From the age of six to eight, he goes from an abandoned “jinx” to an eight-year-old court official. It is all thanks to his own hands, his mind, and the compassionate heart of a doctor who never forgets his roots. He bears no grudge against the Ye family and does not curry favor with the powerful. He simply tends to his patch of land in Zhoujiagou, growing medicinal herbs, treating the sick, teaching, and nurturing the next generation.
Highlights:
· A heart-wrenching start: abandoned at six and forced to fight dogs for food, with a powerful emotional impact.
· A modern soul struggles to survive at the bottom of ancient society, with medicine and the imperial exams developing side by side.
· Plenty of satisfying moments: he places first in both the county and prefectural exams, receives an imperial plaque, grows potatoes and treats smallpox, and knows how to keep a low profile despite becoming too powerful for the emperor’s comfort.
· A nuanced protagonist: neither saintly nor villainous, he remembers both kindness and resentment, and has principles and wisdom.
· A plainspoken style, rich in solid detail, bringing farming, medical practice, and teaching vividly to life.
