“It will be very painful. You all hold him down,” she said.
The neighboring onlookers looked at each other.
“I… I’m not afraid of pain…” A’Ru’s brother said struggling.
“This pain isn’t a matter of being afraid or not,” Qi Yue said with a smile.
“Third Uncle, please…” A’Ru immediately pleaded with the people around.
Before she finished speaking, two men hurried over and held down A’Ru’s brother according to Qi Yue’s instructions.
Wound cleaning was very painful, and because of the earlier treatment using folk methods like spreading dirt, the wound was severely contaminated. Qi Yue had to pry open the wound and flush it with a syringe. A’Ru’s brother was in such pain he nearly broke free, his screams worse than when he was first injured, frightening the women on the side to tears.
“You’ve already flushed it with water several times…” The young doctor’s calves were cramping from the tension. He really couldn’t stand listening anymore and couldn’t help but press on Qi Yue’s arm to stop this cruel treatment.
“I didn’t bring saline solution. Using cooled boiled water for flushing—without flushing multiple times, I really can’t feel at ease,” Qi Yue said, seeing that everyone around, including A’Ru, was quite frightened. She briefly explained to them why the wound needed such repeated washing.
Though they didn’t understand most of Qi Yue’s words, everyone’s expressions improved considerably.
“My family has liquor,” a male neighbor suddenly interjected. He had been listening to Qi Yue muttering about not having saline solution, and watching her repeated actions at the wound, he roughly understood what she was doing. He had once seen someone pour liquor on wounds, saying it could drive away evil spirits.
“Liquor? That can’t be used. You can use liquor externally on wounds, but not for wound irrigation—it would kill normal cells and slow wound healing,” Qi Yue replied casually.
“Ce… cells?” the young doctor asked in confusion again, naturally receiving no answer.
Qi Yue had already finished cleaning the wound, confident there were no remaining infectious materials inside. She removed her gloves and washed her hands again…
“Women’s ways…” the young doctor muttered disdainfully at such behavior.
Qi Yue not only washed her hands but also took out antiseptic cotton from her medicine box to wipe them, while smiling and praising A’Ru’s brother with words like “you’re so brave” and “you’re a real man.”
Though her smile was hidden behind the large mask, everyone still relaxed somewhat.
“Is this thing broken? Why are you changing it again?” the young doctor asked again on the side, not missing any of Qi Yue’s movements, seeing her remove her gloves.
Qi Yue had no mood to explain this to him, and besides, she probably couldn’t explain it clearly anyway.
The young doctor had resigned himself to knowing he wouldn’t get answers, so he just fixed his gaze on Qi Yue. He watched this woman put that strange thing on her hands again, then take out a strange object and fiddle with it on another strange object for a while, then press A’Ru’s brother’s arm and tie it with a strange rope, feeling around the arm before stopping.
“This this… what is this?” he couldn’t help asking again.
He stood forward a bit more and could see a thin, nail-like shining thing pierce the injured person’s arm.
A’Ru’s brother suddenly cried out. The women around were so frightened their nerves went taut and they screamed along. The men holding the injured person nearly let go, while A’Hao standing to the side went weak in the knees and sat on the ground.
“Don’t be afraid, injecting anesthetic—the suturing won’t hurt in a moment,” Qi Yue shouted hurriedly, startled by the commotion around her and nearly losing composure. Saying this, she pulled out the tourniquet, pushed the medicine, and withdrew the needle.
A’Ru’s brother was shaking like a sieve, whether from fright or pain.
After the anesthetic injection, Qi Yue began preparing for suturing, directing everyone to move A’Ru’s brother to a clean door panel on the side and change clothes.
“Troubling Madam with such work,” A’Ru said quietly, thinking Qi Yue wanted to change because her clothes were dirty, urging A’Hao to go back and fetch clean ones.
“No need, any clean clothes will do. Mine are too dirty. I need to suture your brother’s wound and must change to clean clothes—doesn’t matter if they’re for men or women, as long as they’re clean,” Qi Yue quickly explained.
A’Ru didn’t dare give her brother’s clothes for her to wear. Finally, she begged a neighboring woman, who immediately ran to fetch some without refusing.
This was new clothing. Poor people in difficult times could rarely afford new clothes in a year. Old clothes were all mended and altered, with the big ones worn first then the small ones, patched and mended for three more years.
The woman couldn’t bear to give old clothes to this beautiful woman, so she brought her best clothes that she only wore during New Year.
Treating guests meant bringing out one’s best—this was the simplest principle of these poor people.
“Sister, I must return you a piece of clothing,” A’Ru was about to kowtow to the woman.
“Don’t be so formal,” the woman hurried to support her.
Qi Yue efficiently removed her stained clothes and put on the woman’s clean outer garment, ready for the suturing procedure.
Seeing Qi Yue pick up a small knife and cut toward the arm, the young doctor got excited again.
“What are you doing?” he shouted loudly, even disregarding propriety between men and women to grab Qi Yue’s shoulder. “Didn’t you say you’d treat him? Why are you cutting it open with a knife instead?”
Strangely, the injured person who had been in such pain from water flushing that he shook all over and nearly fainted, now when cut by the knife, showed no reaction, as if he no longer felt pain, only staring in terror.
A simple basic suturing procedure—why was it so difficult?
“This tissue is already necrotic and must be removed,” Qi Yue took a deep breath and explained to the young doctor and others. Seeing that the young doctor was about to ramble on, she raised her hand to stop him. “You shut up. If you interfere with my treatment again, get out immediately.”
“Is this your home?” the young doctor snorted.
This person really was… Qi Yue glared at him.
“This is my home,” A’Ru, who had been silent, said.
The young doctor immediately quieted down.
Qi Yue could finally continue quietly with her head down.
“This… this…” After being quiet for just a moment, the young doctor couldn’t help shouting again.
“This is suturing. I’m going to sew up this torn wound,” Qi Yue explained proactively, also seeing the suspicious looks from others around. For these people, this treatment method was indeed quite inconceivable. While speaking, she used needle holders to pick up the needle and thread it.
“How can this work? People aren’t clothes…” a woman finally couldn’t help saying fearfully, trembling.
“Of course it works. Human skin is also human clothing. When it’s torn, naturally it needs to be sewn up,” Qi Yue’s voice from behind the mask was soft and muffled, seeming to carry a smile.
Breathing seemed to stop. Everyone’s ears seemed to hear clearly the sound of needle and thread passing through skin for suturing. All stared wide-eyed, not blinking as they watched this woman use strange tools to fly the needle and thread on a person’s arm. This scene they had never seen before was like being in a dream.