That morning, as dawn broke and the streets were still deserted, Song Zihe and his grandson Song Hao stood before the former Ping'an Hall, carrying their bundles. They gazed at it silently for a while before turning away sadly. Song Zihe secretly shed two tears of sorrow. The place where he had lived and practiced medicine for decades was now being forced to leave. The reluctance and helplessness he felt were beyond words.
The Song family, grandfather and grandson, quietly left Baihe Town, their whereabouts unknown. In the days that followed, patients from near and far seeking treatment at Ping'an Hall searched for them. Initially, suspicions arose, but once those in the know understood the truth, public resentment boiled over, and everyone cursed Mi Changli. The fact that a renowned doctor in the county had been forced to leave by the authorities spread throughout the county, plunging the entire healthcare system into an awkward situation. The windows of Mi Changli's fourth-floor apartment were repeatedly shattered by unidentified flying stones at night, causing immense suffering to his family. Mi Changli himself was shocked by Song Zihe's unexpected departure and dared not walk alone on the streets during the day. The Ping'an Hall incident not only ruined his reputation but also directly led to his dismissal.
Just a month after Song Zihe left for another place, the grandson of a key county official fell seriously ill. The local hospital couldn't treat him, so they rushed to the provincial capital overnight. Sadly, the child died en route. The official was deeply grieved, lamenting the lack of renowned doctors in the county. A bystander remarked, "If Song Zihe were here, your grandson might have been saved!"
The leader, who had also heard about the Ping'an Hall incident, was shocked upon hearing this, his eyes flashing with unusual resentment. Later, he and several other county officials conspired privately, finding a pretext to dismiss Mi Changli from his post—a complete stripping of his public office. It's true that few officials are clean; even a "clean magistrate" can earn 100,000 taels of silver in three years. If the higher-ups really want to punish you, they'll expose your flaws and immediately shut you down. Mi Changli was corrupt and lawless; he deserved his fate. Such a despicable person is best left unsaid.
The next director of the health bureau dared not follow in his predecessor's footsteps. He sent people to search for Song Zihe, wanting to return the medical license that had cost him his job and reopen Ping An Tang. Although it was a case of better late than never, it was too late. Song Zihe had disappeared and could no longer be found.
Chapter Ten: Invincible
The Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin originates below the little toe, runs obliquely along the sole of the foot, emerges below the Rangu point (KI2), follows behind the medial malleolus, branches into the heel, ascends along the medial aspect of the calf, emerges along the medial aspect of the popliteal fossa, ascends along the posterior medial aspect of the thigh, traverses the spine, connects with the Kidney and bladder; its straight branch ascends from the Kidney, traverses the Liver and diaphragm, enters the Lung, follows the throat, and flanks the root of the tongue; its branch emerges from the Lung, connects with the Heart, and flows into the chest. —Selected from *Ling Shu Jing*, Chapter Ten: Meridians
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Now, let's talk about Song Zihe and his grandson Song Hao, who boarded a train heading east. The Song family's ancestral home was Penglai, Shandong. Years ago, Song Jingchun entered the capital and became renowned for his medicine. Later, risking the extermination of his entire family, he used a miraculous remedy to eliminate the usurper Yuan Shikai, and then fled with his family to Baihe Town to avoid trouble. To avoid causing trouble for his clan, they settled in Baihe Town. In the years that followed, Song Jingchun brought his young son and then his younger son, Song Zihe, back to their ancestral home in Penglai twice. After his death, he was buried at Wansongling, near Baihe Town.
Song Zihe's decision to bring Song Hao back to their ancestral home was not without reason, but it also reflected a desire to return to their roots. In Penglai, the Song family still has an ancestral home, currently occupied by a distant relative. Previously, the relative had maintained contact with the clan, and the clan had repeatedly expressed their welcome for Song Zihe to return and practice medicine in Penglai. However, due to the inconvenience of paying respects at Song Jingchun's grave in Wansong Ridge, Song Zihe had delayed his return. Now that Ping'an Hall was unable to continue operating, Song Zihe finally made up his mind to return to his ancestral home.
Song Zihe was getting old and couldn't withstand the long journey, so as soon as he boarded the train, Song Hao bought two sleeper tickets. Leaving Baihe Town, where he had lived most of his life, and Ping'an Hall, which he had run for over twenty years, Song Zihe felt a sense of loss and deep emotion. Looking at Song Hao sleeping soundly opposite him, his heart was filled with even more turbulent feelings. He couldn't help but think of Song Hao's parents, that mysterious couple. Song Zihe had waited for nearly sixteen years, and now Song Hao had grown into a handsome young man, but his biological parents had never come looking for him. Could something have happened to Song Hao's parents back then? Otherwise, they wouldn't have abandoned Song Hao for sixteen years. Every time he thought of this, Song Zihe felt uneasy. Although Song Hao was considered his own grandson, after sixteen years of painstaking nurturing, Song Hao had mastered and inherited the Song family's medical skills. His unique understanding of traditional Chinese medicine gave Song Hao a talent for medicine that surpassed ordinary people; he would surely become a renowned doctor in the future, which was the most gratifying thing for him. But the child's identity is a mystery. Who are his biological parents? Judging from the situation when that couple came, Song Hao's family must have some background. He might have to return to the family line in the future. After all, he doesn't have the blood of the Song family flowing in his veins. Even if he can't bear it, he will have to let him go for Song Hao's future. Song Zihe was thinking randomly, and he fell asleep without realizing it.
When Song Hao woke up, he could see through the car window that the sky was already beginning to lighten. He had no idea how far they were from Baihe Town. Gazing at the receding scenery, a sense of bewilderment washed over him. Having lost Ping'an Hall's foothold in Baihe Town, everything would have to be rebuilt from scratch. His grandfather had told him that after settling back in their hometown of Penglai, he wanted him to travel the world—a childhood dream of Song Hao's. Having never traveled far before, Song Hao felt a mix of excitement and trepidation. He was unaware that his true identity remained a mystery, as no one had ever told him. Song Zihe hadn't explained, fearing the loss of Song Hao, yet he knew he would eventually reveal the truth—a conflict within Song Zihe. Song Hao had also noticed something unusual in his grandfather's kind eyes; that hesitant expression always made Song Hao feel that his grandfather wanted to tell him something. But he never imagined he was a mysterious orphan. His childhood memories were completely forgotten. He only had one relative in his life: his grandfather, who taught him medicine and was his only family. His responsibility was to take care of his grandfather and ensure he had a peaceful old age. But who knew he would end up feeling so far from home? Why was the world like this? A few questions arose in Song Hao's pure heart.
A long whistle from the train roused Song Hao from his reverie. Outside the window, villages and cities receded into the distance, and he wondered what kind of unfamiliar world awaited him.
Around noon, the announcer's anxious voice suddenly came through the loudspeaker that was playing music in the carriage.
"Dear passengers, we are now broadcasting an important announcement. An elderly passenger in carriage number eight has sprained his back and is in so much pain that he cannot move. We request that any passengers on this train who are doctors go to him to provide medical assistance and relieve his pain. All of us on the train will express our gratitude to you!"
The message kept playing, breaking the quiet atmosphere in the carriage.
"Acute lumbar sprain!" Song Zihe smiled at the eager Song Hao and said, "Since it's been broadcast, the patient must be asking for help. Go and take a look."
“Okay!” Song Hao replied cheerfully, got up and walked towards carriage number eight.
Inside carriage number eight, a simply dressed elderly man was hunched over, holding onto a seat, too afraid to sit or stand. His contorted face and beaded sweat showed he was enduring immense pain. He had just stood up when the train jolted, causing him to lose his balance and strain his back.
A crowd had gathered around the old man. Besides the two flight attendants, the rest were passengers, including several doctors who had rushed over after hearing the announcement. However, seeing the situation, they were all at a loss. The old man was in excruciating pain and wouldn't even let anyone touch him. A middle-aged man, claiming to be a massage therapist, offered to give the old man a massage to relax his muscles and improve circulation. But as soon as his hand touched the old man's lower back, the old man cried out in pain and refused to be touched again.
At this moment, a young man wearing glasses volunteered to stand up and said that he was a medical student and would treat the old man with acupuncture.
"If the body is in pain and cannot be touched, acupuncture is an option!" the massage therapist nodded.
"Then let's give it a try!" a flight attendant exclaimed joyfully, as if she had been saved.
The medical student took a two-inch-long acupuncture needle from a simple acupuncture kit he had brought. When he tried to find the acupoints on the old man's hands, he was taken aback. The old man's hands, which were resting on the seat, were unusually large and thick. Whether it was a rare congenital thallusion or the result of his work over the years, the skin on his hands was hard and thick, and it seemed that the delicate acupuncture needle could not penetrate them.
The bespectacled student frowned, held the needle in his right hand, pressed a pressure point on the old man's back of the hand with his left, hesitated for a moment, and then inserted the needle. Unfortunately, as if piercing leather, the needle bent and failed to break the skin. The student was clearly a novice in acupuncture, lacking the strength of such a needle. While a needle might easily pierce the skin of an ordinary person, it proved difficult to penetrate the thick, hard back of the hand.
"The old man's skin is... too thick!" the student said helplessly.
Some of the passengers watching nearby couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"You silly child, let alone your thin needle, even a knife would have a hard time cutting my hand! My skin is naturally tough; there's nothing I can do. Even those tiny IV needles for when I'm sick can't penetrate it, so I have to use oral medication instead," the old man said, enduring the pain, to the kind student who had helped him. It was a way of comforting him.
Those around him marveled at the old man's impervious skin, but were also worried about his incurable illness; he wouldn't be able to endure the pain for long.
"Could you lend me one of your needles?" Song Hao, who had just arrived, smiled at the medical student. He knew that besides himself, no one else on the train could pierce the old man's skin with a needle.
Song Hao's appearance surprised everyone; he was also a needle practitioner. But they wondered if the old man's skin was impervious to blades and spears. They all looked at him with suspicion, wondering how he would administer the needles.
A middle-aged woman standing nearby had a strange look of suspicion in her eyes.
"Brother! You can have them all!" The medical student handed Song Hao his needle kit. He was prepared to use up all the dozens of needles in the kit to support his fellow practitioner who also used needles for treatment.
Song Hao smiled, took a needle from the needle case, and said, "One is enough!"
Then, with a swift movement, he aimed for the acupoint on the back of the old man's hand, the one the medical student had failed to penetrate earlier. The needle pierced instantly, as if striking nothing. He then applied a few subtle manipulations, twisting the needle a few times. The acupoint for lower back pain is an extra point located between the second and third metacarpal bones and the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones on the back of the hand.
Those delicate acupuncture needles were truly indestructible under Song Hao's fingers.
"Huh!" Everyone looked surprised. The middle-aged woman also nodded, seemingly relieved.
"Uncle, try straightening your back!" Song Hao said while inserting the needles.
Song Hao inserted the needle immediately, surprising the old man. He felt a tingling numbness in the hand where the needle was being applied, as if he had been electrocuted, and at the same time, the pain in his lower back disappeared. After hearing Song Hao's words, he hesitated and moved his lower back slightly.
"You little rascal, do you know magic tricks? My back doesn't hurt anymore!" the old man exclaimed in delight. He happily twisted his waist a few times, looking completely relaxed.
"Excellent acupuncture technique!" Thunderous applause erupted in the carriage.
"Leave the needles in for half an hour, then you can remove them later," Song Hao said with a smile, patting the student who was too surprised to speak. He then turned and walked away.
Chapter Eleven Golden Dragon Needle
The Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin originates in the chest, emerges to connect with the pericardium, descends through the diaphragm, and connects with the Triple Burner. One branch runs along the chest, emerges from the hypochondrium, descends three inches below the axilla, ascends to the axilla, descends along the medial aspect of the upper arm, runs between the Taiyin and Shaoyin meridians, enters the palm, and follows the middle finger to its tip. Another branch separates in the palm, following the little finger to its tip. —Selected from *Ling Shu Jing*, Chapter 10, Meridians.
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Song Hao ignored the old man's gratitude and the passengers' praises, and headed towards his sleeper compartment. He sensed someone following him, but Song Hao paid no attention, assuming it was someone who had come to see what was going on and was hurrying back to their compartment.
As I walked to the connection between the two carriages, I suddenly heard someone call out from behind, "Young man, could you wait a moment?"
Song Hao stopped when he heard the voice and turned around. He saw a middle-aged woman with a trench coat and long hair. She was dignified and beautiful and had a unique temperament. He thought he had seen her in carriage number eight earlier.
"Auntie, is there anything I can help you with?" Song Hao asked politely.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Dou Haiqin. We should both be practitioners of medicine. I noticed that your finger strength when you applied the needles was extraordinary. You must have unique expertise in acupuncture!" Dou Haiqin said with a kind smile.