Chapter 29

When You Gou was hugged, to be honest, she didn't really feel anything. More accurately, a mix of panic, anger, disgust, and helplessness all erupted at once, leaving her in a state of confusion.

Should she call for help? Should she push away the woman holding her? You Gou tried, but the three women were incredibly strong. They hugged her tightly, and she couldn't push them off. What should she do? Listening to the women's cries, You Gou blurted out, "Let go of me!"

The women holding You Gou didn't let go, but after shouting, You Gou became a bit more clear-headed. Strangely, her vision was still blurry, but the most stimulating sense was her sense of smell. The faint scent of floral water, which she usually couldn't detect, became clear when the three women hugged her tightly. It was a warm, slightly spicy fragrance. Mixed with this scent were the odors from the women's bodies: the smell of hay, the stench of urine, and the nauseating smell of decaying flesh. There was also a very special scent, fresh and seemingly like the smell of tears.

Her vision began to return to normal. The woman's face, covered in sores, was very close to You Gou's. Her breath carried a faint odor. Despite the distorted and terrifying face from the disease, two rows of crystal tears could be seen. Although it looked frightening, at such close range, one could see that the woman had once had a delicate oval face. Even the yellow and white pus crusts on her eyebrows still showed traces of the once graceful willow-leaf eyebrows.

You Gou's anger suddenly disappeared. Perhaps it was because of the close proximity, but even the feeling of disgust was gone. When making the medicine, You Gou didn't really know what syphilis looked like. She didn't need to worry about such things. The cute, furry rabbits used for experiments were either cured or died before the disease became uncontrollable. This was the first time You Gou had seen how the disease could torment a human being. A special kind of sympathy arose in her.

Then, the resolution from the party meeting entered her mind. She said to the woman, "We have decided to make the formula for the medicine public. You can get the medicine."

The woman was completely taken aback by this response and asked in shock, "What did you say?"

By now, You Gou had returned to her normal state. She shouted, "We will make our secret formula public. If you want to be treated, please come to our hospital."

After saying this, You Gou lowered her voice, "If you continue to cause trouble here, see if I can treat you."

The woman immediately let go of You Gou's arm. You Gou pushed the woman aside and didn't care about the two women still clinging to her legs. She shouted, "I am a German student. I studied at the best university in Germany, Humboldt University in Berlin. My classmates are all from noble families and royal households. This time, I came back with friends to make medicine, and we have created a cure for syphilis. We are not heartless rich people. We were going to announce this medicine today. And our hospital, which is affiliated with our school, has always accepted syphilis patients! As long as the syphilis is still treatable, we will treat everyone."

There was a commotion in the audience. The woman who had caused a disturbance on stage didn't really understand what was happening. Now, with You Gou shouting loudly, everyone could hear clearly. Regardless of whether they understood the situation, everyone was shocked by You Gou's statement.

You Gou pushed away the women clinging to her legs, took a white coat that was always kept on standby but never worn, and put it on. She then briefly explained the principles of syphilis. The audience didn't believe that syphilis was caused by bacteria that couldn't be seen with the naked eye, but You Gou's firm attitude made them believe her. She explained that syphilis was transmitted through contact, especially through blood. She then described the differences between the first, second, and third stages of syphilis and asked the three women standing beside her, "How many times have you been infected?"

The two women who had clung to You Gou's legs excitedly shouted, "We are infected for the first time."

The woman in front was in a daze and didn't say anything. You Gou didn't want to ask anymore. She took a step back and sighed. Then she continued to shout, "I have already announced the medicine today. Tomorrow, our 'Huangpu Review' will have more detailed information. We will also publish it in other newspapers at our own expense. Tell everyone this news. And our hospital can treat not only syphilis but many other diseases. We hope everyone will come to our hospital for treatment."

As she spoke, You Gou slowly walked to the edge of the stage.

"Are you saying my disease can't be treated?" the woman shouted.

"I'm sorry, we can't do anything. Our medicine is useless for the third stage of syphilis."

The woman lowered her head, her shoulders shaking, and then she let out a sound that was half-cry, half-laugh. Suddenly, she raised her head, her eyes vacant and determined. Her long nails slowly scratched her pus-covered forearms, the force increasing, the speed accelerating, and pus and blood flowed from the wounds. You Gou didn't try to stop her. She nimbly jumped off the stage, "Huishen, Zudao, and the two brothers, run quickly."

As expected, the woman had gone mad. She screamed, "Die together!" and lunged at You Gou with her red and white nails spread wide.

The two Shandong brothers, though they didn't understand the language, were very agile. They followed You Gou, Huishen, and others and ran away. The woman took two steps, saw she couldn't catch up, and jumped off the stage, grabbing at the people in the front row. There were more men in the audience, especially in the front row, who were there to watch the commotion. Some quick-witted ones saw the situation and immediately fled. Those who didn't understand what was happening only realized it when they were scratched on the face or arms. They then understood what You Gou had said about syphilis being transmitted through blood, meaning through wounds. At this point, they understood why the woman was so desperate, trying to take others down with her.

The timid ones, once scratched, panicked and ran. But with so many people, it was too late. Some fierce ones, seeing they were scratched, became even more malicious and started beating the woman. The front row still had benches, and someone picked one up and threw it at the woman. The crowd's actions were contagious, and the first person's action was followed by the second and third. You Gou, while running, looked back and saw the woman initially trying to grab the men around her, then gradually blocking the punches and kicks with her arms. When the bench was swung, the woman was quickly knocked down and then disappeared in the crowd of men, with only the swinging benches visible.

Some of the men, unsatisfied, stopped beating the fallen woman and turned to attack the other women who were scared stiff by the sudden changes. You Gou suddenly stopped running and stood there, laughing uncontrollably. Then she suddenly stopped laughing and stood there.

"Don't hit them!" You Gou screamed and ran back. Huishen quickly grabbed You Gou. You Gou struggled to break free, but Huishen used all his strength to hold her.

"Don't hit them! Don't hit them!!" You Gou screamed. But the men were also mad, and they either didn't hear or ignored her. They cursed and chased the fleeing women.

Seeing that she couldn't stop the men and couldn't break free from Huishen's grip, You Gou kicked Huishen several times. Huishen endured the kicks from the leather boots and didn't cry out in pain.

"Zudao, take your sister You Gou back. Tell Wenqing everything."

Zudao, who had never seen such a scene, was pale and stammered, "K, known."

Huishen's eyebrows almost stood up. He shouted, "Don't just say you know. Hold your sister."

Zudao quickly came over, trembling, and gently grabbed You Gou's wrist.

Huishen really wanted to kick Zudao. At least Huishen could speak Mandarin. He saw that the two Shandong brothers, though shocked, were still calm. "Brother, take You Gou back."

"Ah? Okay." The two Shandong brothers, as guards, were very competent. They followed Huishen's order, grabbed You Gou's wrist, and dragged her to a rickshaw, shoving her and Zudao into it, and urged the driver to go quickly.

You Gou resisted all the way, trying to break free. "Don't let them hit. Don't hit them." Her screams echoed in Huishen's ears.

After being pushed into the rickshaw, Huishen heard You Gou stop shouting and start sobbing. In her sobs, a sentence could be heard, "Huishen, don't let them hit. Huishen, save them." Then the driver started running, and the two guards followed the rickshaw.

Huishen watched everyone "escape the danger" with an indescribable look on his face. Then he ran back. As he ran, the places where You Gou had kicked him ached. Huishen didn't care, shouting, "Don't hit." Seeing that the men didn't stop, Huishen looked around, picked up a broom, and charged at them.

Under Huishen's shouting, cursing, and hitting, the beating finally stopped. Two of the five women were smart and had run away. The remaining two were not seriously injured. Huishen, though unwilling, still dragged his heavy feet towards the woman who had fallen to the ground. The woman's face was pale, and blood flowed from her forehead, mouth, and arms. Chen Ke had said that the blood of third-stage syphilis patients was hard to clot. Once they lost blood, they could easily die. The woman's eyes were tightly closed, and her breathing was weak. Covered in blood, the woman looked less frightening and more pitiful.

Huishen stood up, took two white coats from the fallen coat rack, and tore them into strips to bandage the woman's head and arm wounds.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Huishen shouted. The woman heard the voice, opened her eyes slightly, and moved her damaged lips.

Zudao didn't care anymore. He grabbed the woman's bandaged arm and pulled her up.

The people who had been in the hall had either run away or stood far away. The second-floor windows on the street were filled with people. The adults were silent, but the children's screams could be heard. Everyone watched Huishen treat the women.

Huishen felt the woman was like a piece of cloth pulled from a dye vat, soft and limp. It was impossible to walk with her. Just as he was anxious, the woman used some strength and, with Huishen's help, managed to stand up.

"I'll take you to the hospital," Huishen shouted. At this point, he didn't think much. His mind was focused on one thing: saving the woman's life. Late-stage syphilis would definitely kill her, but the only thing You Gou could think of was her sob, "Huishen, save them."

The woman seemed to have heard Huishen's shout. She tried to stand up and leaned her head on Huishen's shoulder. "She might bite me," Huishen thought. Although he knew being bitten would have terrible consequences, he didn't want to avoid it.

"Stand up, let's go to the hospital." Huishen grabbed the woman's left arm with his left hand and her armpit with his right, hoping to reduce her effort and get to the rickshaw quickly. As he did this, the woman's head leaned closer to Huishen.

There was no biting as expected. Instead, the woman pushed Huishen with weak force, trying to break free. But it was too weak, and Huishen still held her firmly. The woman tried again, but it was ineffective. Huishen started walking. The woman didn't move, her weak breathing reaching Huishen's ears, then stopping. When Huishen turned to look, the woman spat on his face. "Get lost!" the woman wanted to shout, but her voice was like a mosquito's.

The onlookers definitely couldn't hear the woman's voice, but they saw the spit clearly. There was an immediate gasp from the crowd. The woman seemed to have used her last strength and fell softly.

Huishen wasn't angry. He put the woman down almost numbly, then took another white coat from the fallen rack. He wiped the spit off his face with the coat, which immediately turned red. Huishen walked back heavily, wrapped the woman in the coat, and lifted her up. The woman was very thin, and Huishen couldn't imagine where the strength of a mad tiger had come from.

"You, the two of you," Huishen shouted to the other two women crouching on the ground, "I'll take you to the hospital." Hearing Huishen's shout, the women didn't get up but huddled even tighter.

"Get up, come with me. I won't harm you. Come quickly, or I won't take you to the hospital." Huishen shouted.

The two women sobbed softly but didn't move.

Huishen ignored them, carried the woman, and walked to the rickshaw. The driver, a local man in his thirties, was watching the commotion in the crowd. Seeing Huishen carrying the woman, someone laughed. "Hey, Old Zhao, you have business!"

The driver saw Huishen clearly heading for his rickshaw. The woman, wrapped in a white coat, lay quietly in Huishen's arms, her head hanging back, and her long hair trailing down. The driver, trembling, stepped forward, blocking Huishen and said, "Sir, I won't pull. Find someone else."

"I'll buy your rickshaw. How much?" Huishen said coldly.

"Sir, you're joking," the driver thought no one would buy a rickshaw for a syphilis patient.

"Saving lives is important! How much? I'll buy it." Huishen shouted.

"Ah, twenty taels..." the driver was scared by the shout and said trembling.

Huishen grunted, went around the driver, and put the woman in the rickshaw. The rickshaw was tilted, and without anyone lifting the seat, the woman couldn't sit properly. Huishen turned to the two women behind him, "Come, help her."

"Sir, are you really going to save her?" the driver asked, lifting the handle, trembling.

After straightening the woman, Huishen said, "Yes." He took out some money from his pocket, not much, and gave the driver a dozen silver dollars. "Follow me, and I'll give you more at the hospital."

"Are you going to pull the rickshaw yourself?" the driver asked in surprise.

"Will you pull?" Huishen felt a glimmer of hope.

"I won't, I won't." The driver shook his head like a rattle.

As they spoke, the two women came over, "Sir, are you really taking us to the hospital?"

"Stop talking, get in the rickshaw." Huishen shouted.

The two women got in, one on each side, supporting the woman. Huishen took the handle from the driver and started pulling the rickshaw.

It was really heavy! Huishen had never felt this when riding. Especially at the start, he almost couldn't pull. After a few steps, he got used to it. He turned and saw everyone on the street watching him, as if he were a monster. Curiosity, surprise, excitement, disdain, and discomfort—all kinds of expressions were there. Not only that, but some people even followed him. No one came to help. The driver followed closely.

"Sir, will I be infected by what you said? My family depends on me pulling the rickshaw," the driver asked anxiously.

"Don't worry. If you get sick, I'll treat you for free."

As they spoke, a clod of earth flew from somewhere and landed in front of Huishen. It came from behind the rickshaw, and Huishen couldn't see who threw it. Someone laughed and cursed.

Pulling the rickshaw was really tiring. Huishen, who had never done this, was already out of breath after a short distance. The driver followed closely, and some idle people and children also followed. The noise quickly attracted others' attention. Huishen, in a dark blue suit, with his shoes polished for the lecture, was a striking figure. Pulling a rickshaw, with a driver-like figure beside him and a group of idle men and children behind, everyone couldn't help but notice this unusual scene. More people pointed and commented on Huishen.

At first, Huishen cared, but soon his attention was focused on pulling the rickshaw. Balancing the handle was difficult, and the road was uneven. Huishen, who hated bumps when riding, tried to choose a flat road, which required more effort. The hospital wasn't far, about a half-hour walk, but pulling the rickshaw made the distance seem much longer.

After a long time, they had only covered half the distance. Huishen was already out of breath. His well-fitting shoes were hurting his feet, and his shirt, soaked with sweat, stuck uncomfortably to his back. This was worse than working in the workshop, where he would change