July 9th, Year of Dingchou
Recently, many Roman merchants have contracted a strange black spot disease. Their accompanying physicians were at a loss and came to Zhenhai Bay seeking remedies. They happened upon a traveling Sylph disciple who, after checking the pulse, was cautious not to prescribe medicine due to unfamiliarity with the illness. The disciple noticed the patients' pulse indicated blood heat and meridian damage, and thus advised them to make Jade Elixir with stewed apples to counter the plague and alleviate fevers.
However, due to language barriers, the Roman merchants only partially understood and simply bought some apples from the market to eat. Surprisingly, within a month, the strange illness was cured. The cured Romans were extremely grateful, believing it to be a miracle, and spread the word that "eating apples can keep illness away, no longer needing doctors." But as the saying spread, it somehow evolved into "doctors will leave when they see apples," and eventually "doctors fear apples."
The rumor spread from Roman merchants to Song merchants, and then to other uninformed Romans, becoming "doctors fear apples, just like blood-sucking demons fear garlic."
(written in a crooked manner, resembling the handwriting of someone just beginning to learn characters)
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away!"