It took quite some effort to finally calm the little girl down.
Everyone was a bit speechless as they stared at Shen Congyun.
Shen Congyun touched his face, making sure he had shaved that morning. How could he still look so frightening? He began to doubt his own appearance.
Once the little girl was somewhat settled, she cautiously approached Shen Congyun.
Gao-Yuan asked, “Are you planning to use pediatric massage?”
Shen Congyun nodded, “Yes.”
Gao-Yuan followed up, “So, no need for medicine?”
Shen Congyun replied, “None.”
Hearing this, the little girl turned to look at Gao-Yuan.
Gao-Yuan smiled and said, “Little one, no medicine this time.”
“Really?” The girl’s face lit up with excitement.
Watching Gao-Yuan joke around with the child, Shen Congyun felt a bit irritated. How come when he smiled at the girl, she cried, but when Gao-Yuan smiled, she laughed? It didn’t seem fair.
Shen Congyun’s expression became awkward.
Gao-Yuan glanced at him.
Quickly, she put on a more pleasant face. “Come, let’s go to the treatment room.”
The grandmother led her granddaughter into the room and had the girl lie down on the examination bed.
Just as Shen Congyun was about to follow them in, Gao-Yuan pulled him aside.
Gao-Yuan lowered his voice and asked, “What’s gotten into you? Had some epiphany overnight?”
Shen Congyun replied, “Not exactly an epiphany, but I think some things you said made sense.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I still believe that a single word from a person of influence is worth more than a thousand words from ordinary people. But getting the attention of someone important is the tricky part.”
“In the old days, those influential people liked gifts—gold, antiques, fine calligraphy—and I had to spend all my savings to please them. But now, things are different. Nowadays, those in power care about the common folk.”
“If I want to appeal to their tastes, I have to change my attitude, be more respectful to the ordinary people, and let them spread the word about how good I am. Who knows, maybe one day someone important will show up, and they’ll hear nothing but praise about me.”
“If that happens, maybe they’ll seek me out for treatment. Sure, your internal medicine skills might be better than mine, but when it comes to external treatment and massage, your techniques are still lacking. That’s why I’m going to focus more on massage. build up a good reputation. Who knows, I might even get the title of ‘National Healer’ someday. Then the Shen family’s legacy would truly flourish!”
Shen Congyun’s eyes sparkled with ambition.
“This…” Gao-Yuan was at a loss for words, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Shen Congyun, however, felt grateful and said, “Thank you, Doctor Gao! If it weren’t for you, I’d still be lost right now!”
With that, Shen Congyun strode into the treatment room, full of confidence.
----------------------------------------
Inside the room, Li Shengli and Liu Sanquan had also come to watch.
After examining the girl, Shen Congyun, diagnosed her: She hadn’t had a bowel movement for four days, her palms and feet were hot, she had a fever, runny nose, thick coating on her tongue, and a swollen throat. After further questioning, he found out he had trouble sleeping at night, was a picky eater, had dry stools, and sweated easily.
Shen Congyun nodded. “This child has always had a weak digestive system. This time, she overate and couldn’t digest it properly, leading to food accumulation and fever.”
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Gao-Yuan also nodded in agreement. Children’s digestive systems are not fully developed, and parents often worry about them not eating enough, so they tend to overfeed. This easily leads to food retention. It’s very common for children to experience fever, constipation, diarrhea, and other symptoms due to indigestion.
“Turn over and lie on your stomach,” Shen Congyun instructed, having confirmed his diagnosis.
The little girl obediently lay on her stomach. Shen Congyun rolled up her shirt and rubbed his hands together to warm them, and then began pinching the flesh along her spine. Starting from the base of her spine, he worked his way upwards, pinching the flesh along her back in slow, deliberate movements. After two passes, he began a technique where he pinched the skin several times before lifting slightly with each pinch.
The girl, however, found the sensation uncomfortable and painful and soon began to complain.
Her grandmother quickly tried to soothe her.
Gao-Yuan asked, “Doctor Shen, are you using the pediatric spinal massage technique?”
Shen Congyun nodded, “Yes.”
Gao-Yuan turned to the grandmother and paused before saying, “Ma’am, why don’t you come learn this? technique?”
“Learn what?” The grandmother looked at him, confused.
Li Shengli and Liu Sanquan also glanced over.
Gao-Yuan explained, “Pediatric spinal massage. It’s quite easy to learn. Kids are prone to indigestion, diarrhea, poor appetite, vomiting, and other digestive issues. This massage technique can treat those problems, and it can even help prevent colds. Once you learn it, you can do it at home, and you won’t have to come all the way here.”
“Can I really learn? it? I’m not very educated,” the grandmother said hesitantly.
Shen Congyun, who was in the middle of the massage, suddenly turned his head, looking at Gao-Yuan in surprise.
Gao-Yuan reassured her, “Don’t worry, it’s simple. You don’t need to be educated to learn it.”
Hearing that, Li Shengli perked up, “Really?”
Shen Congyun was now thoroughly confused as he looked at Li Shengli.
Gao-Yuan smiled and asked, “Right, Doctor Shen?”
Everyone turned to look at Shen Congyun.
His lips quivered. and he forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace. “Uh, yes.”
Gao-Yuan praised, “Doctor Shen is so generous, willing to share his massage techniques without reservation.”
Shen Congyun’s forced smile grew even more strained. In a hoarse voice, he muttered, “All for the people.”
Li Shengli gave him a look of disbelief.
Liu Sanquan nearly popped his eyes out in surprise.
The grandmother, however, was touched. “Oh, Doctor Shen, you’re so kind. We’re really embarrassed to take advantage of you.”
What Shen Congyun really wanted to say was, “If you’re embarrassed, then don’t learn it.” But he held back, forcing another smile. “It’s fine; just remember to say nice things about me. If any leaders or officials come by, tell them how good I am.”
“Oh, of course,” the grandmother quickly agreed.
Only then did Shen Congyun feel somewhat comfortable.
Gao-Yuan, trying hard not to laugh, said, “Alright, you continue. I’ll explain the technique to them.”
“Okay,” Shen Congyun replied and resumed the massage.
Gao-Yuan had Li Shengli turn around and demonstrate on him, “See, this middle part is the spine, which we call the Du meridian. These two strips of muscle on either side, they’re... ”
The grandmother interrupted, “The tenderloins?”
“Huh?” Gao-Yuan was momentarily stunned.
The grandmother explained, “My husband’s a butcher. Those two strips of meat are the pig’s tenderloins.”
“Uh, yes, but in Chinese medicine, this is the path of the Bladder meridian. When we perform spinal massage, we’re stimulating the Du meridian and the Bladder meridian, which helps improve circulation and promote health.”
Seeing the grandmother’s blank expression, Gao-Yuan quickly added, “I was just explaining that part to them. All you need to remember is to pinch the muscles two fingers away from the spine. That will help treat digestive problems.”
“Oh!” The grandmother finally understood.
Gao-Yuan pointed to Shen Congyun again: “The massage is simple. Start at the base of the spine and work your way up to the neck, from the ‘Turtle Tail’ acupoint to the ‘Great Vertebra’ acupoint. Just pinch along the spine with your thumbs, continuously without stopping. After every three pinches, lift the skin. This is called ‘pinching three, lifting one,’ and it provides the strongest stimulation.”
“Pinching five times and lifting once is called ‘pinching five, lifting one,’ which provides medium stimulation. If you just pinch without lifting, it’s the gentlest stimulation. If a child feels pain in certain areas, that means there’s blockage, and you need to spend more time on it. After the massage, always give the child some warm water.”
“If the child has indigestion, diarrhea, bloating, or constipation, you can also focus on the Tian Shu and Zhong Wan acupoint. Doctor Shen, please show the grandmother where those acupoints are.”
With a resigned sigh, Shen Congyun flipped the girl over and demonstrated on her stomach.
Gao-Yuan said, “See? This is the Zhong Wan, and here’s the Tian Shu. Got it?”
“Got it, got it. Is that really all it takes?” The grandmother seemed a bit doubtful that something so simple could work.
Gao-Yuan replied, “Well, just watch Doctor Shen.”
After Shen Congyun’s diligent treatment, the little girl started sweating and even passed a few foul-smelling farts.
“Take her temperature,” said Shen Congyun, wiping his own sweat. Massage was hard work.
“Hey, the fever’s gone!” Li Shengli exclaimed in surprise.
The elderly lady looked at Gao-Yuan in astonishment and exclaimed with delight, "Oh my, doctor, your technique is amazing!"
Shen Congyun's face darkened. Shouldn't that compliment be directed at him? Didn't she see how hard he had been working, huffing and puffing for quite some time?