Just think about what kind of life was considered the most fashionable in London in 1893?
Drinking East India black tea, smoking New World tobacco, reading Conan Doyle's novels, and then taking a steam airship for a spontaneous trip.
However, those fashionable things had nothing to do with Duan Feizhuo.
While four million people in London were singing praises to the great reign of Her Majesty the Queen, Duan Feizhuo was standing on the poorest and most dilapidated street in Aberdeen, 500 kilometers away from London, being held hostage by a thin, rat-like man, his life in danger.
The rat man strangled Duan Feizhuo's neck with one hand and held a magic wand against his temple with the other, roaring: "Don't come over here! If you dare to move, I will blow this kid's head off.
" Duan Feizhuo was stunned: "Brother, I just saved your life, and you are repaying me with evil like this?"
"Shut up! Otherwise, I'll blow your head off right now.
"If I die, you'll be left without a hostage, right?"
The rat man was startled, then realized he had a point. Furious, he pointed his wand at a nearby stone.
With a deafening roar, the stone shattered into dust.
Duan Feizhuo immediately fell silent.
Is this for real?
If there really are gods, Duan Feizhuo would like to ask them how he, a prominent young man in 21st-century China, had fallen into such a state.
Three years ago, he was a promising medical student. One day, he received a scam email titled "Congratulations on receiving a million-dollar inheritance." He considered deleting the email, but he was in a boring class at the time. Since he had nothing else to do, he patiently read the email from beginning to end. The
email was written in English, and the gist was that a distant relative of Duan Feizhuo's living abroad had passed away, leaving behind a substantial inheritance and naming him as the heir.
A mischievous thought suddenly struck him: Why not pretend to be tricked and confront the scammer?
So, he clicked on the link in the email.
The next time he opened his eyes, he was transported back to the Victorian era.
Time travel these days is getting increasingly unrefined. Couldn't he at least have a truck?
The original owner of this body was Leo Chester, who lost his mother at a young age. His father, also a doctor, ran a private clinic. Not long ago, a fire razed the clinic, killing Leo's father and seriously injuring him. Duan Feizhuo's soul then took over.
He thought he would inherit his father's estate and reach the pinnacle of his life after traveling back in time, but unexpectedly, several unfortunate patients also perished in the fire. The families of the deceased blamed the doctor's careless handling of the fire and demanded hefty compensation.
After paying the families, Duan Feizhuo's inheritance was reduced to just eleven shillings.
He had little idea of the purchasing power of the British pound in that era, but he had read the Sherlock Holmes novels. At the beginning of A Study in Scarlet, Watson explains that his daily income was eleven shillings and sixpence.
In other words, Duan Feizhuo's entire possessions were about the same as someone else's daily wage, but sixpence less.
...How could he survive?
He was homeless, and the few coins in his pocket couldn't even afford a hotel, so he could only live in the most run-down, poorest
neighborhood in Aberdeen.
He rented a house in the neighborhood - Muddy Street.
Muddy Street is dark and dilapidated, full of filth and dirt, a rotten sore in this bright and beautiful city. But it is indispensable, just like even the most magnificent palace needs a trash can. Muddy Street collects the garbage discarded by other parts of the city: all the poor people who are not worthy of living in the sun.
Duan Feizhuo has lived in this trash can for three years.
His only means of making a living is his medical knowledge. Although he only went to college for more than a year and his clinical experience is basically zero, fortunately, his main customers - the residents of Muddy Street are not picky.
These poor people at the bottom of society can hardly make ends meet for their daily living expenses. When they get sick, they can only leave it to fate and will never see a doctor unless their lives are in danger. Duan Feizhuo's arrival is like a blessing from heaven for them. They couldn't afford much medical expenses, and Duan Feizhuo was embarrassed to charge them more, so he only charged a few shillings for each consultation, sometimes even nothing at all
. Unknowingly, he, an unlicensed black doctor, had become a well-known "miracle doctor" on Mud Street. It was ironic.
Let's go back to the morning of this tragic day.
It was a foggy morning, and before the sun had fully risen, Duan Feizhuo was awakened by a deafening knock on the door.
"Doctor! Please open the door, doctor! My father..."
Duan Feizhuo put on a patched coat and yawned as he opened the door.
Standing outside was a petite girl, her face flushed and tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
"Doctor, please come to my house! My father... he..."
Duan Feizhuo pressed his hand: "Ruth, calm down, talk slowly."
The girl choked up: "When he was unloading, a container came loose and fell on him. His leg..."
Before she could finish, Duan Feizhuo had put on his coat, returned to his room, and pulled out a medicine box from under the bed.
"Let's go."
The girl nodded hurriedly and led the way in front of him.
Ruth Roberts lived at the other end of Muddy Street. When Duan Feizhuo arrived at her house, a large number of people were already gathered outside the dilapidated little house. Some were residents of Muddy Street, while others were airport terminal stevedores in work clothes - Ruth's father's coworkers.
Seeing Duan Feizhuo, they automatically made way to both sides like Moses parting the Red Sea.
"It's Dr. Chester!
" "The doctor is coming! Make way! Make way!" Duan Feizhuo
pushed the door open and walked in. The small room was darkly lit. Ruth's father, Mr. Roberts, was lying on the bed, covered with a thin blanket. The lower half of the blanket had been soaked deep red with blood. Mrs. Roberts sat at the head of the bed, sobbing. Her ten-year-old son, Edward, held her arm, saying nothing, his face solemn and inappropriate for his age.
Mrs. Roberts stood up, tears welling up on her face: "Doctor, please save my husband..."
Duan Feizhuo threw back the blanket. Mr. Roberts groaned in pain. His right leg from the knee down was almost a pile of flesh, and it was impossible to tell where the bones were and where the muscles were. Someone had bandaged him briefly, but the bandaging technique was really not satisfactory.
"Has he received treatment?" Duan Feizhuo asked.
Ruth nodded with tears in her eyes: "Dr. Stone of Dock Street took a brief look, but he is a lion.
It's a big mouth. We can't afford the medical expenses, so we had to carry Dad back home..."
"This leg can't be saved." Duan Feizhuo said, "It must be amputated."
Mrs. Roberts gasped and almost fainted. "Can't you think of a way?"
Antibiotics had not been invented in this era. If it is delayed any longer, the whole leg will be infected, and then Mr. Roberts will die. Amputation at least has the possibility of saving his life.
Mr. Roberts on the bed slowly opened his eyes. He endured the severe pain and said to his wife and daughter: "You all listen to the doctor
!" His wife's eyes were full of tears: "But if you have an amputation, you will..."
Mr. Roberts forced a smile: "I am very lucky. At least I was not killed on the spot like the other two people. Even if it is amputated, I can get a mechanical prosthesis in the future..."
A loader walked into the room and handed Duan Feizhuo a small leather bag that jingled. Duan Feizhuo opened the leather bag and saw that it was full of coins, all of which were one-pence and two-pence copper coins.
"Doctor, this is something we coworkers put together. Please make sure Roberts gets treated.
" Duan Feizhuo pulled the drawstring on the leather bag. "What did your foreman say? No compensation?"
the stevedore spat. "That bastard said the loose container was all due to the workers' negligence. He also said we're lucky we didn't have to pay for the damaged goods. We reported the aging of the ropes a long time ago, but the higher-ups didn't take it seriously. After all, even if something happened, they wouldn't be the ones to die..."
"Humph. Capitalism." Duan Feizhuo snorted and opened the medical kit. "All of you get out. I need surgery." "
The operation lasted two hours. Because there was no anesthetic, Mr. Roberts had to endure the pain and saw off his bloody leg in a conscious state. That morning, his screams could be heard throughout Muddy Street. But for Muddy Street, this sound was just an everyday concerto. The street was not short of suffering people.
After the operation, Duan Feizhuo washed his bloody hands in a bucket of water. Mr. Roberts had fainted. Duan Feizhuo was about to ask his family to come in, but he heard a low voice coming from outside the door.
"...Mom, I've thought about it. I want to go out and make money. The owner of the Peacock Bar said that if I go to her..."
"No! I will never allow my daughter to do that kind of flesh trade
" "But Dad will not be able to work in the future. Is our family going to starve?"
"Sister, don't worry, I'll be eleven soon and can go to the factory. I will make a lot of money
" "Yes, Ruth, as long as our family works together, what difficulties can't be overcome? "
Duan Feizhuo pushed the door open and walked out. Seeing this, Ruth's family immediately stopped talking and stared at the ground with their own thoughts.
"The operation is over." He said, pretending not to hear the family's argument just now.
He briefly explained a few post-operative precautions, and Ruth nodded as she listened. In order to hide her embarrassment in front of her family, she stammered, "Doctor, let me take you home. "
She took the initiative to pick up Duan Feizhuo's medical box, and the two walked side by side to the other end of Muddy Street.
The city was gradually waking up in the morning light. Although Aberdeen is not as prosperous as London, it is also one of the largest cities in the north. The residents of Muddy Street poured into the streets and started their day's work. Although they were poor, their vitality was no less than those gentlemen and ladies living in luxurious communities.
When they arrived at the door, Duan Feizhuo took out the small purse given to him by the dock worker and put it in Ruth's palm.
Ruth was panicked: "This is for your medical fee.
You need it more than I do."
"No! Doctor, you have worked so hard, this is what you deserve . Duan
Feizhuo forced her palm closed: "Then consider it as a loan from me. It's not too late to return it to me when your father gets better and can work."
Ruth's eyes reddened, and she turned her back and wiped her cheek with the corner of her clothes.
"Thank you, Dr. Chester. "She sniffed.
Duan Feizhuo took the medical kit, said goodbye to the girl, and went back into the house.
He never locked the door. Because his house was bare, even thieves would not bother to patronize this doghouse.
Just after putting down the medical kit, Duan Feizhuo keenly felt a cold breath coming from behind.
Someone hid in the house while he was out.
A hoarse male voice sounded from behind: "Are you the best doctor on this street?"
Duan Feizhuo pondered for a moment and said: "Considering that I am the only doctor on this street, I guess so."
"My companion is injured. Please treat him."
"What if I say no?"
A flying knife swept across Duan Feizhuo's cheek, cut off a few hairs, and nailed to the opposite wall, three inches into the wood.
Duan Feizhuo turned around and said righteously and vigorously: "Please spare my life, sir!"