Chapter 52 Chapter 52: Do Those Words Even Sound Human?

Upon hearing that her mother-in-law would undergo treatment, the middle-aged woman called out weakly, “Mother,” her worry deepening. She didn’t dare make this decision herself. If something went wrong during the treatment, how would she explain it to her husband? How would she account for it to those above?

But the old lady was resolute. If she said she would be treated at home, then at home it would be. The middle-aged woman was helpless before her determination.

Of course, the old lady was clear-eyed about her own condition. As soon as Xu Lin took her pulse, she accurately described every symptom. Just for that alone, there was no way the old lady could believe Xu Lin lacked real skill.

Xu Lin entered the old lady’s room, which was tidy and immaculate—one glance and you knew its owner was particular about cleanliness. After settling the old lady, Xu Lin asked everyone else to step outside.

She first drew a cleansing talisman, ridding the room of dust and bacteria, before turning to the old lady. “This time, I’ll remove all the fragments from your body, and I’ll also take care of your old injuries. Once you’re healed, take medicine for three months to nurse your health back.”

“All the fragments?” The old lady was astonished. “It’s not that I don’t want them out, but for all sorts of reasons, they simply can’t be removed. Can you truly take them all out?”

“After my treatment, you can go to the hospital for a check-up. If even a single fragment remains, then I’m not worthy of my craft.” Xu Lin joked with a smile, “You can send me a plaque that says ‘Quack Doctor’ then.”

“Haha, that won’t be necessary,” the old lady laughed, her tension finally easing.

“I’ll begin now. I’ll use acupuncture to put you into a sleep. When you wake up, the operation will be over.” With that, Xu Lin produced her silver needles, signaling she was about to begin. The old lady nodded with a smile—she still had faith in traditional medicine. Back in the day, there was never a battlefield injury that didn’t involve a traditional doctor.

As for Western medicine, back then they were so poor there was no Western medicine to be had. Many of the Western doctors who joined the war were forced to learn traditional methods.

Before the old lady could reminisce further, Xu Lin had already inserted the needles, putting her into a deep sleep and beginning her work. Xu Lin admired the old lady, so she used only the finest medicines from her private stock.

While Xu Lin was hard at work, the old lady’s son, Zheng Jianshe, rushed back upon hearing the news. He broke out in a cold sweat when he heard his mother was being treated by a young woman. He knew better than anyone how serious his mother’s old injuries were; even the most seasoned doctors at major hospitals had been helpless. Could a young girl really heal his mother’s wounds?

He wanted to burst into the room, but was afraid of making things worse, so he could only send someone to the hospital to fetch the county’s best doctor, just in case—if anything went wrong, they’d have immediate help.

Xu Lin was perfectly aware of the commotion outside, but she wasn’t the least bit worried. She was confident in her own abilities. Coupled with her wood-element powers, her healing was beyond miraculous.

The operation took two hours. When Xu Lin finally opened the door, Zheng Jianshe craned his neck, eager to rush in, but was stopped short by a bowl streaked with blood held before him.

“Family member, here are the fragments removed from the old lady’s body. Please take a look.” Zheng Jianshe stared at the rusty pieces, eyes reddening instantly. He counted them—fifteen in all. The number matched exactly with the fragments in his mother’s body. Could it be…?

He looked at Xu Lin in astonishment, at that thin, dark little face and those sparkling eyes. Shock rendered him speechless.

“You… you really…” Zheng Jianshe was too moved to finish his sentence. His wife, Yu Tong, who was beside herself with worry, interjected, “Comrade, how is my mother?”

“She’s awake and in good spirits. Go in and see for yourselves.” Xu Lin stepped aside to let them enter.

Zheng Jianshe rushed to the bedside, meeting his mother’s bright gaze. “Mother, how do you feel?” he asked anxiously.

“I feel wonderful. I haven’t felt this light in years. I feel as if I could still fight on the battlefield, even sprint a hundred miles on my three-inch bound feet!”

Hearing this, Zheng Jianshe nearly fainted. My heavens, he thought, does my mother even remember she has bound feet? Most women with three-inch feet could hardly walk, but his mother had once charged into battle on hers—she was nothing short of heroic.

“County Chief Zheng, move aside, move aside.” Zheng Jianshe was about to say more when an old man elbowed him aside.

This was Sun Huaisheng, the veteran traditional doctor from the county hospital. Rumor had it his ancestor was the legendary Doctor Sun, though that could no longer be verified. But his medical skill was undoubtedly first-rate. Though he had little official power, his status was unassailable. During the most turbulent times, he’d been nominally assigned to clean toilets, but in reality, he was being protected. He’d suffered little during the upheaval—everyone tacitly agreed: for minor ailments, don’t bother him, but in true emergencies, he’d always be called upon quietly.

Once the situation improved, he was restored to the rank of an ordinary doctor, and now he could be openly invited to see patients.

Sun Huaisheng was well aware of the old lady’s condition—he’d often tended to her. Her ability to keep moving despite her injuries owed much to his care, but even he had never dared attempt to remove those fragments. For one, her age was a serious concern, and the locations of the fragments were perilous. One misstep could cost her her life.

When Sun heard someone had removed the fragments, his first reaction was disbelief; his second, that perhaps there was always someone better out there. He knew the mysteries of traditional medicine—after a lifetime of study, he would never dare claim mastery. He even suspected his knowledge was limited compared to the true masters.

So he awaited the outcome, letting the facts speak for themselves.

The moment he took her pulse, Sun Huaisheng sucked in a breath, his face full of shock, eyes wide as if he’d seen a ghost.

“There really aren’t any fragments left!” he cried, reaching for the old lady’s wounds. But the wounds were bandaged, and he dared not unwrap them for fear of infection.

Turning to Xu Lin, he asked, “How did you do it?”

“Oh, it was simple,” Xu Lin said, stepping forward to explain as she pointed to the wounds. “This fragment was the easiest—I just sealed the area with silver needles, opened the wound, and removed it. This one was a bit trickier…”

As Xu Lin explained, Sun Huaisheng’s jaw dropped lower and lower. His face all but spelled out: “Is this even humanly possible?”

What did she mean, “simple”? If this was simple, was there anything difficult in the world? Those were operations near the heart—she’d done them alone and spoke as if it were nothing.

The more he thought about how Xu Lin had removed fifteen fragments in two hours, the more Sun Huaisheng stared at her hands with suspicion. Were those really human hands? Or the hands of some supernatural being?