Chapter 147 Hope

Jiang Ning looked up and saw that the room was filled with old-fashioned wooden furniture. At the far end of the room was a wooden bed, and an old man was sitting on the headboard.

He Tingdong led his men over, his face full of apology, and said, "Dad, you've really misunderstood me. I'll serve you comfortably for the rest of my life."

He had just said a few words to the old man because he saw that the old man was unwilling to drink his medicine, but he didn't expect the old man to get angry so easily.

He couldn't help but sigh. The old man was once a spirited general, capable of riding warhorses and wielding steel spears, but in the end, he could only spend his days lying in bed.

The illness prevented him from mounting the warhorse that carried him across the battlefield, and from picking up the steel spear to aim at the enemy. Over time, his personality became increasingly eccentric.

The old man wasn't so angry anymore when he saw his son back down. He still turned his head and snorted coldly, "Hmph."

He Tingdong immediately said, "Dad, Xiao Jin has come to see you, and she brought a doctor to check on your illness."

Upon hearing this, the proud old man turned his head and immediately saw Xu Jin.

He beckoned, and Xu Jin walked over and sat down by the bed. The old man said, "Xiao Jin, what are you doing bringing a doctor here again? Do you always come to poke at my heart every time?"

Since he fell ill, he has seen many doctors, but none of them have been able to cure his illness.

Moreover, in the past two years, the illness has become more and more serious. First, my legs gradually became weak and lost sensation, and now it has started to spread upwards.

He has no hope now, but living like this is torture for him.

He was fine at first when he got sick, but as he gradually became unable to stand up, his mindset began to change. Even when he tried to control his emotions, he couldn't help but speak harshly to his family.

Xu Jin naturally acted coquettishly towards her elders, "Grandpa He, this doctor is very different. I can't guarantee anything, but you should at least let the doctor take a look."

Hearing Xu Jin's words, Old Master He finally nodded.

Seeing the old man nod, Xu Jin immediately made way for Jiang Ning and pulled her to sit down in the spot she had just been sitting in.

When Grandpa He saw Jiang Ning, he was stunned for a moment, and then he completely lost hope. So many doctors who were called authorities and even those who said they had studied abroad all made a lot of noise at first, but in the end, they could only shake their heads when they saw his illness.

It's completely useless.

He could scoff at doctors who made exaggerated claims, but he couldn't bring himself to be cold to a young girl. He noticed that Jiang Ning had nothing with her, whereas the doctors who used to come to see him always brought strange things to examine her.

He asked in confusion, "Young man, how do you plan to treat me?"

Jiang Ning said, "Grandpa, please put your hand out."

Grandpa He could still move his upper body, so he stretched out his hand after hearing this.

Jiang Ning reached out and felt his pulse.

This action surprised Old Master He for a moment, as this method of pulse diagnosis is a traditional Chinese medicine technique.

Western medicine uses all sorts of strange instruments to perform various tests, but the results often don't reveal anything definitive.

After a few minutes, even Jiang Ning's expression gradually became serious.

Jiang Ning lifted the blanket and pressed on Old Master He's leg. "Can you still feel anything?"

Mr. He truthfully replied, "There is more, but sometimes I wake up after a nap and have no feeling at all, but sometimes I recover a little."

Jiang Ning continued, "Do the muscles in your legs sometimes tense and sometimes relax?"

Grandpa He nodded. "Yes."

Having asked this many questions, she had basically confirmed the situation of Mr. He.

Jiang Ning then asked, "Do you usually have difficulty speaking or making sounds? Also, do you have trouble swallowing food?"

Originally, Mr. He did have some doubts about the medical skills of such a young girl, but now she was able to describe his symptoms simply by taking his pulse and looking at his leg.

However, the subsequent symptoms never appeared.

"I can speak, but sometimes when I eat, my mouth feels weak, and I can only eat liquids. Is there any way to cure this condition?"

He had initially given up hope, but seeing the little girl's appearance, a glimmer of hope rose in his heart.

"You have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which has no cure. You will die from this disease in at least 3-5 years. Your muscles will gradually atrophy until you can no longer speak and have difficulty eating."

The old man, He Tingdong, and Xu Jin all looked at Jiang Ning in astonishment. They were surprised because the illness Jiang Ning described was one they had never heard of before.

Jiang Ning knew what they were surprised about; the disease was commonly known as ALS, a term that was not yet widely used in this era.

Xu Jin knew the severity of muscular dystrophy. She consulted many neurologists to examine Grandpa He, but the conclusions were that they could start preparing for his passing within the next two years.

However, no one dared to say that Mr. He would be completely paralyzed in bed due to muscular atrophy in the future.

He Tingdong also lowered his head in distress.

Jiang Ning suddenly said, "Although there is no way to completely cure it, I can help extend the old man's lifespan."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jin and He Tingdong immediately looked up at Jiang Ning in surprise. He Tingdong couldn't help but ask, "How much longer can it... be?"

He thought to himself that even if it was only for a year or two, it would allow them to fulfill their filial duties more often.

Jiang Ning said, "Ten years, I can guarantee that the old man will live for ten years."

"Dr. Jiang, is what you're saying true?" He Tingdong, an elder, was so excited that he used honorifics.

Jiang Ning understood the other person's feelings, and she patiently explained, "Don't worry, since I dared to make a promise, I will definitely keep it."

“Okay, okay, okay!”

The other party excitedly said "good" three times in a row.

Even Xu Jin looked at Jiang Ning excitedly, and Jiang Ning gave her a reassuring look.

Only the patient, Mr. He, remained calm. He looked at Jiang Ning and said, "You are the most honest doctor I have ever seen."

"But if I'm made to lie in bed like a useless piece of trash, I'd rather not live for the next ten years. I'm not going to get treatment for this disease. That's it."

Upon hearing this, He Tingdong's expression changed, and he immediately knelt down by the bedside, pleading, "Dad, please stay with us a little longer."

However, Jiang Ning suddenly said to Grandpa He, "Grandpa, for most of these past ten years, I could have helped you stand up again. Would you still be willing to undergo treatment?"

[PS: The medical information was all from Baidu. The plot is slightly exaggerated, so please don't take it too seriously! Subsequent treatments were also researched, but since this is not professional advice, please just enjoy it! Remember to treat it as a fictional story. If you are a professional in this field, please be gentle with your criticism.]