Chapter 168

Hu Xiaotian first gave this flower-picker a preliminary physical examination, confirmed that this bastard was still alive, could not help but admire his tenacious vitality, Murong Feiyan stabbed him in the belly with a sword, the wound was deep, he had lost a lot of blood; yet from last night until now he has not yet died, his anemia is severe yet he still clings to life. Hu Xiaotian now actually does not want him to die, as that scholar just said: if this bastard dies, they all must be buried with him; this bunch are all outlaws, what they say they can do, they should be able to do. This flower-picker deserves death more than enough, but their lives are extremely precious; it would be utterly uneconomical to die for him.

That scholar appeared quite anxious, and asked solicitously: "How is it?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "More likely to die than to live!"

After he finished speaking, Zhou Ju and that scholar both sucked in a breath of cold air; Zhou Ju sucked in his breath because if Hu Xiaotian said there was no way, then this wounded person would certainly die—anyway, he himself lacked the ability to save this person; if the wounded died, they would all have to be buried with him. His own death would not matter much, but this medicine boy has implicated Hu Xiaotian, an innocent person, so that even if he died, he could not rest in peace.

The reason that scholar sucked in his breath was concern; he coldly said: "You had better not forget what I just said—I always keep my word."

Hu Xiaotian said: "'More likely to die than to live' does not mean certain death; there is still a chance."

Zhou Ju secretly let out a breath of relief; Hu Xiaotian's alarming manner could really scare people to death, but if they could save this person it would of course be best.

Hu Xiaotian said: "The wound is inside his belly, so we must open his abdomen to find it." This is the most common laparotomy for acute abdomen in surgical treatment; under these circumstances, only this method can be used.

That scholar looked at Hu Xiaotian half-believing, half-doubting: opening the belly, can that person still live? Is this bastard not deliberately cheating? But now he also has no better plan; as the saying goes, in desperation one turns to any doctor. Even the divine doctor Zhou Ju of Xichuan cannot handle this, so all hope can only be placed on this magistrate of Qingyun County.

In the past, Zhou Ju would certainly have doubted Hu Xiaotian's treatment plan, but after getting to know Hu Xiaotian, he would find that in Hu Xiaotian's hands, knocking on the head, cutting the neck, opening the abdomen—all are exquisite and profound therapeutic methods; others doing it would not work, but Hu Xiaotian certainly can, and without realizing it Zhou Ju has already built considerable trust in Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian saw that scholar's doubt, and calmly said: "Rest assured, I will not risk my own life." Although Hu Xiaotian's surgical plan is correct, he has no certainty about what might happen during the operation; the specifics will only be known after the laparotomy.

Hu Xiaotian said: "The instruments for the laparotomy are all at my home; release Liang Da Zhuang and let him fetch my instrument case."

That scholar's gaze toward Hu Xiaotian was full of suspicion, suspecting that Hu Xiaotian would take the opportunity to cheat.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Don't look at me with that suspicious eye; to be frank, you have no other choice, and neither do I; since you have chosen me, you must believe me—if I cannot cure his illness, we will all have to be buried with him. I am not afraid; what are you afraid of?"

That scholar gave a heh heh cold laugh and said: "Good. Magistrate Hu indeed has enough gall; I will have someone accompany him back to fetch it."

Hu Xiaotian said: "There are still some things you need to prepare; give me a sheet of paper, I will make a list, and you go find them as quickly as possible; if you cannot find them, go buy them as quickly as possible; if you cannot buy them, you may steal them; if you cannot steal them, you will have to rob." Hu Xiaotian already knew they were bandits, which is why he said that.

That scholar did not mind Hu Xiaotian's sarcasm; he had one of his companions accompany Liang Da Zhuang back to retrieve the surgical instruments Hu Xiaotian needed; before departure, Hu Xiaotian specifically instructed: "Da Zhuang, bring that large packet of herbs from my room's cabinet; those waiting to save lives, be sure not to spill it."

Liang Da Zhuang's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately understood Hu Xiaotian's meaning.

While this was happening, Hu Xiaotian then drew up a list, having them make fire and boil water to prepare disinfection; although the facilities and conditions were crude, preoperative preparations still needed to be carried out conscientiously.

While everyone was busy, Zhou Ju finally had a chance to speak privately with Hu Xiaotian, and he apologetically said: "Magistrate Hu, I am truly sorry; I have implicated you." Actually, Hu Xiaotian's predicament was not caused by him spilling the beans; rather, the bandits saw that he could do nothing for the wounded, so they threatened to kill him, and his medicine boy Zhou Xing then thought of Hu Xiaotian, saying he knew someone who could save the wounded, which led them to go to Hu Xiaotian's residence and trick him into coming here, resulting in their current imprisonment.

Hu Xiaotian reacted to this with broad-mindedness, he laughed: "What's there to be sorry about? Having come, we should make the best of it; let's first save the person, then talk." Seeing that scholar go out, he lowered his voice and asked: "Doctor Zhou, how did you end up here?"

Zhou Ju sighed: "I'm not sure either; originally I was going upstream along the Tongji He to gather herbs in the valley, planning to return early to attend a banquet at the official's residence, but I never expected to be waylaid by them and forced to treat this person." Saying this, Zhou Ju shook his head and said: "It's embarrassing to admit, but I truly am powerless against his injury." Zhou Ju has practiced medicine for decades, having cured countless difficult and complicated cases, which earned him the title of the Divine Doctor of Xichuan; but since arriving in Qingyun, he has repeatedly encountered difficulties. Upon seeing Hu Xiaotian, he finally witnessed a true master of trauma treatment, yet he had not yet had the chance to consult Hu Xiaotian, and both of them have become others' prisoners; fundamentally, it is still his own implication of others, and thinking of this, Zhou Ju cannot help but feel remorse.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Doctor Zhou, haven't you always wanted to discuss medical issues with me? Today just happens to be an opportunity."

Zhou Ju, obsessed with medicine, hearing Hu Xiaotian say this actually temporarily forgot his predicament, and exclaimed delightedly: "Really?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Doctor Zhou, do you still remember what I told you before about how I treat illness?"

Zhou Ju said: "Surgery!" He remembers this clearly; the miraculous scene of Hu Xiaotian that day curing the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wan Family is still replaying in his mind, leaving him stunned and delighted; one could say Hu Xiaotian opened for him a whole new understanding of medicine, letting him suddenly see another world in the medical field.

Hu Xiaotian said: "My school usually divides medicine into internal, external, gynecology, and pediatrics as the main categories, of course there are further subdivisions; each of these major categories has its own emphasis and they are interconnected. To speak of differences, the distinction between internal medicine and surgery is the most clear. In my view, what you have studied leans toward internal medicine, while I lean toward surgery. Internal medicine is your forte, so I will not elaborate on it now; I will focus on surgery. Common surgical diseases fall into five major types: trauma, infection, tumors, deformities, and functional disorders. The greatest difference between them is that internal medicine generally treats with drugs, whereas surgery treats with operations. Put simply, one prescribes medicine, the other wields the knife." Hu Xiaotian tried to condense modern medicine into the simplest summary, hoping to make Zhou Ju understand.

Zhou Ju slowly nodded, thoughtfully saying: "I have studied medicine for so many years, yet this is the first time I have heard the word 'surgery,' and also the first time I have witnessed the procedure."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Skills have specializations, knowledge has its sequence; Doctor Zhou not understanding surgery does not mean his medical skill is inferior to mine, but rather you have never been exposed to this category; my knowledge of internal medicine is very shallow, and my research on herbs and such can barely be described as superficial." Hu Xiaotian was merely being modest; he feared losing face before Zhou Ju, the Divine Doctor of Xichuan.

Zhou Ju said: "Magistrate Hu, why be modest? When faced with a true emergency, I really have no recourse."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Doctor Zhou's thinking is meticulous, his knowledge profound, his attention to fine detail is something I cannot match."

Zhou Ju said: "Magistrate Hu is decisive and vigorous, bold yet careful, resolute and swift, calm in the face of events, orderly." The two appear to be mutually praising each other, but in fact everything they say comes from the heart.

After they finished speaking, they both laughed spontaneously; they also realized there was a whiff of mutual flattery. It is precisely this mutual sympathy and academic discussion that let them temporarily forget their perilous situation and relax considerably.

At that moment, the flower-picker on the bed uttered a groan of pain, his head twitched slightly, as if he might wake up. Hu Xiaotian did not want him to awaken now; he only needed to finish the preoperative preparations, then he could perform the laparotomy. If the flower-picker were to wake up now, it would inevitably interfere with the surgery, and he might not be able to cooperate as needed. In fact, the problem of anesthesia has long troubled Hu Xiaotian; he has never found a viable anesthetic. In several of his surgeries, he either operated while the patient was unconscious, or Murong Feiyan helped by applying pressure points; but although pressure-point methods can keep the patient's limbs immobile, they do not lessen the pain at all—many patients endure solely by their own stubborn will.

Of course, Hu Xiaotian feels little pity for this flower-picker before him; let the bastard die in pain, he deserves it. But if they actually tortured this fellow to death, they too would have to be buried with him, which would be most uneconomical. Hu Xiaotian said: "Doctor Zhou, do you have a way to let him sleep, or some method to stop the pain at the wound site, so as to facilitate my surgery?"

Zhou Ju said: "That's not difficult!" He opened the needle box beside him, which held dozens of gold needles; using the method of needling acupoints with gold needles, he alleviated the flower-picker's pain and let him slip back into unconsciousness. Zhou Ju explained: "These gold needles of mine are coated with mafeisan; by needling acupoints with gold needles, the drug can be swiftly introduced into his meridians, and this method can let the patient temporarily forget the pain." (To be continued…)