Chapter 25: The Old Doctor's Good Deed
Chapter 25: The Old Doctor's Good Deed
In the end, Old Zhao was carried away by his two sons amid the scolding of his wife.
After receiving acupuncture and some medicine from the elderly Doctor Chen, Old Zhao's complexion had already improved significantly by the time he left.
With the Zhao family gone, the villagers had no more excitement to witness, and they dared not disturb Doctor Chen further, so they gradually began to disperse.
"Are you leaving, Qing?" Wang Da'an asked Lu Qing.
"Hey, Lu Qing, what are you doing here? Xiao Yan is here too?"
Only then did the other villagers notice Lu Qing and Xiao Yan standing in the corner.
"I've been here the whole time. Everyone was just concerned about Uncle Zhao's health, so they didn't notice me," Lu Qing smiled, "Big Brother Da'an, you guys head back first. I still have some things I'd like to ask Grandfather Chen about."
"Ask?" Only then did Wang Da'an notice the book in Lu Qing's hand, and he suddenly realized, "You're studying under Old Doctor Chen?"
"Yes, I'm learning some herbal medicine knowledge from Grandfather Chen," Lu Qing didn't deny it.
Upon hearing this, the villagers were astonished.
Lu Qing had actually gained the favor of the old doctor?
After the initial surprise, they couldn't help but feel envious.
The old doctor's medical skills were renowned, and he had even saved people who were at death's door.
Many villagers had seen how ill Lu Qing had been before, and yet the old doctor had cured him with just one prescription.
Earlier, when Old Zhao had fallen into the water, his face had turned ashen, and he had stopped breathing.
But with a few manipulations of his acupuncture points by the old doctor, he had been revived.
This medical skill could truly be described as bringing the dead back to life.
Now, Lu Qing had the opportunity to study under the old doctor, and everyone couldn't help but feel envious.
However, their envy aside, the villagers also knew that this was not something they could simply covet.
Learning medicine seemed like a very challenging endeavor, and they guessed that only a very intelligent person would even be able to get a foot in the door.
They could see that Lu Qing was holding a book, and they knew that the number of characters known by everyone in the village combined might not even fill a basket.
Only Lu Qing, who had been taught by his grandfather since childhood, could recognize a few characters.
Perhaps this was also the reason why Doctor Chen valued Lu Qing.
Thinking of this, the villagers' jealousy lessened somewhat. They knew that even if such a good opportunity fell into their laps, they wouldn't have the ability to seize it.
An elderly villager walked up and patted Lu Qing on the shoulder.
"Good job, Lu Qing. You must study hard under the old doctor and strive to master all his skills!"
Lu Qing was a little dazed by the unexpected encouragement.
He really wanted to explain that he was only learning about herbal medicine from Doctor Chen at the moment.
But seeing the earnestness in the old man's eyes, he could only nod: "I will try my best."
Even after the villagers had left, Lu Qing still felt a bit dazed.
He had assumed that the villagers would be envious and jealous of him for studying medicine under the old doctor.
But what he had witnessed was something different.
The villagers were indeed envious and jealous, but their emotions weren't as intense as he had imagined.
Instead, along with their envy and jealousy, they also seemed to genuinely hope that he would master the old doctor's medical skills.
Lu Qing didn't like to speculate about others with malicious intent.
However, he also knew that the human heart was unpredictable, and sometimes, jealousy could arise for no apparent reason.
"Are you confused?" Doctor Chen approached Lu Qing.
"Confused about what?" Lu Qing asked, perplexed.
"Don't you understand why the villagers are so eager for you to learn my medical skills?" Doctor Chen smiled.
Lu Qing nodded. He was indeed a little puzzled.
Could the old doctor know the reason?
"Lu Qing, do you know how many doctors there were in the nearby villages when I first settled down here?"
Chapter 25: The Old Doctor's Good Deed
The old doctor, Chen, didn't directly answer Lu Qing's question. Instead, he asked, "Do you know how many doctors there were in the nearby villages when I first settled here?"
Lu Qing shook his head. He had only been a child when Doctor Chen arrived, and his original host had little memory of that time.
"Not a single one," the old doctor replied, surprising Lu Qing. "Before I came to this village, there wasn't a single doctor in the surrounding villages."
"When the villagers fell ill, they would usually just pick some wild herbs they recognized and boil them into a concoction," he continued. "Or they would seek help from the village midwife or shaman for simpler ailments. For anything more serious, they could only endure and hope for the best. It was only when their conditions became unbearable that they would make the arduous journey to the city to seek medical treatment."
"However, by the time a minor ailment turns into a serious illness, it is often too late," Doctor Chen explained. "Even the physicians in the city may not be able to cure every disease. Moreover, traveling to the city and staying there is no easy feat, especially when one is already sick."
"Even if a city physician has the skill to cure an illness, the cost of treatment is often prohibitively expensive for ordinary villagers," he added. "For most villagers, a serious illness often means certain death."
"Before I came to this village, many people in the surrounding villages lost their lives to illnesses each year," the old doctor concluded.
Lu Qing tried to recall, and indeed, he faintly remembered that before Doctor Chen's arrival, there seemed to be funerals in the village every year.
"When I first arrived here, I saw that many people in the nearby villages were suffering from illnesses and had no access to medical care," Doctor Chen said. "Out of compassion, I decided to stay and offer them a glimmer of hope."
"I didn't expect to stay for so long—it's been a decade now," he mused. "In these ten years, I cannot claim to have saved countless lives, but at the very least, the villagers now have a place to turn to when they are sick. They no longer have to suffer from untreated minor ailments turning into major health crises."
Lu Qing's heart was deeply moved by the old doctor's words. Doctor Chen had truly brought peace and health to the village; he was their guardian and savior.
"So that's why everyone wants me to learn medicine from you, so that I can treat their illnesses in the future?" Lu Qing asked.
"Indeed," the old doctor nodded. "I suppose they have all experienced the fear of having no medical help within reach, and they don't want to go back to those days."
"But what about you, Grandfather Chen? You're still here," Lu Qing said.
"I am already very old," Doctor Chen replied. "Although I rarely walk around the village, I sometimes overhear people whispering about what would happen if I suddenly passed away. They worry about where they would go for medical treatment."
Lu Qing was speechless. He thought of the old doctor's identity as a cultivator and how those gossiping villagers would never imagine that an elderly man could possess such keen hearing.
Now, Lu Qing fully understood why the villagers, despite their envy and jealousy, still encouraged him to learn from Doctor Chen. They had simply experienced too much suffering in the days before the old doctor's arrival, and they feared returning to those dark times.
"Grandfather Chen, are you angry about their concerns?" Lu Qing asked.
"Why would I be angry?" The old doctor laughed. "It's only natural for them to feel that way, and besides, I am indeed very old. Half of my body is already in the grave."
Lu Qing thought to himself that the old doctor didn't seem old at all, especially with the vibrant, healthy aura he exuded.
"Lu Qing, you are a smart child," Doctor Chen said. "Now you understand the villagers' intentions."
"I understand a little," Lu Qing nodded.
"Then, are you willing to learn medicine from me?" the old doctor asked suddenly.
(End of Chapter)
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