Tang Ming held back his laughter, "Miss Zhu's own medicine must be more effective than mine."
Zhu Changle thought this made sense, though she wasn't sure if she had anything to treat this particular condition.
She took out her medicine bottles and placed them on the table, "My eyes are blurry, help me look through these."
Tang Ming wiped his hands on his clothes and, pretending not to see the characters on the bottles, picked up the one labeled 'head' and removed the stopper. He sniffed it, pondered the scent, sniffed again, contemplated some more, and continued sniffing.
Zhu Changle couldn't bear it anymore and reminded him, "Doctor Tang, there's nothing wrong with my head."
"Ahem." Tang Ming reluctantly put that bottle down and selected the one labeled 'abdomen'. He had identified five medicinal ingredients in it, though he wasn't quite sure about the sixth. If only he could smell it a bit longer, he'd know for certain.
"Use this one."
Without hesitation, Zhu Changle took out a pill and swallowed it, then rushed back to the latrine.
Tang Ming looked at the array of medicine bottles on the table and picked up the previous bottle again to smell it. After finally confirming the mysterious ingredient, he quickly replaced the stopper and put it back.
"Why isn't it working yet?" Zhu Changle returned, clutching her stomach as she collapsed into the chair opposite Tang Ming.
Tang Ming couldn't help but defend the medicine, "No medicine is a miracle cure. It takes time to work."
"True enough. If the old monk knew I said such things, he wouldn't give me any more medicine," Zhu Changle said, patting her stomach. "These seafood dishes shouldn't taste this bad. The ones at home are delicious, and I've had good ones elsewhere too. How is it that here in this coastal county they're so terrible? And from what I've heard, Magistrate Luo has been consolidating and selling them outside the county, with increasing volumes and no decline in sales, which means more and more people are eating them."
"Seafood's popularity is a recent phenomenon, with more varieties appearing each year. In the past, only those who had nothing else would eat it," Tang Ming reminded her. "Don't forget, Yunbei has been stuck in the past for many years."
Is that so? Zhu Changle scratched her chin. She hadn't known this - then again, seafood had always been delicious in her memory. Well, she was only sixteen, so her memories only went back about ten years.
"I'll ask our cook about what ingredients are needed for her method, and we can teach everyone so they can all enjoy good food."
"You're forgetting again - they're poor, they can't afford it."
Zhu Changle was skeptical, "How do you know it's expensive when you don't even know what's needed?"
"I've lived in Xinshui for many years and have tasted decent seafood, but the spices used in those dishes are beyond what common people can afford."
"..." Though not entirely ignorant, Zhu Changle had to admit she'd been too presumptuous. Indeed, spices were notoriously expensive, and ordinary households couldn't afford them. The people of Yunbei were particularly poor and definitely couldn't afford such luxuries.
Tang Ming noticed her spirits dampening, though he wasn't sure if it was from her stomach trouble or from being confronted with this reality. He felt somewhat guilty, but what needed to be said had to be said.
"I just remembered those medicinal herbs you had your servants take away last time. If we could use those for grilled meat and fish, perhaps..."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhu Changle jumped up, slapping the table. How could she have forgotten about that? She headed straight for the medicine cabinet with clear purpose.
"Oh right, I forgot that medicines are expensive too."
Zhu Changle had just pulled out a drawer when she heard this. She paused and turned to look at Tang Ming suspiciously, "Doctor Tang, are you toying with me?"
"Has anything I've said been incorrect, Miss Zhu?" Tang Ming walked over and pulled out another drawer, which was completely empty.
"What little money they save barely covers life-saving medicines, let alone such frivolous things. As long as the food keeps them alive, they can't be picky," Tang Ming smiled slightly. "They don't have the luxury of being picky."
Zhu Changle accidentally pulled the drawer out completely. Looking at the sparse remains of herbs inside, she decided to sit down with it in her arms.
"Doctor Tang, can we speak plainly? No more beating around the bush. I started with just a stomach ache, and now my head hurts too."
Tang Ming chuckled, "I wasn't trying to be indirect. It's precisely because I know you're reasonable that I'm pointing out these issues directly. Yunbei has too many problems, and compared to everything else, food isn't the most pressing concern. Once we resolve the major issues, the rest will gradually fall into place."
"So you're saying once Yunbei defeats Gu'an, everything will be solved?"
"Yes."
"But I think food is a crucial issue. Take me for example - no, I shouldn't use myself as an example." Zhu Changle played with the herbs in the drawer as she continued, "It should be the same for everyone. When food tastes good, people want to eat more. Even when they're full, they'll want a few more bites. When it tastes bad, they just barely fill their stomachs. There's a difference."
Tang Ming nodded, "That's true. Everyone's like that."
"Right? So if we could make the food taste better, they'd eat more. Eating more means more strength, and more strength means they're more likely to win in a fight. When you think about it, this isn't a small issue at all - it directly relates to that bigger problem. Doctor Tang, am I wrong about this?"
"You're not wrong, but the problem remains - they can't afford it. Even if you're kind enough to help them with this, Yunbei is a large county. How many people can you help? For how long? Besides, as you well know, people worry less about scarcity than inequality."
Zhu Changle felt guilty and averted her gaze - she not only understood this principle but had used it to her advantage.
It all came down to money again. Zhu Changle rested her chin in her hand, thinking, "What about gathering herbs from the mountains?"
"It's not impossible, but most herbs can't be used immediately after gathering, and we'd have to consider seasonal availability. Besides, given Yunbei's current situation, if they found any herbs, their first thought would be to sell them rather than use them."
This was all too likely, but Zhu Changle wanted to persist, "I just want them to eat more. Having strength or not is so closely tied to how much they eat."
"Then I suggest Miss Zhu find a way to make everyone listen to you. If you can achieve that - if they believe everything you say - then even money won't matter, and your plan can succeed."
Zhu Changle narrowed her eyes and walked over to Tang Ming with the drawer, studying him from different angles.
Tang Ming calmly allowed her scrutiny, "What have you noticed, Miss Zhu?"
"You're encouraging me."
"Why would I encourage you? You don't need it."
Zhu Changle shook her head, "You are encouraging me. While appearing to oppose everything, you're actually pushing me to make this happen."
"Then I might as well speak directly, why beat around the bush?"
"Exactly, you should just speak directly. Why take such a roundabout approach with me?"
Meeting Zhu Changle's bright gaze, Tang Ming lowered his head with a smile, "Miss Zhu is incredibly perceptive."
"That's obvious enough without saying. Tell me your purpose."
"Perhaps I hope Miss Zhu will become a player in this game rather than just a passing visitor."
