novelaction Chapter 418 Qinchuan
Chapter 418 Qinchuan
Chapter 418
Luo Shuiyao was accustomed to this and didn't explain it to the others. Saving people was more important at this moment. She then instructed Chun Xing to put Aunt Zhang on the carriage. The people who had been rescued earlier had already changed into dry clothes and were now draped in the blankets brought by the young women as they moved out of the carriage to make room.
Luo Shuiyao saw Chun Xing put Aunt Zhang in a good place and got on the carriage. A young wife poured hot water and handed it to Chun Xing. "Miss, do you want to take off Aunt Zhang's clothes?"
"Be careful, hurry up, wipe the wound clean, I will apply medicine for her." Fortunately, Luo Shuiyao took into consideration the situations that might occur when going out, so she brought a lot of medicine with her, all hidden in the secret compartment of the carriage. It is convenient to use and can save a lot of trouble.
As Luo Shuiyao spoke, she took out the medicine bottle from the secret compartment.
Chun Xing carefully helped Aunt Zhang remove half of her clothes and wiped the wound with hot water. After treating the wound, Luo Shuiyao skillfully sprinkled medicinal powder on it, and the bleeding quickly stopped. She then took out a clean cloth and carefully bandaged it. But this was only an emergency measure; Aunt Zhang was not out of danger and remained unconscious.
Luo Shuiyao quickly grabbed some dry clothes from the carriage and, along with Chun Xing, quickly changed Aunt Zhang into them. At the same time, she shouted outside, "Hurry up and get someone to drive! We need to rush Aunt Zhang to Baihua County and get a doctor. Hurry!"
"Yes, Miss," the guard answered from outside, quickly approaching. He was covered in mud, but he brushed it off with his hands and stepped onto the carriage with one long stride. Just as he was about to whip the horse, the village head raised his hand to block the carriage.
The guard was slightly startled and followed the village head's gaze, only to hear the head say, "Wait, look at that?"
The villagers, their expressions solemn, had already cleared the path, eagerly awaiting the carriage's departure back to the county to treat Aunt Zhang. No one noticed the distant commotion. The village head's shout prompted everyone to turn and look—on the narrow country road, horses' hooves kicked up waves of mud as a dozen riders and horses galloped toward them. The leading yamen runner wore a black robe, the iron ruler at his waist gleaming coldly in the rain and mist. Most striking was the white-bearded old man perched diagonally on his horse's back, his blue cloth medicine chest making a soft rustling sound as it jolted against the road.
Although Baihua County had only a few hundred households, when it came to famous doctors who could bring the dead back to life, the neighbors would count on their fingers the name of Old Doctor Xu. As they watched the yamen runners escort them forward, the crowd suddenly erupted in exclamations of surprise: "It's Doctor Xu! God bless! Make way! Make way!"
Luo Shuiyao and Chun Xing had just helped Aunt Zhang get dressed when they heard the sound of horse hooves outside the carriage. She lifted the curtain and looked in, only to see a group of men and horses stopped about three feet away. The man in the lead stood tall and straight, dismounting with a deft movement. He reached out to support a white-bearded old man. Though his face was pale and his hair slightly disheveled from the jolting ride, the old man glanced anxiously at the villagers, his voice filled with urgency: "Is anyone injured? Where are they? Let me see!"
Seeing the old man carrying a medicine box and a plain cloth tied around his neck, Luo Shuiyao immediately shouted, "The injured man is here! Please come in, old man!"
Without even turning back, Doctor Xu strode towards the carriage. However, the edge of the carriage was quite high, and he tried several times to climb on tiptoe, but his legs were too weak to do so.
Seeing this, Luo Shuiyao hurriedly reached out to help, but the old doctor glanced sideways and dodged her hand. She was slightly startled, then realized that the other party was probably concerned about the difference between men and women. She turned to the guard sitting on the edge of the car and said, "Help!"
The guard, stunned by the old doctor's agile movements, hurriedly leaned over upon hearing the command, grabbed the old doctor's wrist, and yanked him upward. Simultaneously, the man carrying the old doctor hurried forward, his hands supporting the old man's lower back. As the two men pulled and pushed, the old doctor stumbled and fell into the carriage, nearly falling onto the bedding-covered floor.
But he completely disregarded his manners, crawling to Aunt Zhang's side with his hands and knees, and shakily opened the medicine box. In the narrow carriage, Chun Xing had already retreated to a corner. The lack of air could put the patient at risk of suffocation, so Luo Shuiyao didn't follow him in. Instead, she sat at the edge of the carriage and lifted the curtains on both sides.
A damp wind, carrying the scent of earth, blew into the carriage. The old doctor reached out and placed his hand on Aunt Zhang's pulse, carefully examining her. He then gently pulled open her eyelids to examine her pupils. Then, he quickly pulled a pill from his medicine box and carefully placed it in Aunt Zhang's mouth.
Seeing this, Luo Shuiyao hurriedly handed over a bowl of hot water she had prepared. Doctor Zhang glanced up at her, then took the hot water and, with Chun Xing's help, slightly propped up Aunt Zhang's head. He then gently fed and sprinkled half a bowl of water down her throat. Seeing Aunt Zhang swallow slowly, the old doctor finally breathed a sigh of relief. He casually packed his medicine box and slowly got out of the carriage.
Outside the carriage, the young man who had arrived had already thoroughly inquired about the entire situation. Upon learning that everyone had been successfully rescued, he nodded slightly and breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in his face relaxing slightly. The yamen runners behind him stood at attention, some even helping several elderly villagers onto their horses.
At this moment, the old doctor got off the carriage. The young man, who had been talking to the village head, immediately stopped talking and walked over to him. With a look of concern on his face, he asked, "Mr. Xu, how is the injured man? Is he seriously injured?" The young man asked anxiously.
The old doctor shook his head. "She's not in great shape, but thankfully someone took care of her in time and stopped the bleeding. I gave her some homemade secret medicine. The most urgent thing is to get her back to the clinic. They have a full range of medicines there, and any accidents can be handled easily. As long as she doesn't have a fever, she'll wake up tomorrow."
"That's good." The man was obviously relieved. "Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Xu."
He then raised his hand and two yamen runners stepped forward. "You and Old Xu, take the injured man back to Old Xu's clinic."
Then he turned to the old doctor and said, "Please do your best to treat him. I will pay for the consultation."
The old doctor shook his head and said nothing more, "Okay, then I'll take the person back first."
The guard who was about to drive looked at Luo Shuiyao, waiting for instructions.
Luo Shuiyao nodded at him and said, "It's okay. You drive with the old man and the injured person. After you've dealt with the matter, come back to the inn. We'll be waiting for you there."
The guard nodded, said nothing more, and prepared to ride forward.
At this moment, the old man seemed to have just realized what was happening and asked, "Is this carriage yours?"
Luo Shuiyao hummed.
The old man then asked, "Did you treat the wound?"
"Well, I was fortunate enough to learn some medical skills from a barefoot doctor. I only know simple bandaging and the like. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble?" Luo Shuiyao asked.
She had noticed that the old man before her possessed remarkable medical skills, though perhaps a bit pedantic. She had indeed learned some medical skills from others, but not professionally. She had some experience with medicine and acupuncture, but her experience in treatment was limited. However, the situation was urgent, so she could only briefly treat the wound.
Although the old man had expected this, a hint of surprise still flashed in his eyes. He looked Luo Shuiyao up and down, and his tone was quite gentle: "I didn't expect that a woman like you would know some of the art of medicine."
Luo Shuiyao smiled lightly and responded modestly: "I only know a little bit, how dare I compare myself to you, old sir. You have been practicing medicine for many years and have rich experience. I hope you can give me more guidance."
The old man stroked his beard, his eyes showing a hint of admiration, but he said nothing more. Then, with the help of his guards, he boarded the carriage again.
As the whip was raised, the horse neighed, and the carriage slowly moved forward, gradually disappearing from everyone's sight.
The remaining yamen runners also organized the crowd, either helping them onto carriages or placing them on horseback, and evacuated in an orderly manner. After all, this place was close to the hillside and the soil was soft, and staying there for too long might cause accidents.
Luo Shuiyao and Chun Xing held hands and followed the crowd, walking out in the mud with one step deep and one step shallow.
Shortly after they pulled away, a sudden, loud boom erupted from the hillside behind them—a new, crumbling section of the mountain collapsed, sending turbid mud and debris tumbling down. Everyone paused in shock, looking back at the devastating landslide scene, their sweat dripping, yet they couldn't help but feel thankful they'd evacuated in time.
It was not until the group left the country road and stepped onto the smooth official road that the ground became less muddy and difficult to walk on.
Luo Shuiyao let go of Chun Xing's hand, bent down to pick up a sharp stone from the roadside, squatted down, and scraped the soles of her shoes vigorously, trying to remove the thick mud. Mud wrapped around the gravel fell down, splashing small particles of mud on the ground, but she didn't care, only focused on cleaning her shoes.
At this time, a man also stopped, straightened his clothes, stood quietly to one side, and watched her movements intently, but had no intention of coming forward.
Until Luo Shuiyao seemed to sense something, stopped what she was doing, turned around and looked over. Seeing someone looking at her, she dropped the stone in her hand and patted the dirt off her hands.
Seeing this, the man hurriedly bowed and saluted. "Miss, I am Qin Chuan, the magistrate of Baihua County. I just heard from the village head that today's incident was only possible thanks to your help. On behalf of the villagers of Baihua County, I would like to thank you for your heroic act."
Upon hearing this, Luo Shuiyao looked up and saw his grateful eyes. She quickly bowed in return, the hem of her robe brushing the muddy road. Since she was covered in mud, she wasn't noticeable. "Lord Qin, you're too kind. I'm a citizen of the Great Zhou. This was a natural disaster, and it's only natural for us to help each other. Aunt Zhang is blessed with a long life, and you, along with Elder Xu, were able to come to her rescue in time. We are truly fortunate."
Luo Shuiyao looked up at the man before her. He was handsome, with a fair complexion, and looked no more than in his early twenties. It was hard to associate him with a county magistrate. Even more surprising was his simple attire: a dark blue gown so washed it looked pale, with only an ordinary leather belt tied around his waist. He lacked the imposing presence one would expect of a county magistrate.
Qin Chuan seemed unaware of her scrutiny and said sincerely, "Young lady, you are a kindhearted person. This righteous act must be made known to the people of the entire county. If you don't mind, I would like to invite you to a chat after I finish my business in the next two days. I will prepare some wine as a token of my gratitude."
Luo Shuiyao raised the corners of her lips and politely declined, "I appreciate your kindness, Lord Qin, but I'm just passing through here and can't stay long. I'll be on my way when the road becomes easier. I really don't want to bother you."
"Is that so?" Qin Chuan's face seemed to flash with disappointment when he heard this, but he quickly nodded and said, "If that's the case, then I won't bother you any more. It's really inconvenient to force you to stay. If you need anything in Baihua County in the future, just send someone to the County Magistrate's Mansion to find me. I will definitely help you with all my strength."