Everyone looked at Gao-Yuan with a peculiar gaze, an expression they couldn't quite put into words.

Li Runyu examined Gao-Yuan up and down before asking, “Can you really cure it in one dose?”

Before Gao-Yuan could respond, Zhao Huanzhang quickly interjected, “Dr. Gao, while you’ve often cured in just one dose, let’s be cautious. Your dosages are pretty strong; let’s not overdo it.”

While Zhao Huanzhang was advising Gao-Yuan, everyone else looked on, feeling a bit sick of it. Cure in one dose? Seriously?

Even Bureau Chief Wang couldn't resist asking, “Dr. Gao-Yuan, do you often manage to cure in one dose?”

Gao-Yuan waved his hand, “Oh, not always; sometimes it takes two doses.”

Everyone: “...”

You might as well have just stayed silent!

“Ahem…” Chief Wang was momentarily lost for words.

But Grandma Zhang couldn’t wait any longer. She tugged on Gao-Yuan’s sleeve, “Dr. Gao, please, less talk and more action! He’s still bleeding here!”

“Right.” Gao-Yuan turned to Nurse He said, “Xiao He, please prepare the medicine for her. Grandma, when you get home, boil it on high heat for half an hour, take a small amount first, and then boil for another half hour and drink the rest.”

Dr. Yanqiao chimed in, “Better not wait until home. Does your clinic have a stove? Since the condition is urgent, we might as well cook it here.”

The other doctors began to urge him on; they all wanted to witness this legendary “cure in one dose.”

“If we’re cooking it here, let’s do it right. Watch closely, everyone.” Li Shengli quickly fetched a stove from the back courtyard. He had absolute faith in Gao-Yuan. After all, he’d seen him save patients right at death’s door, so what was a little nosebleed?

Gao-Yuan hadn't even had a chance to respond before Li Shengli was busy setting things up.

It was already evening, but not a single doctor had left—they all remained wide awake with anticipation.

Following Gao-Yuan’s instructions, Li Shengli boiled the medicine on high heat for half an hour and handed a small bowl to Grandma Zhang.

“Should I give it to him directly?” she asked.

Gao-Yuan nodded.

After blowing on it to cool it a bit, Grandma Zhang carefully fed the child.

Everyone watched closely, studying the little boy so intently that he grew a bit shy, nestling closer to his grandmother.

"Grandma...” he muttered, hiding bashfully in her arms.

In the back, Shen Congyun saw that his former father-in-law had squeezed to the front. Unable to bear being left out, he squeezed his way up to Chief Wang’s side.

Chief Wang glanced at him, amused. This man seemed to pop up everywhere lately.

Seeing Chief Wang’s smile, Shen Congyun grinned too, proudly displaying his half-missing tooth as if he were showing off his badge of honour.

Up front, the little boy squirmed in his grandmother’s arms under all the watchful eyes.

Grandma Zhang chuckled, then suddenly gasped as she looked down. “Oh my, little tiger, you took the cloth out of your nose?”

Zhang Yuancai and his wife rushed over to see.

Grandma Zhang tilted her grandson’s head and was about to wipe his nose with a handkerchief when she noticed something: “Sweetie, you’re not bleeding anymore!”

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“Huh?” The boy was still a bit confused.

The other doctors crowded closer.

Zhang Yuancai quickly knelt down and removed the remaining piece of cloth from his son’s other nostril. Both nostrils were blood-free. He lifted his son’s head to inspect his nose carefully and exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my goodness, really—look, he’s not bleeding at all!”

Excited, Zhang Yuancai turned to his wife, momentarily forgetting that both his hands were under his son’s chin. In his excitement, he raised his hands just a little too high, and the boy toppled backward.

“Waaah…” Just as his nose stopped bleeding, the little boy found himself flipped over by his own father, bursting into tears.

Grandma Zhang smacked Zhang Yuancai in frustration before comforting her grandson.

Zhang Yuancai looked utterly embarrassed.

The other doctors exchanged glances, stunned. The boy wasn’t even bleeding after that hard fall!

Everyone was dumbstruck.

Li Runyu’s gaze turned serious; while onlookers saw a spectacle, a skilled practitioner saw the subtleties. To him, Gao-Yuan wielded powerful techniques with the skill of a master—he not only dared to use them but knew exactly how.

Yanqiao’s brows knitted tightly; his eyes flickered with astonishment.

Finally, Grandma Zhang managed to console the boy, and the remaining medicine finished cooking.

Once the boy drank the rest of the dose, he no longer wanted to stay in the clinic. Noticing that the attention had shifted away, he snuck towards the door and darted outside to play.

Grandma Zhang anxiously called after him, “Little Tiger, come back! Dr. Gao needs to check you; don’t run off.”

But her grandson only laughed, his short legs running faster than she could keep up with.

The doctors in the clinic watched in awe. So, it really was a one-dose cure?

“Could he have really cured that woman with a life-threatening haemorrhage and no pulse before?” someone muttered quietly.

The clinic fell silent.

What they had thought was a ridiculous boast suddenly seemed real.

All eyes turned to Gao Yuan in shock.

Gao-Yuan, however, remained humble: “The circumstances were dire; I was merely lucky.”

The others took sharp breaths. He made it sound simple, but as doctors, they knew the skill required.

Li Runyu’s expression grew even more serious, and he couldn’t help his eye twitch.

No one dared say a word, all keeping their eyes on Gao-Yuan with newfound respect.

Seeing this, Gao-Yuan turned to Chief Wang Hanzhang, “Actually, I specialise in treating cold-induced ailments due to severe frostbite. No matter the severity, I feel confident that I could attempt treatment.”

“Uh?” Chief Wang blinked in surprise, glancing around to make sure Gao-Yuan was indeed talking to him. Not fully understanding why Gao-Yuan mentioned it, he thought it might be a report on his abilities and nodded, “Oh, good.”

Seeing he had Chief Wang’s attention, Gao-Yuan continued, “Chief Wang, I also have a suggestion.”

“Please go ahead,” replied Chief Wang.

“This flu outbreak hit us hard, especially in rural areas where healthcare resources are sorely lacking. I’m thinking if we could train a health officer in each village to focus on disease prevention and simple treatment, they could help even in emergencies.”

Chief Wang’s face lit up. “Ah! Dr. Gao, I had the same thought!”

Gao-Yuan gave a slight nod. He remembered his previous life and knew this idea would gain traction after the flu outbreak, eventually giving rise to the barefoot doctor programme.

The reason it didn’t take off back then was due to the short training periods—just a week in the clinic.

The villagers also kept things practical; they figured they’d keep working and learn the ropes when doctors came around. After all, they couldn’t afford to let someone sit around and not pitch in. The clinic doctors were even less motivated—they had no incentive and no extra allowances, so they often taught in a very casual way, using ancient texts that villagers couldn’t grasp.

Thus, the rural health officers barely formed a foundation.

It wasn’t until years later, with the 626 directive, that the issues were resolved and rural health officers became barefoot doctors.

What Gao-Yuan wanted was to train these officers earlier, following the barefoot doctor model so that when the directive came, their clinic could be a model for the country.

To do this, they had to solve the training period issue. Gao-Yuan said to Chief Wang, “Sir, it’s difficult to train a doctor, even for basic first aid. I’d say it takes at least four to six months, so could you help coordinate with the local teams?”

Chief Wang thought about it and agreed, “Alright, I’ll handle that. But I’m worried about Huoxiang Township; they have neither doctors nor clinics. Where would they train?”

He glanced back at the group of doctors, but they all avoided eye contact, pretending not to notice. They weren’t eager for such a thankless job.

Chief Wang’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve already discussed it with Secretary Cao and the village heads. They’ll send their trainees here, and I’ll handle the instruction myself; no fees involved,” said Gao-Yuan.

Chief Wang looked at him with genuine surprise, then nodded emphatically and touched, “Good, Comrade Gao-Yuan. You’re a true asset!”

Gao-Yuan nodded earnestly, “This is our duty.”

Feeling himself fading into the background, Shen Congyun suddenly shouted, “Into the fire if need be, Chief!”

Chief Wang chuckled, then looked back at the other doctors, considering how their attitudes contrasted with Gao-Yuan’s.

After a moment, he turned to Gao-Yuan and said, “I’ve just made a decision: the next time Western doctors come for traditional medicine training, I’d like you to be the instructor.”

“Huh?” Gao-Yuan froze.

The other doctors were equally stunned. No one could tell if this was a reward or a punishment.