Chapter 97 Your acupuncture technique is truly miraculous…
The sky was exceptionally clear after the rain, and the moonlight shone down on the world without any obstruction, also streaming into the room through the window.
Lu Xiaoqi tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, so she got up and flung open the curtains. The bright moonlight instantly filled the entire room.
She felt distressed just thinking about Zhang Zhongjing's wish.
Immediately after Zhang Zhongjing finished speaking, she received a notification from the system:
"Player, please fulfill the wish of SSR character Zhang Zhongjing: 'Heal an epidemic using traditional Chinese medicine.' After completion, Zhang Zhongjing's life form will solidify, and the player will receive a 'Ancient Town Air Purification System' fragment (1/2)."
"After fulfilling his wish, Zhang Zhongjing will gain the special ability 'Plague Repelled'."
This capability can be applied to the entire Qinghe Ancient Town, significantly reducing the spread of plagues and viruses. Lu Xiaoqi immediately realized that if it could complement the "Ancient Town Air Purification System," it would be the ultimate barrier against epidemics.
A royal flush!
Zhang Zhongjing sighed for a long time, repeatedly saying that if he had had this special ability back then, his relatives and friends would have been able to survive the plague.
That very night, even the usually restrained healer got drunk.
Only then did everyone realize that Zhang Zhongjing, who had always appeared kind and gentle, harbored a deep and indelible regret in his heart.
It's not hard to understand why he had such a wish.
But!
Lu Xiaoqi sat on the edge of the bed and sighed heavily, "This wish is so hard, so very hard..."
First, there must be an epidemic; second, Zhang Zhongjing must be deeply involved in, or even lead, the treatment; and finally, it must be successful.
Compared to Zhao Feiyan's wish, its difficulty was even greater.
At that moment, the phone lit up.
She picked it up and saw it was from Su Jun: "Still not asleep?"
Lu Xiaoqi: [How did you know?]
Su Jun: [I know you're still thinking about Doctor Zhang's wish?]
Lu Xiaoqi: [Hmm...] Then replied with a rolling emoji: [This is too difficult!]
After a long period of "typing," a long message finally arrived: "Actually, the wishes of many of us are often regrets we can't let go of. You don't need to carry them entirely on your shoulders. I believe Dr. Zhang thinks the same way. Even if your wish isn't fulfilled, it's not your responsibility."
The words conveyed a gentle sense of comfort, and Lu Xiaoqi felt a slight warmth in her heart.
【I know. 】
She typed a line, then deleted it, and finally replied with: 【Goodnight.】
On the other end of the screen, the "typing..." indicator under Su Jun's name flashed and stopped, finally settling on a single sentence: "Goodnight, sleep well."
Lu Xiaoqi's lips curved silently. She sat quietly by the window for a while before drawing the curtains again and lying back down on the bed.
Although I'm still worried about how to finish it, I inexplicably feel much more relaxed.
The next day, Zhang Zhongjing indeed rushed over to find her, looking somewhat annoyed: "Young friend Lu, please don't take yesterday's drunken words to heart! Please, please don't feel any guilt."
He was drunk yesterday and couldn't think of that much, but he immediately realized it after sobering up today.
In fact, this wish had been lingering in his heart for a long time.
The plague had always been a source of anxiety for him. In the later part of his life, an unprecedented plague swept across the entire land, causing the pain of death in every family and the sorrow of weeping in every room. People either died in their homes or their entire families perished.
Many of his relatives and friends perished in this catastrophe. More than half of the Zhang clan died within a few years.
People at the time called this plague "typhoid fever." Zhang Zhongjing later devoted himself to its study, burning the midnight oil, and wrote the "Treatise on Typhoid and Miscellaneous Diseases." After arriving here, he discovered that later generations had named this plague the "Jian'an Great Plague"!
Zhang Zhongjing studied many historical materials and also learned a lot about plagues, microorganisms, and viruses in medical school. He knew that the plague that year may have been a complex pandemic and superimposed outbreak of multiple diseases, such as plague and hemorrhagic fever.
The more he learned, the deeper his regret became.
“Now, it has become an obsession in my heart…” Zhang Zhongjing sighed, looking up at Lu Xiaoqi. “However, how easy is it to achieve this wish? Moreover…” He paused slightly, his voice carrying a deep prayer, “Perhaps, it would be a blessing for all people if it were never realized.”
Lu Xiaoqi was taken aback at first, but then she understood—he would rather there be no more plagues in the world than have him fulfill this wish.
A pang of sadness shot through her heart, and she couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of her lips into a smile: "That's true."
"So," Zhang Zhongjing laughed heartily, "just take this wish with a grain of salt. As for three years from now..."
If the wish is not fulfilled, the SSR character will disappear after three years.
More than half a year has passed since Zhang Zhongjing arrived here.
"We'll talk about what will happen in three years." He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly fixed on the direction of Qinghe Tower. The morning light outlined his lean and upright figure. "To have such a wonderful opportunity to see this prosperous world again is already a great blessing from heaven. I am extremely fortunate."
All of this has already comforted him of too many regrets.
Lu Xiaoqi felt a lump in her throat. Zhang Zhongjing was different from Li Bing. She hadn't known the latter for long and only regarded him as an elder she had met by chance, but she had truly spent more than half a year with the former.
She took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions, and her eyes regained their light: "That being said, Dr. Zhang, we can't slack off on the efforts we should make. I have an idea. Why don't you accept the county hospital's invitation? Open a specialist clinic, two half-days a week. I think the hospital director would be more than happy to accept."
By cultivating a good relationship with the hospital director, you can also demonstrate your abilities to more people, so that in crucial moments, people will always think of this amazing doctor.
Zhang Zhongjing was taken aback, then agreed, "Young friend Lu's thoughts are thorough, and what you say is very true! That is indeed the way to do it."
She had already devoted herself to him, so how could she be passive?
“Yes!” Lu Xiaoqi nodded emphatically and smiled.
Regardless of the outcome, at least you tried your best, which brings you much peace of mind.
......
Yuwen Kai later gave another lecture at the School of Architecture, this time on the topic of ancient building restoration, which was also very popular. The dean of the School of Architecture wanted to invite him to give a public course at the school, but Yuwen Kai was thinking about the upcoming second phase of the ancient town project and declined for the time being.
However, he has taken in more second- and third-year architecture students for internships.
Zhang Zhongjing finally accepted the invitation from Director Zhou of Anping County People's Hospital and opened a renowned TCM doctor's clinic there. He would hold half-day clinics every Monday and Tuesday morning, and the registration fee was 500 yuan for special consultation.
Dean Zhou was overjoyed and immediately hung up a large poster at the hospital entrance for publicity.
When some patients saw this poster, they complained that the registration fee was too expensive, grumbling that it was robbery! Where did medical ethics go?!
As a result, after scanning the QR code, it turned out that appointments for the next two weeks had already been booked.
A fellow patient next to him scoffed, "You still think it's too expensive? Do you know how hard it is to get an appointment with this doctor? He's a miracle doctor who can tell at a glance whether you have a terminal illness or not!"
The story of Zhang Zhongjing and Old Man Xu has been widely circulated and exaggerated by various marketing accounts. Even the official account of Qinghe Ancient Town issued a statement clarifying that such a story did exist, but it wasn't as far-fetched as some claim, and urged everyone to view it rationally.
But when it comes to one's own health or even life, who can be rational?
Therefore, appointments at Guanmaitang are still extremely difficult to obtain; they are almost always sold out instantly as soon as they are released each day.
"However, both tickets cost 500 yuan, and you can also visit Qinghe Ancient Town while you're at Guanmai Hall. It's more cost-effective to go there."
"Tsk, you've actually picked one?"
"Haha, that's true, it's not easy to get any of them hanging up."
The patient who thought it was too expensive began to regret his decision after hearing what they said, but there were no more appointments available, so he had no choice but to give up.
After hearing about this, Qian Guanshan specifically asked Zhang Zhongjing, "Dr. Zhang, why did you suddenly decide to go to the hospital?"
He had previously declined invitations from the provincial capital's Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital to hold consultations.
Zhang Zhongjing frankly stated: "I wanted to study whether traditional medicine had the effect of inhibiting and curing epidemics, but I did not want to leave Qinghe Ancient Town, so I wanted to establish a good relationship with the county hospital first."
Qian Guanshan chuckled, surprised that this was the reason.
He offered, "If Dr. Zhang has this idea, I can ask someone at the Institute of Epidemic Diseases in Qinghe City or the provincial capital. However, when there is no epidemic, they mainly do basic research and prevention and control publicity work."
Zhang Zhongjing was naturally pleased and quickly expressed his gratitude.
He knew Qian Guanshan's thoughts, so he took Qian Bojiang with him when he went to the county hospital for house calls. Qian Bojiang was a smart kid and could indeed be of great help.
Accompanying them was Dr. Gao Gongming, who would go to the rehabilitation department of the county hospital every Monday morning to give Chen Lifang acupuncture and observe her rehabilitation progress.
Gao Gongming's acupuncture skills are indeed excellent, and his reputation among patients has soared. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get an appointment with him.
When he arrived at the hospital, he happened to run into Dean Zhou, who was standing in front of the outpatient building, beaming as he greeted Zhang Zhongjing. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Dean Zhou looked at Gao Gongming with shining eyes:
"Dr. Gao, our hospital also has an acupuncture department..."
He hadn't initially been particularly impressed with this Dr. Gao, until the head of the rehabilitation department mentioned a paralyzed patient who, with the help of Dr. Gao's acupuncture stimulation and rehabilitation, had shown remarkable recovery. Only then did he realize that such a brilliant talent had been overlooked—how could he let that slip by?!
So during this period, Gao Gongming would almost always run into him whenever he came over.
Gao Gongming understood his meaning, and smiled calmly: "I am used to a life of leisure, and I can only appreciate the Dean's kindness."
He'd had enough of the Imperial Hospital; a simple clinic like the one in Qinghe Ancient Town was perfect for him now.
Dean Zhou sighed inwardly, wondering where Qinghe Ancient Town had found these skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctors, and how they were all so loyal that they were impossible to persuade.
After parting ways with them, Gao Gongming went straight to the rehabilitation department.
Chen Lifang was already waiting inside.
Every Monday morning, Grandma Chen would ask her neighbor Liu Guixiang to bring her over, as she herself had no time and devoted herself entirely to her small shop.
"Dr. Gao." Chen Lifang greeted Gao Gongming respectfully as he approached.
She was very grateful to Gao Gongming.
Gao Gongming nodded, inquired about her recent condition, and then took out his own gold needles, instructing the medical staff to position Chen Lifang correctly before beginning to insert the needles. Before they knew it, a large crowd had gathered around them, including staff from the rehabilitation department and others who had come from the acupuncture department after hearing the news.
However, everyone knew the rules and remained silent. Since that was the case, Gao Gongming didn't prevent them from watching; occasionally, when he was in a good mood, he would even explain a thing or two.
Several doctors are biting each other's ears:
"This is the eighth acupuncture session, isn't it?"
"Yes. The first two times, the patient's ankle joint showed a very clear dorsiflexion movement, which was voluntary."
"That's really impressive, in such a short time."
"Yes, so our director plans to use a standing bed for her today."
"Alright, let's begin."
Everyone immediately fell silent and began to look intently.
Gao Gongming's technique was steady and deliberate. The gold needles seemed to come alive between his fingers, precisely piercing the key acupoints of Chen Lifang's lumbosacral region and lower limbs. While manipulating the needles, he would quietly inquire about the sensations in Chen Lifang's legs and feet, sometimes gently twisting and lifting to stimulate the flow of Qi, and sometimes supplementing with warm moxa wool to warm and unblock the meridians at specific acupoints.
The entire treatment room was quiet, except for the faint sound of wisps of moxa smoke rising and his occasional low explanations.
Today's treatment seemed to go exceptionally smoothly. Chen Lifang reported that the sensation in her lower limbs was clearer than usual, and she could even vaguely feel the warmth from the moxibustion flowing through her meridians. Gao Gongming nodded slightly, a knowing glint in his eyes. After the acupuncture session, he carefully removed the needles.
“Alright,” Gao Gongming gestured to the rehabilitation therapist beside him, “the Qi is flowing smoothly today, and the meridians are responding well.”
Upon hearing this, the head of the rehabilitation department and several therapists' eyes lit up with anticipation: "Then let's use the standing bed today."
Chen Lifang was originally under the care of a regular rehabilitation therapist, but recently the director has taken over her care entirely. They immediately sprang into action, skillfully moving Chen Lifang to the standing bed. This was her first formal standing training session.
“Sister Chen, don’t be nervous, we’ll take it slowly. Let’s start with 15 degrees and get a feel for it,” a therapist reassured her softly.
As the control button was pressed, the standing bed began to slowly rise. All eyes were fixed on Chen Lifang, especially on her blood pressure, heart rate, and facial expression. For paralyzed patients who have been bedridden or wheelchair-bound for a long time, one of the biggest risks of standing for the first time is orthostatic hypotension.
The standing bed was adjusted to 30 degrees, and Chen Lifang responded normally.
The director pondered for a moment: "Adjust it to 45 degrees."
Chen Lifang's reaction remained normal.
Everyone exchanged excited glances; this was a very good performance. The director gritted his teeth: "Try 60 degrees."
This was already a relatively high starting angle. The therapists were on tenterhooks, and at an extremely slow pace, they raised the angle of the standing bed even higher.
However, a surprising scene unfolded – apart from a slightly flushed face and slightly rapid breathing, Chen Lifang seemed perfectly normal.
The doctor immediately asked, "Have you experienced any dizziness, nausea, or cold sweats?"
Chen Lifang shook her head: "It seems not..."
The therapist monitoring the patient immediately said, "Blood pressure is normal. Heart rate is fluctuating slightly, but within a safe range!"
"marvelous!"
"Sister Chen, how are you feeling?" the therapist in charge of monitoring asked, unable to hide her excitement.
"It's okay! My legs feel a little heavy, and it feels a bit... strange standing up, but I'm not dizzy!" Chen Lifang's voice carried a hint of nervousness, but more so, it was filled with novelty and excitement.
She could clearly feel her body being supported and "standing" up, a long-lost experience of defying gravity.
"Excellent! Keep it up!" The head of the rehabilitation department couldn't help but encourage him, his face filled with unbelievable joy.
Having worked in the field for many years, he knows that for a patient like Chen Lifang, who has been paralyzed in her lower limbs for several months and whose illness has not been short, being able to tolerate an angle of nearly 60 degrees on her first standing bed without any obvious discomfort is like taking a rocket!
Several doctors watching nearby were also marveling in hushed tones:
"My goodness, she could stand at 60 degrees Celsius on her first try? That's incredible adaptability!"
"Yes, I remember a similar case we treated last week. The first time they stood at 30 degrees Celsius, they were extremely dizzy."
"It seems that Dr. Gao's acupuncture not only stimulated the motor nerves, but also improved the autonomic nerve function a lot! The effect..." The doctor shook his head, his eyes filled with excitement as he looked at Gao Gongming.
Gao Gongming stood aside, calmly observing Chen Lifang's condition, showing no surprise at the rehabilitation team's astonishment. The results were better than he had initially anticipated, but he didn't believe it was entirely his doing. He had made similar attempts in ancient times, but back then there was no rehabilitation medicine or so many assistive devices, and the results were mediocre. Moreover, now there was the divine physician Zhang's herbal medicine protecting her from complications.
Several measures were taken simultaneously to achieve the results we have today.
The therapists carefully and slowly lowered the angle of the standing bed back down.
After being freed from her restraints, Chen Lifang, though weak in the legs and needing assistance to sit back in her wheelchair, radiated an unprecedented glow and hope, her eyes already brimming with tears. Just experiencing standing once was a tremendous encouragement for her.
The head of the rehabilitation department was overwhelmed with emotion.
He could no longer contain himself and stepped forward, his attitude extremely sincere, even pleading: "Dr. Gao! Your acupuncture technique... truly turns the rotten into the miraculous! I have a favor to ask..."
He paused, took a deep breath, and then solemnly began, "Dr. Gao, I know your time is precious, and you're not a practicing physician at our hospital, so this shouldn't be bothering you. But... we have another patient in our department who suffered a high-level incomplete spinal cord injury due to trauma, resulting in complete loss of movement and sensation in both lower limbs, and conventional rehabilitation methods are almost ineffective. He's a very young child, only eighteen years old this year..."
Despite having practiced medicine for so many years, he still feels unbearable whenever he sees children whose lives haven't even officially begun suffering like this.
The director's voice lowered: "I wonder if Dr. Gao would be willing to examine him once more when it's convenient? Even just an assessment, to see if there's any possibility? As for the cost, they will definitely not be stingy."
Gao Gongming paused slightly as he packed up his needle pouch.
High spinal cord injury... He is now familiar with these modern medical terms, and it is indeed a more severe challenge than Chen Lifang's lower limb paralysis.
He hesitated for a moment, then said without much thought, "Okay, let's do it the same way as her. Let him come over next Monday so I can take a look."
Coincidentally, his theories needed some case studies to support them, both successful and unsuccessful. Gao Gongming was working on his own medical book before being summoned. He didn't expect his medical skills and achievements to surpass his teacher's, but he did want to leave something in history like his teacher.
The result arrived before I even started writing it.
He still intends to write, but feels he can change direction, and a sense of exploration and challenge has arisen within him. Perhaps, he really can surpass his teacher!
The director was overjoyed: "Okay, okay, I'll talk to them right away."
If Dean Zhou were here, he would definitely be kicking himself – why didn't I think of this method sooner?!
......
During this period, the land near the lake was finally settled, with a total of 30 hectares allocated to it, a scale that far exceeded the initial plan—including a large area of barren land.
Lu Xiaoqi assessed the situation and, seeing that the price was reasonable, considered the matter. She thought that if the ancient town wanted to develop in the long term, it needed to leave room for expansion. After a quick discussion with a few trusted people, she decisively decided to acquire the entire wasteland.
The price was that I had almost no spare money left.
The news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples throughout the small county town and causing a sensation.
"Wow! That's quite a generous gesture, really a generous gesture!" The discussion could be heard in small restaurants, food stalls, teahouses, and cafes along the street.
"I heard they're going to build a top-of-the-line lakeside hotel, and a residential complex specifically for their employees. How much money will they have to invest in that?"
The well-informed contractor was already calculating: "30 hectares! How much earthwork, steel bars, and cement will that require? How many workers? Goodness, if we can get this job, we can live off it for years!"
His eyes gleamed with excitement as he spoke.
"Boss Lu really has vision and the guts to do things! He turned barren land into a goldmine right next to the lake. Once the hotel is built and people move into the residential area, that whole area will be truly alive!"
The land by the lake was originally extremely remote, and some people had specifically spent money to buy houses in the county center and move there. Now that the news had spread, they were filled with regret. Some of the more astute ones were thinking of quickly finding a shop there to start a small business.
Who doesn't crave those shops at the entrance of Qinghe Ancient Town these days?
The daily foot traffic is practically like picking up money!
Businesses in the county town involved in building materials, furniture, and transportation were quick to react and their minds started to race. With such a large project underway, from the foundation to the decoration, from the furniture to the landscaping, every aspect was a business opportunity. In no time, the front desk of Qinghelou was practically overwhelmed with calls inquiring about the project and seeking cooperation.
Relevant departments in the county also acted swiftly. For such a significant investment project, the supporting infrastructure, including roads, water and electricity, and pipelines, had to keep pace. Planning drawings were repeatedly discussed, and coordination meetings were held intensively.
The pace of the entire county seemed to have quickened somewhat due to the major expansion of Qinghe Ancient Town.
In just one year, Qinghe Ancient Town has become a huge enterprise capable of stirring up a storm in the region.
Before we knew it, it was March.
Liu Chan walked into Lu Xiaoqi's office with her phone in her hand.
Lu Xiaoqi was a little surprised: "A film crew wants to film here?"
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