The Lucky Farmgirl

Chapter 1700 - 1675: Lending a Hand

Bai Erlang wrapped the blanket tighter around himself and mumbled, "It’s so cold..."

Manbao noticed that they hadn’t stirred, so she couldn’t help but poke her head into the room for a look. Seeing Bai Erlang still asleep, she went in to look as well.

Bai Erlang shifted a bit inside the blanket, finding a more comfortable position to continue lying down.

Manbao reached out and joined Bai Shan in pulling his blanket, which he couldn’t resist, and had to stick his head out, glaring at them in confusion, "What are you trying to do?"

Manbao said, "The sun is almost up; why are you still sleeping?"

Bai Erlang still didn’t understand them, "Isn’t this weather perfect for sleeping? Why did you get up so early?"

The weather was slightly chilly, but not too cold, just right for covering up with a blanket, which was the best time of the year for sleeping. In the palace, he had to get up early every day to study, so why shouldn’t he enjoy a bit of a lie-in after coming back?

In the end, Bai Shan and Manbao joined forces to drag him out of bed. Once he had washed up and dressed, they directly grabbed two buns for him and dragged him along.

Bai Erlang: ...

He couldn’t help but turn back to look for the teacher, reaching out pitifully, "Sir—"

Mr. Zhuang waved his hand, urging them to hurry and leave.

Bai Shan and Manbao dragged him even faster.

Today, County Magistrate Tang was also taking a day off, so he was leisurely playing chess and drinking tea at home with Madam Tang, feeling very at ease.

The three of them directly rode their ponies over, as the two families weren’t far apart.

The gatekeeper at the side door recognized them and knew they had a good relationship with his master, so he let them in and simultaneously sent someone to the back courtyard to find his master.

When County Magistrate Tang and Madam Tang came over from the garden in the back courtyard, Manbao and Bai Shan were crouching on the ground, watching ants out of boredom, while Bai Erlang stood nearby eating his bun, with those two occasionally tearing off a piece of it to feed the ants.

Not only County Magistrate Tang, but even Madam Tang couldn’t help but pause for a moment, speechless.

Bai Erlang, while eating, simply crouched down as well to watch the ants with them, carefully picking a bit of meat from the bun to throw on the ground for the ants to eat.

Madam Tang looked at them with disdain, glancing toward County Magistrate Tang as if to say, "Is this your friend? Even your son doesn’t play such games anymore."

County Magistrate Tang coughed softly with his fist placed in front of his mouth.

The three simultaneously looked up, and Manbao’s eyes lit up, "Senior Brother Tang, Scholarly Sister-in-law, is it going to rain today?"

Bai Shan’s eyes also lit up, "Senior Brother Tang, we came to discuss something with you."

Bai Erlang asked, "Scholarly Sister-in-law, do you have any tea at home?"

Madam Tang couldn’t help but laugh, then turned to the waiting servants, her face slightly stern, "Why haven’t you served tea to the guests? How do you treat guests?"

Bai Erlang quickly said, "It’s not their fault. At first, we wanted to sit inside; it’s just these two wanted to watch ants. I just choked a bit on this bun earlier, wasn’t thirsty then."

The waiting servants breathed a slight sigh of relief and rushed inside to pour Bai Erlang a cup of tea.

Only then did Madam Tang not pursue the matter.

The couple simply stood by the roadside next to the anthill to talk to them.

The ants were evidently newly appeared, still by the flower bed. She remarked they sweep the house daily, so how could there have been a new anthill on the road early in the morning?

County Magistrate Tang asked Bai Shan, "What brings you here?"

Bai Shan briefly described the recent bustling matter of the Imperial Medical Department’s recruitment, asking, "Could Senior Brother promote this within your jurisdiction, encouraging suitable young women to enter the Imperial Medical Department to study?"

County Magistrate Tang raised his eyebrows and smiled, saying, "What a coincidence. Last night, Zhangbo also came to me about this, suggesting I find some appropriate maidens under my jurisdiction to send there."

Manbao’s eyes lit up, "Scholarly Senior Brother Yang also approached you?"

County Magistrate Tang took a look around, noting more servants up front, then pointed to the garden behind, "Let’s go over there to talk."

In the gazebo in the back garden, once the servants had served tea and retreated, the couple spoke openly without any reservations, "Do you realize the Imperial Medical Department is now blocking many people’s ways?"

County Magistrate Tang smiled, "Everyone is waiting to see you make a fool of yourselves now."

Manbao was puzzled, "Whose way are we blocking?"

"For whom are your terms of employment and service tenure set?" County Magistrate Tang smiled slightly, pointing to Madam Tang, "Ask her if the gatherings of the metro ladies these days have been annoyed about this affair?"

Manbao looked at Madam Tang in surprise, asking, "Scholarly Sister-in-law, do you want to take advantage of the court and undermine our Imperial Medical Department?"

Madam Tang was drinking tea and nearly spat it out upon hearing this. She swallowed the tea helplessly, put down the cup, and said, "Why would I need to?"

She explained, "Though female doctors are rare, given our family’s close relationship with you, we can invite you in the future. After a few years, once you train disciples, we can pay to have them come over when someone’s ill without specially raising one at home."

Manbao felt reassured, nodding repeatedly, "Exactly, they are overthinking it."

Madam Tang shook her head, "It’s not really overthinking; girls are generally more delicate than boys. Our family is simply uncomplicated in terms of population."

The Tang family was indeed simple; after Lord Tang’s wife passed, he remained single, leaving only a few main family members, all male except for Madam Tang, hence no need for a female doctor.

But other large families, not to mention several living together, even within one living independently, counting daughters from concubines, might have a dozen or more.

Take her fifth uncle in her native family, who has twelve daughters alone, not counting granddaughters; with so many girls in the household, some illnesses are not easy to discuss with male doctors, so having a female doctor at home would make things easier.

So even Ms. Wang had considered sending people to the Imperial Medical Department.

But with those two rules from the Imperial Medical Department, the candidates they initially selected became pointless.

Studying medicine takes three to eight years, then working twelve years in the Imperial Medical Department; by the time they return home, how many years would have passed?

Moreover, could they still control them then?

Even Madam Tang believed that once someone experiences the benefits of freedom, they can never return to serving noble families.

After listening, Manbao seriously said, "The Imperial Medical Department was conceived by the Empress and me for the impoverished across the land, especially for women who rarely have the means to treat their ailments. Nobles, even general officials and landowners, as long as they have the money, can always hire doctors. Having female doctors offers convenience, but some people’s lives depend on them; how can convenience and life be compared?"

Madam Tang was temporarily speechless.

County Magistrate Tang slightly withdrew the smile from his face and warmly said to the three, "Your request isn’t difficult. After I return to the office, I’ll have the clerks and bailiffs visit the countryside tomorrow. Perhaps some families would be willing to send their daughters to the Imperial Medical Department."

Manbao nodded, just about to suggest their idea of paying to have people announce it with gongs and drums, but then heard County Magistrate Tang say, "There’s no need for fanfare; that’s only for show, better if I talk to the Chief about it."

Hearing that County Magistrate Tang was willing to approach the Chief for them, Bai Shan and Manbao’s eyes immediately brightened, and Bai Erlang swallowed his last bite of bun, took a sip of tea, and ambitiously said, "Senior Brother Tang, can we go together?"