would show to men, and instead possessed a more composed air; her tone was no longer cloyingly sweet. Like a snowflake candy, once its elaborate coating was removed, only its pure, authentic beauty remained.
Admiring the unique beauty, Mu Xing smiled and said, "Miss must have met my brother, Mu Xing. We do look quite similar, and many people can't tell us apart."
Well said! That's brilliant!
Mu Xing couldn't help but applaud his own cleverness.
After chatting for a while, Mu Xing asked about Xiao Azhen's illness and learned that Xiao Azhen had suffered from joint disease since childhood, and her abdominal pain and vomiting had lasted for many years.
When talking about Xiao Azhen's illness, her sister became somewhat sad: "The doctor has been prescribing medicine for indigestion, but to be honest, it's really not working. We don't have the money to see Dr. Jin, so we can only take some random pills to keep her healthy."
Dr. Jin is a pediatrician at Minkang Hospital. He only occasionally sees patients at Minkang Clinic because of Dr. Cheng Mu's kindness. His fees are much cheaper than when he was at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, but even so, many people still cannot afford to see a doctor.
“Although I’m still an intern and my medical skills aren’t very good, I’d still be happy to take a look at Xiao Azhen. And,” Mu Xing said, glancing at Bai Yan, “my brother is also studying medicine and occasionally sees patients at Minkang Clinic. I’ll ask him to take a look at Xiao Azhen’s illness as well.”
Little Zhen's sister naturally thanked her profusely once again.
Just then, the Mu family's car arrived, and the four of them said their goodbyes.
Sitting in the car, Mu Xing rubbed his temples wearily, then took out a stack of papers and used his purse as a pad to write down Xiao Azhen's symptoms.
The reason she said she was willing to help Xiao Azhen with her medical treatment was partly because Xiao Azhen said that sometimes when her sister was busy, Bai Yan would bring her to get medicine; but more so because she was full of doubts about Xiao Azhen's illness.