Chapter 132 – Magnificent Hospitality
“Divine physician, you finally graced us with your presence! I’m going to run out of medicine if you don’t come. You came in time!” Master Ding seemed like an orphan who had just met his family for the first time when he saw Gu Ye. Tears warmed his eyes and he wore a grateful expression. If Gu Ming hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve hugged Gu Ye!
Gu Ye’s gaze was on him momentarily before she smiled faintly. “I haven’t seen you in half a month or so and you seem to be in a much better state.” After controlling his diet and exercising some more, Master Ding had become much skinnier. His eyes also appeared to be bigger and he appeared happier. Not bad.
Master Ding also smiled, praising, “It’s all thanks to you! I strictly followed the diet and training you planned out for me. I also took my medicine on time. My heart stopped thumping rapidly now and I don’t feel out of breath.”
“Good! But you still need to take the medicine. You also need to maintain a good diet and keep exercising. That way, you won’t need to worry about your condition worsening. Also, be mindful of your emotions and make sure not to overwhelm yourself.” With the current conditions, it was a luxury to do surgery. Gu Ye needed to slowly relieve Master Ding’s illness.
“Yes, I will make sure to listen to your advice.” Master Ding rubbed his hands together and continued, “My father has been thinking about you. He wants to personally thank you. If it weren’t that he had just fallen asleep, I would have supported him over to thank you. If it seems like we’ve neglected you, please be understanding and forgiving!”
“His Lord is too polite! The physician’s heart is with its people. I believe that any physician, as long as there’s a glimpse of hope, they won’t give up on their patients. I’m just following the morals of a physician.” Gu Ye was familiar with pleasantries. In her past life, someone had substituted for as she was too lazy to go to dinner parties.
Gu Ming held the cup of tea in his hands and looked surprisingly at his sister. Could learning medicine change a person’s personality? His originally fearful and timid sister had become confident and determined now. He was grateful for Grandfather Zheng from the bottom of his heart and he was willing to see his sister’s changes.
“You have the demeanor of a divine physician.” Master Ding paused before saying, “You might’ve heard but a lot of our Ding Family members have heart problems. My great aunt has the same symptoms as me, a bit more serious than mine however. Can you give us more medicine this time?”
The Instant Heart-reliever Pills were made from herself as well as her master, the sage apothecary. Though they claimed the manufacturing was for practice, each bottle of medicine had reached its appropriate effect. The effect just couldn’t be compared to hers.
This time, she brought ten bottles of medicine she personally manufactured. She planned to give them to the Ding father and son. But now that the great aunt was involved, the bottles were far from enough. Thankfully, Master Ding and his great aunt’s conditions weren’t that serious. They could just take her master’s medicine to control their condition.
The sage apothecary was like a child. After he learned how to manufacture the Instant Heart-reliever Pills, he wanted to make more and manufactured another twenty bottles in one go. She had kept them all in her storage.
Master Ding was delighted to hear the divine physician had brought thirty bottles this time. He hurriedly ordered the servants to bring over banknotes from the accounting room, afraid that Gu Ye might change her mind.
“Divine physician, is it still the same price as last time?” Master Ding took two sheets of banknotes from the thick pile when he suddenly thought of something. He paused and asked weakly.
Gu Ye felt a bit guilty recalling that twenty bottles were his master’s product. She coughed and retorted, “What? You think it’s too expensive?”
“No, no!” He had given Jimin Pharmacy’s owner and the shopkeeper a look at the medicine the divine physician had given him last time. They all said that such exquisite medicine was above the levels of a grand apothecary already. Even Baili Apothecary might not be able to manufacture it. Baili Apothecary’s pills were extremely hard to obtain. It might be fifty silver taels a bottle right now but even if it was five hundred silver taels a bottle, people would still be fighting to buy it!
Thinking that they still need to look up to the divine physician for their illness, Master Ding hurriedly explained himself, “Divine physician, your medicine is a miracle. I’m just afraid you’re selling them for less than what’s worth.”
“Heh. It’s my first time seeing someone say the items are being sold too cheaply. Master Ding, you’re interesting.” Gu Ye knew that she should be storing the valuable medicine for her own good. No matter how expensive she sold the medicine for, she didn’t need to worry about losing customers. After all, the medicine proved its effectiveness. However, she didn’t want their customers to become bankrupt in one go. Economy could get her a long way.
“Master Ding, with the current technology, it’s extremely difficult to cure you and your father’s illness fully. Therefore, you guys will need to take my medicine for a long time. If I set the price high, then your family will become bankrupt no matter how rich you guys are. Still the same saying. Physicians’ hearts are with their people. I don’t want you guys to be tortured by your illness. That’s why I only made you guys pay the regular price…” Gu Ye made herself sound dignified.
Master Ding felt incredibly gratified. No wonder the divine physician wore such a simple outfit. She dressed up like a villager girl. As it turned out, she did so to treat more people’s illnesses and didn’t want to earn more than she should from them. How could he not be touched by her selfless personality?
“Divine physician…” Master Ding choked, “You don’t need to worry for us. We have a few stores in town as well as several farmsteads in the suburbs. We have more than enough to pay for the medicine. The shopkeeper from Jimin Pharmacy had said it’s even reasonable to sell it for two to three hundred silver taels a bottle. How about…I pay a hundred silver taels a bottle?”
Woah! She didn’t expect she could make so much money from manufacturing medicine. In her past life, she made about ten copper coins per bottle, but here, she could sell them for hundreds of silver taels a bottle! Gu Ye silently gulped.
Although she loved money, she had her principles. Since she already decided on a price with Master Ding, she wouldn’t change them. “It’s fine. You can pay according to the price we decided on earlier. Fifty silver taels a bottle!”
Master Ding suddenly thought this skinny and small figure had become mighty and dignified. She was a divine physician for a reason! Her medical ethics couldn’t be compared to the apothecaries!
He countered a thousand silver worth of banknotes and then handed them to Gu Ye in both hands. Master Ding asked respectfully, “Divine physician, when is the next time you’re coming to town? That way, I can tell the servants to prepare for your arrival.”
“The medicine can last you for three months. If the weather permits during this time period, I’ll bring you more bottles. It’s getting late. Master Ding, you should rest soon. My brother and I are leaving.” Gu Ye accepted the banknotes. The banknotes here belonged to her master as he manufactured the medicine. She wouldn’t take the reward for his labor.
Master Ding rushed, “Divine physician, please hold up. I’ve already ordered the servant to clean out the guest rooms. If you guys don’t mind, please spend the night here.”
Gu Ye was really tired so she didn’t bother with the pleasantries. She nodded, “Sorry for the bother then.”
The Ding Family was one of the richest families in town. Even the guest rooms would be much more comfortable than the rooms in the taverns. The blankets were all new. Gu Ye stretched her body as she laid on the thick blankets and fell into deep slumber quickly.
Gu Ming slept in the room next to her. Afraid that his sister may not be used to it, he visited her before he went to sleep. When he came over, he saw Gu Ye tugging her lips and snoring lightly, sleeping soundly. Gu Ming went back to his room to sleep after checking the windows for his sister,
The next morning, Gu Ye was still sleeping when Gu Ming knocked on her door. Normally, she didn’t have the habit of sleeping in. It seemed like she was really tired the past few days. Plus, the Ding Family’s blankets were soft and warm, so she accidentally overslept.
By the time the siblings were done rinsing and washing up, Master Ding was already waiting outside for a while.
Master Ding invited the siblings for breakfast. In the dining hall, Master Ding’s parents, grandmother, and his siblings all waited curiously.They all heard of the divine physician’s name and admired her for saving the head of the Ding Family. They all wanted to see the physician who led the physicians within Jimin Pharmacy to sigh and feel bad about their skills.
Although they knew the divine physician was a young female physician due to Master Ding, they were still shocked when they saw her in person. They didn’t expect her to be so young. Was she even ten? She seemed like a child!
But when she opened her mouth, everyone was convinced as she spit out the professional medical terms and the jargon. Even the elderly physician who diagnosed Lord Ding in the past might not even have as much medical knowledge as her. Age is no factor in ambition!
“Divine physician, you must’ve learned medicine at a very young age.” Master Ding’s youngest sister, about twelve or thirteen, asked delicately.
“I only learned to manufacture medicine with my master this year.” Gu Ye didn’t plan on hiding anything. In front of absolute strength, everything else meant nothing.
The youngest sister widened her eyes. “Woah. You’re so brazen. You’ve learned medicine for less than a year and you dared to treat my father!”
“Sister!” Master Ding’s expression changed upon hearing this, afraid that his sister’s bluntness may have angered the divine physician. He hurriedly stopped her. Then, he fearfully apologized for his sister. “Divine physician, my sister is ignorant. Please don’t take offense.”
Gu Ye swallowed the steamed dumpling before replying, “Sister Ding is right. However, physicians should be brazen and meticulous. It’s not that I’m brazen but that my master is a good teacher! Even more, Lord Ding is lucky. My master just so happened to have taught me how to treat heart problems in an emergency. I also happened to have medicine that could treat him.”
Madam Ding smiled. “My Lord is very lucky to have encountered you. You’re our lucky star. It’s because of you that he survived! Speaking of, you’re our family’s benefactor! Our cook had made osmanthus cakes. It’s her speciality! See if you like it.” Saying this, she looked warningly at her youngest daughter, warning her to watch her mouth.
Old Madam Ding observed that the divine physician enjoyed sweets, so she also moved a tray of red bean pastries to her. “Divine physician, this red bean pastry is sweet yet not greasy. It’s crispy and delicious. Have some too. If we had encountered you a few years sooner, maybe my old man wouldn’t have left so early…”