Uncle Qi had spent years navigating the rough and tumble of the streets, so he was a professional when it came to gathering information. Not only did he find out that the Second Shopkeeper's home had been trashed by the casino, but he also tracked down the thugs involved in the incident. He learned that the casino boss had publicly declared that the Second Shopkeeper's eldest son owed a gambling debt of thirty thousand taels, threatening to kidnap the entire family to settle the score.
Even after spending three years with the wealthy Zhang family, the figure of thirty thousand taels still left Zhu Qingyu astounded.
"Thirty thousand taels? What on earth was he gambling on to owe thirty thousand taels! And then what? How did the Second Shopkeeper resolve it?"
Uncle Qi had rushed back to report to Zhu Qingyu and hadn't dug that deep. Looking a bit embarrassed, he replied:
"The thugs are just small fry, they wouldn't know those details, so I couldn't find out. However, boss, I actually saw the Second Shopkeeper's eldest son today. He was at a teahouse, drinking tea and listening to music. He looked completely fine, as if nothing had happened."
This incident happened before the new year, over half a year ago, yet the Second Shopkeeper hadn't breathed a word of it, nor had he ever asked Zhang Shen for help.
And the fact that his troublemaking son was now leisurely drinking tea and listening to music meant that the Second Shopkeeper had ultimately settled the matter.
But the Second Shopkeeper's annual salary at the Zhang estate was no more than a hundred taels of silver. Even if his entire family starved themselves from the very first day he became a shopkeeper for the Zhangs, it would be impossible for him to come up with thirty thousand taels.
So how did he manage to settle it?
The deeper Zhu Qingyu thought about it, the more serious the situation seemed.
Seeing Zhu Qingyu's solemn expression, Uncle Qi added:
"Boss, to be honest with you, when I was younger, I also made a living as a bouncer at a casino. In these kinds of situations, it's usually a trap set up for someone like the Second Shopkeeper. The thirty thousand taels is just a number meant to scare people. Using that excuse, they force people to sell their bones, their blood, their sons, daughters, wives, mothers, and even themselves. That happens all the time. I'm just worried that since the Second Shopkeeper's family is fine, maybe this trap wasn't actually aimed at him. Maybe... anyway, boss, you need to be very careful."
Zhu Qingyu was thinking the exact same thing.
"Thank you, Uncle Qi. I understand. Since the Second Shopkeeper hasn't sold his son or himself, I'm afraid he might have sold something else. Could you find someone to do a bit more digging for me? Don't ask about anything else, just find out who the Second Shopkeeper's family has been close to recently, and report back to me."
Because she had arranged to meet Gu Zhao at the clinic the next day, but didn't know what time he would arrive, and certainly couldn't let Vice Minister Gu wait, Zhu Qingyu went to the clinic early the next morning.
Upon entering the clinic's main door, she saw Lin Lan sitting at the counter, clicking away on an abacus as she calculated the accounts with the ledger. Su Mu and two older female servants were gathered behind her, watching eagerly. Even Uncle Qi was sitting by the door, smoking his dry pipe and watching.
Hearing Zhu Qingyu enter, five heads turned in unison, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Zhu Qingyu was baffled by their stares.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Lan put down the abacus.
"Doctor Zhu, last month's ledger is ready."
The rule at the Zhu family clinic was that the ledger had to be completed before the tenth of each month, and once it was done, the monthly wages were distributed. Since they didn't have many staff members, she always handed out the wages personally.
No wonder they were all waiting so eagerly. Zhu Qingyu suddenly understood.
"Oh, it's time to hand out the monthly wages. I'll distribute them today."
Su Mu hurried over, holding the ledger, her face brimming with an eager desire for praise.
"Doctor Zhu, look, look!"
Judging by her expression, it seemed there was more to it than just getting paid.
Zhu Qingyu took the ledger and flipped through it, but couldn't immediately spot anything unusual. Feeling a bit confused, she glanced back at Su Mu.
Su Mu, a young girl who could never hold her tongue, pointed her finger at her own name in the ledger and looked up with even greater expectation.
"Look, look! I independently treated ten patients last month!"
No wonder she was so thrilled. Zhu Qingyu smiled in realization.
"That's very impressive! Doctor Su!"
Su Mu and Lin Lan had been studying medicine under Zhu Qingyu for nearly two years. Although the Zhu family clinic saw a fair number of patients every day, the girls rarely had the chance to conduct independent consultations; usually, they just acted as assistants.
It wasn't that Zhu Qingyu wouldn't let them, but rather that most patients didn't feel comfortable letting two such young girls treat their illnesses.
When Zhu Qingyu's clinic first opened, she had been in this world for nearly a year.
During that year, she had lived with the Zhang family. After successfully curing Zhang Ruohua and Zhang Shen, it was time for her to leave, but she suddenly felt a bit lost.
Because there was no way back to where she came from, and in this unfamiliar world, she didn't know where to go.
At that time, Zhang Shen took her to the most bustling main street in Yangzhou City, a place teeming with carriages and pedestrians, and pointed to a shop in a prime location.
"Qingyu, if it's inconvenient to talk about your family matters, I won't ask. But if you haven't decided where to go yet, why not stay in Yangzhou for now? I want to gift you the largest medical clinic in Jiangnan."
Opening the largest clinic in Jiangnan in such a location would obviously intimidate ordinary commoners from ever stepping inside.
Was opening a clinic that kept most people out, a place where only high officials, nobles, and wealthy families dared to set foot, really her purpose in coming all this way?
Moreover, the cost of running such a clinic would be so high that even if she practiced medicine for a lifetime, she would never be able to repay Zhang Shen.
Zhu Qingyu said to Zhang Shen:
"Yangzhou City doesn't lack grand clinics. Instead, I want to open an ordinary one, a place where anyone would feel brave enough to come and seek treatment."
In the end, Zhu Qingyu chose a modest shop on an ordinary street.
She also followed Zhang Shen's advice to respect local customs. Like other female doctors, the Zhu family clinic only accepted female patients. When setting prices, she referenced the standards of her peers in Yangzhou City, settling on a moderate consultation fee of one hundred copper coins.
When Su Mu and Lin Lan had studied under her for about a year, they were actually capable of treating some simple ailments. Zhu Qingyu hung up consultation plaques for them as well, starting with a modest fee of twenty copper coins per person.
But even so, whenever Zhu Qingyu was around, very few people sought treatment from the two young girls. However, there was nothing to be done about it; this was a necessary rite of passage for anyone studying medicine.
Things began to change late last year when Zhu Qingyu traveled to the capital and wasn't at the clinic. Some returning patients started seeing Su Mu for follow-ups and prescriptions. It grew from just a handful of people to finally breaking the ten-person mark last month. One patient had even been introduced by a neighbor and came specifically to see Su Mu.
With her medical skills acknowledged and her monthly wages received, Su Mu walked with a spring in her step all day, humming a happy tune whenever she thought about it.
In contrast, Lin Lan, who had also been observing consultations but had yet to treat a single patient independently, inevitably felt disappointed. By the afternoon, she was actually teary-eyed as she prepared medicines alone.
Seeing her looking so aggrieved, Zhu Qingyu, who was walking past, was startled:
"What's the matter? Did someone bully you?"
It would have been better if Zhu Qingyu hadn't asked. The moment she did, the tears welling up in Lin Lan's eyes began to stream down her face.
"Doctor Zhu, I'm too useless."
Lin Lan actually studied very diligently, and her foundational skills were even more solid than Su Mu's. However, compared to Su Mu, who was bold and willing to try anything, Lin Lan lacked confidence and naturally felt somewhat timid about conducting independent consultations.
People naturally have different personalities; the crucial part is taking that first step. Zhu Qingyu simply wanted to give her a gentle push.
As evening approached, an anxious-looking teenage boy suddenly rushed into the Zhu family clinic. On his back, he carried a woman whose eyes were squeezed shut and whose forehead was drenched in sweat. Trailing right behind them was a little girl, her face mirroring the same panic.
Lin Lan guided the young man to lay the woman down on the examination bed, while Su Mu ran upstairs to fetch Zhu Qingyu.
Zhu Qingyu quickly assessed the woman's complexion and checked her pulse. Having figured out the situation, she turned her gaze to the young man in his tattered clothes and asked,
"Young man, my consultation fee here starts at a minimum of one hundred coins, with the cost of medicine calculated separately. Did you bring enough money to cover it?"
