Siheyuan: 55 years, starting from a buyer

Mr. Chen still maintained a humble attitude and bowed his head and said: "I am Mr. Chen, and I have studied Chinese medicine for many years.

I have heard that you are a great doctor who can restore the dead, and you are so famous in the capital, so I came here to learn from you, hoping to receive your teachings."

Wang Shun was slightly surprised by Chen Sheng's unexpected visit. He originally thought that Chen Sheng might have come for medical help, but he did not expect that he came to become a disciple.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "My friend, your name is Mr. Chen? Actually, it has been many years since I accepted a disciple. Maybe the person you are looking for is not me."

In response to Wang Shun's concerns, Chen was determined: "Studying medicine is my lifelong dream. I have spent months reading medical books and hope that you will help me realize my dream."

Seeing Chen Sheng's sincere and resolute attitude, Wang Shun smiled and said, "My friend, why do you have to target me? Are you looking for me just because of my fame?"

After hearing Wang Shun's words, Chen Sheng did not hide anything: "I have indeed heard about it. I made many inquiries before choosing you, sir.

I am well aware of your noble medical skills."

Hearing Chen Sheng's frankness, Wang Shun smiled slightly and joked, "Haha, someone outside gave me a nickname, 'The Money-Loving Man', have you ever heard of it?"

When it comes to this, Mr. Chen does not shy away from the question and says frankly: "It is true. I have sufficient financial resources. If there is any need, I will do my best."

His words revealed his willingness to give.

Wang Shun picked up a bottle of wine in his hand, looked at it carefully, and asked, "This wine must be of a high price. You should have invested in it, right?"

Faced with this question, Mr. Chen did not respond and fell into a brief silence for a while.

Then, Wang Shun continued the topic: "Can you name a few great medical works?"

In response to this question, Chen Sheng confidently answered: "Fortunately, there are more than a hundred medical books in Wang's collection, and I know them all."

Hearing Chen Sheng's brilliant answer, Wang Shun's eyes flashed with admiration. He was obviously curious about the young man's accumulated knowledge. He wondered whether he should test his ability.

"Are you telling the truth about all this?"

Wang Shun asked with some doubts.

Mr. Chen responded respectfully: "Please give me your advice. I will never be vague."

Then, Mr. Chen talked attentively about the properties and uses of various herbs, from "Compendium of Materia Medica" to "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" and "Acupuncture and Moxibustion Classic" and other medical classics, all of which he dealt with with ease.

Wang Shun became more and more impressed with Chen Sheng's wisdom, and his eyes were shining with satisfaction. The young man in front of him obviously had extraordinary knowledge and memory.

After an hour of testing, Mr. Chen's mouth was dry.

Wang Shun immediately arranged for someone to bring clean water to Chen.

"Xiao Chen, go drink some water."

Wang Shun gave instructions to the maid in the room.

Chen Sheng, who was secretly delighted, thought to himself that he had passed the first stage of becoming an apprentice.

At this time, Wang Shun invited Chen Sheng to sit down and further asked: "What is your family background?"

"My parents are healthy, and I have an older brother, but he left home a few years ago to start his own business."

Mr. Chen spoke truthfully, intending to show his determination to be independent.

Then ask: "Why did you choose to study medicine?"

Mr. Chen answered concisely and forcefully: "It comes from love."

However, when Wang Shun heard the reason for his love, he asked, "Just because you like it?"

Mr. Chen nodded without hesitation, his eyes firm: "Yes."

Wang Shun was satisfied to see such an answer. Mr. Chen not only had a deep interest, but also had an unswerving determination. This trait made his eyes brighter.

"Why do you want me to be your master?"

Wang Shun had already asked this question, but he couldn't help but confirm it again.

Mr. Chen was a little embarrassed at the moment, scratching his head in a simple and honest manner: "To be honest, I have visited many people before, but they were all rejected because of their age. Your reputation makes me think it is worth a try."

Faced with Wang Shun's teasing, Mr. Chen smiled embarrassedly and did not give a direct rebuttal.

Chapter 52

Wang Shun explained: "The so-called 'money-hungry' is just a shorthand for outsiders' misunderstanding of me. In fact, our sect's name is 'money hand' because most of the medicinal materials we use are of extremely high value."

After hearing this, Mr. Chen suddenly understood and was secretly delighted. He thought that such medical skills might have been lost in the future. After all, the expensive medicinal materials were not affordable for ordinary people.

"It turns out that I was misunderstood by you, sir. Please forgive me for my previous recklessness.

"Mr. Chen quickly stood up and apologized to Wang Shun.

Wang Shun waved his hands, these misunderstandings have become commonplace.

"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter."

He continued to pay attention to many details, and the two talked for nearly an hour.

Mr. Chen thought to himself that this time, becoming a disciple should be a foregone conclusion.

Finally, Wang Shun asked about his birth date.

After listening to Mr. Chen's answer, Wang Shun fell silent for a while and seemed to be relieved.

“Xiao Chen, my family has three sons, but none of them have the chance to inherit the medical skills because it is not suitable for them.

I have had three disciples in the past, but now only the second one is still alive."

Wang Shun narrated his past experiences.

Mr. Chen had some understanding of this, but was still a little confused.

In this era, it is common for people who study medicine to come into contact with some mysterious things. He has also met an old Chinese doctor who would perform divination before prescribing medicine.

Mr. Chen didn't know how to respond and remained silent.

After a moment, Wang Shun continued, “If you are willing, you can become my last student.

"

Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng, who had been a little nervous before, immediately stood up and bowed to him, saying sincerely: "Respected Master, please allow me to kowtow to you."

Wang Shun said, "Your current work situation may not be conducive to studying medicine. After you formally become a disciple, take some disease examples back to study.

In the next few months, I will come here for classes every evening, and first learn how to prepare medicinal herbs and make pills for half a year.

On weekends or in my spare time, I go to the clinic for internship.”

“Follow the instructions.

"Mr. Chen replied respectfully.

Wang Shun asked about his residence, "I will choose an auspicious day to inform you, please provide me with the address.

"

After everything was arranged, Wang Shun looked at his watch and suggested, "Why don't we have lunch together, and then you can go home.

"

Chen Sheng was full of gratitude, “Thank you very much, Master.

"

The hard work of finding a master has now paid off with a satisfactory result. Although I thought of using money to pave the way at the beginning, it now seems that the other party has not asked for anything substantial.

Mr. Chen thought deeply and decided that talent was more important. If one tested someone's knowledge, it was uncertain whether others would accept it even if they gave away their wealth.

When Wang Shun mentioned the origin of their sect, he mentioned that their original purpose was to treat illnesses of powerful officials and wealthy people, but this did not affect Chen Sheng's choice.

He only wanted to learn the skills; background was not important.

Who would be willing to bother an old man in his seventies or eighties ten years later?

Moreover, Mr. Chen was confident that he had grown up by then and could fully cope with the living needs of his master.

When saying goodbye, Mr. Chen did not return to his extended family, but went directly home to reunite with his parents.

It happened that his parents were resting at home today, so Mr. Chen immediately reported his experiences of the day, including his new master, Doctor Wang Shun.

Because when the master chooses the formal day for apprenticeship, parents must also participate in the ceremony.

Although Mr. Chen had set up his own school, his family was still very happy that their second son had become a disciple of a famous teacher.

His mother hurriedly asked his father to prepare the offerings.

However, Mr. Chen chose to take care of it himself so that his father wouldn't have to run around to do favors.

If it was really necessary, he planned to make a few more trips so that he could get everything he needed.

However, Chen's plan was met with severe questioning from his mother.

She insisted that these were the parents' responsibility and that children did not need to understand the red tape.

Therefore, Mr. Chen had no intention of preparing on his own.

At night, when the eldest brother returned, the whole family expressed great support for Mr. Chen to study medicine. They believed that having a doctor at home would bring great convenience.

The brother and sister-in-law even generously said that if Mr. Chen needed any funds, he could ask for it.

After dinner, the family was having a great time and Mr. Chen rode his bike back to the community.

When I entered, I found it quiet. Perhaps everyone had rested.

Perhaps because of the lack of entertainment, Yan Fugui was the only one left to look after the gate.

Seeing Mr. Chen dressed neatly and pushing his bicycle in, Yan Fugui hurried forward to greet him.

He knew that he could often get snacks such as melon seeds from Mr. Chen.

He thought to himself that he was probably the only one who could be so generous in the community. After all, the other neighbors had already had enough of Yan Fugui's attention.

"Xiao Chen, why are you back so late? If you're any later I'll have to lock the door.

Yan Fugui stepped forward and asked in greeting.

“I went to my master’s house today.

"Mr. Chen answered bluntly that this kind of thing would spread sooner or later, so it would be better to ask Yan Fugui to spread it.

"What are you going to do? To become a disciple?" Yan Fugui was a little confused.

“I always wanted to study medicine.

I have an introduction today, so I may come home later, Third Uncle, I may need your help in the future."

Mr. Chen explained the situation.

"Oh, great! It will be much more convenient for us to see a doctor in the future!" Yan Fugui seemed very happy, but perhaps he had not yet realized that trouble was about to come.

“It’s actually no problem for me. After I learn it, I can help everyone with their medical treatment.

The problem is that ordinary families may not be able to afford it.

"Mr. Chen laughed inwardly, using this fact to make Yan Fugui understand his difficulties.

"Well, just charge less.

“Yan Fugui guessed that Mr. Chen’s consultation fee would be high.

Then, Mr. Chen further elaborated: "Uncle, the truth is, my master is known as the 'Money Hand' and specializes in treating high-ranking officials.

The herbs he requested were precious, like ginseng, ganoderma lucidum, and deer antler.”

On the one hand, Mr. Chen stated the truth, and on the other hand, he used this to avoid a lot of trouble in the future.

"What a pity, this is a huge sum of money for an average family.

"Yan Fugui seemed a little embarrassed.

Suddenly, Mr. Chen made a request: "By the way, Uncle San, please do me a favor.

I may come back very late often, please help me open the door, in return, I will give you five catties of flour every month."

After thinking about it, Mr. Chen realized that he should repay Yan Fugui.

The frequent daily trips in and out of the house inconvenience him, undermine his dignity and may lead to criticism.

Giving something in return can make both parties happier and avoid unnecessary attention.

Hearing this, Yan Fugui was very happy: "That's great! This is such a piece of cake! I'll go get the flour after get off work tomorrow."

Knowing that you can get this "benefit"

, he was ecstatic because he only had to sacrifice some sleep time.

As for Mr. Chen, he plans to combine work time and course time.

He said: "I will go to my master's place later and may not be back until the early morning. At that time, I will rely entirely on the care of the third uncle.

I will give you white flour tomorrow."

“No rush, just do your thing, you can get it anytime.

"Yan Fugui was surprised and satisfied with this good thing.

At this time, Mr. Chen was preparing to go home to have a good rest and continue his journey tomorrow.

"See you tomorrow..." Yu Fugui was still immersed in the joy of getting five kilograms of flour, and even hesitated in his words.

On the third day, when Chen Sheng left the pharmacy, a clerk told him that he needed to go to his master's house in two days to participate in a ceremony of apprenticeship.

The news immediately spread throughout the pharmacy, and everyone understood that Mr. Chen had officially started his apprenticeship career.

No one else made much comment on this matter. Manager Li simply mentioned that he hoped that studies would not affect daily work.

After finishing his work, Mr. Chen went home immediately and told his parents about the upcoming apprenticeship ceremony.

They prepared everything they needed for the occasion, and his mother even bought him a new set of clothes to make sure he was dressed neatly that day.

Apart from the expenses required for the initiation ceremony, all preparations were done by the parents.

They knew very well that in the past, the investment in learning medicine was extremely huge. There was an example mentioned that thirty-five years ago, the entry fee for a famous doctor was as high as two hundred dollars, and sometimes even more than that amount.

To this end, Mr. Chen prepared five hundred dollars in advance and gave it to his father, who took it to the ceremony and handed it over to Wang Shun.

“Why do you need so much money?”

The mother asked in surprise.

Chen Sheng smiled and said, "It is usually more expensive to be a medical apprentice. This is the regulation of the industry."

He explained it to his mother.

"Oh, it's so expensive! I must study hard to justify the money.

But where did you get the money from?"

The mother asked further.

"Mom, don't worry about this.

This is money earned legitimately, not stolen or robbed.

If I need anything, I'll let you know."

Mr. Chen did not directly disclose the source of funds.

The mother wanted to ask more, but was stopped by the father.

The father believes that children need personal space as they grow up and parents should not interfere too much.

In fact, they should learn to let go and let their children take care of some things on their own, which also reflects the care and support that parents should have.

The scheduled day finally arrived, and the whole family took leave and came to Wang Shun's house early.

In Wang Shun's home, a portrait of the ancestor is hung in the hall. Although there is no incense hall, everyone is quite cautious as it is not appropriate to be too extravagant at this time.

Wang Shun welcomed Chen Sheng's parents in to talk, and arranged for Wu Lin to go out with Chen Sheng to greet the guests.

After the ceremony, Mr. Chen quietly waited for visitors. Today, in addition to family and friends, there were also some close friends of Wang Shun, which symbolized that Wang Shun had officially introduced Mr. Chen to the circle of peers and hoped that everyone would pay more attention to him.

In the modern society where the country has been established for many years, many of the old complicated customs have been simplified a lot.

At the apprenticeship ceremony, only Wang Shun, his wife, and Chen Sheng's parents sat in the main hall.

Mr. Chen kowtowed to the ancestor and Wang Shun in turn and offered tea as a sign of respect, thus ending the ceremony.

The family dinner that followed was not very grand, with only two tables of dishes.

Since only the eldest brother and two sisters from Wang Shun's side were present, they were all not young.

Other young brothers were still in their internship period and were not allowed to attend.

The owner of the drug store and several friends in the same industry participated in the feast.

Wang Shun introduced everyone to Chen one by one, and the banquet began.

After thinking about this, Mr. Chen thought that maybe it was time to take this opportunity to redecorate his home.

Soon, I will start to learn from my master formally. I will probably be even busier and may not have time to take care of the decoration.

And recently, the transfer of public property to private property is being promoted. It is a good opportunity to seize so that you can truly own a home and save yourself many troubles in the future.

Despite several recent calls to convert public housing into private property, since such policies are usually not implemented for long, many workers believe that privatization may not be cost-effective because the public housing allocated is not much different from their own houses.

One day, on his way to the office, Mr. Chen met the community director Uncle Wang by chance. He took the opportunity to inquire about the issue of converting public housing into private property rights.

"Director Wang, I heard that the street is going to promote the conversion to private property again."

Mr. Chen took the initiative to ask.

"Oh, it's Xiao Chen. Indeed, such a document has been issued, actively encouraging residents to convert public housing into private property.

Are you interested? However, this process may involve a lot of expenses! Many people think it is not worth it.

"Uncle Wang responded that his view is the same as many others. After all, today's enterprises and institutions provide comprehensive living security, including various benefits such as housing.