The magistrate couple emerged from the room, and compared to the anxiety when they entered, both now had barely concealed joy on their faces.
“Thank you, Young Madam.” The magistrate’s wife hurried over a few steps and bowed to Qi Yue.
Qi Yue quickly moved to support her.
“Thank you, Marquis, thank you, Madam.” The magistrate’s wife tearfully bowed again to Marquis Dingxi and Madam Xie.
“What’s there to thank? That’s being too formal.” Marquis Dingxi said.
Madam Xie reached out to hold the magistrate’s wife’s hand, but somehow the words “How is the child?” just wouldn’t come out.
“Ziqiao has awakened and called for his parents.” The magistrate’s wife proactively told her, speaking with tears of joy, “Sister, this has saved both our mother and son’s lives.”
Madam Xie gripped the magistrate’s wife’s hand tightly.
“Heaven is watching everything, don’t worry, isn’t everything fine now?” she said softly.
“Yes.” The magistrate’s wife wiped her tears and turned to Qi Yue again, “Young Madam, Heaven has granted you to us as a benefactor, please accept my bow.”
She was about to kneel down, and the magistrate also came over to express thanks. Qi Yue quickly returned the courtesy and helped them up.
“Young Madam has worked hard, going a whole day and night without rest. We’ll take Ziqiao home now, Young Madam should rest well. We’ll come to thank you again in a few days.” The magistrate’s wife said chokingly, looking at Qi Yue’s weary face and eyes reddened from staying up all night.
“That won’t do.” Qi Yue was startled, “This kind of surgery requires at least half a month of hospitalization, how can he go home so soon?”
“Hospitalization?” The magistrate asked in confusion.
“His condition is very serious. Although he seems fine now, I can’t guarantee there won’t be complications, so I must watch him constantly to provide treatment at any time.” Qi Yue said hurriedly.
At these words, everyone present was stunned.
“Young Madam… are you saying… Ziqiao isn’t well yet?” The magistrate asked in shock.
“Yes.” Qi Yue said, “He’s still in the observation period. Whether he can recover fully cannot be determined yet.”
“But, but he’s already awake and can speak…” The magistrate couple couldn’t understand, stammering in disbelief.
“For now he seems fine, but we still need post-operative observation to see if there are any complications. These next few days are very critical.” Qi Yue said.
Everyone in the room fell silent at these words, and the magistrate’s wife’s tears immediately flowed again.
“Young Madam…” Her legs went weak and she was about to kneel, “Please…”
Qi Yue supported her and nodded.
“I know, I know, I also want to cure him. Don’t worry, I will definitely do my best.” She said solemnly.
“Yes, yes, don’t worry, with Yueniang here, Ziqiao will be fine.” Marquis Dingxi also said.
“Buddha protect us.” The magistrate’s wife tearfully chanted.
Madam Xie, who had been silent all along, also slowly pressed her palms together and lowered her eyes. Her expression was as anxious and tense as everyone else’s, but in her slightly opened eyes flashed a hint of excitement and anticipation.
Buddha protect us…
After seeing off the magistrate couple and others, Qi Yue re-disinfected and entered the room.
“How is it?” she asked.
Hu San and Zhang Tong were following her instructions to persuade the injured to change positions.
“You… these… bastards… I’m… in… so much… pain… how can I move!” The magistrate’s son cursed weakly, continuously groaning.
The anesthetic had worn off, and with such a large incision, it was naturally painful—extremely painful.
In modern times, a pain pump would be used, but now…
“Doctor Liu, use some of your pain medication on him.” Qi Yue pulled Liu Pucheng aside and said quietly.
“No, that medicine is addictive if used too much. Pain is one of human nature’s sensitivities. Besides, this is healing pain, not life-threatening pain. How can we use medicine every time there’s pain?” Liu Pucheng shook his head.
With advancing technology, there were more and more pain medications, and people’s tolerance was indeed getting weaker.
Qi Yue sighed and looked sympathetically at the magistrate’s young son groaning continuously on the bed.
Child, you were born a thousand years too early, so you can only suffer a bit.
“Then we can only rely on willpower to resist the pain.” Qi Yue said, looking at A’Ru, Hu San and others, “You need to talk to him more, distract his attention…”
Hu San and the others quickly responded yes.
“If he doesn’t move, his intestines will stick together, and then we’d have to open his belly again.” Qi Yue crouched by the bed again and said.
After the injured person woke up, when the magistrate couple came to visit, Liu Pucheng had explained the treatment process in detail. The child already knew his belly had been cut open to treat his injury, though he completely couldn’t understand how a belly could be cut open and sewn back up while still staying alive.
“So you… cut open… my belly?” He looked at Qi Yue and asked weakly.
Qi Yue smiled at him.
“Yes, what’s your name?” she asked, while checking the drainage tubes on his body. Good, all normal.
Qi Yue couldn’t help but recite a Buddhist prayer in her heart, then smiled bitterly after finishing. She never expected that Qi Yue, known as the “Little Quick Knife of Chest Surgery,” would have a day of relying on gods and Buddha.
“Are you… Yuncheng’s… wife?” The magistrate’s son asked weakly, “You look… pretty good.”
How was this kid talking? Hu San and the others were somewhat embarrassed.
“Thank you, thank you.” Qi Yue laughed, “Come, let’s turn over. I know you’re in pain, but you’re a real man—you dared to have your belly cut open, are you afraid of this little pain?”
Young men loved hearing this kind of talk. The magistrate’s son immediately perked up. Thinking about how he had his belly cut open and still lived, what great conversation material that would be in the future. With Hu San and Zhang Tong’s help, he sat up halfway, then Qi Yue stayed with him talking—how old are you, what do you usually like to do?
“Why do you… woman… love talking… to men so much?” The magistrate’s son said weakly, “…Not following womanly virtue.”
Qi Yue laughed heartily.
“You little brat.” She laughed.
“You’re the brat!” The little brat was very dissatisfied. Though his whole body hurt and he had no strength, he still struggled to shout.
The movement was too much, and he couldn’t help but gasp.
“Hey, don’t be afraid of pain, cough more, breathe deeply.” Qi Yue said, demonstrating deep breathing, “This can prevent lung collapse…”
“You’re not the one… in pain… easy for you to say.” The magistrate’s son said weakly, his forehead covered in cold sweat from pain. He wanted to stop breathing altogether, let alone breathe deeply!
The child was weak after surgery, and after being encouraged to talk so much, he soon fell into a drowsy sleep.
“His spirits seem good.” Liu Pucheng said with a smile.
Qi Yue didn’t have the relaxed manner she showed in front of the child, still frowning.
“I hope so.” She muttered.
“Miss Qi, don’t be so tense.” Liu Pucheng shook his head and smiled helplessly.
“I’m just nervous.” Qi Yue sighed, anxiety clearly visible in her eyes as she rubbed her face.
Performing a splenectomy in an environment with nothing available was simply unimaginable.
“Young Master Huang seems to be recovering well, it’ll be fine.” Liu Pucheng said again.
“When he’s fine is when I’m nervous.” Qi Yue muttered.
Liu Pucheng laughed at her words.
“According to your meaning, you’d only not be nervous if something went wrong?” He laughed.
Whether it was Liu Pucheng’s words proving prophetic or Madam Xie’s prayers taking effect, that very night Qi Yue, who had just fallen asleep after taking a brief rest, was awakened by a panicked A’Ru.
“Young Madam, Young Master Huang is not well,” she said tremblingly, still tightly clutching a thermometer in her hand.
Qi Yue leaped up and grabbed the thermometer from A’Ru’s hand.
39°C…
The commotion on Qi Yue’s side quickly spread, and the magistrate couple, who had been restless and worried, immediately came over, but they were still blocked outside the courtyard gate.
“What’s wrong with Ziqiao?” The magistrate’s wife shouted anxiously, “Let me in to see him.”
“The doctor is treating him, he just has some fever, don’t worry.” Hu San stammered an explanation.
Everyone inside was busy, so only he was pushed out to do the explaining. But dear heaven, he himself didn’t understand what was happening.
“Let me in.” The magistrate’s wife panicked upon hearing this and tried to rush inside.
“No, you can’t disturb the doctor right now. Wait a while, the doctor will let you in to visit.” Hu San shouted, reaching out to block the door.
“You lowly thing, get out of my way.” The magistrate’s wife, frantic with worry, raised her hand and struck Hu San.
Hu San took the slap without moving a step.
“If you go in now, it will actually be bad for the young master. If you really care about him, please wait a bit longer.” He didn’t dare push the magistrate’s wife, only using both hands to brace the door and block it.
The magistrate’s wife, disregarding all propriety and the separation between men and women, rushed forward to kick and hit Hu San.
“If the madam dares to step one foot into this courtyard, I dare to immediately send the young master out.” Chang Yuncheng’s voice came from behind.
The fighting and noise immediately stopped.
The magistrate couple turned around to see Chang Yuncheng walking over step by step.
“Does the madam believe me?” he said.
These words were too excessive, and the magistrate’s face looked very ugly.
“Lord, there’s no such reasoning in this world. We came to seek treatment, and it’s one thing not to let us watch, but how can we not even be allowed to know about life and death?” He said in a deep voice, with suppressed anger.
He had long heard that the heir of Marquis Dingxi’s mansion was unruly and acted without restraint. Since he was of a younger generation and they had no dealings, he had assumed it was just the common failing of wealthy young men. Only after these few days of contact did he realize that those words were not only not exaggerated, but were said too mildly.
This boy was simply unreasonable!
“Since you came for treatment, you’ve entrusted your lives to the doctor. Whether he lives or dies, she will always give you an explanation.” Chang Yuncheng said, waving his hand.
The guards scattered around stepped forward.
“Madam, please wait here.” Chang Yuncheng said to the magistrate’s wife.
Seeing the approaching guards, the magistrate’s wife could only step back.
“Sir.” She turned and grabbed the magistrate’s arm, crying loudly, worried and angry and anxious all at once.
The magistrate gripped her hand tightly.
“Fine, we’ll wait.” He gritted out these words through his teeth, his face livid as he stared deadly at the courtyard gate, “Wait for her to give us an explanation!”