Chapter 10: Appendicitis

Taking Shuigen and Changsheng out, Chen Xie mentioned the wild ginseng, and Shuigen patted his chest and said, "I know, Huichun Hall has it. It's genuine Korean wild ginseng that comes from Dongjiang Town via the water route."

Chen Xie had seen the name Dongjiang Town in the documents and knew about the general Maowenlong. He also knew that a man named Yuan Chonghuan, who was about to re-emerge, would soon be a harbinger of death. The reason why Yuan Chonghuan wanted to kill Maowenlong was actually very simple: Yuan could not control Maowenlong. In an era where civil officials absolutely dominated military officers, Maowenlong's behavior naturally had its fatal flaws. Later, some people used the killing of Maowenlong to accuse Yuan Chonghuan of being a traitor, but that was all nonsense, a forced interpretation.

Whether it was Maowenlong or Yuan Chonghuan, they were not what Chen Xie was concerned about now.

Walking down the street with the two of them, Chen Xie experienced the style of a young master surrounded by attendants. Shuigen, who knew the way well, led Chen Xie to Huichun Hall. The shopkeeper was very polite and, upon hearing that they wanted to buy the best wild ginseng, immediately invited them into the inner hall.

The shopkeeper was a man in his thirties, with a fair face and a beard, and a constant smile on his face. He handed a box to Chen Xie with both hands and said, "Since it's Young Master Chen, we will naturally show you the treasure of our shop."

Chen Xie took the box and opened it. Inside, on a red cloth, was a wild ginseng that really looked like a child, with well-preserved roots. "This wild ginseng weighs three liang and three qian. Our best master has examined it and said it is over a hundred years old." (Note: The units in the Ming Dynasty were very different from today's, with one qian being approximately 3.7 grams.)

Seeing such a large wild ginseng, Chen Xie knew that if he brought it back to the modern era, it would be worth a lot of money. Just as Chen Xie was about to buy the wild ginseng, he suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "Oh no, I don't have any silver." He put down the box, apologized, and hurriedly left.

The shopkeeper was flustered and grabbed Shuigen, asking, "Shuigen, what does this mean?"

Shuigen, caught between laughter and tears, said, "Reserve the wild ginseng for Young Master Chen. No one else is allowed to buy it. It's just a bit of silver, right? The Zhang family can't be short of that. Young Master Chen is just a bit impulsive."

Chen Xie was really in a hurry, having forgotten such an important matter. It was the first time he had seen wild ginseng, and it was a high-quality one weighing over a hundred grams. He wanted to get it immediately. He had forgotten that this was the Ming Dynasty, where wild ginseng was not a rare item and could be bought with silver.

Just as he stepped out of Huichun Hall, a group of people rushed in, carrying a door panel with a person lying on it, holding his stomach and groaning in pain. Out of instinct as a doctor, Chen Xie stopped and quickly moved aside, shouting, "Doctor, doctor."

Inside Huichun Hall, there was a resident doctor, Doctor Liu, who had treated the old master of the Zhang family. As the most famous doctor in Dengzhou City, Liu Gaoming slowly got up from his seat, looked at the patient being carried in, and after feeling his pulse, shook his head bitterly and said, "Appendicitis, no hope. Prepare for the funeral."

Chen Xie, who was watching, was unhappy. Was this doctor treating human lives so lightly? He immediately became angry and said, "Doctor, do you have any medical ethics? You're already preparing for the funeral? Move aside!" He pulled Liu Gaoming to the side.

Chen Xie placed his hand on the patient's abdomen and, under the surprised gazes of everyone, performed a simple examination. He then said calmly, "Acute appendicitis, we must prepare for surgery immediately, or it will perforate and be too late."

The scene was silent, and even the patient's family looked at him with incomprehension. Who was this strange person? Dressed oddly, he didn't look like someone from the Ming Dynasty, but he spoke Mandarin fluently.

"Young man, your eagerness to save lives is commendable, but this is appendicitis. Even if I had the power to move heaven and earth, I would be helpless," Liu Gaoming, who had stumbled, said kindly.

Chen Xie realized that this was the Ming Dynasty. Forget appendicitis; even a cold could be fatal. Chen Xie did not discriminate against traditional Chinese medicine. With thousands of years of tradition, it could not be simply dismissed as unscientific. However, it was important to recognize that traditional Chinese medicine was empirical, and it took a long time to train a qualified practitioner. Moreover, there were many diseases that traditional Chinese medicine could not treat. For example, Emperor Taizong of Song's injury during the northern campaign, despite having access to the best doctors, could not be cured and eventually led to his death. This showed the limitations of traditional Chinese medicine, which could not be denied.

The patient was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, lying on the door panel and rolling in pain. As a doctor, Chen Xie could not stand by and do nothing. He looked at the couple, who were dressed in tattered clothes, and assumed they were the parents. Chen Xie stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Sir and Madam, I have at least a seventy percent chance of saving this child, but there is one condition: you must sign a document guaranteeing that even if I fail, you will not hold me responsible."

The couple was stunned. As simple farmers, who would dare to hold a doctor responsible if they couldn't cure the patient?

Chen Xie was also confused. In this era, there were no such things as medical disputes. If a doctor was willing to help, they would be grateful. The couple immediately knelt down and said, "Please, Doctor, save my son's life."

At this moment, the shopkeeper and Shuigen also came out and saw the scene. The shopkeeper immediately asked Doctor Liu what was happening and, after understanding, shook his head and smiled, "Young and impetuous!" Shuigen, on the side, laughed and said, "Mr. Yu, you don't understand. This young master is a genuine miracle doctor. The old master of the Zhang family's tuberculosis is now much better, all thanks to Young Master Chen."

"What?" Liu Gaoming's face turned pale. He had treated the old master of the Zhang family and had predicted that he wouldn't survive the winter. Who would have thought that someone had cured him, and that person was standing right in front of him. He had just doubted whether Chen Xie could treat appendicitis, and now he felt embarrassed. However, as a doctor, Liu Gaoming was genuinely curious about Chen Xie's methods, and the attraction was irresistible.

Yu, the shopkeeper, was also stunned and exclaimed, "What? Can he really treat it?"

Shuigen nodded confidently, "If Young Master Chen says he can treat it, he can."

At this, both Yu and Liu's eyes lit up. Even the fifty-something Liu Gaoming showed admiration. As a lifelong doctor, it wasn't just about making a living; it was about the endless pursuit of knowledge and medical skills.

Chen Xie helped the couple up and said, "Since you've agreed, I'll take this patient." In the Ming Dynasty, there was no such thing as a medical license. Many scholars who had read basic medical texts would prescribe treatments, and if they failed, it was the patient's bad luck, not the doctor's fault.

"Shopkeeper, prepare a clean room," Chen Xie said without waiting for the shopkeeper's response. Instinctively, he felt that this was a hospital, and saving lives should not be delayed. Fortunately, Yu was a good person and did not hesitate, immediately preparing the room.

"Changsheng, go back and get my backpack, and hurry," Chen Xie instructed. Changsheng replied, "Okay!" and ran off. "Uncle Shuigen, please prepare two pieces of white cloth, as big as the door panel," Shuigen did not hesitate and turned to go.

Back at the doctor's table, Chen Xie took out a carbon pen and quickly wrote a prescription. Surgery required anesthesia, which did not exist in the Ming Dynasty. Even in modern times, anesthesia was strictly controlled in hospitals and not easily obtained. Of course, there were some channels to get anesthesia, but Chen Xie definitely did not have it. However, he had read "Hua Tuo's Divine Formula" and remembered the recipe for Mafeisan. Whether it worked or not, he would try it.

"Nine grams of Rhododendron, three grams of jasmine root, thirty grams of angelica, and 0.9 grams of calamus, boiled in water and served in one bowl," Chen Xie wrote and handed it to Liu Gaoming, saying, "Get the medicine and have it boiled immediately. Also, prepare some ropes. We don't know if this formula will work, so it's best to tie the patient down during the surgery."

Liu Gaoming looked at the prescription and was a bit confused. Why? Chen Xie wrote from left to right, which he wasn't used to. Once he understood, he thought about it and realized that while the writing style was unfamiliar, it had its advantages, such as not smudging the ink on his clothes. He also found the pen Chen Xie used interesting. How did it work?

"Why aren't you going?" Chen Xie, seeing him hesitate, became annoyed. He didn't care that Liu Gaoming was in his fifties with a bit of gray in his beard. Liu Gaoming, however, had no resentment. He was eager to learn, and a few scoldings from his master were nothing.

Yu, the shopkeeper, acted quickly and, with the help of his assistants, soon prepared a room. When the patient was carried in, Changsheng, who had run back with a heavy backpack, was sweating profusely. Chen Xie was a bit worried, hoping nothing had gone wrong.

"Changsheng, you've worked hard," he said, but Changsheng smiled and shook his head, "No problem, it was just a hundred or so pounds, and two people carrying it wasn't tiring. The young master is strong, carrying it alone."

"Rest a bit and get some water," Chen Xie said, picking up the bag and heading in to prepare. The bag, which now weighed only thirty to fifty pounds, surprised Chen Xie. This time machine was quite advanced, but he didn't know what kind of technology it used.

Inside the room, two benches and a door panel served as the operating table. It was simple, but it was the best they could do. The Mafeisan had been boiled, and the patient had taken it, waiting for it to take effect. Chen Xie was a bit worried about whether it would work. If not, he would have to tie the patient down for the surgery.

Looking at the patient, Chen Xie took out a small box from his backpack, containing a set of simple surgical tools. He had studied surgery in college, with internal medicine as an elective. However, the school was not very good, and Chen Xie had never had a chance to practice. He had dissected human specimens, but this was his first time performing surgery on a living person.