The dejected Xiao Cheng had no choice but to accept reality. Letting her, an urban professional, do strategic planning was fine, but to go farming in the fields—she had no idea how! It seemed the heavens were deliberately mocking her.
However, Xiao Cheng had a good ability to adjust, "Farming, then farming it is! As long as I'm alive, I can learn." Xiao Cheng said to herself.
If worst comes to worst, once she figures things out, she'll start a business and make a good life.
She couldn't believe that with her years of professional marketing skills, she couldn't earn money from the ancients.
Just as Xiao Cheng had just resolved her inspirational idea of becoming a small farmer, farming to support the family and starting a business to build a fortune, she heard commotion arising outside.
Erya came in carrying a bowl of thick millet porridge, carefully avoiding spilling a drop. This was a millet-cooked thick porridge, which could usually be stretched into three large pots of thin porridge with coarse grain buns for three days' rations.
Sister was sick, and there was no other way. She thought she'd find Brother Jia later to see if they could find some bird eggs on the mountain for sister to nourish herself.
"Erya, what's going on outside?" she inquired while taking the porridge from her little sister.
"Oh, it's Elder Uncle's wife bringing Eldest brother and the others back from her maiden home. From the sound of it, it seems that the younger brother was bitten by a snake, and Grandpa Huang is treating him."
"Sister, drink while it's hot."
"Mm!" Though tasteless, the rich millet flavor was distinct, truly natural and unpolluted.
At this moment, a younger brother rushed in, exclaiming, "Sister, Sister, little Ran was bitten by a poisonous snake, and dark blood is pouring out. It looks terrifying; his entire lower leg is swollen."
"Do you know what kind of snake bit him?"
Cheng Jia shook his head, "I heard that when the snake bit someone, it shrunk back into the bushes, so no one saw it clearly."
"Let's go and have a look..." she said, getting up.
If symptoms appear locally, it might be a hematologic toxin, which is still rescuable. If there's full-body paralysis and difficulty breathing, it could be a neurotoxin like that of a cobra, which would be grim.
Exiting the courtyard, Elder Uncle's house is on the right.
Erya helped Xiao Cheng as the younger brother led the way. Soon, they reached the neighboring courtyard, passed through the crowd, and entered the room to see a middle-aged woman holding a child in bed, crying heartbreakingly. This must be Elder Uncle's wife, Liu Family, with family members of all ages weeping around her.
"Grandpa Huang, is there any hope for Brother Ran?" Xiao Cheng asked as she approached.
Huang Zhongyi shook his head, "It's difficult. Now, the only option is to amputate the entire leg and see if that saves his life. But even with amputation, there's a less than 30% chance of success," it was the last resort.
"Grandpa Huang, isn't there any other method? We'll try it no matter how expensive the medicine is, please think again!" Cheng Hao said, covering his face.
Cheng Rong agreed, "Right, see if there's any method, we'll try them all."
The whole family nodded, looking imploringly at Doctor Huang...
"I've tried all the possible methods," Huang Zhongyi said helplessly. The drinkable and topical medicines only restrained the spread of the poison but couldn't completely detoxify.
Seeing the desperation on the elder uncle's family's faces, Xiao Cheng coughed and said to her uncle, "Niece has a method that might alleviate Brother Ran's symptoms. Is Uncle willing to try? But I can't guarantee it will save Brother Ran."
Uncle grabbed Xiao Cheng's arm, urgently asking, "Daya, what feasible method do you have?"
"But..." She was unsure if she could completely detoxify, and if she couldn't save him, would the elder uncle's family blame her, making her efforts unappreciated and resented.
Seeing Daya's hesitation, Cheng Rong stepped forward, "Daya, go ahead and try; we won't blame you for any consequences."
"Sister Daya, please save Brother Ran!" Xiaohua pleaded with Xiao Cheng, tugging on her sleeve, and others also showed signs of pleading.
Though they all spoke up, ultimately, it was up to the head of the family. Xiao Cheng looked again at her elder uncle, the question in her gaze clear.
Cheng Qiang, seeing Brother Ran's condition worsening and him starting to fade in and out, murmuring, "Mom, Mom, Ran'er feels so bad, so bad..."
His feeble and helpless appearance tugged at everyone's hearts in the room.
Liu Family comforted while sobbing, "Brother Ran, don't be afraid, Mom is here; Mom is with you, just hold on a bit, just a bit longer..." Then she locked eyes with Cheng Qiang, her sorrowful and hopeless gaze silently accusing him, as if saying if he couldn't save Brother Ran, she would join her son.
Cheng Qiang, losing all composure, could not care about much anymore. He immediately decided, "Try, try right away." If not treated, Brother Ran would be lost.
With the whole family looking at Xiao Cheng as the last straw, she couldn't bear to refuse.
"Alright, I'll try then! However, there's currently only a 50% chance."
Cheng Rong asked puzzled, "What 50% chance?"
Oops! She spoke too quickly and slipped the lines again, "Uh, it means there's only a fifty-fifty chance. Let's hurry up. Time is life."
Not giving them time to react, she quickly assigned tasks, having Grandpa Huang prepare the detoxifying decoction.
Then Xiao Cheng had them tie Brother Ran's thigh tightly with a cloth strip, gently uncover the herbs on the wound, and let Doctor Huang enlarge the wound for a greater surface area to facilitate rapid poison blood expulsion.
Brother Ran cried out in pain, gasping for breath, almost fainting from crying. Everyone else couldn't afford to feel sorry for the poor child, only quickly accelerating their movements. As they saw the flowing dark blood lighten, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Do we have soap at home? Like bath beans or scented soap?"
Sister-in-law Li Family immediately said, "Yes, yes, I have a piece of soap from my dowry, still mostly full, as I haven't really used it. I'll fetch it."
Dahua rose to follow, "Sister-in-law, take it slow, I'll support you."
Ugh... just one piece of soap from a dowry—this village really is exceptionally poor! Xiao Cheng thought to herself.
When the soap was brought back, Doctor Huang's decoction was also done and given to Brother Ran. On this side, they squeezed out the blood until it turned bright red, then stopped. After repeatedly washing with soap a dozen times, the calf finally looked a bit better.
By this time, Brother Ran had already fainted from pain, his face palely slumped in his mother's arms.
Re-bandaging the wound, it was already nearing the evening hour.
Everyone was exhausted, their nerves taut and apprehensive hearts unable to relax. As they now let their guard down, they felt utterly drained, not wanting to move.
"We've done everything we could; Brother Ran is destined to be blessed and will make it through." Xiao Cheng, seeing everyone's fatigue, couldn't help but comfort them.
Huang Zhongyi also agreed, "I see Daya's method being effective. If Brother Ran wakes up tomorrow, then his life will be saved. But he will need to drink the decoction for a few more days to clean out the remaining toxin."
The whole family wept with jubilation, thanking Doctor Huang!