Chapter 263
Chapter 263
“Sold out! Sold out! That’s all the watermelons for today. Come back tomorrow.”
Once again, the shop sold out early.
Several recently arrived merchants from other regions could not understand the commotion.
“What does this shop sell? Why is it so crowded?”
The local man they stopped immediately said, “You’ve only just arrived in Beizhen City, haven’t you? This shop sells watermelons, but they’re nothing like ordinary ones. The rind is thin and the flesh inside is red and wonderfully sweet. On a melon that large, everything except the thin rind is edible. In weather like this, one bite is incredibly refreshing.”
“Unfortunately, the shop sells only a limited number each day. If you arrive late, they’re gone. Some rich men wanted to buy the entire stock, so now each customer is limited to five.”
The visiting merchant’s interest immediately rose. He regretted arriving too late to see the fruit.
“Then I’ll have to come early tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, a group of soldiers returned to camp carrying two watermelons apiece and received an enthusiastic welcome from their comrades.
“Where’s the ice? Where are the ice blocks?”
“Here! We prepared everything already.”
“Hurry and cut the watermelons. Put them on the ice.”
Everyone busied themselves. The instant the fruit was cut open, its sweet fragrance spread through the air, making mouths water and filling everyone with the urge to take an enormous bite immediately.
“Keep your hands to yourselves. We’ll eat after training.”
No sooner had they chilled all the watermelon than someone outside called the soldiers to begin their drills.
They had no choice but to leave the fruit and train beneath the blazing sun.
It was exhausting, but discipline in the Ji Family Army was strict. Even their superiors trained, so the ordinary soldiers could not slack off.
By the time the drills ended, everyone was drenched in sweat.
The instructor shouted at the top of his lungs, “The military physicians have told you before: wipe off all that sweat and wait until you’ve recovered before going near the ice. If you make yourselves sick, you’ll pay for your own medicine!”
This warning now had to be repeated almost every day.
Several men had previously gone straight to the ice and drunk cold water while their bodies were still burning hot after training. They nearly died, and Shen Qingzhu had expended tremendous effort to save them.
The warning had been issued ever since.
The soldiers wiped away their sweat and waited until their breathing settled before running to the basin of ice assigned to their squad.
“Hurry! Time to divide the watermelon.”
They crowded around the basin, took their shares, and bit down.
Every part of them felt refreshed!
A watermelon was not especially expensive for them. Several comrades could each contribute a few copper coins and buy one together.
“These watermelons are unique to us. Even that old emperor doesn’t get to eat them. I heard they could’ve charged much more, but the seller is our Young Master’s sworn younger sister. She set the price low so ordinary people could afford them.”
“The Young Master and his sister are both good people.”
“Oh, remember to spit out the seeds. Those are watermelon seeds.”
“One melon has so many. Does that mean they can grow even more next year? Then I’ll buy a whole one-or half of one-and hold it in my arms while I eat. That’ll be satisfying.”
They joked and laughed, and even the training no longer seemed quite so exhausting.
The same scene played out in more than one place.
*
“Achoo!”
Jiang Yunsui sneezed and rubbed her little nose.
“Someone must be thinking about me.”
She sounded supremely confident.
Little Mushroom was in the military camp too.
She had not gone to find Ji Yan’an. She did not understand many of the things he and his people discussed, so she went looking for Shen Qingzhu instead.
Shen Qingzhu was at the medical compound.
Before Jiang Yunsui even entered, she heard repeated cries of pain.
“Doctor Shen, my arm is almost severed. Can it still be saved?”
Little Mushroom reached the doorway just in time to hear the question. Peeking inside, she saw a dark-faced man who had gone deathly pale and looked terribly weak.
Blood poured from his left arm, soaking not only his clothes but much of the bed beneath him. The sight was horrifying.
Shen Qingzhu’s calm voice answered.
“I’ll try.”
“Physician Zhao, please bring a bowl of Mafei anesthetic.”
Shen Qingzhu had already begun using silver needles to stop the bleeding.
He asked another physician to bring out his instrument case. Inside lay his specially made scalpels, needles, thread, and every other tool he required.
“Heat the strong liquor. Put the needles and thread in it to disinfect them.”
Shen Qingzhu calmly issued instructions as he worked with the needles.
Only when he finished the acupuncture and turned around did he notice the child who had been watching for some time.
“What brings Little Yunsui here?”
Holding the egg, Jiang Yunsui asked, “Shen Qingzhu, are you going to stitch his arm back together?”
Shen Qingzhu nodded. The other physicians nearby pricked up their ears and listened intently.
“The wound is deep, but fortunately the bone isn’t shattered. If I suture it properly and immobilize it afterward, his arm should be all right.”
Shen Qingzhu truly deserved to be called a genius in medicine.
Jiang Yunsui had once merely mentioned that wounds could be stitched. From that seed, he had independently advanced to repairing nearly severed limbs and even intestines and other internal organs.
Mobei never lacked corpses.
Shen Qingzhu practiced on them regularly.
They were, of course, the corpses of Barbarians.
This was the first time since beginning those exercises that he would try to repair a living arm on the verge of being severed.
The room was extremely clean. Partly, that was because Shen Qingzhu naturally preferred clean surroundings. Another reason was Jiang Yunsui’s casual mention of disinfection and invisible things called bacteria and viruses.
Ever since, people had kept the medical compound spotless and regularly washed it with mugwort water, limewater, and strong liquor.
Jiang Yunsui did not disturb Shen Qingzhu’s operation. She left the compound and wandered elsewhere.
She soon saw a group of exiled prisoners being taken to repair the city wall.
Jiang Yunsui went over. The soldiers escorting them greeted her with clasped fists.
“Miss Jiang.”
She nodded. “What did they do?”
By now, she knew that people exiled here had offended the emperor.
Most were implicated through relatives. Some had been deliberately targeted by the dog emperor. Of course, others had genuinely committed crimes.
“These people belong to the Left Grand Marshal’s family. He spoke disrespectfully to His Majesty at court, so all nine of his clans were exiled.”
Jiang Yunsui fell silent.
Could an emperor really be that capricious?
Oh. It was the brainless dog emperor. Never mind, then.
“Don’t bully them. They’re so pitiful.”
Even Little Mushroom felt sorry for them.
The soldier nodded. “The Young Master gave the same order. The men will be taken to repair the wall after one day of rest.”
Their food would not be withheld. Anyone with a useful specialty would even be assigned easier work.
Jiang Yunsui went along to look at the people repairing the wall.
Working beneath the blazing sun looked exhausting, especially with stones that heavy.
“That’s right! Cement can be used to build walls. It’s really strong too. Then we won’t have to fear the Barbarians!”
Half a year ago, Jiang Yunsui had begun consciously organizing and studying her Inherited Memories. Now the idea of cement suddenly surfaced.