Xu Ze skidded to a stop on his bicycle in front of the clinic, his arrival greeted by a few people who had been waiting outside. Seeing him, they brightened up. “Ah Ze, you’re back just in time! Your mom’s out at the stall, and your dad’s swamped. Can you help us get some medicine?”
Xu Ze smiled and nodded, propping his bike under the eaves before stepping inside. He greeted his busy father with a cheerful, “Dad, I’m back!”
“Xiao Ze, you’re back!” His father, in the midst of weighing herbs, turned with a smile. Noticing the fine beads of sweat on his son’s forehead, he said with concern, “You must be tired. Go wash your face and have some water before helping out.”
“It’s fine, Dad. I’m not tired.” The familiar scent of herbs filled Xu Ze with warmth. He quickly wiped his face with a towel, gulped down some tea from his father’s large cup, and after removing his jacket, hurried back to the front.
A woman waiting nearby smiled and said, “Ah Ze, could you get me ten yuan worth of herbs for steamed chicken? My family’s waiting to cook, and if I wait for your dad, my chicken will be overcooked!”
“Sure, Auntie Zhang. I’ll get it right away!” Xu Ze nodded, pulling out a thick sheet of paper from under the counter and grabbing a small scale. He moved swiftly to the herb cabinets, expertly measuring out the ingredients. “You and Uncle Zhang have weak constitutions. It’s good to nourish yourselves while the weather’s nice.”
His father glanced at the sweat-soaked back of Xu Ze’s T-shirt, feeling a pang of guilt. Xiao Ze is just too considerate. Not only does he work part-time at a clinic in the city while studying, but he also rides his bike over a hundred miles every weekend to help out here, just to save a few bucks on bus fare.
Xu Ze’s hands moved deftly, pulling out herbs from the drawers: Codonopsis root, 30 grams; Chinese yam, 50 grams; Atractylodes, 30 grams; Goji berries, 50 grams; Lotus seeds, 30 grams… In less than two minutes, he had the herbs weighed and bagged. Handing the packet to Auntie Zhang, he said, “Here you go, Auntie. Your herbs for steamed chicken.”
Auntie Zhang happily took the bag and handed over ten yuan. “You’re so quick, Ah Ze. If you hadn’t come back, I don’t know how long I’d have waited!”
As Auntie Zhang left, another familiar face stepped forward. It was Uncle Li, who had come to Xu Ze for medicine several times before. “Ah Ze, my headache’s been acting up again for the past two days. Can you get me some medicine?”
“Uncle Li, your migraines are back?” Xu Ze bent down to retrieve the medicine, sighing. “Migraines are tough to cure. There aren’t many effective treatments.”
“I know. I’ve been to several hospitals. But Ah Ze, you’re studying medicine in the city now. You must know more. Please help your Uncle Li find a solution. This can’t go on,” Uncle Li said, his graying eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
“I’ll keep an eye out for any new treatments, Uncle Li. For now, take these.” Xu Ze handed over a box of Zhengtian Wan, then went to the retail cabinet to grab a small bottle and a box. He measured out six pills of carbamazepine and six tablets of diclofenac, packing them into a small bag. “Take one of each, twice a day, along with the Zhengtian Wan—one packet, three times a day. Take them for three days, and you should feel better. Rest well these days, and I’ll let you know if I find anything new. But don’t rush it, Uncle Li.”
“Got it. Thanks, Ah Ze. Your medicine always works well for me.” Uncle Li took the bag and asked, “How much?”
“Let’s see… Zhengtian Wan is 15 yuan, and the diclofenac and carbamazepine come to 15.30 yuan. So 30.30 yuan in total.”
“Here’s 31 yuan. Keep the change!” Uncle Li handed over the money and left with a wave.
Xu Ze quickly called after him, “Uncle Li, wait! I have change…”
“No need to give change. Just charge me a few cents less next time!” Uncle Li waved him off and walked away.
Xu Ze shook his head with a smile, putting the extra money back into the drawer. He made a mental note to adjust the price the next time Uncle Li came.