"Hello, Aunt Dou! My name is Song Hao." Song Hao quickly extended his hand and gently shook hands with Dou Haiqin. It turned out that she was also a doctor.
"To have such skill in acupuncture at such a young age, and to achieve such an effect with just one acupoint for lower back pain, is truly remarkable! I was really unable to intervene earlier, but thankfully you came, otherwise I would have been in a real predicament! In fact, I should thank you," Dou Haiqin said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Song Hao was slightly surprised. Judging from her tone, she was also capable of treating the old man with acupuncture, but he wondered why she was unable to do so. In any case, she must be a highly skilled physician.
"No need to thank me. Since we've encountered a patient, it doesn't matter who treats them as a doctor. By the way, does Aunt Dou also study traditional Chinese medicine?" Song Hao asked.
“Yes, but I only practice acupuncture, and I’ve learned my family’s acupuncture techniques. Where are you from? Where are you going?” Dou Haiqin asked.
“Penglai!” Song Hao replied.
"Oh! It's a good place!" Dou Haiqin said, glancing at the carriages on both sides of the carriage from time to time, as if looking for someone, but her face was shrouded in worry and unease.
"Song Hao, it's a pleasure to meet you! I'm from Hangzhou, and I hope we can meet again sometime. I have to go now." Dou Haiqin said, then seemed to notice someone in one of the carriages. Her expression changed, and she quickly said something to Song Hao before turning and walking towards the other carriage, looking somewhat flustered.
"What a strange auntie!" Song Hao muttered to himself as he returned to his sleeper compartment.
"Is it all taken care of?" Song Zihe asked when Song Hao returned.
“Okay!” Song Hao nodded in response.
Song Zihe didn't ask anything more and went to doze off on the bed.
Around noon, the train pulled into Qingdao Station, and an announcement came over the loudspeaker that it would stop for eight minutes.
Seeing a line of food carts on the platform, mostly selling local snacks, Song Hao decided to buy a few for the train and also get some fresh air. After saying goodbye to his grandfather, Song Hao got off the train and found a cart to browse. At that moment, passengers were flowing in and out of the train, a cacophony of accents from all over the country.
Just as Song Hao was selecting several local delicacies and paying for them, someone suddenly handed him an envelope.
"Song Hao, do me a favor!" The man said urgently, leaving without looking back as he hurried away.
Song Hao was taken aback when he saw this. When he turned around, he saw Dou Haiqin's figure disappear into the crowd ahead.
"Aunt Dou!?" Song Hao looked on in astonishment, wondering what Dou Haiqin meant by this.
Just as Song Hao was wondering, two strong and fierce men walked past him and chased after Dou Haiqin in the direction she had gone.
"That woman is fucking cunning! Don't lose her, or else..."
A man's cold voice could be heard speaking.
Surprised, Song Hao quickly tucked the envelope into his pocket. He knew Dou Haiqin must be in trouble, and wondered what she meant by throwing him this envelope in such a hurry, and how it could help her. The platform was too crowded to read the contents. So Song Hao returned to the train. Passengers were moving around in the carriage, making it difficult to read the letter. Song Hao placed his purchases on the table by the window, intending to read it in the restroom after the train departed. Sitting in his seat, Song Hao felt uneasy. Although he had only met Dou Haiqin once, he didn't sense she was a bad person. Judging from the situation just now, Dou Haiqin seemed to be in danger. He wondered if he could shake off the two men who were following her.
"How can I help her?" Song Hao unconsciously touched the letter in his pocket, truly puzzled. Dou Haiqin didn't seem to be asking him to call the police; it seemed she had something else in mind.
After the train started moving, Song Hao got up and went to the restroom at one end of the carriage, eagerly opening the letter. Inside, besides a folded letter, was a needle—an exquisitely crafted gold needle. The handle was carved with a lifelike dragon, its scales and claws clearly visible, its head and tail distinct, coiling around the needle as if about to soar through the clouds. It possessed a truly masterful craftsmanship, undoubtedly the work of a master artisan. Song Hao marveled at it.
Song Hao unfolded the letter. Although the handwriting was messy and obviously written in a hurry, it was still beautiful and fluent.
Song Hao:
I am in danger and have no choice but to ask you for help. Please do something very important for me. Although we have just met, I trust your honesty and integrity.
"I am a descendant of Dou Mo, a renowned acupuncturist..."
"Dou Mo!" Song Hao was startled upon seeing this. Dou Mo, courtesy name Hanqing, was a renowned acupuncturist during the Jin and Yuan dynasties. He authored the book "Guide to Acupuncture," and his acupuncture theories had a profound influence on later generations. He never expected that Dou Haiqin was a descendant of Dou Mo, and Song Hao felt a surge of respect for him.
"I am a descendant of the renowned acupuncturist Dou Mo. My family possesses a sacred artifact of medicine, which was inadvertently revealed half a month ago, attracting the attention of various martial arts sects and even drawing the covetous eyes of an international antiquities smuggling ring. This sacred artifact is a national treasure of China, and I cannot reveal its name here; you will know when you see it. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I have already stored this sacred artifact in a safe place, but in case of unforeseen events, it must be moved soon. My whereabouts have already been exposed, making it inconvenient to continue this matter. However, this will attract attention from all sides, so I earnestly request your help to secretly transport this sacred artifact to your location for safekeeping. The matter is urgent." I had no choice but to select you; it's fate that we are both practitioners of medicine. Below is an address. Take the 'Golden Dragon Needle' as your sole token to collect the goods. The family there will surely pay you. At the same time, tell them to move immediately to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. Three months later, you can call the following phone number. If no one answers, or if it's not me answering, it means something has happened to me. Please keep this safe; it will help improve your acupuncture skills and medical techniques. Remember! Do not let anyone know, or disaster will follow. If you feel there is any danger and are unable to protect its safety, please hand this national treasure over to the state.
Please consider that we are both descendants of the Chinese nation and practitioners of medicine, and strive to accomplish this task; it would be a meritorious act. Otherwise, if this sacred medical artifact falls into the hands of unscrupulous individuals and is smuggled overseas, it would not only be a sin for my Dou family, but also a loss for the Chinese nation.
Please memorize this address and phone number, and then burn this letter immediately. Absolutely!
address:……
Telephone:……
Dou Haiqin wrote in haste
After reading the letter, Song Hao was dumbfounded.
"A sacred medical artifact! It must be a priceless treasure. What kind of thing could it be that has attracted so many forces to fight over it? Aunt Dou is really in danger! Why does she trust me? Can I really do it?" Song Hao was at a loss for what to do.
Chapter Twelve: Song Tiansheng's Acupuncture Bronze Figure
The Triple Burner Hand Shaoyang Meridian originates at the tip of the little finger and index finger, ascends between the two fingers, follows the wrist and forearm, emerges between the two bones of the forearm, ascends through the elbow, follows the lateral aspect of the upper arm to the shoulder, intersects with the Foot Shaoyang Meridian, enters the supraclavicular fossa, distributes to the chest, disperses to the pericardium, descends through the diaphragm, and belongs to the Triple Burner. One branch ascends from the chest to the supraclavicular fossa, ascends the neck, connects behind the ear and ascends straight up, emerging from the upper corner of the ear, bending down to the cheek to the cleft lip. Another branch runs from behind the ear to the middle of the ear, emerges in front of the ear, passes in front of the ear, intersects the cheek, and reaches the outer canthus of the eye. —Selected from *Ling Shu Jing*, Chapter 10, Meridians.
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The matter was of great importance, so Song Hao decided to discuss it with his grandfather. He didn't destroy the letter; he simply memorized the address and phone number, tore it to shreds, and flushed it down the toilet. The letter contained the address of a family surnamed Wang in Yantai, the train's final destination.
Back in his seat, Song Hao realized that most of the passengers in his carriage had already disembarked at Qingdao Station, and there was no one around. He decided to discuss the matter with his grandfather.
"Grandpa, I have something to tell you," Song Hao said in a low voice.
Seeing Song Hao's mysterious look, Song Zihe laughed and said, "Once you get to Yantai, you'll have to take a bus to get to our old home in Penglai. What's wrong? A little intimidated by your hometown? Don't worry, if you don't like living in the old house, we'll buy a new one. It's just a bit windy by the sea, so you might not get used to it as much as you did in Baihe Town at first, but you'll get used to it after a while. If all else fails, just travel around. The world is vast, there's always somewhere for you to go."
“It doesn’t matter where I go, as long as I can be with Grandpa. What I wanted to talk about is something else, a strange thing that just happened to me, and I want to discuss with Grandpa what to do about it,” Song Hao said.
"Oh!" Song Liaohe felt a warm feeling in his heart and smiled, "I'm free of any trouble now. Tell me, what's the matter? Why do you need to discuss it with me?"
Song Hao said, "This morning, after treating the old man who twisted his back, I met an auntie who also practices traditional Chinese medicine. We chatted for a bit and then she left. But just now, while I was buying something on the Qingdao train station platform, that auntie suddenly threw me a letter and hurried away. Two people followed her after her; they were actually tailing her. I just read the letter that auntie gave me in the restroom, and I didn't expect she wanted me to do something for her."
After Song Hao finished speaking, he handed the letter to Song Zihe.
Song Zihe was surprised upon hearing this. He took the letter and read it, his expression changing drastically. Holding the golden needle, he exclaimed in surprise, "Golden Dragon Needle! An exclusive item of the Golden Needle Sect! I didn't expect this medical sect to still exist! This needle is exquisitely crafted and must be extremely valuable. Since it's used as a token, this matter shouldn't be fake. She's actually a descendant of the famous acupuncturist Dou Mo! Not simple! It seems that treasure has brought her a lot of trouble. The letter is earnest, and in her desperation, she warned you for help, indicating that she can't escape. The fact that she's willing to take such a risk by choosing you for this task suggests that, besides being forced into it, she must also trust you based on your acupuncture skills. This person is bold, decisive, and even more clever, having an unrelated outsider transport this item away—no one would have guessed. Since I've accepted her request, I should agree to it. What kind of sacred medical artifact could cause such a commotion? Could it be...?"
Song Zihe suddenly remembered something, then shook his head and said, "It can't be that thing. In any case, let's move that thing first, and take it back to our hometown while we're at it."