Chapter 226: Wasta

By the time Zhang Ping'an and the other returned with mulberries and strawberries, the children had already hit it off; with nine children from the four cousins' families and six from Zhang Ping'an's side, it was as noisy as a vegetable market.

"Hahaha, Father, Mother, eldest sister, brother-in-law, you've arrived. Our Lao Dong family is truly flourishing." The eldest uncle's words were spot on, after all, Zhang Ping'an also carried half the Dong family bloodline.

"Eldest sister." The eldest uncle, second uncle, little aunt, and little uncle-in-law also arrived with their children.

"Ping'an, I didn't expect you to have five children already."

"Yes, little aunt. Weijun, come over and greet her; this is your great-aunt."

"Great-aunt."

"Oh, how well-behaved. It's better to have twins and triplets; I can't even tell which one is which."

"Great-aunt, I am Weijun."

"Great-aunt, I am Weidong."

"Great-aunt..."

"..."

"Alright, little sister, I often mistake them myself, let alone you," said Dong Dani.

She did indeed often mix up the twins, and she also constantly misidentified the two brothers among the triplets; there was no helping it, they were just too similar. Perhaps they would be easier to tell apart when they grew up.

"Haha, eldest sister, even you can mistake them?"

"I reckon in the whole family, only Ping'an and Xiao Ling can tell who is who."

"Everyone, don't stand outside. Wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Four large tables had already been set in the eldest uncle's main room; eleven men sat at the main table, while the women and children sat at the others.

"Father, why don't you say a few words?"

"Ahem, after eight years, our family is truly reunited once again. It is a cause for celebration. Let's have a drink first."

"..."

"I can consider myself to have a house full of children and grandchildren, even if now..."

"Cough, Father, today is a joyous occasion. You mustn't say anything inauspicious."

"I mean, even if I were allowed to return to the G Army as a Regimental Commander now, even if I were to follow the Com— er, I wouldn't go."

"Father, it's not the time to say such things. Let's just drink."

"Right, Grandfather, I toast you."

Zhang Ping'an was also sweating coldly; fortunately, the rest of the words weren't spoken. If someone with ulterior motives had heard that, it would have been trouble.

After the meal, Grandfather had drunk too much and went to the inner room to rest. Zhang Ping'an was still wondering why Grandfather would say those things for no reason, and the eldest uncle provided an explanation.

"Ping'an, your grandfather was probably just happy that the whole family was reunited, which made him think of the old days. When people get old, they always think of their youth."

"Plus, since everyone here is family, he spoke without any defenses. And you all, don't go blabbing about this outside," the eldest uncle added to the younger ones.

"Father (Uncle), we don't know anything."

"Mm." Zhang Ping'an thought that this wasn't Sijiucheng, and felt slightly more at ease.

"Rest assured, your grandfather knows what he's doing. Go find Jianguo and the others; you young people have things to talk about."

"Mm, alright."

Just as Zhang Ping'an entered the main room, he saw Dong Jianguo sneaking out with a lunch box.

"Cousin Jianguo."

"Ping'an, it's you. You gave me a fright."

"What are you doing?"

"You know Wasta, right? The guy who sparred with you before? He has a broken leg now."

"Ah? How? What happened?" No wonder it didn't look like anyone was home when he passed by his house yesterday.

"Do you want to go take a look? Let's talk while we walk."

"Sure."

It turned out that a few days after the New Year, Wasta went hunting in the mountains with his father Watuo and encountered a herd of Wild Boar led by a boar king. It was a miracle that the two of them managed to escape back, and they had been lying in the Hospital for over two months now.

"With their skills, and the fact that they had guns, they shouldn't have been injured that badly, right?"

"Uncle Watuo said that the boar king weighed at least over seven hundred jin, and its size was more than twice that of a normal wild boar. It was covered in thick mud armor; unless you hit it in the eye, bullets were just tickling it."

"Oh?"

Zhang Ping'an thought carefully; he didn't seem to have seen this boar king when he went into the mountains the day before yesterday. A size like that was rarely seen in a century.

However, now that Dahu was around, he believed that the wild boar herd wouldn't dare to approach that area again. Even if it dared to go there, Dahu was more than capable of dealing with it; it crushed it just in terms of size.

"Wasta, look who's here to see you?"

"Who is it?" Wasta, who was reading, looked up and was slightly stunned to see Zhang Ping'an.

"It's you, the outsider Zhang Ping'an, Jianguo's cousin."

"Hahaha, that's right, it's me."

"It's cousin."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm on a business trip and stopped by to see my grandparents. Your injury isn't light. Where is Uncle Watuo?"

"Er, my father is mostly better; he should be moving around in the Hospital. They say it takes a hundred days to recover from broken bones and tendons, and I've only been here for eighty-some days."

"Can you get out of bed and walk now?"

"No, I can't put any weight on my left leg, or it hurts to the bone."

"Then your situation isn't right. Who set your bone?"

Zhang Ping'an had noticed Wasta's complexion was sallow when he just walked in. Even with a broken leg, his body was sturdier than the average person's, and after resting for over two months, he should have been mostly recovered.

"My father set it for me. The doctor didn't say anything after checking it, just told me to rest more."

"Do you trust me?"

"Uh, what's wrong?"

"Uncle Watuo didn't set it quite right; otherwise, with your constitution, you should have been able to get out of bed by now."

"Good lad, do you really know your stuff?" Watuo had arrived outside the door at some point.

"I know a little."

Watuo regretted asking as soon as he did; this lad's kung fu was even more formidable than his own, so he must understand human meridians and acupoints far more thoroughly.

In fact, Watuo had also vaguely sensed something was wrong; just as Zhang Ping'an said, logically Wasta should have been able to get out of bed and walk long ago, yet it still hurt even now.

But the doctors here were all Western medicine practitioners who only told them to observe further, and since bone injuries are slow to recover by nature, he had felt it made sense, and so it had continued until now.

"Ping'an, then take a look at Wasta."

"Alright, do you have any Silver Needle?"

"The Hospital should have some, I'll go look for them."

"Alright, Jianguo, hold down Wasta's other leg, and Wasta, find a towel to bite on."

"Alright."

Zhang Ping'an first removed the splint, and looking at the slightly red and swollen lower leg, the corners of his mouth twitched; if he hadn't come over, Wasta would likely have been a cripple for the rest of his life.

"I'll start when I count to three, three."

"Crack, crack," two crisp sounds.

"Mmph..." The veins on Wasta's forehead bulged.

"It's done."

"The Silver Needle is here, alright, it's done?"

Zhang Ping'an had already refixed the splint and, taking the Silver Needle, said:

"Yes, the bone is reset. I'll give him two more acupuncture treatments, and when I go back tonight, I'll prepare some medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis to speed up his recovery."

"Good, good, good. That, Ping'an, thank you. How much money?"

"Forget it, it was just a small effort, and you and my grandfather's family have been old neighbors for many years."

"That won't do. Since you don't want money, I'll send a sheep to your grandfather's family when I get back. Ahem, that, Wasta, how do you feel?" Watuo asked awkwardly.

"Much more comfortable," Wasta looked at Watuo with a resentful expression.

"Ahem, it's good as long as you're better."

"Drink more bone soup to nourish yourself," Zhang Ping'an pulled out the Silver Needle after ten minutes.

"Good, good, good."

On the way back, Dong Jianguo looked at Zhang Ping'an with a strange expression.

"What's wrong? Cousin, if you have something to say, just ask."

"That, Ping'an, how do you know bone-setting?"

"Since ancient times, medicine and martial arts have been inseparable; for me, it naturally isn't difficult."