Sui Ping returned to the pharmacy with somewhat aged steps. He was the manager of this pharmacy.
The pharmacy was not large and appeared a bit old, with a common name: Spring Hall.
Spring Hall was one of only two pharmacies in Qing Shi Town. After all, Qing Shi Town was too small to accommodate any more pharmacies.
"Old Sui is back?"
"Old Sui, you worked hard today."
"Old Sui, my wife just fried a few dishes for drinks tonight, come over and have a couple of cups with us."
The neighbors greeted Sui Ping warmly when they saw him return.
The neighbors respectfully called Sui Ping "Old Sui." As for his given name, Sui Ping, no one had called him that for many years.
It was no wonder; Sui Ping was almost seventy years old, so calling him by his given name would be somewhat inappropriate. More importantly, Sui Ping's medical skills were excellent, and his consultation fees were not expensive. Sometimes, for poor families, he would not even charge for consultations or medicine.
This was Sui Ping: highly skilled in medicine yet never using it to accumulate wealth. He truly had a Bodhisattva's heart. This also meant that after practicing medicine for decades, he could barely support himself and his grandson.
When Sui Ping returned to Spring Hall, he didn't see his grandson, Sui An, and couldn't help but frown. Usually, he always took Sui An with him when he went out to practice medicine.
Firstly, Sui An could learn from him and gain experience. Secondly, he was a bit uneasy leaving a child at home alone.
Yesterday, Sui An had a slight fever. Although it was nothing serious, his body was inevitably a bit weak, which was why Sui An was left alone at the pharmacy.
"Where did the little rascal go to play again? If he's not feeling well, he should know to rest properly and not risk developing chronic ailments later." Sui Ping mumbled to himself as he went to the backyard to prepare dinner.
"Grandpa, Grandpa! I'm back!"
Just then, a clear child's voice rang out. As the voice sounded, a small boy walked over. The boy was about ten years old, with an ordinary appearance, and carried a small medicine box on his back. It was Sui Ping's grandson, Sui An.
"Grandpa, what are we eating tonight?" Sui An asked with a grin as he placed the medicine box on the counter. Sui Ping, however, didn't speak, just looked at him faintly.
"Grandpa, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Where did you go? Who told you to go out? Don't you know your illness isn't fully cured?" Sui Ping finally spoke, asking with some anger.
"Nothing, I just went out for a stroll." Sui An still had a cheeky look on his face.
"Lying! I asked the neighbors, and they all said you went out at noon. Where have you been all afternoon?"
"I went out to treat someone..." Seeing his grandfather's displeased expression, Sui An felt a little intimidated and had no choice but to confess honestly.
"Nonsense!" Sui Ping slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and pointed at Sui An, shouting, "Who allowed you to go out and treat people? Do you know how to treat people?" Sui Ping's face was extremely grim.
It turned out that at noon, a villager who went hunting in the mountains was bitten by a poisonous snake and came to town to find Sui Ping for treatment. However, Sui Ping was not at home.
Coincidentally, the Doctor from the other medical hall in town had family matters and had been back in his hometown for several days. In an emergency, Sui An had no choice but to bravely go and treat the villager's injury.
Sui Ping learned the whole story and then meticulously asked Sui An about the treatment, the patient's symptoms, how the wound was handled, and how the medicine was used. He asked about all these details very carefully.
"Come, take me to see him."
Although Sui Ping felt that the treatment plan his grandson described was fine, he was still uneasy and wanted to see it for himself. After all, human lives were at stake, and he couldn't afford to be anything but extremely cautious.
The sky had already darkened. The grandfather and grandson, carrying their medicine box, got into an ox cart and headed towards the home of villager Old Chen Si. Fortunately, it was a full moon tonight, and by the moonlight, the ox cart could barely navigate the rugged Dao.
After more than half an hour, they arrived at Old Chen Si's house. The lights were already out, and the house was quiet. Sui An got down and knocked on the door. Soon, the door opened, and Old Chen Si's elderly mother opened it.
"Ah, it's Old Sui. Why are you here so late? Come in, come in quickly."
"Where is your Old Si? I was worried about Sui An's treatment and came to check again." Sui Ping stated his purpose.
As he spoke, he entered the house. Old Chen Si was lying in bed, already asleep. Sui Ping brought the oil lamp closer and looked carefully. Although Old Chen Si's face was a bit pale, his breathing was stable, and after checking his pulse, it was clear that he was no longer in life-threatening danger.
He also checked the prescription Sui An had given, and there were no problems. Only then did Sui Ping let go of his worries. After giving some instructions, the grandfather and grandson drove the ox cart back amidst the profuse thanks of Old Chen Si's family.
Sui Ping didn't speak the whole way back. Seeing his grandfather's silence, Sui An also sat quietly in the ox cart, staring blankly at the starry sky.
Sui An liked looking at the Moon and stars here because it was a different sight from the sky he was familiar with before.
Soon, the two returned to the pharmacy, put away the ox cart, and casually cooked and ate dinner. After eating, Sui An saw that his grandfather didn't go back to his room to sleep as usual, so he knew there was something he wanted to say and sat opposite him.
"Big boy, hold out your hand." Sure enough, Sui Ping spoke, and he didn't know when a stick had appeared in his hand.
Although Sui An knew what was coming next, he obediently held out his hand.
Smack, smack, smack. After a few crisp sounds, Sui An's small hand immediately turned reddish-purple. Sui An grimaced in pain but didn't cry out.
"These few strikes are your punishment for today. I know you were trying to save someone, but you are not yet qualified to treat illnesses."
"Yes, Grandpa."
"What does a Doctor do? He saves lives. A slight mistake can cost someone their life! Every life should not be wasted. The most important thing for a Doctor is caution, to hold reverence for life. Have you remembered this?"
"Yes, Grandpa. Your grandson will definitely keep it in mind," Sui An replied while rubbing his swollen palm.
"Today, you handled Old Chen Si's wound very well, and the medication was also fine. You are now qualified to practice medicine. Starting tomorrow, you can practice medicine and prescribe drugs. However, you must always remember that the most important thing in practicing medicine is to save people, not to make money. Some money can be earned, and some cannot! Remember this!"
Sui An looked at his grandfather in surprise, not expecting him to say that.
"Grandpa, but I'm only ten years old, and I've only studied with you for less than three years. Isn't it too early?"
"You have been precocious and intelligent since childhood, and your progress in studying medical skills these past few years has been excellent. You are also very diligent. Although you are young, your character is very stable. Practicing medicine is about ability, not age. It's decided. I will be watching over you, and nothing will go wrong."
Sui An lay on his bed, looking out the window at the two Moons in the sky, somewhat lost in thought.
That's right, there were two Moons, one large and one small, hanging in the sky.
Sui An was not Sui Ping's biological grandson. He was found by Sui Ping three years ago when Sui Ping went up the mountain to collect herbs. At that time, Sui An inexplicably came here from Earth and inexplicably had his Soul possess the body of a six or seven-year-old child. While he was feeling lost, he happened to meet Sui Ping.
Sui Ping used to have a wife and children, but unfortunately, a plague took his three children and wife, leaving only Sui Ping alive. After that, the world gained a Doctor Sui who healed people and saved lives, and lost a scholar Sui who studied.
Whether it was a coincidence or destiny, Sui An was a Doctor on Earth, and now he was to become a Doctor again in this world.
Sui An's name, of course, was given by Sui Ping, and it didn't have too much meaning: peace and safety, being content with one's lot. As for his previous name, it no longer held any meaning.
In these past few years, Sui An had followed his grandfather to learn to read and practice medicine, never leaving the vicinity of Qing Shi Town. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't. Firstly, this body was still too small. Secondly, the wilderness of this world was too dangerous, with all sorts of fierce beasts emerging endlessly.
This also meant that Sui An's knowledge of places beyond Qing Shi Town was almost zero, only seeing fragments of descriptions in books.
The book stated that Qing Shi Town was on an island called Xiao Lang Island, and the entire island was a small country.
As for places outside the island, the book recorded little. There were hundreds of other islands near Xiao Lang Island, and this sea area was called the Boundless Sea.
What Sui An found most incredible was that he once read a description of immortals in a book: good at flying, capable of controlling wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, with the ability to move mountains and overturn seas, hidden in spiritual mountains and great rivers.
This simple sentence almost made Sui An's eyes pop out.
Although Sui An had been busy all day, thinking about these random things, he tossed and turned for a while before finally falling asleep.