With the heavy stone lifted from her heart, Lin Yi was eager to return home. As she boarded the carriage, she didn't forget to instruct the coachman, "Stability first, but if possible, a bit faster wouldn't hurt either."
The coachman acknowledged and indeed displayed his top skills. The carriage sped along, but the official roads of this era were nothing like modern highways. With speed came relentless jolting. Inside the carriage, Lin Yi felt as if she were constantly being tossed upward and then slammed down, her stomach churning. It was less like riding and more like low-altitude flying—literally a flying sensation.
When the carriage stopped at the entrance of the General's Mansion, Lin Yi pressed one hand to her abdomen and covered her mouth with the other, her face pale. It took her a good while to steady herself before she could stand upright, expressionless.
Cement must be added to the agenda. Lin Yi took a deep breath, silently etching the road-paving task as the top item on her mental to-do list.
"Xiaoyi, are you alright? Why do you look so pale?" A concerned voice came from ahead.
Lin Yi looked up and saw Gu Fang sitting on a chair inside the main gate, his gaze warm as he looked at her.
"I'm fine," she said, walking quickly toward him, suppressing the turmoil in her stomach. "I was in a hurry to get back and asked the coachman to go a bit too fast. The bumpy ride made me a little uncomfortable. Why are you sitting here alone, husband?"
Gu Fang smiled. "Xiao Zhu said you found your fellow disciple. I was happy for you too. Since you're inviting a guest to the mansion, it's only right that I welcome them."
"You didn't have to wait at the door," Lin Yi said, feeling a pang of sympathy. "How long have you been waiting?"
A glimmer of amusement lit up Gu Fang's eyes. "Not long. Besides, didn't Xiaoyi tell Xiao Zhu to instruct me to wait properly?"
"Oh, that's not what I meant!" Lin Yi lightly tapped the back of his hand. "This fellow disciple of mine is a physician. I wanted to ask him to examine you, so I had Xiao Zhu send word for you not to move and to prepare."
Gu Fang was momentarily taken aback, not expecting Lin Yi to rush back entirely for his sake. Just as he was about to speak, another carriage came to a smooth stop at the mansion gate.
Gu Fang looked up, then lowered his voice and said gently to Lin Yi, "Thank you, Xiaoyi. I'll cooperate well." He paused. "Let's first receive your fellow disciple, shall we?"
"Mm," Lin Yi nodded and quickly gave his hand a light squeeze before letting go. "His name is Huang Xining. Just call him Brother Huang, husband."
"Good," Gu Fang replied. At that moment, A Fu timely handed him a pair of crutches. Gu Fang took them and was about to use them to stand and descend the steps when A Fu and Lin Yi both reached out to support him from left and right.
But Huang Xining had already alighted from the carriage. Seeing this, he stepped forward quickly and said decisively, "No need to get up! Please sit back down."
Gu Fang paused and complied, sitting back in the chair, then said somewhat hesitantly, "Isn't it rude to receive a guest while sitting at the door? Perhaps we should move to the main hall..."
"Better not move," Huang Xining said seriously. "I heard that the General can't stand due to a heavy blow to the legs. Such cases are often fractures. Before proper treatment, any attempt to walk could worsen the injury, increase pain, and make recovery more difficult."
At these words, Lin Yi and A Fu's expressions turned grave. Gu Fang frowned slightly. "Indeed, as you say. The pain has been increasingly noticeable lately. I originally thought it was normal after the injury; I didn't realize it was caused by walking."
A Fu asked anxiously, "Master Huang, what should be done?"
"I can't determine that yet; a thorough examination is needed first," Huang Xining said in a steady tone. "The priority is to have someone carry him on the chair to avoid bearing weight on the injured legs."
A Fu immediately directed the servants to come forward. Huang Xining raised his hand to signal and added, "There's no need to specially move to the main hall to entertain me. I came for a consultation, so going directly to the side chamber is fine. You can wait outside during the examination; it also protects the patient's privacy."
Huang Xining's arrangements were crisp and efficient, carrying a convincing composure in his speech. Gu Fang looked at Lin Yi, who gave a slight nod, and then said warmly, "Then I'll trouble Brother Huang. A Fu, follow Master Huang's instructions."
A Fu directed the servants to carefully carry Gu Fang back to the side chamber, while he and Lin Yi waited outside. About half an hour later, the door opened from inside, and Huang Xining leaned out, signaling for them to enter.
Lin Yi and A Fu quickly walked in and stood beside Gu Fang. Seeing Gu Fang reclining on the couch with his pant legs neatly rolled up, Lin Yi's heart tightened. She blurted out, "Doctor, how is he?"
The term "doctor" made Huang Xining pause momentarily, then he unconsciously slipped into a professional communication mode. "Without diagnostic instruments, I can only rely on history and physical examination for now," he said steadily. "Preliminary judgment: the most serious issue remains the fractures. The patient has fractures of varying degrees in both lower legs—the left is a simple fracture, manageable; but the right is a comminuted fracture. Without surgery, it's very difficult to truly recover."
Seeing Gu Fang and A Fu focused but confused, Huang Xining casually picked up an unused wooden ruler from the table and held it up. "Consider this as the bone of a human leg. Humans stand and walk relying on bones for support. Do you understand?"
Gu Fang and A Fu both nodded.
"Fractures are divided into simple and comminuted types." Huang Xining held the ruler horizontally and applied a slight force in opposite directions. "A simple fracture is like breaking this ruler in two—it snaps, but the break is relatively neat." He put the ruler down and traced in the air with his fingertips. "Human bones have the ability to grow and heal naturally. With a simple break, a blood clot forms at the fracture site, gradually solidifies; bone cells proliferate, grow and connect along the fibrous tissue formed by the clot, and about two to three months later, it heals. Is that clear?"
Gu Fang and A Fu exchanged glances, still looking bewildered.
Huang Xining pondered for a moment and switched to a more relatable explanation: "Think of a child growing taller; bones can grow. After adulthood, you no longer grow taller, but if a bone breaks, it can still grow back on its own—it just takes time and requires not moving."
This time, both finally nodded in understanding.
"Now, let's return to this broken bone." Huang Xining picked up the ruler again, holding it as if broken in midair. "Suppose that while it's broken, weight is constantly applied on top—for instance, when a person walks, the full weight of the body bears down on the injured leg. What would happen to the broken bone?"
Gu Fang said gravely, "It would misalign further and be hard to heal."
"Exactly." Huang Xining nodded. "So after a fracture, a splint should be used to immobilize the injury, rest without moving, and allow natural healing. As for comminuted fractures..."
He laid the ruler flat on the edge of the table and slammed it with the base of his palm! "It's like this ruler being smashed into pieces—broken into several shards or even powder." He looked toward Gu Fang's right leg, his expression grim. "If weight is borne and walking is attempted now, the fragments will stab the muscles and tendons, aggravating the pain, and there's absolutely no chance of self-healing. Surgery is necessary to reposition the fragments and fix them with steel pins, then wait for them to slowly grow and connect."
A Fu's face turned pale, his voice trembling slightly. "Pin... pin the bones together?"
"Yes," Huang Xining said frankly. "But currently, there are no conditions for surgery. What we can do now: immobilize the left lower leg with a splint, absolutely avoid bearing weight and walking, and observe recovery over several months. As for the right leg, although surgery is not possible, as long as it doesn't bear weight and no walking is done, the pain can be managed and won't worsen."
The room fell silent for a moment. Gu Fang looked down at his legs covered by a thin blanket, then raised his eyes and calmly met Huang Xining's gaze. "Alright. I understand. Thank you for your trouble, Brother Huang."
"Brother Huang," Lin Yi interjected, "what about what the Imperial Hospital said before, that his lifespan is affected? How so?"
"That issue is relatively less urgent," Huang Xining turned to her, his tone even. "People have different constitutions, and lifespans vary greatly. For example, among women who have given birth multiple times, some live past eighty while others die young. Ultimately, it comes down to differences in innate foundation and postnatal care."
He looked at Gu Fang. "The General has an excellent constitution; he should be predisposed to longevity. So-called hidden injuries shortening life mostly refer to accumulated fatigue from overwork and recurring old injuries. But as long as he takes good care from now on, avoids exhaustion, and gradually recovers, many damages can be mitigated. It's not an acute illness, nor is it without a solution."
Lin Yi's expression relaxed slightly, and she brought the conversation back to the most pressing matter: "So the hardest problem right now is the comminuted fracture of the right leg?"
"Yes," Huang Xining nodded. "A comminuted fracture cannot heal on its own; surgery is required to fix it. But surgery itself carries risks. Severe cases may even require bone grafting, which is absolutely impossible under current medical conditions."
"What are at least the basic requirements for the surgery?" Lin Yi pressed.
Huang Xining glanced at her with an expression that said, "Are you sure you want to hear this list?" but he still answered, "The more complete the conditions, the better. The basics include: a sterile environment, disinfectant alcohol, anesthetic drugs, steel pins and plates for fixation, anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics to fight infection, and a set of specialized surgical instruments."
"I can find a way to prepare a sterile room and distill alcohol. Steel pins and plates... I need to first understand the current state of steelmaking. As for surgical instruments, you draw the blueprints, and I'll have someone make them." Lin Yi spoke quickly, then turned to ask A Fu, "Does the mansion have mafei powder or a reliable knockout drug?"
"We have mafei powder, with a mild effect and a reliable formula," A Fu promptly replied.
"Good, anesthesia is also solvable. As for anti-inflammatory drugs..." Lin Yi looked back at Huang Xining. "I can't make penicillin, but I can try allicin. Would allicin work?"
Huang Xining rubbed his forehead, seemingly exasperated by her string of "can solves," but he still explained, "Penicillin is almost impossible to mass-produce under current conditions; strain screening and purification equipment are major hurdles. However, I've already made another antibacterial drug, sulfonamide, which is effective. Allicin does have antibacterial properties too. If you know how to prepare it, you can make some as a backup."
Lin Yi's eyes lit up, and she gave a thumbs-up. "You even made sulfonamide? Impressive." Then she thought of something else. "Wait, do you have a distillation apparatus?"
"Yes. When I decided to come find A Jing, I feared the long journey might bring unexpected troubles, so I started making some common medicines. I happened to know how to make glass, so I had the craftsmen at home blow a set for me." Huang Xining answered matter-of-factly.
Lin Yi could only admire him. Truly a transmigrator with strong execution; he was practically building his own production line.
"That's great. I'll prepare the garlic and do a fresh extraction during the surgery. Can I borrow your distillation apparatus?"
"No problem. I can even make another set for you," Huang Xining said casually, as if he were offering to make an extra spoon.
"Thank you!" Lin Yi smiled. Then she summarized, "So, the biggest shortage now is steel?"