Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 977: A Narrow Escape from Death

Mr. Shi’s servant hurried to call the doctor supported by the family.

The banquet was in chaos, and many failed scholars and wealthy young masters gathered around, looking at the fainted Mr. Shi, saying, "Sir, what’s wrong with you?"

Mr. Shi’s clan nephew was very upset and shouted at them, "What are you all crowding over for? Move aside quickly, even if my clan uncle is fine, you’ll all suffocate him into something bad."

These failed scholars, already thinking highly of themselves, were infuriated by these words, pointing at Mr. Shi’s clan nephew and scolding, "What are you acting arrogant for? You’re just a minor branch of the Shi family. What right do you have to shout at us? We’re scholars who will become officials one day!"

Mr. Shi’s clan nephew sneered, "Even if I’m just a minor branch member, I still bear the Shi surname and am listed in the Shi Family Genealogy, while you..."

"Please, gentlemen, calm your anger, calm your anger," the Shi family housekeeper hurriedly interrupted the clan nephew and rushed over to the failed scholars, saying, "Please, gentlemen, step back a few paces. The Second Old Master suddenly fainted; it’s not good to have too many people around. Please forgive the inconvenience."

The noble family’s housekeeper knew how to speak, and the failed scholars did not get angry after hearing him.

Just then, Mr. Shi’s condition suddenly worsened, and the clan nephew shouted in terror, "No good, Thirteenth Clan Uncle is vomiting!"

As soon as these words were out, the failed scholars and wealthy young masters quickly backed away, afraid that if Mr. Shi died, they’d be suspected.

The Shi family housekeeper rushed over, seeing Mr. Shi with his eyes closed, vomiting something sour and foul, and his nose seemingly blocked, making breathing difficult. Anxiously, he shouted, "Protector, where are the protectors? Quickly go and get Doctor Xiao and Doctor Liu!"

The house-supported doctor’s skills were not as good as those of the two invited ones.

"Yes!" Upon hearing this, two protectors immediately rushed out of the Shi family, heading towards the two medical halls.

The servant also brought the family’s supported doctor. Upon seeing Mr. Shi’s symptoms, the doctor’s face turned pale with fright, "This... this is puffer fish poison!"

Puffer fish poison?

The housekeeper was shocked to hear this. He had been poisoned by puffer fish poison.

The Second Old Master loved sashimi, always preparing a dish of it for banquets. Today’s banquet had it as well, but this was not the first time he had eaten it, so why was there trouble this time?

"Quickly rescue him! If anything happens to the Second Old Master, the Old Madam will have us skinned alive!"

Although the Second Old Master’s past deeds had been dug up, the Old Madam still doted on this son. If he died from eating sashimi, those who prepared the banquet would not be spared.

"Alright, alright, I’ll detoxify right away." The doctor hurried to administer treatment, but the method to detoxify puffer fish poison in Great Chu was quite bizarre - it required inducing vomiting with feces.

What is feces soup? To be blunt, it’s water mixed with feces.

So the doctor said, "Quickly bring feces soup, the more the better, the more the better, hurry!"

Without hesitation, the housekeeper urgently took people to the outhouse to get feces soup, and shortly brought back a bucketful.

The feces soup was yellow and emitted a nauseating smell, but the housekeeper and the doctor did not hesitate, prying open Mr. Shi’s mouth to pour it in.

By the time Doctor Xiao and Doctor Liu arrived, the bucket of feces soup was almost finished.

Doctor Xiao: "..."

Alas, what a crime, can you clean him up before treating him?

Doctor Liu rolled his eyes and complained, "Tsk, why use feces soup? Can’t you use medicinal emetics?"

The family-supported doctor turned pale; if the Second Old Master didn’t die, would he be chopped up and fed to the dogs?

"Enough talk, quick, saving him is urgent," said Doctor Xiao, already knowing Mr. Shi had puffer fish poisoning. This poison was deadly and couldn’t be delayed. Despite being repulsed by Mr. Shi’s stench, he immediately began treatment.

Even before there was an Emperor here, there was a custom of eating sashimi. Many had eaten puffer fish sashimi before, and after many died from it, fewer dared to try it.

But during the former dynasty, the trend of madmen was rampant. They would eat puffer fish sashimi to be unique, but many died from it.

By the time of Great Chu, some scholarly madmen also deliberately ate it, though fewer met with an accident. Even if one did, out of a thousand, perhaps one could be saved.

And Mr. Shi was that lucky one.

However, although Mr. Shi did not die, the puffer fish poison damaged his brain, leaving him paralyzed and unable to move.

After waking up and learning he had been poisoned and couldn’t move anymore, Mr. Shi was in despair, unable even to commit suicide.

Granny Shi cried bitterly upon hearing this news, instructing the Shi Family Official, "Go, beat the chef who made the puffer fish sashimi and his family to death! These harmful fools, they couldn’t even make a simple sashimi, making my second son suffer so!"

The Elder Shi frowned, disagreeing with Granny Shi’s punishment.

He had long advised his younger brother that puffer fish should not be eaten. How many people had died from it through the ages? Yet his brother didn’t listen, insisting on replicating the madmen of the former dynasty by serving puffer fish sashimi at every banquet, even knowing it was courting death.

Having eaten it for many years, the fact it only happened now showed God’s protection of him.

Thus, the Elder Shi felt the chef was not at fault; it was his brother’s lack of judgment. He advised, "Mother, with the Second Brother now gravely ill, it’s not proper to take lives. Why not spare the chef’s family and send them to the temple to cook for the masters for nine years, as a form of prayer for the Second Brother? If God sees this, He might bless the Second Brother’s recovery."

The Great Chu people believed in such things, and Granny Shi agreed upon hearing this, "Elder Brother, you’re right, we’ll spare their lives and let them go cook at the temple for Second Brother’s blessing."

She then held Mr. Shi and wailed, "My son, don’t worry, I’ll send someone to the Capital to fetch the Imperial Physician for you. I will surely have you healed."

She immediately turned and instructed the Elder Shi, "Elder Brother, did you hear? Quickly use your name card to send someone to the Capital to fetch an Imperial Physician for your brother. No matter how much silver it costs, as long as the Second Brother can recover."

The Elder Shi’s expression was sour, wanting to say, Mother, it’s already a miracle surviving puffer fish poison; how could it be cured?

But not wanting to argue with Granny Shi, he respectfully said, "Yes, I will send someone to the Capital right away to fetch the Imperial Physician."

"Go quickly." Granny Shi said, continuing to cry over Mr. Shi, "Son, you’re determined to take your poor mother’s life, wuwuwu..."

Mr. Shi’s head was numb, his ears filled with Granny Shi’s cries. Unsure if it was residual poison, he fainted again.

The Shi family was thrown into chaos once again under Granny Shi’s screams.

The news of Mr. Shi being poisoned by puffer fish and subsequently treated with feces soup, nearly dying but saved by Doctor Xiao and Doctor Liu, had spread throughout the Prefecture by evening.

The townsfolk of the Prefecture all remarked, "Wow, Mr. Shi is really lucky to have survived puffer fish poisoning; it’s a sign of deep blessings."