Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 285 Su Shi, High in Fighting Spirit

"Brother Lu is actually skilled in traditional Chinese medicine?"

Su Zhe asked in confusion.

"I wouldn't dare say it's a sure thing, but I just happen to know some effective methods."

Lu Beigu said, "The worst thing about diarrhea and dysentery is dehydration and loss of vital energy. My method is simple and can help the body recover faster and suffer less from weakness. If Brother Zizhan has just had a common stomach upset, you may want to give it a try."

Upon hearing this, Su Xun's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

Although he was skeptical of Lu Beigu's "medical skills," logically speaking, even if drinking some salt and sugar water didn't do anything wrong, it shouldn't cause any harm.

Moreover, with his eldest son Su Shi currently ill and the competition he had arranged with the scholars from Fujian imminent, Lu Beigu's offer of assistance was undoubtedly a timely help, and it was difficult to refuse.

"In that case, I'll trouble you!"

Su Xun stood up and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting to Lu Beigu.

“Mr. Mingyun, you flatter me.” Lu Beigu quickly returned the greeting. “There’s no time to lose. Shall we set off now? If we linger too long, we’ll disturb the peace of the Zhang family’s residence.”

"Exactly that."

Su Xun nodded, then said to the steward outside, "Please inform Master Zhang later that we are taking our leave and will visit again another day to learn from you."

The steward, clearly acting on Zhang Fangping's instructions, bowed and replied, "The master has already given instructions; please make yourselves at home."

The three of them did not linger any longer and, led by the steward, walked out along the path they had come from.

Passing through several courtyards, the chilly air of late winter enveloped us again, creating a stark contrast with the cozy warmth inside the heated pavilion.

Lu Beigu loosened his green fur cloak slightly.

After leaving the Zhang residence, Lu Beigu invited them onto the mule cart of the Imperial Academy, and they headed towards the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Inside the carriage, Su Zhe couldn't help but ask again, "Brother Lu, are those Zhang Heng and Zhang Dun, uncle and nephew, really that formidable? Even you find them troublesome?"

Lu Beigu leaned against the carriage wall, feeling the bumps of the wheels, and pondered, "Lin Xiwen is well-known. He is quick-witted and sharp-tongued, and is not someone to be trifled with. But the Zhang uncle and nephew are even more formidable. Zhang Heng's scholarship is profound, probably only comparable to Liu Ji. As for Zhang Dun, although he is younger, he is decisive and has a sharp edge."

"However, Brother Su need not worry too much. As the saying goes, there is no first place in literature, but there is no second place in martial arts. On-the-spot performance and the suitability of the topic are crucial. Moreover, in this competition, the opponent intends to belittle the culture and education of our Shu region. They are arrogant and overbearing. We only need to deal with it calmly and use our upright writing to show the spirit of the scholars of Shu. Even if the result is not satisfactory, we may not lose our momentum."

Seeing Su Zhe's slightly solemn expression, Lu Beigu comforted him, "Besides, there's also Brother Zizhan. As long as he's healthy, with his boundless and unrestrained talent, it's still uncertain who will emerge victorious!"

He deliberately brought up Su Shi, both to boost morale and to express his true feelings.

Su Shi's unconventional inspiration often resulted in strokes of genius or even whimsical genius that could turn the tide of a situation.

Upon hearing this, Su Zhe's tense nerves relaxed somewhat, and pride in his elder brother's talent reappeared on his face: "Brother Lu is absolutely right! Once my elder brother recovers, with his help and Brother Lu's support, we will definitely let Lin Xi and the others know the brilliance of our Shu culture!"

As they were talking, the donkey cart stopped at the side gate of the Xiangguo Temple.

This place is not far from Zhang Fangping's residence, and it is the place where the Su family stayed in Tokyo.

Lu Beigu jumped off the mule cart and followed Su Xun and his son through the side gate of the temple.

The courtyard where they stayed was small, but it was kept quite clean, and there was a faint smell of herbs in the air.

"Father, Ziyou, you're back?" A slightly weak voice came from the west wing.

They lifted the curtain and entered the west wing.

The room was small and simply furnished, with a bed, a desk piled high with books and manuscripts covered in writing, and a small table next to it with a half-eaten bowl of brown medicine that smelled bitter.

Lying on the bed inside was a young man covered with a thick quilt, his face somewhat pale; it was Su Shi.

Even when he was ill, the open and carefree spirit between his brows remained undiminished.

At this moment, Su Shi was inevitably somewhat listless. When he saw Lu Beigu, his eyes first showed surprise, and then burst forth with great joy.

"Brother Lu?! Oh my! It really is you!"

"Brother Zizhan, it's been a long time!"

Su Shi propped himself up on the bed with one hand and grabbed Lu Beigu's arm with the other, shaking it excitedly: "I've missed you so much! Ever since we parted at Hejiang, every time I think of you, I feel my stomach rumbling and my mouth watering! Although Tokyo is big and has many delicious foods, it always feels like something is missing. Just a few days ago, I was thinking about recreating a few dishes from the 'Records of Sichuan Cuisine,' but who would have thought..."

He lowered his hand, rubbing his stomach somewhat embarrassedly: "My skills are lacking, and I've managed to knock myself down!"

Lu Beigu was amused by his rapid-fire words and undisguised enthusiasm for food, and he also truly felt Su Shi's childlike heart.

"Looks like you haven't quite mastered the sage's teaching of 'a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen' yet?" "Haha, even the words of a sage have their time!"

Su Shi laughed loudly, then his stomach twitched, and he grimaced and cried out, "Ouch!"

Su Xun, watching from the side, was both amused and annoyed, and scolded, "You don't even know how to behave when you're sick!"

"Brother Zizhan, if you are feeling weak, please lie down and talk first."

Lu Beigu gestured for him to lie back down on the bed and rest, and then carefully inquired about his symptoms.

Su Shi answered this question in detail and showed the doctor's prescription.

Lu Beigu didn't really understand the Chinese medicine prescriptions, but Su Shi's symptoms were very helpful in diagnosing his illness.

—Su Shi mainly suffered from abdominal pain and diarrhea, which occurred frequently, and felt mentally exhausted, but he did not have any acute symptoms such as high fever or vomiting.

This is basically consistent with Lu Beigu's guess that the symptoms of dysentery were caused by bacterial food poisoning or acute gastroenteritis.

"It's not a big problem, but the lost water and salt need to be replenished in time."

Having made up his mind, Lu Beigu asked Su Zhe beside him, "Could you please ask the monks in the temple to fetch some warm water and prepare some fine salt? If you have maltose or rock sugar, that would be best. If not, ordinary cane sugar will also be fine."

Su Zhe looked at Su Xun, and seeing his father nod, he agreed and left.

Su Shi looked at Lu Beigu with curiosity.

Although Su Xun did not speak, his eyes were filled with inquiry.

Lu Beigu explained, "Frequent diarrhea leads to excessive loss of body fluids, causing weakness and fatigue. Simply drinking water is not very effective and may even dilute the already scarce salt in the body. Therefore, it is necessary to add an appropriate amount of salt and sugar to the water. Salt can replenish the lost salt, while sugar can help the body absorb and utilize the water more quickly. Although this method is simple and easy to obtain, the effect is immediate."

Before long, Su Zhe brought a large bowl of warm water, a small dish of salt, and a few pieces of yellowish-brown sugar.

Lu Beigu took a clean teacup, poured in warm water, and then carefully used chopsticks to add a small amount of salt to the water. After tasting it and finding the saltiness to be just right, he added a small piece of cane sugar and stirred until it was completely dissolved.

"Brother Zizhan, drink it slowly while it's still warm. If you feel better, have another bowl."

Lu Beigu handed the prepared lightly salted and sugared water to Su Shi.

Su Shi took the bowl with some skepticism, looked at the clear liquid inside, then at Lu Beigu's determined gaze, and finally tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

This stuff tastes weird, both salty and sweet, it definitely doesn't taste good.

"How are you feeling?" Su Zhe asked with concern.

Su Shi smacked his lips and carefully considered the sensation: "Hmm, nothing particularly special, it's just that my stomach doesn't feel as empty and uneasy anymore?"

“That’s right.” Lu Beigu nodded. “Keep drinking, slowly, finish this bowl first.”

Then he instructed Su Zhe: "Today, make this water your main source of nutrition and drink several bowls. Your meals should also be light, just drink some rice porridge. Avoid greasy and meaty foods for now."

Su Shi followed the instructions and sipped the wine in small sips. After finishing the whole bowl, he seemed to feel a little more refreshed.

He put down his bowl, looked at Lu Beigu, his eyes full of surprise: "This method is truly unheard of, yet it seems to make some sense! It's much better than that bitter medicine!"

"As long as it works."

Lu Beigu smiled, then changed the subject and brought up the important matter: "But Brother Zizhan, you'd better get well soon. Tomorrow, the eighth day, there's a tough battle that will affect the reputation of Sichuan's education and culture, and you'll be in charge!"

Su Zhe quickly relayed Lu Beigu's assessment of the Zhang family's strength.

Previously, Lin Xi and Su Zhe had a dispute at the literary meeting.

However, the three Sus did not know the strength of the two Zhangs, only that they were from Fujian like Lin Xi.

Su Shi initially frowned as he listened, but upon finishing, a competitive glint suddenly lit up in his eyes, and the sharp spirit that had been slightly dampened by illness was instantly ignited.

"Zhang Heng? Zhang Dun?"

Su Shi suddenly sat up straight, his pale face flushed red: "Good! Very good! I was just feeling bored on this sickbed, and such an interesting thing has come to my door! Lin Xi is arrogant and disrespectful to the culture and education of my Shu region. Since Brother Lu praises the Zhang uncle and nephew so highly, they must be extraordinary people! How can I, Su Zizhan, be absent from tomorrow's literary battle!"

—Lu Beigu’s extremely high praise for the Zhang family uncle and nephew ironically became a provocation that stirred up Su Shi’s competitive spirit.

He became more and more excited as he spoke, as if his pain had lessened considerably. He turned to Lu Beigu and said, "Brother Lu, don't worry! With your method, after another night's sleep, I'll be full of energy tomorrow! I'm determined to have a good showdown with them and see if their 'sharpness' can outsharp my pen!"

(End of this chapter)