Chapter 3, unable to even speak a word
With both arms straining to support himself against the ground, he struggled to sit up a bit straighter and responded loudly in Chinese, regardless of what the other party had just asked, whether he understood it or not
"I apologize for the inconvenience! (I hope the master is well)" Before he could observe more, the figure in the black round hat clasped his hands in front of his chest and once again extended a greeting to him
Heavenly Father, do you not have eyes! I merely glanced at my phone while walking! A wailing sound echoed in my mind. At this moment, Zhang Qian knew that he had indeed crossed over
The dizziness caused by fatigue prevented him from carefully pondering what the other person was saying. Staggering a step, he struggled to support himself against an old elm tree with his left hand
When the other party speaks, their left hand rests gently on top of their right hand, forming a light embrace. This is the gesture of clasping fists, a standard greeting etiquette of ancient Chinese people
Two individuals wearing round hats each sport a pair of mid-top boots, while the remaining six are uniformly clad in cloth shoes. Moreover, the style of the cloth shoes is exceedingly unattractive, being twice as unsightly as the old cotton shoes that Zhang Qian observed during his summer teaching stint in the countryside of Qinghai in his junior year.
The blue-capped doctor remained deaf to his pleas, once again slowly extending his hand, gently caressing the area around the wound with his filthy fingers, as if he were touching an invaluable treasure.
However, in less than twenty seconds, he could no longer feel happy
He is applying medicine to me, he is applying medicine to me! He is doing it out of good intentions, out of good intentions! In ancient times, the land was vast and the population sparse, there were no infectious diseases, no infectious diseases! One must not hit the doctor, hitting the doctor will lead to misfortune! Zhang Qian is trying hard to calm himself down in his heart, to avoid raising his fist and striking the face of the person who is applying medicine to him.
"It's over, I've encountered a pervert! Oh heavens, what grudge do I have against you?!" Although there was still a layer of denim between him and the other person's fingers, more goosebumps began to rise in rows on Zhang Qian's body.
Taking a deep breath, he concentrated the last bit of strength remaining in his entire body on his left leg, while quietly aiming his knee at the tip of the "perverted doctor"'s nose.
As a liberal arts student, Zhang Qian clearly remembers Confucius's saying, "If it were not for Guan Zhong, I would have to wear my hair down and my clothes reversed!" This is not because he harbors any Han-centric sentiments, but rather because the limited historical knowledge in his mind informs him that in ancient times, agricultural civilizations had more abundant food, healthier living habits, and at least traditional Chinese medicine available for illnesses, rather than resorting to simple bloodletting or shamanistic practices.
The blue-capped doctor could not understand his words and did not pay attention to listen. His gaze was fixated on the area around the wound, unwilling to move even a fraction.
Evading was futile! Four pieces of cloth supported him, enough to offset the little strength he had just regained. In the next moment, the fragrant scent of the medicinal powder and the foul odor simultaneously invaded his nostrils
It was still a case of talking at cross purposes, but the expression and actions of this person made Zhang Qian believe that he meant no harm. Struggling to sit up a bit straighter, Zhang Qian placed his left hand over his right hand and gently embraced them, saying, "It's nothing! Thank you!"
... ...
Hey! Using the last bit of strength, Zhang Qian pushed against the tree root, turning his head and upper body forty-five degrees, shifting from a position akin to a dog eating excrement to a relaxed posture reminiscent of Ge You's slouch.
"I apologize for the inconvenience... (Is it possible for the master to be injured?)" Seeing that Zhang Qian's behavior had finally returned to some normalcy, the black round hat lowered its head from the horse's back, while continuing to loudly inquire as it assessed the clothing on Zhang Qian's body
Although he had vaguely prepared himself for this moment, upon seeing the soldiers in their uniforms, he was still struck with a sense of despair and disorientation
The rough bark of the old elm tree scraped against his palm, bringing a sharp sting of pain. However, it also effectively slowed his fall, at least preventing his face from making direct contact with the ground
Just as Zhang Qian was curious about what those ash-gray powders were, Lan Yuanmao had already refilled the gourd, hurried back to his side in a few quick steps, lowered his head, and spat twice forcefully onto the gray powder, "Pah, pah!" Immediately after, in a swift motion, he smeared the mixture of saliva and gray powder onto his wound
The reinforcements, arriving late, numbered eight in total. They all rode horses, yet the disparity in their ranks was immediately apparent
This caused his heart, which had been plummeting, to finally make contact with the bottom of the abyss. It was not ten thousand fathoms deep; at most, it was only two or three thousand fathoms.
Two individuals wearing round hats are dressed in ochre long robes, while the remaining six are all clad in grayish-blue long coats and grayish-blue trousers
Ah—" Zhang Qian shouted as he dodged, his vision once again fading to black. It was not due to pain, but rather because of the actions of the other party.
"Hiss—" The sudden movement tugged at the wound on his thigh, causing Zhang Qian to gasp in pain.
This statement was not directed at Zhang Qian, but rather at the blue-capped individuals and those in cloth headscarves beside him. As the words fell, all except for the two who were riding horses along the mountain path on guard duty dismounted, and in a hurried manner, they approached Zhang Qian in threes and twos, collectively assisting him to his feet
Please take a break, I can handle it myself, myself! Zhang Qian, fearing that he would use new tricks to "treat" his wound, quickly lowered his voice a few notches and negotiated with the other party in a pleading tone
The kind-hearted doctor in the blue round hat had no idea that his nose was almost smashed by the patient. With his dirty fingers, he touched each of Zhang Qian's three wounds and loudly made a judgment
The gray-green long gowns worn by the cloth headscarves all feature right-side overlaps and extend beyond the knees. This discovery reassured him considerably.
I didn't ... ... '' The response was only two words, which got stuck in Zhang Qian's throat. Zhang Qian's eyes instantly widened uncontrollably, and his heart felt as if it were filled with mercury, continuously plummeting downwards, downwards, downwards, until it fell into an abyss!
Among them, only two individuals wore peculiar round hats, one black and one blue. The remaining six all had a grayish cloth scarf atop their heads
Although he has traveled through time, at least he is still in China, on Earth, and he should encounter Han people. He has not crossed over to an alien planet that has no connection to him, nor has he encountered headhunting tribes or cannibals
Ah, ah, it's nothing, I'm fine!" Zhang Qian's soul was swiftly pulled back by the other party's words and actions
"It's nothing, I'm fine. I'm just a bit exhausted, a short rest will do!" He felt very uncomfortable with the sensation of being cared for, and Zhang Qian blushed as he waved his hand. However, his words might be completely incomprehensible to the women in headscarves. They simply supported him under the armpits and at the back, forcibly lifting him up from the ground.
Puh... Zhang Qianqiang suppressed his laughter and quickly shifted his gaze from the back of the blue round hat to the cloth headscarf beside him
Beneath the headscarf, there is hair matted with dust, twisted into a bun resembling a steamed bun, with a wooden stick resembling a twisted oil-fried dough stick inserted horizontally in the center
It's nothing, really nothing, just a superficial injury, a superficial injury! Zhang Qian felt goosebumps all over his body and raised his voice to emphasize.
Still in a very awkward situation, but at least it allows him to lift his head and offer a polite smile to the reinforcements
The blue round hat took a gourd from under the saddle, pulled out the cork, and immediately poured a kind of earth gray powder into the palm of his left hand
This voice is more effective than all the polite words spoken before. The cloth-covered heads immediately slowed their movements. The guy wearing the blue round hat quickly took three steps towards his own mount. In the moment he turned around, two short hat wings emerged from behind the round hat, bobbing up and down like the ears of two rabbits
The man in the black round hat did not understand what he was saying, but he clearly saw his cupped fist salute. On his weary face, a friendly smile immediately blossomed, "@ # Sorry # @ # # & % ... ... (Great, the master is fine)"
"Apologies, no offense & # ! ( Master, do not panic ) '' On the back of the horse, someone shouted, and the sound was very similar to Chinese, yet Zhang Qian understood not a single word.
I apologize for the inconvenience, Master, please do not panic. We have come specifically to rescue you
Zhang Qian had seen this in a television drama before! During high school, there was a year when a plague was rampant, and there were people in society who attempted to promote this custom to avoid the spread of viruses during handshakes
Human Tiger, Human Road, kill Zhao Wei, with a high spirit # @ # ... ... '' (Ren Five, Ren Six, survey the surroundings, to prevent ... ) Reinforcements continued to shout as they approached, their movements extremely decisive and agile. Halfway through, two individuals rode away from the group, one to the left and one to the right, searching the grass and woods on both sides of the mountain path.