Chapter 21 Plaster

"Put the coarse cloth on the donkey cart."

Li Ang spread the coarse cloth on the donkey cart, folded it several times, and sprinkled Plaster Powder between the layers to make bandage rolls.

Then, he asked the middle-aged woman to keep her knee joint slightly bent at about 15 degrees while he soaked the bandage rolls in a basin of water and then wrapped them around the woman's lower leg.

After the wrapping was complete, he ran back into the backyard, picked up several wooden strips, and wrapped them around the surface of the bandage rolls to help them set.

Several minutes passed. The plaster inside the bandage rolls gradually dried, soon turning into a semi-solid plasterboard that stabilized the woman's injured leg.

"That should do it."

Li Ang sighed with relief, took a step back, and wiped his wet palms directly on his Clothes, not caring if any Plaster Powder stuck to them.

Fortunately, the patient only had a stable displaced fracture that could be manually repositioned. If it had been an open fracture, Security Hall wouldn't have had the facilities for debridement, let alone any fracture braces.

Song Shaoyuan looked at the solidified Plaster on the patient's leg and asked with a frown, "Is this... using Plaster to set it?"

"More precisely, it's plaster bandages."

Li Ang explained, "Plaster Powder sets when it meets water. It can be used to stabilize injured legs, prevent movement that could lead to re-fracturing, and aid healing. However, if the Plaster is used to wrap the limb entirely, it could cause the leg to swell and affect blood supply. But using plaster bandages allows perfect conformity to the leg's contours and provides some extra space, so it won't affect the blood supply. Luckily, there's a ceramic shop on this street. Otherwise, the unprocessed gypsum used for making tofu would have needed to be fired to turn it into usable Plaster."

He was explaining not only to Song Shaoyuan but also to the patient and the onlookers.

After the past few days, the neighbors had already placed their complete trust in Security Hall's bone-healing techniques. Now, seeing the novel and peculiar plaster bandages, they stood in place, constantly clicking their tongues in amazement.

Li Ang gestured for the neighbors to disperse so they wouldn't block passers-by. He then asked Song Shaoyuan and the Lansheng Building's helpers to carefully lift the wooden board from the donkey cart, with the patient on it, and gently carry it into Security Hall's backyard.

After all this was done, Li Ang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said to Song Shaoyuan, somewhat embarrassed, "Brother Song, about the cost of the Plaster Powder is..."

"A gentleman shows his love for others through virtue."

Song Shaoyuan waved his hand nonchalantly. "Saving lives is what matters; what's a little money? Don't worry about tallying it with me."

"Alright."

Li Ang knew Song Shaoyuan's character and said no more, finally turning to the middle-aged man nearby.

During all the hectic activity, he hadn't yet asked for the family members' names or background.

Li Ang casually inquired. The man said he was Gan Er; his wife, Gan, and his son, Gan Xiao'er. They were tenant farmers in the countryside. They originally had an older son who tragically died young.

Naming practices for the struggling common people at this time were quite arbitrary, and Li Ang didn't feel it was his place to comment.

Gan Er's family had heard of a doctor in Yizhou City who specialized in bone injuries and was capable of curing dire ailments. They had specifically borrowed their neighbor's donkey cart to travel from the countryside and needed to return it that evening.

"Doctor... here's the fee for the consultation..."

Gan Er fumbled to take out a handful of Copper Coins from his pocket, all either flat money or coins. "If this isn't enough, I'll go borrow some..."

Li Ang glanced at Gan Er's hands, thick with calluses, holding the old Copper Coins with their chipped corners, and his tone softened further. "No need... keep this money for yourself. Today is the Dragon Boat Festival; let's consider it a good deed."

Li Ang deeply recognized and understood the hardships faced by tenant farmer families. Even the twenty-wen consultation fee wasn't so easy for them to produce.

"This, this won't do."

Gan Er's dark face flushed red, and he nervously twisted the hem of his clothes. "Not paying the doctor means we won't be protected by the Bodhisattva in the future."

Chai Cuiqiao pursed her lips and said, "My young master told you to keep it, so just keep it. That talk of being cursed by the Bodhisattva for not paying doctors is nothing but the nonsense of quack doctors scaring their patients."

"Then… Xiao Er."

Seeing that Li Ang insisted, Gan Er called his son over, stepped back, and was about to kowtow to Li Ang again. Li Ang quickly persuaded the family to stop. He thought for a moment, then went to the backyard and fetched two strings of cured meat and a small bag of rice, placing them on the donkey cart.

"Just take these back home with you. The Plaster becomes semi-solid within 15 minutes upon contact with water, but it needs a full day to solidify completely. When you get home, don't move the wooden strips I've secured to it. Wait until the Plaster is completely dry before removing the strips. Moreover, the patient must lie in bed without moving much and ensure the Plaster doesn't get wet. It will be at least three months before she can move around and six months before she can do physical labor. By the way, take this remaining Plaster Powder and hemp cloth home too. Come back to see me in a month. If I'm not around, remove the Plaster and rewrap it yourself. Remember, do this after a month, and don't wrap it too tightly. Also, during the fracture period, it's good to eat more fish, shrimp, and eggs. You can also eat a bit more meat…"

Li Ang paused, scanning the ragged clothes of Gan Er's family, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"In any case, just eat whatever good food you can get."

Li Ang carefully explained all the medical advice he deemed necessary. Fearing Gan Er might forget, he found paper and a pen, wrote down the instructions, and gave the paper to Gan Er to take home. Even if Gan Er couldn't read it himself, he could ask someone else to read it aloud, ensuring nothing was forgotten.

Gan Er's family thanked Li Ang profusely before pulling the donkey cart and departing.

"Risheng indeed has the heart of a compassionate Doctor."

Song Shaoyuan watched Gan Er's family fading into the distance and said smilingly to Li Ang, "You've certainly inherited your mother's noble character."

"Since I saw them and could easily lend a hand, I just helped."

Li Ang sighed. Families like Gan Er's were all too common in the world. Even in the Otherworld, with its highly developed productive forces, families still fell into or returned to poverty because of illnesses. He himself had secured a recommendation letter from the Academic Palace and was no longer a helpless young doctor facing the daunting sum of one hundred and fifty strings of coins. Yet, many more people still lived in hardship.

Seeing Li Ang's spirits were low, Song Shaoyuan said no more, just smiled and asked, "I just returned to Yizhou and already heard about your reputation, Risheng. Saving army horses, treating fractures, and I heard you even pulled a ten-meter long worm from someone's leg?"

"Ten meters? The neighbors exaggerate more every time they tell it."

Li Ang smiled and waved his hand.

Lansheng Building had to continue its business, and Song Shaoyuan had just returned from his leisure trip. They chatted briefly before Song Shaoyuan took his two assistants and headed home.

Li Ang looked at the courtyard, now quiet again, thinking of Gan Er's family—sallow, emaciated, and dull-looking—and sighed softly once more.

"Young Master…"

"I'm fine. Just feeling a bit helpless, that's all."

Li Ang shook his head, casting the gloomy emotions from his Mind, and rallied his spirits. "Alright, no more thinking about it. Let's make dinner. After eating, we'll go out for a walk. We still have the festival to celebrate tonight."