The extra food and dishes were distributed by Zhu Shunyao to familiar and friendly villagers. It was a common custom here; leftovers from banquets were always shared, fostering a sense of reciprocity among neighbors.
The Zhu family finally moved into their new house. Indeed, the new home was comfortable. Zhu Yanyi and Zhu Yanli shared one room, giving them their own private space. Zhu Shunyao and her wife had another room. They also kept one room empty for guests and set up a small separate room specifically for Zhu Yanyi to treat patients.
Zhu Yanyi only needed to complete the study tasks assigned by her masters regularly, so she did not need to go there every day. She spent her time either at the Xie family’s house or her own. Since it was summer vacation, Zhu Yanli was also resting. The two sisters alternated days, spending one day at the Xie house and the next at home.
One day, Zhu Yanyi was reading while Zhu Yanli did her summer homework beside her. A floor fan turned slowly, and buckets of well water were placed in the room, keeping the air cool.
"Ani! Ani! Help us!"
A shout broke the silence. Several people rushed in. One man was carrying a young man on her back. The carrier was Lei Yao. Zhu Yanyi did not recognize the person being carried.
"Uncle Lei Yao, please put him down quickly," Zhu Yanyi said, pointing to a bed in the small hall. Zhu Shunyao had specially had this bed made for Zhu Yanyi to use for patients.
Lei Yao laid the man down. "This is an agricultural technician from town. He came to teach us farming knowledge. Today, he accidentally stepped on a snake in the fields, so we brought him to you." Lei Yao wiped the sweat from his forehead. Snake bites often led to death, but if someone died in Gǎn'ēn Village, it would be hard to explain to the authorities.
Zhu Yanyi nodded. She tore open the man’s trouser leg. Her entire leg had turned black.
"Good thing he didn’t run on his own. Good thing Uncle Lei Yao carried him. If he had walked, the snake venom would have killed him by now."
Zhu Yanyi took a small medical kit from a nearby cabinet. She opened it, took out a small scalpel, and gently made a cut at the wound. Then, she picked up some silver needles. With a flick of her wrist, the needles seemed to have a mind of their own, piercing into the man’s leg. The villagers watching were amazed.
They were villagers, but they knew acupuncture was a national treasure. Not everyone could do it. Even some traditional Chinese doctors did not perform acupuncture like Zhu Yanyi. They marveled at her skill. Truly, she was the daughter of the Medicine Buddha. Truly, she was the representative chosen by the Bodhisattva.
As the silver needles entered, black blood slowly flowed from the cut. Zhu Yanyi had already placed a spittoon there. All the black blood flowed into it.
Taking this opportunity, Zhu Yanyi lit incense before the Guanyin portrait on the wall. She took a cup, waved her hand over it after lighting the incense, and suddenly, a cup of Spirit Spring water appeared in it, as if by magic.
"Who can help me fetch a basin of clean water? Not well water. Use rainwater," Zhu Yanyi said.
"I’ll go," said one of the men behind Lei Yao. He quickly returned with a basin of rainwater. Rainwater, also known as rootless water, was collected during rains. In Gǎn'ēn Village, every household had a water vat connected to roof tiles. Whenever it rained, the water flowed directly from the tiles into the vat.