Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Liaodong Refugee, Wang Qinan

The United Merchant Association became an instant sensation, but the night was not so peaceful. The agency system of the United Merchant Association was divided according to prefectures. Shandong had only six prefectures, and the agency rights for other provinces were not considered for the time being. All these details were clearly stated in the agency regulations. Dozens of merchant houses, based on their own strength, sought allies and formed factions, all aiming to gain something at the agency rights negotiation meeting the next day.

Indeed, the United Merchant Association was quite considerate. The agency rights for Shandong were only open to the merchant houses in Dengzhou. This was an opportunity to seize the initiative, and it could even be said that everyone's interests would be aligned in the future. The United Merchant Association itself would not engage in retail but only wholesale. This was a commitment to all the merchant houses, and it also required all those who obtained agency rights to enforce a unified price, at least within Shandong Province.

There was actually a loophole in this, which everyone keenly realized: if they couldn't sell at high prices within Shandong, couldn't they transport the goods to other provinces? This was something that anyone with a bit of sense could think of. Could the United Merchant Association not have thought of it? Hopefully, it was an oversight.

The negotiation meeting was very successful. To ensure fairness, the agency rights for the six prefectures of Shandong were auctioned off. This caused a great deal of turmoil as everyone vied for the agency rights, using all sorts of tactics. In the end, the auction alone collected 500,000 taels of silver in deposits. If high prices appeared in Shandong, the local agency's deposit would be forfeited, and their agency rights revoked.

This was not the harshest move. After paying the deposit, one still had to pay in cash for the goods. No merchant house backed down on this. Those with insufficient strength formed alliances, gritting their teeth to secure the agency rights for at least one prefecture. In reality, everyone knew that the sales in Shandong were not the main focus; the real profit came from selling to other provinces. The United Merchant Association was forcing everyone to use their capital to open up the market for them.

Earnings in other provinces might not last more than a couple of years, but even those two years were enough to drive everyone into a frenzy.

After the meeting at the United Merchant Association, the various merchant houses gathered again, booking the Chunxiang Building to discuss how to divide the provinces across the country.

At first, Mr. Liu thought his stock was sufficient to last for two months, but unexpectedly, within ten days, half of his inventory was gone. This made Mr. Liu anxious, and he quickly controlled the supply, determined to hold out until Chen Xie returned.

Even with the control, Mr. Liu couldn't hold out until Chen Xie's return. Just three days ago, unable to bear the harassment from the various merchant houses, he fled to Zhang Family Village for a break. There was no way around it; the merchant houses seeking goods were blocking the United Merchant Association's door every day. These were all merchant houses that had obtained agency rights, and there were still many from Henan, Zhili, Jiangsu, and even Zhejiang and Anhui, all looking for goods. Mr. Liu refused to supply them based on the agency system, but these people used all sorts of underhanded tactics. Some waited at his doorstep, some tried to bribe him privately, and others invited him to the Chunxiang Building.

The most difficult to deal with were the connections from various government offices. The officials were not from the local province, such as Sun Guozhen, who was from Zhejiang. His hometown's merchant house asked him for help, much like modern officials issuing directives, making it impossible for Mr. Liu to stay in Dengzhou.

Just as Chen Xie was talking to Changsheng, a man who had been squatting by the gate stood up and knelt before Chen Xie, saying, "I bow to the divine doctor. I am Wang Qinan. If you can save my wife, my life will be yours from now on."

Hearing this, Chen Xie, driven by his medical instincts, immediately asked, "Where is the patient?" As he spoke, he examined the man. The man was quite tall, with an accent not from Shandong. He wore a leather robe and a dogskin hat.

"My wife is here too. She has been taken in by the kind girls inside. I couldn't stay in the courtyard, so I waited at the gate," the man said, raising his head. Chen Xie then saw his face: a square jaw, a beard, and a scar on his forehead about the length of a finger, adding a fierce look. His demeanor was not that of an ordinary civilian but more like a soldier.

"Get up, don't kneel. Follow me inside. Don't say anything now; let's save the patient first," Chen Xie said, walking briskly toward the hospital. When he entered the courtyard, Qingqing, who was sweeping, saw Chen Xie and immediately stopped, saying, "Divine doctor, a female patient arrived yesterday with a two-inch-long wound on her leg that had become infected and was running a high fever. We followed your instructions to use alcohol to lower her temperature, but it kept rising again."

Chen Xie nodded as he walked, understanding that the wound was infected, not tetanus, but an inflammation. These women, being virtuous, could not give the patient medication and could only handle the wound as Chen Xie had taught them. As Chen Xie approached the treatment room, Hongguo was using alcohol to cool the patient's body and said, "Divine doctor, just a moment, I'll be done soon."

Less than ten seconds later, Hongguo said it was done. In modern times, it wouldn't be so complicated, but this was the Ming Dynasty, and Chen Xie had to follow certain rules. A virtuous woman's body being seen by others was considered a loss of virtue, which was a greater sin than starvation. A married woman who lost her virtue would be shunned by society and forced to commit suicide.

Chen Xie, as a doctor, could look at the wound but not other parts.

Fortunately, the woman's wound was on her calf, and Chen Xie secretly breathed a sigh of relief. A virtuous woman, unlike Hongguo and the others, would have to commit suicide if her private parts were seen, even by a doctor. At least that was the societal standard, though it wasn't absolute and varied by family.

"When she was brought in yesterday, the wound was still oozing pus. I helped clean it up," Hongguo explained. Chen Xie nodded in satisfaction, saying, "You did well. Since it wasn't too late, your handling has controlled the condition. Record this: prepare the anesthesia, surgical instruments, and TAT..."

Hongguo took out a small notebook and quickly wrote down the instructions. This woman, of unknown background, had beautiful handwriting and learned quickly. After practicing with a pen for a while, she wrote both quickly and neatly, becoming Chen Xie's most capable assistant in the hospital.

After recording, Hongguo quickly went to find Yuzhu. Chen Xie glanced at Wang Qinan, seeing his anxious face, and said, "The situation is serious, but there's still hope. Wait outside and don't worry; your wife's life is not in immediate danger."

The infection was severe, and surgery was needed to remove the necrotic tissue. If unlucky, one surgery might not be enough, and amputation might be necessary. However, Chen Xie was confident because antibiotics were highly effective against these viruses with no antibodies.

After the patient took the anesthesia, her breathing became steady. Chen Xie had Hongguo and Qingqing assist him, teaching them some wound care techniques as he operated. He didn't expect them to master it immediately, but with practice, they would. In the Ming Dynasty, no one would know if he used patients for practice.

The surgery went smoothly, cleaning the wound and removing the necrotic tissue. Afterward, the final step was to stitch the wound. Chen Xie suddenly said to Hongguo, "You do the final step. Don't be afraid, stay calm, and keep your hands steady."

Hongguo nodded firmly and carefully began her first wound stitching. Chen Xie remained silent, watching quietly. Whenever Hongguo was nervous, Chen Xie's gentle voice would reassure her, "You're doing well, keep going."

Despite the winter, Hongguo, performing her first stitch, was so nervous that she was sweating. Unaware of her tension, she suddenly heard Chen Xie's voice, "Stop for a moment." Then a white handkerchief gently wiped her forehead. Chen Xie went to wash his hands and returned, personally wiping her sweat. In that moment, Hongguo felt the entire world belonged to her.

An hour and a half later, Chen Xie emerged from the treatment room. Wang Qinan, sitting on the ground with his head in his hands, immediately stood up, his eyes full of hope. Chen Xie smiled and said, "The surgery went well, but the patient is still in critical condition. If there are no changes in twelve hours, she will be out of danger."

Wang Qinan's expression was dazed. Chen Xie had already walked past him, and just as he was about to follow, a figure rushed in from the gate, grabbing Chen Xie and pulling him out, saying, "My lord, you still have time to idle around? Old Liu's butt is on fire."

On fire? What was going on? Wang Qinan stood there, watching the two disappear through the gate. He raised his hand to call out but slowly lowered it, his eyes filled with determination. He muttered to himself, "Whether she survives or not, my life is no longer mine."

The one pulling Chen Xie was naturally Mr. Liu. In business, who wouldn't be afraid of selling out? But now, he was the opposite, with no goods left. How could he not be anxious?

Leaving the courtyard, Chen Xie stopped and smiled, "Why are you pulling me? Shouldn't you be preparing the convoy? This time, there's a lot of cargo, so prepare for multiple trips. If necessary, go to the kilns and construction sites and get people to bring wheelbarrows to transport the goods."

The convoy was ready, and the people were already waiting. Mr. Liu didn't let them leave, keeping them in the village. Chen Xie's words made Mr. Liu run off, shouting, "Dogdan, get the gong and go door to door. The divine doctor needs help with the cargo. All the able-bodied men in the village should come, and they'll earn five copper coins a day with two meals provided."

Dogdan, a long-term worker for the Zhang family and now for Chen Xie, was a single, strong man in his thirties. He was hardworking and didn't slack off, though he ate a lot. The Zhang family was kind and didn't mind his appetite, so he had worked for them for two years.

Mr. Liu's pig-like scream made a strong man rush out of a small house by the gate, gong in hand, and quickly run out, the gong sounding loudly. A loud voice called out, "Everyone listen up..."

Hearing the commotion, Wang Qinan came out to look. Soon, a white-bearded old man with a pole walked quickly, followed by two young men and two women, likely his wives.

Year

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