There was a large pharmacy on the west side of the city that sold medicinal herbs and had doctors on duty to treat patients.
Because it was relatively close to the city gate, it was always bustling with people.
The herbs sold at the pharmacy were kept in a separate room, with no less than a thousand varieties.
Su Yunmo had her eye on cordyceps, but it was very expensive, and difficult for her to afford with her allowance.
Although the monthly allowance given to the children by the General's mansion was generous, any sudden large expenditure on her part could easily arouse suspicion.
"How about I trade you other herbs? High-quality ginseng."
The shopkeeper's fawning smile instantly vanished. He waved his hand dismissively, "This is a pharmacy, not a pawn shop. What do I need your ginseng for?"
He had initially let her in because of her fine attire, but now it seemed she was just a child playing games, wasting his time.
"Go on, go on. I don't have time to entertain you. Go play outside."
The shopkeeper spoke as he ushered her out.
Su Yunmo knew that bartering wouldn't work, but she was still unwilling to give up and wanted to ask further. Seeing his impatient demeanor, she had no choice but to leave for now.
As she stepped out of the inner room, she bumped into a woman dressed as a maid.
Cui Ping was stuffing a stack of banknotes into the arms of the man opposite her, her gaze anxious.
"Please, just take a look at our old madam. The doctors in the surrounding clinics all say only you can cure this illness."
The doctor stood in the doorway, waving her away irritably.
"Your old madam is beyond saving. Bringing her to us now would be like shooting ourselves in the foot. Hurry up and leave, leave."
Cui Ping was pushed out, sweating profusely. "If you think five hundred taels isn't enough, I can add more. Just name your price."
Su Yunmo paused with one foot over the threshold, looking up at her. "How much can you offer?"
This was an unexpected bonus.
Cui Ping's heart leaped at the question of price. She quickly turned to look for the person who asked, but after searching for a long time, she couldn't find them.
"Look down." The voice was somewhat helpless.
Cui Ping looked down and saw a sticky rice ball at her feet. No, it was a child.
Su Yunmo took two steps back, creating some distance between them to avoid craning her neck to speak to her. "I'll treat the illness. Give me the money."
Cui Ping looked at her for a moment, said nothing, and then turned back to the doctor, pleading anxiously, "The old madam is in the carriage outside. Can you just take a look?"
The doctor turned and walked back into the room, his tone full of mockery. "Isn't there someone willing to treat your old madam? Hurry and take that little miracle doctor with you."
Cui Ping became even more anxious. "She hasn't even weaned yet, how can she treat people? If she can't even go out without a diaper, isn't she just causing trouble?"
Su Yunmo: "..."
Is that polite?
Someone nearby let out a snicker. Su Yunmo turned her head slowly, and Zi Yuan immediately stood at attention.
Su Yunmo sighed and tugged at her hem. Actually, she didn't need diapers at this age.
"I'm talking to you, you little brat. Don't just stand there, get lost!" The shopkeeper shooed her away.
Su Yunmo turned to leave. Through the large door, she saw a dark brown carriage with its curtains drawn parked by the roadside, with only a driver standing beside it.
As she approached, she could faintly hear pained murmurs coming from inside.
"Child, go play nearby. Get out of the way, get out of the way." The driver shooed Su Yunmo away with his whip as she approached.
Su Yunmo ignored him and leaped onto the carriage. Just as the driver reached out to grab her, Zi Yuan, who had followed her, took him down with a sweeping leg.
The carriage curtain was lifted. An old woman was leaning on the soft seat, appearing to be in her sixties.
Her face was pale, covered in cold sweat. She clutched her chest with one hand, her eyes tightly shut, moaning in pain.
Su Yunmo took her wrist to feel her pulse.
The pulse was weak and unstable, her breathing erratic. It was a cardiac issue, rather difficult to handle.
Su Yunmo took out a porcelain bottle from her glazed lock, poured out a red pill, and placed it in the old woman's mouth, washing it down with tea.
In this situation, it was crucial to stabilize the heart, then clear the meridians and relieve the symptoms, otherwise, the person would suffocate, and their bodily functions would be obstructed.
She took out her silver needle bag and inserted needles into several acupoints, a total of twelve.
After about half a cup of tea, the old woman's breathing gradually stabilized.
A moment later, the old woman opened her eyes.
She saw Su Yunmo and was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in fright, "The sticky rice ball has become a spirit."
Su Yunmo's eyelids twitched. "I'm human."
Was she fully conscious?
The old woman looked at her for a while before regaining full consciousness. She then saw the silver needles on her body. "What's going on?"
Su Yunmo nodded, pulled out the silver needles, and put them back into the silver needle bag. "Don't worry, it's just to clear your blood vessels. Do you feel much lighter now?"
The old woman tried to lift her hand and found that her arm had indeed regained much of its strength, and the suffocating feeling was gone.
"Little one, you know medicine? This is truly remarkable." The old woman said with a hint of surprise, then whispered, "You still look like you haven't weaned, yet you're so capable."
"..."
Su Yunmo finally couldn't help but ask, "Is that woman in the pharmacy your daughter?"
"She is my personal maid."
Su Yunmo: Hmph, servants follow their masters!
"Just take a look, whether you can cure it or not... Ah! Who are you? Why are you hitting our people?" Exclamations were heard from outside.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Cui Ping, seeing Su Yunmo inside the carriage, was extremely shocked. "Why are you here?"
She then turned to the old woman. "Old madam, are you alright?"
The old woman leaned against the carriage, supporting herself with one hand and sitting up slightly. "It was this child who needled me. I'm all better now."
"All better? Weren't you half-dead just now? I don't believe it!" The doctor squeezed his way over.
The shopkeeper followed behind him.
The shopkeeper's face immediately darkened when he saw Su Yunmo. "It's you again, you little brat. Are you here specifically to cause trouble?"
Su Yunmo glanced at the shopkeeper and held out her hand to Cui Ping. "Give me the money."
Cui Ping, overjoyed that the old woman was well, no longer cared about Su Yunmo's unauthorized actions and quickly placed the stack of banknotes in her hand.
"Little one, I apologize for my earlier rudeness. Thank you for saving my old madam."
Su Yunmo didn't want to dwell on the past. Whether she was offended or not, as long as the money was paid, it was fine.
She threw the banknotes to the shopkeeper. "Is this enough money to buy herbs?"
The banknotes fluttered to the ground. The shopkeeper quickly crouched down to pick them up one by one, a calculating glint in his eyes. "Buy herbs? This is what we deserve!"
The doctor chimed in with a cold snort. "Exactly. What can this little brat cure? The old madam's recovery is my merit. As soon as I saw her, she got better, which proves I am a divine doctor."
Su Yunmo narrowed her eyes.
Even Cui Ping felt that the doctor's words were unreasonable. "Someone who gets better just by being seen isn't a divine doctor, they're a charlatan."
The doctor scoffed. "I don't care about that. It was agreed that I would be paid a consultation fee just for showing up, whether the illness was cured or not. Now that she's better, this money belongs to me."
He exchanged a look with the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper clapped his hands, and two burly men emerged from the pharmacy, carrying iron rods.