Injured Mountain Dwellers Seeking Medical Help

After putting away the dishes, a group of people was seen running down the mountain road from a distance, shouting, "Old Medicine Master, quickly save us!" The front runners carried two makeshift stretchers made of branches and hemp ropes, with the people on top covered in blood.

Everyone stood up, some took the stretchers towards the east courtyard, others assisted the exhausted runners to sit on the stone platform, and some fetched water to clean them. They brought soup and rice to help them regain strength before heading to the east courtyard together.

The injured were placed in the medical room where Tong Xi and the old Medicine Master treated their wounds. Tong Ding Shan, Tong Chen, and Huo Zi had opened two rooms on the west side, laid out straw mats and quilts, preparing a place for the injured to rest. As the injured were still being treated, they couldn't rest peacefully, sitting in the courtyard, listening to the commotion inside.

There were a total of eight people, five families of hunters from this mountain. One family consisted of a father and three sons, another a father and two sons, and the rest were brothers. Among them, a middle-aged man, Xia, spoke, "We were chasing a herd of yellow sheep towards the northeast mountains since yesterday. Just as we identified their water source and set traps along the way, preparing for today's hunt, a group of wild boars broke through the traps. Since we couldn't catch the sheep, we thought of following the trail of the wild boars to see if we could hunt a couple of stragglers. Little did we know, not far into the chase, we encountered another group of wild boars chasing Old Lin and his two sons. There were at least ten of them. The little one's leg was already picked off by their tusks, and Old Lin barely managed to hold them off. The elder son ran out of arrows, so he used a fire torch and a wooden knife to fend off the crazed wild boars. If we had arrived a moment later, the whole family might not have survived."

"We originally planned to hunt wild boars tonight. Considering the number of this group, we thought of planning more carefully, digging some traps tomorrow for added safety. Spring came early this year, and the food in the mountains is abundant. The quantity of these wild boars in each group is much larger than previous years. Xia brothers, you can stay here tonight, and tomorrow you can join us in hunting wild boars. We'll plan it thoroughly, digging some traps for safety. Don't worry; the two injured have been treated, and their lives are not in danger. The younger one just has a cut on his leg muscle, which will heal in one or two months. The older one suffered a deep cut on his left arm that damaged the tendon. Even if the wound heals in three to five months, it's likely his left wrist won't regain its strength. He has multiple injuries, and Grandpa applied a pain-relieving poultice. He hasn't regained consciousness yet. The younger one had some medicine powder applied to his wound. By tonight, both of them will experience some pain due to the medicine wearing off. It would be best if their families could stay and take care of them. Now, please lend a hand to carry them to the east room for rest. Don't move the wounds; let them rest here for about ten days for observation and changing dressings. By the way, it's better not to move the injuries. Let them stay here for about ten days for observation and dressing changes. They can rest comfortably on these wooden platforms with straw mattresses."

The injured were carried and placed on a wooden platform near the wall, covered with straw mats and quilts. The whole arrangement resembled the large sleeping quarters in a hotel in Zhu Ma Dian. If crowded, each room could accommodate seven or eight adults. The area connected to the kitchen had a solid wall and a chimney connected to the adjacent hearth. Once a fire was lit, it would quickly warm up the place. This arrangement was indeed convenient for treating patients. Thinking about the generous long-term donations from Tong's family to the town's pharmacy, Bei Xin had even more respect for the old Medicine Master.

"Tong Lao Ye, thank you very much. I already had my son go and ask Old Lin's family to bring some money and clothing. He'll also drop by the village to inform his mother. Xia brothers and their two sons have taken letters back home. I don't know when they'll arrive. We'll stay here tonight and watch over them. Tong Lao Ye, we'll trouble you with this." The middle-aged man from the Chen family respectfully walked to Tong Ding Shan, expressing his gratitude.