老殘遊記

In the bustling coastal town of Dengzhou, an itinerant healer known only as Old Càn drifts from misfortune to opportunity. Once a failed scholar from the south, he now wanders with a bell‑rattling wand, offering simple cures and a quick smile to anyone in need. When a wealthy family plagued by a mysterious, season‑bound illness hires him, his modest success buys him a night at the famous Penglai Pavilion, where sunrise and sea mist promise a brief taste of wonder.

Joined by two longtime companions, the scholarly Article Uncle and the practical Dehui, Old Càn spends the night drinking, swapping stories, and waiting for the first light over the endless waves. Their quiet awe is shattered by a massive, leaky cargo ship battling the storm, its desperate crew shouting for help. Impulsively, the trio launches a small fishing boat to intervene, only to discover that the raging crowd on the larger vessel may turn their rescue into a perilous gamble.