Chapter 56: The efficacy of antibiotics

Alive captives could be exchanged for 5 silver coins.

While dead ones were only worth 5 copper coins.

The four of them bound the teenager tightly and, along with the dead reindeer, threw him onto the cart hidden in the corner. They dragged him back to the base.

"Blue coat! Are you from the sanctuary?!"

No one paid him any attention.

The young man looked terrified as he watched the concrete wall pass overhead, being taken to the side of the granary.

The cart came to a stop.

Tomorrow and White lifted the reindeer and placed it on the table in front of Tomato_scrambled_eggs.

"Brother, settle the payment."

"12 silver."

Coins were counted out, clinking on the table. Tomato withdrew the cleaver resting on the table and began chopping the meat with resounding thuds.

The sound of the blade hitting the chopping board seemed to strike at the young man's heart, making him jump in fear.

He had never heard of Blue coats eating people!

"My governor, you came just in time. We were planning to bring him to you!"

"Where did you get him?"

"We encountered him while hunting. This guy shot an arrow at me, but it missed."

"I see."

Governor counted out five silver coins from his pocket and handed them to Tomorrow. Light Chu gestured for him to untie the captive on the cart.

Although Tomorrow felt it was not safe to do so, he wasn't too worried since he had witnessed the governor's combat power. He walked towards the cart with Hurricane.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, the young man struggled even more vigorously. However, when he clearly saw the person beside the two approaching figures, he froze.

"Light Chu?"

The pronunciation of the name was the same as in this world.

"Yes, it's me."

Light Chu smiled and reached out to help him up.

"Sorry for the misunderstanding."

The captive brought back by Tomorrow and the others was none other than Tiger Yu, the second son of the Yu family who lived across from Bette Street.

Tiger moved his wrists, which had turned red from being bound, and nervously looked at the Blue coats surrounding him. He asked in a low voice.

"Are they all your people?"

It had been a long time since they last met.

He thought this outsider had died outside, but he unexpectedly encountered him here again. Just yesterday, he was persuading his younger sister not to guard the shack for that outsider. Dust had already settled on the door...

"They are my companions."

"What are they doing here?"

"Watching the plot."

"'Plot'? What's that?"

"It's not important. Just ignore them. By the way, how did you end up here? Where's your father and older brother?"

Light Chu remembered that they always acted together, whether scavenging or hunting.

Tiger's expression darkened, and he whispered.

"A few days ago, while hunting, my father was shot in the arm by a raider. My older brother got bitten in the leg by a pet hyena while trying to save our father. When they escaped back, my father survived, but my brother's leg wound got infected. He has had a high fever ever since and has been bedridden... Winter is coming soon, and I don't know if he can make it."

Hyenas, vultures, and wolves, the three profiteers of the wasteland, didn't mind their food choices.

Especially the hyenas, which were most commonly seen in Springvale. When they couldn't find prey, they often ate carrion. When starving, they would even bite feeders. Consequently, their teeth were usually filled with bacteria.

If bitten by a mutant hyena, failing to treat the wound in time could easily lead to an infection. In severe cases, it could even threaten one's life.

After hearing Tiger's words, Light Chu frowned.

The Yu family had been kind to him. Although they didn't go out of their way to help him, their youngest daughter always watched over his house and even stopped people from stealing from him, including the Wang family.

"Bring your brother to me. Maybe I can cure him."

Tiger was taken aback.

"Really?!"

Light Chu nodded.

"Yes, bring him to me."

Tiger looked touched and suddenly lowered his head.

"I'm sorry. You're really kind. We used to worry that you might be a bad person."

Light Chu said forgivingly, "It's okay. Being cautious is only natural."

He couldn't really be considered a good person either.

"Oh, there's something... I need to apologize to you."

"What is it?"

Tiger blushed and stammered for a while, scratching the back of his head.

"The horn yuccas you planted at your doorstep... I noticed they hadn't sprouted, so I dug them up and ate them."

"..."

Damn.

So, it was you who dug them up!

Forget it.

It was just a potato, not a big deal.

Light Chu said speechlessly, "It's alright. I guess there was something wrong with the planting method."

Tiger vigorously nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, you can't grow anything with your method! After I dug them up and checked, two of them were rotten. To grow horned yuccas, it's not enough to just cut them into pieces. You have to sprout them first, and each piece should have at least two buds. Then, smear the cut surface with wood ash before planting. That way, they can mature in one or two months!"

Light Chu looked at him in astonishment. "You know how to plant?"

The young man smiled innocently and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's nothing special. Everyone knows a little bit. But usually, it's the mothers, sisters-in-law, and Fishie who plant at the door. Plants outside rarely survive. They either get dug up or gnawed on by rats."

Light Chu chuckled and said, "Alright, when spring comes next year, I'll find something for you to do. But let's not talk about that for now. Hurry back and bring your brother."

Upon hearing Light Chu's words, the young man suddenly remembered that his older brother was still lying in bed. He quickly nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go now."

...

The Wetland Park was about three kilometers away from Bette Street in a straight line. After leaving the park, there were concrete ruins and scattered green plants amidst the ruins. To avoid the more dangerous areas, one had to take a detour of at least two kilometers.

However, Tiger managed to carry his older brother here in less than two hours.

Light Chu asked Vine_vine to bring a fur and placed it on the wooden table, instructing Tiger to lay his brother, Bear, on it.

The strong and muscular man was now on the brink of death, his face pale.

The scavengers of Bette Street had a monotonous diet, mostly malnourished. Coupled with a lack of effective medical conditions, if they didn't contract an illness, they would be fine. However, if they did, they wouldn't be able to endure it and would likely meet their demise.

Light Chu took a brief look at his wound and preliminarily determined it as a bacterial infection based on the color of the pus. He then gave him one of the antibiotics he had obtained previously and proceeded to treat his wound.

"Is wood ash okay?" Tiger asked nervously.

"It depends. Wood ash that has been heated to high temperatures is fine."

This stuff contains potassium salts and has an alkaline nature, which is effective for sterilization. It's the same thing mentioned in Compendium of Materia Medica as "Baicao Frost."

Although its effect is not as good as alcohol, it serves as a decent substitute when high-purity alcohol is not available, especially in the wilderness.

Of course, we're talking about wood ash that has been heated to high temperatures here.

If it's randomly scooped up from under a stove, that's a problem. Who knows if there's tetanus bacillus in it? Applying that ash to a wound could be fatal.

After about five minutes, Bear's complexion visibly improved. His furrowed brows relaxed, and the cold sweat ceased.

Light Chu silently took note of this.

Indeed, it was pre-war technology. The efficacy of this antibiotic was truly remarkable.

Seeing his older brother's condition improve, Tiger couldn't contain himself and rushed over, tears welling up in his eyes as he held his brother's hand.

"Brother! How do you feel now?"

"Tiger? Where is this..." Bear, who had just awakened in a daze, noticed Light Chu standing beside him. His expression froze, and a look of surprise appeared on his weak face.

"...Light Chu?"

"It's me."

"You're not..."

"I'm still alive, but I probably won't be able to go back."

Bear was momentarily stunned, but upon seeing the blue coats around him, he understood the situation. A smile appeared on his face.

"Congratulations, it seems you've found your companions."

"Yeah, we only found them recently," Light Chu lightly smiled and said, "I'm grateful for your help before."

"Don't say that. We didn't help much. It was me who owes you a life... Those capsules must be expensive, right?" This burly man felt embarrassed.

These pills that felt like plastic were something only Boulder City had, and he had only heard of them before but had never seen them.

Even in Boulder City, not everyone could afford them.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a small favor. I'll give you another one later. If you feel feverish, take it; otherwise, there's no need. Keep it for emergencies."

If someone did a good deed for him, even if it was just a slice of bread, Light Chu would remember it.

Moreover, although the medicine was valuable to them, it was just a blind box reward.

Upon hearing that Light Chu would give him more medicine, Bear quickly shook his head and said, "How can that be! You saved my life. How can I accept something so valuable from you?"

Light Chu didn't waste any more words and stuffed the aluminum foil into his brother's hand.

"You keep it for your brother. It would be a shame if he gets infected and dies on the way back while you're carrying him."

Tiger hesitated, but after glancing at the wound on his brother's leg, he finally nodded.

"Thank you... I will repay you! After I bring my brother back, I'll come to help you every day!"

"No need. You're now the pillar of your family. You're the only one left who can hunt. What will your family eat if you work for me? If you really want to repay me, overcome the challenges before you first. We can talk about other things when spring comes next year."

After hearing Light Chu's words, the two of them stopped declining and their eyes were filled with gratitude. They expressed that once this winter was over, they would come to repay him.

White, who was watching the story unfold, grabbed Tomorrow's sleeve and asked in a voice that the Governor couldn't hear, "What are they saying?"

Tomorrow rubbed his chin and pondered, "I don't understand, but I have a rough idea."

Nighten chimed in, encouragingly, "Tell us! A rough idea is good enough."

"Alright, then I'll give you a simple explanation. It may not be accurate... The indigenous young man went out hunting to cure his family members. As a result, he was captured by us. The governor recognized him and asked him to bring his critically ill family members. They were treated with medication from the sanctuary, and the indigenous people were deeply moved, considering us their friends. It's likely that we will establish diplomatic relations with them."

White was perplexed. "How do you establish diplomatic relations?"

Before Tomorrow could answer, Nighten patted his shoulder mischievously and said with a grin, "You're clueless! How do indigenous people establish relationships? Of course, it's through marriage! The chief marries off his daughter and such. Isn't that a cliché?"

"Oh, come on! Wouldn't our Governor be sacrificing too much in that case?!"

Hurricane coughed lightly. "Don't listen to Nighten's nonsense. Although that possibility cannot be ruled out, I'm more optimistic about a relationship between him and the armory shopowner."

Tomorrow nodded. "I can always reach a consensus with Hurricane. You two should reflect on why your brainwaves are never on the same channel as normal people."

Vine_vine's eyes sparkled with excitement as she whispered, "Why does it have to be the shopowner anyway? Can't it be that grateful young man seeking to repay his favor?"

"Damn it! You're not thinking right!"

"Is this game serious? Is it serious?"

"..."

Unable to bear it any longer, Light Chu walked away, pretending not to hear.

By the way...

The current version seems to have a slightly high profit for tailoring?

Let's balance it in the next version.