Chapter 853: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 853: The Bamboo Pit Viper Strikes (2)
Shen Ji abruptly lifted his head, hope flashing in his eyes. “Will this water help Miss Liu? Use it on her first!”
Without hesitation, he stepped aside, though his hand remained firmly pressed three inches above Liu Tinglan’s wound to slow the venom’s spread.
“Rinse your mouth immediately. If you accidentally swallowed any venom, you’d leave Sister Lan burdened with guilt for the rest of her life,” Mo Yan admonished as she shoved the water flask into Shen Ji’s hands. Her fingers pressed a key acupoint on Liu Tinglan’s arm, her tone severe.
Shen Ji hesitated, his gaze instinctively darting toward Liu Tinglan. When he met her tear-filled, guilt-ridden eyes, his expression shifted. After a moment of inner struggle, he finally took the flask.
Mo Yan tied a cloth tightly around the acupoint she was pressing, then carefully took Liu Tinglan’s pulse. After examining the wound, she let out a small sigh of relief. The situation wasn’t as dire as she had feared. As she cleaned the wound with a steady stream of purified spring water, she asked, “Did you catch a good look at the snake that bit you?”
Liu Tinglan was about to shake her head when Shen Ji spoke first. “The snake was bright green all over. It must have been a bamboo pit viper.”
The atmosphere instantly shifted. Bamboo pit viper! The crowd paled at the name.
In this era, snakes were either venomous or non-venomous, with a simple distinction: venomous bites caused swelling and discharged dark, toxic blood, just like Liu Tinglan’s injury. Without modern antivenom, remedies were few and often unreliable. Some methods, distorted over time, had devolved into superstitions—like drinking alcohol to cure snakebites.
As a result, many victims of snakebites, which might not have been fatal with proper care, lost their lives due to delayed or improper treatment. Even those who survived the venom often endured excruciating pain, and few were strong enough to withstand it.
Hearing that it was a highly venomous bamboo pit viper, the crowd was understandably alarmed. This also made Shen Ji’s earlier actions even more extraordinary. While some knew that promptly sucking out the venom could save lives, they also knew of cases where both the bitten and the rescuer perished. Unless it was a matter of blood ties, few would risk their lives to help another. Shen Ji’s decision revealed a depth of emotion that the elders in the group were beginning to grasp.
Mo Yan, however, seemed less perturbed. “Sister Lan,” she reassured Liu Tinglan gently, “don’t worry. While the bamboo pit viper is venomous, timely treatment can prevent any serious harm. I have a method to neutralize the venom, but it will be painful. Bear with me, alright?”
The bamboo pit viper’s venom was potent, but in Mo Yan’s previous life, fatalities from such bites were rare if treated promptly. However, delaying treatment could indeed be life-threatening, with outcomes varying based on individual constitution.
Liu Tinglan looked at Mo Yan’s composed face and felt her fear subside. Nodding firmly, she said, “Yan Yan, do whatever you need to do. Compared to losing my life, a little pain is nothing. I can handle it.”
The crowd began to calm as well. They trusted Mo Yan’s expertise, knowing she was not one to make baseless claims. If she said she had a solution, she would deliver.
“Yan Yan…” Madam Liu clutched Mo Yan’s arm tightly, her voice trembling with emotion. She wanted to speak but could only manage incoherent sounds.
Mo Yan understood Madam Liu’s desperation. With a patient smile, she reassured her, “Auntie, Sister Lan will be fine. You have my word.”
Madam Liu, tears streaming down her face, nodded repeatedly and reluctantly let go, not wanting to delay the treatment.
Mo Yan wasted no time. She instructed Li Xiu to untie the pouch at her waist and handed over the cord. Using it, she secured Liu Tinglan’s arm tightly above the acupoint she had pressed earlier. Under the cover of her sleeve, Mo Yan discreetly retrieved a sharp dagger from her space.
With precision, she made two cuts on the wound—one horizontal and one vertical—forming a cross shape to allow the venom to drain more effectively.
(End of Chapter)
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