Resplendent – Chapter 380

Chapter 380: External Heat Injury

Gu Ye understood the old doctor’s feelings and pretended not to see him. Doctor Yang hesitated for a moment but ultimately couldn’t resist his curiosity and shamelessly stayed.

Next, he witnessed the true ‘Hua Tuo divine technique’: the Gu family’s little maid used a narcotic powder on Dongzi, and throughout the entire surgery, he felt no pain at all. 

Miss Gu skillfully sutured the tendons together, explaining the key points to the little maid as she worked.

Doctor Yang leaned in with curiosity, listening as she pointed to the wound and said, “This case involves a laceration from a sharp object. The wound is neat, not heavily contaminated, and he received treatment within eight hours post-injury. See this? This is the flexor tendon sheath. The superficial tendon inside is ruptured, but the deep tendon is intact. This greatly reduces the difficulty of the procedure.”

Doctor Yang watched as she was manipulating what she called the ‘sword sheath’ and ‘sword blade,’ which was clearly the tendon. 

Why did she give names that sounded like weapons from the martial arts world? 

Then he heard her mention various types of tendon injuries, leaving him confused and unsure of what she was talking about, which only made her seem more profound and inscrutable.

Finally, she began to stitch the tendons. As she sewed, she explained, “For suturing hand tendons, we generally use the ‘figure-eight suture technique,’ which can withstand significant tension and is not easily torn apart. The ends must be closely aligned without any gaps to ensure proper healing and prevent prolonged recovery time. However, they also cannot be too tight; excessive tightness can cause the tendon to plicate, which affects its gliding function.”

The round-faced little maid nodded repeatedly, occasionally handing Miss Gu surgical tools and wiping the sweat off her forehead to prevent it from dripping into her eyes and affecting the surgery. 

The cooperation between the two was particularly harmonious. With just a glance from Miss Gu, the little maid could promptly pass her the necessary instruments. 

Doctor Yang felt a twinge of envy as he observed Miss Gu’s maid, who was also able to learn the skills of the legendary doctor Hua Tuo. He was even less competent than a maid!

Miss Gu’s fingers moved swiftly and skillfully, and soon the severed tendon was successfully stitched. She then quietly told the little maid, “To prevent adhesion, we need to stitch the surrounding soft tissue over it after suturing.” As she spoke, she slowed down her movements to let the little maid observe closely.

Dongzi, who had been lying down, couldn’t help but want to sit up and see how his tendon was being stitched together while listening to Miss Gu’s explanation. Just as he was about to move, Miss Gu threatened him, “Don’t move around! If it’s stitched incorrectly, it will affect the recovery, and you’ll be fully responsible!”

Dongzi immediately froze in place, lying on the bed like a wooden plank. Doctor Yang, however, was thoroughly enjoying the show, though he was merely there for the excitement.

“Alright, next is to apply the plaster! You’re skilled at this, so I’ll leave it to you!” After completing a delicate surgery, Gu Ye let out a long sigh of relief.

Throughout the journey, her symptoms of heat stroke had worsened. She hadn’t felt much during the surgery because she had been highly focused. But now that she relaxed, she suddenly felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and her steps became weak and unsteady. 

Just as Yue Yuan was tidying up the surgical supplies, Gu Ye’s vision darkened, and she collapsed to the ground. Her forehead hit the floor heavily, producing a loud thud.

Yue Yuan turned around and hurriedly dropped what she was holding, rushing to lift the young lady off the floor. Fortunately, the floor was wooden, so Gu Ye’s forehead didn’t crack open; instead, it swelled up significantly, turning a dark purple.

“Miss, Miss!” Yue Yuan was nearly in tears from panic. Doctor Yang quickly stepped forward to check the young lady’s pulse.

“Miss Gu is suffering from external heat evil.” He then began to list a series of traditional Chinese medicine terms, “Heat is a Yang pathogen, and it is characterized by its fiery nature; it rises and disperses, disturbing the spirit and depleting fluids and energy; it often carries dampness.”

“Then… is it serious or not?” Dongzi asked anxiously as he sat up, cradling his injured arm. Yue Yuan half-supported, half-cradled her unconscious mistress, looking at the old doctor with worry, waiting for his answer.

Doctor Yang stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, “I’ll prescribe a Qingluo Decoction. Let her drink two doses first; it should alleviate the symptoms.”

What does ‘should’ mean? What kind of ‘try it out’ is that? 

Yue Yuan’s temper flared, and she almost snapped at him. No wonder, at his age, he could only be a doctor on a ship; he couldn’t even make a decisive judgment on such a minor issue. It’s no wonder he never made a name for himself!

Doctor Yang didn’t realize that his cautiousness had left a ‘mediocre doctor’ impression in the young maid’s mind, one that he would carry for quite some time.

When Gu Xiao and Gu Ming received the news, they squeezed into the small cabin, feeling helpless before the unconscious Gu Ye. Yin Mei suppressed his own worries and anxiety and said, “First, let’s carry Miss to the guest cabin on the third floor, then let Doctor Yang examine her in detail.”

Gu Ming picked up his sister and strode toward the third floor. They prepared the brightest and most spacious guest cabin for Gu Ye, with ice basins already placed in all four corners, making the room pleasantly cool. 

Doctor Yang quickly ordered the removal of two ice basins, leaving only the ones by the door. This was to prevent alternating heat and cold, which could worsen her condition.

Once the Qingluo Decoction was ready, he instructed them to let her drink it while it was still warm. While Hua Hao was feeding the young lady the Qingluo Decoction, her unconscious mistress resisted quite a bit, possibly due to the unpleasant taste of the medicine. It took a while to get her to swallow three or five spoonfuls.

Seeing that there were too many people in the room, Doctor Yang asked everyone to step outside, leaving only two young maids to assist. He instructed Hua Hao to use warm water to sponge down the young lady, preferably wrapping her in a damp cloth, and to fan her to help reduce her temperature.

“What should we do?” The worst-case scenario had come to pass. Gu Ming anxiously paced back and forth on the deck outside her sister’s room.  “How about… we hold off on setting sail for now? I can go to the nearby county with Brother Cheng to find a few doctors to take a look at my sister?”

Yin Mei stood outside the door with a serious expression, his anxiety not showing on his face. He took a deep breath and said slowly, “Within a fifty-mile radius of the dock, there are only two underdeveloped small towns. There are no renowned doctors in those towns. Doctor Yang’s medical skills are not inferior to those of Doctor Li from Jimin Pharmacy. It’s unlikely to find anyone with better medical skills nearby.”

The old captain had been busy with ship-related matters, and he hadn’t even been able to stay outside during his nephew’s surgery. So, he naturally didn’t know that Miss Gu had exhausted herself to the point of falling ill after operating on his grandnephew’s hand.

“Fourth Young Master, everything is ready. We can set sail!” Members of the Hidden Soul Palace referred to the four leaders of the secret guards as ‘First Young Master,’ ‘Second Young Master,’ and so on.

“Let’s wait a bit longer!” Yin Mei briefly mentioned Miss Gu’s condition to the old captain, suggesting they stay at the dock for another two days, at least until she woke up before departing.

After hearing this, the old captain fell silent for a moment and said with some hesitation, “The distinguished guests arriving at the dock are already two days later than planned. During this season, there’s a tendency for severe storms. If we delay a few more days, we might miss the scheduled arrival in the capital…”