I Open a Hospital in the Ming Dynasty

Wei Lan, a modern surgeon, transmigrates into the body of a young woman who drowned in the Xiang River during the twelfth year of the Chongzhen era in the late Ming Dynasty. Rescued by Liu Mingyi, a compassionate physician from Shanhua County, she awakens with no memory of her original identity but retains her extensive medical knowledge. Recognizing the primitive medical conditions of the era, she decides to adapt and survive by combining modern surgical techniques with traditional Chinese medicine. Liu Mingyi, despite his father's suspicions about her unknown origins and the ominous prophecy that a woman would bring him calamity, allows Wei Lan to stay with his family. His sister, Liu Yao, warmly accepts her, and Wei Lan quickly integrates into their household while hiding her true background.

Wei Lan proves her worth almost immediately by saving a choking child using the Heimlich maneuver, a technique she attributes to overseas knowledge. This act earns her respect in the community and draws the attention of the Tang family, whose second young lady had previously been treated by Liu Mingyi. As she accompanies Liu Mingyi on his house calls, she observes the stark contrast between the wealthy who can afford proper care and the poor in the Lüli Fang slums who rely on superstition and ineffective remedies. She witnesses Liu Mingyi’s dedication to treating the impoverished for free, including his use of Zhu You Shu talismans to provide psychological comfort to desperate patients. This experience solidifies her resolve to establish a medical clinic that can serve all classes, but she lacks the capital to do so.

Seeking funds, Wei Lan attempts to gamble at the Xiaoyao Tower after receiving guidance from the Earth God in her dreams. She wins repeatedly, accumulating enough money to buy roast chicken and offer it to the deity. However, when she tries to pawn her only possession, a jade pendant engraved with "You Rong," to raise more capital, she fails due to an ankle injury. The Earth God subsequently stops appearing in her dreams, leading her to accept that she cannot return to her original time. She shifts her focus from gambling to practical medical innovation, starting with the production of medical alcohol for disinfection. Liu Mingyi helps her set up a distillation apparatus, revealing that the technique existed in the Yuan Dynasty, though the high cost of grain makes the process expensive and impractical for widespread use.

Determined to find a more profitable venture, Wei Lan joins Liu Mingyi on a ginseng hunting expedition in Wuchuan Mountain. They are warned about the Bewitching Forest, a dangerous area where hunters frequently get lost. Ignoring the caution, Wei Lan spots a rare wild ginseng plant and pursues it into the forest. She falls into a hidden pit containing a human skull, terrifying her, but manages to secure the ginseng. When Liu Mingyi attempts to rescue her with a vine rope, a mother wild boar attacks. Liu Mingyi fights the beast to protect Wei Lan, sustaining a severe arterial wound on his arm. Dan, a local hunter, arrives with his dog and shoots the boar, allowing Liu Mingyi to subdue it with his dagger. Wei Lan climbs out of the pit and immediately applies modern first aid, using a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. The chapter ends with Liu Mingyi unconscious and Wei Lan realizing the gravity of his injury, forcing her to rely on her surgical skills to save his life in an era without modern medical facilities.