Chapter 318 - 316: Hundred Herbs Rejuvenating Ointment

Chapter 318: Chapter 316: Hundred Herbs Rejuvenating Ointment

"What happened?"

Seeing the look on his son’s face and hearing the strange tone in his voice, Mr. Shao asked with concern.

"My father-in-law has been hospitalized at Beijing First Hospital. Mu Xin and I have to go right away." Shao Qingfeng glanced at Mu Xin, who had shot to her feet in a flustered panic, her expression aghast. He gave her a reassuring look. "Don’t worry. Mu Zhe said it’s not especially serious. His life isn’t in danger."

His words helped Mu Xin calm down slightly, but the nervous worry was still plain on her face. ’She knew her family would never have sent her elderly father to the hospital during the New Year holiday unless it was truly serious.’ Still, it was some comfort that his life wasn’t in danger.

"I’ll go see him too." With his old friend sick in the hospital, there was no way Mr. Shao could sit still at home. He immediately stood up. The others followed suit, none of them remaining seated, all wearing expressions of concern.

"We should all go see him," Zhang Dazhuang added. Shao Qingfeng’s father-in-law was the same Mr. Mu whom Zhang Wei Qiang had saved years ago. While it was true that Zhang Wei Qiang had done the Mu Family a great service, Mr. Mu’s help to their family over the years had also been considerable, and the two families had never lost contact. Therefore, upon learning that Mr. Mu was hospitalized, it was only right and proper for them to pay a visit.

"Let’s all go," Mr. Shao said, immediately ordering someone to make arrangements. The group quickly arrived at Beijing First Hospital.

Just as they’d been told, Mr. Mu was not in any immediate danger. When they arrived, he was already propped up against the headboard, mustering the energy to greet the crowd of visitors.

"I’m fine. It’s just my old ailment acting up. They’re making a mountain out of a molehill," Mr. Mu said stubbornly.

"Who’s worried something will happen to you? They say the good die young, but a menace like you will last a thousand years. You’re only seventy-nine. It wouldn’t be right if you didn’t stick around to plague the world for another two or three decades, would it?" Mr. Shao looked at his old friend, who was lying there so thin he was barely skin and bones, weak but still forcing a brave front. A pang of sorrow hit him, but he suppressed the immense grief and forced a smile as he spoke.

Just before entering the room, they had spoken with the attending physician. The doctor hadn’t hidden the truth, informing them frankly that a tumor had been discovered in Mr. Mu’s stomach. His body was currently too weak to withstand an operation, so they would have to wait... Furthermore, even after surgery to remove the tumor, there was no guarantee of how long he would live. It could be three to five years, or perhaps only three to five months...

"You and that sharp tongue of yours... you’ve never spared me in your entire life. I let it go when you used to make fun of me when we were young, but can’t you cut me some slack and say something nice now that I’m sick and lying here?" Mr. Mu rolled his eyes. They came from comparable family backgrounds and had known each other since childhood, always playing together. When the Alliance faced a crisis in their youth, their close friendship led their families to support each other through thick and thin. They had saved each other’s lives, forging an uncommonly deep bond.

"You’re the one who said it was just an old ailment acting up. Why use it as an excuse to fish for sympathy?" Mr. Shao said, feigning a dismissive tone. "If you ask me, this is all because of too much smoking and drinking and not eating properly. I told you a long time ago to cut back, but you see, you just wouldn’t listen. I bet you’ve learned your lesson now, huh?"

"My smoking and drinking have been under strict control for a long time now, alright?" Mr. Mu said with a sigh of resignation. "And it’s not that I don’t want to eat. My stomach problems have just been acting up again, and it feels awful whenever I try to eat anything. I lose my appetite at the sight of food. It’s not that I’m unwilling to eat; I truly can’t keep anything down."

"That’s still because you had no self-control before! All that smoking and drinking has already taken its toll on your body," Mr. Shao retorted, craning his neck and glaring. "From now on, you better listen to your doctors and focus on recovering. You have to eat, even if you don’t want to. At the very least, have smaller, more frequent meals. Even a little at a time is better than nothing."

... ℯℯ𝑙.

Watching the two of them bicker back and forth like children, Gu Nuan Nuan’s heart ultimately softened. After a moment’s thought, she quietly tugged on Zhang Dazhuang’s sleeve. He gave her a look, and they both slipped out of the hospital room unnoticed. Gu Nuan Nuan took out a small jade jar and handed it over. "Grandpa, I just finished making this. Though I haven’t tested it on anyone, I’m sure it will be very helpful for Grandpa Mu’s recovery."

Zhang Dazhuang took the jar and opened it. A rich, potent fragrance immediately wafted out, instantly refreshing his senses. He looked closely and saw that the jade jar, just a bit smaller than a standard tea mug, was filled with a honey-colored paste. Without a hint of doubt, he asked, "How exactly is it helpful?"

"Have him take half a spoonful a day, dissolve it in a cup of water roughly the size of this jar, and drink it. The very same day, he’ll stop feeling discomfort and be able to eat normally. If he finishes this entire jar, the tumors should shrink by at least half. More importantly, the malignant tumor will become benign. After that, surgery won’t be a problem," Gu Nuan Nuan stated calmly. ’It’s not that I can’t create a medicine that eliminates malignant tumors quickly. But I know I can’t be that radical. If a single medicine pill could instantly cure a terminal illness, how utterly world-shattering would that be?’

’In fact, an ointment with these effects was already astounding enough in the eyes of the world. If the person who was sick wasn’t Mr. Mu, she might not have been willing to reveal it just yet.’

"It’s that potent?" As she predicted, even Zhang Dazhuang was so shocked by her words that he nearly dropped the jade jar. He clutched it to his chest, a cold sweat breaking out on his back from the sheer fright.

"Mm. But you have to make it very clear to them: he can’t take too much. At the beginning, half a spoonful is the limit. Any more would be counterproductive. Haste makes waste. Once he’s about halfway through the jar, he can consider increasing the dosage to one full spoonful, but the amount of water should stay the same," Gu Nuan Nuan specifically instructed.

"Does it have a name? Is it difficult to make?" Zhang Dazhuang asked, his eyes shining.

"Let’s just call it Hundred Herbs Rejuvenating Ointment," Gu Nuan Nuan said offhandedly without much thought. "Aside from the refining process being troublesome, some of the herbs are hard to get. I’ve only made six jars in total." She then took out three more jars and handed them to Zhang Dazhuang. "I’ll keep two. You can have the rest. But Grandpa, remember, just give Mr. Mu one jar. That’s all he needs. There’s no point in wasting it, because this ointment can only transform and shrink the tumors; it can’t eliminate them entirely."

"Just being able to transform and shrink tumors is already incredibly useful." Zhang Dazhuang didn’t stand on ceremony, treasuring the other three jars as he put them away, his eyes crinkling into a smile. "The herbs may be hard to find, but as long as they exist, we’ll have your eldest uncle search for them. Once word of something this amazing gets out, any amount we have won’t be enough."

"Okay. I’ll make a list of the herbs I need when I get back." Gu Nuan Nuan nodded. As they were walking back toward Mr. Mu’s room, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar figure in her peripheral vision. She paused, then tugged on Zhang Dazhuang’s arm. "Grandpa, my stomach suddenly hurts, I need to use the restroom. You all go on ahead, don’t wait for me. I feel like taking a walk, and I’ll head home by myself later."

"Okay. Just be sure to come home early tonight." Zhang Dazhuang didn’t see Gu Nuan Nuan as an ordinary child, so he simply nodded without giving it a second thought.

As soon as Zhang Dazhuang was a good distance away, Gu Nuan Nuan immediately headed off in another direction, quickly cutting off a stunned Luo Xiaohu, who was shocked to see her there.

"Ms. Nuannuan?"

"You lied. Didn’t you say you had things to do at school and couldn’t come home for the New Year? What’s your explanation now?" Gu Nuan Nuan’s expression was dark. ’She hated being deceived more than anything, especially by someone her family treated as one of their own, like Luo Xiaohu.’ The betrayal made her exceptionally furious.

"Ms. Nuannuan, I didn’t do it on purpose! My big brother... he’s hurt. Really badly. And since it’s the New Year, he didn’t want you to..." Luo Xiaohu saw the unprecedented coldness in Gu Nuan Nuan’s eyes and grew scared. He rushed to explain, forgetting everything else.