Zhuang Rui smiled, ran over and pulled his grandmother, who was playing with her great-grandson, and insisted on giving her an acupuncture needle as well. Only then did he put the tools away. At noon, Ouyang Wan and the nanny cooked lunch together. The four generations of the family ate happily.
"Xiao Rui, come here. Help me walk a bit, and bring all your acupuncture gear..."
After lunch, the elderly couple were supposed to take a nap, as was their custom. However, after putting down his bowl, the old man greeted Zhuang Rui, waved for the caregivers to leave, and gestured for Zhuang Rui to help him.
"Grandpa, what's up? My acupuncture skills are pretty good, aren't they?"
Zhuang Rui stepped forward and took his grandfather's arm, helping the old man slowly walk into the yard. His acupuncture kit was in a backpack, and although he didn't understand the old man's intention, Zhuang Rui still carried the bag on his back.
"Go out, go for a walk. When you're old, you'll just stay cooped up in this yard all day, like a bird..."
The old man didn't answer Zhuang Rui's question. He muttered a few words to himself and pointed outside the yard. He hadn't been feeling well for the past few months, but today he was in good spirits and wanted to go out for a walk.
"Grandpa, why don't you come stay with me for a few months?"
Zhuang Rui really wanted his grandfather to pass away. His maternal grandfather was almost 94 years old. According to folk beliefs, 83 and 94 years old are both hurdles. If he could pass these hurdles, he could live to be a hundred years old. Otherwise, he might reach the end of his life.
"I'm not going. My old bones are too weak to walk much, and going out would cause a huge commotion. I don't want to cause trouble for the organization..."
The old man shook his head. People of his generation spent the first half of their lives fighting on the battlefield, almost always facing death. Although they enjoyed a better life in the second half, these old people never forgot the hardships of the founding of the Republic and rarely made any demands on the country.
The old man pointed to a stone table and chairs on the path outside the courtyard and said, "Let's sit over there..."
Seeing that the leader was about to sit down, the special nurse who had been following at a distance quickly ran over and placed a soft cushion he was carrying on the stone chair. The old man waved his hand and said, "Little Liu, you don't need to follow me, stand a little further away..."
Although the old man's tone was gentle, there was an unyielding authority in it. Nurse Liu had received confidentiality training and knew what she could and could not hear, so she immediately walked away after the old man finished speaking.
"Grandpa, what's wrong with you?"
Zhuang Rui was puzzled when he saw his grandfather suddenly become serious. The old man's face suddenly tightened, and there was a murderous aura in it, as if he had become the powerful and commanding general on the battlefield more than half a century ago.
"Xiao Rui, Grandpa has a question for you, and you must answer it honestly..."
The old man's eyes, which were originally slightly cloudy, became exceptionally sharp at this moment, staring intently at Zhuang Rui.
"Grandpa, I've always been very honest..."
Although he often made eye contact with Jin Yu, Zhuang Rui felt that the old man's eyes seemed to be able to see through him, and he felt inexplicably nervous. He couldn't help but take out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
"Don't try anything funny, listen to Grandpa's questions..."
The old man glared at Zhuang Rui and said, "Xiao Rui, I know that when you were giving Grandpa acupuncture just now, the real skill wasn't in the needles, but in your own body, wasn't it?"
Although the old man is old, he is not senile. He once served as the chief of staff, commanding a million soldiers. He was a man who would not tolerate any dissent.
Just now, Zhuang Rui was too concerned about the old man's health and used a lot of spiritual energy. As a result, Ouyang Gang felt that he seemed to be decades younger. Even though he was originally deaf, he could hear what others were saying very clearly without hearing aids.
Although the old man was a materialist who had killed countless people in his life and never believed in ghosts or gods, the refreshing feeling he had when Zhuang Rui gave him acupuncture just now seemed to be something he had experienced in a dream last year. Combined with the fact that his body had inexplicably improved at that time, he began to question Zhuang Rui.
The old man lived in the countryside when he was young, then spent half his life in the military, and experienced the reconstruction of New China. He has seen all kinds of things, including many talented and extraordinary people. Their existence is justified. The older he gets, the broader his mind becomes.
The old man now suspects that his grandson possesses abilities beyond the comprehension of ordinary people; otherwise, the sudden improvement in his and his wife's health would seem rather strange.
"Kung Fu? On me? Grandpa, what are you saying? I don't understand."
Although Zhuang Rui was shocked, he showed a bewildered expression on his face, looking at the old man with a very calm look in his eyes. However, if someone were to put their ear to Zhuang Rui's chest at this moment, they would definitely be able to hear the "thump-thump" of his heartbeat.
In truth, Zhuang Rui was in a state of utter shock. His heart was practically leaping out of his throat. Since gaining his superpowers, Zhuang Rui had never revealed a single secret about them to anyone. He never expected that his elderly grandfather would see through his disguise.
The old man looked at Zhuang Rui with amusement and said, "Don't understand? Heh, still pretending with your grandpa? Have you practiced some kind of qigong? Can you project your true qi outwards?"
In fact, Ouyang Gang had set a trap for Zhuang Rui. He deliberately made it sound like qigong, hoping Zhuang Rui would admit it himself. Then he would explain the differences between qigong and other qigong, and see if Zhuang Rui would fall for it.
"Qigong? I don't know how, Grandpa. You don't read martial arts novels, do you?"
Zhuang Rui still pretended to be confused. It wasn't that he didn't want to admit it, but if he admitted that he knew qigong, what if the old man made him do something like breaking bricks on his head? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
"Still not admitting it? I'm telling you, last year your grandmother and I suddenly got better. You didn't do that, did you? Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that my health improved right after you came?"
The old man connected the dots, determined not to give up until he got to the bottom of it.
"Grandpa, that's because you and Grandma are very lucky. They're happy to see my mom, what does it have to do with me? By the way, Grandpa, let me tell you, in ancient times, if some unmarried men fell ill, they would say that a new wife would come into the house to bring good luck. I guess that's what happened between you and Grandma..."
Under the old man's two rounds of interrogation, Zhuang Rui gradually calmed down. Anyway, the old man was just guessing. As long as he denied it to the death, what could the old man do but have him arrested and tortured?
So Zhuang Rui started spouting nonsense, leaving the old man dumbfounded. He was cured of his illness, so how did he end up talking about ancient men getting sick and then getting married?
"You...you're just making this up..."
The old man was so angry that his beard bristled, but seeing Zhuang Rui's calm demeanor, he turned and smiled, saying, "Alright, as expected of my grandson Ouyang Gang, you won't bend even when Mount Tai is pressing down on you. If this were during wartime, you'd be a tough guy." Seeing that Zhuang Rui wouldn't budge, the old man stopped pressing him. Just as Zhuang Rui had thought, he had no evidence, and if he continued to press him, Zhuang Rui probably wouldn't use this ability in front of him again.
"If we have nothing to hide, we naturally won't bend over..."
Zhuang Rui puffed out his chest, but instead of a cigarette, he took out a cigarette from the pack in his hand and lit it with trembling hands.
The pressure the old man put on him was immense; at the beginning, Zhuang Rui almost revealed the secret.
"Alright, you know, I know, heaven knows, earth knows. Don't pretend in front of me anymore. Let's go, go give Old Song a needle. If he doesn't want to, just say he's afraid of pain." The old man's words made Zhuang Rui break out in a cold sweat again. It turned out that the trick he and Nannan played had been seen through long ago.
Chapter 806 Keep a Low Profile
Old Master Ouyang has lived for almost a century, and there are very few things in this world that he can't see through. He had long seen through Zhuang Rui's little tricks, but since Zhuang Rui was unwilling to talk about it, he decided to play dumb for once.
"Damn it, old age makes you wise, that saying is absolutely true..."
Zhuang Rui wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and took a deep drag on his cigarette. He hadn't expected that the old man, who usually seemed so confused, would be so shrewd.
The old man saw right through all the tricks I was playing. I thought I had the situation under control, but little did I know that the old man was just teasing me.
Zhuang Rui didn't even consider that any of these people who had survived countless brushes with death and fire were simple? Their first half of life was dedicated to revolution, and their second half to survival. Didn't that require extraordinary courage and wisdom?
"Come on, what kind of cigarettes do you smoke? I have a few cartons left, you can take them with you when you go back..."
Like the chief designer, the old man quit smoking without hesitation, but he still craved alcohol and liked to sneak a sip whenever he had free time. He's been caught by the nurses countless times for this.
After helping the old man to his feet, the old man glanced at Zhuang Rui and said, "Old Song has spent his whole life doing political work; he has a very sharp eye. You'd better keep a low profile, or he might expose you..."
Although Ouyang Gang wasn't entirely clear about Zhuang Rui's abilities, the fact that Zhuang Rui had pulled him back from the brink of death last year showed that his capabilities were not to be underestimated. The old man, who had spent half his life in politics, knew very well that if this matter were to be publicized, it would definitely cause a huge uproar, and even he himself wouldn't be able to protect him.
You have to understand, which of the leaders still in power doesn't want to live to a ripe old age? No matter how influential Ouyang Gang is, he can't guard against those open and covert attacks. Putting aside everything else, Zhuang Rui will definitely lose his personal freedom at that time.
So the old man simply pretended not to know, just so that he and a few old comrades could receive some favors. He even gave Zhuang Rui a special reminder not to make it too obvious.
"Grandpa, maybe... we shouldn't go and give Grandpa Song acupuncture, it might not be effective then..."
Zhuang Rui felt a chill run down his spine after hearing what the old man said. In front of these old guys, his little bit of cunning was really no match for them, which made Zhuang Rui want to back down.
No matter what, the old man in front of him was his maternal grandfather, and he would never harm him. But it was hard to say about that Grandpa Song. If he didn't keep his mouth shut, then he could forget about living a carefree life.
“Go on, there aren’t many of us old folks left. Your explanation of the magnetic field and acupuncture theory was quite good. Go explain it to Old Song later…”
The old man waved his hand, interrupting Zhuang Rui. He believed that with Zhuang Rui's ability to make even Doctor Dou unaware, dealing with Old Song shouldn't be a problem. Besides, he and General Song had been friends for over half a century; he couldn't just stand by and watch his old friend pass away, could he? Ouyang Gang understood perfectly well at this moment. Last year, Zhuang Rui had visited Old Song in the afternoon, and that very night the old man was able to get out of bed. Connecting this to what had happened to him and his wife, if Ouyang Gang still didn't understand, then he had truly lived in vain at over 90 years old.
"Just be careful. Your grandfather has wronged your mother and your siblings in the past, but as long as you don't make a scene, no one in this land can touch you..."
As the old man spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his back straightened considerably, as if the sounds of gunfire from more than half a century ago were echoing in his ears again.
"Grandpa, let's not talk about the past..."
Zhuang Rui supported the old man's arm, and he could hear the deep paternal love in the old man's words.
This old man, strong throughout his life, had never shown weakness even when recognizing his daughter. Yet now, he spoke his heart to Zhuang Rui, instantly warming Zhuang Rui's heart. ...
After his condition improved, General Song moved back to Yuquan Mountain to live. He would occasionally play chess with Ouyang Gang. However, the weather has turned cold recently, and the old man's condition has relapsed. He hasn't left his small building for almost a month.
"You old man, trying to show off your good health, huh?"
Ouyang Gang, accompanied by Zhuang Rui, traveled without hindrance and arrived directly at Old Master Song's bedside. The old man, unwilling to lose face in front of his old friend, struggled to sit up with the help of his grandson, Song Jun.
"I can eat five steamed buns in one meal, so my body is naturally better than yours. What, you're not happy about it?"
To Zhuang Rui's surprise, the two old men started arguing as soon as they met, deliberately choosing words to upset each other.
"Hey bro, what brings you here? Ignore those two, they're always like this the moment they see you..."
While the two old men were catching up, Song Jun, who had been guarding Old Master Song all this time, pulled Zhuang Rui aside.
Zhuang Rui looked helpless and said, "Hey, I recently started learning acupuncture from a PhD, and I showed off in front of the old man. Well... the old man dragged me over here to give Grandpa Song acupuncture..."
"That won't do, brother. I'm completely convinced of your expertise in appraising antiques, but as for healing injuries and curing illnesses, you'd better forget about it..."
Song Jun was startled by Zhuang Rui's words. Although his grandfather had been unwell recently, he was much better than when he received a critical condition notice last year. He should be able to get through this winter without any major problems. He just didn't want Zhuang Rui to cause any more trouble.
"Brother Song, this needle is inserted into the wrist. It's very simple, and it combines acupuncture with magnetic field theory. It has some effect, and it's harmless to the human body. Why don't you let Grandpa Song try it..."
Zhuang Rui first set the tone, so that he wouldn't be unable to explain himself clearly later if things went well. If they wanted to find the root cause, they should look for it in Dr. He's research. "No, this absolutely won't do..."
Brother Song shook his head like a rattle drum. The reason why the Song family can still maintain this status is entirely because of the existence of Old Master Song.
It's fair to say that if Old Master Song lost a few extra hairs in the morning, it would cause them a great deal of anxiety, let alone Zhuang Rui, an outsider to this field, giving the old man acupuncture.
“Why can’t I? If this old guy can do it, of course I can too. Young man Zhuang, come here… Grandpa Song will let you give him a few acupuncture needles. Your old man is always bragging about how brave he was in battle. I wasn’t just a figurehead back in the day; I fought just as many fierce battles as he did…”
Old Master Song was a well-known scholar-general in the army. He had attended a private school and gone to university, well... he didn't finish university, but in the army at that time, he was definitely considered a great intellectual.
The old man was usually very refined and witty, but whenever he met Ouyang Gang, it was like a clash of titans, with a barrage of profanities.
"Grandpa Ouyang..."
Song Jun didn't dare to advise his old man, but instead looked at Ouyang Gang, the man he had brought. Song Jun's call of "Grandpa" was full of resentment.
"Get out of my way, kid. I've already had two needles inserted. Is your grandpa more precious than me?"
Ouyang Gang waved his hand at Song Jun with annoyance. He could now understand Zhuang Rui's feelings. It was really annoying to always be stopped when doing good deeds.
During the lunch break, the special nurse wasn't around. After seeing Grandpa Song nod, Zhuang Rui quickly lit the alcohol lamp, disinfected the silver needles in his hand, and then had Grandpa Song place his hand on the bed before inserting the needles into the Yanggu acupoint on his wrist.
Although Song Jun wanted to stop them, he had no say in front of the two old men. He could only make a phone call to his old man and then stand aside and watch helplessly.
This time, Zhuang Rui learned from his mistake and only used a tiny bit more spiritual energy than he used on Dr. Dou. In Shanghai dialect, that's a small amount. He believed that given the declining organ function of the old man, there wouldn't be any noticeable reaction.
However, Zhuang Rui did not notice that just as he put away the silver needles, the old man Song, whose eyes were originally dim, revealed a strange look in his eyes. He looked up at Ouyang Gang, and when he saw his old friend shake his head slightly, the old man Song returned to his original state.
Zhuang Rui was unaware that the more his physical functions deteriorated, the more obvious the effects of spiritual energy would be. For example, when Zhuang Rui cleansed his body, the pleasure he felt was far less intense than before, which was the reason why impurities in his body had decreased.
"Hmm, not bad. Xiao Jun, why don't you go out and chat with the Zhuang kid? I'll talk to the old man..."
After Ouyang Gang gave him a meaningful look, Old Master Song sent Zhuang Rui and his grandson out, leaving only the two old men in the room.
No one knows what the two talked about in the room, but after returning, the old man ordered Zhuang Rui to come to Yuquan Mountain once a week to give him and Old Master Song acupuncture.
Zhuang Rui originally wanted to help the elderly man improve his health, so naturally he had no reason to refuse. The two old men kept the circle of people receiving Zhuang Rui's treatment very small, and for the time being, it was just the few old guys enjoying this treatment.
Dr. He, who was not well-liked at Peking University School of Medicine, was suddenly transferred to a military hospital research institute by a special order. He was also given a large sum of money and was given full authority to lead a research project on acupuncture and magnetic field theory.