Chapter 5: Divine Doctor

Oh no, this plastic bottle is something that shouldn't exist in this era. Chen Xie secretly cursed, quickly put the bottle back in the bag, and smiled as if nothing had happened.

Zhang Yao's gaze was completely different now. This young man's background didn't seem so simple. He didn't like the tea, but the tea wasn't bad—it was pre-Qingming Longjing, which he himself didn't even drink. The young man brought his own water in a transparent bottle with colorful patterns (it was just a one-yuan Wahaha).

Is this the elixir of the immortals?

At this moment, Laifu came in. Chen Xie glanced at the old man, his eyes twinkling with an idea. You doubt me? I'll show you what immediate treatment effects look like.

Chen Xie stood up, walked to Laifu, and after a thorough inspection, especially focusing on the yellow and white spots on his face, he smiled and said, "Do you often have stomachaches?"

Laifu was stunned as if struck by high voltage, and subconsciously nodded. Chen Xie smiled in satisfaction, took out a bottle from his bag, poured out two pills, and handed them over, "Take these. In the future, pay attention to personal hygiene, don't drink unboiled water, and make sure the meat is fully cooked before eating."

Laifu's face turned red. How did you know I stole the master's meat? And I ate it before it was fully cooked? More than once! I often used the old master's name to "inspect the kitchen" and steal meat when the cook wasn't paying attention. The cook didn't even know about it. Could this young man be a god? Can he predict the future?

Zhang Yao felt embarrassed, but seeing that Chen Xie had no mocking intent, he waved his hand and said, "Uncle Laifu, wait outside. We'll follow Chen Xiaoguo's advice."

"Mr. Zhang, you're too polite. I'm twenty-three years old, you can call me by my name, Chen Xie." Chen Xie felt that Zhang Yao was key to his success in the Ming Dynasty, so he was particularly keen on building a good relationship. In modern society, calling someone by their name is normal, but in this era, it's considered an insult.

"This won't do. Does the young man have a courtesy name?" Zhang Yao didn't dare to call him by his name, as it would be too impolite.

Chen Xie was a bit confused by the term "courtesy name," but having read some novels, he knew that ancient people had two names. He quickly made one up, "My courtesy name is Si Hua!"

"Ha ha, I'm over forty, so I'll take the liberty of calling you Si Hua, nephew. Is that okay?" Zhang Yao stroked his beard, looking calm, but he was actually a bit nervous. Would this young man refuse? After passing the imperial examination, Zhang Yao had never been so uncertain. In Henan, he had resigned from his post due to dissatisfaction with the corruption of his superiors and the darkness of the court, and now he felt uncertain.

"Of course, I came from afar and my background is unknown. Others avoid me, but Uncle Zhang treats me with honesty. I am deeply grateful and have no way to repay you!" As he spoke, he stood up and bowed deeply to Zhang Yao.

Hearing "Uncle Zhang," Zhang Yao was delighted. Chen Xie clearly wasn't from an ordinary family; the things he used were things he had never seen. Recognizing him as a relative wouldn't be a disgrace. If he could really cure the old master, it would be even better. "Very well, I'll recognize Si Hua as my nephew."

With that, they became family. Zhang Yao was a man of character; otherwise, he wouldn't have resigned from his post. He immediately ordered the servants to prepare a meal and drink with Chen Xie.

Chen Xie quickly stopped him, "We can eat later. I've seen the old master's condition and given him medicine. There's no major issue. We should quickly arrange a new room for him to move into once he wakes up."

This was a serious matter, and Zhang Yao nodded in agreement. He had Laifu call all the servants to the courtyard. The Zhang family was the largest landowner in the area, with 1,500 acres of land and about thirty servants and maids. This didn't include their residence in Dengzhou City, where Zhang Yao's wife and children lived, along with a dozen others.

Following Chen Xie's instructions, Laifu directed the servants to prepare a clean room with good ventilation and had a few old women make masks. He instructed that everyone entering the old master's room must wear a mask. Chen Xie also specifically told the old master's concubine, Suxin, to inform him immediately if she felt a fever.

It took a whole day to finish. The two sat in the living room, drinking tea and resting. It was getting late, and dinner needed to be prepared. Zhang Yao couldn't see Laifu, who had been there a moment ago. He called out a few times, but no one responded. Just as he was getting annoyed, Laifu appeared, running and adjusting his belt, shouting, "Divine Doctor! Divine Doctor!"

Zhang Yao's heart leaped with joy, and he stood up, asking, "What, the old master woke up?" Laifu shook his head, "No, no, I mean, I took two white pills at noon, and my stomach started hurting. I went to the toilet. Guess what happened?"

Chen Xie secretly laughed. The old man had worms, and two deworming pills would naturally make him expel them.

"Old steward, I know what happened, no need to say more." Chen Xie's words made Zhang Yao even more curious, and he insisted, "No, you must tell me."

"Worms, all worms. I counted them; I expelled sixteen worms,..." Laifu said excitedly, but Zhang Yao, feeling a bit nauseous, waved him off, "Stop, go outside."

Before Laifu could leave, Suxin appeared with a maid. Seeing Chen Xie, she knelt down, "On behalf of the master, I thank the Divine Doctor! After taking the Divine Doctor's medicine, the master has woken up, his cough is less severe, and the bleeding has stopped."

Zhang Yao stood up quickly, his eyes shining with tears, and he stuttered, unable to speak. Chen Xie remained calm, stood up, and said, "Let's go, I need to check and ask some questions, and give more medicine."

The medicine was effective, and the old master was already sitting up with the help of a maid, surprised to see such a young doctor. "Thank you, Divine Doctor, for saving my life!" he said, struggling to stand.

"Old master, your condition is serious, but it's under control. It will take some time to fully recover. You should lie down, and I'll ask a few questions and leave." Chen Xie quickly held him down, smiling.

After a thorough examination and a few more questions, Chen Xie confirmed it was tuberculosis. Since that was the case, the previous treatment was correct. Using a small amount of streptomycin and half the normal dose of penicillin, along with some Yunnan Baiyao for bleeding, the intravenous injection was highly effective.

"Your vital signs are very stable. Old master, rest assured and recover. After you're better, walk more, and you can live another ten to twenty years." Chen Xie's words brought smiles to everyone's faces.

After more gratitude, Chen Xie administered more medicine, increasing the dose of streptomycin and stopping the penicillin, mixing in some Yunnan Baiyao to consolidate the treatment. He instructed the maid to call him when the IV was finished and then left. The old master repeatedly instructed to take good care of the Divine Doctor, and Zhang Yao, patting his chest, promised and left with a smile.

The Zhang family's dinner was ready, a table full of dishes. Zhang Yao invited Chen Xie to sit, poured the wine himself, and raised his glass, "Nephew, this cup is to thank you for saving the old master. To me, it's a life-saving grace."

Chen Xie smiled and raised his glass, "Uncle Zhang, you're too polite. I have no family in this world, and you are my only family here. Since we're family, don't say such formal words. It's what I should do."

In a good mood, the wine tasted better, and they drank more. Zhang Yao's alcohol tolerance was average, and after a dozen bowls of homemade rice wine, he was unsteady, swaying in his chair, and his speech was slurred. He didn't remember when he was carried to rest. Waking up, feeling refreshed, Zhang Yao remembered the drinking from the night before.

His personal servant, Shuigen, came in, and after Zhang Yao dressed, he asked, "Where is Nephew Si Hua? How was he arranged last night?"

"Last night, you were drunk, and Nephew Si Hua and I carried you back. You don't remember? Nephew Si Hua went to check on the old master and only went to rest after everything was stable. He probably hasn't woken up yet, as it was late last night."

Zhang Yao held his forehead and smiled bitterly, "I'm ashamed!" After washing up, Zhang Yao went to the guest room in the opposite courtyard. Seeing a maid with a basin of water, he called out, "Yuzhu, is Nephew Si Hua up?"

"He's up, he's... you'll see. I can't describe it, his mouth was full of white foam, it was strange." Yuzhu hurried away, blushing.

Curious, Zhang Yao walked in. Chen Xie had only slept until one in the morning, which wasn't much compared to staying up until one or two in the modern world. He woke up early, and it was just past six. When he got up, a small problem occurred. The maid had come in and seen Chen Xie in his underwear, blushing and leaving. Chen Xie found it strange, not realizing that the inner courtyard of a wealthy family was off-limits to outsiders.

To be honest, the Zhang family's maids all looked similar to Chen Xie. He didn't have the mindset of a landlord or a bully, so he had no improper thoughts. In reality, if he had taken a maid to bed, she would have had to comply. Besides, Chen Xie, with his fair skin and tall build, was quite attractive to the young maids.