Chapter 2: 9-inch Golden Needle

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Chapter 2

Shen Yuerong was almost furious. How could there be such a shameless person, not just shameless, but also with skin so thick it was extreme. Even though she glared at him, he still continued to peep as if nothing had happened.

She had initially intended to give the bald young man some face and not scold him in public.

But seeing his lack of shame, she couldn't be blamed for what would come next.

Shen Yuerong's face turned cold, and she was about to stand up and rebuke the young man. However, at that moment, the baby in the young woman's arms cried even more fiercely, shaking its head continually and spitting out mouthfuls of milk.

Shen Yuerong noticed the situation and, although she was not a doctor, sensed something was off and quickly asked, "Big sister, is your child sick?"

Seeing the baby's complexion turning purple, the young woman's face also filled with panic as she cried out, "Little one, little one, what's wrong with you?"

At this time, the bald young man said, "Big sister, your child has heatstroke, and it's possible he ate something bad, some sort of food poisoning. Did you feed him anything else at noon?"

"I didn't feed him anything, just a plum," the young woman said anxiously.

"Then it must be the plum. It's possible there were some pesticide residues on it. Although adults can eat it without issues, a child's body is fragile, their digestive system is not yet fully developed, and they can easily suffer from food poisoning."

"Are you sure?" Shen Yuerong looked at the bald young man with some skepticism.

The bald young man nodded: "There's an eighty percent chance."

"Whether it is or not, we should rush to the hospital," Shen Yuerong stood up and called out, "Driver, turn around, to the county hospital, there's a sick child here."

The driver said, "I've already left the city, it's a scorching day to go back now, and the passengers wouldn't agree either. Just go to the township health center and get an IV, that should be fine."

A wave of dissatisfaction erupted in the bus.

If it weren't for Shen Yuerong's beautiful and noble appearance, someone might have already started cursing.

Shen Yuerong was somewhat annoyed and said, "This is a matter of life and death. What if the child becomes seriously ill?"

"What seriously ill, I see it's just indigestion. Us country folks aren't so precious; just twisting it a bit should cure it. It's such a hot day, why bother with all this? Running to the hospital will just cost more money. Let me do it." A woman in her fifties or sixties rolled up her sleeves, spat on her hands, and came forward to help.

Shen Yuerong knew that "twisting it" was a traditional remedy for heatstroke, but even adults can hardly bear the pain of this treatment, let alone a baby that's still nursing.

Furthermore, the child's illness might not even be due to heatstroke.

She became somewhat angry. These rural people did not take a child's life seriously at all.

Just as she was about to reveal her identity,

The bald young man beside her stopped the old woman who was about to twist the baby by stretching out his hand and said, "Auntie, I'm a doctor, let me do this."

"You're a doctor?" The old woman withdrew her hand somewhat disappointedly, looking skeptically at the bald young man, as if she regretted not having had the chance to perform her remedy.

"Show me your medical license."

Shen Yuerong too looked at the bald young man with doubt, thinking to herself that if he was a doctor, it must be a prison doctor.

The bald young man smiled slightly, revealing eight shining white teeth, and said, "No license, I'm from the village, a Barefoot Doctor."

Although Shen Yuerong was very skeptical about the capabilities of this barefoot doctor, the young woman, grasping at straws, hurriedly handed her child over to the bald young man.

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The bald young man undid the child's clothes and swiftly pressed a few points on the child's chest and abdomen before massaging the area.

A moment later, he looked at the child's face and asked those nearby, "Who has a plastic bag?"

"I have one." Shen Yuerong just happened to carry a few fruits in a plastic bag, she hastily took out the fruits and handed the bag to the bald young man.

Without appearing to exert much force, the child was suddenly turned over and laid on his knees, and the bald young man quickly positioned the plastic bag under the child's mouth.

The baby vomited a mouthful of foul-smelling substance, containing remnants of plums.

After the baby finished vomiting, the bald young man turned the child over again, lightly twisted on his middle finger, and pulled out a slender Gold Needle.

Shen Yuerong did not clearly see how the bald young man removed the Gold Needle.

Seeing the bald young man about to perform needling, she hurriedly said, "Are you really capable of doing this?"

The bald young man did not respond but quickly inserted the Gold Needle into an acupuncture point on the infant's chest, moving it in and out at an extremely fine and rapid frequency. As he did this, the infant's originally purple-swollen face rapidly returned to normal, the expression of pain disappeared, and after a while, the baby even closed its eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

The bald young man removed the Gold Needle and handed the child back to the young mother, saying, "All done, I've cleared the toxins and dispelled the internal heat. Try to avoid giving him cold food in the future, to prevent poisoning."

"Big brother, I really can't thank you enough," the young mother said with tears of gratitude.

The bald young man waved his hand dismissively and sat down casually, then took the nine-inch-long Gold Needle and wound it around his middle finger, quickly fashioning it into the shape of a ring with a tiny Skeleton head at the tail.

Shen Yuerong watched curiously as the bald young man wound the needle. She had seen Gold Needles in Chinese medicine before, but she had never seen one so long, nor had she seen anyone fashion a Gold Needle into the shape of a ring.

She couldn't help but ask curiously, "What kind of needle is that, and your medical skills are quite good, are you really a doctor?"

"Remember, never say a man can't do it," the bald young man said slowly, not directly answering her question.

Shen Yuerong was initially startled by the bald young man's words before she burst into laughter, realizing that he was still dwelling on her earlier doubt about his abilities, how petty.

Shen Yuerong gave him a white look, but inside, she really became curious about this bald young man, who looked like a labor reform prisoner just released from jail, yet he was reading a copy of "The Wealth of Nations" in English on a broken-down minibus, and had surprisingly skilled medical expertise.

Seeing the bald young man leisurely picking up the thick volume of "The Wealth of Nations" again.

Shen Yuerong couldn't help but wonder if she had lost her charm. A woman's psychology is so subtle; during her many years in Yanjing, she couldn't remember how many men had coveted her beauty and family background. It was because she'd seen too much disgusting stuff in those circles, and a single failed romance led her to suspect she might have developed an aversion to men. Yet, curiously enough, the first time she initiated a conversation with a man who didn't respond enthusiastically, she felt an unexplainable sense of frustration and defiance in her heart.

Of course, that didn't mean she had taken a liking to the bald young man or had become infatuated.

Soon, Shen Yuerong, who had been navigating bureaucratic circles for years, discarded that inappropriate emotion, gave a self-deprecating smile, and thought that she still lacked experience. She unexpectedly had such feelings for a stranger.

She was going to be the head of Lotus Township, and this young man was likely a resident of Lotus Township. If he really had potential, perhaps she could explore that further.

Regaining her composure, she extended her hand and introduced herself, "Hello, my name is Shen Yuerong. May I ask your name?"

The bald young man looked up at Shen Yuerong, somewhat surprised. He found it odd that she would take the initiative to get to know him. He wasn't deliberately acting aloof earlier, nor was he indifferent to Shen Yuerong, who was both noble and stunningly beautiful. He certainly wasn't a eunuch.

It was just that years of prison life and life experiences had taught him what reality was like.

Therefore, he didn't want to make an unwelcome nuisance of himself. Meeting by chance, why lower oneself unnecessarily and seek disdain?

Little did he know that this stunningly beautiful woman from a different world had a whimsical moment and actually took the initiative to ask for his name.

Looking into Shen Yuerong's deep and beautiful eyes, reminiscent of black jade, and after briefly losing himself, the bald young man also extended his hand, grasping her soft, delicate hand in his own, and said, "My name is Long Xiaoshan. It's a pleasure to meet you."