Chapter 906: Dr. Dong's Second Spring in Life (Part 2) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Will the on-duty military doctor arrive this afternoon?"

Shen Tang's mind went blank for a moment.

He asked uncertainly, "Isn't today the first day of the Lunar New Year?"

Shen Tang was harsh on herself, but she was very lenient with others—especially the doctors led by Dr. Dong: "This batch arrived today, which means they spent the New Year on the road. Couldn't they have set off half a month earlier or half a month later? The war has been over for several months, and there is not a shortage of doctors in the camp. Let them enjoy the whole New Year. I won't rush them."

The military medical system was something Shen Tang began establishing during her early, inexperienced phase. More than half of the deaths in a war occur after its end, primarily due to excessive blood loss and wound infections. Providing timely and effective treatment could significantly reduce the mortality rate. However, medicine is different from other skills; the time and cost required to train a qualified physician was something she couldn't afford.

Dr. Dong agreed with her idea and cooperated with her.

Apart from a few qualified medical professionals, most of the medics in the wounded soldiers' camp only knew basic external wound treatment and suturing. They learned as they served, but the sheer number of wounded soldiers overwhelmed them. Through handling numerous patients, they developed considerable emergency medical skills.

Dr. Dong then selected qualified individuals from among these people for training, rotating them regularly to accompany the troops during battles and to treat soldiers' headaches, fevers, and injuries when there were no battles. The soldiers would benefit from this boosted morale during training, unconsciously strengthening their muscles and bodies. Although they were far from being considered top-tier generals, they were more resilient than ordinary people, making them suitable guinea pigs.

Shen Tang turned a blind eye to this part.

As long as no medical malpractice results in death.

Chu Yao said, "I don't know."

Shen Tang sighed: "It must be Elder Dong's doing again."

The rotation of military doctors was arranged by Dr. Dong, and ninety percent of the military doctors in the camp had been trained by him. Shen Tang didn't really want him to work so hard, but the old man couldn't stay idle. Once she hinted that she wanted him to retire and enjoy his old age, he would become sullen.

She didn't cry, make a scene, or threaten suicide; she just went on a hunger strike.

He wouldn't admit it openly, claiming that he was too old and had a poor appetite, so Shen Tang couldn't force him to eat.

After a while, we had no choice but to let him shine.

Training more medical professionals during peacetime and honing their skills will save more lives during wartime. In addition to training military medics, the camp regularly organizes first-aid training for soldiers, who might one day be able to save a life. The soldiers know their lives are at stake and are happy to provide practice opportunities for the doctors; the bravest and most skilled will even experience the effects of the medicine firsthand, providing precise and real-time feedback.

"This batch has arrived; bring them here so I can meet them." Even while traveling for the New Year, Shen Tang, as the lord, had to show his respect. Simple care and concern sometimes proved more effective than material gifts.

Chu Yao: "Yes."

In fact, Shen Tang didn't even need to give any special instructions. Chu Yao had followed her for so many years, and a certain tacit understanding had already developed between them. However, neither of them expected that things would be far more complicated than they had imagined. Normally, this group of doctors on duty should have arrived in half a month, that is, on the fifteenth. They set off early, naturally because they encountered a miraculous event.

now--

The official road was still half a day's journey from the main camp.

A hundred soldiers escorted this group of doctors.

The physician's carriage was plain and unadorned, especially the one at the very front of the procession, which had peeling paint in many places. The only thing that made it special was that it was a size larger than the other carriages in the procession and had two more guards.

Inside the carriage, four people were sitting cross-legged on both sides.

The four were all quite young, two men and two women.

Both women were in their late teens. One man was in his thirties, with a neat little goatee. The other was the youngest of the four, still with a youthful face, and looked to be no more than fifteen. He wasn't particularly composed, and every now and then he would steal glances at the fifth person in the carriage—sitting in the main seat, engrossed in reading a scroll whose edges had been worn smooth.

Judging from the condition of this scroll, its owner must have cherished it dearly, flipping through it seventeen or eighteen times a day.

Although there were five people, it was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.

This eerie atmosphere persisted into the afternoon.

The endless rows of tents were now in sight, and countless banners bearing the character "沉" (chen, meaning sinking) fluttered in the wind. The four of them breathed a sigh of relief. The section of the road near the military camp was smooth, with less bumping. After passing through numerous checkpoints, they finally arrived at their destination.

The four people exited the carriage one by one.

The last boy to jump off the train reached out his hand into the carriage, his usual way of addressing the child sounding extremely awkward: "Grandpa, we've arrived at the camp. Watch your step."

A very young hand was extended from the carriage curtain.

A white-haired young man bent down and came out.

The young man appeared to be in his twenties or thirties, but his clothes were outdated. As he stepped out of the carriage, he habitually hunched his back slightly. Only after his feet touched the ground did he belatedly realize his mistake and straighten his back perfectly. Despite his youthful appearance, he had the demeanor of an old man.

He looked around and sighed.

"This is my first time here," he said in a condescending tone.

He came from humble beginnings and worked as a traveling doctor for many years. To help impoverished families who couldn't afford consultation fees or medicine, he often ventured deep into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs. This caused him to look much older than his actual age. The hardships he endured in his youth came back to haunt him as his body aged, making him unable to withstand the hardships of serving with the army. He knew his condition and contentedly ran his clinic, using his remaining energy to train more apprentices, hoping that one of them would fully inherit his mantle.

He had heard many stories from returning military doctors about how magnificent and solemn the military camp was, but no matter how much he heard, it was never as good as seeing it with his own eyes.

"Grandpa, let's go this way."

The young man was startled: "Hey, kid, I told you to keep your voice down, are you trying to scare your grandpa to death?"

The boy's expression nearly contorted: "Oh."

My grandfather's hearing has been declining since he got older, and the symptoms have become increasingly noticeable in the last two years. He can't hear normal voices at all, and over time, the boy has developed a habit of speaking loudly, which he can't break anytime soon...

The boy then secretly glanced at his overly young grandfather beside him.

It wasn't just him who was unaccustomed to it; the young man himself was also quite uncomfortable. The gait and posture of the older generation were different from those of the younger generation, and he needed time to gradually adapt to the change. This group of rotating medical personnel was led to the wounded soldiers' camp and assigned their respective tents.

The doctors on duty do not have their own separate tents.

It's spacious enough that even several people can live together without feeling cramped.

The young man slowly walked over and sat down on the only stool in his line of sight, directing his grandson to pack his luggage.

The boy complained, "How can Grandpa live here?"

According to the status of youth, they should have their own independent camp.

It wasn't that the boy disliked the basic conditions, but rather that the individual tents offered privacy. His grandfather was also the teacher of the rotating medical staff, and it wasn't convenient for him to share a tent with his student.

The young man, his face stern, asked, "What's wrong here?"

He thought the conditions were pretty good.

In the past, when I went into the mountains to collect herbs, I would sleep in trees because I didn't have time to come down. Several times I woke up to find snakes crawling on me, or wild animals crouching under the trees waiting for me to fall. I endured such harsh conditions, and now I have a bed to sleep in…

What are you dissatisfied with?

The boy stammered, "That's not what I meant. You're old, and your sleep is light and short. The other senior brothers snore, so I was just worried they might disturb you in the middle of the night."

Of course, there is another reason.

My grandfather loves to give his apprentices impromptu quizzes, and if they can't answer, they're punished. Now that we live in the same tent, there's no escaping it. Hasn't my grandfather seen how many of my fellow apprentices look pale and sickly?

The young man said, "I am now sleeping soundly."

I can sleep through the night and rarely need to get up at night.

The young man and his fellow rotating physicians, though unable to voice their grievances, buried themselves in packing, making beds, and arranging daily necessities, medical books, and notes. The opportunity to rotate shifts wasn't something every apprentice at the clinic could get; young people had to pass an assessment of their basic skills before they could even compete for it. Although their aptitude wasn't exceptional, who wouldn't want to improve their medical skills after embarking on this path of saving lives? Now that the war had ceased and there was no longer the risk of frontline combat, a single spot was enough to make them fight tooth and nail for it.

Having just finished tidying up, the boy prepared to go out and inquire.

It was his first time out here, and he was unfamiliar with the place. He wanted to find out before his shift to avoid being caught off guard later.

As soon as I lifted the tent flap, I saw soldiers coming over.

The messenger relayed the message: "Our lord requests your presence."

The boy's heart nearly skipped a beat.

He had met the legendary Shen Jun before, but that was many years ago. Times had changed; the latter was now the ruler of a nation! The ruler wanted to see them! How could the young man not be excited? He turned to tell his grandfather this incredible good news.

The young man looked at his grandson, who could barely speak, and said, "Sigh, it's just that Mr. Shen wants to see us, why are you so excited?"

The boy said, "That's Shen Jun!"

The young man retorted, "Haven't you seen it before?"

The boy's face turned blue from holding his breath, and he became furious with embarrassment.

"That's different!"

He used to be a grandfather and grandson, but now he's a rotating intern military medic, which proves he's grown up!

The young man did not understand the difference between the two.

I couldn't help but sigh at how complicated the minds of young people are these days. Thinking back to my own youth, I realize how few worries I had.

The soldier then relayed the message to the others.

Shen Tang didn't treat them differently because of their lack of talent, and met them all. Because the young men were moving too slowly, they were the last group. She immediately noticed the white-haired youth's unique hair color—a shimmering, snow-white. In all her years, Shen Tang had only seen two people with prematurely gray hair. One was Chu Yao, whose hair was gray-white, and the other was the young man.

What's your name?

Shen Tang called out the names of the youth.

She vaguely felt that the other person's appearance was somewhat familiar, but even with her exceptional memory, she couldn't recall where she had seen this face before. The young man's posture and bowing had a strange sense of incongruity. Therefore, she became secretly wary, but outwardly remained calm.

The expressions on the faces of the group of people all became strange.

The boy standing beside the young man had changed his expression from one of admiration and excitement to one of unspoken difficulty, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. He looked at Shen Tang and then turned to look at his grandfather, who stroked his non-existent long beard and slowly said, "My surname is Dong."

Shen Tang: "..."

The tone of voice was also very off.

She asked, "Dong? Is he a distant nephew of Old Master Dong?"

Because of war and famine, Dr. Dong lost his son in middle age, leaving behind only an infant grandson. The grandfather and grandson relied on his medical skills to survive the most difficult years. He traveled around practicing medicine, and his grandson grew up on the charity of many families.

Gu Chi found the grandfather and grandson by the roadside years ago while drinking tea. At that time, Dr. Dong was treating an old beggar woman.

An old beggar woman naturally cannot afford the cost of medicine and consultation fees.

Dr. Dong's willingness to save lives demonstrates his medical ethics.

Over the years, he has proven with facts that Gu Chi was right about him, and Shen Tang has indeed struck gold. Judging from the young man's appearance, the two are most likely related by blood, probably close relatives. But there's no record of him having any blood relatives other than grandchildren.

What's with this "old man" title?

The young man's expression froze, his stroking of his beard stopped, and he said, "Mr. Shen, I am the 'Old Master Dong' you mentioned..."

Shen Tang: "...???"

Her almond-shaped eyes suddenly opened to their widest extent.

The word "Holy shit" just slipped out.

After regaining her senses, she carefully examined the young man's appearance again and again. The more she looked at him, the more he resembled the old doctor Dong. Shen Tang's mind was almost in a knot: "This, this... how did you become young again?"

It's like she's turned back the clock!

Not only did he look younger, but his bones also returned to their prime. Shen Tang had only ever seen such a change in Chu Yao.

She hurriedly called Chu Yao over.

Chu Yao was also taken aback by the change in Dr. Dong.

The reason I was able to regain my youthful appearance was because I reshaped my Dantian and re-condensed my literary heart. Doctor Dong is just an ordinary person.

The old doctor, Dr. Dong, was puzzled: "I don't know either."

He had studied medicine for most of his life, and this was the first time he had encountered such a situation. Otherwise, why would he have rushed to the camp in such a hurry? If it weren't inconvenient, he would have already been studying himself. Perhaps he could even find the secret to immortality!

Shen Tang and Chu Yao exchanged a glance.

They naturally didn't believe that Doctor Dong possessed any secret to "immortality." It was more like he had suddenly acquired some kind of literary energy, which could indeed restore the body to its prime. Shen Tang subconsciously thought of the Mohists from Bei Qiu.

The old doctor Dong in front of me was clearly not related to the Mohists.

Shen Tang asked him, "When did Elder Dong undergo these changes?"

The boy answered for Dr. Dong: "Overnight."

My grandfather is getting old, and his eyesight isn't very good. He doesn't look in the mirror anymore, and I have to take care of him myself every day when I wash up. Even if there are any changes in his body, he wouldn't be aware of them. But overnight, he became young again, his hearing and eyesight were sharp.

Shen Tang asked again, "What signs were there that night?"

He then added, "For example, dreams?"

Dr. Dong recalled carefully.

"I did have a dream, but it was no different from usual."

Shen Tang: "Could you describe your dream experience?"

Dr. Dong was puzzled: "First you read medical books, then you are taught and tested, then you continue to read medical books, and that's it."

This answer differed greatly from Shen Tang's guess.

Chu Yao noticed a detail: "You said it was no different from usual, do you usually have this kind of dream?"

Dr. Dong nodded: "Yes."

What you think about during the day, you dream about at night. Is it strange that someone who is engrossed in studying medicine during the day might dream about being taught and tested at night?

"How long has it been?"

"It's been about five years, hasn't it? I've had this dream for so many years, and I did exceptionally well on that exam." Old Doctor Dong slapped his thigh excitedly; no one knew how thrilled he was. The exam questions in his dream were numerous, varied, and obscure, which was incredibly painful for someone like him who mostly came from unorthodox backgrounds. Fortunately, Shen Jun helped him gather medical books, and he, spurred by his embarrassment, studied diligently while taking the exam.

The more I delve into it, the more I realize I've only scratched the surface.

|ω`)

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! And National Day is just one day away, happy double festival!

P.S.: It's the last two days of the month, please give me double monthly votes, sob sob.

(End of this chapter)