TGCFNM -Chapter 287 Brewing the Medicine

Early the next morning.

After changing into fresh clothes, Chu Ling and the others stepped out of the carriage. They covered their faces, wrapped their hands, picked up the medicinal herbs, and entered the city once again.

As Xiao Hua pushed the door open, a masked figure suddenly jumped out, startling everyone.

“Ma Liuzi, what are you doing standing behind the door?” Chu Ling demanded with a glare.

Hearing her voice, Ma Liuzi shrank back and stammered, “I—I was guarding the entrance.”

“Oh? Afraid I’d run away?” Chu Ling said deliberately.

Ma Liuzi immediately waved his hands. “N-no, no, that’s not it.”

Chu Ling snorted. “Since you’re so free, go find someone to remove the large iron woks they use for cooking in the back courtyard of the yamen. Move them to the empty house behind the small square. Build a temporary clay stove there—I want to try brewing the medicinal decoction… Take down both woks; their pots are big.”

Ma Liuzi responded and was about to leave, but after taking a few steps, he turned back and asked, “Your Excellency, you’re going to brew the medicine in the Huang family residence?”

“Yes. I went in to look yesterday. The estate is spacious, and there’s a row of empty rooms. We’ll move the bedridden patients there later. After brewing the medicine each day, we’ll carry it in for them.” As she spoke, Chu Ling clenched her teeth in anger. “That Huang family left as they pleased, but they even smashed their cooking pots before leaving. What’s wrong with them?”

Ma Liuzi stiffened his neck and hurried off to carry out the order.

Uncle Wu turned to Chu Ling and asked, “Your Excellency, is there firewood in the Huang residence?”

“Don’t even get me started—I’m furious about that too! The Huang family took all the firewood with them!” Chu Ling ground her teeth. “They lived in such a huge estate, yet they took everything they could carry and destroyed whatever they couldn’t. Anyone who didn’t know better would think bandits had come down the mountain just to ransack their house.”

Uncle Wu frowned as well. “What kind of people are they?”

Chu Ling looked at him. “Uncle Wu, take Xiao Hua and Advisor Wan to find firewood—we’ll need plenty for brewing medicine. Cao Tong and Yan Sheng, you two arrange for the townspeople here to move into the estate. As for me, Su He and I will head to the pharmacy. The grinding tools that were taken away are still there—we’ll go process the herbs.”

“Alright, let’s split up,” Uncle Wu said, then left first with Wan Sanjin and Xiao Hua.

Chu Ling went with Su He to prepare the medicinal materials.

After arriving at the pharmacy, Chu Ling located what she needed and carried it outside.

Su He untied the bundle and took out the herbs. “Your Excellency, have you decided on the prescription?”

“It’s based on a cold remedy formula, just with some additions. We’ll need to test it, so we’ll arrange for someone with a strong constitution to try it first.” As she spoke, Chu Ling found a bamboo tray and sorted the herbs one by one into categories.

Physician Luo sighed regretfully. “Originally, luo grass would have worked, but now we can only use the more expensive stone bi.”

Bai Su smiled and comforted him. “It’s already fortunate that we could find substitute herbs. Thankfully, we brought plenty, and we managed to locate them all.”

Physician Luo’s eyes reddened. “Meeting you all is truly a blessing for the people of Anma County.”

—

After Chu Ling and Su He finished processing the herbs, they headed to the Huang residence.

By now, quite a few people had already gathered there. They were arguing noisily over bed space, and no one seemed to know what to do.

Yan Sheng and Cao Tong were sweating profusely from running about. The more they tried to manage things, the more chaotic it became. Just as they were at a loss, Chu Ling arrived.

She first shot everyone a fierce glare, forcing them into silence. Then she beckoned Yan Sheng and Cao Tong over, asked about the situation, and finally understood what was happening.

It turned out they believed that staying closer to where the medicine was being brewed meant they would get to drink it first. None of them were willing to give way, and they had nearly come to blows.

Before, when everyone had been resigned to waiting for death, there had been no need to fight.

But now that there was hope of survival, of course they would struggle for it.

After learning the full story, Chu Ling immediately had the patients lined up in a row and said, “I don’t know whether this medicine, once boiled, will cure you or kill you. Aside from Lin Fu of the Lin family and his wife who are willing to test the medicine, is there anyone else willing to try?”

“Those willing to test it, step forward and stand over here.”

As her voice fell, people in the crowd slowly began to move, and several stepped forward.

Chu Ling nodded in satisfaction and looked at them. “Right now is a critical moment. I need everyone’s full cooperation. Otherwise, I’ll start beating people. Understood?”

“Un-understood.”

“Understood.”

“Yes… understood.”

Chu Ling paid no attention to the mosquito-like murmurs and continued, “Group the more serious cases together and the mild cases together. All clothes worn by the patients each day must be disinfected with boiling water. Keep the windows open for ventilation…”

After arranging everything properly, the firewood Uncle Wu had prepared arrived.

Chu Ling had Yan Sheng and Cao Tong tend the fire, while Xiao Hua set up two iron cauldrons.

Physician Luo stood nervously at the side. “Boiling medicine requires careful control of the heat. If it’s ruined, the medicine will be wasted. And if it’s wasted, there may not be any left.”

Chu Ling tilted her head and said quietly, “We brought plenty.”

Physician Luo did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Chu Ling took a deep breath, visibly tense as she began the preparation. Seeing her like this, the others grew anxious as well.

In the end, she simply drove everyone away, had Su He control the fire, and personally kept watch over the medicine.

Half an hour later, Lin Fu arrived with his wife.

Chu Ling told him to wait and continued boiling the medicine.

Physician Luo stayed by the side the entire time, nervously reminding them about the heat and occasionally examining the decoction while exchanging a few words with Bai Su.

Another hour passed, and the bitter scent of the medicine slowly spread into the air.

When Physician Luo saw that the pot, once filled to the brim, had reduced to half, the tightness in his chest finally eased. “My lord, it’s ready.”

Chu Ling nodded, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and had Xiao Hua ladle out the decoction.

Su He carried the firewood outside, rolled it around to extinguish the flames, leaving only a few embers to keep the medicine warm.

Wan Sanjin carried the bowls over. “Young Master Lin, Madam Lin.”

Lin Fu and his wife stood, accepted the bowls with trembling hands, then simply sat down on the stone steps to wait for the medicine to cool.

Physician Luo walked over uneasily, watching the two members of the Lin family.

Chu Ling leaned against the wall, looking somewhat exhausted, and called softly, “Aunt Su.”

Bai Su gently patted her shoulder in reassurance. “Don’t worry. Even if it can’t cure the illness, it won’t truly kill them from drinking it… Besides, Physician Luo and I discussed it thoroughly and improved the formula based on his previous failed prescriptions. The chances of success this time are very high.”

After a while, Physician Luo returned and said, “We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see the effects—observe how they respond.”

Chu Ling gave a soft acknowledgment, then told Cao Tong and Yan Sheng to find the earlier group who had volunteered to test the medicine. After distributing the decoction to each of them, she instructed that if they felt anything wrong, they should come to the front courtyard immediately.

Chu Ling decided she would not return to sleep in the carriage tonight. She would stay here and wait for the results.

If the outcome was good, then these people would truly be saved.