Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Several servants hurriedly helped Jia Cong back to the mansion. Soon after, the doctor arrived, examined the injuries, and frowned.

"Third Master's wound is not deep, but the opening is quite large. Let me stitch it up for you."

Fortunately, medical suturing surgery was available at this time, and since the Rong family was a noble family, the doctor immediately brought silver thread, first washed the bloodstains with water, and then carefully sutured Jia Cong's wound. However, there was no anesthetic, so he had to endure it.

After stitching up about ten stitches, the doctor wiped his sweat and got up.

"Third Master has the bearing of a martial artist; this kind of injury will require half a month of rest before the stitches can be removed."

He then took a jar of Ruyi Jin Chuang Yao (a traditional Chinese medicine for wound healing), which contained ingredients such as Panax notoginseng, frankincense, and borneol, and applied it thickly to the wound before wrapping it tightly with layers of clean silk.

He then took another dose of Jade True Powder, mixed it with clean water, and gave it to Jia Cong to drink.

"This is a wound caused by metal objects, and it is most dangerous to allow it to fester and become infected. This medicine is specifically designed to prevent the internal attack of toxins. Third Master, please take it and rest assured. During this day, avoid wind and certain foods, and do not consume meat, fish, or other foods that may aggravate the condition. I guarantee that it will close and scab over in six or seven days, and there will be absolutely no risk of infection and suppuration."

Despite the pain, Jia Cong waved his hand to summon Li Rong, instructing him to take two taels of silver as a consultation fee. The doctor was delighted and kept bowing. After prescribing some nourishing medicine, he left.

News of his injury quickly spread throughout the Rong Mansion. Although Grandmother Jia resented him for making Baoyu sick, she still rewarded him with a lot of medicine in consideration of his past merits. Jia She and Madam Xing also had to make a show of visiting him and left some nourishing things before leaving.

After Baoyu, Daiyu, Baochai, and all the other sisters and brothers had looked at it, Jinping came in and brought out a plain porcelain bottle. "Third Master, this is a medicine sent by Master Sun. He said it is specifically for treating external injuries."

Jia Cong hurriedly took it with his right hand, and took a careful sniff. A strong aroma of Chinese medicine wafted over him. The bottle contained three dark pills, the material of which was unknown.

"Master Sun only said that taking one pill every day will ensure Third Master's safety." Jinping carefully poured out one pill.

Jia Cong nodded and took the pills with his tea. He found the pills very bitter, but he knew that Sun Tai would not harm him. He simply told Li Rong to keep the dishes light tonight and not to eat any foods that might aggravate the condition.

The next day, he ordered someone to report a sick leave to the commander, but unexpectedly he developed a fever, and his wound became red and swollen, with some pale yellow pus oozing out!

"This is bad!" Jia Cong was startled and cursed Sun Tai for not disinfecting the blade of the goose-wing halberd. There were no drugs to fight infection right now, and penicillin was nowhere to be found!

The most fatal thing is that if this wound were to become infected with tetanus, Jia Cong would probably still be alive today.

He immediately forced himself to sit up, ignoring his dizziness, and quickly called Li Rong over.

"Bring me scissors and cut all the silver threads away!"

Li Rong was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly.

"Third Master, you mustn't do that. This servant will go and fetch a doctor to take a look."

At this point, Jia Cong no longer dared to trust these barefoot doctors. He gritted his teeth and pointed at Li Rong.

"You bastard, take it if I tell you to, and if you utter another word, I'll beat you to death!"

Li Rong, trembling, could only fetch the scissors and scald them twice with boiling water, but still dared not cut them. Jia Cong, in his frustration, slapped him on the head.

"Useless trash, get out of here!"

After saying that, he simply bit a towel in his mouth and actually used scissors to cut open his skin, picking open the silver thread that the doctor had stitched up yesterday!

"Hiss!" Jia Cong's eyes widened in pain, the swelling and festering wound becoming increasingly painful, but he dared not delay and waved his hand again.

"Go and find those oranges that have developed green mold. Peel them, leaving only the mold spots. Remember, just make sure they're green, with even a tiny bit of other colors on the peel!"

Although Li Rong didn't understand what Jia Cong was trying to do, he still scrambled out of Qingyan Hall. Chu Lan and Jinping stood by, wiping away tears, and used clean water to wash Jia Cong's festering wound.

Jia Cong dared not use liquor to clean his wounds, fearing it would worsen the infection. A moment later, Li Rong rushed into the room, carrying seven or eight moldy oranges.

"Third Master, please take a look and see if it's suitable?"

Jia Cong struggled to his feet and examined each item, then picked out one whose color he was unsure about. He ultimately kept six before reluctantly nodding in approval.

"Listen carefully, find a bowl, cut off these moldy orange peels and put them there, then take some liquor and soak them in it with clean water for a full day before we talk!"

Li Rong accepted the order and left, while Jia Cong could only instruct several maids to wash his wounds with clean water every hour, hoping to get through another day.

He didn't even have the maids and servants inform the household about this. What difference would it make if they did? Even calling the imperial physician wouldn't help.

The following day, Jia Cong's injuries worsened. If it weren't for his martial arts prowess at the third level, he would have been delirious like Bao Yu.

In his dazed state, he seemed to see the old man who taught him martial arts in the Mirror of Love and Lust again. When he mobilized his inner energy to fight against the high fever, his originally impregnable triple realm began to show signs of loosening.

However, Jia Cong had no intention of seeking a breakthrough at this moment. He barely managed to open his eyes when Li Rong brought in the fully dissolved penicillin solution.

"Use fine silk mixed with fine sand, then layer charcoal to filter the water until it turns slightly yellow!" This is the only effective disinfection method Jia Cong can think of at the moment.

A moment later, Li Rong brought in filtered disinfectant. Jia Cong then had a maid help him to sit up, and instructed her to disinfect him with gauze soaked in boiling water.

After two days of continuous rinsing, his high fever gradually subsided. He instructed Li Rong to invite the doctor again, and after another stitching and application of medicine, his condition finally stabilized.

The doctor was so shocked that he repeatedly begged for mercy.

"Please forgive me, Third Master! I was unaware that this injury had become so festering and swollen. Please forgive me!" If Jia Cong were to be seriously injured, the lives of his entire family would be in grave danger.

Jia Cong waved his hand impatiently.

"Never mind, this isn't your fault. We just shouldn't mention it to others!"

The doctor nodded repeatedly, not daring to ask for any more money, and slunk out of the mansion.

Although it was just a folk remedy using penicillin, it was like a cheat code in this era. Fortunately, the wound did not become infected again, and Jia Cong breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Having suffered from a high fever for several days and not having eaten or drunk anything, he was starving, but he couldn't eat any nutritious or "heating" foods, so he had no choice but to call Jinping up.

"Go to the Green Bamboo Nunnery and ask that nun for two bowls of vegetarian noodles!"

Jinping covered her mouth with her handkerchief and giggled.

"Third Master has always disliked that nun, yet now he's asking for her vegetarian meals. How shameless of him!"

Jia Cong laughed and cursed.

"You little rascal, you're getting more and more unruly. Go and come back quickly."

Jinping responded with a smile and went out. When she returned, she was carrying two bowls of premium vegetarian noodles from Longcui Nunnery. The noodles were generously topped and the soup was golden and shiny, clearly not ordinary.

Although mushrooms are considered a mild irritant, they are not contraindicated for wounds. They do not aggravate inflammation or cause pus, so eating them is harmless. Jia Cong didn't care about table manners and drank the soup and noodles clean before finally putting down the bowl and going to sleep, satisfied.