Jun Jiuling

Revitalize the Jiuling Hall’s reputation?

What Jiuling Hall reputation?

Doctor Jun was a great person, but his medical skills were just so. They were not so fantastic; he was no divine doctor renowned through the lands.

If you had to speak of a reputation, it would just be the philanthropic name of the Jiuling Hall’s long standing position in Runan.

What’s there to revitalize about this philanthropic reputation?

Hu Gui went blank. He was about to say something when Miss Jun pulled out the signboard from the carriage.

She moved so quickly that Hu Gui was almost hit by the sign. He hastily ducked down. When he straightened up, Miss Jun had hoisted the signboard over her shoulder and walked over to the ruined building.

This young lady was truly vigorous…

But what was she planning on doing?

Hu Gui watched her. Was she going to instigate the crowd?

That was useless. If they could be instigated, then there would have been someone who told Miss Jun who had torn down her house.

Who they could provoke and who they could not, these people knew very well.

Miss Jun stood firmly in front of the ruins, then placed the signboard shoulder firmly in front of her.

"My fellow villagers, today the Jiuling Hall will open once more," she declared.

Open?

Hu Gui frowned. Everyone else around them also wore complicated expressions.

Yesterday, the door of the Jiuling Hall fell down. Today, with a bit of repair it could be used, but now there wasn’t even a building, let alone a door. How could they open?

Not waiting for them to speak, Miss Jun continued,.

"The Jiuling Hall vanishes illness with medicine.

Vanish illnesses with medicine?

Everyone stared.

Her att.i.tude was not small. But that was nothing. Any bell healers trawling the streets would dare say so. Whether people believed it or not was another matter.

"The Jiuling Hall’s wonderful skills can bring back spring."

"The Jiuling Hall specializes in difficult diseases."

Everybody was familiar with this bragging. They murmured among themselves and looked at Miss Jun with pity and helplessness.

Miss Jun did not look at them. Her face was calm when she pointed at the signboard.

"And this is a promise of my Jiuling Hall. If there is a case this is false, if there is something I cannot do, then anyone can smash my sign."

This stunned everyone here. The sounds of their discussion disappeared.

This mouth sure could talk big.

If you say things that are nice to here, that’s fine. But when you call it a promise, then believing it or not isn’t everybody’s personal business.

"And," Miss Jun said again. Her tone had remained very gentle; she never raised her voice deliberately. Such softness stroked the listeners’ ears. "For the first month of the Jiuling Hall, there are no medical fees."

What the h.e.l.l!

Hu Gui stared.

A spell of silence fell, until an uproar broke out.

"The important part is that it’s free."

"Free is more money."

"That boast of vanis.h.i.+ng ills with medicine, wonderful skills that can bring back spring is all rubbish. She said that for everyone to hear so she could cause a stir.

"But the free diagnosis and medical treatment is true," added Hu Gui hurriedly. In front of him, Master Yan stopped.

"What free?" he asked with a frown. "What does she mean by free?"

"Free means that if she sees you she won’t take money, and the prescribed medicine is also free," Hu Gui explained. He walked several paces so he could stand next to Master Yan. "Master Yan, you should know, seeing the doctor is not expensive; the expensive part is fulfilling the prescription."

Of course he knew that. Otherwise why would he buy the land to open an apothecary.

Master Yan started pacing.

"Where is her money?" he demanded of Hu Gui. "Didn’t you say she didn’t have any money?"

"She doesn’t have any money. Everyone knows about how much money the Jun Family has," Hu Gui answered.

That was true. Indeed, the Jun Family had no money. Master Yan frowned.

"Then where is she getting the money?" he asked.

Hu Gui thought of Miss Jun’s worn-out carriage and her lame husband.

"Can it be that her husband’s family has money?" He surmised.

"If they had money, could they let her waste away like this?" asked Master Yan. "How much money could they have?"

Although he had done something reckless like tear down someone’s house, he was not so reckless.

Yesterday, before he had the house torn down, he had someone ask around about Miss Jun’s appearance, how many people she brought with her, what sort of carriage she drove. He even knew what inn she was staying in and what she had for dinner last night.

The three people, especially that young master, ate simple food. There was almost no meat, and in the end, in order to save money, they borrowed a kitchen and Miss Jun cooked for herself.

"Master Yan, what should we do now?" Hu Gui asked uneasily. "That Miss Jun is not leaving. She has built a straw hut on the ruins and put the sign board inside. This attracted many people and their gossip. I’m afraid it won’t be good."

This Jun Family young miss was not just doing this without a plan.

Now that the house was gone, he would make no secret of chasing her away. When he did, she would take advantage to curse him while rolling on the ground.

These girls and women would cry, make trouble, and hang themselves.

Master Yan smiled coldly.

‘I’m not going to let her do what she wants.’

"I say, someone who could say something as lofty as me setting an opening price must be someone of means," he commented. "Since she has such great aspirations to revitalize the Jiuling Hall and wants to make treatment free for a month, this such grand benevolence. I cannot disregard Doctor Jun and Master Jun’s face. Such consideration for the commoners of Runan City."

He waved a hand grandly.

"Leave her for a month."

‘You want to throw money, then if you’re not throwing away my money I won’t stop you.‘

‘You think you can overcome this by throwing around money?’

‘The officials of Runan city are not so poor.’

Hu Gui left Master Yan’s house with an anxious face. One of his nephews came to greet him.

"Second Uncle, we shouldn’t interfere. Giving the land deed to Master Yan is good," he said while wiping his nose.

Hu Gui sighed.

"I want to give it now, but that Master Yan won’t accept it," he said. "It’s a messy business."

The nephew sniffed loudly.

"Second Uncle, a strong dragon cannot suppress the local snake," he said. "And this young miss of the Jun Family is not dragon. What’s there to be afraid of?"

Hu Gui nodded and pulled his arm within his sleeve.

"If only this Miss Jun’s breath is short and not long so she can withdraw soon," he said.

Uncle and nephew swayed along the road, as they saw people running past them.

"Hurry, hurry."

"Don’t be anxious; it’ll be free for a month."

Exchanged the people running by.

"Well I’ll be. They’re all running for the free medicine," said Hu Gui. He tsk’ed and shook his head. "News spread far; there are many who love to save. In a month, how much money will she throw away."

"Ah, Second Uncle, you’re being silly," said the nephew. "She sees patients and prescribes them medicine. She just has to prescribe slightly cheaper medicine."

That was one way to do it. Hu Gui nodded.

The two had reached the streat of the Jiuling Hall. From far away they could see the line of people. The majority of which were old, weak, and dest.i.tute.

These people, they didn’t care about the brilliance of the doctor. As long as they could be seen and have medicine for free, that was a great blessing of Heaven.

But there were exceptions.

"Young Miss, I-I was just seen. Can you fulfill prescriptions from other people?" asked an older man sitting underneath the straw roof. He was not extending his arm for Miss Jun to take his pulse or describe his systems. Instead, he was holding out a prescription and questioning.

Hu Gui smiled and raised his eyebrows at his nephew.

"Well I’ll be. People are not stupid," he said.