Shen Jiang had just locked the main gate and was about to head to the hospital when she found herself blocked at her doorstep before even securing the lock.
“See? I told you someone was inside!”
Shen Jiang turned to look and saw a young couple standing together. They appeared youthful with trendy outfits, their eyes filled with excitement as they stared at her simultaneously.
The boy, still holding his half-eaten breakfast, mumbled indistinctly: “Thank goodness. We’ve come so many times, and finally someone’s here.”
“What do you want?” Shen Jiang became wary.
The strikingly beautiful girl smiled: “Hello, I’m Zining. Recently, there’s been a viral online video interviewing a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. We’re also content creators, and this incident has sparked significant controversy online. Were you aware of the massive attention it’s receiving?”
Her companion with thick eyebrows and large eyes flashed a brilliant smile, revealing his pearly white teeth: “I’m Chen Quan, her cameraman.”
Of course Shen Jiang knew. Her impression of content creators wasn’t positive. After Grandma’s incident, it was precisely these online influencers who had tracked down the hospital, trying to capitalize on her situation for clout…
She never expected to encounter such people right at her doorstep.
Though these two appeared young and inexperienced, Shen Jiang wouldn’t mistake them for naive innocents.
Her expression cooled. Having experienced people profiting from others’ misfortune once before, she had developed a deep aversion to online influencers. The pretty girl before her certainly had what it took to be an influencer, but that beauty now only felt glaring to Shen Jiang.
“I don’t know anything. I’m here for medical treatment.” Shen Jiang lifted her foot to leave.
The cute-looking girl suddenly changed her expression. Zining was surprised – she had clearly seen this young woman emerging from inside the building from afar. Exchanging a confused glance with her equally bewildered companion, Zining suddenly understood.
“This incident has caused major controversy online. Public opinion was already biased against traditional Chinese medicine, and many people are just following the crowd without thinking. I’m actually a TCM enthusiast and want to know if there might be more to this story?”
Shen Jiang paused mid-step and stopped, though the wariness remained in her eyes.
“A TCM enthusiast? There aren’t many young people who believe in traditional Chinese medicine these days.”
Zining smiled, “We originally specialized in creating TCM educational videos, dedicated to helping people recognize truly skilled traditional Chinese doctors. Right now, the internet is flooded with irresponsible speculation. The troublemakers have fled, the doctor got injured and was hospitalized, neither side has anyone speaking up, leaving only marketing accounts and TCM critics to control the narrative. We came to understand what really happened.”
This was truly like receiving a pillow when drowsy – just when Shen Jiang was worrying about how to resolve Mingxintang’s reputation crisis, someone had followed the buzz to her doorstep.
She had inquired with several marketing accounts boasting hundreds of thousands of followers earlier that morning, and even the cheapest quote was beyond her current means. Never mind her ambitious goal of clearing Grandma’s name across the entire internet and proving there was no medical error – this grand aspiration seemed both pathetic and laughable in the face of reality.
Compared to clarification, marketing accounts preferred sensational scoops – they’d happily publish those even without payment.
But relying on these two who clearly looked like college students running a makeshift operation – was that really reliable?
Shen Jiang’s expression had softened by now. “Why do you want to promote TCM knowledge? That’s such a niche field. Why not focus on food or something more popular?”
The boy immediately shot her a furtive look of agreement.
But Zining’s eyes lit up as if she’d found a kindred spirit. “A few years ago, my face was covered in acne. I saw so many doctors but nothing worked. Finally, an Old TCM doctor prescribed me some ointment and herbal medicine, and look.” She pointed to her face. Shen Jiang only saw smooth, pale skin like a peeled hard-boiled egg. Zining sighed with relief. “I really thought my face would be like the moon’s surface forever. I almost fell into depression. You know how desperate it feels for a girl to have a pockmarked face. Luckily, I found a reliable TCM doctor who cured me.”
Zining took out her phone to show Shen Jiang. Shen Jiang glanced at the photo of a girl with a shocking, ravaged face, though the facial features somewhat resembled Zining’s. The girl in the photo had a gloomy look in her eyes, clearly unhappy.
The boy named Chen Quan scratched his head. “I rarely see doctors, but I know TCM is pretty amazing. Since she believes in it, I do too.” He glanced at his companion, unable to hide the fervor in his eyes.
Both carried a strong student vibe, and their sincere self-introductions eased Shen Jiang’s guard.
Shen Jiang thought of a key question: “How many followers does your account have?”
Chen Quan didn’t expect such directness. His smile turned awkward as he scratched his cheek. “We have less than ten thousand right now. We still have to focus on our studies. But don’t worry, our followers are all active and specifically interested in TCM. We’ll post across all platforms, so the exposure will be significant.” He chuckled sheepishly, looking rather simple and honest.
A little over a thousand—indeed, less than ten thousand.
Shen Jiang’s phone rang. The number was unfamiliar. Considering the recent barrage of abusive and personal attack calls, she blocked it without hesitation, her movements fluid and uninterrupted.
Many neighbors were casting subtle glances their way under the pretext of buying breakfast. Shen Jiang turned, unlocked the door, and pushed it open, making space for them to enter. “Let’s talk inside.”
Shen Jiang had been staying at the hospital lately. If not for planning to sign the contract to sell Mingxintang yesterday and the subsequent events that kept her here until this morning, the two would likely have missed her again.
After days of waiting, Chen Quan and Zining had nearly given up hope of visiting this TCM clinic. They hadn’t expected their last, hopeless attempt to serendipitously succeed.
Upon entering, the clinic’s chaotic state matched the viral video exactly, leaving them with a sour feeling. They had assumed it would have been cleaned up by now.
To their surprise, the kind-looking young woman before them had also studied TCM!
Zining stepped around the broken glass on the floor and asked matter-of-factly, “So, what year of university are you in now?”
Shen Jiang: “I graduated and have been working for several years already.”
Zining was genuinely surprised this time. “You look about the same age as me, yet you’ve already graduated? For a TCM doctor as young as you, it must be quite difficult to gain patients’ trust.”
Shen Jiang smiled. Indeed, young TCM doctors all had to endure several years of sitting on the cold bench—a period that was truly challenging. But she was fortunate; working alongside her grandmother kept her passion burning brightly.
Zining continued making casual conversation. “The TCM program at Nanze University is quite prestigious—it takes five years to graduate. It’s a pity I missed the admission score by just a few points. Since you’re from Nanze, could you be our senior from the university?”
Shen Jiang didn’t emphasize her academic background, replying modestly, “Nanze University is excellent, but I’m not a student from there.”
Shen Jiang clearly gave off the vibe of being the most diligent and studious model student back in her school days. Zining felt somewhat sorry for her—if she had been admitted to Nanze University’s TCM program, she could have worked at a city hospital, where career opportunities would have been much better than here.
Looking at the numerous banners on the floor bearing phrases like “Saving the Dying and Healing the Injured” and “Boundless Virtue,” Zining’s intuition told her that the old TCM doctor truly had real skill. Otherwise, this clinic couldn’t have remained open for over forty years.
Chen Quan set up the first fixed camera position, securing one phone on a tripod and adjusting its height and distance. Holding another phone with a gimbal, he gave Zining a thumbs-up.
Shen Jiang thought their setup looked quite professional—two people with two phones, creating the impression of a small production team.
Zining had long prepared her interview questions. Coming well-prepared this time, she decided to cut straight to the point and ask about the medical dispute that netizens were most concerned about.
“Doctor Shen, not long ago, a patient’s family came to make trouble. Was it really your doctor’s fault that the patient’s condition worsened?”