After Leo finished speaking, he handed over the medicinal herbs to the woman. She took the herbs and left the clinic. About ten minutes later, she returned with a bowl containing two boiled eggs. Perhaps due to the herbs added during cooking, the eggs emitted a special fragrance from time to time.
When the woman placed the bowl in front of the girl, the aroma quickly overcame the pain in her stomach. The woman peeled the eggs and fed her daughter.
After consuming the eggs, the girl felt a warm sensation in her belly, and her previous pain seemed to have disappeared.
“Mom, it’s like magic, my stomach doesn’t hurt anymore!” the girl exclaimed in joy.
“Really?” The woman’s face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly thanked Leo. “Doctor, you’re amazing. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Leo smiled and waved his hand. “From the look of your daughter’s complexion, her stomachache was due to a weak spleen and insufficient digestion, leading to a deficiency of energy and blood, resulting in menstrual blood loss. When you get home, make sure to keep her belly warm, and remember to eat breakfast.”
With Leo’s explanation, the girl suddenly remembered that she hadn’t covered herself with a blanket the night before her stomachache. She also realized she often skipped breakfast.
“Doctor, I’ll remember. I’ll follow your advice when we get back,” the woman said, looking at her daughter. “Say thank you to the doctor, dear.”
The girl smiled shyly at Leo, not addressing him as “doctor” but saying, “Thank you, big brother.”
The girl’s sweet smile lifted Leo’s spirits. Honestly, the innocent smile of a little girl could bring a warm and sunny feeling to anyone’s heart.
The woman took out money to offer Leo payment for his services, but Leo graciously declined. For Leo, it was a small gesture that required little effort.
After seeing off the mother and daughter, Leo turned to Bevis and asked, “Bevis, who is this gentleman you brought with you?”
“His name is Chasel Gold, and we served together in the same unit. He was my old squad leader,” Bevis introduced.
Leo smiled and extended his hand to Chasel. They shook hands, and Chasel’s face remained mostly expressionless. Chasel was reserved by nature and not very expressive. Although his face didn’t show much change in expression, he did hold Leo in high regard.
When Chasel first arrived at the clinic and Bevis told him that Leo was the owner of the clinic, with exceptional medical skills, he found it somewhat exaggerated. After all, Leo was quite young, and in the perception of many people, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners should be in their fifties or sixties, exuding an air of age and wisdom.
However, Leo’s skill in treating the girl’s stomachache had genuinely astonished Chasel. His ability to effortlessly alleviate her ailment and his efficient methods indicated that he was indeed highly skilled.
After retracting his hand, Leo asked calmly, “Mr. Gold, the issue with your upper back has been around for some time, hasn’t it?”
Leo didn’t directly refer to Chasel’s hunchback but rather called it a problem with the upper back. This made Chasel realize that Leo had noticed the issue with his back. Surprised, Chasel asked, “How did you know?”
Hunchback is a common physiological condition in the human body, especially in modern society, where it is increasingly prevalent among young people due to prolonged sitting and bending over to use computers and smartphones.
Leo responded calmly, “I’m a doctor, and I can distinguish between naturally developed hunchbacks and those caused by injuries.”
Bevis seemed quite concerned about his old squad leader’s hunchback issue and asked hurriedly, “Leo, can you cure his hunchback?”
Leo nodded, “Of course, but the treatment process will be painful.”
Chasel immediately responded fearlessly, “I’m not afraid of pain. I’m not afraid of death, let alone mere pain.”
During his time in the military, Chasel had learned to face life and death with equanimity. His wife had left him for someone else years ago, leaving him with the sole desire of finding his daughter.
“Since Mr. Gold isn’t afraid of pain, I can help you completely cure your hunchback,” Leo assured.
“Really?” Chasel’s excitement was evident.
His hunchback problem had tormented him for many years, and during rainy or cold days, his back would throb intensely, making life unbearable. Furthermore, due to his hunchback, finding a job was nearly impossible, which had made his life quite challenging. That’s why he had come all the way to seek help from Bevis.
Recalling his days in the military, Chasel, who excelled in every competition, had now turned into a shadow of his former self.
Chasel had moments when he even contemplated ending his life, but for the sake of finding his daughter, he persevered.
“Take a seat on the chair and remove your shirt,” Leo instructed.
Chasel followed the instructions, taking off his shirt and then sitting down on the nearby chair.
Chasel’s upper body was well-built, a testament to the rigorous training he had undergone over the years.
He had a lot of scars on his upper body, some in long strips and others circular. Without much thought, one could guess they were marks of life-and-death experiences.
Examining the spine beneath Chasel’s neck, Leo noted a slight protrusion. It was evident that this issue was caused by an injury rather than being a congenital deformity.
Although Chasel still had mobility, over time, blocked meridians would lead to an increased hunchback and the risk of partial paralysis in a few years.
Leo pressed his index finger against Chasel’s protruding spine and then swiftly took a silver needle from a case, inserting it into an acupoint beside the spine.
While inserting the needle, Leo infused a small amount of Spiritual Power into Chasel’s body.
Leo’s hands moved continuously, with one silver needle following another into different acupoints on Chasel’s back.
When it came time to insert the ninth needle, Leo warned, “The next one will be painful. Bear with it.”
Chasel nodded resolutely.
He now felt intense heat in his back, as though a charcoal fire was roasting him relentlessly. The powerful heat made his blood seem to boil, resulting in an uncomfortable and peculiar sensation.
After Leo inserted the ninth needle, Chasel felt like he had been jolted by electricity, causing his body to tremble involuntarily.
After nine needles were in place, Leo’s right hand moved from the protruding section of Chasel’s neck and spine to the midsection. His palm suddenly struck upward.
With a muffled thud, Chasel’s slightly hunched body immediately straightened up.
Leo’s palm carried a trace of Spiritual Power, and if an ordinary person were to receive such a blow, they would likely pass out from the pain. However, Chasel only trembled briefly and let out a muffled groan.
This demonstrated Chasel’s remarkable pain tolerance.