Wang Ping'an sighed, thinking to himself: "Even if I were to take the imperial examination, it would be next year at the earliest. But what about now? How are we going to get through this difficult time? This isn't just a matter for our Wang family alone; the entire village relies on this river for their livelihood. If the water is diverted, even if it's not next year, but this winter, it will be hard to get by!"
He glanced at the tenant farmers squatting on the ground, seeing that the villagers were all dejected and speechless, some unable to speak out of grief, others seemingly on the verge of bursting into tears.
Wang Ping was secretly indignant, this is indeed a scholar encountering a soldier, with reason that cannot be explained clearly. My family's wealth is of no use, just encountering the former commander of the prefectural army and being treated so harshly, this is truly unreasonable!
After a while, the new landlord Qi Huan walked out with big strides, his face looking strange. As soon as he entered the front hall, he rushed to Wang Youcai and shouted: "Wang, you have to sign this contract today! Someone, hold him down and stamp his seal!"
At the sound of the order, several strong men rushed out and pinned down Wang Youcai, grabbing his hand to force him to sign the contract. Wang Pingan shouted loudly: "What are you doing? Is there no king's law?" He rushed forward, trying to rescue his father. The tenant farmers of the Wang family also jumped up, tearing and beating each other, cursing loudly! They were usually honest and didn't want to cause trouble, but when things came to a head, they had no choice but to fight back with all their might!
The big men in the courtyard were all government soldiers, they just weren't wearing uniforms. Seeing the Wang family dare to resist, the big men took out their clubs and started hitting them as soon as they swung them!
Just as things were getting out of hand, a woman rushed out from the back hall, who was about the same age as Qi Huan, over 30 but not yet 40. The woman rushed into the main hall and shouted: "Master, are you going to kill Grandfather with anger? Can't you quickly tell them to stop? Grandfather heard it in the back!"
"Enough, enough! Let them go. This contract doesn't have to be signed after all. And call back the brothers who are lying in ambush by the river." The big men heard his orders and finally let the Wang family off.
Wang Ping'an helped Wang Youcai up and said, "Dad, are you okay?"
Wang Youcai was startled and sat on the ground, shaking his head: "Dad is fine, didn't get hit, how about you?"
Wang Ping'an rubbed his shoulders and said, "I got hit with a stick, but it's not too heavy!" He had just used his body to block Wang Youcai, so the big men's sticks couldn't reach Wang Youcai and naturally landed on his own body.
The woman came forward, made a curtsy to Wang Youcai and said: "Master Wang, I'm really sorry. My husband has a bad temper and caused you trouble. Our old master knows about this matter and wants to invite you in to apologize personally!"
Wang Youcai saw that his son was fine, and only then did he feel at ease. He rushed to the woman and said, "Old Master Qi wants to see me? Alright, I'll go right away. He's a reasonable man, and there are some things that need to be discussed with him." He told his son to wait calmly in the main hall, while he followed the woman into the backyard.
He Lao San saw Qi Huan's unpleasant face on the hall, stepped forward and asked: "Master Zhuang, is this matter settled like this? Is Wang really let go?"
Qī Huán glanced at Wáng Píng'ān, shook his head and said: "I also want the best for our village, hoping to harvest more grain in the future. But my father disagrees. If we really take it to court, my father won't show up, so how can we win? We have no choice but to give up!"
The men on the platform all let out a sigh of disappointment, but no one opposed Old Master Wang's decision. The tenant farmers of the Wang family were just getting excited, and although they had been beaten earlier, as long as the river water was preserved, it would be fine!
Behind the hall. Wang Youcai entered the house, the candlelight was bright, and he saw Qi Lao Da lying on the bed coughing. He hurried forward and said, "Old master, are you ill?"
Old Qi coughed a few times, spat out a mouthful of phlegm, and said in a hoarse voice: "If it weren't for the fact that someone in my family is ill, that little beast wouldn't have been so reckless. Old Wang, my family's unfilial son has given you a fright, and I'm here to apologize on their behalf. Please don't take offense!"
Qizhong was born in poverty and didn't even have a formal name, but he had suffered greatly and came from a military background. He was a straightforward person who would say what he meant and never bullied others just because he had power. He personally established the Pingma Village and over the years, got along well with neighboring villages. However, after falling ill last year and knowing his time was limited, he let his son take over as the village head. Who knew that soon after taking office, his son would cause such a stir and even detain Wang Youcai? When Qizhong found out, he scolded his son severely and invited Wang Youcai to apologize in person.
Wang Youcai sighed and said, "We are all fellow villagers, what's there to discuss? Even if we bite our tongues, it's no big deal. What more can be said about neighbors quarreling? Once this matter is over, it's over. Old Master Zhang, don't take it to heart."
"That river course, someone will change it back, won't affect your village's harvest, Wang old brother you can rest assured! I'm not dead yet, that rebellious son is not obedient!" Qi Lao Da said. His words were few, but decisive, only severe coughing, and he spat out a mouthful of phlegm again.
Wang Youcai understood in his heart that today's matter would be settled with the old master's words. No matter how arrogant Qi Huan was, he couldn't surpass his own father. Looking at Old Master Qi's constant coughing, he said: "Old Master, I saw you last time and you were fine, but it's been less than a year and you're already in such poor health, what's wrong with you?"
Mr. Qi said, "It's been a year since I've been practicing medicine, and the doctors all say it's a dampness disease or something. But I don't understand what they mean by 'damp' and 'lustful'. I'm an upright person who has never done anything shameful, how could I have any lust? It's clear that they're all quacks! In anger, I chased them all away!"
Wang Youcai didn't understand what "wet lust disease" meant either, and nodded as he listened: "Isn't that right? My son was also ill recently, and I even invited the famous doctor from the city to come and take a look. But he actually prescribed the wrong medicine, almost killing my son! Luckily, my son loves reading books and learned some medical skills from them, so he was able to prescribe his own treatment and took the medicine, which is how he recovered. Otherwise, I, an old man with white hair, would have had to send off that young man with black hair!"
"Oh, your little brother is quite skilled in medicine, just like the saying goes: 'dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and mice's sons know how to dig holes.' Your brother Wang is so refined and cultured, his son loves reading books, while some people's sons only know how to shout and fight!" Qi Lao Da coughed violently several times, spitting out phlegm continuously, looking like he was in a lot of discomfort.
Wang Youcai said, "My son is right in front of you, or else I'll have him come and take a look?" Although he wasn't as confident as Yang about his son's medical skills, he still had some faith.
"Alright, then please invite Wang Xiaoge to take a look at our humble abode. Actually, we also want to take a look at him. The last time we saw him, he was still a snotty little kid. It's been several years since then, I wonder what he looks like now." He waved his hand, signaling the servant to go invite Wang Ping'an in.
Wang Youcai smiled and said: "You look fine, just a bit pale, you've been sick for some days."
Wang Ping'an was staring at Qi Huan on the stage, when suddenly someone came to report that Laozhuang wanted to see him. He hastily said: "Alright, I'll go right away." In a low voice, he instructed Wang's tenant farmers not to provoke trouble, and if the other party spoke out of turn, they should try to bear with it as much as possible. Whatever words there were could be spoken after leaving this place of conflict.
The servant led the way, with Wang Ping'an following behind. When they entered Old Qi's bedroom, by the light of the candles, he was shocked and thought: "This must be the old master, he's fallen ill, and it's quite serious!"
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Attachment: Yesterday, I opened the book and saw that two book friends, 091008163731358 and Tangerine々, had given me a reward. I was deeply moved and it's hard to put into words. This is not only an affirmation of the book "Good Doctor", but also a support for me, Ping An. Here, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude!
I'd like to introduce a simple and easy-to-make medicinal wine with spleen-invigorating effects for your reference.
Wang Xuguojiao Wine
Source: "Essence of Medical Cases of Famous Doctors in the Qing Dynasty"
Astragalus (roasted) 90g, Paeonia lactiflora 60g, Tribulus terrestris 40g, Poria cocos 90g, wine 2 liters
Function: Invigorating spleen and relieving jaundice.
Treats: Empty yellow jaundice. Both eyes and body are yellow, urine is clear and easy to pass, this belongs to spleen deficiency, not caused by damp-heat, named "empty yellow".
Method: Wash the herbs clean, pound them into small pieces, put them in a white gauze bag, place it in a clean container, soak it in wine, seal it tightly, and open it after 5-7 days. Remove the herb bag, filter it, and bottle it for later use.
Usage: Twice daily, 20-30ml warm drink each time.
