Chapter 40: Evil Scheme

Yan Dechang was still in a partially unconscious state at this very moment . His body would be cold in this instant minute and be very hot in the very next . After exchanging a few words with Yan Liqiang just now, he lost his consciousness again .

Looking at his father falling unconscious, Yan Liqiang flipped open the blanket and saw the wounds that were on his father’s body . Yan Liqiang trembled when he saw the wounds .

Yan Dechang had been stabbed twice . One was on his left shoulder, which was so deep that his bone could be seen and there was one on his chest . The wound on his chest was about one chi long and it ran all the way from his chest down to his lower abdomen, almost slicing the front of Yan Dechang’s body into half .

The bandages wrapped around Yan Dechang’s wounds were all soaked with blood that was seeping out . Even the mattress under Yan Dechang was half-dyed with his fresh blood .

If it wasn’t for Yan Dechang’s sturdy body, an ordinary person would have been long gone after sustaining injuries like this .

In all honesty, Yan Liqiang was like a volcano that was about to erupt at this moment . He was hungry to kill someone . But Yan Liqiang had to calm himself down because if he didn’t, it would really be over for Yan Dechang .

The incident had occurred yesterday . Zhou Tiezhu himself was injured too . He looked for the physician in the town and his cousin . It really wasn’t easy for him to do what he had done .

When Yan Liqiang walked out of the room with a grave expression, everyone else gathered around . For the first time ever, Yan Liqiang felt the pressure of responsibility on his shoulders under everyone’s gazes .

"Brother Hongda! I’ve troubled you today…" Yan Liqiang squeezed out a small smile at Zhou Tiezhu’s cousin . Yan Liqiang was grateful in his heart to those who had came to his house to lend a helping hand during this period of time .

Zhou Hongda was Zhou Tiezhu’s cousin . He was also from Liuhe Town and was an honest person . He and his wife owned a small restaurant in town that usually served breakfast . They were selling noodles as a small business . He used to come to Yan Liqiang’s family blacksmith workshop to look for Zhou Tiezhu before . Thus he was no stranger to them as well .

"I did what I was supposed to do . Master Yan is such a nice person . He usually doesn’t accept any money from the villagers for fixing their farming tools . Who would have thought that there would be someone who would act so ruthless towards Master Yan…" Zhou Hongda said in anger .

"I need another favor from Brother Hongda!"

"Please say it!"

"There are quite a number of people in the house these few days . I’m hope that Brother Hongda and your wife could temporarily halt your business for a couple of days to help out at the Yan Residence by doing grocery shopping everyday to cook and take care of everyone’s three meals at the residence!" Yan Liqiang said while he passed a gold bar over into Zhou Hongda’s hand, "This is for the food expenses for these few days . I won’t let Brother Hongda pay for it…"

One of the reasons Zhou Hongda had came over to help was for the sake of Zhou Tiezhu . Another reason was that he was indeed somewhat a warm-hearted person as well . When he heard Yan Liqiang’s request, he felt a little troubled . However, that troubled feeling vanished within the blink of an eye when he held that heavy gold bar in his hand which caused his heart to race . "Sure! I’ll go get my wife to come and help now…"

"Brother Hongda! Try to buy fresh vegetables for the Yan Residence for these few days and be more cautious with the meat!" Yan Liqiang reminded .

Zhou Hongda was also a merchant of a small business . He naturally knew about Yan Liqiang’s concerns after such an incident had occurred at the Yan Residence . He nodded, "I know . Rest assured, Liqiang . I won’t let anyone mess around here . I will buy the freshest food for the Yan Residence to eat these few days . I will buy the vegetables from acquaintances and I will also buy the animals alive . "

Yan Liqiang nodded his head, "Then I’ll leave this in Brother Hongda’s hands!"

"It’s no problem…" Zhou Hongda left the Yan Residence with the money to look for his wife to help out the Yan Residence .

Yan Liqiang settled the expenses with the town’s physician who was in the Yan Residence right after that . Then the town’s physician left as well .

Yan Liqiang took another gold bar and gave it to Zhao Jifeng who had come over with him, "Brother Zhao! I’ll have to trouble you to take a trip toJirentang Medical Hall in eastern street of Qinghe County . The physicians in Jirentang Medical Hall are some of the most famous in Qinghe County for treating knife wounds . Please invite Physician Hong to come!"

Zhao Jifeng, who had come with Zhou Yong, gave Yan Liqiang a nod . He accepted the gold bar, then turned around and left the Yan Residence on the rhinodrake steed again and made his way towards Qinghe County at lightning speed .

Yan Liqiang took another gold bar again and gave it to Zhou Yong and Liu Gang, "Brother Zhou! Brother Liu! Go to Guo Clan’s liquor shop in town and buy fifty jin worth of alcohol . Then, go to Qing Yun textiles in town to buy fifty jin of white gauze…"

As soon as Zhou Yong and Liu Gang took the gold bar, they nodded their heads and left without saying a word .

Yan Liqiang then talked to Mother Wu and had her boil two pots of hot water in the kitchen .

In Yan Liqiang’s memories, the development of medical science of this world was somewhat similar to ancient China . However, there was a difference as well . The similarity was that both were using the traditional chinese medical methods and the difference was that the medical science in this world had improved in certain aspects . For instance, this included surgery as well as the refinement of some peculiar pills .

The physician whom Zhou Tiezhu hired from the town stitched the wounds on Yan Dechang’s body by using catgut . In addition to that, he sterilized the wounds with alcohol . Many physicians from ancient China couldn’t perform this . It was rumored that Hua Tuo [1] was capable of doing this, but he unfortunately did not pass this knowledge down .

Yan Liqiang was actually feeling a little lost right now . He wasn’t sure what he could actually do . At this moment, the only thing he could think of was the story of Florence Nightingale: The Lady with the Lamp [2] . In terms of medical treatment, he couldn’t help as he was not a doctor in his previous world and he wasn’t well versed on medicinal treatment texts . Those memories in his head weren’t very helpful right now . But he knew that a good physician and meticulous nursing care would definitely increase Yan Dechang’s chances survival .

Within the blink of an eye, almost everyone was busy .

Yan Liqiang stayed in the room and stared at Yan Dechang who was lying on the bed with his eyes tightly shut . He lowered his head and agonizingly buried his face in his palms feeling remorseful . He never thought that when he was passing his days safely in the Weaponsmiths Quarter, Yan Dechang who was staying in Liuhe Town would encounter this kind of tragedy . Although there was no evidence to indicate that the person was sent by the Hong Clan yet, Yan Liqiang had a feeling that the person who had slashed Yan Dechang was possibly the person whom he sensed . That person had hidden himself and secretly peeked at him at the entrance of Weaponsmiths Quarter on that day .

This past month he stayed at the Weaponsmiths Quarter, leaving no chance for that person to lay a finger on him . As a result, that person returned to Liuhe Town and made this incident happen with the intention of forcing him to come back . That person would only have the opportunity to harm him with his return while away from the Weaponsmiths Quarter .

This was an evil scheme . If he didn’t come back and neglected Yan Dechang’s life or death, then certain people would be able to pin his "shortcoming in filial piety" on him and everything would really be over for him . In the Great Han Empire, being unfilial towards one’s parents was a very serious crime and it was despised and condemned by most . If someone "lacked filial piety", then that person would more or less become a public enemy in society and his existence would be spurned by others . He would immediately be banned from the preliminary exam and even if he could become a Martial Warrior in the future, it would be difficult for him to become a government official .

Translator Notes:

[1] Hua Tuo, Yuanhua, was an ancient Chinese physician who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty . Besides being respected for his expertise in surgery and anesthesia, Hua Tuo was famous for his abilities in acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine and medical Daoyin exercises . He developed the Wuqinxi (Exercise of the Five Animals) from studying movements of the tiger, deer, bear, ape, and crane .

[2] Florence Nightingale was an English social reformer statistician, and the founder of modern nursing . She gave nursing a highly favourable reputation and became an icon of Victorian culture, especially in the persona of "The Lady with the Lamp" making rounds of wounded soldiers at night .