Chapter 32: I, Li Yi, Specialize in Playing the Emotional Card
“Wah!!!” Chen Deng cried out, stumbling and falling to the ground, his face flushed and drenched in sweat. Clutching his stomach with both hands, his expression was one of intense pain.
“Yuan Long, what’s wrong with you?” Li Yi hurried forward to steady him.
The loud commotion had also alerted the servants and Chen Dao outside. Everyone quickly rushed in, asking what had happened.
Chen Deng was sweating profusely, his face flushed deeply, clearly in unbearable pain. The servant beside him explained, “My master has eaten raw fish for years. The doctor said there are several liters of parasites in his stomach, about to form an abscess.”
“We advised him to eat less raw food and prescribed several herbal decoctions for treatment. He showed improvement a few days ago, but unexpectedly, the symptoms returned today.”
This situation was actually anticipated by Li Yi. From the moment he entered the room, he guessed that Chen Deng’s condition was quite severe. His meals were sparse, almost entirely raw fish slices.
Eating little and feeling restless—that’s just loss of appetite, a sign of a serious illness.
“This... this...” Chen Dao hadn’t expected such a situation and felt at a loss.
“...Then, quickly send for the medical officer!” The servant nodded promptly and hurried out of the room.
“Shu Zhi, go to the carriage and bring my first aid kit,” Li Yi calmly instructed Chen Dao, “It’s the white box over there.”
Since they were camping in the wild, they always carried a first aid kit.
“Yuan Long, don’t worry; your illness isn’t that serious yet,” Li Yi comforted Chen Deng.
After all, he had simply eaten too much raw fish and contracted parasites due to poor hygiene. If nothing unexpected happened, it was likely “liver fluke” infection.
This was not a major illness. At least for modern people, taking some vitamins or amoxicillin would easily resolve it.
Chen Deng’s condition was caused by years of eating raw freshwater fish, leading to the disease. Although liver fluke infection wouldn’t directly cause death, it weakened immunity and appetite. Left untreated for a long time, it could indirectly lead to death.
Soon, Chen Dao rushed in with the first aid kit.
“Sir! The box, the box is here!” Chen Dao panted, anxious as if fearing Chen Deng might die any moment.
“Hm,” Li Yi said calmly as he took the box.
He knew Chen Deng wouldn’t die suddenly; liver fluke infections were not instantly fatal. Even if fatal, it would be a slow decline due to weakened immunity, not sudden onset.
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The kit was well-stocked: serum, penicillin, vitamins, disinfectant, amoxicillin. Li Yi picked up a bottle of antibiotics and handed a pill to Chen Deng.
“Please take this. It will work immediately.”
He wasn’t worried about allergic reactions because he had bought broad-spectrum medicine as a precaution.
Chen Deng clenched the pill tightly despite the pain and asked, “Usually, the doctors boil decoctions for me to take. What medicine is this, Mr. Li?”
People naturally mistrust unfamiliar medicines, so Chen Deng’s caution was understandable.
Li Yi patiently explained, “You know I studied under a reclusive master. This medicine was prepared by my late teacher before he passed.”
“It cures a hundred diseases!”
This wasn’t entirely boastful—there are over a hundred illnesses caused by bacterial infections alone, and antibiotics are highly effective against inflammation, so “cures all diseases” was not an exaggeration.
Chen Deng sighed inwardly, realizing Li Yi had long known they were investigating him. There was no need to hide anything from each other anymore.
He decided to trust him for once.
Taking the pill, he swallowed it.
Li Yi called for the servant to bring water and gave it to Chen Deng to wash down the medicine.
“Cough, cough...” Chen Deng coughed a few times after taking the medicine.
Li Yi helped him back into his chair.
After a while, Chen Deng’s complexion improved slightly.
After some more time, the flush faded completely, and the discomfort vanished.
“Wonderful! Wonderful!” Chen Deng exclaimed in disbelief.
“Usually, the doctors’ decoctions take at least half a day to work.”
“But after taking your medicine, I rested just a short while and the pain disappeared.”
“You truly are a miracle worker!”
He stood and bowed respectfully to Li Yi.
For such an arrogant man to offer such heartfelt gratitude, it showed genuine appreciation.
Only he knew his own body, and he had never felt this way before.
“It’s a minor skill, hardly worth mentioning,” Li Yi said.
“Yuan Long’s illness was caused by eating raw fish.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Deng’s eyes dimmed, then he sighed.
“...To be honest, last year the doctor said an abscess had formed inside me and advised me to eat less raw fish.”
“But without raw fish, I find no pleasure in food.”
“Unexpectedly, the illness struck today, and you saw me in such a pitiful state. I’m ashamed.”
Li Yi smiled broadly.
“Yuan Long, don’t worry. I have a method.”
“Not only can it cure your illness, but it will also allow you to eat raw fish freely, no longer bound by abscesses.”
Chen Deng was both surprised and delighted, bowing deeply.
“If you truly have such a method, please teach me.”
“I am deeply grateful!”
People tend to be rebellious; the more you advise them, the more they resist. Like urging a drunkard to quit drinking or a smoker to quit smoking, often achieving the opposite effect.
Li Yi spoke calmly and methodically.
“On one hand, Yuan Long still needs medication to gradually recover.”
“Traditional medicine is good, Western medicine is fast.”
“Body recuperation still requires professionals.”
“On the other hand, treat the root cause of the illness.”
“You must eat less freshwater fish, as they are the most pungent and prone to causing illness.”
“I recommend red snapper instead — a sea fish that can be a substitute.”
Li Yi didn’t bother explaining the concept of parasites, as it was endless.
Simply put, freshwater fish host the most parasites, and eating them raw will cause illness.
Sea fish also have parasites, but most cannot complete their life cycle in the human body due to osmotic pressure differences.
Unable to parasitize humans, infection risk is greatly reduced.
However, this does not mean eating sea fish is completely risk-free.
Li Yi reminded him, “When eating raw fish, have the cook slice it thinly.”
“Also take some ice from the cellar to keep it chilled, preserving freshness while preventing illness.”
Chen Deng listened attentively, then grasped Li Yi’s hand solemnly.
“Not only did you cure my illness, but you saved my life!”
“Chen Deng thanks you!”
“Oh, Yuan Long, no need for thanks,” Li Yi waved his hand.
“Now that we serve Lord Liu together, we must work unitedly and support each other.”
“Since Yuan Long is in trouble, how could I stand by and do nothing?”
Chen Deng fell silent. Li Yi’s appeal to their shared loyalty was perfectly timed, firmly binding Chen Deng.
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