Chapter 342: 342: Hospital Free Clinic
"Old man, have you heard? That little bun really got better?!"
"Getting better is a good thing. The child is so young, she should be well. When will she be discharged? Should we go and see her off?"
"What did you promise me before?" The old lady’s face fell as she spoke.
The old man was puzzled, "What did I promise you? Haha, I’m getting old, my memory isn’t great. Say it again, and I’ll remember."
"Haha! Who promised me all cheerfully before, saying that as soon as the little bun got better, you would listen to me and go to the consultation?"
"Well, it’s just my old ailment, isn’t it? It’s not really treatable, let’s not trouble the Divine Doctor. Besides, the consultation time hasn’t been set yet, has it?"
"Old man Xie, are you planning to go back on your word? Back when you led your million troops to war, you were as good as your word. Now that you’re old, you’re breaking your promises? Or am I just an old woman that you’re not willing to keep your word with?"
"How could I dare? Whatever you say goes, alright? It’s just a consultation, I’ll go."
...
Mu Qiuniang soon set the time for her hospital consultation, initially for only a week, with the possibility of extension based on circumstances.
Old man Xie, under the persuasion of his wife, went to the consultation. Although they were accompanied by a couple of soldiers, they queued up obediently like other patients.
However, seeing people behind them, others kept some distance, whispering, "Turns out the Divine Doctor’s reputation is so large, even high-ranking officials come!"
"Behind him are two soldiers; do you think he’s a general or a colonel?"
"Probably a general?"
...
The old man Xie whispered to his wife, "Look, we cause such a stir everywhere we go, everyone’s talking about us."
"So what? Others can see a doctor, why can’t we?" The old lady didn’t mind, "Just because you won a few battles and became an official, no matter how high-ranking, you still have to listen to me."
"Yes, listen to the wife." The old man’s face showed sincerity, hinting that in his younger days, he might have been quite stubborn but definitely devoted to his wife.
Mu Qiuniang naturally didn’t recognize the old man, but seeing him exude both a murderous aura mixed with a purple aura, she knew he was a human warlord, stained with blood, yet someone even King Yanluo dared not take lightly.
"What seems to be bothering you, old man?" Mu Qiuniang casually inquired.
Beside her sat a young doctor sent by the hospital, supposedly to learn from her experience, but in reality, just a slightly influential admirer trying to find an opportunity to spend more time with his goddess.
Of course, the intention to learn wasn’t entirely absent.
If he could learn a thing or two while getting close to the goddess, wouldn’t that be delightful?
The young doctor was quite diligent, and even the nurses around him took notes seriously, recording every detail, such as questions Mu Qiuniang asked patients, how they responded, and what diagnosis she made.
Mu Qiuniang’s questions sometimes seemed unrelated to the illness, but with a few words, she could uncover overlooked details, drawing conclusions from aspects like lifestyle, habits, and preferences, then supplementing with pulse diagnosis to assess the patient’s condition.
If a patient had already improved under a doctor’s treatment, Mu Qiuniang would refuse further treatment, believing the current approach was effective and required no changes.
If the current treatment was insufficient or misguided, she would directly point it out, asking the young doctor to take notes and devise a new plan later.
She also performed acupuncture and prescribed medications, instructing patients to follow her regimen and return in a week for a check-up.
"My old man’s unwell here and there," before the old man Xie could speak, the old lady hurriedly explained his condition, "Divine Doctor, could you take a look at my old man’s health?"
Mu Qiuniang shook her head, "The old man’s issues aren’t illnesses but the result of poor health habits when he was younger. As he’s aged, his metabolism has slowed, leading to various pathologies. There are no miracle cures or permanent solutions, only gradual recuperation."
She also reminded them to call her Dr. Mu rather than Divine Doctor, stating that she was just offering modest help, far from deserving such a title.
"Still recuperating? My old man almost had trouble before; a life-saving drug was rushed over, and that’s what saved him last time. Divine Doctor, ah, Dr. Mu, if I find that life-saving medicine, could it help my old man again?"
The old lady felt a pang of worry. She knew the old man’s condition well. It stemmed from reckless youth and injuries untreated on the battlefield in pursuit of victories.
Now, it’s problematic—what was unnoticed in youth has become unbearable with age. Several times, he fainted and nearly met King Yanluo.
"It’s useless!" Mu Qiuniang stated, "The life-saving medicine you’re referring to, I made it."
Her pulse diagnosis revealed that without her Qi Replenishing Pill, he might have already met King Yan. If she guessed correctly, this medicine must have come from Gong Leitian, as only he had this special Qi Replenishing Pill specifically for common folks.
"You made it?!" The old lady was surprised and grasped Mu Qiuniang’s hands, "Dr. Mu, do you still have some? Can you make more? You don’t know, after my old man fainted, the doctors said he couldn’t pull through, but after taking one life-saving pill, he woke up. Now he’s much better, can sit and walk."
"I’ve said those were made with special herbs. There aren’t many left, and I’ve given them to Little Gong. I think Little Gong handed them over to the country. Considering the old man’s contributions in his youth, the country must have provided the medicine at such a crucial time, but it only works once. Overuse renders it ineffective."
"Oh, you can’t help either..." Hearing the name Little Gong, the old lady realized the truth in Mu Qiuniang’s words.
Indeed, the medicine was handed to them by Little Gong.
Old man Xie was also quite surprised. Little Gong’s medicine was so ’mysterious’ that the country even prohibited them from asking questions. He never thought that participating in a random consultation would lead him to meet the ’maker’ of the medicine.
Isn’t he incredibly lucky?
"Your medicine is very effective. I’m much better now; I can walk, sit, and eat. I’m very satisfied. Dr. Mu, don’t mind my wife’s prattle. She’s just worried, thinking I’ve worked hard all my life, and now after retirement, I should enjoy life. But who expected my body to be so lacking?" Old man Xie also spoke up.
He didn’t think that someone capable of creating such medicine was just an ordinary doctor.
The medicine was too miraculous, only truly understood by someone who has used it. It felt like a withered tree coming to life, as if vitality was injected into his old self, suddenly bringing him ’alive’ again.
Plus, considering the circumstances under which Little Gong handled the medicine with such ’mystery’, with countless warnings, it highlighted how scarce it was.
He’s not greedy, believing that living one more day is a bonus for him.