Chapter 193: Is It That Hard to Admit Others Are Excellent?
Sheng Shijing finished dressing Jiang Ruihao’s wounds, then took out a small porcelain bottle. "Sir, these are Qi Replenishing Pills and Heart Protection Pills. Take one of each."
"Sheng Shijing, this backpack of yours is really practical. It holds a ton, but it isn’t bulky at all."
"It is. Jiaojiao made it. She insisted that I always carry some medicine and food with me.
Sir, are you feeling any better? How about some beef jerky and a drink?"
"Alright. I’m much better now. If I’d been this badly injured in the past, I probably wouldn’t have lasted until the rescue team arrived!"
"Sir, you’ll be fine. Shuo Ci said these Qi Replenishing Pills and Heart Protection Pills were made by Divine Doctor Su Gu himself. As long as you’re still breathing, they can protect your heart..."
Sheng Shijing rambled on, and his words lit a spark of hope in Jiang Ruihao.
"At least we’re trapped in the mountains. There are roots and wild vegetables to stave off hunger. Don’t all stand guard around me. Go find something to eat."
"Sir, I have food in my backpack," Sheng Shijing said, pulling out beef jerky and compressed biscuits to share with the others.
Upon seeing such a feast, the famished squad’s earlier gloom vanished, and they began to wolf down the food.
"God, this is delicious! I can’t remember the last time I had beef this good."
"Captain Sheng, you can’t buy this stuff anywhere. Where’d you get it?"
"My adopted sister made it herself. It’s dried beef. It doesn’t just fill your stomach; it also restores your energy."
Sheng Shijing boasted proudly. ’Since you can’t buy this anywhere, Jiaojiao must have made it herself.’
Zhang Weishan thought the same thing. "Jiaojiao also made a lot of perishable delicacies that we ate on our way here."
"My god, I don’t know how many years it’s been since I’ve eaten beef. I thought I’d never get the chance again."
Jiang Ruihao chewed the beef jerky slowly, savoring the rich flavor. "Shi Jing, since when do you have an adopted sister?"
"It’s Jiaojiao. She’s not the Sheng Family’s biological daughter..." Zhang Weishan said, chewing on his beef jerky.
"I heard at the farm last time that Su Shuochi’s wife is also named Jiaojiao. Is that the same Jiaojiao from your Sheng Family? When did she learn medicine?"
"Yes, that’s our Jiaojiao. She doesn’t know medicine; the medicine pills were made by Divine Doctor Su Gu himself," Sheng Shijing said with a smile.
"Haha... Well, Old Sheng has it good. Two daughters now! Hah!"
Jiang Ruihao was incredibly envious. He didn’t have a single daughter, yet Old Sheng actually had two!
Sheng Shijing: ...
’Dad publicly disowned his adopted sister in the papers. Does she even count as a daughter anymore?!’
"Jiaojiao has always been sweet and considerate. She knew I was leaving for this mission and might be gone for a long time.
So she made a lot of food for me to bring, just in case. Jiaojiao made this backpack too.
She told me to keep it on me at all times. And the medicine—the knockout powder, laxatives, styptic powder, and Heart Protection Pills—those came from Divine Doctor Su Gu.
Jiaojiao had me carry it all for self-defense. I never thought it would actually come in handy."
"It didn’t just ’come in handy,’ it was a lifesaver. Shi Jing, do you know how fast that knockout powder works? Does it take effect just by inhaling it?" Jiang Ruihao asked.
"Su Shuochi said it takes effect within a minute. Just a small whiff will knock someone out," Sheng Shijing said confidently.
The men looked at each other, a little hesitant. "Is it really as good as you say?"
Sheng Shijing shot them an annoyed glare. "Want to try it and find out?"
"No, no thanks! Of course we believe what Captain Sheng says!"
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone was in high spirits, despite not having slept for two days and nights.
"All of you, get some shut-eye. Sheng Shijing, distribute some of the knockout powder and styptic powder to everyone. Tomorrow, we’re breaking out."
Jiang Ruihao felt much better. He wasn’t sure if it was just in his head, but he felt that even his wounds didn’t hurt as much anymore.
Other than Sheng Shijing, Zhang Weishan, and Chen Feng, no one else knew his true identity.
Sheng Shijing and Zhang Weishan were Jiang Ruihao’s right-hand men and had always served under him, which is why they knew.
But obeying orders and following commands is a soldier’s most basic duty and one of their core principles.
They unconditionally obeyed the orders of their superiors. It was their sworn duty.
Everyone immediately closed their eyes to rest. The woods were quiet. The medicine was truly effective; not a single unwelcome snake or insect disturbed them all night.
At six in the morning, the forest grew hot and stuffy again as sunlight pierced through the canopy of leaves.
The men ate some more beef jerky and compressed biscuits before setting off immediately. After two hours of trekking...
The sun’s rays were like scorching needles, piercing through the branches and making the heat unbearable.
Due to his injuries, Jiang Ruihao had the least stamina in the squad. After pushing on for two hours, he began to falter.
Zhang Weishan and Sheng Shijing supported him, one on each side. He gritted his teeth and pushed on. ’I absolutely cannot slow everyone down.’
Sheng Shijing popped another Qi Replenishing Pill into his mouth and had him drink half a bottle of the beverage.
It not only provided a quick energy boost but also prevented heatstroke. The other team members took one as well.
Powered by the Qi Replenishing Pills, they covered another fifty-some *li* in one go. The sky grew dim; night was falling again.
One of the soldiers, hoping to save water for the team, spotted a puddle of muddy water and started toward it for a drink.
"Don’t drink that! The puddle is full of leech larvae. They’ll get inside your stomach and grow inside you. I lost a comrade that way."
"Gah—!" the terrified young soldier yelped.
"We still have some of the beverage left, enough to last a day. We’ll keep moving after dark and try to be out of this dense forest by dawn. If we run into the enemy, use the knockout powder."
Needless to say, the journey was perilous, but under Jiang Ruihao’s decisive leadership, the entire squad made it back to base intact.
The military doctors were astonished that Jiang Ruihao’s wounds hadn’t worsened in the sweltering summer heat.
As a result, Divine Doctor Su Gu’s name became known throughout the Southern Border, as did the quality of his medicine.
The chief field doctor asked Sheng Shijing, "Captain Sheng, do you have any spare Heart Protection Pills?"
"I have a few left in my duffel bag. How many do you need?" Sheng Shijing asked curiously.
He was reluctant to part with them, but he knew other injured comrades desperately needed them.
"Do you have three? Two of our wounded are in critical condition, and I’d like one for research."
"I do." Without a second thought, Sheng Shijing gave the chief doctor three Heart Protection Pills.
The chief doctor thanked Sheng Shijing profusely, but his assistant curled his lip in disdain. "Sir, your medical skills are so advanced. Is this really necessary...?"
"Enough! Haven’t you ever heard that there’s always a heaven beyond the heavens, and always someone better than you? Where do you get this sense of superiority?
Is it that hard to admit someone is better than you? You’re incompetent yourself, yet you refuse to acknowledge the skill of others. How ridiculous!"
The chief doctor said, looking coldly at his assistant.
"Just because you aren’t skilled enough, you question the abilities of others? Fine. I’ll tell you right now, in front of everyone.
Neither He Shen Yi nor Professor Xia from the Imperial City could heal Comrade Su’s leg injury, but Divine Doctor Su Gu could.
Aren’t the medicine pills he developed worthy of our study?"