Chapter 51 The Unbreakable Curse
"Fungus? Third Sister, are you referring to the fungi in mushrooms? Like those beautiful mushrooms in the mountains, but they're poisonous?"
Li San Niang tapped the character "菌" (jun) with a jujube branch before confirming, "It is the character '菌', but not the character '菌菇' (jungu)."
Li San Niang asked Sun Yijian, "Sun Yijian specializes in ulcer treatment. He must have saved many soldiers on the battlefield. How do you treat soldiers injured by swords and knives?"
Sun, the medical supervisor, didn't know why he asked this question, but he still said slowly, "If the wound is not deep, we will clean it, apply wound medicine, bandage it, and supplement it with a decoction to replenish qi and blood. If the wound is deep and the bleeding cannot be stopped, we will have to use a thoroughly heated iron to stop the bleeding and save the life. If you can survive afterward, you are lucky; if you can't, there is nothing we can do."
Although only Physician Sun was a surgeon from the Imperial Medical Academy, there were two or three other physicians who specialized in traumatology in the medical hall. Upon hearing Physician Sun's words, these physicians echoed, "That's indeed the case."
"Here, I'm going to introduce a completely new concept to you all: aseptic." Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Li Sanniang raised her hand to signal them to quiet down before continuing, "Please be patient, everyone, and let me explain in detail."
"Evil spirits, or what I call bacteria, are everywhere, especially in decaying and filthy places. Humans are made of flesh and blood, and if bacteria invade, it is difficult to survive. Just as Dr. Sun said, if the wound is deep, in the end, one can only rely on fate and luck to get through it. If one cannot survive, one will go to see the King of Hell."
"Third Sister's words have a hint of plague. After a great disaster, if the food we eat or the environment we live in is no longer clean, then there is a high chance of an epidemic."
Li San Niang bowed in acknowledgment, “What Doctor Qian said makes sense, and that is what I was thinking. Therefore, if we can keep clean and always remember to control aseptic techniques, we can largely prevent evil spirits from entering our bodies, and even save our lives or successfully restore our original bodies.”
At this point, Li San Niang gestured to the four children to bring out the four sets of surgical gowns, masks, hats, and cloths that they had prepared and then put away before, which they had ordered from Qiu Niangzi.
One copy was given to Li San Niang for demonstration, one copy to Medical Supervisor Sun, one copy to Doctor Gao, and one copy to Doctor Sun Cheng Ren.
"These are the items I wanted to introduce to you for maintaining sterility."
When everyone first saw the four little ones bringing over folded white fabric, they wondered what had happened.
After all, it is only when someone in the family dies that people wear mourning clothes, mourning belts, and mourning hats made of white cotton cloth.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that it was a sewn-up item that was neither quite clothing nor a garment.
"Why doesn't Third Sister dye her hair? This white color is really unlucky."
"Haha, please don't be offended. Please let me explain. We use white raw cloth for two reasons: first, to save money, and second, to make it easier to see."
Li San Niang picked up what looked like an extended version of a cross-collar blouse and put it on. She then covered all her hair with a hat with a belt, put on a mask to cover her mouth and nose, and finally asked Li Da Lang to bring the pork that had been brought over the day to the long table. She borrowed Jun You Lai's knife and made a cut in the center of the pork, then took out a pre-cut cloth and covered it with the cut cloth.
After doing all this, ignoring the astonished looks of the crowd, Li Sanniang first pointed to her own attire, then to the pork covered with a cloth, and continued, "Look at my outfit, everyone. The outside world is unclean, so I'll keep myself and the person I'm saving clean. All of this is white, so any dirt will be immediately noticeable. Besides, if I'm going to treat this wound and stop the bleeding, I'll first wash my hands, put on this clothing, and wear a hat and mask. Wouldn't that make me even cleaner!"
You are all doctors with years of practical experience. In the event of a major epidemic, your first priority is not saving the lives of ordinary people, but saving the lives of doctors!
Li San Niang's words were truly thought-provoking. The first sentence didn't sound like she had the heart of a healer, and the second sentence sounded more like she was just trying to survive.
"Gentlemen, if we cannot save the lives of the physicians first, then who will save the people? Who will research the plague remedies? Who will administer the acupuncture? Besides, physicians are also human beings, and human beings have families. If we cannot protect ourselves first, who can answer to our families?"
Sun Chenyang is trying to make his presence known again.
"Does Third Sister mean that these clothes can not only ensure cleanliness, thus increasing the chances of survival for those being rescued, but also protect doctors from evil spirits, ah, no, from poisonous germs?"
Li San Niang nodded, and seeing that no one reacted and most of them were deep in thought, she spoke up again: "Yes, what Doctor Sun said is exactly what I was thinking."
"Wouldn't these items become contaminated with toxic germs after being used?"
"Yes, so used ones must be recycled, washed, boiled in boiling water to disinfect and sterilize, and then dried in the sun before they can be reused!"
"I said, no wonder they use white raw cloth."
One person spoke, then two, and after a few words and an introduction to the surgical tools, the crowd began to discuss with great interest the issues of evil spirits, plagues, and the ethical dilemmas of protecting oneself and saving the people.
Li San Niang was rushing from one event to another, answering a few questions from Doctor Sun, chatting with Doctor Gao, and finally receiving a few sarcastic remarks from Doctor Sun Chengren.
Finally, Manager Jin knocked on the door and came in, reminding everyone that curfew was approaching and that they should get ready to go home.
With so many people, there were bound to be many things to do. It took Li San Niang nearly fifteen minutes just to say goodbye to the forty-odd doctors, along with Dr. Gao and her father. Finally, after telling Dr. Gao that they could talk again later and receiving a few words of advice and praise, she bid farewell to Manager Jin.
This businessman is so shrewd! Before Li San Niang could even speak, Manager Jin had already prepared a three-tiered pastry box, saying it was a gift from Jun Youlai, and that everyone who came today would receive one.
Big restaurants have it good; they have deep connections and wide networks. Even now, there are donkey carts waiting for them by the roadside.
Li Dalang carried the basket he had brought that morning onto the donkey cart again. When Li's mother saw the two pieces of pork, she said, "If I had known we wouldn't need this pork today, I would have had your sister-in-law cook it for Luzhu yesterday. It's been a day, and it doesn't look very fresh anymore."
"Grandma, it's not late. When we get home, I'll have my aunt cook it for us."
Holding a box of pastries, Li Silang looked at the pork in the basket and said to his mother, "Silang, you've eaten two meals at a restaurant today and you're still not satisfied?"
"Haha, Grandma, how can you ever have enough of such good food?"
Hearing Xiao Silang's words, Li Sanniang had a question in her mind, "Father, the expenses at Junyoulai today were quite high, who paid the bill?"
Father Li was still stroking his beard, pleased with himself. He'd heard countless compliments for his third wife today, all from doctors in Chang'an. The praise made him inwardly thankful he'd insisted on having her study medicine. He was so glad he hadn't listened to the outsiders who said that once a daughter grew up, she just needed to be married off to a good family. Humph, how could any other young lady compare to his third wife's intelligence!
Seeing that her father was lost in thought, Li San Niang looked at her second brother, who chuckled and said, "It's all funded by the Alliance. Doctors who join the Alliance have to pay a share every month according to their level. Over time, it adds up to a huge sum. But having a couple of meals at Junyoulai is just taking care of our own people's business, so it's more than enough. San Niang doesn't need to worry."
Upon hearing this, Li San Niang suddenly realized that the wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated; wasn't this just a modern high-end VIP membership system?
They were only a short distance from home when the donkey cart was stopped at the intersection.
The driver called for a stop and asked the man and woman by the roadside what they wanted. Hearing the voices, Li Dalang raised the lantern on the cart and exclaimed, "Brother Tuva?"
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