Chapter 38

I endured his foul odor, wrapped my hand in a clean cloth, pried open his eyelids, and then used a wooden spoon to pry open his mouth. I forced myself to look at his yellow-stained teeth and pretended to examine his tongue coating, feeling his pulse, which was meaningless.

I poked at the vomit a few times, analyzing its components. Then I lifted his shirt to look at the red spots on his body and the scattered remains of shrimp and crab shells.

I let out a slight sigh of relief; the manual for barefoot doctors and the epidemic prevention guidelines in the wilderness survival guide had not been in vain.

"It's not dysentery, just a bad stomach from eating something wrong."

I nodded solemnly and said,

"Hmm."

The surrounding people looked at each other with expressions of awe and confusion.

"Can you explain...?"

The boatman whispered.

"Overeating raw river food that wasn't cooked thoroughly, causing indigestion and stomach upset..."

"What about the red spots...?"

The boatman asked, somewhat worried.

"Just an allergic reaction..."

"What...?"

"It's the nature of the uncooked, cold food coming out..."

"You can check his room; the shells of the shrimp and crabs he just ate are probably still there..."

The patient's brother's face changed, clearly hit by my guess.

"What should we do...?"

"Hot soup..."

I instructed with great seriousness.

"Add more salt, a little sugar."

I was pretty sure that his condition was just severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Without intravenous fluids, the only option was to give him salt water.

"Don't worry if he vomits; just keep pouring it in..."

"Keep pouring until there's nothing left to vomit or pass, and his stomach will be cleared..."

"If you're still worried, you can put him on a small boat and drag it behind the main boat for observation."

"Good idea..."

The short and dark boatman finally found an acceptable solution and clapped his hands.

"Why don't you go and do it?"

"Blackhead..."

He pointed at the patient's brother and shouted.

"You stay on the small boat to accompany him. If you need anything, just have someone bring it over."

"Other things can be settled later."

"Scatter now."

The next day, I was woken up by a knock on the door and found a crowd of people outside.

"What do you want...?"

I was startled by their approach and tried to close the door.

"A bunch of clumsy fools..."

The boatman's voice came from outside.

"Don't disturb Doctor Xia's rest, or I'll deal with you..."

I opened the door again and saw a face beaming like a blooming chrysanthemum, and a pale-faced man being supported on the side.

"Alright, speak up..."

"Thanks to your prescription..."

The boatman called out loudly.

It turned out that after drinking a few bowls of salt and sugar water, the boatman had woken up. Although he was still weak, his external symptoms had subsided, and his brother had insisted on bringing him to thank me.

"There's no need to thank me; I just happened to know a bit..."

I was honest. I thought he would be out of commission for a few days, but he recovered so quickly. The hardworking people of ancient times were indeed resilient.

"No, no..."

The boatman's brother, named Blackhead, tried to express his gratitude but couldn't find the right words, his face turning red.

"If you really want to thank me, just lend me your fishing skills for a bit..."

I thought for a moment and said.

"Anything you say..."

The short and dark boatman quickly responded for him, then showed a smile he thought was more friendly.

"Doctor Xia, there's something else that needs your attention..."

He called the boatmen back. They all looked at me with eager expressions, which made me feel a bit puzzled.

"Boatman, what else do you need...?"

"Call me Old Xu, not boatman..."

He waved his hand.

"Just a bit more of your time to check on the other brothers on the boat."

It turned out that they lived on the water long-term and had chronic conditions like rheumatism or skin diseases. They wanted to take this opportunity to consult me, their temporary doctor, for advice and peace of mind.

Since I had averted a potential epidemic, the boat owner had already promised a reward, and the boatman was happy to use this as an opportunity to win the hearts of the crew.

After all, if it had been an epidemic, the boatmen would have scattered, and the entire boat and cargo would have been delayed.

Of course, I didn't refuse; I just made some reasonable requests for tools and items, then pretended to examine them.

The remedies I prescribed were mainly simple methods to alleviate symptoms, based on modern health knowledge or even old military doctor's tricks to provide psychological comfort, relying on their physical resilience.

On these robust boatmen who rarely saw a doctor, the effects were somewhat immediate. Even if some were not ideal, it was due to the lack of needles and medicines on the boat.

Thus, the old drunk boat doctor was completely marginalized, continuing his half-drunk, unnoticed life.

The next day, some of the passengers on the boat also came to see me, mostly for seasickness or dietary issues. I gave them salt water and some basic acupressure, along with psychological comfort, which helped a bit.

Through these consultations, I got to know them a bit, forming a friendly connection.

I collected several strings of coins as fees and gifts, making me consider whether I should continue this charade if I ran out of money.

Not to mention, the boat fare I had paid was refunded, saying they wouldn't charge me any more. The extra income from carrying private passengers was a personal benefit tacitly allowed by the boatmen, with some shared with the crew. So, it was natural for them to use this opportunity to build goodwill.

My living conditions were upgraded from the bottom hold to a more spacious and well-ventilated cabin near the stern water wheel.

I also received better food, like fresh fish and shrimp, and I took the opportunity to teach them some cooking methods and hygiene tips, using the ship's kitchen to prepare my own meals.

"Are you satisfied...?"

Blackhead, the boatman, brought new bedding and other items, and I nodded, and he left.

He also left a small jar of salted duck eggs as a thank you, though small, they were wild duck eggs he had collected himself.

These were good things, portable and durable in the cold, providing animal protein and salt to replenish losses and improve taste.

I cooked them and handed them to the girl, instructing her:

"Eat one every day; it's good for your growth."

"?...."

She tilted her head and looked at me.

"To be a qualified bed warmer, you need to develop both the top and bottom..."

"Um..."

She started peeling the egg.

The hard, yellow yolk, salty and greasy, was very satisfying.

I also took the opportunity to learn more about the boat and its situation, which was different from what I had expected.

Despite the small fleet, it was said to be part of a large inland shipping consortium with connections to high-ranking officials and good relations with several regional governors and military commanders in Henan and Huai Bei.

After all, even in a chaotic era, the people under the control of various governors and military commanders still had basic needs, and officials and military leaders had various desires. For foreign traders, there were also interests in expanding trade routes and smuggling.

Thus, these regional shipping associations, with their background and influence, had room to exist and develop. Their social relationships were complex, and they often maintained an ambiguous and superior status with local military and administrative authorities.

However, due to long-term division and geographical barriers, their scale was mainly limited to one region or two, even the largest shipping associations.

Soon, I received an invitation to meet and thank the boat owner. I boarded a small boat and was rowed to the second large paddle wheel ship. This ship was not much different from the others, except for an additional half-story above the deck, which was designed as a terrace.

I was led up a wooden ladder to a top cabin that occupied most of the upper deck.

Although the exterior was unremarkable, the interior was beautifully decorated with colorful wall hangings and carved furniture, indicating that the owner had a certain taste and enjoyed a comfortable life.

Steam from a small red clay stove filled the room with a comfortable aroma.

"This is Doctor Xia..."

A pale, thin young man stood up to greet me, wearing a light blue embroidered robe that seemed a bit loose on him.

"This is our owner, Liu..."

Old Xu introduced him.

"Owner Liu, greetings..."

I bowed politely.

"Clearly a refined person..."

"What owner, just a crude person living off my father's legacy..."

He smiled.

"These decorations are just for business convenience, a bit of pretentiousness."

A servant girl came out of the inner cabin, quietly washing cups, brewing tea, and pouring a cup for me before retreating.

"Thank you for taking care of the crew..."

Although I knew it was a formality, his polite demeanor made me respect him more, unlike a typical rich man's son.

"It's due to my poor supervision that such a problem occurred..."

"It was just a coincidence..."

He said a lot, and I finally had a chance to respond politely.

"If not for this, I wouldn't have known there was a doctor on board..."

He waved his hand, and a servant girl brought a scroll, which I still didn't see clearly.

"A small token of appreciation, please accept it..."

A bolt of fine blue silk and ten large silver ingots were placed in front of me.

"There's no need for this; it was just a small effort..."

I tried to refuse.

"You deserve it..."

He pushed it back.

"How can I not? The rumor of curing an epidemic is a great help to me..."

"Please don't make me break my word..."

"Besides, Doctor, you'll be on the boat for a while..."

He placed a name card on top.

"There will be more to trouble you with. This name card is a token of goodwill."

I thought it was time to accept it politely.

Suddenly, the boat shook, and the tea on the table spilled.

"What's happening...?"

He asked coldly, as if he had changed.

"The lead boat hit something underwater..."

Someone outside answered.

"What is it...?"

"Men are already checking..."

"It's a wooden stake..."

"How can there be a wooden stake? It was smooth last year..."

"The wood is still white; it's newly placed..."

"What...?"

A chaotic noise filled the air.

"Everyone with free time, take up weapons, prepare to defend, and be on high alert..."

He decisively ordered and then apologized to me.

"Lower the water wheel..."

Our brief meeting had to be interrupted.