Returning Spring Hall, ground floor lobby.
Lu Cheng, under the awestruck gazes of the crowd, exchanged a few brief words with Luo Qingyan, seemingly setting a time for their next "follow-up appointment," then calmly left the medical hall as if he hadn't seen Lin Fan.
Luo Qingyan stood at the entrance, watching Lu Cheng's retreating back.
In her cool, clear eyes, a hint of hard-to-detect contemplation, uncharacteristic for her, appeared.
Lu Cheng... and the look in that limping handyman's eyes, something was very off.
What exactly happened between them?
She gently shook her head; this was not something she should be thinking about now, and then she returned upstairs to handle the medical hall's affairs.
After Lu Cheng left, the atmosphere in the lobby finally relaxed slightly, returning to its usual hustle and bustle and order.
Lin Fan, dragging his still-unhealed injured leg, continued to hold that worn-out broom, performing his humble odd jobs.
The surrounding medical hall assistants and some waiting patients looked at him with a hint of subtle scrutiny and... pity?
The scene of him losing his composure and dropping the broom earlier, as well as the venomous look in his eyes when he saw Lu Cheng, had not escaped anyone's notice.
In their opinion, this new handyman was probably one of those over-ambitious types who secretly admired Divine Doctor Luo, and today, after personally witnessing a favored son of heaven like Young Master Lu by Divine Doctor Luo's side, he was overcome with shame, his dreams shattered, a pitiful toad, wasn't he?
Lin Fan felt those strange gazes from his surroundings, and a wave of humiliation washed over him again.
But he forced himself to lower his head and ignore it.
Calm your mind!
He secretly warned himself.
Now was not the time to dwell on these things.
The most urgent task was to restore his medical skills, quickly establish himself here, and prove his worth with his abilities!
Just wait!
When this old man displays his true abilities, he'll blind your dog eyes!
In the afternoon.
An emergency patient was suddenly brought into the medical hall.
A middle-aged man, his face green, lips purple, clutching his stomach and painfully curled up on a stretcher, cold sweat profusely on his forehead, constantly emitting groans of pain.
His family was extremely anxious, and several Old Chinese Medicine Practitioners on duty in the medical hall immediately gathered around him, taking turns to feel his pulse and inquire about his condition.
After a thorough diagnosis, he was initially diagnosed with acute abdominal pain, seemingly due to improper diet or exposure to cold.
So, several doses of warming and cold-dispelling decoction were prescribed for the patient to take.
But after one bowl of medicine, not only did the patient's symptoms not alleviate, he actually felt more pain, tossing and turning on the sickbed, cold sweat pouring down his forehead like water.
Lin Fan was tidying up medicinal herbs nearby, observing everything.
With his keen observational skills, he had already noticed subtle differences in the patient's pain location and symptoms compared to ordinary abdominal pain.
His face was green and purple, his tongue coating was white and greasy, his pulse was deep and slow... this was not ordinary abdominal pain at all!
This was more like an extremely rare acute illness caused by extreme cold invading the body, stagnating in the middle jiao, leading to blocked yang qi and blood stasis.
Ordinary warming and cold-dispelling medicines were simply not potent enough and could not directly reach the deep-seated lesion!
These old men... it seems their medical skills are just mediocre, they can't even discern this.
Watching the patient become increasingly distressed, his breathing also starting to weaken.
One of the oldest doctors, stroking his beard, frowned deeply, seemingly having made up his mind to prescribe a more potent formula, treating a desperate case as a live one.
Just then!
Lin Fan could no longer hold back.
If he didn't show his abilities now, when would he?
He stepped forward, his voice not loud, but carrying a confidence and certainty completely different from his handyman status.
"With all due respect, seniors."
"This patient's symptoms, I fear, are not the ordinary abdominal pain you seniors have diagnosed."
"In this junior's humble opinion, this is a case of yin cold evil deeply congealed in the middle jiao, obstructing yang qi! If ordinary warming and cold-dispelling medicines are used again, the medicinal power may dissipate, making it difficult to reach the lesion directly, and instead deplete vital qi!"
He paused, meeting the astonished and scrutinizing gazes of the Old Chinese Medicine Practitioners, and continued:
"How about... trying 'heavy moxibustion on Guanyuan, Qihai, and other acupoints, to restore yang and rescue from collapse' as the main treatment, supplemented with 'Fuzi Lizhong Tang,' which might offer a glimmer of hope!"
He spoke these words loudly and clearly, interspersed with several technical terms that sounded profound yet seemed very logical.
The Old Chinese Medicine Practitioners were all stunned, turning their heads in unison.
They looked at this limping, inconspicuous sweeping handyman with an expression as if they had seen a ghost.
What did this kid just say?
And what he said... seemed... to make some sense?
The leading old gentleman carefully scrutinized Lin Fan, his eyes shifting.
This kid... he looks unremarkable, but he actually knows a thing or two? And his insights are quite impressive?
He pondered for a moment, then exchanged glances with the other Old Chinese Medicine Practitioners.
The patient's condition was indeed critical, and there was no better solution, so it was worth a try!
"Hmm…" He nodded, and although he didn't directly praise Lin Fan, his tone softened considerably, "What you said… indeed has some merit. Let's try the method you suggested!"
Although they adopted Lin Fan's suggestion, they did not allow Lin Fan, an unknown handyman, to intervene in the treatment, but personally carried it out.
As time passed, under the combined effect of the intense moxibustion and the adjusted decoction.
A miracle happened!
The patient, who had been writhing in agony, gradually quieted his groans, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and his pale face slowly began to regain its color!
The abdominal pain had indeed greatly alleviated!
Seeing this, the patient's family was so emotional they almost knelt down on the spot to the Old Chinese Medicine Practitioners, thanking them profusely, tears of gratitude streaming down their faces!
"Thank you! Thank you, Miraculous Doctors! Thank you, all Miraculous Doctors!"
The few doctors also breathed a sigh of relief, smiles of satisfaction appearing on their faces.
At the same time, the way they looked at Lin Fan in the corner had completely changed!
From initial disdain and suspicion, it turned into surprise, recognition, and even a hint of... curiosity!
This kid is not simple!
Although they didn't say anything to him directly, it was clear that Lin Fan had left a deep impression on them.
This matter, naturally, quickly reached Luo Qingyan's ears on the second floor.
After hearing her subordinate's report, a hint of surprise also flashed in her cool, clear eyes.
That limping handyman?
To be able to propose such an ingenious treatment plan?
Interesting.
She paid a little more attention to this man named Lin Fan.
But then, she remembered his gaffe appearance when he saw Lu Cheng in the lobby earlier... What history did these two have?
No, no.
Why was she so concerned about Lu Cheng's affairs? How strange.
With the constant public pressure on Chinese medicine, she should be focusing on the medical hall's affairs instead... Night had fallen.
Inside the Rolls-Royce, driving back to Lu Family Manor.
Lu Cheng, listening to his subordinate's report through his earpiece, also learned of Lin Fan's "emergence" at Returning Spring Hall that afternoon.
There was no surprise in his eyes, however.
Oh? The salted fish finally knows how to flip over?
I hope those old men praise Lin Fan highly.
After all, the higher he is praised, the harder he will fall.
It's time to add some fuel to the fire for that line at Returning Spring Hall.