Chapter 56 Farewell My Concubine
The plenary meeting ended successfully.

Apart from a few pounds of grain per month from the families of the first and second uncles, the Jia family did not receive any help from other neighbors.

That’s not right. There is still help available. Everyone is willing to help Jia Zhang apply for the job of pasting matchboxes.

Jia Zhang was almost defeated. If there hadn't been so many people in front of her, she would have jumped up and cursed Yan Bugui.

It was all because of him that ruined her family's good fortune. She saw that everyone in the hospital was about to donate food to her family, but in the end, the situation was resolved with just a few words from him. She was so angry that her chest hurt.

Time passes day by day.

It's another Sunday. Today He Shengnan is going back to her parents' home in Caochang Hutong, and Wang Mengde is preparing to pick up his career of practicing medicine in the countryside again.

He has obviously become much more lazy since getting married.

"Meng De, why don't you rest at home today? You've been very tired from working for so long."

He Shengnan looked at him with a distressed look as he was sorting out the medicine box and tried to persuade him.

"It's okay. I'll go to the countryside, meet more patients, and hone my skills." Wang Mengde said with a smile.

He wanted to improve his medical skills as much as possible while he was still young and childless.

Moreover, every time he went to the countryside, he would gain a lot. Unlike the city, there was a lack of doctors and medicine in the countryside. When people were sick, they usually just endured the illness. So when he was in the countryside, he would try not to prescribe medicine if possible.

In this case, he had to use local materials, and he actually figured out quite a few single and local methods.

"Okay, then come back early and don't work too hard." He Shengnan helped him tidy up his clothes and gave him instructions.

"Don't worry, I'm in good health. From now on, I will carry not only the burden of life, but also you, on my shoulders."

Wang Mengde joked, then picked up his medicine box and walked out.

Today, he plans to go south and visit Nanyuan District.

Nanyuan District is still an administrative district of the capital, but it will be abolished in two years. The original area will be divided into Fengtai, Chaoyang, Daxing County and Tong County (now Tongzhou) of the capital.

We got on the bus and soon arrived at Xihongmen Township after a bumpy ride.

In the afternoon, Wang Mengde came to a village. As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the village, he was stopped by a young man.

"Excuse me, are you a doctor?" the young man asked.

"Yes, I am a doctor. Are you feeling unwell?" Wang Mengde asked with a smile.

"It's not me, it's my dad who's feeling a little unwell. Could you please go to my house and help him?"

"No problem, come on, take me there."

On the way to the village, the young man hesitated for a long time before making up his mind and asked carefully, "Doctor, how much do you charge for treating me? I don't have much money at home, do you charge me for eggs and food?"

Seeing his nervous expression, Wang Mengde comforted him softly, "Don't worry, I won't charge you any fees. At most I'll write you a prescription and let you go to the pharmacy to get the medicine yourself."

"Huh~" When the young man heard that it was free, he heaved a sigh of relief and said happily, "Thank you, doctor."

When I got home and just entered the yard, I saw a middle-aged man sitting at the door, fiddling with a hoe in his hand.

"Dad, I've asked a doctor to come back for you. Let him take a look at you."

"You little bastard, our family doesn't have the money to hire a doctor. Besides, these are just minor ailments of mine and they will go away if I endure them." The middle-aged man said angrily.

"Dad, this doctor doesn't charge." The young man explained hurriedly.

"No money required? He's such a good thing, he can't be a scam." The middle-aged man looked at Wang Mengde and said with a puzzled look.

"Don't worry, I will never sell medicine without charging money." Wang Mengde explained with a smile. The middle-aged man stared at him for a while, and finally said: "Okay, then you show it to me first. Let me make it clear that my family has no money to give you."

Wang Mengde did not respond, but began to ask him what was wrong with him.

"My heart has been hurting badly lately."

"I've been having acid reflux, nausea, and vomiting lately..."

Through the middle-aged man's narration, Wang Mengde had an idea. Judging from his symptoms, it was epigastric pain, also called gastric and duodenal ulcer in Western medicine.

The main symptoms are: epigastric pain, heartburn, poor appetite, bloating, discomfort, nausea and vomiting.

After knowing the cause of the disease, Wang Mengde began to think. It seemed that this family was really unwilling to spend money on medicine. He wrote a prescription for them, but most of the medicine was just thrown under the stove to burn in the fire.

After thinking for a while, he slowly said, "Well, if you have eggs at home, put the egg shells in a pan and fry them over low heat. After they turn yellow, grind them into powder and drink it with boiling water."

Eggshells are called chicken egg shells in traditional Chinese medicine. They are a traditional Chinese medicine with astringent, acid-reducing, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Frying them until they turn yellow and drinking them can inhibit gastric acid secretion and neutralize gastric acid concentration.

"Just fry the egg shells and grind them into powder and drink it? No need to take other medicine?"

"Yes, just drink this. If there's nothing else, I'll leave first."

With that, Wang Mengde stood up and prepared to go back. It was already past three o'clock, and he planned to go back early today.

As soon as they reached the gate of the courtyard, the middle-aged man suddenly said, "Doctor, wait a moment."

Then he instructed his son, "Go and get the turtle out of the water tank and bring it to the doctor."

"Okay." The young man agreed and hurriedly took out a large turtle weighing about three pounds from a water tank in the yard, tied it up with a rope and handed it to Wang Mengde.

He didn't want it at first, but he couldn't refuse, so he had to accept it.

When I returned to Nanluoguxiang, it was already around five in the afternoon. As soon as I entered the central courtyard, I saw Sha Zhu tending to a hen by the pond.

"Silly Zhu, we bought some chicken tonight. I was thinking of asking you to clean up this turtle so we can have a drink together."

"Hey, a big turtle." Seeing the turtle in Wang Mengde's hand, Sha Zhu's eyes lit up and he said, "I went to the market this afternoon and bought an old hen that doesn't lay eggs for 1.4 yuan per pound. It's just right to go with the turtle. Let's make a dragon and phoenix stew. Let's drink some tonight."

Dragon and Phoenix Stew is also known as Farewell My Concubine. Of course, no one knows this name yet. It was not called that until 1983.

In the evening, around seven o'clock, Wang Mengde and Sha Zhu were toasting in the living room of Old He's house, while He Yushui was having dinner with He Shengnan in the west wing.

Sha Zhu's cooking skills are indeed impeccable. The dragon and phoenix stew has tender meat and a rich and mellow soup.

He Shengnan and her friend ate quickly. After they finished, she picked up her bowl and chopsticks and went to the sink in the middle courtyard to wash them first.

At this time, Jia Zhang was washing Bang Geng's clothes by the pool. As she washed, she looked towards Sha Zhu's house and kept muttering, "Why don't you give us some meat? Sooner or later, our family will be wiped out."

"Who are you scolding for being extinct?" He Shengnan came up behind her, heard her words, and immediately became furious and asked loudly.

"Whoever responds will be scolded."

"You are the extinct family. Your whole family is extinct."

"You little girl, you dare to scold me, I will punish you."

Seeing that He Shengnan dared to curse at her, Jia Zhang's new and old grudges surged into her heart. She stood up and prepared to charge violently at He Shengnan.

Of course, she wasn't planning on doing it for real, she just wanted to scare the girl.

Seeing her fat body rushing towards her, He Shengnan was not afraid. She waited for her to come close, holding the bowl and chopsticks in her hands without shaking, and when the time was right, she slightly leaned sideways...

(End of this chapter)