“Doctor Wu, we’ll have to trouble you again.”
Ge Shuheng, who was helping his father sit down, looked at Wu Shengbai and his daughter Wu Suxin with a hint of embarrassment. “My father hasn’t been feeling well lately. He says his chest feels stuffy, his left ribs ache, and his left foot is very stiff, making it extremely difficult to walk. We have to help him every step of the way just to get him to move around.”
Wu Shengbai and his daughter Wu Suxin looked at Old Ge, who was nearing eighty, sitting in the chair. His left face was severely stiff, his mouth was askew, and his eyes were dim, giving him a somewhat vacant expression.
This was because two months prior, the old man had fallen and hit his head on the ground, almost to the point of death.
Ge Shuheng’s family had discovered him in time and rushed him to the hospital for emergency treatment, saving his life. However, the fall had left Old Ge half-paralyzed, with a stiff and immobile left side of his face. He also suffered from dementia, which had not been severe initially. After the fall, his mental state deteriorated significantly, and he could no longer speak.
After being discharged from the hospital, Old Ge was brought by his son, Ge Shuheng, to Heping Street for traditional Chinese medicine treatment. Upon arrival, they first went to Heshengtang. However, Zhang Shunchang was unable to treat his paralysis, so he even invited Liu Yuan to examine him. But Liu Yuan seemed uncertain as well. In the end, Wu Shengbai took Old Ge as a patient and prescribed him a formula to try.
However, treating Old Ge’s paralysis, coupled with his dementia and numerous other ailments throughout his body, proved to be extremely difficult. Even Wu Shengbai’s acupuncture treatments failed to alleviate his progressively worsening paralysis.
Now, he could no longer walk normally and could only take a few steps with assistance.
Upon seeing Ge Shuheng bring his father, Wu Shengbai’s brow furrowed slightly. He asked his daughter to attend to Old Ge first, then invited Ge Shuheng to the small reception room outside, saying in a grave tone, “Mr. Ge, your father’s condition is indeed difficult to treat even with traditional Chinese medicine.”
“As you’ve seen, your father has been taking the prescription I gave him for two months with no noticeable improvement. Honestly, I don’t have much confidence in being able to cure your father’s illness anymore.”
Ge Shuheng was taken aback by Wu Shengbai’s words and quickly replied, “But Doctor Wu, you are an authority in the field of traditional Chinese medicine! Among all the doctors in the medical halls on Heping Street, your medical skills are the highest.”
“If even you are unable to help, does that mean my father will have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair?”
Wu Shengbai waved his hand regretfully and said, “Your father is elderly. That fall not only worsened his dementia and left him half-paralyzed, but it also caused his existing rheumatic conditions to relapse. With so many ailments intertwined, I am currently unable to find a good therapeutic method to help your father.”
Ge Shuheng became somewhat anxious and pleaded, “Doctor Wu, please think of a way. I believe a reputable doctor like you must have a way to cure my father’s paralysis…”
“Old Wu…”
At that moment, Tian Xiangrong and Zhang Shunchang approached. They had intended to discuss something with Wu Shengbai but saw Ge Shuheng there. They immediately said, “Isn’t this Old Ge’s son? Bringing your father to see the doctor?”
Ge Shuheng greeted Zhang Shunchang and Tian Xiangrong, “Yes, Doctor Zhang, Doctor Tian. But my father’s condition has been rather poor lately, and Doctor Wu says he can’t continue treating him, so I’m very worried.”
Zhang Shunchang and Tian Xiangrong were taken aback by this. They turned to Wu Shengbai and asked, “Old Wu, even you can’t treat Old Ge’s illness?”
Wu Shengbai shook his head and frankly admitted, “Old Ge’s illness is too complex. It’s difficult to pinpoint a direction for treatment and therapy at the moment.”
Zhang Shunchang nodded and sighed, “Indeed. Not only his body but his brain was also affected by the fall, leading to paralysis. While traditional Chinese medicine can help regulate the body, curing this paralysis is still challenging.”
“But Doctor Wu, you all must think of another way. You can’t let my father’s paralysis continue to worsen.” Ge Shuheng pleaded with folded hands to Tian Xiangrong and the others, “Please, think of another way. Don’t give up like this.”
“Sigh…”
Wu Shengbai shook his head, but Tian Xiangrong suddenly had a mischievous idea. His shrewd little eyes lit up as he said, “Old Wu, I’ve thought of someone who can treat Old Ge!”
“Who?” Zhang Shunchang turned to ask. Wu Shengbai looked up at Tian Xiangrong, seeming to know who he was referring to, and frowned.
“Of course, it’s Wan Yunting!”
Tian Xiangrong turned to Zhang Shunchang with a smile.
“Wan Yunting? Who is that?”
Ge Shuheng looked confused, not knowing who these doctors were talking about.
After all, they were ordinary people, so it was normal for them not to have heard of Wan Yunting.
“When you came to see Doctor Wu, did you see a medical hall called Xiuyuantang?” Tian Xiangrong asked.
“Yes, I did.”
Ge Shuheng nodded. Zhang Shunchang knew what Tian Xiangrong was up to and smiled, “That Xiuyuantang was opened by a very famous doctor. Have you heard of the Ouyang family in the capital?”
Ge Shuheng nodded again. After all, the Ouyang family was one of the prominent families in the capital, and everyone in the capital knew about them.
“The one who opened that medical hall is Wan Yunting, a descendant the Ouyang family found last year. Perhaps he can help cure your father’s illness!” Tian Xiangrong said with a smile.
“Really?”
Ge Shuheng barely knew Wan Yunting, but the name sounded familiar. Hearing Tian Xiangrong suggest that he might be able to cure his father’s illness immediately lifted his spirits.
Zhang Shunchang and Tian Xiangrong exchanged a glance and nodded at him with smiles, “Why don’t you try finding him!”
Wu Shengbai’s expression slightly darkened. He said to them, “Come with me for a moment.”
Zhang Shunchang and Tian Xiangrong exchanged glances and followed Wu Shengbai to the small balcony outside. He turned to the two of them and frowned, “Do you really think Wan Yunting can cure Old Ge’s illness?”
“Heh, who believes he has that capability?” Zhang Shunchang chuckled.
Tian Xiangrong smiled at Wu Shengbai and said, “Old Wu, we’re doing this to see how capable that Wan Yunting really is. Of course, if he can truly cure the old man’s ailments, that would be a good thing. But if he can’t, then we’ll use this opportunity to create some trouble and force his Xiuyuantang to close down!”
Zhang Shunchang nodded with a sinister grin. Wu Shengbai also raised an eyebrow, knowing they were hatching a plot to ensure Wan Yunting and Xiuyuantang wouldn’t last until the end of the month.
Now, Ge Shuheng’s father’s situation was precisely what Tian Xiangrong and Zhang Shunchang encountered, leading them to devise this plan.
However, Wu Shengbai believed that while he acknowledged Wan Yunting’s good medical skills, Old Ge’s body had numerous ailments. Even his retired father, Wu Guixiang, had been unable to cure Old Ge’s paralysis and dementia.
“Old Wu, just let them do it.”
Tian Xiangrong’s small, sinister eyes gleamed. He had devised this strategy, confident that Wan Yunting would definitely not be able to cure Old Ge’s illness. Therefore, they could use it as an excuse to disparage Wan Yunting and force his Xiuyuantang to close by the end of the month.
Wu Shengbai raised an eyebrow, his expression slightly clouded, and remained silent.
Zhang Shunchang and Tian Xiangrong exchanged a glance and said, “Let’s do it this way. I’ll go out now and take the Ge father and son directly to Wan Yunting…”
With that, Zhang Shunchang went out and said to Ge Shuheng with a smile, “I’ll take you to see Doctor Wan. He’ll surely be able to cure your father’s paralysis.”
Outside, Ge Shuheng happily nodded, “Okay…”
And so, he, along with Zhang Shunchang, helped Old Ge down the stairs and left Tongrentang, heading towards Xiuyuantang, which was a little further down the street…
Tian Xiangrong, of course, also went to notify Liu Yuan and Xue Tonghua…
“Dad, Uncle Zhang and Uncle Tian’s move is quite malicious, isn’t it?”
Wu Suxin came to the small balcony and stood beside Wu Shengbai, watching Zhang Shunchang and Ge Shuheng help Old Ge down the street towards Xiuyuantang…
Wu Suxin smiled, “As long as Wan Yunting can’t cure Old Ge’s illness, Uncle Tian and the others can use this as an excuse to stir up trouble, and then Xiuyuantang will likely have to close its doors before the end of this month.”
Wu Shengbai sighed helplessly, saying nothing, and turned to go inside.
Wu Suxin glanced back, knowing her father’s nature. Although he appeared to be friendly with Zhang Shunchang and Tian Xiangrong, Wu Shengbai rarely interacted with them privately.
After all, Wu Shengbai knew what kind of people Tian Xiangrong and the others were and looked down on them.
At this moment, on the second floor of Xiuyuantang, Wan Yunting was taking the pulse of patients with Gu Luotang, while Wang Zhuyu and Qi Miaomiao assisted them by writing prescriptions and serving tea.
However, Du Hua quickly came upstairs and said to Wan Yunting in a somewhat grave tone, “Yunting, Zhang Shunchang from Heshengtang is here, and he’s brought a patient, asking you to take a look!”
“Oh!”
Wan Yunting had just finished examining a patient, and it was a free moment. He turned to Du Hua and smiled, “What are they up to?”
Gu Luotang also turned to look. Du Hua shook his head and said, “I don’t know. They’re asking you to come down now.”
Wan Yunting’s eyes narrowed, and a smile played on his lips. He naturally knew that Zhang Shunchang’s sudden visit was not with good intentions.
“Let’s go down and see.”
Wan Yunting placed his hands on the table and stood up, smiling as he followed Du Hua downstairs. Gu Luotang, Qi Miaomiao, and Wang Zhuyu also hurried to follow, wanting to see what was going on…