“Li family’s daughter-in-law, you’re not pregnant, are you?”
“No wonder Old Li is so capable! Your eldest son is already three years old—time to have another baby.”
Hearing this, Li Mei’s face flushed red. She stammered, “I…I’m not pregnant, really… I’m not.”
“I know,” Su Jinhui said, understanding immediately, nodding. “You have bloating and indigestion. More accurately, your stomach’s motility is weak.”
“Just a stomach problem? Then what medicine should I take?” Li Mei felt suddenly unsettled. She hadn’t expected that Su Jinhui would determine her condition after just asking a couple of questions.
For a moment, she even regretted coming to see Su Jinhui, thinking perhaps the rumors were true—that she was just a well-connected person.
Su Jinhui shook her head. “No medicine is needed.”
“No medicine?” Li Mei stared at her in disbelief, unable to speak for a long moment.
Voices of gossip arose at the doorway again, even harsher than before.
“See! I knew she’s a quack. She doesn’t even dare prescribe medicine. I bet she doesn’t even know as many drug names as I do!”
“What do you know? She’s clever. As long as she doesn’t prescribe medicine, she won’t kill anyone, and she can keep this position indefinitely. Isn’t that perfect?”
“Exactly! All she needs are her underhanded skills—no need for real medical knowledge!”
“Li family’s daughter-in-law, come on out. She’s a fraud!”
The crowd kept urging, and Li Mei began to hesitate. Just as she was about to get up and leave, Su Jinhui grabbed her arm firmly. “You really don’t need medicine. Just massage is enough.”
At this, everyone furrowed their brows in disbelief.
“I’ve only ever heard of massage for injuries to muscles or bones. Using it for a stomach problem? Isn’t this nonsense?”
“Exactly! The rumors were right—she’s a quack!”
“Li family’s daughter-in-law, get out here, don’t let her use you as an experiment!”
The voices at the door kept coming one after another. Li Mei sat there, torn with indecision.
After a long while, she finally stood. “Dr. Su, I… I think I’ll pass. Sorry.”
Su Jinhui quickly held her arm and persuaded her, “Why don’t you give it a try? If my method doesn’t work, you won’t lose anything.”
Li Mei bit her lip, made up her mind, and said firmly, “Alright! I’ll try it!”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Li Mei took off her coat and lay down on the bed, her heart pounding with anxiety.
Su Jinhui rubbed her hands to warm them, placing her palms on Li Mei’s abdomen, rotating clockwise 66 times around the navel, simulating the path of the intestines. She focused on a hard lump in the upper left abdomen—the real culprit behind Li Mei’s discomfort.
She located the Zhongwan acupoint four cun above the navel, rotating clockwise 36 times and then counterclockwise 24 times. Then, she applied a rapid, subtle vibration with her palm to stimulate gastrointestinal motility.
Next, she targeted Zusanli, Neiguan, and Tianshu points with appropriate massage techniques, working diligently for half an hour.
Other patients gathered to watch, and Chen Jun even took the opportunity to observe and learn.
Each time Su Jinhui treated a patient, her methods brought Chen Jun new surprises. If he could learn even a bit from her, it would be invaluable.
Su Jinhui helped Li Mei sit up, rotating her sore wrists. “How do you feel now?”
“Ah!” Li Mei stood and took a few steps, her voice full of delight.
Immediately, the crowd’s attention was fully captured, all eyes on her.
“My stomach feels much looser, and I even feel a bit hungry!” Li Mei exclaimed joyfully, a big smile spreading across her face. “It’s the best of both worlds—enjoying the massage and getting treated at the same time! Dr. Su, your skills are incredible!”
She spoke sincerely, implicitly defending Su Jinhui, as she had felt the malice of the crowd earlier.
It was clear Su Jinhui’s medical skills were genuine, proving the rumors false.
“Li family’s daughter-in-law, do you really feel better? Are you sure she didn’t bribe you to act?” someone asked as Li Mei left.
“Yeah, we’re all from the same village. Don’t cheat us!”
Li Mei responded helplessly, “I’ve said all I can. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. Besides, if you don’t trust me, you can try it yourself. You won’t lose anything if it doesn’t work.”
She cleverly quoted Su Jinhui’s earlier words to support her point.
As it turned out, this approach worked every time.
Chen Jun quickly added, “Yes! I can personally guarantee that Dr. Su’s skills surpass mine. If there’s a single word of falsehood, I won’t be able to work in this hospital anymore!”
The two of them vouched for Su Jinhui, and with the evidence of the case in front of their eyes, the crowd hesitated, then finally one patient stepped forward.
Once the first patient came, the second followed, and soon five patients had chosen Su Jinhui.
The rest still preferred Chen Jun, who was also highly skilled and provided them more reassurance.
Su Jinhui treated each patient with humility and care, but strangely, the next day was similar to the previous one.
People still crowded into Chen Jun’s office, showing no interest in her, and no other patient as brave as Li Mei came forward.
All day, Su Jinhui’s consultation room remained empty.
It was clear that yesterday’s event hadn’t spread far.
She realized that to increase her influence, she needed a few classic cases, like difficult or rare diseases, which would attract more discussion among the villagers.
Acting on this idea, during Chen Jun’s lunch break when he was free, Su Jinhui carried her lunchbox to his consultation room.
“Jinhui, what brings you here?” Chen Jun got up quickly to greet her, always holding some respect for her.
“Let’s eat together, and I also have a small matter,” Su Jinhui said, placing the lunchbox on the table and sitting across from him. “Has our hospital ever encountered any extremely difficult cases—those that seem untreatable?”
Chen Jun sat down. “Of course. You’re not thinking of taking on something that tricky, are you? Even though your skills surpass mine, many cases leave even Deputy Director Zhang and the others clueless. Why give yourself extra trouble?”
“No, no, you’re wrong! I’m willing to challenge myself. Besides, it’s the best way to clear my name,” Su Jinhui said, patting her chest. “Just give me the records. I’ll handle the rest myself, I promise!”
She had full confidence in her medical skills, and with the help of medicines and spiritual spring water from her space, she felt she was fully prepared.