Chapter 28: The Old General's Bittersweet Memories

  Looking at Han Ankang lying not far away, his face was pale and frightening, but from the frequency of breathing rising and falling from his chest, it could be seen that he was in no danger at the moment. In addition to what Gu Heng had said earlier, Zhao Hu finally understood why every time he pricked a needle, Han Ankang's face and breathing would become heavier.

  This kind of spinning needle technique consumes a lot of the doctor's true energy, which is similar to qigong. The loss of this true energy is too rapid, leading to Han Ankang's rapid consumption of his vital energy, ultimately exhausting him and causing him to collapse on the spot. Fortunately, as long as Han Ankang is given some time to recover on his own, his body's self-repair function can still recover automatically.

  It doesn't matter what Gu Heng said, this rapid consumption is still harmful to the doctor himself. Generally, a true master of ancient medical skills would not do such desperate treatment unless it was for a close relative. In a sense, Han Ankang has truly gone all out to save Zhao Hu.

  After finishing the first round of treatment, under the hospital's suggestion, they took another X-ray for Zhao Hu. From this X-ray, the bullet that was initially a shadow can now be seen as a clear hollow.

  The appearance of this cavity, which alleviated the burden on Zhao Hu's heart from the bullet conglomerate, also cleared a safe space for further treatment. Compared to using Western medical methods and surgical operations, this miraculous acupuncture dissolution technique is undoubtedly safer.

  But all of this didn't matter much to Zhao Hu, being able to meet a doctor who truly possessed the extraordinary medical skills passed down from the ancient Chinese was something he felt extremely fortunate about. Moreover, after finishing his first treatment and drinking some ginseng tea brewed with hundred-year-old ginseng, Zhao Hu felt a sense of vitality that he hadn't experienced in a long time.

  Accompanying Cui Zhen Shan with a smile, "Old Cui, it's been nearly thirty years since we parted ways back then. You've also got white temples now and no longer have the demeanor of that secretary official! This Northeast Tiger of mine, if not for Xiao Han's help this time, I'm afraid he would have become a dead tiger. By the way, I heard this child is an orphan? Has he ever mentioned whether he has any other relatives?"

  After Han Ankang fell asleep, Zhao Chenghao, as the governor, quickly turned over all the information about Han Ankang. In front of the file from Jida Medical College, there was no information about his parents. The only relative listed was a grandfather named Han Jishi, and according to what Zhao Chenghao knew, Han Ankang wasn't even Han Jishi's biological grandson.

  Considering that he wanted to know more about Han Ankang, Zhao Hu asked this negotiating opponent who had clashed with him during the negotiations. After all, looking at Cui Zhen Shan's attitude towards Han Ankang, it was like treating his own children with importance and care. Although there were calculations of a noble family master in this, he could befriend Han Ankang with his current identity, which proved that Cui Zhen Shan really valued Han Ankang.

  As for Zhao Hu's words, which revealed his intention to repay Han Ankang, Cui Zhen Shan smiled and said: "General Zhao, I also got to know Little Han through treating his illness, so we can be considered as friends who forget about age. As for his situation, I don't understand it very well, and he doesn't seem to want to mention those things either. When I went to his village before, I heard from a few old people that he was an old man with traditional Chinese medical skills, who had been carrying them since he settled in the village.

  That old man should be Han Ankang's grandfather, and it is said that Han Ankang was picked up by the old man on his way to practice medicine. He couldn't bear to let him follow him to travel all over the world at this age, so he settled down in that village and personally raised Han Ankang.

  "In the past few years, the old man's body wasn't doing well and he suddenly passed away in **, leaving Xiao Han as a lone person now. However, I feel that he doesn't seem to mind these things at all. The impression he gives me is that he doesn't seem like a young person, but rather an old person like us who especially likes quietness. It's precisely because of this temperament that we have this strange nickname for each other."

  Orphaned! Resigned to poverty! Doctor's benevolent heart!

  These excellent qualities that are now rarely seen in Chinese doctors all appear in Han Kang, and undoubtedly make Zhao Hu feel that such a young doctor is really hard to come by!

  Just as the two masters of the house were chatting like old friends, a nurse who came to change Han Ankang's dressing finished changing his dressing and put the medicine box that had been placed on the ground next to Han Ankang's bedside table, which caught Zhao Hu's attention.

  When he felt that the trunk was familiar, Zhao Hu quickly ordered: "Girl, bring that trunk over and let me take a look!"

  The nurse who was taking care of the old man in this ward was startled by the sudden "young lady" and quickly brought over the trunk. Placing it on Zhao Hu's half-reclined bed, watching as Zhao Hu stared at the floral pattern on the trunk, reminiscing about something, Cui Zhen Shan said: "Old Brother Zhao, what's so special about this trunk? I think apart from being a bit old-fashioned, there doesn't seem to be anything unusual about it?"

  For Chui Zhen Shan's puzzlement, Zhao Hu thought for a long time and said: "No, I just feel that the flower pattern on this medicine box, I should have seen it in my early years. It's just that now, for a while, I couldn't think of it, let me think carefully, at this age, one's brain is not very useful!"

  Just as Zhao Hu was deep in thought, recalling the old-fashioned medicine box he had seen there, the door to the sickroom was knocked on and then pushed open, revealing his son walking in with a middle-aged man wearing a Chinese general's uniform.

  Zhao Hu saw the lieutenant general and suddenly slapped his forehead, saying: "Right! I finally remembered where I saw this box before! Tie Tou, you came just in time. If I hadn't seen you, I almost forgot about that time when you little scamp nearly lost your life."

  Aren't you always wanting to see the doctor who saved your life back then? Look, the young man lying on that hospital bed should be the grandson of the one who saved your life. It seems that there is indeed a divine will at work here, letting you owe him a debt of gratitude for saving your life back then, and now I owe his grandson another debt of gratitude for saving my life.

  "Hey kid, stop spacing out and come take a look at this medicine box. Isn't it the one that old doctor had when he saved your life after you were bitten by a venomous snake? I thought there was something special about the peony flower carving on it back then, so I paid extra attention to it. Now that I see you, kid, I remember that it's indeed the medicine box that the traveling doctor carried."

  This lieutenant general, called 'Iron Head' by Zhao Hu, was actually named Tie Xingwu. He was also the deputy commander of the Northeast Military Region who would soon take over as the new commander-in-chief. It was only after hearing that the old chief, who had been bedridden with illness not long ago, suddenly recovered from his illness thanks to a high-ranking doctor that he hastily came from the military region to visit him.

  As soon as he entered the door, before he had time to greet, he was stunned by a sentence from Lao Shou Zhang. For Lao Shou Zhang's lifesaver, Tie Xingwu can be said to be unforgettable for life. At that time, in order to find this lifesaver, he spent a lot of effort. As a result, he still returned without success, and over time, this also became something that made him feel guilty all the time.

  Now hearing the old chief say this, Tie Xingwu didn't even have time to salute, and hurriedly took the box in his hands to take a look. Unlike Zhao Hu, Tie Xingwu directly opened the medicine box, and saw the neatly arranged layout inside. There was also something familiar, and Tie Xingwu's face became excited as he said: "Old chief, this is really that doctor's medicine box from back then, look at this!"

  Tie Xingwu excitedly pulled out an old-fashioned pocket watch from inside, because this pocket watch was given to Tie Xingwu by a wandering doctor who had saved his life at the risk of his own, without saying his name or accepting any gifts.

  Zhao Hu presented this plaque to the doctor as a token of gratitude, for saving the life of his most trusted subordinate. This plaque was awarded to Zhao Hu by the commander of the battalion when he participated in the volunteer army's entry into North Korea eight miles away. Previously, Zhao Hu treasured this plaque and would not easily show it to others. To express his gratitude for the doctor's help, he sincerely presented it as a gift.

  At that time, Tie Xingwu wanted to find You Yi to repay his kindness because he thought this pocket watch might not be worth much money to others. But for Zhao Hu, this pocket watch meant the trust of the old commander of the army towards him back then.

  In addition to the fact that the old commander of the army had passed away earlier, Zhao Hu's emphasis on this watch is self-evident. If it weren't for the fact that they didn't have anything else on them at the time and only had this watch to give, Zhao Hu probably wouldn't have given it away so easily.

  He had originally wanted to give his lifesaver something else, but Tie Xingwu was overjoyed like a child when he saw the pocket watch, which he had redeemed with great difficulty. This kind of excitement at recovering something lost can only be understood by someone who truly understands the meaning of loss.

  To know, this pocket watch was given to him by Zhao Hu in those years, which made him truly understand the importance of his equipment. This is a kind of inheritance from an old man in the military to his younger generation, and it is precisely because of this importance and inheritance that Tie Xingwu has become the commander of the Northeast Military Region, one of the seven major military regions of China, at just over fifty years old.

  Looking at the iron ingot that Xing Wu handed over, Zhao Hu also appeared somewhat urgent and excited to open it. Looking at the pocket watch, it seemed to be well-maintained, not as rusty as he had imagined. Especially the black-and-white photo of the old captain that he had inlaid after the old captain left, as a memento of his nostalgia for the old captain.

  "Now, looking at this old leader's smiling face in the photo, Zhao Hu said with a tinge of sadness: 'Old leader, are you not at peace? You've sent Xiaohuan to me after your passing. I really miss you and want to fight alongside you again!'"

  After saying these words, Zhao Hu, who had never known what tears were before, found that he couldn't control the falling of his tears. For these old men who had once fought and shed blood for their country, the thing they feared most in life was not death.

  But it's when they're alive, watching those comrades and leaders who fought side by side with them depart one by one, feeling powerless to stop it. This kind of pain of parting and powerlessness is what truly hurts them!