Newborn 1927

Dr. Sun was startled by the patient's appearance on the bed. Good heavens, this was truly a case of his entire body being torn apart! He didn't even bother to rest; he wiped away his sweat and sat down by the bed to take Yang Jiefang's pulse. As the saying goes, it's not the sighs of an old Chinese medicine doctor that are frightening, but the furrowed brows. Dr. Sun's brow furrowed deeper and deeper as he took the pulse. Jiang Xiaojun and Gao Huilan were extremely nervous. After waiting for a long time without Dr. Sun loosening his grip, Gao Huilan couldn't help but ask, "How is he? Dr. Sun, is it serious?" Dr. Sun turned around and asked, "Did the patient fall from his horse yesterday evening?" Jiang Xiaojun quickly answered, "Yes. He's been unconscious ever since." Dr. Sun looked distressed and said, "This shouldn't be!" Gao Huilan said, "Dr. Sun, please tell me the truth, what exactly is wrong with him?" Dr. Sun said, "Judging from the pulse, his internal organs are indeed damaged, but his head isn't injured. How can he be unconscious?"

The others were puzzled, but Aunt Chu understood. She suggested, "Dr. Sun, why don't you give him a full examination before making a conclusion?" Actually, she also wanted to know the extent of Yang Jiefang's injuries. Dr. Sun nodded, "That's the proper way. Please, family members, leave for a moment. A doctor should avoid being disturbed while practicing medicine!"

Hearing what Doctor Sun said, Gao Huilan, Jiang Xiaojun, and the others naturally felt it inappropriate to stay in the room and all left. As Aunt Chu left, she made sure to close the door behind her, then tugged at Jiang Xiaojun and said, "Why don't you go and milk some more goat milk to feed him later?" Milking the goat milk was just an excuse; her real intention was to separate her from Gao Huilan to prevent them from arguing again. Jiang Xiaojun agreed and left with Aunt Chu.

The Black Widow rushed over, asking immediately, "How is it? Has he been saved?" Gao Huilan shook her head, "Not yet. Doctor Sun is inside treating him!" The Black Widow comforted her, "It's alright, it's alright, don't worry! Anyway, he's someone else's man. Even if he hadn't survived, it wouldn't be your turn to be a widow." Gao Huilan said bitterly, "Mother, what are you saying? Can't you just hope he gets better?" The Black Widow replied, "What's the use of hoping he gets better? If he gets better, my daughter will suffer. I wish he would just die now, all over, so you won't have to be heartbroken in the future!" Gao Huilan stamped her foot and said: "Mother, what good would it do you if he died? Hmm? You weren't the one who did the assassination, were you?" Upon hearing this, Black Widow angrily flicked her forehead and said, "You brat, do you want a beating? I wouldn't do such a thing, no matter how confused I am. We're certain it was Tian Wu who led the attack, but it's hard to say whether there are any traitors on the mountain." Gao Huilan said fiercely, "If there really is a traitor, no matter who he is, I will kill him with my own hands." Black Widow said, "Alright, alright, these things will be handled by the brothers below, don't worry about it." The two chatted as they walked away.

Inside the room, Doctor Sun opened his medicine box, took out a cloth bag, unfolded it to reveal silver needles inside, took one out and held it up to the light, walked to the bedside, and inserted the needle into Yang Jiefang's philtrum. Yang Jiefang shuddered in pain. This was only the first needle; he didn't know how many more awaited him. He dared not pretend any longer and quickly opened his eyes.

Dr. Sun was somewhat surprised by the immediate effect of the needle, and couldn't help but exclaim "Eh!" Seeing a silver needle dangling before his eyes, Yang Jiefang immediately said, "Doctor, could you please remove this needle? It's making my eyes blurry." Dr. Sun removed the needle as requested and said, "You seem quite lucid; you don't look like you've just woken up from a coma." Yang Jiefang said, "I wasn't unconscious at all; I lied to them. Dr. Sun, please don't tell anyone; please keep this a secret for me a little longer!" Dr. Sun shook his head and said, "I'm a doctor; my job is to treat and save lives." Yang Jiefang couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "Then please examine me again, Dr. Sun! I still feel that medicine is unreliable."

Dr. Sun didn't say much and began his examination. First, he unwrapped the cloth strips wrapped around Yang Jiefang's right arm, and the herbs wrapped inside fell off piece by piece. Dr. Sun picked up a piece of herb, smelled it, chewed it, and spat it out. Then he picked up a few more pieces and tasted them, saying, "Who prepared this medicine? This is utter nonsense!" Yang Jiefang immediately asked, "What's wrong with this medicine?" Dr. Sun replied, "What's wrong? These herbs, when squeezed out individually, are all blood-activating and stasis-removing medicines. You can't just mix them together like this. The dosage is also very arbitrary; there's no fixed amount for any of them. If this can save a person, consider yourself lucky." Yang Jiefang already knew that the medicine maker was unreliable, and now he was certain.

Dr. Sun carefully removed all the strips of cloth, examined them thoroughly, and said, "It's not too bad. I'll prepare a new ointment for you to apply, and prescribe some internal medicine. You'll be able to get out of bed in a few days." Yang Jiefang pressed, "Then I'll have to stay in bed for the next few days?" Dr. Sun replied, "It's best to stay in bed for a few more days. Wait a minute, didn't you say you were shot? I don't see the wound." Instead of answering, Yang Jiefang asked, "Does the old gentleman know how to treat gunshot wounds?" Dr. Sun replied, "To be honest, gunshot wounds and knife wounds are not easy to treat. Now that the weather is hot, they can easily become infected. You're lucky you weren't shot."

Suddenly, Yang Jiefang had a thought and said, "Sir, I have an incomplete prescription here. If it could be perfected, it could save countless lives. Could you please help me perfect it? This would be a great act of merit, far more valuable than saving a few patients!" Doctor Sun, intrigued, asked, "What kind of prescription?" Yang Jiefang replied, "It's a prescription for treating external injuries. Whether it's knife wounds, gunshot wounds, burns, or scalds, it has miraculous effects. Please remember the ingredients: Tianqi (Panax notoginseng), Sanyucao (a type of herb), Pangolin scales, Borneol, Chinese yam, bitter ginger, and white ox gall." "I don't know the specific dosage and preparation method for the missing ingredients, such as geranium and others. You could adjust the prescription based on medical principles and pharmacology. If you can successfully prepare it, I will reward you handsomely!" Doctor Sun noted down the prescription, then frowned and said, "An incomplete prescription is difficult to perfect. Where did you get this prescription? Wouldn't it be easier to find it directly from the source?" Yang Jiefang said, "Don't worry about where you got this prescription yet. Please study it first, sir. If you really can't figure it out, we'll think of another way." Doctor Sun thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll give it a try."

Yang Jiefang said, "Then please stay here for a few days, sir. If you need anything, just tell the people outside." Doctor Sun replied, "You're fine. I'll write the prescription and then head down the mountain. There are others waiting for me to treat them." Yang Jiefang reminded him, "Sir, you should know where you are. I'm afraid the people on the mountain won't let you down until I recover. Please stay here! Once I've recovered, I'll prepare a generous gift and personally escort you back!" Doctor Sun frowned and pondered, "It seems I have no choice but to agree." Yang Jiefang added, "Please keep my unconsciousness a secret for me!" Doctor Sun nodded in agreement.

After the two agreed on the plan, Yang Jiefang continued to feign unconsciousness. Doctor Sun shook his head helplessly, ignoring him, and left with the prescription. Zhao Changgui quickly came over and inquired about the treatment. Doctor Sun asked, "Where are the patient's family members?" Zhao Changgui replied, "If you have any instructions, just tell me." Doctor Sun said, "I've written a prescription here. Follow the prescription, get the medicine, and take it for seven days. After you finish the medicine, you should recover." Zhao Changgui was overjoyed and said, "Okay, okay. Thank you so much, sir!" Doctor Sun then added, "Also, please arrange accommodation for me. I need to prepare a prescription specifically for external injuries. Please also prepare the necessary medicinal materials!" Zhao Changgui assumed it was for preparing the prescription for Yang Jiefang and readily agreed. While arranging accommodation nearby, he instructed Wang Dali and Chen Ergou to find the medicine pot and prepare the medicine.

Upon receiving the news, Gao Huilan rushed over immediately to inquire about the patient's condition. Doctor Sun replied, "Miss Gao, please rest assured! The patient is fine and may wake up at any time." Gao Huilan was overjoyed and thanked him profusely. Hearing that he was preparing a new medicine specifically for external injuries, she further instructed the mountain stronghold to fully cooperate and ensure that all necessary medicinal materials were prepared. After arranging these matters, she returned to Yang Jiefang's room, sat by the bed, and stared blankly at Yang Jiefang, muttering to herself, "You heartless bastard, proposing to that girl without a word. Wait until you wake up, and see how I deal with you."

In the afternoon, Sun Zhiyong confirmed that the assassin was Tian Wu. After searching Xujiadian, he led his men to expand the search area and found a clue at a nearby farmer's house. A while ago, Tian Wu and two others had been hiding at this farmer's house, but they suddenly disappeared yesterday afternoon. Tian Wu had been the foreman in the mountains and was acquainted with that family. This confirmed that Tian Wu was the one who assassinated the young master. But it was useless; Tian Wu was just a pawn, and who was pulling the strings behind the scenes was still unknown. The people sent to contact the three counties hadn't returned yet, and everyone could only wait patiently.

Bai Lang and Peng Dahu returned to the mountain one after the other, and their first stop was to visit Yang Jiefang. When they saw Yang Jiefang's condition, they were both furious and swore to find the assassin and tear him to pieces.

That evening, Gao Huilan fed Yang Jiefang a large bowl of herbal medicine; Jiang Xiaojun fed him a large bowl of goat's milk. Yang Jiefang's stomach was so full that he couldn't eat dinner. Then, Gao Huilan and Jiang Xiaojun argued about who should look after Yang Jiefang that night. Both wanted to stay and wouldn't give in, but in the end they compromised and decided that Aunt Chu would stay to take care of Yang Jiefang, while the others would go back to their rooms to sleep.

Three days after Yang Jiefang's assassination attempt, Lin Baozi and Li Yichao also rushed back to Qinglong Village. The assassination of their young leader was a momentous event in Qinglong Village, forcing them to drop everything and return as quickly as possible. By then, all four squad leaders had returned, wisely choosing to return alone without any reinforcements.

In the afternoon, Yan Donglai returned to Qinglongzhai from Laiyang County, and the news he brought back shocked the entire village.

First, Tian Wu was immediately targeted by the authorities upon leaving the mountain, and his entire family was arrested and imprisoned in Laiyang County. Tian Wu was forced to betray Qinglong Village to protect himself. The authorities weren't afraid of Qinglong Village itself, but they were wary of its young leader. The Laiyang County garrison had suffered at his hands before. Therefore, they devised a plan to eliminate the young leader in secret, selecting two skilled marksmen, led by Tian Wu, to carry out the assassination.

Secondly, the government, believing the leader of Qinglong Village to be dead, wanted to take the opportunity to eradicate this malignant tumor. Therefore, they joined forces with Haiyang County and Qixia County to launch a three-way siege of Qinglong Village. Regarding troop strength, although Laiyang County's garrison only had a little over two hundred men left, each township had numerous security teams, and they planned to mobilize all the county's security forces for this military operation. Subsequent reports from Haiyang and Qixia counties confirmed this. While the exact number of troops the government could muster was uncertain, a conservative estimate was that each county would have no fewer than a thousand men. In other words, Qinglong Village would face an encirclement by three to four thousand government troops.

Now that Yang Jiefang was unconscious, everyone was pinning their hopes on Black Widow. Black Widow was terrified, but she had to force herself to remain calm, first soothing everyone's emotions; then she wrote a letter pleading for help and had it rushed to Yang'er Mountain, hoping Tian Yisan there could lend a hand. In truth, she knew that although Yang'er Mountain had over a thousand men, they only had a little over two hundred guns, which wouldn't be of much use.

So, the group argued again in the assembly hall. The elders, led by Niu Sanbian, believed the four detachments should quickly return to the mountain and decide to hold Qinglong Village, as it was their stronghold. Bai Lang disagreed, advocating for guerrilla warfare tactics taught by Yang Jiefang, launching proactive attacks to strike government troops along the way. Qinglong Village should be defended if possible, and abandoned if not, with the principle of preserving manpower. Bai Lang naturally received the support of Yan Donglai, Sun Zhiyong, and others. Black Widow was undecided; at this moment, she truly hoped Yang Jiefang would wake up quickly, even if it meant making a decision while lying in bed.

During the day, Gao Huilan and Jiang Xiaojun stayed by Yang Jiefang's bedside almost all day; it wasn't until evening that Aunt Chu told Yang Jiefang about what had happened that day. Yang Jiefang remained calm and said, "It's alright. It will take at least ten days to half a month to assemble the entire county's security team. By then, I should be awake." Aunt Chu said impatiently, "Couldn't you have woken up sooner? Don't you see how anxious everyone is? Especially those four detachments outside, they're stuck, unable to decide whether to go back or not, just sitting there helplessly." Yang Jiefang sighed and said, "Those who achieve great things must have the composure to remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before them. In the end, these people still lack training and confidence!" Aunt Chu pressed, "Judging from your expression, do you already have a plan?" Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "Have you ever heard the saying, 'Crisis, crisis, danger and opportunity coexist.' Perhaps this is our opportunity. Go and call Zhao Changgui in! It's time to make some arrangements."