The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 235: Chapter 235: Disciple’s Rite

The scorching sun hung high in the sky, and a wave of heat washed over them.

Ji Huan and Dabao, wearing new-style sun hats hand-woven by Fifth Grandpa, carried a food basket and a water jug to the edge of the field.

Fortunately, there was a dry ditch at the edge of the field, and next to it, a few old trees with dense canopies offered some shade.

Ji Huan called out a few times to the people bent over, reaping wheat in the field.

Widow Xie was the closest. Hearing the call, she motioned to Hu Liang and Hu Dacheng, and they all put down their sickles and walked over.

The three of them wore the same style of wide-brimmed sun hats as Ji Huan. They were much better-looking than the usual bamboo hats, and most importantly, they were lightweight.

The idea, of course, had come from Ji Huan. Fifth Grandpa, with his deft hands and clever ingenuity, had modified the design, resulting in this new style of sun hat.

The sun hats were a hit the moment they were introduced. The ones sent to the shops in town sold out quickly.

But even with the town shops urging for more, Fifth Grandpa prioritized the villagers of Dafeng Village. He charged them less than the town price—just a token fee to cover materials. Ji Huan and the Hu Family received theirs for free.

"Wan, this hat of yours is a lifesaver! I would’ve been baked alive without it."

Hu Dacheng plopped down on the ground, slumping half-dead against a tree trunk. He didn’t want to do anything but gasp for air.

Widow Xie and Hu Liang chimed in with their own praise.

Ji Huan smiled. "If you’re going to praise anyone, it should be Fifth Grandpa."

But no matter how good the sun hats were, their effect was limited.

Seeing their flushed faces, pale lips, and the sweat rolling ceaselessly down their skin, Ji Huan quickly poured some cool tea and handed it to them.

The three of them took the cups and gulped the tea down.

After drinking the water, they felt a bit better and sat down to eat.

Ji Huan asked Widow Xie when they would be finished.

Widow Xie pointed into the distance. "Just that last patch. We’ll finish reaping it by this evening."

Reaping was only the first step. After that came threshing, winnowing, hulling, drying the grain, and storage... There was still plenty of work to do.

But at least they wouldn’t have to toil for long hours under the scorching sun anymore.

The mother and her two sons were eager to get back to work. After a hasty meal, they shooed the siblings away. "It’s too hot. You’ll get heatstroke if you stay."

Ji Huan couldn’t argue, so she packed up the bowls and chopsticks and led Dabao back home.

Just as they reached the main road, she saw a familiar horse-drawn carriage approaching in the distance.

Xin Ziqi had just finished examining the homeless man and was a little disappointed to have missed the cast removal.

Ji Huan comforted him, "There’s still one more. I’ll definitely call you over to watch next time."

The homeless man, sitting upright on a stool: "..."

Xin Ziqi also felt it was a bit inappropriate to say that in front of the patient. He cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"I just took a look. Both areas are healing quite well. And those sutures... they’re really absorbable."

That was what amazed Xin Ziqi the most.

Although, as Ji Huan had said, this type of suture wasn’t suitable for wounds that needed a long time to heal, it was absolutely perfect for stitching up minor injuries.

Unfortunately, it was expensive and hard to come by, making large-scale use unrealistic.

"You could try to produce it yourself," Ji Huan suggested.

Xin Ziqi paused, stunned. "This... How would I produce it?"

Ji Huan answered with a question of her own. "Aren’t you in the process of setting up an Equipment Workshop? How’s that coming along?"

At the mention of this, a troubled look crossed Xin Ziqi’s face.

"Setting up the workshop itself isn’t a problem, and the plaster bandages are manageable. But the first set of scalpels... I’ve approached several artisans, but the results are never quite satisfactory."

"You can’t rush that. You need to give the artisans enough time to study and refine their work. When the Equipment Workshop launches, the first batch of products should focus on the plaster series and sutures. Later, I’ll write down the production methods I know for you."

Medical sutures, as a type of medical device, can seem quite inconspicuous. But in surgery or trauma treatment, they are indispensable for hemostasis and tissue closure.

Absorbable sutures are used for tissues that heal quickly, especially in areas where foreign bodies shouldn’t be left behind, such as the gastrointestinal tract, bile ducts, and the myometrium.

Non-absorbable sutures are used for tissues that heal slowly, such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

’If they were to be produced, it would be best to tackle both types at once.’

Ji Huan actually knew about quite a few types of sutures.

Classified by structure, there were monofilament, multifilament, and twisted sutures. Classified by type, there were silk, catgut, synthetic, and collagen sutures.

There were also classifications based on diameter.

’But considering the lack of biological and metallic materials, as well as the immense challenges of production processes and sterilization, it’s best to work within the limits of their current capabilities.’

"You really don’t know what mulberry bark thread is?"

Xin Ziqi didn’t even have to think about that question.

"My family has practiced medicine for generations. If such a suture really existed, we wouldn’t be completely unaware of it."

He found it strange that Ji Huan would ask such a question. ’It’s as if the Great Zhou is supposed to have this kind of thread.’

In fact, Ji Huan found it strange herself.

There were records of doctors from the Sui and Tang dynasties using mulberry bark thread to suture intestines and skin.

The *Shanfan Fang* recorded a method for treating abdominal wounds with protruding intestines: "Suture the intestine and then the skin with fine mulberry bark thread, and apply cattail pollen powder."

The *Yishinpo* once recorded: "If the intestine is severed, suture it with fine mulberry bark thread, coat it with warm chicken blood, and then return it inside."

The "mulberry bark suturing method for trauma," as recorded by medical historian Geng Jianting, was used until after Western medicine arrived in China, when it was gradually replaced by other methods.

Suturing techniques had clearly appeared in this era of the Great Zhou, yet there was no mulberry bark thread.

What they were currently using was the most common cotton-silk thread, which required removal, scarred easily, and was prone to infection.

"Are you saying this mulberry bark thread can also be absorbed by the body, so the stitches don’t need to be removed?"

After his initial surprise, Xin Ziqi stared at Ji Huan with burning intensity, clearly waiting for her to explain the specific production method.

"Mulberry bark thread is simple in a way—it’s essentially thread made from tree bark. But the actual production process isn’t so easy.

"You have to take the bark from the root of a mature mulberry tree. First, you scrape off the mottled, yellow outer bark. Then, you strip away the coarser, fibrous inner bark. This inner bark is then repeatedly pounded and processed into fine, fibrous thread.

"From that, you select the threads of uniform thickness. You then rub and smooth them from end to end several times until the thread is as slick as silk, at which point you can coil it up and store it.

"When it’s time to use it, steam it over boiling water. The thread will become as soft as new, making it more pliable for suturing flesh."

This type of mulberry bark thread doesn’t break easily. Its medicinal properties are also gentle; not only can it clear heat and detoxify, but it also has therapeutic effects that promote wound healing.

’The process is complicated,’ she thought. ’From a large piece of mulberry bark, you have to discard most of it during the pounding process, leaving very little usable material.’

’But at least the raw materials are easy to obtain, and labor is cheap.’

"Then there’s the type you bought at a high price from the Fan Country. That’s actually made by processing the intestinal casings, membranes, or tendon tissues from healthy animals—or specialized animals—which are then sterilized, dehydrated, and woven.

"But this method is relatively more troublesome. Both the stripping and weaving techniques are very particular. You could try hiring some artisans who have long-term experience in related work."

Ji Huan went on to explain the pros and cons of each type of suture.

Overall, the pros still outweighed the cons. Compared to traditional sutures, they were absorbable while providing sufficient bite strength to hold tissue together, ensuring the joined edges wouldn’t separate and also sealing the needle holes created during the process.

Finally, Ji Huan found a brush and paper and drew a type of suture needle.

Unlike the straight needles they currently used, the one she drew was slightly curved.

"This curved needle is sharp enough to pass through tissue with minimal resistance. It has good flexibility and is fairly resistant to breaking. If the sutures can be produced successfully, you could then make a separate batch of swaged sutures—that is, putting several needle-and-thread combinations into individual packages. With a clever design at the connection point, the needle and thread could be separated as needed without using scissors. You can try it out first and see what the reaction is."

’To put it bluntly, the difference between swaged and unswaged sutures, besides improved usability, was the distinction between high-end and low-end markets.’

Xin Ziqi committed everything to memory. He took the diagram Ji Huan had drawn, bowed deeply, and left in a hurry.

Ji Huan felt quite helpless about this.

She had positioned their relationship as that of partners, and Xin Ziqi had agreed readily.

But ever since their late-night talk, every time they met, Xin Ziqi would treat her with the etiquette due a master from a disciple.

’Oh well,’ she thought. ’Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.’

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