Chapter 6 — Her Road Is Still Long

"The barefoot wolf on this page is named Ngo. This is a handwritten copy of his medicinal book. See if you can use it."

I took it and flipped through a few pages. Scribbled writing is unsightly. But all medicinal herbs are fully recorded. Indeed, these are all everyday remedies that can be used.

“Second cousin wants to treat me like a doctor.”

“The doctor is not up to the mark.”

He smiled and replied.

“But you can't just sit idle in this manor all day and be dazed.”

“Find yourself something to do, it's better than thinking about it all day long.”

Having finished speaking, he walked around the yard. Old Trinh kept a yellow dog, tied under a persimmon tree. When it sees a stranger, it doesn't bark, it just keeps wagging its tail. Tham Quy Bach squatted down and rubbed the dog's ears, then raised his head and looked at me:

"In a few days, I will send someone to bring a few carts of bricks and tiles here. This courtyard wall is a bit low, and the wind is strong at night."

“There's no need…”

“Not because of her.”

He stood up, brushed the dust off his hands and looked at me and said:

“It's because I don't feel secure in my heart.”

I don't know what it is about him that makes me feel uneasy. Save my life. Arrange accommodation in the village for me. Traveling from far away to bring medicine and medical books. Of all the men of the Tham Palace that I have ever met, he is the one who owes me the least. But it seems like he always feels like he still lacks something. After that, every ten days, Tham Quy Bach came once. Sometimes they bring medicinal herbs bought from within the city. Sometimes they carry messages from their ancestors. He never stayed too long. Usually I just drink a cup of tea and go. Before leaving, he always stood in front of the kitchen door for a moment, chatted with Mr. Ha a few words about wood, rice, oil, and salt, then asked Mother Tong a few questions about the price of vegetables in the market.

“The second young master is a very delicate person.”

Mother Tong said. I don't answer. Every time he came to Trang Tu, he usually just stood in the yard and said a few words and then left. Never entered the room before. Sometimes he doesn't even bother to sit down. Even the horse didn't get down. Just bent down on horseback, brought a package into the yard and immediately left. But every time he got off his horse, that yellow dog was always the first to run. On the fifth day after I arrived at Trang Tu, Ngo Lang Trung arrived. Old Ngo is over sixty years old this year and has lived in Trang Thanh Tuyen for twelve years. Previously, he used to examine patients at a pharmacy in the district. Later, when he was old, he no longer had the strength to work, so he returned to Trang Tu to take care of his old age. Normally, we only occasionally examine tenant farmers for headaches and fever, and we don't even get paid. The day he arrived, in his hand was half a basket of white grass roots that had just been dug up. As soon as I put it down in front of me, I said:

"I heard that the lady is literate and helped him copy the prescription."

I took the basket and followed him into the newly set up temporary medicinal tent. The medicine tent was set up on the empty land east of the house. All sides are ventilated. Luckily, he hung more grass curtains to block the sun, so it was quite cool inside. Medicine grinding mortar. Medicinal chopping knife. Several clay pots. All kinds of furniture are displayed everywhere. Old Ngo dumped half of the prescription drawer out. The wrinkled papers piled up into a small pile.

“Copy into two copies.”

“A copy for you, Miss keep it yourself.”

The old man sat down on a small stool, stroked his beard and said:

"It's a pity that someone who knows so many words like you doesn't study medicine."

We start copying the first prescription. Medicine to treat wind and cold. Four medicines. Dosages are written in very clear small letters. After copying it for a while, I discovered that Mr. Ngo's prescription was not like the common prescriptions that pharmacies in the city usually prescribe. The amount of food he used was half a pound more than other people. On the contrary, reduce the amount of licorice. He said it was:

“Reduces the sweet and bitter taste, retains the refreshing effect.”

“Uncle Wu, isn't the ritual poisonous?”

“Only poison becomes medicine.”

He threw a peanut into his mouth and chewed until cracking sounds were heard.

"If you're afraid of poison, don't use it."

"When it's time to use it but you don't dare to use it, that's called poison."

Having finished speaking, he squinted his eyes at me:

“Are you scared, miss?”

“Afraid of what?”