But upon further thought, she understood. She was now the most respected person in the village, and it was an immense honor for anyone to have her personally oversee such an important event as a wedding.
Alright, it seemed she was destined to become a walking matchmaker.
Dai Fa was a bit tipsy, so Gu Qingcheng asked Mi Guo to escort him home. She didn't want him to fall asleep on a lounge chair and catch a chill.
On the way home, she ran into Zhu Liang from the pharmacy.
Zhu Liang said that Wu Yu was already able to walk around, so Wu Fan no longer needed to stay by his side all day and had returned to the pharmacy.
Gu Qingcheng then asked him if the pharmacy had been seeing many patients lately.
Zhu Liang thought for a moment and replied, "On and off. Mostly common colds and coughs. There have been quite a few cases of sprains and bruises too."
Gu Qingcheng advised him to stock up on medicine in advance, considering the current weather. She explained that with the fluctuating weather, more people might fall ill, and if they didn't have enough medicine, it could cause panic in the village.
Gu Qingcheng chatted with him for a while longer about the pharmacy's affairs and then went to the pharmacy with him to take a look.
The Phoenix Village pharmacy already had the appearance of a large apothecary. Tall medicine cabinets reached the ceiling, each labeled with the names of the herbs inside. Several pharmacy assistants were busy attending to patients.
The ailments were not severe – children with upset stomachs, the elderly with colds and headaches. Gu Qingcheng felt a little relieved.
She instructed Zhu Liang to provide her with daily updates on the pharmacy's activities, including the number of patients, their conditions, and a general headcount.
Zhu Liang nodded in agreement.
Gu Qingcheng added, "You'll need an accountant for this. I'll have Mr. Jiang see if he can find someone suitable, perhaps among the refugees from downstream."
The recruitment standards for Phoenix Village had become stricter. They weren't accepting just anyone anymore, as some refugees were cunning, deceitful, or even criminal.
If they took everyone in without checking their backgrounds, wouldn't the village become a haven for wrongdoers, perhaps even a bandit stronghold?
Previously, they had recruited indiscriminately to quickly expand their workforce. But now, Gu Qingcheng was focusing on rectifying discipline.
Those with poor behavior or past offenses had been dismissed.
Individuals with questionable pasts who had not yet been caught would naturally curb their actions upon sensing the shift in atmosphere.
Gu Qingcheng then went to inspect the pharmacy's backyard.
The backyard was a flat area overlooking a valley, receiving ample sunlight, and was covered with various medicinal herbs.
There were Cornus officinalis, Prunella vulgaris, honeysuckle, and Eclipta prostrata. Gu Qingcheng recognized a few of them. She picked a handful of herbs and brought them to her nose. The potent medicinal aroma made her nod in approval.
Gu Qingcheng asked Zhu Liang, who had followed her, "Are you the best doctor here now? I heard the villagers praise you as 'Yi Zhan Qing.' What does that mean?"
Zhu Liang replied humbly, "I wouldn't dare claim to be the best doctor, but the 'Yi Zhan Qing' is indeed accurate. It's not solely due to my skill, but the profoundness of Chinese medicine.
'Yi Zhan Qing' means that from the moment a patient finishes their medicine until they wash the medicine cup, the patient's condition shows signs of improvement. For example, someone's cough might stop, or their stomachache might subside. That's roughly what it means."
Gu Qingcheng gave him a thumbs-up.
However, the very next day, Gu Qingcheng personally experienced the efficacy of "Yi Zhan Qing."
She woke up in the morning with severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. Upon reflection, she suspected it was from eating leftover raw fish that was not fresh.
Mi Guo blamed herself, regretting that she had forgotten to put the remaining raw fish into the storage cabinet for her sister.
Gu Qingcheng, not wanting to waste food, had eaten it, which resulted in her illness.
She had intended to tough it out, but Mi Guo had already rushed to fetch Zhu Liang.
After a thorough examination, Zhu Liang confirmed she had eaten spoiled food and declared it a minor issue.
He quickly returned with Chinese medicine. He first burnt a portion of the medicine into ash, mixed it with water, and said it was to stop the diarrhea.
Gu Qingcheng, looking at the grayish liquid, forced herself to drink it.
To her surprise, after drinking it, the diarrhea stopped.
Zhu Liang then brewed another bowl of herbal soup and handed it to Gu Qingcheng, instructing her to drink it while it was still steaming, emphasizing that the medicinal properties were most effective when the steam was still present.
Oddly enough, Gu Qingcheng, who normally resisted taking medicine, felt no such aversion this time, perhaps due to her illness. She picked up the bowl and drank it down.
By the time she finished washing the bowl, her stomach was no longer gurgling or aching. She had personally experienced the profoundness of Chinese medicine.
Gu Qingcheng stayed in bed for half the day, feeling much better by the afternoon and refreshed enough to go out for a stroll.
Before she could even reach the door, Gou Sheng came to find her, stating that he had gathered information on all the school-aged children in the village.
Gu Qingcheng invited him inside for tea, encouraging him to speak slowly.
Of course, when drinking tea with Gou Sheng, the main focus was on feeding him snacks: peanuts, candy, and pastries.
Gou Sheng was so engrossed in eating that he almost forgot the purpose of his visit.
The village had over 700 households, with 102 children eligible for school. Among them, 32 were unwilling to attend.
The reasons were varied. For instance, Zhang Dabao was introverted and didn't want to be around many people;
Liu Chengming, having attended a private tutor, questioned what he could learn here and feared his knowledge would be stolen, so he was unwilling to go;
Zheng Shenchun wanted to herd cattle instead of going to school;
Zhao Sanniang felt embarrassed to go to school in tattered clothes as she didn't have new outfits.
"Oh dear, what kind of reasons are these?"
Gu Qingcheng chuckled, recording each one.
However, with Gou Sheng's detailed verbal list, Gu Qingcheng could now address each issue individually.
She patted Gou Sheng's little head and gave him a bag of milk candy.
Gou Sheng accepted the milk candy, feeling that his recent efforts were worthwhile. This was milk candy, something few children in the village had ever tasted, and those who had received it from young master Gu. Now, he had a whole bag to brag about to the entire village for a long time.
Gu Qingcheng took the list and went to find Huang Wenming, asking him to accompany her on home visits to persuade the children to attend school.
Huang Wenming had been consistently wearing his elegant scholar's attire lately. A man in love is often spirited, and he spent his days looking refined, seemingly trying to captivate someone.
Gu Qingcheng handed him the list of children unwilling to attend school. Huang Wenming glanced at it and said,
"So many people. If they don't want to come, then don't."
In the past, parents would plead to have their children admitted to school. The children of ordinary families couldn't afford it, with annual expenses around thirty taels of silver. The teachers could afford to be choosy.
Now, asking Huang Wenming to coax children into attending school was something he naturally resisted.
Gu Qingcheng understood his mindset and said,
"Mr. Huang, if you don't go, Gui Xiang and I will go ourselves."
"What, Gui Xiang is going too?"
Upon hearing that Gui Xiang would be present, Huang Wenming's spirits lifted.
He used to talk to Gui Xiang about work when they were at the academy. But now, ever since his proposal, Gui Xiang seemed to be avoiding him, keeping her distance and not speaking to him, perhaps to avoid suspicion.
Huang Wenming was tormented, feeling incredibly frustrated.
Now, Gu Qingcheng had created an opportunity for them to interact. How could he not seize it?