Chapter 53: You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Lawbreaker, Would You?

“I’ve only set and simply immobilized the old lady’s fractured arm and leg. It’s best if you take her to the hospital to get a cast,” Xu Lin advised. Sun Huaisheng was about to agree, but the old lady spoke first.

“Is it alright not to get a cast? I don’t even feel any pain,” she said, trying to lift her arm to prove her point.

Startled, Xu Lin hurried forward to hold her down. The bones were only simply fixed, and any movement might cause trouble.

“Ma’am, the reason you don’t feel pain is that I used silver needles to seal off your pain. I wanted to make things easier for you. The effect will wear off in two hours, but by then the pain will be much lighter—at least half what it was before, well within what you can endure.”

“Oh, that’s nothing then, nothing at all. I can handle it,” the old lady replied heartily, clearly unconcerned about the pain.

She thought to herself, what’s this little pain compared to what she’d seen on the battlefield, where so many lost arms, legs, even lives? This was nothing—she could bear it.

Looking at the sprightly old lady, Sun Huaisheng found it hard to believe she’d just brushed past death’s door. Zheng Jianshe, watching his resilient mother, blinked away tears and then turned to Xu Lin, bowing deeply.

“Comrade, thank you so much. May I ask your name and where you work?”

“No need to be so formal. My name is Xu Lin, I’m a newly assigned educated youth,” Xu Lin replied, extending her small hand. “I used some good medicine for the old lady, and I’ll need to prepare three months’ worth of small pills for her recovery. Please pay fifty yuan for the medicine.”

Admiration aside, she couldn’t take a loss—she’d waive the fee for acupuncture and surgery, and not make any profit on the medicine, but the cost had to be covered. That was her principle.

“Fifty?” Zheng Jianshe’s eyes widened at how inexpensive it was. He nodded quickly. “Of course, of course.” He nudged his wife, who was still watching the old lady, and whispered, “Go, give Comrade Xu the money for the medicine.”

As for addressing her as ‘miracle doctor,’ Zheng Jianshe dared not. Not because Xu Lin’s skills weren’t worthy, but because it might bring her trouble. Many famous traditional medicine families had suffered persecution. Perhaps Xu Lin was a descendant hiding among the educated youth—he wouldn’t risk causing her any harm.

Soon, Yu Tong handed over fifty yuan to Xu Lin. Xu Lin took the money, opened her bag, and rummaged around. She quickly found several bottles, poured out a few pills from each, and wrapped them up as she explained, “These are my own formulas: some for reducing inflammation and pain, some to replenish blood and vital energy, and others to speed up healing. Take one pill, three times a day. In three days I’ll bring more pills for the old lady’s recovery.”

At that, Xu Lin looked at Sun Huaisheng. “You know what she should avoid eating, right?”

“No need to explain, I understand. But—may I take a look at your medicine?” Sun Huaisheng asked.

“Go ahead,” Xu Lin replied, pushing the pills toward him. She checked the time. “It’s getting late, I must be going.”

“Don’t! Stay for a meal before you go,” Yu Tong urged. The old lady echoed from the bed, “Yes, yes, stay. It’s past mealtime, and if you leave now, you won’t be able to buy anything to eat.”

Zheng Jianshe also pressed her to stay, sincerely grateful. But—could Xu Lin really stay? The worry in their eyes was obvious. If she didn’t insist they go to the hospital for further examination, could they really be at ease? And the old lady’s arm and leg still needed proper immobilization. It was best to let them get to the hospital quickly.

Xu Lin waved her hand, refusing, and urged them to take the old lady to the hospital as soon as possible.

Seeing she couldn’t be persuaded, Yu Tong quickly packed up some snacks and fruit for Xu Lin to take with her, promising a proper feast in three days when she returned.

As Sun Huaisheng was examining the pills, he realized Xu Lin was about to leave and hurriedly asked, “Doctor Xu, could you leave your address? Let’s keep in touch. If the hospital encounters cases beyond our ability, could we trouble you to help?”

“Don’t call me Doctor Xu—I don’t have a medical license,” Xu Lin replied as she accepted the snacks and fruit, then dropped a bombshell: “I’m not certified to practice medicine.”

Her admission made more than a few doctors feel their cheeks burn. With such skill, yet no license—what a loss for the medical world.

“Comrade Xu, there’s a licensing exam in our county next month. Will you sign up?” Sun Huaisheng asked, anxious when Xu Lin shook her head. “Don’t refuse! As long as you pass, you’ll get your license. With your abilities, you’d be more than qualified to consult at the county hospital. If you’re worried about anything, tell us—we’ll help however we can.”

“Yes, if you face any difficulties, we’ll find a way together,” Zheng Jianshe added, patting his chest. “I’m the county head of Qingshan. I can’t promise everything, but in this county, I can at least guarantee your safety.”

“Xu, if you have any troubles, tell the old lady. If anyone dares give you a hard time, I’ll chase them off with my broom!” The old lady tried to sit up in excitement, startling Xu Lin into holding her down again.

The old lady was certainly impatient—no surprise, really; she’d rushed off earlier to check on her grandson, after all.

Once Xu Lin had calmed the old lady, she smiled and said, “I’m not facing any difficulties; I just don’t want to sit in a consultation room. I like my freedom. I don’t want to be bound by rules. If I meet a patient fated to cross my path, I’ll treat them. If not, it’s all the same.”

“Not wanting to consult regularly has nothing to do with the license,” Sun Huaisheng pointed out. “If you don’t have a license and treat people, it’s illegal. That would make you a lawbreaker, and I’m sure you don’t want that.”

His words hit the mark, making Xu Lin hesitate. She knew the crime of practicing medicine without a license was serious. Today, the Zheng family had good character and didn’t make an issue of it, but if she ever met someone less kind, who knew if they wouldn’t use it for blackmail? Xu Lin wasn’t afraid of extortion, but she did hate trouble. Why waste time in arguments when she could be enjoying a nap?

“You’re an educated youth in the countryside, and judging by your small stature, you probably can’t do much farm work. With a license, you could work at the village clinic and earn work points without having to go into the fields. You’d also have a legitimate reason to go into the mountains to gather medicine. Why not?”

Xu Lin thought it made sense. Working in the fields was tiring and left her sunburned—being a barefoot doctor sounded much more appealing. For serious illnesses, if they couldn’t find her, so be it; for minor ones, a pill would do. It couldn’t be simpler.

Her heart stirred at the idea, and she agreed to take the exam, making Sun Huaisheng beam with delight. He promised to take care of the arrangements—she only had to show up for the test. For convenience, he naturally asked for her address and the brigade’s phone number.