Zheng Langzhong was the village doctor in Dahe Village, but with poor harvests, every family was impoverished. Usually, for minor ailments like headaches, everyone would just endure it. It had been a long time since Zheng Langzhong had made a house call.
Hearing that something had happened to Wu Huiniang, several women from the village followed along.
Zheng Langzhong led seven or eight curious women, all waiting in the courtyard to see what had happened.
Households in the village didn't adhere to strict rules about separate quarters for men and women. Zheng Langzhong directly placed his fingers on Wu Huiniang's pulse. After a long while, he said, "Her pulse is a bit unstable, but it's not serious. I'll prescribe some miscarriage-preventing medicine. However, I don't have it on hand. If Da Shan's wife is sure she wants it, have Si Dan follow me back to prepare the medicine."
Cheng Loanloan nodded, "Of course we want it. Zheng Langzhong, just name your price."
Zheng Langzhong slowly said, "The consultation fee is three copper coins. One packet of miscarriage-preventing medicine is five copper coins. Da Shan's wife's condition requires at least three days of medication, three times a day. That's a total of nine packets of medicine, adding up to forty-eight copper coins."
Wu Huiniang's face turned pale. "Mother, I feel much better. I don't need miscarriage-preventing medicine..."
"What you say doesn't count."
Cheng Loanloan pressed her back down, then turned and went into the next room to get money. The money earned today was locked in a cabinet. She counted out forty-eight copper coins and came out to give them to Zheng Langzhong.
The women standing at the door saw dozens of jingling copper coins go into Zheng Langzhong's pouch.
"Who said Da Shan's wife mistreats her daughter-in-law? From now on, whoever says that, I'll set them straight."
"Da Shan's wife must have made some money. Smell that, there's a smell of meat from the kitchen. To be able to eat meat in these times, they must have earned quite a bit."
"I just took a peek. It's large bones stewed with bamboo shoots. Large bones aren't that expensive; ten copper coins can buy a big one."
The broken pot used for cooking bone soup was in the kitchen. Other meats and rice were covered. Others were too embarrassed to lift the lids to see what they were, so they all assumed the smell of meat in the courtyard was from the pork bones.
"Ten copper coins isn't something we can't afford. We also have bamboo shoots at home. We should go back and stew a pot of soup too."
"Yesterday, my girl brought two catties of lantern grass. Da Shan's wife still owes our family four copper coins. Da Shan's daughter-in-law had to call the doctor. Da Shan's wife won't have money to pay us, will she?"
"Speaking of which, Da Shan's wife hasn't given us the chicken eggs from a few days ago yet!"
Cheng Loanloan saw Zheng Langzhong out. Zhao Si Dan followed to get the miscarriage-preventing medicine.
Wu Huiniang's body was fine, and the heavy stone in her heart also dropped. A smile appeared on her face. "Sisters-in-law, aunties, please wait a moment. I will settle everyone's accounts now."
When she said this, many villagers who had come were present. The lantern grass was brought by the children, but the people who came to settle the accounts were the adults of the families.
Cheng Loanloan told Zhao Ergou to place a table in the courtyard. One bowl held forty or fifty copper coins, and another bowl held seven or eight chicken eggs.
She smiled and said, "One by one, no need to rush."
"Ni Qiu, four copper coins, two chicken eggs. Done."
"Tie Zhu's wife, two copper coins, one chicken egg..."
Cheng Loanloan's memory was excellent. She remembered these people without a single mistake. Soon, all the accounts were settled.
The village women, worried that Cheng Loanloan would default on their payment, came to collect the debt themselves. Now that she was meticulously distributing the money and settling the accounts, these women couldn't help but ask with some concern, "Sister Zhao, are you still buying the lantern grass?"
Cheng Loanloan smiled as before. "Of course, we're still buying it, at the same old price: two copper coins per jin."
The village women were very satisfied with this price. There was a lot of lantern grass on the mountain; as long as they picked it, they would have money. This money felt like it was given for free.
In contrast, Sister Zhao had worked all day and barely earned any money. After treating patients and settling the accounts, there was nothing left.
A dissatisfied voice came from the crowd. "Sister, isn't two *wen* per *jin* too little?"