Upon entering the house, Steward Zheng quickly introduced the young man, stating that he was the eldest son of General Huo, the Deputy Commander of Jinsha City.
Young Master Huo then explained his predicament. He had come to seek help because his father, General Huo, was gravely ill and bedridden. The renowned physicians in the city were all at a loss, which was why he had turned to Steward Zheng to find Gu Zhaobei.
The Commander of Jinsha City held military power and was none other than Prince Xia himself. The Deputy Commander was a subordinate of Prince Xia’s direct lineage, holding a position of immense authority, second only to the Prince. Gu Zhaobei, not daring to slight him, inquired about the illness.
"My father suddenly experienced unbearable pain in his lower right abdomen the night before last. We had a doctor from Prince Xia’s mansion prescribe medicine, which brought some relief but did not completely cure him. We initially planned for him to slowly recuperate, but last night he suddenly developed a persistent high fever and began speaking incoherently. The doctors are all helpless. With Steward Zheng's introduction, I implore Divine Doctor Gu to save my father."
Young Master Huo pleaded with utmost sincerity.
"Indeed, Deputy Commander Huo has always treated the people as his own children. In his youth, he served on the border for decades, fighting the Liao people and achieving great merits, which led to his promotion to Deputy Commander of Jinsha City. Such a meritorious official, we earnestly request Divine Doctor Gu to lend his aid."
Steward Zheng added his plea from the side.
Upon hearing Steward Zheng's introduction, Gu Zhaobei's expression softened slightly. General Huo, being a hero who had fought against the Liao, was a man Gu Zhaobei respected. After listening to Young Master Huo’s description of the illness, Gu Zhaobei felt the problem was not insurmountable. He surmised it involved a surgical procedure, which was why the local physicians were unable to help.
Gu Zhaobei then gave a few instructions to his family, picked up his medical kit, and accepted Young Master Huo's invitation, preparing to descend the mountain with them.
In reality, he could now share the storage cabinet with his daughter. His medical kit only contained a few items for show: some golden needles, traditional Chinese patent medicines, and a few surgical tools that even ancient physicians would use, such as scissors and tweezers.
Gu Qingcheng, worried, wanted to accompany her father down the mountain. Gu Zhaobei hesitated for a moment before agreeing. Although he could share the storage cabinet with Qingcheng, he could only retrieve any medicine if Qingcheng purchased it. In case of an urgent need, he couldn't possibly send someone up the mountain to relay a message, as the back-and-forth would delay his treatment. The best course of action was to have his daughter by his side, ready to purchase any necessary medical supplies at any moment.
Watching the father and daughter descend, Hu Lanfang felt a knot of worry in her heart. To ease her anxiety, she looked at the sky, which was growing dark, and announced she would make dinner for Mi Guo.
Mi Guo, however, said he wanted to cook for his mother. This delighted Hu Lanfang immensely. "What do you plan to make?" she asked.
"I learned to make omurice from my sister. How about you try it, Mother?"
During training, Mi Guo was like a small tiger descending a mountain, but in everyday conversation, his voice was soft and gentle, making him incredibly endearing.
"That sounds wonderful."
Hu Lanfang couldn't resist gently pinching his cheek. It felt so pleasant; the whole family loved to pinch Mi Guo's plump little cheeks.
Despite his young age, Mi Guo approached cooking with the demeanor of a seasoned chef. Not only were his movements swift and efficient, but his omurice was also exceptionally delicious.
Omurice, paired with a Matsutake mushroom and pork rib soup, they enjoyed a "simple" meal in their mountain dwelling.
Hu Lanfang's anxieties were somewhat soothed by the delicious food. She touched her cheek, genuinely worried she might be getting fat again.
After Gu Zhaobei and his daughter descended the mountain, they boarded the Huo family's carriage and sped towards the Huo family compound. Gu Qingcheng acted as a medical attendant, staying close to her father.
Upon entering General Huo's bedroom, they saw him lying on the bed, his face flushed, occasionally muttering deliriously. Gu Zhaobei stepped forward and touched his forehead; it was alarmingly hot. Seizing an opportune moment, he discreetly placed a thermometer under his armpit. He then performed a few basic diagnostic movements before stating to Gu Qingcheng:
"Appendicitis. If we don't operate quickly, and the appendix ruptures, causing peritonitis, it will be troublesome."
"Does he need surgery?" Gu Qingcheng asked, a hint of worry in her voice. Operating rooms were sterile environments, equipped with shadowless lamps and various surgical assistance devices. But how could such conditions possibly be met here?
"Don't worry, their vitality is quite robust," Gu Zhaobei replied, full of confidence. He then left the room and began verbally listing the treatment supplies he needed to Young Master Huo.
When he heard that Gu Zhaobei intended to perform abdominal surgery on the General, Young Master Huo frowned, hesitant. However, the physicians had deemed the General's condition precarious. If he didn't receive effective treatment promptly, he might not survive until tomorrow.
Young Master Huo, in his dilemma, weighed his options and reluctantly agreed to Gu Zhaobei's request for surgery. Once the decision was made, Young Master Huo immediately instructed his servants to provide Gu Zhaobei with all the necessary materials. As they prepared, Gu Zhaobei also relayed the required medications and surgical instruments to Qingcheng.
The Mountain Cat Supermarket had a wholesale medical store, and Gu Zhaobei could find all the surgical instruments he needed there. After all, an appendectomy wasn't a major surgery, and anesthesia, scalpels, and sutures were common. If his father had asked her to find an ultrasound machine, she truly wouldn't have been able to.
"Also, prepare the antibiotics. While I'm operating, you can go explore the city. I'll have Young Master Huo arrange for someone to protect you." Gu Zhaobei made all the arrangements meticulously. While his daughter had indeed been abducted once, she couldn't live in constant fear of going out.
As the weather grew increasingly cold, market prices began to rise. Gu Zhaobei knew his daughter wanted to stockpile goods, and having recently received so much gold and silver from Prince Xia, it was impractical to keep it all without converting it into tangible supplies.
Gu Qingcheng was overjoyed to hear this and exclaimed, "You know me best, Father!"
Young Master Huo readily followed Gu Zhaobei's instructions, selecting two of the most skilled guards from his household to accompany Gu Qingcheng on her shopping trip. Deputy Commander Huo held a position second only to the Prince in Jinsha City. Under the protection of these guards, who would dare provoke Gu Qingcheng? To do so would be to court death.
However, Gu Qingcheng had other plans. She told Gu Zhaobei that she wanted to visit the prison first to see what the Gu old man's family was up to. Gu Zhaobei agreed, thinking it would be a good way for his daughter to witness their suffering and overcome any lingering psychological trauma from their malicious plot that had nearly cost her life.
Therefore, Gu Zhaobei proposed to Young Master Huo that his daughter wished to visit the prison. Young Master Huo, eager to save his father, would have agreed to almost anything Gu Zhaobei asked for at that moment. A mere visit to the prison? Young Master Huo readily agreed and instructed his subordinates to follow Gu Qingcheng's lead.
Gu Qingcheng's first stop after leaving the Huo mansion was the Jinsha City prison. To her surprise, the conditions in the dungeon were far worse than she could have imagined. In her memory, even prisons in her home country were bright and clean. Even if inmates were made to work on sewing machines, they were fed and clothed, and their dignity was respected. She never expected that prisons nowadays would be worse than pigsties.