Chapter 79: It Was Just Like the Scene of a Heinous Crime

Old Hu's house was surrounded by a crowd of villagers who had rushed over after hearing the news.

When the brigade leader dragged Tang Banxia along, the crowd quickly made way for them. Upon entering the house, Tang Banxia gasped sharply.

Dear heavens!

The scene was truly terrifying.

A dozen members of Old Hu's family lay scattered across the main hall, each one pale as a sheet, unconscious and oblivious to the world. The floor was littered with broken bowls and chopsticks, and the shards of porcelain were stained with spots of blood.

It looked just like the aftermath of a massacre.

However, once the initial shock passed, Tang Banxia regained her composure. Despite the gruesome display, she noticed their chests still moved.

“They’re alive.”

Without time to explain, she knelt down, grabbed the nearest arm, and began checking pulses.

After a moment, her expression changed dramatically.

Brigade Leader Hu hurriedly asked, “Tang, the educated youth?”

Tang Banxia twitched her lips, “It’s food poisoning.”

Her words caused an uproar among the onlookers.

“Poisoning?”

“Oh my goodness, did Old Hu’s family eat poisonous mushrooms?”

There was no time for explanations. Tang Banxia checked each person’s pulse in turn, discovering that the children were the most severely affected, especially the boys.

She directed people to arrange the patients by severity, then instructed, “Xiao Bai, fetch my needles.”

“Brigade Leader, prepare several oil lamps. I’ll induce vomiting first. Get the donkey cart ready; it’s safest to take them to the hospital for examination.”

Brigade Leader Hu quickly set about arranging everything.

While preparations were underway, Tang Banxia collected some melon stems and adzuki beans, instructing, “Boil these into a soup, as much as possible.”

The melon stem soup would help induce vomiting. With food poisoning, all she could do for now was prompt them to vomit and speed up their metabolism.

When Wen Mubai returned, the oil lamps were ready. After sterilizing the needles over the lamps, Tang Banxia ordered the boys’ shirts removed and began inserting the needles.

In no time, their stomachs and heads were covered with sewing needles.

Soon after the needles were in place, the children began to react; vomit spilled from their mouths.

Tang Banxia didn’t look up. “Someone, lift him, face down so he can vomit.”

Brigade Leader Hu barked, “Two people, now!”

Two villagers quickly entered and followed her instructions, carefully lifting the child face down, making sure not to dislodge the needles.

Meanwhile, Tang Banxia was already working on the second child.

Soon, the room was filled with the sounds of vomiting.

Two hours later, she finished treating the last patient.

The final one was the least affected—and a familiar face, Wen Mubai’s half-sister, Sister-in-law Hu San.

Tang Banxia remembered that when she and Wen Mubai first married, this sister-in-law had stood up for Wen Mubai.

Now, seeing her unconscious, Tang Banxia felt unsettled.

Wiping her brow, Tang Banxia stood, her body swaying, nearly unable to keep her feet. Thankfully, Wen Mubai was quick to catch her. “Banxia?”

She waved him off and returned to the first patient, rechecking the pulse. “Everything in the stomach has been expelled, but what’s already digested will require hospital treatment with intravenous fluids.”

Medical facilities in the countryside were rudimentary. No matter her skills, without proper tools, she was helpless.

Brigade Leader Hu immediately went out to arrange transportation for the family to the hospital.

As the doctor most familiar with the situation, Tang Banxia accompanied them.

They rushed to the commune hospital.

It was the first day of the lunar new year. Only a few nurses were on duty, and the sudden influx of patients startled them.

Once she explained, one nurse said, “I’ll call the doctors.”

Half an hour later, all available doctors had arrived.

The hospital was small, with only six doctors—including the director. Three were from out of town and had gone home for the holiday.

With a shortage of hands, Tang Banxia was moved wherever she was needed.

She filled prescriptions, inserted needles, took blood samples, measured blood pressure—so busy she hardly knew which way was up.

After everyone was settled, she was exhausted.

Without a care for anything else, she flopped down. “Water~”

“Here’s water.” Wen Mubai appeared as if from nowhere.

He brought not only a kettle but also a lunchbox.

The aroma from the lunchbox made Tang Banxia spring to life. She gulped water and hungrily scooped up a couple bites of rice.

“Where did the egg fried rice come from?”

Wen Mubai smiled warmly. “Aunt Wu brought it.”

“Oh, I’ll thank Aunt Wu another day.”

Wen Mubai sat beside her, feeding her water now and then to keep her from choking. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Between mouthfuls, Tang Banxia made a heart gesture toward him. “Love you~”

Wen Mubai’s smile became radiant.

Full and refreshed, she sighed in relief. “I’ve survived.”

She leaned against Wen Mubai. “Sorry to make you spend the New Year’s Day at the hospital with me.”

Wen Mubai adjusted his posture so she could rest more comfortably. “Then you’ll have to make it up to me.”

“No problem, no problem.” Tang Banxia murmured, her eyelids drooping.

“Sleep,” Wen Mubai said softly.

Tang Banxia let herself drift into sleep.

When she awoke again, it was to the sound of crying.

Old Hu’s family, after receiving intravenous fluids, had regained consciousness.

Once they understood what had happened—and learned their children were still comatose—their cries shook the hospital.

After listening for a while, Tang Banxia went over and reminded them, “Don’t get too emotional—it’s bad for your health.”

Sister-in-law Hu San and Hu Huasheng struggled to rise when they saw Tang Banxia. “Thank you, Tang, the educated youth. Thank you so much.”

Tang Banxia pressed them back down. “Save the thanks for later. Rest and regain your strength—nothing is more important.”

Sister-in-law Hu San choked back tears and nodded.

After soothing everyone, Tang Banxia stepped out of the ward and was stopped by the director. “Comrade, are you an educated youth?”

“Hello, Director.” She greeted him, then nodded. “Yes, I’m a sent-down youth. Thanks to the villagers’ trust, I’m now the barefoot doctor in the village.”

“You’re excellent.” The elderly director, hair streaked with grey, praised her warmly. “Solid foundation, fearless in crisis, decisive, and your needling technique was astonishing.”

Tang Banxia blushed at the compliments.

The director continued, “Are you interested in working at the commune hospital?”

Brigade Leader Hu, who had just arrived, paused, feeling his heart sink. Then he heard Tang Banxia reply:

“No, thank you. The village needs me more.”

Brigade Leader Hu’s mood swung wildly.

“The brigade leader and others trusted me, allowing a sent-down youth to become the barefoot doctor. What I did today was simply my duty—it doesn’t merit such praise from the director,” Tang Banxia explained.

What a joke—she wouldn’t go.

Being a barefoot doctor in the village was wonderful. She could work as she pleased, or not at all.

As for wages, her odd jobs with Lu Xun paid more than any salary.

Working at the commune meant clocking in every day through heat and cold.

No!

She couldn’t bear the hardships of formal employment.

The director was disappointed, but admired her even more. “Alright then.”

“But you can hold a position at the hospital, which will make it easier for you to apply for medicines.” He continued.

Tang Banxia’s face remained calm. “What obligations would I have?”

“None,” the director replied, waving a hand. “Just that sometimes, when the hospital is busy, we might need your help. It’s beneficial for you, too.”

After all, doctors become better with more experience treating patients.

After thinking it over, Tang Banxia agreed.

For now, all her expertise leaned toward traditional medicine—even the inherited skills she’d picked up were rooted in Chinese medicine.

But she came from the future, and knew well the prominence Western medicine would eventually gain.

If she wanted to advance as a physician, she’d need both Western and traditional medicine.

This was her ambition as a doctor.

Seeing her agree, the director left, hands clasped behind his back, thoroughly satisfied.