Urban Tales of Demons and Spirits

Chapter 19: The Old Woman's Tale (Part 1)

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Wen Jiubai handed the medicine package to the girl on the far left, and said, "Look at you, you are thin and white, and your energy is not very good. I am afraid that you often have diarrhea, right? A weak spleen and stomach will naturally cause irregular menstruation. Remember to drink the medicine every night. In addition, remember to eat regularly, work and rest regularly, and avoid irritating food. You can drink more barley porridge, which will be very beneficial to you."

The little girl hurriedly took the medicine, and kept thanking her, with some admiration flashing in her eyes.

"Atractylodes atractylodis 9 grams, tangerine peel 4.5 grams, citrus aurantium 9 grams, gallinaceous gold 6 grams, grain buds 9 grams, malt 9 grams." Wen Jiubai handed the medicine package to the second girl, "Your problem is poor digestion of the spleen and stomach. , Don’t always stay at home and don’t go out, exercise more. Eat more green vegetables, and less alcohol and tobacco.”

"Thank you, Mr. Wen!"

"15 grams of peach kernels, 10 grams each of safflower and angelica, 7 grams of Chuanxiong, 5 grams each of red peony root and licorice." Wen Jiubai handed the last packet of medicine to the last girl, "The complexion is dull, the lips are purple, most of them are in the body. There is blood congestion that has not been purified. Drink more hot water during menstruation, and black chicken soup is also very good if you have the conditions. If you have time, it is best to soak your feet in hot water with wormwood every night, and it should be relieved.”

The three girls paid for the medicinal materials and couldn't stop thanking Wen Jiubai. I kept watching the girls leave with my jaw in a state of being stuck.

"Are there so many different prescriptions for the same disease?" I couldn't help asking.

However, Wen Jiubai just glanced at me indifferently, "What's so strange about this? Different people have different constitutions. From this perspective, everyone suffers from different diseases. Each person's body is different, and targeted medicinal materials are selected for treatment."

It seems that Mr. Wen's "Mr." is really not in vain. I clicked my tongue, and my impression of this person was a little less bad.

In this way, I helped Mr. Wen grab the medicine for an afternoon. Unexpectedly, there are quite a few people who come here to see a doctor and get medicine. I have been busy until dusk, and gradually there are no customers.

And Wen Jiubai seemed to be familiar with this rhythm of life, and he was lying on the bench that was supposed to be used for receiving guests with his eyes closed. I was sitting behind the counter, holding my chin, looking at the locust tree in the yard. The setting sun sprinkled the afterglow and dyed the sky red. The color was obviously so red, but it gave people a cold feeling.

Just when I was squinting my eyes and was about to fall asleep, I suddenly heard a voice coming from the door.

"Well, may I ask... Is Mr. Wen there?"

I woke up immediately and looked out the door. Standing outside the door was an old woman with gray hair who looked to be in her sixties. She looked a little embarrassed and was peering through the door.

"Yes." I immediately stood up and asked, "Are you here to get medicine? Just come in."

The old woman nodded, and walked carefully over the threshold into the house. Wen Jiubai on the side opened his eyes and looked at the old woman.

"Is there something wrong with your body?" I asked enthusiastically. After being busy for a long time, I know how to care about the guests.

"No, I'm not here to see a doctor." Unexpectedly, the old woman shook her head, with unspeakable sadness between her brows and eyes, "The medicine can't cure it..."

Wen Jiubai and I looked at each other, and the latter looked at the old woman.

"Are you worried?" Wen Jiubai asked.

"Yes, I... heard that this place can help people solve problems, so I wanted to give it a try with a glimmer of hope."

I stepped out from the counter and moved a chair for the old lady. The old woman quickly thanked her and sat down.

Wen Jiubai told me before that not everyone can enter this store. In addition to wishing, there is also a "fate" with this house. But what exactly is this fate, Wen Jiubai refused to tell me, and said with a haughty look, "Even if I tell you, you won't understand."

But this means that this old woman is also the same as me at that time, and she is a person who has a "fate" with this place, right

The old woman's complexion is not very good, her complexion is yellow, and if you look closely, you can see bags under her eyes, which is why I thought she was here to see a doctor to get medicine at first. She was a little embarrassed, with her hands on her knees stroking each other, and she seemed to think for a long time before she spoke.

"I... want to ask you to help me find a god."

God? I looked at Wen Jiubai in surprise, and found that he also raised one eyebrow, his eyes full of interest.

"Oh?" Wen Jiubai looked at the old woman, "What kind of god is that?"

"This... I can't remember clearly." The old woman shook her head and said regretfully, "That was a long, long time ago."

In this way, the old woman began her story.

"It's ridiculous to say this. Many, many years ago, when I was a little girl, this was not a city, there were no buildings, only small villages built around the water. I was born in a small village by the river. In the village, because I was very naughty when I was young, the adults nicknamed me "Mao Yatou". I dared to go where other girls dare not go. I can go up the mountain to catch snakes or go down to the water to catch fish. At that time, there was a mountain forest not far behind our village. The adults often told us not to play in it, because the mountain was very dangerous. But I was disobedient, and I often ran to the mountain to hunt pheasants and mushrooms, avoiding the eyes and ears of the adults. But one day, I chased a pheasant all the way to a very deep place, and one accidentally fell off the cliff with my feet empty.”

"The cliff was very high. Until now, I couldn't figure out how I was rescued. But when I woke up, I found myself lying at the bottom of the cliff without any injuries. There was a good-looking brother sitting beside me. I was wiping my cheeks with the spring water in the stream. Now that I think about it, he should have saved me from falling off the cliff, but I didn’t even say thank you at that time. That day, he sent me to the foot of the mountain, touched I couldn't bear to leave him, so I asked him, 'Can I come and play with you again?' He didn't say anything, just nodded with a smile."

"So, on the second and third day, I secretly ran to the mountains with my parents on my back, and sure enough, I met that brother every time. I played with him in the mountains, and he would show me various interesting tricks. Once, I asked him why he lived alone in a deep mountain. He pondered for a while and told me that he is actually the patron saint of this mountain. Creatures. I was very surprised. I chased him and asked many questions, and he answered me one by one. He said that he can make trees evergreen, make streams flow long, make people live a hundred years, and make checkmates The person regains his vitality."