Samuel Bennett performed acupuncture on the old lady just like before, but when inserting the needles, he infused a faint stream of internal energy into her body. Although to Samuel Bennett it was an insignificant amount, the old lady clearly felt a strong numbness and a bit of itchiness in her knee, and the previous damp sensation was gone, as if the moisture in her leg had been drawn out all at once. After finishing the acupuncture, he wrote a prescription for her, but didn’t use the same one as for the middle-aged woman—instead, he chose a milder formula, worried that the old lady’s body was too weak to handle anything stronger.

After everything was done, the old lady obviously felt more energetic, with a vivid sensation coming from her leg—something she hadn’t experienced in years. She shared her feelings with the middle-aged woman. Both of them thanked Samuel Bennett, but Samuel Bennett quickly and modestly waved it off, saying it wasn’t necessary. After paying the three-yuan consultation fee, the two left. The people nearby who witnessed this also thought this young man was quite skilled and capable, and gradually started talking about him with those around them. In those days, Chinese people didn’t have much to talk about, so even a trivial event could be discussed for days—let alone something real like this. The mountain folk were simple and honest; as long as you had real skills and could cure illnesses, they would introduce you to others and give you free word-of-mouth advertising!

That morning, he treated several more patients, all with common ailments, and Samuel Bennett prescribed remedies according to each person’s condition. Among them were two children with fevers, brought in by their families. Upon seeing the children’s situation, he also shared some basic knowledge with their parents: when a child has a fever, loosen their collar, preferably don’t let them wear shoes or socks, and if there’s alcohol or strong liquor available, use a towel soaked in it to wipe the patient’s forehead, back of the neck, and soles of the feet to help bring down the temperature. If there’s no alcohol, cold water will do. Children’s fevers can rise quickly, and if not brought down in time, there could be lasting aftereffects.

The children’s parents were very grateful for his advice. In the mountains, when something like this happened, people would just rush to see a doctor and wouldn’t take any other measures. With the prescriptions from Samuel Bennett, they immediately went to the pharmacy to buy the medicine.

A few more patients came in throughout the morning, and Samuel Bennett handled them all with ease. As noon approached and seeing that he’d earned a decent amount for the day, he went to a snack shop and spent one yuan on a bowl of noodles.

After noon, the crowd at the market noticeably thinned out. Most people had finished their shopping and hurried home for lunch. Mountain folk wouldn’t spend a whole yuan on a bowl of noodles—they’d rather go hungry and rush home to cook.

In the afternoon, he only treated four patients, none with serious illnesses. After a full day of treating people, Samuel Bennett had some new insights: most of the patients came in with common ailments, so why not make some pills specifically for these common illnesses to sell? That way, patients wouldn’t have to buy herbs and go home to brew decoctions.

With this thought, his mind wandered to the mountains—he couldn’t wait to go back and make the pills. Seeing that the market was almost empty, Samuel Bennett packed up his stall, bought ten jin of rice and five jin of oil from the grain and oil shop he’d visited before, and picked up two bottles of bottled liquor from a nearby store to bring back as a gift for his master. Then he hurried back up the mountain.

Back on the mountain, after putting away his things, he handed the ten or so yuan left over from his purchases to his master, then returned to his room to consult medical books and decide which pills to make. Based on the methods in the books, combined with his recent experience treating patients and the availability of herbs in the nearby mountains, he decided to make four types of pills: one for treating colds and fevers, one for stopping diarrhea, one for reducing inflammation, and one for boosting overall health.

Early the next morning, he went into the forest to gather the necessary herbs. With his keen senses, there was no herb he needed that could escape him. After collecting them, he washed and chopped all the herbs, only then realizing he lacked the proper equipment. That afternoon, he went down the mountain again and bought a large pot and four plastic bottles.

On the third day, he began making the pills. He put the chopped herbs into the large pot to boil, scooped out any roots or pieces that hadn’t dissolved once it became a paste, and after it cooled, formed the mixture into individual pills. He repeated this process four times, making sure each type of pill was a different color for easy identification.

Market day came again. This time, Samuel Bennett was smarter—he ate breakfast on the mountain and waited until daylight before carrying the four plastic bottles down to the market. He arrived just as people were finishing their vegetable shopping and the vendors were setting up their stalls.

He borrowed a table and chair from the Santang pharmacy, set the plastic bottles on the table, sat down, and waited for business.

This time, people arrived earlier and in greater numbers. Word had spread about a teenage boy at the market who could treat illnesses and write prescriptions, and everyone was curious—those who were sick came for treatment, and those who weren’t came to watch the excitement. Now, Samuel Bennett was becoming somewhat famous at the Santang market.

When someone came for treatment, he didn’t care how many onlookers there were—he took their pulse, wrote prescriptions, and if their illness could be treated with his pills, he encouraged them to buy his medicine. At first, people were reluctant, thinking he was just reselling pills he’d bought elsewhere, and still trusted the pharmacy more. But when they heard he’d made the pills himself, they became interested. The pills sold well—even some of the bystanders bought some to keep at home, just in case someone caught a cold or fever and wouldn’t need to see a doctor; they could just take some pills at home.