Luo Feiying also noticed the subtle, almost imperceptible changes in Wu Qiguang's needlework. She was astonished; she had always believed the Luo family's magic needles were invincible, but now she realized there were always people more skilled than herself. It was truly unexpected that someone could wield such a level of needlework.
"Grandpa Wu, your needles felt so good! It felt like I ate an ice pop!" Little Tiger, who had been suffering from a high fever and had a furrowed brow, suddenly had a happy smile on his face and said happily.
"Grandpa Wu is treating you, don't talk," Teacher Liu said from the side.
"It's alright, this means the child's fever is starting to subside," Wu Qiguang said with a smile. He then put away the needle, took a thermometer, and handed it to Xiao Huzi, saying, "Place it under his armpit for a while and see how much the fever has gone down." After saying that, he went to treat other patients.
"I measured my temperature once when I came from home; it was 41 degrees Celsius," Teacher Liu said, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
Song Hao stepped forward and touched Xiao Huzi's forehead. It was no longer burning hot; it was only warm to the touch and a little damp, indicating that he had already started sweating.
"Sweating relieves the fever! It also works in conjunction with the 'sweating method.' In just over ten minutes, with only a few acupuncture needles applied, the high fever has subsided so quickly. It truly can create a dual sensation of ice and fire under the needles! Amazing!" Song Hao exclaimed inwardly. Knowing that even if he used his full strength in acupuncture treatment, it would take two hours for the fever to subside, his respect for the treatment grew even stronger.
"37.2 degrees! It's almost gone down!" Teacher Liu exclaimed excitedly, holding up the thermometer.
Wu Qiguang laughed and said, "Let the child play and jump around as he pleases. If he doesn't have a fever tonight, he'll be fine. If he's still a little hot tomorrow, we can do it again."
"Dr. Wu, I still owe you 45 yuan for medicine last time. Now, look..." Teacher Liu said, taking money out of his pocket.
"Give me 50 yuan!" Wu Qiguang, who was examining patients, raised his head and said.
"Is that enough?" Teacher Liu asked somewhat embarrassedly. This was equivalent to spending five yuan to treat a serious illness.
“What’s too much to treat the child? This is enough,” Wu Qiguang said, and then began writing the prescription.
Seeing that Wu Qiguang was very busy, Teacher Liu didn't say anything more. She put 50 yuan on the table, thanked him, and led Xiao Huzi outside.
"Thank you for driving us here," Teacher Liu nodded to Song Hao and Luo Feiying again. The father and son then happily left.
Song Hao stood there without moving. Having encountered a medical expert like Wu Qiguang, especially one who could produce miraculous effects of hot and cold in acupuncture, he naturally wanted to learn from him. Luo Feiying was also in no hurry to travel. Seeing that Song Hao didn't intend to leave for the time being, she stood aside silently, taking the opportunity to think about her next plan.
At that moment, a black sedan stopped in front of the clinic, and a man who looked like an official got out of the car and pushed his way through the crowd into the building.
"We have to wait in line to see a doctor! It's not an emergency." Someone muttered under their breath, clearly dissatisfied.
The man walked into the consultation room as if no one else was there and called out, "Old Wu! You've got a lot going on!"
"Oh! It's Director Wang!" Wu Qiguang responded, but did not get up and continued to look at the patient.
"Please have a seat!" Wu Qiguang said with a smile, even though there were no seats left in the consultation room.
"I can't sit down, I have other things to do. Old Wu, is my wife's medicine ready yet?" Director Wang rudely pushed aside several people and came to the table to ask.
"Once it's prepared, take it as I told you before," Wu Qiguang said, taking a packet of medicine from a drawer in the table.
Director Wang took it, put it in his handbag, and turned to leave, but then realized it wasn't a good idea, so he casually asked, "How much?"
“I’d sell it to someone else for thirty yuan, but you’d better give me 500 yuan,” Wu Qiguang said, staring at Director Wang with a smile.
"Hmm?" Director Wang's expression changed, and he chuckled awkwardly, saying, "Old Wu, you're ripping me off way too much. You sell it to others for thirty yuan, why are you selling it to me for 500 yuan?"
"Director Wang, please don't misunderstand. This is also one of my treatment methods. The main problem is that your wife has very high standards and won't tolerate cheap treatment. If she hears that the medicine is only thirty yuan, she might not even bother to take it, and then even the most miraculous medicine won't work! If she hears that the medicine was bought for 500 yuan, perhaps she'll find it palatable and have some faith in it, because faith is the best teacher! Of course, I can also refuse to accept any money; Director Wang, you can take the medicine. I'm just afraid it won't have the desired therapeutic effect!" Wu Qiguang said solemnly.
"Hehe! You old Wu, you often come up with strange methods for treating illnesses, but you always seem to achieve miraculous results. Alright! I'll trust you this once. As long as you get better, that's all that matters. I don't care about the money." As Director Wang spoke, he readily counted out five bills from his bag, placed them on the table, said "See you later!" and turned to leave.
After Wu Qiguang watched as Director Wang's car drove away, he suddenly jumped up from his seat like a child, laughing loudly, "That was great! I robbed the rich to help the poor again today! Has Cao Hai's family arrived yet?"
An honest-looking man stood up from the side and said timidly, "Dr. Wu, I've arrived."
"Hehe! Good to see you here! The 300 yuan you owe me for medicine is waived. Director Wang will pay for it for you!" Wu Qiguang said with a wave of his hand.
"Is this...is this alright? Let's wait until the fruit in the field is harvested and we sell it before paying you back," Cao Hai said, looking surprised.
“I said it’s free, so it’s free! Don’t be shy! By the way, I’ve also prepared your wife’s medicine, and I’ll give it to you for free too. Remember, tell her not to touch cold water or eat raw or cold food while she’s taking the medicine, and don’t make her angry. She should be almost better after she finishes this dose.” Wu Qiguang said, picking up a packet of medicine from the side and tossing it to Cao Hai.
Cao Hai received the medicine, so grateful he didn't know what to say.
Song Hao, Luo Feiying, and the other patients' families were all deeply moved by Wu Qiguang's open-minded and humorous attitude. They realized that illness could be treated in this way, and doctors could act in this manner.
Chapter Thirty-Two: The Ice and Fire Divine Needle (3)
Wu Qiguang's "robbing the rich to help the poor" filled the consultation room with a lively atmosphere, and the laughter made people feel awe.
An elderly man waiting for his appointment said, "Dr. Wu, wasn't your son supposed to be seeing the doctor with you? Why haven't I seen him today?"
Wu Qiguang shook his head helplessly and said, "There are so many people today, but he went to a friend's wedding banquet. That kid has no sense of self-awareness at all. He's exhausting me! Damn it!" It was unclear who he was cursing, but the people next to him couldn't help but chuckle.
The scene in the consultation room reminded Song Hao of the old Ping An Tang clinic and the image of him working alongside his grandfather. That familiar feeling made Song Hao blurt out, "Dr. Wu, my name is Song Hao, and I also study traditional Chinese medicine. May I help you?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Song Hao regretted it. Treating patients in someone else's clinic was a major taboo in medicine, even though he meant well.
Upon hearing this, Wu Qiguang was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Didn't you come with Teacher Liu?"
Song Hao said, "We met them on the road; they were father and son who got a ride with us."
“Is that so! Young man, it would be wonderful if you could help me! The prescription and needle case are on the table; take whatever you need. But let me take a look at the prescription first, and then you can go to the pharmacy to get the medicine. Silver Fox Book, please.” Wu Qiguang surprisingly agreed.
Song Hao was quite surprised that the other party had agreed to his impetuous act. He was also delighted. Being a doctor, he didn't think too much about it and looked around, as if to say, "Who will treat me?"
When the patients waiting for their turn saw a young man suddenly step forward and offer to treat them, none of them believed him and remained seated without responding. They had come specifically for Wu Qiguang; why would they trust a naive young man?
Luo Feiying stood to the side and pouted, thinking to herself, "Your own fate is uncertain right now, yet you have the leisure to treat other people's illnesses. Moreover, you volunteered in their clinic without being invited. You really know how to be uninhibited!"
Seeing that no one responded, Song Hao, having already spoken, had no choice but to proceed. He noticed someone clutching their shoulder, their face contorted in pain. He went over and asked, "What happened to your arm? Let me take a look."
The man hesitated for a moment and said, "I fell off my bicycle and for some reason I couldn't lift my arm. I went to the hospital and had an X-ray, but the bones were fine. The doctors there couldn't cure me, so I came to Dr. Wu for treatment on someone's recommendation."
"That's because the fall injured the meridians, blocking the flow of qi and blood. Although the arm is unable to be raised, no substantial lesions can be found on the instruments. Acupuncture can help regulate it," Song Hao said.