Chapter 53: Emergency Rescue

Chapter 53: Emergency Rescue

Grandmother Hu had always been worried about the spots on her face. They hadn't appeared when she gave birth to twins, but they had appeared in abundance after she had her little daughter, and medicine had been of no use.

Touching the spots, she said, "It would be wonderful if they could be removed, even if they just faded a little."

Feng Chuchen felt her pulse, wrote a prescription, and added, "I also need to prepare a powder. I'll have Auntie Wang deliver it to you in a couple of days. One small packet every three days should show results within a month."

The powder was a secret recipe from the Shui family in her previous life, further refined by Shui Chuchen; it was provided only as a medicinal powder.

In her previous life, Shui Chuchen had maintained delicate and firm skin even in her thirties. Several celebrities had specifically sought her out to regulate their endocrine systems or request her secret medicine, and later, several children of high-ranking officials had come looking as well...

Grandmother Hu smiled and expressed her gratitude. She trusted Physician Feng, and thus, she trusted Feng Chuchen.

At the hour of the Monkey, the members of the Feng family took their leave.

Madam Hu took Feng Buji's hand and said to the siblings, "Come visit us more often in the future. Since Sister Feng is no longer here, we are your kin. If you have any difficulties, tell us; do not be polite..."

These words moved the two siblings, who nodded in promise.

The old maidservant also presented two jars of rose brine and a set of brush, ink, and inkstone.

On the way back, Feng Buji was extremely excited, his little mouth never resting. "I told Qingyang and Qingsong that there is a small river behind our new home, and they all said they want to go play..."

After growing up this much, he finally had good friends.

The next day, at the beginning of the hour of the Dragon, Feng Chuchen took Banxia to Dechun Hall. Feng Buji, Auntie Wang, and Shaoyao went to Yixiangju Restaurant later, where they were to gather for lunch.

This was to fulfill Feng Buji's wish to eat at Yixiangju Restaurant before returning to White Horse Village tomorrow.

For the past few days, Old Physician Fang had been waiting for Feng Chuchen.

He handed her the letter of recommendation, which bore his signature and seal.

"The examination dates have been set for the twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth of the fourth month, and the first of the fifth month. You won't be the only woman testing; there are also several palace maids and two women from the common folk. Do not be nervous; there is no problem with you passing."

Physician Qin also smiled and said, "Even among physicians, Miss Feng is top-tier. You will surely pass."

Feng Chuchen expressed her thanks and took a donkey cart to the Imperial Academy to register.

The Imperial Academy was not far from Dechun Hall, about a two-quarter-hour ride.

Arriving at a window, Feng Chuchen presented her Changping County household registration, Old Physician Fang's recommendation letter, and one tael of silver for the registration fee.

The clerk processed her "Floating Ticket."

A Floating Ticket was equivalent to an admission ticket from her previous life; one needed it to enter the examination hall.

After finishing, Feng Chuchen hurried toward Yixiangju Restaurant.

It was also quite close to Dechun Medical Hall, a walk of just over two quarter-hours.

The main hall was packed. Auntie Wang occupied a table by herself, and beside her were two physicians from Dechun Hall, but Feng Buji and Shaoyao were nowhere to be seen.

Feng Chuchen greeted the two physicians and asked Auntie Wang, "Where is Buji?"

Auntie Wang pointed upstairs and smiled. "What a coincidence, the young master ran into that old gentleman he met at the bun shop earlier. The gentleman likes the young master very much and invited him to a private room to chat; Shaoyao went along to accompany them. Please sit, Miss, I will go call him down."

Feng Chuchen sat down, called over a waiter, and ordered several vegetarian dishes.

"Sautéed double mushrooms, mushroom and egg, pickled vegetables with vermicelli, radish soup with golden ribbons, and five bowls of rice."

Since she only ordered vegetarian dishes, it cost less than three hundred wen.

The waiter looked at the small white flower in Feng Chuchen's hair and knew they were in mourning.

He tossed his towel over his shoulder and sang out loudly, "Sautéed double mushrooms, mushroom and egg..."

A familiar voice suddenly called out, "Sister, over here!"

Feng Chuchen looked up to see Feng Buji waving at her from behind the second-floor railing, smiling. Standing beside him were Auntie Wang, Shaoyao, and the old gentleman.

The old gentleman was wearing silk clothes today and looked at her with a beaming smile.

Just as Feng Chuchen was about to smile back, she noticed a young gentleman nearby with an unusual expression.

His eyes were bulging, his mouth was wide open, his neck was stretched out, and his hands were clutching his throat; his expression was one of extreme agony.

The gentleman's guard also realized something was wrong with his master and pulled him, saying anxiously, "Master, what is wrong?"

The gentleman could neither speak nor cough, and his face was flushed red.

Feng Chuchen could tell: it was a foreign object lodged in his trachea, causing a complete obstruction that prevented him from breathing.

The golden window for rescue was only five to ten minutes; without timely intervention, the person would die of suffocation.

Feng Chuchen stood up abruptly and rushed toward the second floor, taking the stairs two at a time. Her agile movements stunned Banxia and the surrounding diners.

Banxia cried out shrilly, "Miss, what are you doing?"

Thinking his sister was coming to find him, Feng Buji shouted loudly, "Sister, slow down!"

Before the words had even landed, Feng Chuchen had already reached the second floor, bypassing Feng Buji who was reaching out to pull her, and ran toward the gentleman.

The gentleman was being held by one person, leaning forward, while another person patted his back.

"Master, cough! Spit it out!"

Instead of coughing, the gentleman's eyes rolled back, his lips had turned purple, and his body was slowly sliding down.

The people downstairs stopped paying attention to Feng Chuchen and instead stood up to look at the gentleman, discussing him in hushed tones.

"Oh no, that man is choking."

"He can't even cough; won't he choke to death?"

"Oh! That's Shangguan Ruyu!"

"They say Young Master Shangguan is so handsome it offends the gods, but he's not *that* handsome—his eyelids are rolling back like a fool's."

"Try choking yourself and see how handsome you look."

"Such a wealthy man, it would be a pity if he choked to death."

...

Feng Chuchen had already reached the group, reaching out to pull Shangguan Ruyu into her own arms.

She shouted loudly, "I am a physician! He is choking to death; I can save him!"

The gentleman's guards and servants were terrified, knowing that if handled incorrectly, their master would die.

The guard let go, and Feng Chuchen tightly embraced the slender body.

The body had already gone limp, sliding down like mud; he was very heavy.

Feng Chuchen extended one leg between Shangguan Ruyu's legs in a lunge, allowing his buttocks to rest against her thigh to maintain balance.

She then wrapped both arms around his waist, forcing his upper body to lean forward. She clenched her left hand into a fist, placing the knuckles two finger-widths above his navel, and covered the fist with her right hand, delivering continuous, rapid, and forceful strikes toward the left hand.

One, two, three, four...

With each of Feng Chuchen's strikes, Shangguan Ruyu's body and head jerked forward and backward, up and down.

Feng Chuchen roared internally, "Come out, come out, come out quickly..."

The man was dead weight, and Feng Chuchen's arms were already aching. He was so tall she could only see the back of his head.

Feng Buji did not know what his sister was doing and instinctively felt something was wrong. He shouted loudly, "Sister, stop playing around, let go!"

Shaoyao and Banxia were both terrified, mouths agape, unable to speak.

Auntie Wang was moved to tears, crying out, "Miss, let go! Let go quickly! What is going to happen..."

She wanted to pull Feng Chuchen away, but there were so many people standing around Feng Chuchen and Shangguan Ruyu that she couldn't break through.

A servant said urgently, "Hey, can you do this or not? If not, move aside!"

Old Duke Ming barked, "Don't move! Let her save him!"

The people following Shangguan Ruyu were so frightened their legs felt weak; knowing they could not save him, they had no choice but to let her try.

If the young master died, none of them would survive.