Chapter 95: Su Muyu Wants to Learn Acupuncture

After Xia Yubing swiftly took down the white assassin, she hurried into the examination room and rushed to the bed where Xia Keming was lying flat. Anxiously, she called out, "Keming, Keming, can you hear your sister speaking?"

A bandage covered Xia Keming's eyes, making it impossible to see their condition. Hearing Xia Yubing's voice, he reached out, found her hand, and grasped it tightly.

Su Muyu walked up behind Xia Yubing and explained, "We've applied a local anesthetic. Once the effect wears off, the bandage on his eyes can be removed."

"What’s the result? Will my brother be able to see in the future?" Xia Yubing pressed urgently.

"It's difficult to say... I know a bit about congenital cataracts. Ideally, the surgery should be done before the age of one, and at the latest, not past six. The older the child, the less effective the recovery, and after adulthood, it has no effect at all. Because infants need the stimulation of light during development to form complete eyesight..." Su Muyu explained according to her medical knowledge.

Xia Yubing was impatient and interrupted before Su Muyu finished, "I know all this—the hospital doctors have already said it. I just want to know how much Keming's vision can recover."

Lu Feng entered from outside and took over, "If he keeps drinking the herbal decoction I prescribed, his vision can recover to about seventy or eighty percent of normal. With continued acupuncture treatment from me, the results could be even better. And if he wears corrective glasses, it would be roughly like someone with mild myopia."

Hearing this, Xia Yubing was relieved; she let out a long breath. Achieving the effect of mild nearsightedness was already a blessing, considering Xia Keming had been nearly blind before.

"What are you going to do about the white assassin?" Xia Yubing let her brother rest, then went to Lu Feng and asked.

"He'll have to be handed over to the police—there’s no other way," Lu Feng replied.

...

Two hours later, Lu Feng removed the bandage from Xia Keming’s eyes. In truth, the Golden Needle Cataract Removal technique scarcely left any wound; the bandage was only to prevent the patient from moving his eyes and developing complications.

Xia Yubing crouched before her brother, her face full of longing as she gazed into his eyes. Softly, she said, "Keming, open your eyes, see if you can see your sister."

The little boy slowly opened his eyes. There was still a faint cloudiness in his gaze, but he seemed able to see. He reached up to touch Xia Yubing’s face, pinching from her cheek to her nose.

"You can see now, right?" Xia Yubing asked, tears glistening in her eyes.

"It's not clear, it's very blurry," Xia Keming replied, withdrawing his hand as he tried to rub his eyes.

Lu Feng quickly caught his hands and cautioned, "You mustn't rub your eyes."

"Why can't he see clearly yet?" Xia Yubing anxiously asked Lu Feng.

Lu Feng explained, "Congenital cataracts, left untreated for too long, inevitably damage vision. The only way is to gradually recover through vision training."

Xia Yubing had heard this from doctors countless times, but worry still drove her to keep asking. Knowing the vision could slowly recover finally put her mind at ease.

"Alright, I’ll prescribe medicine. Take one dose every three days, and come back for a follow-up in ten days," Lu Feng said, picking up a pen to write a formula for the herbal decoction—this time, he adjusted a few of the herbs, though the effect was similar to before.

"Thank you..." Xia Yubing said gratefully, then lifted her brother and left.

...

Lu Feng settled back into his chair, picked up the medical book he’d been reading, and continued.

Su Muyu sat nearby, resting her chin in her hand, smiling quietly as she stared blankly at Lu Feng.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Lu Feng asked, his eyes still on the book.

Su Muyu shook her head happily. "I came for a check-up today, so I took the day off. I thought I’d miss the lecturer’s clinical acupuncture class, but you’ve already made up for it."

"Do you feel unwell anywhere?" Lu Feng asked.

Su Muyu shook her head again. "No."

"Then why don't you go home?"

"I want to stay a bit longer. When you handle the needles, it’s so vivid. My father used to say you were skilled, but I wasn't sure until today. Watching you, you’re steadier than our professors," Su Muyu said.

Lu Feng turned a page and murmured in reply.

After hesitating for a while, Su Muyu asked, "Can I formally become your apprentice?"

"I don’t know. The old man hasn’t told me to take on apprentices yet, so I can’t accept any. Whether you can join depends on asking him back at Yunshan," Lu Feng replied casually, not particularly concerned.

"Oh..." Su Muyu sounded a bit disappointed. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Could you teach me some acupuncture techniques—not the ones strictly forbidden outside the school?"

Lu Feng put down his book and turned to look at her. "Haven’t you learned at school?"

"Not really. So far, we’ve mostly studied theory, with little hands-on practice," Su Muyu replied.

"Alright, what level have you reached in acupuncture?" Lu Feng asked.

Su Muyu hesitated, then answered shyly, "Only... only recognizing the points."

"How many acupuncture points have you learned?" Lu Feng asked again.

"I know all twelve meridians. When I was a child, traditional doctors often treated me, so I started learning the points early," Su Muyu replied.

"Alright, when the next patient comes in, I’ll teach you how to apply the needles," Lu Feng said.

"Directly on a patient? Won’t there be any problems?" Su Muyu’s eyes widened, since acupuncture students usually practice on copper mannequins first.

When practicing acupuncture, a hollow copper mannequin is used, with tiny holes at each acupuncture point. Before practice, the points are sealed with wax, then the mannequin is filled with water. If the needle hits the right spot, water flows out.

"What could go wrong?" Lu Feng answered easily.

Just then, a woman in her thirties entered.

Lu Feng invited her to sit, asked her to place her hand on the cushion, and took her pulse while asking, "Where do you feel uncomfortable?"

"I’m fine, really. I just want to lose weight, but I’m worried I’ll lose it in the wrong places. Doctor, can you help me out?" the woman leaned in and said.

Lu Feng frowned. In Yun’an, nearly all his patients were like this—not seriously ill, but came seeking beauty treatments or weight loss.

Su Muyu saw Lu Feng’s expression as if he’d swallowed a fly and stifled a laugh.

Lu Feng was a bit annoyed and said, "No, you do have a minor issue. Have you felt your arms and legs weak and achy recently?"

"Yes, yes! Before bed, my arms and calves feel sore and tired. That’s why I came for a massage today," the woman replied.

"A massage alone won’t do. This isn’t from fatigue, it’s a blockage in your meridians, poor circulation of qi and blood. You need acupuncture to clear your meridians," Lu Feng said seriously.