Chapter 278

Chapter 278

The old medical officer was highly skilled. After examining Zhao Ertian's wound and taking his pulse, he said decisively, "You used the finest wound-healing medicine, right?"

"The arrowhead missed his heart by half an inch. For such a deep wound, you actually pulled the arrow out just like that—you were far too bold. That this young man didn't bleed to death or die from infection is entirely due to his own luck, along with the hemostatic medicine's effectiveness and some anti-inflammatory properties."

The freshly bandaged wound must have been the work of some medical officer, and the medicine applied to it looked very familiar, which only made him more astonished.

Looking at this group of refugees—broad, rough palms, honest and simple faces—they were clearly farmers from the countryside. He was both shocked that the general's nephew knew such people and puzzled that they possessed such remarkably effective items.

Calling it wound-healing medicine actually understates its real efficacy. With the same kind of injury, if a soldier were wounded on the battlefield and brought to the medical tent immediately, he wouldn't have been entirely confident either about saving the man's life.

Not to mention the long journey—this young man had been carried in on a wooden plank, and during the trip there had been no way to recuperate properly. Being jostled about the whole way, he was still alive.

And not just alive—his pulse was not weak at all, but rather quite strong.

Was this man made of iron?

He grew curious and couldn't help asking, "What hemostatic medicine did you give him? Could I have a look?"

Old Man Zhao's heart tightened, but he still pulled an empty bottle from his chest and handed it over, saying, "We bought this at a medical shop in our hometown. The shop assistant said it was very effective, costing one tael and six maces per bottle—quite expensive."

He smiled very honestly, "Luckily the silver wasn't wasted. The effect was indeed good. This whole way, the men suffered many injuries and relied entirely on this medicine to survive. This is the last bottle. We had already used it before, but I couldn't bear to throw it away, so I diluted it with clean water and poured it on their wounds. That's how everyone managed to survive."

The old medical officer had been sniffing the rim of the bottle, but upon hearing this, the corner of his mouth twitched. He handed the bottle back, saying, "Ah, experts are hidden among the common folk. Such excellent hemostatic medicine being sold for only one tael and six maces—you got a real bargain."

He didn't ask which medical shop it was. Nowadays, Qingzhou Prefecture was no longer within their reach. Such good things had likely long since fallen into the hands of the rebels.

Thinking of Qingzhou Prefecture, he couldn't help but think of his old friend.

In their youth, they had both served in the Imperial Hospital. He had always been blunt-spoken, never learning to be tactful in his life, which had offended many people in both the former court and the imperial harem. His old friend had saved him several times. To keep him safe, his friend advised him to leave the place of trouble. He took the advice and simply resigned and fled to the border.

He loved saving people. The border was harsh and cold; soldiers fought on the front lines, while he and his apprentices and a group of physicians saved lives in the rear. Here, he lived to the fullest.

Old Lin was different—he had a shrewd mind and thrived in officialdom. Two years ago, he sent a letter saying he had resigned from the capital and returned to his hometown to retire, inviting him to visit Qingzhou Prefecture whenever he had time. He had originally intended to go, but who could have predicted the vicissitudes of the world?

The world was engulfed in war. He was trapped at the border, unable to move an inch, and had no idea how his old friend in distant Qingzhou Prefecture was doing.

Since his friend had managed to retire safely from that devouring place called the capital, and his medical skills were excellent—and in this era, physicians were hard to find—he could only hope that the accursed rebel Prince Cheng would treat him well.

When the general's army marches on Qingzhou, that will be the time for him to reunite with his old friend.

Hundreds of people thronged in. Calling it an epidemic screening was more like giving them wound dressings. The old medical officer scowled as he removed the bandages of the severely injured men one by one, re-applied medicine, and paid special attention to Zhao Ertian and Wu Dazhu and a few others.

Partly out of respect for He Jinyu, and partly because he truly had a healer's heart.

As for the rest, the medical apprentices examined them one by one, earnestly urging them to speak up if anything felt wrong, not to hide it, and not to harm themselves or others.

"Even if you have a plague, don't be afraid. Our quarantine station has medical officers on rotating shifts around the clock. Contracting a disease doesn't mean you'll die. Just follow the medicine schedule and be patient, wait out ten to fifteen days without showing symptoms, and you'll be released. Then observe for another three to five days, and once your body is fully recovered, you can reunite with your family."

"Never hide it. Concealment is a capital offense. Not only will you be caught, but your family will also be expelled from Yanlin Prefecture."

The medical apprentice in the next tent was speaking loudly, and the people here heard it. Terrified of being sentenced to death, they scrambled to confess any discomfort they had, holding nothing back.

"Leg and foot pain is normal. After walking such a long distance, it would be strange if you didn't have pain."

"Heart discomfort? Do you have a heart condition?"

"Dizzy in the head? You don't have a fever, you're not coughing, your complexion is quite rosy... Could it be that you're too happy? That's certainly possible. For refugees to come to our Yanlin Prefecture is like a blessing from their ancestors' incense. I'm not boasting—you won't find a better place than Yanlin Prefecture. Look around outside, who would set up medical tents outside the city to give you free check-ups, consuming massive amounts of medicinal herbs and manpower? This is all built with real gold and silver."

"Nobody died of illness on the road? Then you have nothing to worry about. It shouldn't be a major problem. But still, everyone should drink one bowl of herbal decoction—preventive medicine. Very effective."

Finally, each person was given a bowl of medicine to drink. By the time they came out of the medical tent, the sky was already somewhat dim.

He Jinyu vouched for them, so no one dared to stop them. The moment he pulled out his jade pendant, the soldier guarding the city gate directly waved them through.

It went so smoothly it was almost unbelievable, yet it seemed perfectly ordinary.

Old Man Zhao enjoyed a bit of privilege—a rather exhilarating feeling—but he didn't let it go to his head. Instead, he repeatedly instructed Zhao Shanao and Village Chief Sun to keep the villagers in line. Since Jinyu had gotten them through the back door, they had to bend their backs and lower their heads, walking steadily, and never cause him trouble.

Once inside the city, a bustling border-town scene immediately unfolded before their eyes.

The streets were wide, the shops grand, and people and carriages flowed like a river.

Merchants haggled over goods, porters carrying heavy loads hurried past with sweat pouring down, rugged escort guards with swords at their waists waved aside pedestrians who bumped into them, handsome scholars holding books in their hands nodded while reading, exotic beauties in colorful attire played with bamboo-woven rabbits at street stalls, women with baskets on their arms led little girls licking sugar-coated hawthorns, and a troop of soldiers galloped past, their horses' hooves clattering.

Patrolling constables, soldiers changing shifts, young masters and ladies out for a stroll followed closely by a crowd of servants.

Fur shops, jewelry towers, cloth stores, tea houses, inns...

He Jinyu led them through several streets, then pointed to a mountain-product shop and said somewhat apologetically, "This is my shop. My aunt said shops on this street are in high demand and quite valuable, so she gave it to me. I don't know anything about commerce. My aunt said I could later convert the facade into a bookstore. It's such a prime location that I felt turning it into a bookstore would be a bit of a waste. Trading in mountain products is pretty good too—goods from north and south are all available, and merchants passing through love to stop by. It has a lively atmosphere."

Old Man Zhao looked at the spacious shopfront, with a steady stream of customers and enthusiastic shop assistants, and nodded repeatedly, "This shop is excellent. Whether leaving the city or entering, everyone passes by here. Doing business requires a convenient location on the main street. Your aunt cares for you; that's why she gave you such a good thing."

Ma Erniang nodded in agreement from behind. Her family made a living in the prefectural capital, so she knew best—such shops were almost priceless without connections; even with money, you couldn't buy one. Especially in a border trade hub, though it appeared to be just a mountain-product shop, the profits were unimaginable.

Ah, they had truly benefited from Uncle Zhao's family. Ever since coming down the mountain, everything had been smooth and favorable.

The carriage sent to pick them up had already arrived. The driver was He Jinyu's page boy, Moshu, about fifteen or sixteen, a very clever lad. He immediately addressed Old Man Zhao as 'Old Master', which made Old Man Zhao's face flush with embarrassment as he repeatedly asked him to change the title. A peasant like him couldn't bear the title of 'Old Master.'

"If the young master calls you grandfather, then you are the old master," Moshu said cheerfully, his nature lively. "Whatever he says, Moshu obeys."

Old Man Zhao gave up correcting his form of address and looked at He Jinyu with concern, "What's going on, Jinyu? Why aren't you living with your uncle and aunt? Are you unhappy living at their place? Is someone giving you a hard time?"

In his mind, for such a young child to move out on his own must mean he had a conflict with the family or was unhappy living at home.

Was he so young and already having to hold up the family on his own?

Perhaps it was inconvenient to speak about it outside, so He Jinyu simply said, "Grandfather, let's go home and talk."

"Alright, alright." Old Man Zhao nodded quickly. Then, remembering something, he said, "Grandfather also has something to tell you, and a very important thing to return to you."

He Jinyu thought his grandfather meant the tiger tooth, and he smiled shyly, nodding happily, "Alright."

After walking for over an hour, they finally left the bustling, noisy streets.

As the surroundings quieted, the main road beneath them grew even wider. Carriages occasionally passed by, and the drivers couldn't help but take a few extra glances at them.

Even if they had no experience, they knew that the people living in this area were either wealthy or noble.

"This is the courtyard the young master rented." Moshu stopped, pointing to a residence with two stone lions at the entrance, and said, "Dear villagers, please stop here."

...This

He had to put in considerable effort to get this favor from the yamen, and it was also done thanks to his uncle's pull. It was said to be a rental, but in reality, it cost nothing—just a formality. Once everyone was properly settled, the place would be sealed off again.

Nowadays, all matters in Yanlin Prefecture, big or small, just needed his uncle’s say-so. The rules were still in place, but exceptions could be made.

It depended on who you were.

He Jinyu was one of those exceptions.

The villagers were reluctant to part from Old Zhao’s family and even a little afraid.

But there was no choice. Wang Jinyu had thoughtfully rented two large residences for them. They weren’t ungrateful people. After a tearful farewell with Old Man Zhao and repeatedly urging him to come find them tomorrow, they obediently followed Mo Shu to their lodgings.

Now that only the family was left—despite the presence of an unfamiliar young man—He Jinyu visibly relaxed, and the joy in his eyes could no longer be hidden.

He seemed to transform back into the Wang Jinyu who used to run wild across the mountains and fields with Xiao Wu and the others, his expression light and cheerful: “Grandpa, Grandma, I’m truly, truly happy that you’ve come to Yanlin Prefecture.”

Grandma Wang reached out to smooth his wind-tousled hair. “Seeing you again makes Grandma very happy too. Knowing you’re doing well puts our minds at ease.”

“Grandpa, Grandma, how about you stay with me in the prefectural capital from now on?” He Jinyu asked cautiously. “I’ll find a good place for the villagers, close to the prefectural city, so we can visit each other easily.”

Old Man Zhao was pleased that the boy hadn’t looked down on his family and was willing to have them live with him in the city, and even more that he hadn’t abandoned the villagers and still wanted to keep in touch. But though he knew the boy might be disappointed, he still shook his head: “I’m used to life in the countryside. If I don’t take my hoe to the fields for a day, I feel uneasy. Haha, don’t laugh at me, Jinyu. I’m just a born laborer—I feel best with my hands in the soil. The prefectural city is fine, bustling, but if I stayed more than a couple of days, I’d start feeling fidgety. I’d worry about how to make ends meet—there’d be too many worries.”

He Jinyu wanted to say there was no need to worry about a livelihood, that with him around, his grandfather could live a life of ease.

But before he could speak, Old Man Zhao smiled and interrupted: “If you can find a good place for our family, Jinyu, I’ll be extremely grateful. But if you want me to live like a lord in the prefectural city, I’d be so worried I couldn’t eat or sleep well. Look at this big family, so many mouths to feed. Your brothers will grow up and need to marry, your aunt will need to marry into our home, and everything costs money. We have hands and feet—we can’t just rely on you to support us all. You’re still a child yourself. Besides, I’m someone who can’t stand being idle. I need something to do, something that brings in money, to feel at ease. Only then does life have meaning.”

Relying on others might be comfortable, but it’s never sustainable.

They still had to stand on their own two feet and live their own lives.

He Jinyu had guessed his grandfather would refuse, but when the rejection actually came, he still felt a pang of disappointment.

His uncle and aunt were very busy. Over the past year, many more people had joined his uncle’s household, and his cousins were born one after another. But aside from the little cousin born to his young aunt, he couldn’t bring himself to be close to any of them.

The general’s mansion was large, and there were many people, but it was full of noise and toxic politics—the feeling of home he remembered was completely gone.

It was only in that small cottage at the foot of the mountain in Wanxia Village that he could feel pure, sincere family affection without any scheming.

He missed his grandparents, his brothers, his young aunt—more than anything.