Chapter 6: Taking Action
Dr. Sun’s decades of medical experience were a treasure trove of practical knowledge that one could hardly learn from textbooks.
For instance, some folk remedies, though not officially recognized, produced surprisingly effective results when applied correctly.
These were invaluable insights Dr. Sun had painstakingly gathered over many years of hands-on practice.
Zhou Yichen’s solid theoretical foundation and systematic approach were his strong points.
In contrast, Dr. Sun’s rich practical experience and exposure to diverse cases filled the gap Zhou Yichen currently had.
Their exchange was a perfect match, each complementing the other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Zhou Yichen was eager to absorb everything Dr. Sun knew, wanting to learn as much as possible.
The more they talked, the more excited Zhou Yichen became, asking question after question.
Dr. Sun also grew increasingly engaged; although Zhou Yichen was young, his grasp of theory was impressively solid. Many concepts that had once been vague to Dr. Sun suddenly became clear with Zhou Yichen’s insights, sparking a sense of enlightenment.
“Yichen, my boy, you’re truly a promising medical talent!” Dr. Sun said, eyes shining with approval.
Wang Zhenshan listened nearby. Though many technical terms flew over his head, the fervor between the two convinced him this was serious business.
He mentally resolved to grant Zhou Yichen extra rations and work credits later.
Talented people were rare indeed!
Just as Zhou Yichen and Dr. Sun were deep in animated conversation, as if they had found a kindred spirit at last—
“Doctor Sun! Doctor Sun, are you here?”
A voice called from outside the courtyard.
Soon, a man in his forties burst in, carrying a middle-aged man whose head was tilted unnaturally, drooling at the corner of his mouth.
The man, sweating profusely and gasping for breath, pleaded, “Doctor Sun, please! Come quickly and see my cousin! He was fine this morning but suddenly—he’s like this!”
The man being carried was about fifty, his face pale and waxen. The right corner of his eye drooped, his mouth was skewed, saliva dripped down his chin, and one arm hung weakly by his side.
“Is this… a stroke?” Dr. Sun’s face changed as he stepped forward.
He pressed on the patient’s philtrum and flipped his eyelids open for examination.
“Zhenshan, help me get him onto the kang!” Dr. Sun instructed Wang Zhenshan.
Together, they hurriedly lifted the patient onto the earthen heated bed inside.
Dr. Sun examined the man carefully, his frown deepening.
“The drooping mouth and eye, the drool at the corner—this is facial paralysis, likely a mild stroke,” Dr. Sun diagnosed.
The man who brought the patient paced anxiously. “Doctor Sun, is there hope? Can he be saved?”
Dr. Sun sighed. “This kind of illness is complicated. I only know a few simple acupuncture techniques to unblock meridians, but the effect is slow and not guaranteed.”
In his decades of practice, Dr. Sun had seen stroke patients with facial paralysis before, but his methods were limited. He mainly used silver needles on a few specific acupoints, with unpredictable outcomes and very slow recovery.
Zhou Yichen stood to the side, observing the patient on the kang with a slight raise of his brow.
The Barefoot Doctor’s Manual contained records of emergency treatment and follow-up care for stroke-induced facial paralysis.
Relevant knowledge flashed through his mind swiftly.
“Doctor Sun,” Zhou Yichen suddenly spoke.
Dr. Sun and Wang Zhenshan turned to him in unison.
“How about… I give it a try?” Zhou Yichen said calmly, his eyes gleaming with a hint of eagerness.
“You?” Dr. Sun was momentarily stunned, then his eyes lit up with anticipation. “You have methods?”
Wang Zhenshan’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yichen, you… you even know this?”
He had thought Zhou Yichen could only handle common colds or fevers, never imagined he would dare to treat stroke-related facial paralysis!
This was a delicate procedure—one false move could be fatal.
But then he thought, Dr. Sun himself said the effect was slow and uncertain; trying Zhou Yichen might be worth it.
What if this young man truly had extraordinary skill?
Wang Zhenshan’s heart leapt to his throat.
Seeing their astonished faces, Zhou Yichen nodded calmly.
“I can try.”
His voice was soft but carried an undeniable confidence.
This confidence stemmed from the principle that diligence is rewarded by heaven.
Diligence leads to progress.
A certificate gained once is valid forever; skills never regress.
Although this was Zhou Yichen’s first time performing this treatment in practice, he had already thoroughly studied the relevant medical texts. The acupuncture points and techniques for this condition had been rehearsed in his mind countless times.
Theory combined with talent and diligence had crystallized a clear plan in his head.
He simply knew how to do it.
There was no room for error.
“Well… that’s good!” Dr. Sun was the first to respond, his cloudy eyes sparkling with excitement, his beard twitching with enthusiasm.
Having a method was better than none.
Might as well try everything possible!
The man who brought the patient looked at Zhou Yichen with hopeful, bloodshot eyes, as if clutching a last straw.
Without further ado, Zhou Yichen approached the kang and gazed calmly at the patient’s skewed face.
He took a deep breath, the acupuncture charts for facial paralysis from the Barefoot Doctor’s Manual vividly appearing in his mind—every acupoint’s precise location, depth, and technique fully memorized.
“Doctor Sun, could you please sterilize the silver needles?” Zhou Yichen asked politely, his tone steady and respectful.
“Ah, yes, yes!” Dr. Sun hurriedly fetched his well-used set of silver needles from the medicine box and meticulously wiped each with alcohol cotton balls.
Zhou Yichen took the needles, picking up a slender one and briefly heating it over the alcohol lamp until the tip was just right.
His movements were steady and assured, with no tremor, as if he had performed this countless times.
He first located the Dicang acupoint on the patient’s face, gently probing with his index finger. Holding the needle between thumb and middle finger, he twisted it lightly, inserting it with precision.
Next was the Jiache point.
The patient’s body shuddered slightly as the needle pierced, emitting a faint groan.
Zhou Yichen remained focused and undistracted, then took the distant Hegu point to guide the flow of qi.
The needles went in fluidly, each acupoint identified with pinpoint accuracy, the depth just right, no hesitation or resistance.
Dr. Sun watched intently, not once blinking.
The choice of points, the technique, the calm demeanor—this was no novice fresh out of training!
This was clearly a seasoned practitioner, steeped in years of experience!
About fifteen minutes later, the atmosphere in the room grew extremely tense.
Zhou Yichen began withdrawing the needles.
At the moment the last silver needle was pulled from the patient’s face, the patient’s eyelid on the kang seemed to twitch slightly!
“It moved! It moved! My cousin’s eyelid moved!” the man who brought the patient cried out first.
Wang Zhenshan and Dr. Sun also noticed the change.
The patient’s drooping right eyelid actually lifted a little!
Though slight, it was definitely movement!
The crooked corner of his mouth seemed to relax a bit, and the saliva dripping had noticeably slowed!
“This… this is incredible!” Wang Zhenshan gasped, though unversed in medicine, he recognized the significant improvement.
Dr. Sun was even more astonished.
He observed the subtle changes on the patient’s face, then glanced at Zhou Yichen’s composed expression, his mouth opening slightly in disbelief. “Yichen… your acupuncture is far superior to mine!”
He admitted that achieving such a clear result was beyond his capability.
His own handful of acupuncture techniques were little more than a tentative attempt; whether they worked was mostly a matter of luck.
But Zhou Yichen’s few needles, in just a quarter of an hour, produced immediate effects!
Wang Zhenshan’s face lit up with joy, rubbing his rough hands eagerly. “Excellent! Fantastic! Yichen, you truly are the treasure of our Xiangyang Brigade!”
He was utterly convinced, from head to toe, inside and out.
This Zhou Yichen was much more than someone who could just treat colds and fevers.
He was a hidden genius healer!
The man who brought the patient was so overwhelmed with gratitude that he almost knelt down before Zhou Yichen with a thud.