Chapter 15 I'm Not Afraid of Pain
Upon hearing Qi Er's decision, Qi Yi's expression was filled with disbelief. He tugged at Qi Er's sleeve and scolded in a low voice, "Qi Er, are you crazy? Do you even know how badly your lumbar spine was injured before? The Dr. Huang I booked for you at the city hospital is a professor-level doctor. If you miss this appointment, there won't be any more available today." He had gone to great lengths to get this appointment through connections.
Then, he looked up and smiled apologetically at Shen Qingtang, saying, "Sister Shen, I'm sorry, what I said might be a bit harsh. You have indeed been working very hard to practice acupuncture these past few days, but no one really knows how effective it has been."
"Qi Er's lumbar spine was broken before and it was only with great difficulty that it was reattached. It really can't afford to have even the slightest damage."
Xiaowen and Xiaoqian, who were resting in the maid's room, heard the argument in the living room and ran out to see what was going on. They quickly understood what had happened.
Xiaoqian had long harbored resentment towards Shen Qingtang, so it was only natural that she stood on the opposite side. She deliberately drew out her words and exaggeratedly said, "Qi Er's lumbar spine has suffered such a serious injury. It must be treated with care."
Xiao Wen stood aside, blinked, and looked at Qi Er with a worried expression, saying, "Qi Er, I'm not exaggerating. In our hometown, some people used to believe that acupuncture could treat lumbar sprains. As a result, that barefoot doctor randomly stuck needles in people's holes, causing them to be paralyzed for life. The pharmacy was also destroyed by the village, and he himself broke a leg before it was all over."
Hearing Xiao Wen subtly compare Shen Qingtang to a quack doctor with poor medical skills, Qi Er frowned in disgust. Shen Qingtang then looked at Qi Er and said, "If you regret it, you can take a taxi to the hospital right away."
She knew perfectly well that although she had devoted herself to research and experimented on herself during this period, she ultimately lacked any so-called "proof" or "qualification," so it was normal for others not to believe her.
Hearing this, Qi Yi was even more tempted and said, "Qi Er, Sister Chen already said you can regret it, so don't be stubborn. Come with me to the hospital for treatment."
Qi Er shook his head, recalling how many times he had seen Shen Qingtang earnestly using medical books to treat various parts of his body. A resolute look flashed in his eyes. He apologized to Qi Yi and then looked at Shen Qingtang, saying, "Sister Shen, I've always believed in not troubling two people with one matter. I trust your character, and naturally, I trust your medical skills as well."
More importantly... he is now experiencing severe back pain, a pain that feels like someone is deliberately tapping and pounding on his lumbar spine with a small hammer without any mercy, and the pain has begun to spread throughout his body.
The Qin Mansion is far from the city hospital. Even without traffic, it takes a full hour, not including the time spent queuing for registration.
Even though Qi Er was a tough guy who could endure pain, he felt this was a huge challenge, which is why he so firmly refused Qi Yi's suggestion to go to the hospital.
He was afraid he wouldn't make it to the hospital.
Seeing that Qi Er was determined, Shen Qingtang nodded and said, "Alright, let's not waste any more time on treatment now." She pointed to the sofa in the living room and said in a light tone, "Lie down here for a bit. Remember to take off your shirt, unbuckle your belt, and loosen two buttons on your pants."
As she spoke, she brought over two stools, one tall and one short. She sat on the shorter stool, while the gold needles were laid out flat on the taller stool, revealing dozens of gold needles inside.
Some are as thick as a thumb, some are as thin as a cow's hair, some are as long as a pencil, and some are so short that they are not even visible...
"Wouldn't all of these be stuck on him?" The thought made Qi Er's muscles tense up. He swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the floor, not daring to look around anymore. Although he kept taking deep breaths and trying to convince himself to "relax, relax," he was actually so nervous that his fists were clenched tightly.
As if sensing Qi Er's unease, Shen Qingtang tore open the alcohol disinfectant packaging and calmly took out a gold needle of moderate length and thickness, saying, "Don't worry, this is the gold needle I'm going to give you."
"You fell off the bed and have several abrasions and bruises on your back, but the skin isn't broken, so the injury isn't serious. I'll disinfect it with an alcohol swab first, and then I'll give you a few injections to relieve the pain from your lumbar sprain."
Shen Qingtang's tone was as calm as ever, devoid of personal emotion, like a robot whose emotional programming had been forgotten. But undeniably, when Qi Er looked at her composed face, which remained calm even upon seeing his own injuries, and listened to her explain the treatment steps, he felt a genuine sense of peace.
It seemed that no matter how serious the injury, as long as Shen Qingtang was there, it would be handled properly, and everyone could trust her.
Feeling the cool, refreshing sensation as the alcohol-soaked cotton balls rubbed against his back, Shen Qingtang completely absorbed his last trace of tension and unease. His clenched fists and tense muscles relaxed without him even realizing it, with an effect as immediate as if he had received a muscle relaxant.
Seeing that Qi Er ignored her advice and actually took off his clothes and obediently lay down on the sofa, Qi Yi bit his lip and said with dissatisfaction, "I'm going to find Brother Qin." He looked like a kindergarten child who had been bullied and was about to tell the teacher.
Upon hearing that Qi Yi was going to fetch Qin Guanlan, Xiaoqian's eyes lit up, and she immediately wanted to show off. She ran to the kitchen and boiled a pot of boiling water. She then took out a clean, unopened towel, wrung it out, and held it in her hand, saying with concern, "Qi Er, let me apply a hot compress to reduce the swelling first, so you'll feel better."
Unexpectedly, Shen Qingtang stopped him from doing so.
"No, you can't apply heat now."
Xiaoqian had long harbored resentment towards Shen Qingtang, and immediately pouted, seizing the opportunity to retort, "Why can't we use a hot compress? Look at Qi Er's lower back, it's all swollen." She impatiently brushed away Shen Qingtang's hand and said, "If you don't even understand this basic principle, then don't treat him blindly. It's not enough that you've harmed the young master, now you're harming Qi Er too."
Xiaoqian's tone was full of veiled criticism, and Xiaowen's eyes darted around as she quickly chimed in, "Shen Qingtang, what Xiaoqian just said isn't entirely unreasonable. I know you don't like Xiaoqian, but saving lives is the most important thing right now." She urged urgently, "Let's hurry up and give Qi Er a hot compress, otherwise this towel will get cold."
Shen Qingtang glanced coldly at Xiaowen and Xiaoqian, her indifferent tone sounding like a slap in the face to each of them, making them blush instantly.
"You keep saying that saving lives is the most important thing, but you've even confused the most basic first aid knowledge."
"The first 24-48 hours after an injury is the acute treatment period, during which only cold compresses can be applied to reduce swelling and pain, constrict blood vessels, and reduce bleeding and exudation. After 48 hours, during the recovery period, hot compresses can be applied to accelerate the absorption of bruises and tissue healing."
"If you want Qi Er to feel better right now, applying some ice is the right thing to do."
Hearing Shen Qingtang's reasonable and well-founded words, Xiaowen was speechless for a moment, but then she frowned and complained, "Xiaoqian, how could you even get something as simple as applying a cold compress wrong?" She pushed the other's shoulder and said, "Just like Dr. Shen said, go get some ice from the refrigerator."
Xiaoqian, already feeling humiliated by the retort, exploded when she heard Xiaowen respectfully address Shen Qingtang as Doctor Shen. She gritted her teeth and said, "Does staying home and reading a few medical books make you a doctor? If that's the case, then there are plenty of doctors out there." She continued, "The 'cold compress first, then hot compress' approach isn't always correct. Anyway, people with lumbar sprains in our area all use hot compresses, and no one complains about it."
"Really? How many medical books have you read? Have you ever stayed up until the early hours of the morning reading them? Have you ever tried to insert needles into yourself?"
"I'm not sure about the others, but our military doctors have taught us the first aid method of applying cold compresses followed by hot compresses."
"So, are the people there even more skilled than military doctors?"
"Clatter, clatter..." The sound of the wheelchair rolling on the smooth quartz floor suddenly amplified in Xiaoqian's ears. She trembled uncontrollably, feeling guilty and afraid. She lowered her head, bit her lip, and reluctantly apologized, "Young Master, it was my fault."
Qin Guanlan remained silent, but his equally sharp gaze swept over Xiao Wen beside him.
He had clearly overheard their conversation upstairs and naturally understood their provocative intent.
Xiao Wen thought to himself that Xiao Qian was a fool, but on the surface he immediately smiled and apologized, "Young Master, I was wrong."
Qin Guanlan glanced at the glaring sunlight outside and gave a nonchalant "hmm," saying, "Then let's go pull weeds." These five light words instantly turned Xiaowen and Xiaoqian pale, clearly recalling their previous terrible and painful experience, as well as the aches and pains in their backs and limbs that had lasted for more than a week.
But in front of the stern-faced Qin Guanlan, the two of them couldn't even utter a word of begging for mercy. They could only admit defeat and, under the scorching sun, squatted in the small garden, disregarding their image, to weed.
Qi Yi had originally sought out Qin Guanlan, hoping she could dissuade Qi Er from the dangerous act of having Shen Qingtang treat him. However, seeing Shen Qingtang's composed demeanor and knowing that he had indeed witnessed her carefully studying acupuncture, he figured she must be quite confident to speak up. He abandoned any attempt to dissuade her, hurriedly went to the refrigerator to find ice cubes, carefully wrapped them in a towel, and stood before Shen Qingtang, sincerely apologizing: "Sister Shen, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted your acupuncture skills."
Shen Qingtang took the towel and applied it to Qi Er's lower back, saying, "It's alright." She understood his doubts, his lack of urgency, and his anxiety; after all, these were all human nature. Moreover, Qi Yi and Qi Er had grown up together since childhood, so their bond was naturally deeper than others', and he was doing it for Qi Er's own good.
Although there was a towel as a barrier, the ice was so cold that Qi Er gasped even though it wasn't in direct contact with his skin. However, he seemed to feel a little better, judging from his gradually smoothing brows.
Then, Shen Qingtang pointed to Qi Er's right hand and said, "Now spread your five fingers and put them on the wrist rest of this bench."
Qi Yi glanced at the other's swollen back and waist, a hint of pity and heartache flashing across his face, but mostly regret. If he hadn't been so careless in his roughhousing, Qi Er wouldn't have been injured so badly.
Shen Qingtang keenly sensed the other person's dejected mood, patted the other person's shoulder and said, "Trust me, everything will be alright."
Qi nodded, but was quickly drawn to Shen Qingtang's action of inserting needles into the back of her hand. He touched his nose and reminded her, "Sister Shen, Qi Er's injury is to his lumbar spine, not his hand."
Shen Qingtang blinked, explaining with a mix of thoughts, "I know."
“Qi Er is in excruciating pain right now.” As she spoke, she located the midline of the first phalanx on the back of his middle finger and used a subcutaneous needle to perform a horizontal insertion along the direction of his little finger. “So now I need to needle the upper baixue point, the lower baixue point, and the houxi point. These acupoints can significantly relieve his lumbar spine pain.”
Like magic, in a short while, four silver needles were inserted into the back of Qi Er's right hand. Qi Er took the initiative to speak, "Sister Chen, it doesn't hurt as much now."
The effect was so immediate that Qi Yi, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded and exclaimed, "Is the effect really that good?" Qin Guanlan, who was standing to the side, also had a glint of light in his eyes.
Shen Qingtang pressed the ice to check his lumbar spine and explained, "It's also possible that the ice numbed some of his pain nerves. To ensure that the lumbar vertebra he injured before doesn't relapse, just to be on the safe side, I'll needle a few more acupoints."
After saying that, she pinched a silver needle between her thumb and forefinger and, with the fluid grace of embroidery, inserted it into the painful spot in her lower back, located between her index and middle fingers. She then added another needle to the Xinmen acupoint, Xinwen acupoint, and Hegu acupoint.
From a distance, Qi Er's right hand looked like a hedgehog covered in silver needles, sending chills down one's spine. Qi Yi couldn't help but swallow hard, silently giving Qi Er a thumbs up and saying, "Brother, you're really amazing."
Qi Er said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Luckily, it's a normal gold needle. I would have been scared if it were one of those thick, big-headed gold needles."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yi couldn't help but glance over, imagining the moment of pain. He immediately put on a mask of agony, and then, in his fearful and apprehensive eyes, he noticed that Shen Qingtang's gaze lingered on that pin.
Shen Qingtang said calmly, "Now that the pain has subsided, I will begin the formal treatment." As if noticing Qi Yi's fearful gaze, she paused and said, "I will insert needles into the acupoints of your Foot Shaoyang Bladder Meridian and Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. There are quite a few acupoints, so it may take a while. Just relax."
Having just experienced it, Qi Er nodded trustingly and said, "Okay, Sister Shen." As if remembering something, he asked again, "Sister Shen, will you still use the same size and thickness of the gold needles as before?"
Shen Qingtang picked up the pin without changing her expression, nodded and said, "Not bad, you should lie down now." Then, she suddenly looked at Qi Yidao and said, "You and Qi Er have a chat."
Qi Yi shrugged, immediately guessing the other person's good intentions. He licked his lips and could only bite the bullet and ask, "Qi Er, do you have someone you like?"
Qi Er gave a speechless twitch of the corner of his mouth and said, "Can't you change the subject? I'm with you all day long, don't you know what's going on?"
Qi Er touched his nose and chuckled awkwardly, "It seems so." His eyes darted around, and he asked, "Which dish did you like best to eat from Sister Chen's cooking at noon today?"
When this topic was brought up, Qi Er paused for a moment before saying, "Sister Chen's cooking is excellent; I love all her dishes."
Qi Yi jokingly exaggeratedly said, "Impossible, there must be one of your favorite foods among them."
......
The two often bickered in private. Once the topic came up, Qi Er's attention clearly shifted, and his already relaxed muscles became even more relaxed.
Shen Qingtang pressed down with one finger, nodded in satisfaction, and began inserting needles along the edge of the bone: Dachangshu, Weizhong, Shenshu, Huantiao, Yanglingquan...
Seeing Shen Qingtang's serious expression, Qin Guanlan sat in his wheelchair and stared at her for a long time. Suddenly, the sound of his heart pounding uncontrollably echoed in his ears. It was clear that her long-term practice of acupuncture had paid off.
Each needle insertion was clean and powerful, without the slightest weakness. Although the needles were thick and large, enough to make one's heart skip a beat, the practitioner's light touch and superb acupuncture skills actually revealed a touch of beauty, a beauty that could rival the beauty of a legendary beauty.
Her fair fingers were light and nimble, her eyes were lowered and deep, as if she could see nothing but her wounds. For a moment, he even saw a trace of Guanyin Bodhisattva, who saves people and saves the world. Even her fingertips shone with a holy light, which made her look as beautiful as a fairy in the sky, who could only be admired from afar and not touched.
Occasionally, when their eyes met, Qin Guanlan would subconsciously look away, but would quickly and confidently look back at her.
Before anyone knew it, Shen Qingtang had finished inserting the needles. The dense row of gold needles was like a neatly arranged army, full of intimidation, making people's backs weak.
Noticing that Qi Yi suddenly stopped talking and that her face was unusually pale, Qi Er frowned slightly and asked suspiciously, "Sister Chen, have you started the acupuncture? I can't feel anything at all."
Hearing this, Qi Yi was speechless for a moment, rolled her eyes and moved her lips to say, "Sister Chen has already finished the acupuncture, and you're still asking if it has started?"
He touched the back of his head and asked in bewilderment, "Don't you feel any pain at all?" After saying that, he moved closer to Qi Er's back, which was covered in sores like a beehive. A chill and fear welled up in his heart, and he immediately took two steps back, gasping for breath, "It looks so painful."
Qi Er asked curiously, "Qi Yi, take a picture of me."
The next second, looking at the dense array of silver needles on the back of his phone, even a tough guy like Qi Er couldn't help but turn pale and gasp, "Why are they such thick pins?"
The area that hadn't felt pain just moments before suddenly became throbbing with a dense, throbbing pain, and my brows immediately furrowed.
Only then did he belatedly realize why Shen Qingtang had inexplicably suggested that Qi Yi chat with him, and why Qi Yi would stumble over his words and be unable to answer for a long time. It turned out that all of this was traceable.
He was just upside down and couldn't see any of this.
Shen Qingtang remained calm, showing no sign of guilt for lying, and answered Qi Er's question, "Using these large pins will be more effective." She stared at the watch on her wrist and said confidently, "Twenty minutes later, I will take them off for you, and you will feel a warm sensation rising from your dantian and spreading to your lower back."
"If you rest more and move less for the next few days, and take some of your usual lumbar pain medication, you should be almost fully recovered."
Twenty minutes later, Qi Er, who had been somewhat skeptical, indeed felt a noticeable warmth. He sat up and moved his lumbar spine slightly, saying gratefully, "Sister Chen, I feel much better now. Thank you so much."
Shen Qingtang shook her head and said, "No need to thank me." In fact, her relationship with Qi Er was merely mutually beneficial. If it weren't for his trust, she wouldn't have had the opportunity to put it into practice.
After a moment of silence, Qi Er touched the tip of his nose and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sister Chen, don't you always say that medicine is three parts poison? Can you give me some medicinal cuisine instead? I think I've developed a resistance to those lumbar painkillers."
Shen Qingtang readily nodded and said, "Of course, as the saying goes, you are what you eat, and you can make a Eucommia and pork kidney soup for you."
"Eucommia ulmoides nourishes the liver and kidneys and strengthens muscles and bones, while pork kidney replenishes qi and blood. If you drink a bowl of this with each of your three meals a day, you should be able to recover in about two days."
Standing to the side, Qi Yi thought of the wonderful taste and couldn't help but lick his dry lips. He suddenly said, "Sister Chen, I actually have a bit of occupational lumbar spondylosis. Although it's not as serious as Qi Er's, I still need to drink a bowl of Eucommia ulmoides and pork kidney soup every day."
Qi Er saw through Qi Yi's scheme at a glance and muttered speechlessly, "What a glutton."
After listening to Qi Yi's description of the symptoms, Shen Qingtang nodded and said, "In that case, I'll give you a few acupuncture treatments. As for the Eucommia and pork kidney soup, you don't need to drink it."
Qi Er chimed in, urging, "Qi Yi, you should try it! Sister Chen's technique is exceptional; you won't feel a single bit of pain."
Qi Yi's happy expression immediately fell. He glanced at the gleaming pin, shrank back, and gave a bitter laugh, saying, "Sister Chen, let's just forget about it, let's just forget about it."
He touched his head sheepishly and said, "To be honest, it's not that serious. I can bear it a little longer." Heaven knows, it wasn't that he didn't trust the other person's acupuncture skills, but rather that he was genuinely afraid.
Seeing Shen Qingtang's dejected look, Qin Guanlan took the initiative to say, "I also have some problems with my lumbar spine. How about you give me a couple of acupuncture treatments?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Yi silently gave Qin Guanlan a thumbs up in her heart, thinking: "His spirit of enduring pain for love is truly admirable. So, Sister Chen, go and mess with Brother Qin, and let this little grasshopper go."
Shen Qingtang's eyes lit up. She couldn't be more interested in gaining practical experience, but after touching the other person's lower back, she shook her head with disappointment and said, "Brother Qin, your lumbar spine is fine. You don't need acupuncture."
Qin Guanlan blinked and said, "I'm not afraid of pain." He tried to convince the other person.
Shen Qingtang shook her head again and said, "Brother Qin, if you force the needles, it will actually harm your body."
"Don't cause me any more trouble." Hearing this, Qin Guanlan could only awkwardly touch his nose.
Finally, Qi Yi coughed to defuse the situation and said, "It's almost the change of seasons now, and there are many opportunities to get sick. Let Sister Chen practice acupuncture then."
Qi Yi's words were not unfounded; the flu was indeed rampant at the moment, and several servants had already contracted it.
That day, Xiaowen carried groceries into the kitchen and coughed a few times, her nose twitching incessantly. She quickly used up the pack of tissues she was holding, leaving a pile of waste paper in the trash can.
While making breakfast, Shen Qingtang glanced at the package and asked, "Xiaowen, do you have a cold?"
Because of the other party, Xiao Wen had already been punished by pulling weeds twice. He had long disliked Shen Qingtang, but he still smiled insincerely and said, "Maybe. I'm a little tired lately. It's just a minor cold. I'll be fine after taking two packets of cold medicine."
Just then, Xiaoqian entered the kitchen and overheard the second half of the sentence. She looked at Xiaowen with concern and said, "Xiaowen, how come you caught a cold? It seems like the cold medicine and granules in the first-aid kit are all gone. You should go to the hospital to get it checked out."
Xiao Wen was about to nod when she suddenly saw Qin Guanlan remotely controlling a wheelchair towards the kitchen. Her eyes lit up, and she looked at Shen Qingtang, asking in a friendly tone, "Qingtang, don't you know medicine? Can you take a look at me?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Please, my darlings, check out my pre-orders! [crying emoji][crying emoji] I'm thinking of writing another story about a wealthy family as a contrasting faction for my next book. Remember to leave a comment! Oh, and I have to upload to the magazine on Tuesday, so the update time for that day will be moved to 11 PM on Tuesday. [doge emoji with rose in hand]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
