Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 113 Xihe Medicine
Life is often unpredictable, and Liu Bei ultimately failed to abduct Gao Shun.

In fact, if Liu Bei had used some deceptive means or simply bought people with money, Lü Bu probably wouldn't have cared too much about where Gao Shun went.

But Liu Bei was unwilling to do so.

People are not commodities; their own will must be respected.

Gao Shun was honest and upright, refusing to accept money or official positions, and possessed a strong sense of morality. Liu Bei was unwilling to deceive such a person.

Even though he didn't manage to recruit Gao Shun, Liu Bei still intended to give him a future.

After returning to Xihe Pavilion, Liu Bei wrote another letter to Lü Bu, recommending Gao Shun to study under the tutelage of Yueyin...

Kidnapping people isn't something that can be done overnight; it takes time and effort.

It's more important to focus on our own development; that requires constant effort day and night.

The newly built clinic is taking shape and is nearing completion.

When Xiu Niang saw the enormous building, she couldn't believe it was a clinic...

It's too big to call it an official residence.

When Xiu Niang saw that Liu Bei had actually spent fifty million coins to build a medical facility, she became a little timid, afraid that she wouldn't be able to do it well.

However, despite her initial trepidation, Xiu Niang quickly threw herself into her work, for she truly had a passion for saving lives.

Liu Bei issued a public notice to recruit doctors from all over the country to practice medicine, and at the same time, he recruited a large number of medical apprentices, both men and women.

Of course, for the time being, we are only recruiting people who have settled in Xiheting...

The Taihang Mountains are rich in medicinal herbs, and many mountain people recognize common herbs. They can bring medicine as a form of tuition, and with a household registration in Xiheting as a guarantor, they can enter the medical field.

These days, studying medicine still holds a high status, because you have to study literature first to learn medicine. This not only allows you to learn to read and write properly, but also teaches you a trade.

Medical treatment is paid for with medicinal herbs, which is affordable for the mountain people.

The people of Xiheting were abuzz with the news of the medical advancements. Many Taihang leaders went into the mountains overnight and brought out the boys and girls who were hiding there.

Incidentally, more mountain people were also relocated to live near Xiheting.

There aren't many doctors who actually practice here; most of them are just doctors with little reputation.

But it doesn't matter, at least Xiheting Medical's reputation will soon be established.

After a winter, the sound of reading aloud filled the West River Pavilion, adding the last vestige of peace to this once unruly place.

Those doctors who had just arrived at Xiheting Medical Clinic were not used to many of the situations.

For example, there are various hygiene requirements, as well as internship requirements that require teaching before sitting in the classroom.

The purpose of giving a lesson first is naturally to allow Xiu Niang to judge the person's level.

The hygiene requirements were naturally proposed by Liu Bei.

The clinic's most consumed supplies were not medicines, but firewood—used to boil water and sterilize gauze.

Fortunately, Liu Bei was rich... This can be considered as giving the people of Xiheting a derivative industry.

Firewood and medicinal herbs can be sold to the clinic. Although the purchase price is not high, the people of Xiheting are helping their own children who are apprentices in the clinic, so they don't care too much about the price.

Xiuniang herself was not a top-notch doctor; her specialty was dispensing medicine, such as wound medicine.

But she possesses an enthusiasm and receptiveness that are unmatched by others.

She absorbs and organizes anything useful into a case, demonstrating exceptional rigor in her work.

People with great ambitions usually have great perseverance. Once they have the right environment, they don't need to be restrained. They just need to grasp the general direction.

With Guan Yu acting as Xiu Niang's bodyguard, Liu Bei didn't need to spend too much time at the clinic; he simply listed out various regulations for Xiu Niang and became a hands-off manager.

Moreover, Liu Bei provided a business strategy that seemed destined to lose money...

When treating the Han army, no consultation fee will be charged; only the cost of medicine will be charged.

The clinic doesn't charge residents of Xiheting for medicine; they only need to help out at the clinic after they recover, such as by collecting herbs in the mountains. However, outsiders are charged for coming here, and there are also extra charges for outpatient visits, which are particularly expensive.

This might seem like a losing proposition, and it would be difficult to see any results in the short term, but in reality, Liu Bei made a profit as soon as he started operating...

He didn't earn money, he earned people.

Money is something that quickly becomes useless; it must be spent quickly...

As the number of people in Xiheting increased, it became impossible for them to remain hidden in the city indefinitely. However, the current policy of the imperial court was to sell official positions, which could not be sold to Xiheting, an unregistered place.

People in Zhuoxian and Jixian who knew about the existence of Xiheting were all from their own area, so no officials were expected to cause trouble for the time being.

But in another year or two, this place will definitely have to be made public.

Moreover, the world will be different in two years.

With this clinic, at least the peace of Xiheting will not be easily destroyed in the impending chaos.

……

The clinic officially opened in March of the fifth year of the Guanghe era (182 AD).

Liu Bei did not attend the opening ceremony; he was observing mourning for his parents and could not participate in celebratory events.

He is currently getting his equipment ready.

The blacksmiths have settled here and become familiar with the environment.

However, it took a long time to purchase the raw materials, and they were only just ready when the clinic officially opened.

Iron is a monopolized commodity and very difficult to buy. Although there are iron mines in the Taihang Mountains, Liu Bei had no intention of starting by opening a steel mill...

In order to procure high-quality iron, Guan Yu sought help from Xiahou Dun.

Xiahou Dun is probably quite depressed lately. He has sent gifts to Guan Yu many times, but each time he has done so in a somewhat disheartening way.

The first horse that was sent was taken by Liu Bei. Later, when Xiahou Dun saw Guan Yu return, he went to visit him again. As a result, Guan Yu returned the horse to him and even gave Xiahou Dun an extra dwarf horse as a bonus. Guan Yu really didn't like this horse. He was tall and had high requirements for the height and carrying capacity of the horse.

The second time, Xiahou Dun sent a box of horseshoe-shaped gold ingots, which was no small amount, probably two hundred thousand coins.

As a result, Guan Yu exchanged the gold for copper coins and sent them back to Xiahou Dun, saying that he was grateful to Brother Yuan Rang for exchanging the gold for copper, and that he could use the money to make some jewelry for Xiu Niang to prepare for her wedding...

Xiahou Dun was completely bewildered. What did that mean? Wasn't it said that Guan Yu was very poor?

How come they seem to have more money than me?
But Guan Yu always wore straw sandals and hemp clothes, he didn't even have a brocade robe...

Guan Yu's attire and appearance certainly suggest he wasn't wealthy, nor did his home seem well-off... This was a habit of frugality that had been ingrained for many years and was hard to break.

Liu Bei did send Guan Yu a brocade robe, but Guan Yu never wore it, saying that Liu Bei was in mourning and that as a retainer, he could not wear fine clothes.

The third time, Xiahou Dun conducted a thorough investigation and learned that Xiu Niang was Guan Yu's wife, and that Liu Bei would hold a grand wedding after the mourning period was over.

Guan Yu's household had few maids or servants.

So he sent a lot of beautiful women and servants to Guan Yu's house, but instead of giving them directly to Guan Yu, he cunningly gave them to Xiu Niang, saying that he was helping Xiu Niang to equip her household with household items. He thought that he would have to accept them this time.
Xiu Niang did indeed accept all the women who came, and then all these beauties and servants went into the woodshed by the river, where they chopped firewood and cooked for the hospital every day, keeping themselves very busy.

After a period of busy work, Xiu Niang recruited some people, but all of them were returned, saying they were clumsy and incompetent.

Xiahou Dun didn't know what to do.

Not long after, Guan Yu paid a visit to Xiahou Dun, saying that he liked good weapons and that instead of causing trouble, sending some good iron would be most useful...

Xiahou Dun knew, of course, that Guan Yu only wanted to buy iron, but it was still a business transaction, and it would also be a way to build a relationship with Guan Yu, so Xiahou Dun didn't turn down the money.

However, Xiahou Dun felt that people shouldn't be so devoid of desire, so he asked Guan Yu, "Money, horses, and beautiful women are all things that men desire, so why does Yun Chang have no such desires?"

Guan Yu thought for a moment, then took out a bamboo slip from his robes and handed it to Xiahou Dun, answering honestly, "I've seen too much money and fine horses lately, and I've really lost interest. As for beauties... after seeing this painting, even those beauties seem tasteless."

That was a gift from Zhang Fei to Guan Yu; the slender branches bore abundant fruit, and it was indeed very tempting.

(End of this chapter)