Early in the morning, Su Ci stepped out with a radiant and energetic look.
She walked over to a wonton stall and ordered a steaming bowl of fragrant wontons.
As the hot wontons went down her throat, a cozy warmth spread through her entire body. It was simply the height of comfort.
After finishing her breakfast, Su Ci strolled leisurely toward her medical clinic.
Pushing open the clinic doors, she let the sunlight flood in, casting a soft golden hue over the tables and chairs and filling her with a cheerful mood.
Today was shaping up to be another wonderful day.
Humming a little tune, Su Ci began checking the medicinal herbs.
Inhaling the unique, refreshing fragrance of the herbs, she felt completely relaxed and deeply at ease.
After finishing the inventory, Su Ci found that the clinic was fully stocked with all the ingredients needed for herbal preparations. Without delay, she set out to prepare the Five Poisons Powder and the anesthetic.
Because the Five Poisons Powder was highly toxic and this was her first time brewing it, she followed the recipe step-by-step with the utmost caution, not daring to be careless for even a second.
Fortunately, the preparation wasn't overly difficult, and within the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the powder was ready.
Next, she moved on to the anesthetic.
The anesthetic was even simpler, taking no more than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.
Looking at the Five Poisons Powder and the anesthetic sealed inside their porcelain bottles, Su Ci wore a satisfied smile.
She glanced at the system interface and saw that it still had an hour left to complete its upgrade, so she left it be.
For some reason, the streets were unusually crowded today.
Having arrived in this world only half a month ago, this was the first time Su Ci had ever seen the streets packed shoulder-to-shoulder with such a bustling, lively scene.
Curious, she walked over to a vegetable stall right outside her door and asked the woman selling vegetables, "Good morning, Auntie Lin! Is there some special occasion today? Why is the street so lively?"
"Oh, it's you, Su girl. Today is the fifteenth, did you forget? It's our monthly grand market day, and people from all the surrounding villages have come. Of course it's lively!" Auntie Lin replied while calling out to customers to buy her vegetables.
"Ah! Is it the fifteenth already?" Su Ci exclaimed. "I completely lost track of time. No wonder it's so bustling today."
Recalling the local customs, she remembered that the town indeed held a grand market on the fifteenth of every month.
People buying, people selling, street performers, storytellers, and casual shoppers—whenever this day rolled around, the streets were always full of excitement.
Auntie Lin enthusiastically tried to make a sale: "Su girl, would you like to take a bunch of green vegetables? Look at these—your uncle just picked them this morning. See how tender and fresh they are!"
Su Ci examined the vegetables and took them. "They really are. Your family's vegetables are always so fresh and delicious. Let me have a bunch, Auntie."
Auntie Lin beamed. "That mouth of yours is as sweet as ever, Su girl. Let me tie them up for you so they're easier to carry home."
As she handed the vegetables over, Auntie Lin asked, "There's going to be a storyteller at the Su Tea House later. Would you like to come along and listen with me?"
Su Ci thought about it and agreed. "All right. My clinic doesn't have much going on anyway. When you're done with your stall, just come get me."
"Good. I'll get back to work for now, and I'll come find you in a bit."
Bidding farewell to Auntie Lin, Su Ci returned to the clinic and took advantage of her free time to open the Compendium of Spirit Flora and read it attentively.
In the afternoon...
"Su girl, let's go! Time for the storytelling," Auntie Lin's voice called out, pulling Su Ci out of her deep immersion in the book.
"Coming right now!" Su Ci replied as she carefully put away the Compendium of Spirit Flora and walked out.
"Hurry up, Su girl, or all the good seats will be gone," Auntie Lin urged, grabbing Su Ci's hand and breaking into a light jog all the way to the Su Tea House.
The Su Tea House was a two-story establishment. It wasn't large, but it was comfortably decorated.
Normally at this time of day, only a few wealthy and leisurely gentlemen would be found here drinking tea and chatting.
Today, however, the first-floor hall was packed three layers deep, with barely any room left to set foot down.
Up on the stage, a storyteller was already standing ready.
"...Seeing this, Li Xiangyi struck his horse's saddle, shooting forward like an arrow released from a string. With the crushing momentum of a thunderbolt, he closed in on the bandit. The Shaoshi Sword in his hand flickered like a white snake darting out its tongue, accompanied by a piercing whistle as it thrust straight for the bandit's vital points!"
"The bandit was no slow-witted either; he swung his long saber forward with all his might, forcefully blocking Li Xiangyi's lethal strike. Then, the bandit kicked off the ground with force, his body flying backward parallel to the floor."
"Seeing this, Li Xiangyi tapped his toes lightly, weaving through the air like a swimming dragon as he gave chase. His swordplay grew faster and faster until the bandit had no time to react at all, forced entirely onto the defensive."
"Suddenly, Li Xiangyi unleashed a move called 'Bright Moon Sinks into the Western Sea', transforming his long sword into a flash of lightning that pierced straight toward the bandit's heart..."
The storyteller delivered the tale with blazing passion, his eloquence flowing like a lotus blossom.
He maintained an excellent pace, rendering the story thrilling, vivid, and utterly captivating.
Su Ci and everyone around her were completely engrossed in the magnificent world painted by the storyteller, listening with rapt attention and chiming in with cheers and applause from time to time.
With a sharp *crack*, the storyteller slammed his gavel down hard. "Respected elders and neighbors, that concludes today's story. If you wish to know what happens next, tune in for the next installment!"
With that, he packed up his props, bringing today's performance to a close.
"Let's go, Auntie Lin," Su Ci said, snapping back to reality and calling out to her. "It's time for us to head back."
A look of lingering reluctance remained on Auntie Lin's face. "That story was so wonderful. We definitely have to come back and listen again next time."
Equally excited, Su Ci agreed, "Yes, absolutely! We'll come together next time. What a pity we have to wait until the next market day to hear more of such a fantastic story."
Walking side by side with their arms linked, chatting animatedly about the story they had just heard, they soon returned to the clinic.
Su Ci pushed open the door and invited, "Auntie Lin, have a seat for a moment while I go brew a pot of tea for you."
She walked over to the counter, took out the health tea she had brewed that morning along with a couple of teacups, and brought them over to Auntie Lin.
Auntie Lin sat down on a chair by the entrance and looked around. "You keep this clinic looking very neat, Su girl. Do you plan to keep running it for good?"
Su Ci poured a cup of tea for Auntie Lin, poured one for herself, took a sip to moisten her throat, and replied:
"I do have that plan for now. You know my family's situation. I've been studying medicine with my father since I was a child, and I couldn't bear to watch the clinic close down, so I decided to run it myself."
"That way, not only will the skills my father taught me not go to waste, but I'll also be able to earn an honest living."
Auntie Lin sighed softly. "Ah... Doctor Su was such a wonderful person, why did he have to... The heavens are truly unfair..."
She then patted Su Ci's hand with deep pity. "Good child, if your father could see you now, he would surely be proud. Try to look on the bright side—living your life well is better than anything else. If you ever run into any difficulties in the future, just come find Auntie Lin."
Su Ci smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Auntie, I know. I'll live my life well. Thank you, Auntie Lin."
The two of them sipped their health tea and chatted idly for a while longer.
Despite her kind and warm appearance, Auntie Lin was the neighborhood's most famous gossip hub; there was simply nothing happening in the small town that she didn't know about.
If you wanted to find out about anything, asking her was always the right move.
Seizing the opportunity during their casual chat, Su Ci gently and indirectly sounded Auntie Lin out about matters concerning cultivation and immortals.
Unfortunately, Auntie Lin knew nothing about it. Mistaking Su Ci's curiosity for a simple interest in tall tales about immortals, she even recommended a local bookstore where Su Ci could find pulp fiction novels to read.
After finishing the pot of tea, Auntie Lin looked up at the sky.
"My, how time flies! Looking at the sky, it's getting late. I need to head back and start dinner. You go ahead and get busy, Su girl. We'll chat again when you have time, I'm heading off."
"Take care on your way back, Auntie Lin," Su Ci said. "Drop by for tea whenever you're free next time—I'll treat you to some of my freshly made flower tea."
After seeing Auntie Lin off, Su Ci began tidying up the clinic, ready to close up and head home.