Chapter 8
Chapter 8
"Father, Mother. I'm going to the mountain to gather some medicinal herbs."
"My boy, let me go with you. There are wild animals on the mountain, and what if you get lost?"
His mother rushed out immediately. In her eyes, Shen Lang was still a child, and she couldn't bear the thought of him going to the mountain alone.
"Mother, please boil a pot of water at home. Sharpen a small knife and prepare some thick, long needles. Oh, and boil some cotton cloth in water as well."
Shen Lang spoke quickly, but his instructions were clear and calm. His mother was taken aback by his sudden, peculiar demeanor, but she simply nodded without asking any questions.
"Alright."
Ever since her son had become so clever, his every word felt like a royal decree. Shen Lang slung a bamboo basket over his back, took a small spade, and headed for the mountain. Thirteen and Fourteen, Tian Heng's adopted sons and subordinates, followed behind him.
Shen Lang had worried that the plants in this world might be entirely different from those on Earth. Fortunately, he was relieved to find that most of the flora looked identical to their modern Earth counterparts.
In traditional Chinese medicine, there were many herbs used for their anti-inflammatory properties. The dense forest behind Shen Lang's house was rich with them, and he was able to gather perilla, honeysuckle, and dandelion to use as anti-inflammatories. The only disappointment was that he couldn't find licorice, which grew in dry deserts or grasslands. However, he did have an unexpected windfall: he found isatis root, known on modern Earth as a cure-all. Afterward, Shen Lang gathered herbs for staunching blood and reducing fever, but unfortunately, he couldn't find any datura.
If only he had datura, he could have made an anesthetic...
By sunset, Shen Lang returned with the large basket filled to the brim. His mother had everything prepared. Fortunately, his brother's injury wasn't a sharp fracture, so no major blood vessels had been damaged.
His mother had sharpened a small knife and even sterilized it in boiling water. Shen Lang made an incision where his brother's leg was broken. This was a preliminary step to drain the pooled blood and set the bone precisely.
Unfortunately, the surgical conditions here were too primitive; inserting a metal pin was out of the question. After perfectly aligning the broken bone, he sutured the wound with a sterilized needle and thread. He applied a poultice of crushed herbs to the wound, then used three carved wooden sticks as a splint, wrapping and securing them tightly, turn by turn, with the sterilized cloth. It was a shame there was no plaster here; he had to make do with wooden sticks.
Shen Lang said.
"Don't put any weight on this leg. Stay as still as possible. The bone should mend in two months."
In a way, it was surgery, yet it was over in less than an hour. His brother was in so much pain that he was drenched in sweat, but he bit down on a wooden stick and didn't make a single sound. Throughout the procedure, Shen Lang's parents held their breath.
To be precise, they were so stunned by the scene unfolding before their eyes that they couldn't utter a word, couldn't even breathe too loudly.
It was a truly astonishing sight.
His brother tossed aside the wooden stick he had been biting and stared at Shen Lang with utter bewilderment.
"Brother, you're like a legendary divine healer. The swelling in my broken leg has gone down, and it doesn't hurt as much as before. I've seen many doctors for my leg, but not one of them was as quick and skilled as you."
As a ruffian who was often cannon fodder, Shen Jian had seen plenty of broken arms and legs, so he knew a thing or two about it. Shen Lang's procedure was undeniably amazing; both his technique and skill surpassed any doctor he had ever seen. The most shocking part was that the old Shen Lang had been a completely useless fool, but now he was so different.
Where did he learn such incredible skills? His family was astonished, but also overjoyed.
Next, Shen Lang treated his father. If the accumulated blood in his lungs wasn't drained, his condition would only worsen. To drain it, one had to know the exact location of the hematoma. But a hematoma inside the lungs was impossible to locate with the naked eye, leaving the doctors of this world helpless. For Shen Lang, however, finding it was a piece of cake. He could easily pinpoint its location using his X-ray vision mode.
His mother had sharpened a thick needle used for sewing animal hides, its thickest part about three millimeters in diameter. Shen Lang boldly inserted the needle into the lung area and then withdrew it, inserting the hollowed-out stalk of a plant into the wound. The stalk was only two or three millimeters in diameter, but it was sturdy enough to be suitable for draining the accumulated blood from the lungs.
Shen Lang made several small punctures in his father's lung area and slowly suctioned out the clotted blood inside. After about an hour, he had drained most of the hematoma and edema from his father's lungs. The small amount that remained would be naturally absorbed by the body over time, so there was no need to remove it.
The effects of Shen Lang's treatment were immediate. His father still coughed, but he could feel that his breathing was much easier. Before the treatment, no matter how hard he tried to breathe, he couldn't get enough air, and each breath felt like his lungs were being torn apart. He had felt it would be better to die. But now, breathing was no longer a struggle, and the tightness in his chest was gone. It was a great relief.
There's a saying that if you don't see someone for three days, you should rub your eyes and look again to see how they've changed. He had only been gone for three months, yet his son had acquired such a remarkable talent.
"My body feels light and comfortable now. Our son is amazing."
His father's words were filled with immense pride. His mother also looked at Shen Lang with eyes full of love, though a hint of doubt lingered in her gaze. She wanted to know the reason for her son's sudden change. But his father stopped her.
"Our eldest only seemed foolish on the outside; he was this brilliant all along. Now that he's finally showing his true self and bringing us such joy, why must you pry?"
His mother nodded vigorously and said.
"You're right, you're right. The heavens have watched over our child and brought him back to us, what else matters? Since he's so capable, he shouldn't marry that widow. He can open a clinic, earn money, and then he could even marry the village chief's daughter."
After that, his parents and brother never mentioned Shen Lang's transformation again, simply rejoicing in it.
"Our son must be hungry. I'll go make dinner."
His mother walked cheerfully to the kitchen. She was not only skilled at housework but also very quick. In less than thirty minutes, the meal was ready. Three bowls of porridge, one bowl of rice, a plate of wild vegetables, a plate of bok choy, and a plate of stir-fried dried meat and cucumber.
Since his father and brother were both patients confined to their beds, the table was placed between their two beds. Shen Lang still ate white rice, while his parents and brother had corn porridge. Shen Lang tried to share his rice with them, but all three firmly refused.
"It's alright. Your brother and I can't digest that properly right now. You're still growing, so you should eat well. Your old mother is fine with corn porridge like us."
Lying on his bed, his brother Shen Jian said.
"That's right, I absolutely won't eat it."
"Son, have some meat."
His mother kept putting the few pieces of dried meat into Shen Lang's bowl. Shen Lang wanted to give it to his parents and brother, but he knew they would never accept it. They seemed happier just watching him eat the meat.
*Sigh! Everyone dotes on Shen Lang endlessly.*
After the meal, Shen Lang brewed medicine and gave it to his father and brother. Since his brother had a broken leg, he needed to drink bone broth. With about two more months of recuperation, he would be completely healed. His father's case, however, was a bit different. Draining the hematoma and edema from his lungs had provided some relief, but it was far from a complete cure. He would need continuous treatment to reduce inflammation, improve lung function, and monitor his health. The herbs required for this couldn't be gathered from the mountains; they had to be bought with money.
"My boy, time to wash your feet."
His mother brought a basin of warm water, intending to wash Shen Lang's feet as she always had.
"Mother, I'll do it myself. Please, give it to me."
Shen Lang couldn't let his mother wash his feet anymore. It felt far too unfilial. But his action seemed to sadden his mother.
"My boy, you always loved it when I washed your feet. Why are you acting like this? I washed my hands, they're clean."
She thought that after several months of luxurious living at the Xu Clan, he now disliked her washing his feet. Only then did Shen Lang understand.
He realized that washing his feet was one of the many joys his mother felt while caring for her child. And now that her most beloved son had returned, she wanted to experience that happiness again.
As Shen Lang watched his mother wash his feet with her rough hands, a warmth spread through his heart. The look in her eyes and the expression on her face as she did so were filled with boundless happiness and contentment.
Although Shen Lang had inherited the body and memories, he hadn't inherited the original Shen Lang's emotions. But in just a few hours, his heart had been completely captured by the love from this world's parents and brother.
*From now on, you are my real parents, my real brother!*
A sense of responsibility to care for his parents and brother welled up inside him. Just then, Thirteen's calm voice reached his ears.
"Shen Lang, I have seen and felt the deep affection your family has for one another. Therefore, you must produce one thousand gold coins within two days. Otherwise, this happiness will not last long."