Chapter 136: Is His Poison Contagious?

Manager Bai pushed the telephone toward Xu Lin and asked casually, "Is that patient still salvageable?"

"He is. It's just poisoning; once the symptoms are identified, the right medicine will do the trick."

Xu Lin dialed the brigade's number, her response as indifferent as if she were discussing the weather. Manager Bai gave her a thumbs-up. While his own medical skills were nothing to boast about, he deeply admired those who possessed real expertise. Just listen to how she put it—was that even something a normal person would say? If it were that easy to prescribe the right medicine for the right symptoms, the patient would have been cured long ago.

Wang Facai answered the phone. Upon hearing that Xu Lin was tied up in the county seat and might be returning late, he expressed genuine concern. Once he learned that Xu Lin herself was fine and that it was someone else who was ill, he felt relieved. He agreed to help pass a message to the dormitory for educated youth, and only then did Xu Lin hang up.

"By the way, I heard you have 'Nourishing Pills' here, which are exceptionally effective for conditioning the body," Manager Bai said, rubbing his hands together. "Could you exchange some for me? My nephew was born prematurely, and his health has never been properly restored."

"A premature birth, you say? That’s possible, but it would be best to see the person first. Even though they are Nourishing Pills for general health, I prefer to tailor the prescription to the individual. What do you think?" Xu Lin pushed the phone back. "If it’s convenient, bring him over to be examined. I’ll be here until five o'clock today."

"Yes, yes, of course! I’ll go get him right away!" Manager Bai jumped up with excitement. He understood the principle of one prescription for one patient.

When Xu Lin returned to the clinic, the patient's family members were already being taken aside for questioning. In the room, a large wooden barrel was set over a fire, which was burning quite vigorously. Next door, Tu Hai was questioning the family in great detail, covering everything from names and genders to family members. His interrogation left the family trembling, their hearts hanging in suspense.

Xu Lin hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but her hearing was too keen; the voices of the interrogation drifted into her ears of their own accord. That was how she learned the patient was named Zhu Daqiang and lived deep in the mountains. It was only by a stroke of luck that they were able to come down to the city for treatment; they had previously found wild ginseng and sold it for a good price, which gave them the confidence to enter the hospital. However, as the treatment dragged on indefinitely, the family had begun to regret it, terrified that they would lose all their money without the patient ever recovering. They had even discussed privately that if Renji Hall couldn't cure him either, they would take him home, stop the treatment, and let him wait for the end. It sounded heartless, but it was the reality of their situation.

When Zhu Daqiang’s wife heard her father-in-law talking about giving up, she burst into inconsolable sobs, looking truly pitiable. Tu Hai had no choice but to offer a few words of comfort and ask her to step aside to calm down, as the questioning had to continue. He focused especially on where Zhu Daqiang had been and what he had come into contact with before the onset of his illness, and whether there were any other patients in the mountain village with similar symptoms or if any such cases had occurred previously. Although Zhu’s father was not a man of the world, he realized something was wrong and, not knowing what kind of trouble his son had gotten into, nervously rubbed his thighs.

Xu Lin focused on them for a while before turning her attention away, as Zhu Daqiang had already been placed into the soaking barrel. Liu Huairen stood nearby and whispered, "Is his poison contagious?"

"The poison in his body is not contagious, but as for the rest, it’s hard to say." Xu Lin’s words were layered with meaning. While others didn't catch the implication, Liu Huairen did. Having lived through much, he was well aware of the chemical warfare waged by the island nation. If the poison wasn't contagious, that was for the best, but if it were, they would need to prepare accordingly.

"Linlin, how long will it take to cure him?" Liu Huairen asked.

"The poisoning is too deep. Acupuncture combined with medicated baths will take a week, and I cannot be here every day to treat him." Xu Lin looked at Liu Huairen and said, "When I perform the acupuncture in a moment, memorize the technique. You will need to take over the subsequent treatments."

"Is that really alright?" Liu Huairen looked embarrassed, though his heart was racing with excitement as he rubbed his hands.

"There’s nothing wrong with it. Medical skill is meant to save lives. How much you can learn is up to your own ability." Fearing that Liu Huairen might have trouble remembering due to his age, Xu Lin suggested he take notes. Liu Huairen was even more delighted and immediately pulled out a small notebook.

As Zhu Daqiang’s skin began to flush red, Xu Lin began the acupuncture. Her movements were neither fast nor slow, and she explained the process as she worked. This made it easy for Liu Huairen to learn, and even Xiao Lin, the assistant, pricked up his ears. Since Dr. Xu hadn't chased him away and didn't mind Dr. Liu learning, he figured she wouldn't mind if he followed along.

With the final needle placed, Zhu Daqiang, who had been howling in pain, felt a sudden lightness and sobbed with relief. In that moment, he believed Xu Lin’s words: his illness truly had a chance of being cured.

Xu Lin took the handkerchief handed to her by Xiao Lin and, while wiping her hands, asked, "Old Liu, are there any parts you don't understand?"

"Yes, there are indeed!" Liu Huairen did not stand on ceremony; holding his notebook with bright, eager eyes, he fired off several questions. Xu Lin did not hold back, explaining the precautions in great detail to facilitate the follow-up treatment. By the time they finished, Liu Huairen had mastered the technique. Aside from Zhu Daqiang, who was still feeling a bit anxious, both Liu Huairen and Xiao Lin were very satisfied with the result.

Half an hour later, Xu Lin personally removed the needles, reminding Liu Huairen once more of the precautions for the procedure. Even something as simple as removing needles could affect the efficacy if done in the wrong order.

When everything was finished, the clock showed 4:40 PM. Xu Lin checked the time, gave a few more instructions, and stepped out of the clinic. Before she could even leave, she was met by the expectant gaze of Manager Bai. Xu Lin blinked, suddenly remembering the other patient.

"Has he arrived?" she asked.

"Yes, he's here!" Manager Bai waved at someone behind him. "Gouwa, come over here, quickly!"

The nickname made the young man who had just stood up blush, his ears turning bright red. "Heh, sorry about that. He’s been in poor health, and we had no other choice; we thought a 'cheap' name would help him grow up strong."

Xu Lin smiled and nodded, indicating she understood, though she couldn't help but think the name was a bit too "down-to-earth." It sounded like a child from the brigade who had never left the village. She couldn't help but look the boy over. He looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, with delicate features and a well-behaved demeanor.

"Gouwa, come here and greet the doctor," Manager Bai urged, pushing him forward. "This is Dr. Xu. Don't let her age fool you—she's only a few years older than you, but her skills are incredible."

"Hello, Dr. Xu." Lin Yufei glanced quickly at Xu Lin, then lowered his head, his face burning as he whispered, "My name is Lin Yufei, not Gouwa."

"Hello," Xu Lin said, ignoring the name issue and gesturing to the side. "Let's go over there for the consultation."

Lin Yufei nodded, his face still flushed, and followed Xu Lin while whispering to Manager Bai, "Uncle, I told you not to call me that nickname."

"Heh, I’m just used to it. Let me tell you, don't look down on the nickname. If it weren't for changing your name to that, you..."