Chapter 34

Peijia Village

It took about half an hour to drive there, so they arrived home just after three o’clock.

When Jiang Xi got out of the car, Jiang Yu and Jiang Mi rushed over and asked excitedly, “Big sister, is Uncle okay?”

“Sister, is Uncle serious?”

Jiang Xi smiled and explained, “It’s not very serious. We went to the county town for treatment. There’s a hospital there with good medical equipment and doctors. Everything has been fixed, but he still needs to stay in the hospital for a few days to recover, so I can’t come back for now.”

Mother Pei, helped out of the car and holding her clothes like treasures, felt heartened seeing the two little girls so concerned: “Yes, it’s not too serious. Don’t worry, the doctor is very skilled.”

Jiang Yu and Jiang Mi felt reassured and started talking about other things.

Xiang Yiyang came down from behind, carrying a bunch of gifts with Shi Zhonghua: “Let’s put these gifts away first.”

Jiang Xi quickly led them to the large table in the main hall and asked, “Are all these gifts from Comrade He Jun?”

“Yes,” Shi Zhonghua said, rubbing his hands impatiently. “I heard you were preparing for the wedding, but a mission delayed it, so they arrived only now. Can I see He Jun?”

“Sure,” Jiang Xi nodded, but first said, “Wait a moment. I need to check on him.”

“Okay,” Shi Zhonghua agreed.

Jiang Xi went inside and found Pei Hejun lying in a different position than before. She wondered if he had moved by himself. She checked and saw that he seemed to be regaining consciousness.

Jiang Xi gently held Pei Hejun’s hand and spoke softly, “Pei Hejun, don’t worry. Your father is fine. Your comrade-in-arms helped us get him to the county hospital. The medical technology there is good. Your father’s wound has been treated and he’s recovering. Your second brother is taking care of him. I bought him…”

She told him about the day’s events. Usually, she would talk about medicinal herbs, but since she knew Pei Hejun was waking up, she focused on family matters.

As she spoke, she noticed Pei Hejun’s brow relaxing, indicating he was hearing her.

Feeling relieved, Jiang Xi smiled, checked his diaper, and gave him a full-body massage.

After twenty minutes, she opened the door and saw Xiang Yiyang and Shi Zhonghua waiting. There was a large pile of gifts on the table.

The two stood up when they saw her and Xiang Yiyang said, “These gifts are from He Jun’s comrades. The names are written on them. You can take a look. Is He Jun ready to see us?”

Jiang Xi smiled and nodded: “Yes, come in.”

She cleared the way and let them in. 

The two had visited before when Pei Hejun was discharged and moved back home, bringing several wounded soldiers and martyrs’ relics. At that time, the Pei family had just suffered a blow and everything was chaotic.

Now, the house was clean and tidy, with no strange smells. The bed sheets, though old, were neatly laid out. 

Seeing Pei Hejun now, Xiang Yiyang felt relieved. He looked much better than before—less pale and weak. He seemed to have some color and hope.

Jiang Xi updated them on Pei Hejun’s condition: “He started showing reactions early on, but as we moved his limbs, gave him nutrients, and talked to him more, his responses improved. He has opened his eyes several times on his own and might wake up soon.”

Shi Zhonghua sighed and said, “Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law.”

Xiang Yiyang nodded and responded, “Thanks to you, He Jun will definitely wake up.”

Jiang Xi shook his head and said, “He has a strong will to live.”

Shi Zhonghua sat by the bed, patted Pei Hejun’s hand, and smiled, “Wake up soon; it’s tough for your sister-in-law to manage alone.”

As he finished speaking, Pei Hejun’s eyes moved beneath his eyelids.

The three of them saw this, and Xiang Yiyang was surprised: “Is he going to open his eyes?”

“Yes, but whether he can open his eyes depends on luck,” Jiang Xi replied. He had never seen Pei Hejun open his eyes by himself. If he did, it would mean he was almost fully awake, which is quite difficult.

Hearing this, the two looked at him with even greater anticipation.

However, it was indeed difficult, and he still failed.

They felt a bit disappointed but continued to talk to Pei Hejun about the situation in the army. Jiang Xi worried there might be a secret, so she went outside. Pei’s mother brought Jiang Yu and Jiang Mi to boil water and make tea. When she saw Jiang Xi, she asked, “Would you like a drink?”

“No, thank you,” Jiang Xi replied.

She remembered her whitening cream and was afraid it might go bad, so she hurried over to check on it. But before she reached the clinic, a woman on a bicycle rushed toward her and yelled, “Doctor Jiang, come with me, my husband is bleeding heavily!”

Jiang Xi was shocked. Why were so many people in trouble today?

She quickly grabbed some alcohol cotton pads and acupuncture tools, asking, “Where is the bleeding? What caused it?”

The woman hesitated and seemed unwilling to speak.

Jiang Xi said seriously, “If you hadn’t told me that I didn’t use the right tools, he would be in trouble.”

The woman blushed and whispered, “It was his butt. He suddenly said that he bled a lot when he went to the toilet. It was scary. Doctor Jiang, can you help him?”

Jiang Xi: “…”

She put on a glove, took the bicycle, and said, “Let’s go and take a look.”

On the way, the woman told Jiang Xi about their situation.

She learned that the woman’s name was Wang Zhaodi, and her husband’s name was Zhou Baoquan. They were from Zhoujia Village. 

Jiang Xi had never seen anyone from Zhoujia Village. They didn’t have a team doctor, and even though Jiang Xi was the village doctor in Peijia Village, they had never come for help before.

Zhou Baoquan was working in the fields when he went to the toilet and bled so much that he ran back in fear. Wang Zhaodi said their team doctor was not available because he was busy and not in the village at the moment.

They arrived at Zhou Baoquan’s home.

The man lay on the bed, weakly crying, “Ouch, it hurts…” When Wang Zhaodi entered, she shouted, “Doctor Jiang is here.”

Zhou Baoquan’s voice suddenly stopped, and he mumbled, “I know, Doctor Jiang…”

This is a female doctor.

Zhou Baoquan felt very embarrassed. He was reluctant to let her examine him but was still in pain.

If Li Quan wasn’t in such a good condition, Zhou Baoquan would never have let his wife seek out Jiang Xi. He pounded the bed in frustration, blaming himself for not being harsh enough with his threats to the doctor.

Li Quan’s medicine helped him go to the bathroom easily, but his condition soon returned to normal. During the busy farming season, he drank the medicine all day, was too lazy to make more, and was exposed to the sun. This made his bowel movements more painful. In a hurry, he exerted force, which caused severe pain and bleeding. Scared, he abandoned his work and ran home.

Facing Jiang Xi, Zhou Baoquan was too shy to speak.

Jiang Xi knew it’s usually easier for doctors and patients of the same gender, but as a woman, she had no choice. She maintained a serious face and said, “Please take off your pants so I can examine you. Tell me the details.”

Her voice was calm and emotionless.

This made Zhou Baoquan feel slightly more comfortable, but he was still reluctant.

Wang Zhaodi was very worried. Seeing him like this, she slapped him angrily: “Why are you so shy, as a grown man? Doctor Jiang hasn’t said anything!”

“Ah!” Zhou Baoquan cried out in pain from the slap.

He wanted to move but couldn’t due to the pain. Seeing Wang Zhaodi about to hit him again, he quickly said, “Stop, I’ll take them off.”

Wang Zhaodi snorted.

Zhou Baoquan, embarrassed and gritting his teeth, took off his pants, buried his face in the pillow, and said in a muffled voice: “This is an old condition. It wasn’t so serious before. It must be that Li Quan’s medicine is not effective. Although diarrhea is refreshing, I always feel exhausted. As a result, this problem has worsened…”

Jiang Xi put on gloves, examined him, and asked: “When did this start?”

“It feels like several years,” Zhou Baoquan said, covering his face. His body began to calm down.

Jiang Xi asked: “Do you feel uncomfortable in any other way? Or is there something wrong?”

Zhou Baoquan thought for a long time and finally said, “That’s it. But my lower abdomen hurts occasionally. Sometimes it’s a cramping pain, and sometimes a stabbing pain. Each time the pain ends, I feel the urge to go to the toilet.”

Jiang Xi paused while washing her hands and frowned: “You’ve had this problem for too long. Do you usually eat spicy food?”

“No!” Zhou Baoquan quickly shook his head. “I used to like it a lot, but I stopped eating it after the doctor told me not to. I eat the same food as my wife, and there isn’t much pepper at home. She and our three children are fine, but I’m the only one with problems.”

Jiang Xi raised her eyebrows slightly. Although he no longer ate spicy food, his constipation and occasional lower abdominal pain suggested digestive issues. The cramping pain could indicate digestive problems, while the stabbing pain might suggest something else.

She wiped her hands and asked Zhou Baoquan to show his wrist so she could take his pulse.

The pulse was slippery. Jiang Xi felt it for a long time, then checked his mouth, nose, tongue, eyes, and other areas. After a thorough examination, she asked, “Can I go take a look at your kitchen?”

The two looked at each other, not understanding why she asked such a strange question, but nodded and led her there: “The kitchen is here.”

Jiang Xi followed them in. The kitchen had an earthen stove and weeds scattered all over the place. The room was a bit messy. Looking at the cupboards, there was a lot of water accumulated, and the dirt on the kitchen utensils had built up to a black color.

After seeing it, Jiang Xi knew.

She returned to the house and told Zhou Baoquan, “My initial suspicion is that there may be something wrong with your intestines. It might be intestinal polyps. This condition is generally caused by an unclean diet, emotional discomfort, physical weakness, and fatigue. In other words, a small particle grows in the intestine. If not taken care of, it could develop into a disease. The most serious disease could be cancer.”

These words frightened the two of them.

Cancer!

Zhou Baoquan’s face changed several times. He didn’t dare to speak and was a bit unbelieving.

Cancer is so serious; how could he possibly have it? A small particle on his intestine? How did she know without even looking inside? This must be a lie, right?

Wang Zhaodi didn’t think too much about it. After a moment of panic, she grabbed Jiang Xi’s arm with both hands and begged, “Doctor Jiang, please go and see him. They all say you are very good. I’m sure it will work if you prescribe some medicine.”

Jiang Xi nodded and wrote down the prescription on a piece of paper: “Don’t worry, I’m just telling you what might happen if you don’t take care of it. Now that he’s being treated in time, it won’t be that serious. He’s doing fine now. This is just an ordinary disease. Think of it as a pimple on your body. What we need to do now is make the pimple disappear. This prescription must be taken for at least three months. This medicine can invigorate blood circulation, remove blood stasis, clear the bowels, and eliminate turbidity. Also, although he’s bleeding in this area, it’s not serious. Soak it in hot salt water more often. There are also external compresses, which can be prescribed if you want. They will heal faster, but they are only temporary solutions, not permanent ones. In the final analysis, the intestines must be regulated.”

Wang Zhaodi’s complexion looked much better now, though she still seemed scared.

After explaining the precautions, Jiang Xi reminded them again: “You must drink it at regular times and in regular amounts every day for at least three months. Come to me for a checkup every two weeks.”

The two listened solemnly and nodded hesitantly.

Wang Zhaodi took the prescription and said gratefully, “I’ll go with you to get the medicine. Doctor Jiang, how much do you want this time?”

“The consultation fee is only one cent, and the medicine is charged separately,” Jiang Xi said.

“Well.”