In the original owner's memory.
This master, Sun Simiao, came to this border town eighteen years ago, a man in his thirties bringing along a daughter who could barely speak, to settle down here.
The man used all his wealth to buy this piece of land, built an Herbal Hall, and practiced medicine here while raising his daughter.
The master's medical skills might not have been the best, but he was the most sincere and dedicated to his patients, treating the rich, poor, and powerful alike.
Gradually, he earned a reputation.
No one in town would speak of Mr. Sun without a thumbs-up.
Two years ago, an outsider family migrated to the town, reportedly because they had offended some powerful people and were forced to migrate westward, settling in Qingping Town.
This Huang Family comprised hundreds, with many strong martial artists within, and upon arriving in Qingping Town, they occupied a large plot of land adjacent to the Herbal Hall, building houses and cultivating fields, bringing a brief period of prosperity.
The town was no longer peaceful from then on.
With martial arts ingrained from a young age, many in the Huang Family were skilled in combat. Their patriarch, Huang Baiyuan, was a top martial artist in Baihe County. The Huang Family soon became a local tyrant, bullying others and engaging in shady deals, even establishing ties with the county magistrate. No one dared cross them in Qingping Town.
The townspeople were angered but dared not speak out, and the authorities turned a blind eye.
Though the Huang Family fell, a single blow did not destroy them. They had connections in the capital who secretly supported them, forcing them into hiding. But one day, they would rise again.
However, a noble family's outcast, driven to a border town behaving with such arrogance and lack of restraint, was bound to invite disaster.
If their opponents were unaware, it was one thing, but if they knew, just this reason could be enough to leave them with no place to bury their dead.
But perhaps they disdained these ants that could be crushed anytime.
The Huang Family might not pose a threat, but to Lin Miao, they were an insurmountable giant.
A wise man doesn't suffer immediate losses.
If one can't compete, they should avoid direct confrontation. Revenge can wait ten years.
Of course, he wouldn't let the Huang Family off easily either.
He sat through the night till dawn.
Today was the seventh day after the death, the most significant day.
People came to offer condolences.
Despite their tyranny, the Huang Family dared not stop the townsfolk from visiting the Herbal Hall to mourn Sun Simiao, knowing his eighteen years of medical practice benefitted nearly every family in town.
The Huang Family, however foolish, would not provoke such public outrage.
The first to arrive was Mrs. Yun from the tofu shop diagonally opposite the Herbal Hall. Today, she wore mourning clothes, with no makeup, her eyes slightly swollen, as if she had cried before coming.
Yun was a still-attractive widow, whose husband died many years ago, leaving no children. She lived alone, running a tofu shop.
They said she was cursed, hence her husband died within a few years of their marriage.
People in town believed this, so despite her beauty, no man dared marry her.
But who in Qingping Town didn't know Yun's tofu?
The Sun Family's dining table never lacked Yun's tofu. Everyone knew that Yun, in her early thirties, favored the nearing-fifty Mr. Sun, but unfortunately, Mr. Sun never agreed. Whether it was due to Yun's supposed curse was unknown.
The master's health was robust. Had it not been for a sudden external shock, he wouldn't have died so early.
Together, they would have made a good match.
Perhaps with some encouragement, they might have had a little junior disciple or sister.
Maybe, at this moment, Lin Miao should have started calling her "Little Master Mother."
"Mrs. Yun."
Lin Miao and Sun Youwei, in heavy mourning, greeted the visitors together.
"Weiwei, your father's passing truly leaves you in hardship..." Seeing Sun Youwei, Yun couldn't help wiping her eyes again.
Yun offered incense for Sun Simiao, bowed three times, and took a silver note out of her pocket, placing it in Sun Youwei's hand.
"Aunt Yun, I can't accept this money, please take it back." Sun Youwei was startled to find it was fifty taels of silver. The tofu shop brought in 80 to 90 wen a day, maybe two or three taels a month at most. Yun might have taken five years to save up fifty taels. Such a large sum left her feeling unworthy.
"I can only help you this much, Weiwei. If you don't accept it, you'll be looking down on me."
Sun Youwei wasn't used to dealing with such situations and didn't know how to respond, feeling flustered.
"Senior Sister, it's Aunt Yun's kindness, just accept it, and we'll repay it later." Lin Miao interjected.
"Junior Brother, how can we? It's Aunt Yun's hard-earned savings..." Sun Youwei was anxious, thinking they couldn't take someone else's money no matter how poor they were.
"Mrs. Yun, we're planning to leave Qingping Town for Dongshan City after burying our master. If you're willing, come with us." Lin Miao took the liberty to propose.
"You're going to the city?" Yun exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, a change of place, a change of lifestyle." Lin Miao had planned the future throughout the night. Having extraordinary medical skills, there'd be no worry about finding work. Qingping Town was too small, the city had broader opportunities for him to showcase his talents.
Moreover, to practice medicine, he needed a medical license, which required passing a "Physician's" exam.
Without the title, he'd be a wanderer, a Wild Physician.
Even after becoming a "Physician," one must serve as an apprentice for a year to practice independently.
To take the exam, one must go to the city, held every two years, requiring registration as a certified "medical apprentice".
"Junior Brother, are you planning to take the Physician's exam?" Sun Youwei asked, surprised. She knew Lin Miao's level well.
Her father mentioned once that her chances of passing the written part were about fifty percent, and Lin Miao's was less than ten.
With the face-to-face assessment later, he stood no chance at all.
At least two years were needed until Lin Miao was eighteen. Let him experience the "Physician's" exam in the city, recognize his level and gap, and passing before thirty would be a blessing.
Going now was unrealistic.
"Yes, the Physician's exam is in three months. I want to try and gain some experience." Lin Miao saw through his elder sister's thoughts.
Just trying?
Sun Youwei felt relieved since he wasn't overambitious.
"Living in the city isn't cheap. You'll need money for rent and food," Yun remarked.
"I want to open a snack shop, focusing on snacks, but neither my sister nor I have experience, so I'd like your help, Aunt Yun," Lin Miao said, "If the shop starts, we'll give you a 40% share."
"What are snacks?"
"Snacks are small bites, like snacks outside regular meals. Aunt Yun, tofu can also be made into snacks. I know some recipes. You'll see them then." Lin Miao explained.
Tofu as snacks?
Yun had been married for ten years. When her husband was alive, he taught her all his skills, but she didn't know tofu could become snacks.
Even Sun Youwei was curious, the seed of intrigue sprouting within her.
"I'm not a licensed physician yet, unable to treat patients, so I must find other ways to earn money," Lin Miao said. Medicine required credentials. Without them, he risked jail. Those were the world's rules.
But food, clothing, housing, and transportation were essentials.
Once the right niche was found and built up, while it might not make him rich, basic necessities would be safe.
Currently, that's their goal.
As for the "Physician" exam, as long as his master's notes were intact, and it was based on skill, there'd be no issue.
He had confidence; after all, the so-called "small-town test taker" didn't earn that title for nothing.