As they left the village, Li Shengli's steps felt much lighter.

Pulling the wheelbarrow along, he asked Gao-Yuan, "Doctor Gao, do you think anyone from their village will come to learn medicine?"

Gao-Yuan thought for a moment and said, "They probably will; I hope they will."

Li Shengli nodded enthusiastically, "Working collectively is always better. We can pool our efforts to get things done."

Gao-Yuan nodded in agreement. "I hope we can train a group of doctors for the people in these impoverished mountain areas."

Li Shengli looked at Gao-Yuan, then nodded firmly, "Doctors for the people!"

...

Before liberation, almost no poor people could study medicine. The poor sold their children just to survive. They could barely afford to eat, let alone read or study medicine, which required tuition fees and living expenses. For poor families, simply paying for room and board was enough to crush them.

Most doctors from poor peasant backgrounds were trained after the founding of New China.

The method Gao-Yuan had just proposed was later used to train barefoot doctors. The entire village would support one person, recording work points daily, allowing them to leave the village for six months to study medicine.

What are work points? They represent food rations.

This meant that even when the entire village was struggling to feed itself, they would sacrifice part of their rations for six long months to support one young person in training to become a doctor.

In any other era, this would have been unimaginable. But in reality, we managed to ensure that during such difficult times, every village had its own barefoot doctor. Through collective contributions, each impoverished villager received free medical care.

Now, Gao-Yuan wanted to bring this plan forward by nine years. Huo Township's situation was unique; they couldn’t afford to wait another nine years for their own doctor.

...

The supply of medicinal herbs was timely, and soon, a new batch of herbs arrived.

Gao-Yuan and Li Shengli worked quickly, treating one village after another. In every village, they were warmly welcomed; Huo Township was in desperate need of doctors. Gao-Yuan shared his idea of training local doctors with the villagers, letting them decide for themselves.

After all, tending one sheep or a flock of sheep is still herding.

By the time they reunited with Zhao Huanzhang, only a few days had passed, but it felt like a lifetime, like they were old friends meeting again after a long separation.

They exchanged glances, smiling faintly with hidden emotions in their eyes.

"How’s everything been? No major issues, I hope?" Gao-Yuan asked.

Shen Congyun looked at Zhao Huanzhang.

Zhao Huanzhang's face showed a bit of grievance as he replied to Gao-Yuan, "Doctor Gao, from now on, you handle the serious cases! This work is unbearable!"

“Hahaha...” Since his return to this era, it was the first time Gao-Yuan laughed out loud.

The others also burst into laughter.

With the four doctors working together, the situation in Huo Township gradually came under control and improved.

Finally, the influenza outbreak was extinguished, and the group causing harm with their superstitions was dealt with as well.

As they prepared to leave Huo Township, half of the villagers came out to see them off. They walked and waved, but the people of Huo Township were reluctant to part.

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The sight moved Zhao Huanzhang and Shen Congyun. They had treated many patients before and been thanked countless times, but they had never imagined such a scene where half a township would come out to bid them farewell.

For a moment, they didn’t know what to say.

Gao-Yuan said, "See? I wasn’t lying to you."

Both Zhao Huanzhang and Shen Congyun stood dumbfounded, staring at Gao-Yuan.

Gao-Yuan pointed behind him and said, "These are our people!"

Li Shengli straightened his back with pride.

“Our people,” Zhao Huanzhang and Shen Congyun muttered to themselves, then nodded seriously at Gao-Yuan.

...

The journey back from Huo Township took almost a full day.

They set off in the morning and arrived at Zhangzhuang by evening.

As soon as they left the mountain path, they saw a group of people waiting for them.

“Are they here to welcome us?” Shen Congyun asked in confusion.

Li Shengli took a few quick steps forward, squinting to see the crowd. After recognising the man in front, he exclaimed, “Oh, it’s Bureau leader Wang from the Health Bureau! He’s here to welcome us.”

"Really?" Zhao Huanzhang and Shen Congyun were both shocked. This kind of reception was new to them.

Shen Congyun, though often expressing a desire for recognition from influential figures, panicked when it finally happened. "Am I... am I too dirty right now? Should I change my clothes and wash my face?"

Gao-Yuan replied, "We’re in the middle of nowhere. Where are you going to wash up?"

"This… this is bad!" Shen Congyun was flustered. "What if I leave a bad impression on the leaders?"

But Gao-Yuan said, "You’ve got it wrong."

“Huh?” Shen Congyun looked puzzled.

Gao-Yuan pointed at his tattered outfit and said, "This is your badge of honour."

Shen Congyun stood stunned for a few seconds before finally understanding. With a loud whoop, he rushed to the front with excitement, running so fast that Li Shengli stood there bewildered.

Li Shengli gave Gao-Yuan a thumbs-up. "You really know what to say."

Gao-Yuan smiled, "Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep them waiting."

The four of them hurried forward.

There were quite a few people there to greet them. Leading the group was the health bureau leader, followed by staff from the bureau, the heads of local clinics, and health association officers.

The bureau leader had instructed them to come, not just for a simple welcome but to show them role models and learn from the best.

However, the group had long faces, clearly unwilling and unhappy.

"Doctor Li, this is quite something. We’re here, but to have you come all this way as well? It seems these people are getting too comfortable sitting on top of you," one person remarked, trying to stir up trouble.

Li Runyu glanced at the man, his expression darkening. His gaze turned impatient as he looked ahead.

Doctor Yan Qiao, even more frustrated, had been reluctant to come. He had faked an illness to avoid it, but when the bureau leader showed up at his home and found him drinking alone, Yan had been dragged along. The bureau leader had made it clear that everyone else could stay, but Yan absolutely had to be there.

Yan Qiao was thoroughly annoyed.

"Here they come," the bureau leader announced, starting the applause.

The others clapped half-heartedly.

Shen Congyun was the first to run forward, with the rest following behind.

The welcoming crowd was taken aback. These weren’t doctors—they looked like beggars, with scruffy beards, tattered clothes, and a strong odour.

The crowd was stunned for a few seconds before some of the doctors began to chuckle.

But the bureau leader’s expression changed. He quickly removed his hat and rushed forward, grabbing Shen Congyun’s hand with sincerity. "Thank you for your hard work!"

It was the first time a leader had greeted him so warmly. Shen Congyun was overjoyed, grinning so widely that his eyes nearly disappeared. "Hello, leader! I’m Shen Congyun, the third-generation heir of Shen’s external treatments. I specialise in massage and acupuncture. It’s no trouble; serving the people is our duty!"

Moved by Shen’s high level of awareness, the bureau leader shook his hand even more firmly. "Good, good! But Shen, how did you lose a tooth?"

Shen Congyun touched his mouth, feeling a bit embarrassed. But remembering Gao-Yuan’s words, he beamed even more, proudly exposing his broken tooth. "We travelled late into the night every day these past few days. I was so tired that I accidentally fell into a ditch and chipped it."

The bureau leader, now even more moved, vigorously shook his hand again. "You’ve worked so hard, Doctor Shen!"

Shen Congyun’s grin grew wider, showing off his "medal" with pride.

Watching this, Yan Qiao's face turned black as coal.

The bureau leader then asked, "Which one of you is Doctor Gao-Yuan?"

Shen Congyun pointed behind him, "That’s him."

Everyone turned to look. They had been hearing all kinds of stories about Gao-Yuan recently.

"That’s Gao-Yuan?" Li Runyu muttered to himself.

Gao-Yuan stepped forward quickly, smiling as he stood before the bureau leader.

The bureau leader, too, looked Gao-Yuan up and down. "Gao-Yuan, I’ve been hearing a lot of stories about you recently."

Gao-Yuan hesitated for a moment.

Behind the bureau leader, the other doctors exchanged strange glances. They had heard not only of Gao-Yuan’s heroic deeds but also of his troubled past, and their expressions showed their curiosity.

This made Gao-Yuan uneasy.

Li Shengli was about to speak up for Gao-Yuan, but Zhao Huanzhang stopped him.

Gao-Yuan exhaled slowly, lowering his head.

But then, the bureau leader extended his hand towards Gao-Yuan, saying sincerely, "Thank you, Comrade Gao-Yuan!"

Gao-Yuan looked up in surprise.

Zhao Huanzhang watched as Gao-Yuan, for the first time, was moved to tears.