Chapter 19: Going to the Capital (2)

The next morning, Xia Qingfeng called over Cang Dao, explained her identity to him, and shared her suspicions about the Xiping Marquis’s family being involved in Cang Qiyuan’s attack, as well as what Space Spirit had advised. She instructed him to investigate the Xiping Marquis’s estate and collect evidence.

Cang Dao, upon hearing that the attack on his master might be connected to the Xiping Marquis, immediately ground his teeth in anger. “Madam, don’t worry. Master has already instructed in his letter to follow your orders fully. I’ll arrange for someone to investigate the Xiping Marquis’s estate right away.” Cang Dao bowed respectfully and quickly left.

Xia Qingfeng blinked, still dazed. After a while, she finally muttered to herself, “Is that… the legendary lightness technique? How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?”

For the sake of their fellow “foodies,” their journey had been moving slower than expected. Now, with only two more days of travel left to the capital, they decided not to delay any longer and set off immediately.

The innkeeper personally saw them off, chatting warmly with Cang Ji, even throwing an arm around his shoulders. Xia Qingfeng could see a hint of reluctance in his eyes. She remembered how last night the innkeeper had returned, bringing a well-prepared chicken and two fish, only to sit down next to Cang Ji without leaving. Cang Ji had become so embarrassed that he ended up offering the innkeeper a jar of beer, inviting him to join in a round of skewers.

Sure enough, foodies have a special bond.

With Cang Dao off to investigate the Xiping Marquis’s estate, the remaining three guards took charge. Two of them drove the carriage, while Cang Qiang rode alongside Xia Qingfeng’s carriage to protect her and Xu Xiaoxiao.

By noon, they arrived at a bustling market. This market was not far from the main road, and Xia Qingfeng had always been curious about what ancient markets were like, so she decided to take Xu Xiaoxiao over to see and pick up some food for lunch. Cang Jian stayed behind to guard the carriage while Cang Qiang and Cang Ji accompanied them for protection.

Despite the market being large, it was clear that the production capability of the time was low. Most of the stalls offered food, and there were handmade goods from commoners. Xia Qingfeng and Xu Xiaoxiao wandered around, and they were soon drawn to a stall selling woven bamboo items. The intricately crafted bamboo baskets and bowls were adorable—some were shaped like little chickens and pigs, with chubby bodies and lids on their backs, which could be opened to reveal space for storing items. Xu Xiaoxiao immediately fell in love with them and couldn’t stop admiring them, while Xia Qingfeng also liked them. She ended up picking out several pieces.

The stall owners were an elderly couple, and the old woman cheerfully tied the bamboo crafts together with twine before handing them over to the guards, constantly thanking them, “Thank you, noble ones!” Meanwhile, the old man smiled as he watched his wife, continuously weaving more bamboo items.

Xia Qingfeng then spotted a fruit stall not far away, and upon closer inspection, saw peaches and grapes. “This is perfect! We can make some fruit smoothies!”

“I also want fruit salad!” Xu Xiaoxiao’s mouth watered as she spoke.

Cang Ji, the sharpest of the four, immediately noticed the conversation and knew that something delicious was coming. He quickly draped the bamboo crafts around his neck and went to help gather the fruits.

While they were shopping, planning to grab some buns or dumplings for lunch, a commotion up ahead caught their attention. There were frantic cries from a woman, and the crowd was gathering.

“What’s happening up ahead?” Xia Qingfeng asked.

Cang Qiang replied, “Let me go check.” He squeezed through the crowd and returned shortly after. “There’s a child ahead, choking on food. His face is turning purple, and it looks like he might not make it.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Qingfeng immediately handed her items to Cang Qiang and ran toward the scene, lifting her skirts. Xu Xiaoxiao, worried, jumped up and down, shouting, “Uncle Guard, please carry me over! My mom can save him!”

When the guards, carrying Xu Xiaoxiao, squeezed through the crowd, they saw Xia Qingfeng tugging at a child with a woman, shouting, “If we delay any longer, this child will be dead for sure. Are you just going to stand by and watch him die?”

The woman looked up at Xia Qingfeng, her face covered in tears. “Can you really save him?”

“I can,” Xia Qingfeng replied, her voice tight with urgency. “Don’t worry. We’re out of time. I’ll explain everything after I’ve saved him.”

Just then, an old woman rushed out from the crowd and hurriedly pushed Xia Qingfeng aside. “Are you a doctor? What if something happens to my grandson? What will we do then?” she shouted. Turning to the woman beside her, she slapped her across the face. “How could you let this happen to the child?” She couldn’t help but break down in tears.

Xia Qingfeng was growing frantic. She shouted, “Who I am is not important. What matters is that if you keep talking like this, your grandson is going to die. Every second you waste, he gets closer to death! If he dies, it’ll be because of you!”

The old woman fell silent, unable to respond to Xia Qingfeng’s harsh words.

Without waiting any longer, Xia Qingfeng quickly snatched the child from the woman’s arms and turned to Cang Qiang. “Hold everyone back, don’t let anyone disturb me while I save him.” She then ignored the onlookers and focused entirely on the child.

She positioned herself behind the child, one hand forming a fist, pressing into the area just above his navel. Her other hand pressed against her fist, and with swift, forceful motions, she pressed inwards and upwards.

Once, twice, three times… The child’s face grew darker with each passing second, and the mother and grandmother cried out louder in desperation. But Xia Qingfeng didn’t give up; she kept pressing.

Suddenly, the child coughed violently, spitting out a small piece of apple. Then, with a loud wail, he began to cry.

The young woman quickly scooped the child into her arms, while the elderly woman fell to her knees, thanking Xia Qingfeng repeatedly.

The crowd, which had gathered to watch, erupted into admiration. Some of them even shouted, “Divine doctor! Divine doctor!”

“Yeah! That little boy’s face was turning purple, he was on the verge of death!”

Xia Qingfeng looked around at the crowd, her eyes scanning the people gathered. “This isn’t some miraculous technique. As long as you remember the steps, anyone can do it. Would you be willing to learn?”

“You’re willing to teach us? But this is your exclusive method!”

“Yes, usually, people who know a skill like this would hide it, passing it down only to their descendants.”

Xia Qingfeng smiled slightly and said, “I’m willing to teach this life-saving method to all of you for free, but I have two conditions.” She paused, looking at the crowd before continuing, “First, I hope that once you learn it, you’ll be willing to teach others. And second, when you encounter a situation like this again, I hope you’ll step forward and help save someone’s life.”

The crowd nodded eagerly. “Yes, Madam. We are willing to do that.”

“Yes, I want to teach this method to others.”

Afterward, Xia Qingfeng had Xu Xiaoxiao stand beside her to demonstrate the technique. She explained the process as she performed it, and the surrounding people—both acquaintances and strangers—formed pairs to learn and practice. Even the mother of the young boy who had just been saved trembled as she followed along to learn…

“Alright, everyone can practice more and pay attention to controlling the pressure,” Xia Qingfeng said. She thought about how medical knowledge was quite backward in this era, and many times, small illnesses could become fatal if not treated in time, especially for young children who were more prone to death.

Sighing, she continued, “Most illnesses come from bad habits. For instance, water should always be boiled before drinking. Drinking unboiled water can lead to parasitic infections, causing stomach aches, weakness, and later, gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If untreated, it could lead to dysentery, with symptoms like high fever, blood in the stool, severe abdominal pain, urgency, and in some cases, even unconsciousness, convulsions, or death.”

“Hiss… is it that serious? We’ve always been drinking water like this, and we’ve never had a problem!”

“Well, it depends on a person’s physical constitution. Older people and children are weaker and more susceptible to illness,” Xia Qingfeng explained patiently.

“By the way, I just remembered, last year in our village, there was a four-year-old boy who kept complaining of stomach pains. Over the next few days, he lost a lot of weight, his face turned pale, and since his family was poor and couldn’t afford treatment, they later heard that he started bleeding from his stool. Not long after, the child passed away.”

“That serious?”

“It was just a bit of firewood. From now on, we’ll make sure to boil our water before drinking.”

After listening, Xia Qingfeng nodded and said, “Also, be mindful of personal hygiene, especially washing hands before eating.” Xu Xiaoxiao thought her mother was practically glowing with wisdom at this moment, while Cang Qiang and Cang Ge admired Xia Qingfeng silently.

“Alright, we’ll follow the advice of the divine doctor.”

“I’m not a divine doctor, just someone who knows a little bit,” Xia Qingfeng said with a smile. After bidding everyone farewell, she left with Xu Xiaoxiao and the guards.