“System!”
“Whoosh!”
In the pitch-black world of his consciousness, a bright screen suddenly appeared.
On the screen, neat Chinese characters immediately displayed themselves.
Name: Mạc Cầu.
Gender: Male.
Age: 14.
Height: Approximately 120 centimeters.
Weight: Unknown.
Skills: Advanced Literacy, Beginner Music, Novice Painting, Intermediate Physics, Chemistry...
“Sigh!”
In reality, Mạc Cầu sighed. With a slight thought, "Advanced Literacy" behind his name changed to "Beginner."
Another thought, and "Novice Painting" became "Master-level."
But...
It was utterly useless!
This system of his was all flash and no substance; the things displayed on it could be freely modified.
But it had no effect on reality.
In fact, even the characters displayed on it were added by Mạc Cầu himself, not generated automatically.
“What good is this system to me?!”
He sighed again, and the screen retracted, revealing a world of consciousness that appeared pitch-black but actually had faint starlight twinkling within it.
But just like the screen, the dim starlight twinkling here also seemed to serve no purpose.
Half a month had passed since he arrived in this world, and Mạc Cầu's current situation was in no way thanks to the system, which hadn't helped him one bit.
He opened his eyes. He was in a large communal sleeping area, where countless people were still sleeping soundly.
Beneath him was a cold, hard straw mat. It had clearly been used for a long time, as many places had protruding ridges, making it quite uncomfortable to lie on.
The blanket over him was filled with who-knew-what; it was incredibly heavy and yet offered very little warmth.
Above his head were neatly arranged wooden planks, covered in cobwebs, clearly indicating a lack of cleaning.
Lingering around him, besides the strong stench of men's sweat, was a persistent, lingering smell of medicinal herbs.
Transmigration!
Even after half a month, Mạc Cầu still felt a sense of bewilderment every time he woke up, taking a long time to fully come to his senses.
“Get up!”
“Hurry up, everyone get up!”
Accompanying the shouts was the sound of a door being roughly shoved open.
The simple door swayed precariously under the shoves of the newcomer, looking as if it could fall off its hinges at any moment.
“Get up, get up!”
The person next to him heard the shouts, rolled over, instantly stood up, quickly put on a coarse cloth tunic, and slipped on grass sandals.
Mạc Cầu also threw off his blanket, followed suit, and walked out of the room amidst a flurry of shouts.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, and it was still a bit dim outside the room, with only the occasional crow of a rooster coming from all directions.
This was the backyard of the Qing Nang Pharmacy. In the courtyard, besides a few people, there were still many medicinal herbs that needed processing.
A burly man, hands clasped behind his back, walked over from the side. His two-meter tall frame exuded an invisible pressure.
Especially for a poorly developed youth like Mạc Cầu, he instinctively straightened up, hunching slightly.
“Those who arrived yesterday, step forward.”
The burly man waved his hand towards the back and said, “First, sign the apprentice contracts. We’ll talk about the rest later.”
Behind him, a young man of about twenty years old came out, carrying a wooden tray.
Inside the wooden tray was a stack of papers, clearly the so-called apprentice contracts.
Five out of the nine people stepped forward, followed the instructions, and each signed their names on the papers.
When Mạc Cầu wrote his name, both the young man and the burly man unconsciously glanced at him.
It was said to be signing, but in fact, most people had agreed with a thumbprint; he was the only one who actually signed his name.
In other words...
Others were illiterate, but Mo Qiu at least knew how to write his own name.
The chubby boy beside him blinked, his eyes darting back and forth, looking at his companion with surprise.
During this time, Mo Qiu seemed to have transformed into a different person.
Though both were beggars in the city, he had managed to make himself neat and tidy, and even found work for today.
He had even brought good fortune to himself, entering the Qingnang Pharmacy.
Although being an apprentice was tough, at least he wouldn't starve and had a place to stay, which was far better than being a beggar living hand-to-mouth.
“Hmm!”
The big man waved his hand, signaling the young man to put away the apprentice contract, then looked at the crowd again and said, “Signing on as an apprentice means you’re one of us. But first, let me make it clear what you’ll be doing for the next three years.”
“First.”
He clasped his hands behind his back again and said, “When the masters have tasks, apprentices serve. Whether it’s serving tea and pouring water, or making beds and folding quilts, keep your eyes open and be sharp. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; if you displease the masters, you can be kicked out at any time!”
“Furthermore...”
“Within three years, if you cannot learn a skill from your masters, you will also have to leave!”
“So, do you understand?”
“We understand!”
Several newly-appointed apprentices quickly confirmed, one of them even recited, “When the masters have tasks, apprentices serve.”
“Learn a skill, stay!”
Mo Qiu tilted his head, recognizing the speaker. His name was Sun Youcai, a child from a family in the city, and he seemed to be related to the pharmacy’s steward.
“Hmm.” The big man nodded with satisfaction and continued:
“The masters at our Qingnang Pharmacy are all renowned figures in the city. To be able to learn a skill from them is your good fortune.”
“To say nothing of more, even if you only learn a thing or two, it’s more than enough to become a village doctor.”
“But don’t rush. First, get familiar with the environment and recognize the medicinal ingredients. Only after half a year to a year will you be qualified to learn the prescriptions.”
“Right.”
The crowd confirmed again.
“Next, let’s talk about your food and lodging.” The big man scanned the five people and said:
“Clothes: one winter outfit and two light outfits per year. Shoes will depend on the situation; sometimes you’ll need them for gathering herbs in the mountains.”
As he spoke, he couldn’t help but frown slightly.
This was because a while ago, several apprentices had encountered bandits while gathering herbs in the mountains, resulting in heavy losses. Coupled with the pharmacy’s recent booming business, they now needed to recruit new apprentices.
He hoped this batch would endure, otherwise, all the time spent on training would be wasted.
However, this time wasn’t bad; having someone literate meant they could directly identify medicinal ingredients, saving a lot of effort.
“Food: two meals a day. You’ll eat with the shop assistants here. Meals are guaranteed to be filling, and you can even have extra!”
“Gulp…” The chubby boy’s throat bobbed, and he unconsciously touched his stomach.
Even Mo Qiu, standing nearby, swallowed.
For the past half-month, as a beggar, he had suffered enough from the taste of hunger and never being full.
“As for lodging, you already know.”
“Understood!”
The big man stopped, his expression darkening, and said, “A pharmacy is not a street. We do not tolerate undisciplined people here.”
“I’ll only say this once: remember it well!”
The crowd froze for a moment, then quickly straightened up.
The big man said, “When the masters, martial uncles, and senior brothers are present, if they don’t speak up, as apprentices, you absolutely must not speak first. Serve on the side, listen to their teachings. When the masters ask questions, you must answer softly, not loudly. You must be respectful, you must be polite. Do you understand?”
“Understood!”
The group shouted loudly.
“Good.” The big man nodded and continued:
“Besides managing your food, clothing, and lodging, if the masters are in a good mood, they will also give you some pocket money. It’s not much, but you must save it and use it sparingly.”
“During holidays and festivals, the pharmacy will also have bonuses. This is only here; other places don’t have this benefit.”
“Cough cough…”
At this moment, a series of light coughs sounded from behind.
Hearing the sound, the big man’s expression immediately tightened. He quickly bowed and retreated backward, making way.
“Master Qin, you’ve arrived.”
“Mm.” The newcomer nodded lightly, slowly and leisurely walked closer, and said:
“Who was the literate one yesterday?”
“Step forward, let me see.”