Chapter 289 The Divine Doctor Behind the Scenes
Gao Jianjun stood at the door, holding a black receiver with a long cord.
"The gentleman wants to speak with you."
Li Yong stared at the receiver, not moving for a long time.
Gao Jianjun handed the receiver to him. "Take it."
Li Yong reached out and took the receiver; it felt heavy.
He put the receiver to his ear, and before he could speak, a voice came through.
The voice was extremely strange; it was impossible to tell if it was male or female. The tone was flat and even, but every word was clearly audible.
"Battalion Commander Li, shrapnel damaged your kidney meridian, affecting your reproductive organs. It's been five years, hasn't it?"
Li Yong's mind went blank for a moment.
His hand holding the receiver began to tremble.
Zongjin.
He had only heard those two words from a doctor once in his life, and that was when he went to see the doctor secretly, without Zhang Lan's knowledge.
The doctor was vague at the time, saying that he had a problem there, possibly related to the injury in his lower back.
After returning home, Li Yong burned the lab report and never mentioned it again.
Even Gao Jianjun didn't know.
"You...how could you..."
The voice on the phone ignored him and continued talking.
"On cloudy days, I experience sharp pain in my lower back, and the night sweats are worst between 2 and 3 a.m. You've tried soaking safflower in wine, applying hot compresses, and getting massages, but nothing works."
Sweat immediately poured down Li Yong's back.
He had never told anyone about these things.
He tried it secretly at home without Zhang Lan knowing.
"You get up in the middle of the night to drink cold water, thinking it's because of the heat, but it's actually because of internal heat rising. You don't want to move during the day and feel tired, thinking it's because of laziness, but it's actually because of qi deficiency."
Li Yong's legs went weak, and he had to hold onto the door frame to keep from falling.
"you……"
"You feel like you're a useless person."
The voice was calm, eerily calm.
“You feel you are not good enough for Zhang Lan, so you blame her to make yourself feel better.”
Li Yong's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Gao Jianjun stood beside him, watching his pale face, wanting to ask but not daring to.
Li Yong gripped the receiver, a broken sound escaping his throat.
"It's...it's my fault."
Tears welled up in his eyes as he said those words.
"I know, it's all my fault..."
He was a grown man, squatting on the ground, crying like a child.
Gao Jianjun was dumbfounded.
He had known Li Yong for so many years and had never seen him like this before.
Li Yong lost half of his leg in the battle years ago, but he didn't utter a sound.
Now she's squatting on the ground, crying so hard her shoulders are shaking.
The voice on the phone waited until he finished crying before continuing.
"In the second stage, I will give you a prescription. Take it according to the prescription for half a month."
Li Yong wiped his face, his voice hoarse, "Okay, okay..."
"There's one more thing."
The voice paused.
"Have Zhang Lan use silver needles to prick three acupoints on your waist every day."
Li Yong was stunned.
"Wh-what?"
"Three acupoints: Shenshu, Mingmen, and Zhishi. Have her perform acupuncture."
Li Yong couldn't process it.
"But...but she can't!"
"I will teach you."
The voice remained calm.
"The method is very simple, and she can learn it."
Li Yong stood up, gripped the receiver, and his voice changed.
"No! What if I puncture the wrong spot? That's my back!"
You don't have to believe me.
The voice carried something else, not anger, but sarcasm.
"But this is all there is to your life."
哢哒.
The call ended.
Li Yong held the receiver, his hand raised in mid-air, not putting it down for a long time.
Gao Jianjun walked over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Li Yong..."
Li Yong snapped out of his daze, handed him the receiver, and his voice was weak.
"I...I'm going back."
Gao Jianjun watched him stagger out, get on his bicycle, and ride away unsteadily.
Inside the car, Su Wantang took off her headphones and turned off the voice changer.
Lu Jingyan, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to look at her.
"That was a ruthless move of yours."
Su Wantang leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed.
“If I’m not ruthless, he won’t believe me.”
Lu Jingyan reached out and took her hand.
I'm tired.
"Not tired."
Su Wantang opened her eyes and looked out the car window.
"I just feel that some people are like that; they won't turn back until they're in dire straits."
Lu Jingyan didn't speak, but simply held her hand tightly.
When Li Yong got home, it was already dark.
He pushed open the door, and Zhang Lan was cooking in the kitchen.
Hearing the noise, she turned around and glanced back.
"You're back, have you eaten?"
Li Yong stood at the door, staring at her back.
She wore a light blue shirt with a very slim waist, and her hair was tied in a ponytail, revealing her fair nape.
He had never noticed before how beautiful she was.
"not yet."
Zhang Lan turned around and walked over with the bowl in her hand.
"Then quickly wash your hands, I made your favorite beef stew with potatoes."
Li Yong walked to the table and sat down, watching her set out the bowls and chopsticks.
Her movements were very light and meticulous, taking care of every little detail perfectly.
"Lanzi".
"Um"
Zhang Lan sat down and picked up her chopsticks.
"What's wrong"
Li Yong opened his mouth, then swallowed it back.
"fine."
The two ate in silence, neither of them speaking.
After dinner, Zhang Lan cleared the dishes, while Li Yong sat on the sofa smoking.
He smoked three cigarettes, and the ashtray was full of cigarette butts.
When Zhang Lan came out after washing the dishes, she saw him sitting there in a daze.
"What's wrong today? You seem to be in a bad mood."
Li Yong looked up at her, his face blurred by the smoke.
"Lanzi, I have something to ask you."
Zhang Lan walked over and sat down.
"you say."
Li Yong stubbed out his cigarette and turned to look at her.
"If...if you were to give me acupuncture, would you dare?"
Zhang Lan was stunned.
"Needle prick"
"Um."
Li Yong stared into her eyes.
"Puncture the acupoints on the waist."
Zhang Lan was even more bewildered.
"I... I don't know how."
"I know you won't."
Li Yong's voice was strained.
"But Mr. Bai said he could teach you."
Zhang Lan sat up straight.
"That's what Mr. Bai said."
Li Yong nodded.
"He said, 'If you prick three acupoints on me every day and take medicine, it can cure me...'"
He paused, then didn't continue.
Zhang Lan looked at him, her hands clenched tightly on her knees.
"You mean, Mr. Bai wants me to give you acupuncture?"
"Um."
Zhang Lan took a deep breath.
"Then I'll learn."
Li Yong suddenly looked up.
"you……"
"I studied."
Zhang Lan looked at him with a determined gaze.
"I'm willing to learn anything as long as it can cure you."
Li Yong's Adam's apple bobbed.
"But... what if I prick the wrong person?"
Zhang Lan laughed, her eyes reddening with laughter.
"So what if it's wrong? We can just start over."
Li Yong looked at her, his chest tightening.
"Lanzi..."
Zhang Lan stood up and walked to the window.
“Li Yong, I know you’ve been feeling resentful all these years.”
She had her back to him and spoke very softly.
"You feel that you are not good enough for me, so you blame everything on me."
Li Yong lowered his head and rested his hands on his knees.
"I……"
Do you think I don't know?
Zhang Lan turned around, tears falling from her eyes.
“I know when you get up to drink water in the middle of the night. I also know when you don’t want to move during the day.”
Li Yong raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed.
"Lanzi..."
"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask."
Zhang Lan walked over and squatted down in front of him.
"But now that Mr. Bai has provided a solution, I'm going to try it."
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly.
"Li Yong, I don't care what you think, I've already decided on you."
Li Yong felt a lump in his throat and pulled her into his arms.
"sorry……"
Zhang Lan leaned on his shoulder, her tears soaking his clothes.
"Don't say sorry, let's try together, okay?"
Li Yong hugged her tightly, his voice hoarse.
"good."
The two hugged for a long time before Li Yong finally let go.
He looked at Zhang Lan's swollen eyes and reached out to wipe away her tears.
"Then... I'll go see Gao Jianjun tomorrow and ask Mr. Bai how to teach."
Zhang Lan nodded.
"Um."
Li Yong stood up, walked to the window, and lit a cigarette.
He took a drag, exhaled smoke, and stared at the night view outside the window.
Let Zhang Lan give him acupuncture.
This sounds really weird.
Can a layman like her really pinpoint the problem?
What if the needle is inserted incorrectly and a nerve is damaged?
He already had a back injury; if it gets worse, he'll be ruined.
Li Yong took a deep drag on his cigarette, his fingers gripping the butt tightly.
But Mr. Bai was so accurate.
He even knows when he drinks water in the middle of the night.
This kind of person can't possibly be a fraudster.
Li Yong stubbed out his cigarette and turned around.
Zhang Lan sat on the sofa, head down, seemingly lost in thought.
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