Chapter 5

It was already dark, with lights illuminating everywhere, and the city was as bustling as ever. Walking on the narrow road, Zhang Hao watched the crowds passing by, feeling somewhat distracted and inexplicably lonely.

Qin Zhou City was one of the top-ranked cities in China, large, prosperous, and lively. But as one of the millions of residents, Zhang Hao felt somewhat lonely. He had been in the city for almost a year, living at the bottom of society, and such a life made it hard for him to feel any satisfaction or attachment.

He had worked in sales, insurance, and real estate, and was now working on a construction site. He had met some people in the city, but none of them were true friends with whom he could share his joys and sorrows.

It wasn't that Zhang Hao was aloof; he was busy working and studying on his own, leaving him no time or mood for socializing.

Moreover, his time in sales and insurance was too short, and his relationship with his colleagues was average. On the construction site, he had been there longer, but he had little in common with his coworkers. Besides, Zhang Hao had rented a place to live alone to focus on his studies.

Because he was not far from his hometown and the city was prosperous, he believed that some of his classmates and friends from his hometown might be working or studying in Qin Zhou City. However, due to being expelled from school, Zhang Hao felt ashamed to contact anyone.

In the past, he had been too busy trying to make a name for himself, to restore his parents' honor, and to seek revenge. Now, Zhang Hao was certain that he had an unprecedented opportunity, but he found himself feeling sentimental about these things.

Shaking his head in self-mockery, he wondered why he felt like a怨妇 (a woman who constantly complains).

Regardless of the significant changes that would come in the future, could he really tell others about the time portal?

He was being overly sentimental, Zhang Hao thought, evaluating his inexplicable emotions. Smelling the aroma of food from the nearby restaurants, he realized he was hungry. It was already mealtime, and he had vomited everything out earlier at the battlefield, so it was no wonder he was hungry.

Since there was no need to rush, Zhang Hao found a restaurant and went in.

After eating, Zhang Hao visited several clinics and received advice from the doctors. However, the doctors said that without seeing the patient and conducting a thorough examination, they couldn't determine the specific situation.

The information Zhang Hao found online about tuberculosis was quite mixed. In the end, he directly purchased the drugs recommended by the clinic doctors, which were known to be effective for treating pulmonary tuberculosis. He chose those with fewer side effects, so even if they didn't work, they wouldn't worsen the condition.

After buying the drugs, Zhang Hao went to a supermarket and bought some items. He planned to sell these modern, cheap goods in the Three Kingdoms era. He hadn't started earlier because he wasn't sure of the exact location, but now that he could settle down, he needed to start the time trade.

While buying the drugs, Zhang Hao received a call from Shu Yun.

Shu Yun had gone to the hospital to bring Zhang Hao some food and found out he had already been discharged. She immediately called him. Zhang Hao had to reassure her that he was fine and reminded her not to forget the remaining hospital deposit.

Perhaps because she had touched on Zhang Hao's sore spot earlier, Shu Yun felt guilty and was hesitant in her words, only telling him to take care and to contact her if anything happened. She was a girl who valued old friendships, but Zhang Hao didn't have time to think about these things.

It took a few hours to handle the various tasks, and in the Three Kingdoms world, it had been over ten hours. When Zhang Hao returned to the Three Kingdoms world, the group had already arrived at their destination.

Zhang Hao opened the carriage door and saw the carriage in a flat courtyard. There were many torches burning, casting a bright light, and a few guards were standing watch.

"Benefactor!" Xie Yang, the scarred guard who had been saved by Zhang Hao's quick-acting heart pill, saw Zhang Hao and immediately bowed with excitement.

Xie Yang's gratitude to Zhang Hao wasn't just for saving his life but also for leaving him the quick-acting heart pill. The pill, with its unusual appearance, was considered a divine elixir by Xie Yang and envied by many of his companions.

Zhang Hao nodded kindly, without asking pointless questions like why he wasn't resting.

"Zi Gao!" At the courtyard gate, Huang Zhong was already walking in with eager steps, clearly not having slept. After the guard reported, he had hurried over.

"Han Sheng, I have brought the medicine. We will try it after my nephew rests well in the morning," Zhang Hao said directly.

After a moment of hesitation, because Huang Zhong, the mighty warrior, was important to Zhang Hao, not only for his fame and strength but also for his local influence, Zhang Hao solemnly promised:

"Even if this medicine doesn't work, I will take your nephew to other worlds to cure him."

Other worlds? Xie Yang and the other guards were shocked, and Huang Zhong, though shocked, was more surprised and grateful.

With red eyes, Huang Zhong was almost in tears, "I am deeply grateful and have no way to repay you. If you need anything in the future, please tell me!"

Huang Zhong was truly grateful to Zhang Hao for his promise. This meant that Zhang Hao could ask for any help he needed. This showed how much Huang Zhong loved his only son, whom he had in his old age.

"Han Sheng, there's no need for such formality," Zhang Hao said, satisfied but polite.

Huang Zhong immediately had someone prepare food and drink, leading Zhang Hao to the main courtyard. Unfortunately, it was dark, and even with torches, it was hard to appreciate the surroundings. However, the distance they walked showed that Huang Zhong was a wealthy landowner.

This was undeniable; ordinary people couldn't have so many servants and horses.

Huang Zhong introduced his wife to Zhang Hao. Huang's wife was also quite old, gentle, and extremely respectful to Zhang Hao.

In this era, for Huang Zhong to introduce his wife to Zhang Hao was a sign of deep respect and friendship. This formality made Zhang Hao, a modern person, feel a bit uncomfortable, but he knew what to do and didn't embarrass himself.

During the meal, Zhang Hao felt a bit awkward. He wasn't very hungry, but he could still eat some. However, the food Huang Zhong prepared was a bit strange. The dishes were fine, though there were no chili peppers, but they were still stir-fried and made from natural ingredients, including wild game. The problem was the lack of seasonings.

The dishes were manageable, but the rice was a challenge. It seemed to be a mix of grains, which didn't suit Zhang Hao's taste. Fortunately, he didn't have to eat the main dish.

Zhang Hao ate the dishes and drank the wine, which was a bit cloudy and low in alcohol content but not bad. The kneeling posture, however, was uncomfortable for him.

While drinking, Zhang Hao asked Huang Zhong some questions and learned some information.

It was now the fifth year of the Zhongping era, 188 AD, and the famous Yellow Turban Rebellion had been suppressed four years ago. According to the timeline, it was almost time for Dong Zhuo to appear.

Of course, the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion only meant the main forces were defeated, but many remnants still existed. As Huang Zhong mentioned, the past two years had been turbulent, with bandits rising everywhere.

Huang Zhong particularly mentioned the ongoing rebellion in Liangzhou, which had lasted for several years, and the rebellion in Youzhou led by Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun, which began last year and had not yet been quelled.

After the meal, Zhang Hao, slightly tipsy, was led to the guest room by a maid sent by Huang's wife. Lying in the room for a while, he couldn't sleep, so he returned to the modern world and used his computer to search for information about the fifth year of the Zhongping era in the Eastern Han dynasty. He also downloaded some information about the late Eastern Han and the Three Kingdoms period to his phone. After finishing, he returned to the Three Kingdoms world.

After reviewing the information, Zhang Hao had a better understanding of the current situation and slowly fell asleep.

The next day, the sun was high when Zhang Hao woke up. The maid, hearing the noise, immediately brought him washing supplies. There was no soap or toothbrush, just willow branches and green salt.

While washing, Zhang Hao thought about bringing a set of toiletries back. After all, the time rates in the two worlds were different, and he didn't know how long he would stay, so it was better to be prepared.

Huang Zhong had clearly been waiting and was anxious, but he didn't show it. Instead, he invited Zhang Hao to have breakfast.

Zhang Hao knew Huang Zhong was anxious, so he ate breakfast quickly. The breakfast was not too bad, consisting of porridge and some meat jerky.

Following Huang Zhong and his wife, they went to Huang Xu's room. Huang Xu, who had been sick since childhood, was very thin but had lively and bright eyes. He remained calm in the face of pain and often comforted his parents, showing his good character.

Zhang Hao took out the medicine from his backpack. The first thing to address was Huang Xu's worsening cough and bleeding. He took out a disposable syringe and, acting as a doctor, injected him with pituitary extract and hemostatic enzyme.

Although the process was slow, Huang Xu was very cooperative, and there were no problems, though Zhang Hao's forehead was sweating.

Huang Zhong and his family, unfamiliar with such treatment, watched in amazement, their faces filled with hope. Zhang Hao's actions and the medicine were too advanced for this era.

After giving Huang Xu some oral medication, Zhang Hao finished the treatment.

"We will see how it works. This disease won't recover immediately, but it will get better," Zhang Hao told Huang Zhong.

Huang Zhong and his family were not the type to express gratitude verbally, so they didn't say much.

Not wanting to disturb Huang Xu's rest, Zhang Hao and the others left the room.