Chapter 350: Each to His Own Task

Speaking of treating bruises and sprains, setting bones, and even acupuncture, these were all common skills for people in the martial arts world. Each sect and school had its own secret recipes, and there were at least a thousand, if not five hundred, kinds of miraculous pills and medicines that claimed to cleanse the marrow and wash the bones. When going out, if one didn’t carry seventeen or eighteen small porcelain bottles, it would be an insult to one’s name. On the contrary, poisons and knockout drugs were rarely seen—these things were considered low-class. Using them would not only damage one’s reputation, but if discovered by the yamen, one would also get into trouble with the law. What kind of good citizen would run around with poison?

Although each sect and school had its own “great threshold” as a backer, and there were many disciples from gentry families who were not commoners who could only kneel and not speak when they saw an official, the government was still not easy to deal with. Therefore, although some people made such drugs, they were not brought out into the open.

“Speaking of opening a medical shop, I have no other skills, but setting bones is no problem,” the middle-aged man said with a nod.

“Uncle Jiao, your Northern Dragon Gate was originally in the horse trade. Isn’t this your old profession?” Zhou Zhongjun seemed quite excited. “I don’t have any medical skills, but I can help you with things like getting things, pouring tea, and handing you water.”

The man called Uncle Jiao was the head of the Northern Dragon Gate, Jiao Gongli. His Northern Dragon Gate was a small sect in the Shanxi region. It was more of a horse trading group that traveled to the west of the pass than a martial arts sect.

Horses are precious and delicate animals, and sometimes they suffer from fractures, injuries, and other diseases. Those who raise and trade horses mostly know a little about bone-setting and have some unique herbal medicines. Besides treating horses, they also treat people—with quite good results. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the most famous orthopedic doctors in the capital were the Mongolians in the Imperial Stud who specialized in treating horses.

As a horse trading organization, bone-setting was indeed an ancestral skill for Jiao Gongli.

Jiao Gongli looked slightly embarrassed but smiled. “Miss Zhou, how dare I, a rough man, have you pour tea and hand me water? If Master Miejing finds out, she’ll skin me alive.”

“Not at all, not at all. I don’t know how to do massage or see patients. What else can I do but pour tea and hand you water?” Zhou Zhongjun was very enthusiastic about the idea of “opening a shop”—the Hengshan sect was all female, and the disciples were strictly disciplined. Their daily life was dull and monotonous. She was very enthusiastic about this kind of new thing.

Jiao Gongli chuckled dryly a few times. Huang Zhen, however, knew that this girl was just doing it for fun. Besides, her status was different. If they really needed someone to pour tea and serve water, Nan Wan’er was more suitable.

But at this moment, he couldn’t spoil her mood—her master, Master Miejing, was an important figure in the sect and strongly supported this operation. He smiled and said, “Miss Zhou is talented in both literature and martial arts. How can she do such things as pouring tea and serving water? Every medical shop needs someone to record prescriptions and dispense medicine. You can do that then.”

Zhou Zhongjun was just doing it for fun, and it didn’t matter what she did, so she readily agreed.

Sima Qiudao sneered inwardly. Huang Zhen was in charge here, so he couldn’t say much.

“I also know a little about acupuncture, but only for gynecology…” Nan Wan’er said in a low voice, sounding a little unconfident.

Before she could finish, and before Huang Zhen could speak, Zhou Zhongjun had already sneered and interjected, “Don’t show off your petty tricks! In terms of acupuncture, can you compare to Master Yiming and Junior Sister Anhui?”

Nan Wan’er immediately said, “I was just saying… if… if it’s useful…”

Huang Zhen still had a kind and amiable expression. “Miss Nan’s heart is commendable. But we all have to rely on Miss Nan. To trouble Miss Nan further, I would not be able to bear it, haha, haha.” He laughed a few times and brushed the topic aside.

Sima Qiudao, however, said, “Since we are opening a medical shop, we must have some medicine.”

“That’s not a problem. I have some medicine for setting bones with me,” Jiao Gongli said.

The others also said that they had medicine with them and could use it to make up the numbers for the time being.

“That’s not what I mean,” Sima Qiudao said. “It’s true that everyone has some pills with them, but it’s too little for a medical shop. We’re probably not opening a shop here for just a day or two. What if we run out of medicine then? Besides, the pills everyone brought are carefully prepared by their own sects—let’s not talk about how precious the ingredients are, some of them took years or even decades to prepare just a few doses. Isn’t it a great waste to just give them to a few commoners?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Sima Qiudao continued, “Moreover, it’s just a small medical shop. How can it accommodate so many people? The short-hairs will surely become suspicious. If we say we are gathering and preparing medicine, it would be understandable!”

Before he could finish, someone clapped and laughed loudly. “Nephew’s words are very true! With this excuse, we can go out to gather and buy medicine freely. It will be much more convenient to move around!”

The speaker was a man with a lean and tall figure, about fifty years old. He had the air of a reclusive master. This person had no sect or school. He was a local tyrant from the Funiu Mountains in the Central Plains, named Song Shengying. He came from a greenwood background, but after middle age, he washed his hands of it and returned to the righteous path. It was rumored that he was righteous and generous, so he had a wide circle of friends. Not only did he maintain good relations with the government, but people in the martial arts world also called him “Living Mengchang.” The fact that he would personally come this time was not only incredible to Sima Qiudao, but even Huang Zhen found it hard to believe.

Huang Zhen nodded in agreement. This idea was clearly more brilliant than simply opening a medical shop. Just this “freedom of movement” was worth a thousand gold. Although the short-hairs did not restrict the movement of personnel, if a group of people like them frequently traveled to various parts of the county without a proper reason, they would sooner or later attract the attention of the short-hairs. Now, whether they went to the mountains or the towns, they could use the excuse of gathering and buying medicine.

“Village Master Song is indeed experienced in the jianghu, worthy of being a hero of the greenwood!” Zhou Zhongjun, not wanting to be left out, chimed in again. Song Shengying’s face immediately showed displeasure. Sima Qiudao knew that he was very sensitive about people talking about his past in the greenwood, and he couldn’t help but find it amusing—but also a little worried.

As an elder, Song Shengying naturally couldn’t stoop to the level of a junior like Zhou Zhongjun. Besides, they were all in the same boat now, and falling out would not benefit anyone. He coughed and said, “I know how to prepare and mix medicine. With the help of Meng Liang and Meng Guang, we can do this medical shop!”

Huang Zhen knew that these two brothers had lived in seclusion in the mountains for many years, and gathering medicine was their main livelihood. People in the martial arts world could not live on air, nor could they openly “rob the rich to help the poor” like those in the greenwood. Those with sects and schools could still rely on their industries for support. People like Meng Liang and Meng Guang either had someone to support them or relied on their own skills.

These two brothers were already in their middle age. They were usually taciturn and did not show their emotions. Hearing Song Shengying say this, they just nodded slightly in agreement.

Song Shengying continued, “As for the shopkeeper, we’ll have to trouble you, Brother Huang. If we want to get by here, we can’t rely on acting. We have to do it for real! So everyone, let’s put aside our seniority for now. You, old brother, can just put on the airs of a shopkeeper and make us work hard.”

Just as Huang Zhen was about to be polite, Zhou Zhongjun chirped, “Yes, yes, Senior Huang looks most like a shopkeeper!” Speaking of opening a shop, she seemed more enthusiastic than anyone else. Suddenly, she frowned. “Great Hero Sima doesn’t have a position yet! I think he’s most suitable to be a clerk and scribe—he’s always so scholarly, just like those poor scholars.”

Sima Qiudao laughed. Seeing that the assignments were settled and everyone had no objections, Sima Qiudao then said, “I won’t be staying in the shop.”

Zhou Zhongjun asked curiously, “Young Hero Sima, if you don’t stay here, where are you going?”

Sima Qiudao said, “It’s not good for all of us to be cooped up in this Nanbao Town. This is a place where Han and Li people live together. Although it’s a strategic location, it’s not the short-hairs’ main base. Although we are relatively safe here, we are deaf and blind, and everything will be half a beat slow…”

Although “Seventh Master” would try to pass on messages every few days, and Sima Qiudao and the others would take turns to meet with Xin Nachun in Dongmen Market, the communication was still inconvenient. Frequent communication and meetings were inherently very dangerous. So “Seventh Master” had instructed them in his last secret letter to find a way to send someone to infiltrate Dongmen Market. This way, they could use public secret signs to communicate, without having to go through Xin Nachun or letters.

A few days ago, he and Huang Zhen had already discussed this matter. They decided that Sima Qiudao would go to Dongmen Market to lie in wait, while Huang Zhen would hold the fort in Nanbao.

“I want to go to Dongmen Market too!” Zhou Zhongjun said hurriedly, completely forgetting her enthusiasm for opening a shop just now. “Young Hero Sima, take me with you.”

Having been stuck in this small mining town for a long time had made her feel suffocated. Moreover, she had long heard of the hustle and bustle of Dongmen Market and wanted to go see it and relax.

Sima Qiudao smiled slightly and waved his hand. “How can that be? It would be very inconvenient for me and Miss Zhou to go alone…”

Only then did Zhou Zhongjun realize that her request was too abrupt. They were both unmarried, and for a man and a woman to be alone together would greatly damage her reputation. She couldn’t help but blush. But she had never been one to lose an argument. She spat and said, “Who’s alone with you, a man and a woman? You wish. We’re just going to Dongmen Market to scout out the short-hairs’ movements.”

Sima Qiudao nodded and smiled. “It’s wonderful that Miss Zhou has such a heart. It won’t be too late for you to come after I’ve gone ahead to scout.”

Song Shengying asked with concern, “Nephew, what identity are you planning to use to go to Dongmen Market? You know the Book of Changes, so you can pretend to be a fortune-teller. You’d be free and wouldn’t attract attention.”

“Seventh Master said that under the short-hairs’ rule, jianghu businesses can’t survive. If you’re caught, you’ll be sent to dig sand and break stones. I’ve been to Dongmen Market a few times, and I haven’t seen a single fortune-teller,” Sima Qiudao said with a frown. “For now, as Miss Zhou said, the only way is to find a shop in Dongmen Market and get a job as a clerk and scribe—but in that case, my movements will be greatly restricted.”