When Zhao Shun brought Lin Hongwen to Kangji Hall, the person was already delirious. Xu Shihuai asked Lin Hongwen to be carried directly into the house, asked Zhao Shun a few words, and found that the question was also in vain, and he didn't know anything, so he stopped talking and cut the pulse directly. After cutting the pulse, he hurriedly wrote a prescription for people to grab the medicine, and after being busy for a while, he turned his head and said to Zhao Shun, "Why did you send it when you were so sick?" ”

"Doctor Xu, don't you know, this road construction team came out when they wanted to", Zhao Shun said, "This child's body is already weak, and he has to work outside every day when it's cold, can he not get sick?" This morning, I advised his father, the child is sick like this, just be ruthless and let him come out of the road construction team. ”

Xu Shihuai glanced at Lin Hongwen, who was still asleep, "This kid has a bad foundation, and he has to take care of it for a while when he recovers, so it's best not to do those physical jobs in the future." ”

"Doctor Xu, I was just about to tell you about this", Zhao Shun said, "You see that it is not easy for us to come out here, and I won't tell you anything, a few of us have made up this money, and we don't know if it is enough for the consultation fee." ”

Xu Shihuai pushed back the money in Zhao Shun's hand, "It's not a big problem, I know it's not easy for you, and I won't give him too expensive medicinal materials, if he has nowhere to go, he can live with me temporarily." ”

"That's really good," Zhao Shun said gratefully, "I was worried about where to place him on the road just now." ”

"This kid is about the same age as my son, and it's pitiful to look at", Xu Shihuai sighed, "What's his name?" ”

"Lin Hongwen", Zhao Shun said with a wry smile, "Look at this name, it looks like the name of a scholar." I heard his brother say that he had studied in a private school before, and he had studied well, and if it hadn't been for the disasters that had plagued him for many years, he wouldn't have come here. ”

Xu Shihuai also sighed, "The world is not good, and you are blind to such a child." ”

"Doctor Xu, you just said that he is about the same age as your son-in-law?" Zhao Shun asked, "Why don't I seem to have seen him?" ”

"What about in England", mentioning his son, Xu Shihuai seemed a little melancholy, "I am young, I don't know how thick the sky is, I shout every day that I have the skills of Shiyi to control it, and I don't learn the ancestral Chinese medicine, I have to learn Western medicine, and I don't know what I can learn?" ”

"Don't worry about Dr. Xu", Zhao Shun comforted, "I don't read much, but I have also heard a saying, read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles." Your son-in-law went to such a far place, and when he came back one day, that vision and insight are definitely not comparable to ordinary people. ”

"Alas, accept your auspicious words", Xu Shihuai said, "I don't expect him to be promising, I just hope that he can come back safely." ”

"Doctor Xu relaxes", Zhao Shun said, "You have been treating diseases and saving people for so many years, isn't this wish fulfilled by God?" ”

While the two were talking, Lin Hongwen in the back room woke up, Xu Shihuai immediately went in to take care of it, and Zhao Shun also followed. I only saw that Lin Hongwen's eyes were blank, and I saw Zhao Shun come to a clueless sentence, "Uncle, what is new?" ”

14.

Zhao Shun was stunned for a moment when asked, and then suddenly remembered that this was what he said halfway in the morning, and he couldn't help but be happy, "You kid still have the heart to worry about this?" ”

Lin Hongwen sat up and grinned.

"Actually, it's not a big deal," says Zhao Shun, "and there is a place by the river, and the Russians have assigned it to the people living by the river, and named it China Street (1). ”

"China Street?" Lin Hongwen looked at Zhao Shun puzzled.

"Yes," Zhao Shun said, "you said that in the territory of the Chinese, a place for the Chinese to live in, and the name is Zhong. National Street, what's going on? ”

"If the country is weak, it is inevitable to be bullied", Xu Shihuai asked people to bring a big bowl of ginger soup and let Lin Hongwen take it while it was hot, "Although your foundation is not good, fortunately, you are still young, and it is not a big problem to take care of it well." During this time, you can rest assured that you will live in the hospital, and you will not be worried about your uncle. ”

Lin Hongwen saluted Xu Shihuai, "Thank you, doctor." ”

Zhao Shun saw that he was awake, and Xu Shihuai took care of him, thinking that he could explain to Lin Xingshen when he went back. He instructed Lin Hongwen a few words, asked him to listen to Xu Shihuai's words, and went back in a hurry.

"Cheng Yu, go find a set of Qingzhi's clothes", Xu Shihuai commanded, turning his head to look at Lin Hongwen, "My son is two years older than you, and his previous clothes must be suitable for you to wear." ”

"Thank you, Dr. Xu", Lin Hongwen said, "I don't know each other, but I have caused you so much trouble." ”

Xu Shihuai waved his hand, "Don't say anything troublesome in the future, this is the duty of a doctor." ”

"Yes," Lin Hongwen replied with a smile.

Lin Hongwen's fever was cured after two days of recurrence, and he was embarrassed to eat white food, so he found something to do. Although he is young and doesn't talk much, he has good eyesight and does things carefully. After a few days, the people in the hospital had a good impression of him. Xu Shihuai saw it in his eyes, and called Lin Hongwen to him this day, "You kid is well-behaved, are you tired of working inside and out in the past two days?" ”

Lin Hongwen shook his head, "I don't understand most of the things in the medical hall, I just pick up some things I can do and do it, and I can't help much." ”

"You're just sick, don't be too tired," Xu Shihuai said, "You don't think you can help much, others don't think so." Although you are young, you can't call in vain, starting tomorrow, you will be like Cheng Yu and them, receiving monthly wages. ”

Lin Hongwen shook his head vigorously, "No, Doctor Xu, I just started it, how can I still count this as a salary." ”

Xu Shihuai said with a smile, "You kid, if you don't get paid, after a long time, how can they be embarrassed to let you do it." ”

Lin Hongwen thought about it, and Xu Shihuai continued, "I heard your uncle say that you have studied in private school for a few years, which is very good." There was a guy who had unclean hands and feet before and let me get out, and then I didn't recruit anyone to fill it, Cheng Yu has always helped with the work, and he is really hard, just so you fill this vacancy. ”

"But I don't understand that."

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand, just learn", Xu Shihuai said, "Zheng Yun you know, right?" ”

Lin Hongwen nodded, and Xu Shihuai continued, "I'll tell him tomorrow, you follow him first to familiarize yourself with the medicinal materials." ”

Lin Hongwen was naturally happy to have a salary, he had just saved some thoughts, thinking of helping out in the hospital, and Xu Shihuai was embarrassed to drive him away. Otherwise, where can he go in this cold winter? But Lin Hongwen is happy about this, and some people are unhappy. Cheng Yu was the first to be unhappy, originally he wore two hats, although it was hard, but he could still cope with it, Xu Shihuai saw that he was hard, and always gave him more wages. Now that Lin Hongwen has filled this vacancy, there will naturally be less money.

Although Lin Hongwen is not very old, he can still observe words and feelings. He saw that Cheng Yu was unhappy, so he didn't dangle in front of him if he had nothing to do, so as not to be squeezed.

For several days, Lin Hongwen followed behind Zheng Yun, watching him grasp the medicine, while remembering the name, shape and placement of the medicinal materials. In the evening, Zheng Yun finished work, he was not idle, he lit the lamp and boiled the oil by himself, and continued to familiarize himself with the medicinal materials. Xu Shihuai sometimes has time, and he will explain to him the uses of some medicinal materials, and Lin Hongwen remembers them one by one.

15.

Approaching the Chinese New Year (2), Aunt Feng was busy cleaning the house inside and out in the hospital, and Lin Hongwen would help her clean up when she was free. On this day, when he was cleaning the study, Lin Hongwen casually took the book from the shelf, and there were four words on the cover - the Atlas of the Sea Kingdom, and flipped through it, which talked about the humanities and history of various countries. At a glance, the entire shelf was filled with this book, and I don't know how many volumes there were.

Lin Hongwen asked puzzledly: "Aunt Feng, Doctor Xu still reads these books?" I thought they were all medical books. ”

"This is not the master's study", Aunt Feng said with a smile, "I finished cleaning the master's study yesterday, this is the young master's study, and these books were bought by him before." ”

"But how come I've never seen him?"

"I heard the master say that the young master is studying in England, the place is very far away, and it will take a long time to get there by steamship", Aunt Feng thought for a while and said, "The young master has been gone for almost two years, and it is estimated that he will be back soon." Alas, come back quickly, so that the old man will always worry about him. ”

"Why did Dr. Xu let him go so far?"

"That's a long story," Aunt Feng said, "The lord used to treat a big official, and after the illness was cured, the big official prepared a lot of money to reward the master, but the master refused to accept anything other than the consultation fee. The official always felt that he owed the lord a big favor, and the old man's family had been in correspondence with each other for all these years. Later, when the official heard that the young master was bent on seeking to study the country, he made a recommendation and let the young master go to England. ”

Lin Hongwen thought that he might not be able to go so far in his life, so he came back to his senses and looked at the book in his hand, "Aunt Feng, can I borrow the books here?" I just looked through it and thought it was interesting. ”

Aunt Feng thought for a while and said, "You still have to tell the master about this, I think he will definitely agree, but you should still sue him." ”

Lin Hongwen nodded, put the book back in its place, and then helped Aunt Feng clean the house.

The next day, Lin Hongwen took the time to tell Xu Shihuai about wanting to borrow a book, but Xu Shihuai just told him to remember to put it back after reading it. Lin Hongwen took out the map of the sea country when he got the order, and bowed his head to read every day when he was free.

It snowed on the thirtieth day of the Chinese New Year's Eve, there was no one in the medical hall, Lin Hongwen was sweeping the snow in front of the door, and suddenly saw two figures in the distance who were particularly familiar, and when he saw the person clearly, he threw the broom and ran over.

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(1) In the middle of the present Daoli District. Yong Street

(2) 1899