The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 218: Chapter 218: Race Against Time

Ji Huan was most familiar with Western anesthetics. When it came to general anesthetics in Chinese medicine, she knew of a few other formulas besides Sleeping Powder.

However, those formulas often required rare medicinal herbs that were difficult to procure, or needed special ingredients that were impossible to obtain under the current circumstances.

The only one that was relatively easy to prepare and wouldn’t harm the patient was—

Ji Huan picked up a brush and quickly wrote the formula down from memory. After folding the paper and tucking it away, she returned to the earthen hut.

Hu Liang was squatting at the doorway. He looked immensely relieved when he saw her.

Ji Huan handed him the prescription. "Brother Liangzi, I need to ask you for another favor. Could you make a trip into town for me? Please give this to Doctor Xin and pass along a message from me as well."

Hu Liang agreed without a second thought.

As long as he didn’t have to go home or be left alone with the vagrant, he was willing to do anything.

After Hu Liang left, Ji Huan went inside, intending to discuss her new plan with the vagrant. It was only when she reached the side of the bed that she noticed his face had been cleaned.

With his beard gone, the contours of his face were completely exposed.

Ji Huan cupped her chin and studied him for a good while.

’How should I put it? It’s chiseled, the ruggedly handsome type.’

’What a shame, though. No matter how well-defined his features were, a face crisscrossed with scars like that didn’t invite a second glance.’

Ji Huan coughed once and averted her gaze.

Just as dusk was settling, Hu Liang returned from town, and he wasn’t alone. Xin Ziqi had come with him.

The horse-drawn carriage stopped at Ji Huan’s door. Before he’d even stepped out, Xin Ziqi leaned halfway out of the carriage and demanded, "Why did you scrap the original prescription?"

Ji Huan didn’t answer right away. Instead, she asked if they had eaten.

There was food left in the pot, so Hu Liang and Ping’an went to the kitchen to help themselves.

Xin Ziqi’s mind was completely focused on the two prescriptions. Seeing his preoccupation, Ji Huan gestured for him to come inside to discuss the matter.

"Sleeping Powder may be fast-acting, but its side effects are too severe. Besides, the vagrant himself refuses to use it..."

A look of disappointment flashed across Xin Ziqi’s face.

After returning to Yide Hall, he had spent the better part of the day obsessively preparing and brewing the medicine, eagerly waiting to witness a miracle tomorrow.

He never imagined the vagrant would refuse.

"You did tell him there have been completely successful cases, right...?"

"I did. He’s adamant."

A hint of confusion touched Xin Ziqi’s face.

’It’s free, and it saves him from the pain. What does a destitute man have to be picky about?’

’This wasn’t prejudice; it was just common sense.’

’You can’t always have it both ways. Unless... to this vagrant, his mind is more important than his limbs.’

But regardless, if the patient didn’t consent, they had no choice but to abandon the use of Sleeping Powder.

"This new prescription you had Hu Liang deliver... he wasn’t very clear about it. Is it also a type of anesthetic?"

Xin Ziqi took out the prescription and read the characters aloud one by one under the dim yellow lamplight.

"’Raw Aconite Root, Raw Arisaema Rhizome, Raw Pinellia Tuber, Nux Vomica, Pine Node, Notopterygium, Schizonepeta, Dipsacus Root, Safflower, Dragon’s Blood Resin, Pyrite, Processed Myrrh, Ground Beetle, Drynaria Rhizome, Acanthopanax Root Bark... Grind equal parts of all the above ingredients into a fine powder, then seal and set aside for use.’"

He looked to Ji Huan for confirmation. "Sleeping Powder is brewed into a potion for oral consumption. How is this one administered?"

"This is Bone Healing and Tendon Repairing Powder, a type of local anesthetic. During the surgery, you mix an appropriate amount with strong liquor in a one-to-one ratio and apply it as a poultice to the affected area. After about fifteen minutes, the area will go numb. At that point, the patient won’t feel any pain, even from a scalpel."

Ji Huan thought for a moment. "Actually, we could add two more ingredients."

"One is mint—I’m not sure if you can find it. It relieves itching, reduces inflammation, and eases pain, while also providing a cooling sensation to the area. The other is tabasheer. It not only reduces the toxicity of some of the animal-based ingredients but also enhances the anesthetic effect."

Xin Ziqi’s downcast eyes suddenly lit up.

"From what you’re saying, this Bone Healing and Tendon Repairing Powder is clearly more appropriate for his condition than the Sleeping Powder. Why didn’t we just use this from the start? Wouldn’t it be better?"

"You’ve seen the vagrant’s injuries. What’s your preliminary estimate for how long the entire surgery will take?"

"At least six hours. But to be certain, I’d have to open the wounds and get a closer look inside..."

Xin Ziqi gradually sobered. He understood what Ji Huan was getting at.

"You mean the anesthetic effect of the Bone Healing and Tendon Repairing Powder has a time limit?"

Ji Huan’s expression confirmed his suspicion.

"The Sleeping Powder can keep a patient unconscious for the better part of a day; they’ll only wake with external stimulation. The Bone Healing and Tendon Repairing Powder, on the other hand, while fast-acting, convenient, safe, and with minimal side effects, only lasts for three to four hours at most."

That’s almost half the time. The difference is too great.

Xin Ziqi’s expression became solemn.

"Based on my assessment, the tendons in the vagrant’s left hand and right foot have already healed on their own. Of course, a visual inspection can only tell so much... seeing is believing, so you’ll still need to confirm it yourself. If they have indeed healed, then those two areas will only require suturing the external wounds and later reinforcement. That would save us the step of repairing the tendons and buy us a lot of time."

Ji Huan paced back and forth as she analyzed.

"So, if we assume a six-hour surgery, that means we could potentially save one to two hours. That’s the optimistic scenario. The pessimistic one is that his right hand and left foot are in worse shape than we think, or we run into complications that take up even more time..."

When all is said and done, six hours might not even be enough.

"Or, what about increasing the dosage?"

This was the solution Xin Ziqi proposed, but Ji Huan immediately shot it down.

"Increasing the dosage not only won’t deepen the anesthesia, but it could also cause other side effects."

The biggest drawback of this formula was its insufficient depth of anesthesia.

Unlike Sleeping Powder, which provides deep anesthesia by seeping into the bloodstream and circulating throughout the body, the Bone Healing and Tendon Repairing Powder is only suitable for local anesthesia and remains in the superficial layers of the skin.

"This..." Xin Ziqi was torn.

"We can perform the anesthesia in stages. We’ll work on his hand first, then his foot."

The main issue was that the vagrant’s injuries couldn’t wait any longer. Otherwise, given the current medical conditions, operating on all four limbs simultaneously wasn’t ideal anyway.

"Forget it. The vagrant has already refused the Sleeping Powder, so we don’t have a choice. We have to go with the second option. It might not be as effective as the Sleeping Powder, but its main advantage is its safety. It’s just going to be tough on you and him."

It would be tough on Xin Ziqi because he would have to race against time, speeding up the procedure as much as possible without sacrificing precision.

However, no matter how fast Xin Ziqi worked, there was still a ninety percent chance the vagrant would regain feeling midway through the surgery.

When the anesthetic wore off, an overwhelming wave of agony would wash over him. He would have to rely on sheer willpower to endure the rest of the procedure.

It would be more than just "tough."

But there was no other way.

Xin Ziqi stood. "In that case, I’ll head back and begin preparations."

Ji Huan saw him out. Ping’an was already waiting, seated on the carriage shafts. They had brought a storm lantern with them, so traveling at night wouldn’t be an issue.

As Xin Ziqi settled into the carriage, Ji Huan added a worried reminder, "Don’t stay up too late. You can come a bit later tomorrow, but make sure you are well-rested."

There was no room for error in surgery, and a lead surgeon suffering from exhaustion was the greatest taboo of all.

Xin Ziqi, of course, understood this. He lifted the curtain flap and gave her a slight nod. "Don’t worry."

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