Chapter 31 Little Squirrel

  Zuo Shaoyang saw Lao Die's expression was somewhat awkward, apparently having no way out, and hastily said: "Dad, when I came, I brought some medicinal pills, such as 'San Wu Bai Wan' and so on. What medicine should we use?"

  Zuo Gui Zheng was at a loss, but as soon as Zuo Shao Yang mentioned San Wu Bai Wan, he had an idea and said, "Hmmm... the child has excessive phlegm, let's try using San Wu Bai Wan." Since they already had the prepared pills, there was no need to write a prescription or decoct medicine, so Zuo Gui didn't need to use Guizhi.

  San Wu Bai Wan is a pill form of San Wu Bai San, which originated from the "Shang Han Lun". It was widely used in clinical practice during the Tang Dynasty for treating warm-dampness and cold-qi stagnation, phlegm and knot. At first glance, it seems to match the symptoms, but now the child's condition is not about resolving phlegm, but rather calming wind, clearing orifices and soothing the spirit, in order to make the child lucid and able to cough up phlegm on their own, otherwise they would suffocate. If not, surgery would be necessary. However, he didn't have any surgical equipment or medication prepared, and was going to perform the operation with ordinary knives without anesthesia, which is extremely risky. Using San Wu Bai San would definitely not achieve this goal.

  The reason why Zuo Shao Yang deliberately mentioned the medicine pill in his words to remind Old Dad was not because he really wanted to use it, but rather to deceive him. The night before, he had stayed up all night and prepared some commonly used emergency medicine pills, among which there was a kind of medicine called "Zi Xue" (Purple Snow), one of the three treasures that clear the heart, which appeared only after the middle Tang Dynasty, so no one knew about it during the early Tang. This "Zi Xue" can clear heat and open orifices, extinguish wind and stop convulsions, and has a particularly effective treatment for infantile high fever-induced convulsions, with immediate results. He planned to use this medicine pill instead of San Wu Bai Pill to give to the child.

  Zuo Shaoyang saw Old Master Zuo and indeed said to use Sanwu White Pills. He was overjoyed in his heart, hastily agreed, opened the medicine cabinet, took out a Purple Snow Pill, came to the child's side, leaned down by the child's ear and said: "Young Master, can you hear me speaking?"

  The child nodded hard, and Zuo Shao Yang's heart was delighted. The child had just fallen ill, and his consciousness was still relatively clear, which was good. If he had already fallen into a coma and couldn't swallow, it would be troublesome. He could only use a nasal tube to feed the medicine through the nostrils into the stomach. Although Zuo Shao Yang had learned this technique, at this time, he didn't know where to find a suitable tube.

  He removed the tongue depressor from between the child's teeth, loudly telling the child to open his mouth while pinching his cheeks. The child was still dazed and could hear some words, knowing that he had to take medicine, trying hard to open his mouth, Zuo Shao Yang stuffed the pill in, pulled out the gourd filled with water from his waist, bit off the stopper with his mouth, poured some water into the child's mouth: "Young master, be good, swallow quickly!"

  The child made an effort and with a gulp, swallowed the pill along with the water.

  Zuo Shaoyang let out a sigh of relief, picked up the medicine box and said to the fat rich man: "Quick! Hurry up and send him to the city, we'll follow you! It's also good to take care of him on the way!"

  The man was so moved by his sense of responsibility that he willingly followed him into the city, nodding repeatedly: "Thank you! Thank you, young brother!"

  The old man with a crutch and the woman heard that these two doctors were following, although they also knew that the doctor's skills were limited, but it was better than no one being around. They repeatedly bowed their hands in gratitude.

  Several tenants carried the soft couch with four legs and quickly walked away from the village. The fat landlord led the woman and the steward in front, while Young Master Zuo carried a medicine box and Old Man Zuo followed behind. After leaving the village, they started to go downhill.

  This old village of Hua is almost at the top of the mountain, and it's been snowing for two days in a row. The ground is very muddy, and I'm afraid of slipping, so I don't dare to go too fast.

  Just after walking out for a short while, the child on the soft couch suddenly started coughing violently. The fat landlord was so frightened that his face turned white and he hastily asked them to stop. In her anxiety, the woman slipped and fell onto the muddy ground, calling out "my son" as she scrambled up, not minding the mud on her body, and embracing the child who was bent over coughing violently: "My son, what's wrong with you?"

  The fat landlord also shouted loudly.

  Zuo Shaoyang's expression slightly eased, and he said loudly: "It's good that you're coughing! Let him cough and spit out the phlegm. Otherwise, it'll block his airway and he won't be able to breathe!"

  The stout master and his wife immediately understood, and couldn't help but show a joyful expression. The woman hugged her son and gently patted his back.

  "Let me take a look."

  The stout couple hurried to make way, and Zuo Shao Yang turned back to face Zuo Gui Xi, saying: "Father, the child's high fever has subsided a bit, the convulsions have eased significantly, and he can cough up phlegm now. Your medicine really works!"

  Zuo Gui let out a cry of surprise and delight, staring at the child with wide eyes. He was clearly unprepared for this outcome. On the other hand, the plump couple were overjoyed, the woman tearfully embracing her son and sobbing uncontrollably.

  "Stop crying first, let's hurry up and continue on our way. Although the child has reduced fever and is more awake, they can cough up phlegm now, but their coughing is weak. I'm afraid the phlegm still can't be coughed out. We must quickly enter the city to find a doctor for treatment. Moreover, this illness requires finding and treating the root cause, otherwise, there's still a possibility of another acute attack!"

  The woman hastily wiped away her tears, and the fat landlord ordered them to continue on their way. The group once again lifted the sedan chair and headed down the mountain.

  Walking halfway up the mountain, I faintly heard a folk song drifting from the mountain path below:

  A spider draws threads on the eaves of a house

  The fierce wind blows through the nine strings of the guqin.

  Broken and broken again connected

  Dispersed and dispersed, yet tied in a circle.

  Zuo Shaoyang was startled when he heard the mountain song, it was a very familiar voice. He looked up and saw a woman standing under a osmanthus tree on the winding road, with a bundle of firewood slanting against the tree behind her. She was too far away to see clearly.

  Look, the woman sang a mountain song, bent down to pick up firewood, and slowly walked along the small path. The firewood holder was very large, blocking the person carrying the firewood. Zuo Shao Yang's ears heard the familiar sound of the mountain song, and he also felt that the firewood holder was familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

  As soon as he thought of the firewood carrier, a dark-skinned woodcutter girl who had saved him from the cliff at the beginning of his journey appeared in front of him. Was it her?

  As they spoke, the firewood carrier had approached, and saw a group of people carrying a stretcher, apparently sending a patient, hurriedly stepped aside to let them pass. Although it was close, the firewood frame was too big, still blocking the figure, couldn't see clearly if it was that firewood girl.

  As they approached the firewood carrier, Zuo Shao Yang saw the hem of a skirt fluttering in the cold wind, embroidered with floral edges. He caught a whiff of the tender scent of young grass that only came with spring.

  The left lesser yang (heart) suddenly felt a thrill, and in a flash of distraction, he slipped and fell on his buttocks into the mud.

  He was so ridiculous that he made the firewood girl laugh out loud.

  With both hands supporting himself on the ground, he lifted his eyes to take a look. All he saw was that the firewood-carrying girl had dark skin, big shiny black eyes, and a few faint freckles between her nose wings. Her plump chest and round buttocks were connected by a sturdy little waist. It really was that grass-scented woodcutting maiden. However, his own disheveled appearance was enough to make people look away in embarrassment. He quickly scrambled up, rubbing the mud off his hands while awkwardly saying: "Miss, it's you! We've met again... Your mountain song is truly beautiful!"

  The girl smiled and glanced at him, but didn't answer. She let the people who had carried the sedan chair pass first, then continued on her way, carrying firewood.

  Zuō Shǎo Yáng knew that the girl loved to sing but didn't like to talk, which wasn't strange. As she passed by him, Zuō Shǎo Yáng suddenly heard a faint cry from her bosom, and he was very curious. He leaned forward to take a look and found a fluffy little head poking out of the opening of her robe, shivering in the cold wind. "What's in your bosom, miss?"

  The firewood girl stopped and looked at him with a faint smile: "It's Little Squirrel."

  "Huh?" Zuo Shaoyang was even more curious, "Little squirrel? Can I take a look?"

  The girl didn't put down the firewood basket either, nodded, and with one hand dug out that golden yellow little squirrel from her bosom and handed it over.

  Zuo Shaoyang took over with both hands, this little squirrel was only the size of a child's fist, its eyes were still closed, and its mouth was slightly open, sniffing around. There was a wound on the squirrel's forehead, and the blood had already coagulated. Zuo Shaoyang asked: "Did you catch it?"

  "I didn't expect to bring up this topic, but the girl's words became more numerous, saying: 'No, when I was chopping firewood, I saw several yellow weasels on a tree fighting with two squirrels. The squirrels were so fierce that they caught the weasels and made them bleed profusely, even scratching out one of their eyes! However, there were too many weasels, and the little squirrel was bitten and injured. After I saw this, I picked up some dirt clods and chased away the weasels, climbed the tree to take a look, and found that the two big squirrels were seriously injured and died soon after. Several small squirrels in the nest on the tree were also bitten to death by the weasels, leaving only one that didn't die, but its forehead was scratched and wounded, I don't know if it can still survive. Seeing it pitiful, I brought it back, you like it and are a doctor, so keep it and help treat its wounds.'"