Shu Jin Yue didn't doubt he was lying. Generally, illiterate people couldn't fabricate such details about this disease, as it was quite a distinctive regional endemic.
This disease primarily occurred in provinces south of the Yangtze River, with Ganxi Province and the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region being the most severely affected. In the 1950s, it reached epidemic proportions. Later, a film titled "Withered Trees Meet Spring" was made, which some netizens in later generations hailed as "Dragon Country's own disaster film." The great leader's famous poem "Farewell to the God of Plague" was written about this infectious disease, commonly known as "big belly disease."
But those were all in the water-rich southern regions with extensive underwater activities. Shilan Province was far from the Yangtze River. Ordinary folks here who hadn't seen the film might not even have heard of the name.
As if afraid she wouldn't believe him, the villager said, "Our rural doctor said my son's symptoms should be that disease. He used to love going into the river to catch fish and shrimp—must have been bitten by something poisonous."
Yes, schistosomiasis is a disease transmitted through Oncomelania hupensis, which lives in water.
Jin Yue thought it over. Whether it was truly schistosomiasis or not, this matter was beyond her capacity to handle alone. "Stay here for now. Wait until our director returns and assesses the situation."
In case they needed to use the toilet, she also handed them a chamber pot. The feces of schistosomiasis patients also contained parasite eggs.
After settling them, Jin Yue went to the office to borrow the phone and called the district epidemic prevention station. When Zhu Daqiang heard there was a suspected schistosomiasis case in their jurisdiction, he immediately reported it to the district and rushed back with five or six people.
Seeing that she had isolated them in the workroom and prepared a separate feces bucket, everyone was quite satisfied with her preliminary handling. She had only recently started the job and hadn't attended a specialized medical school. Yet, upon encountering such a situation for the first time, she could think of these measures—even Zhu Daqiang was surprised.
Several experienced doctors went in, carefully inquired about the medical history, conducted physical examinations, and after collecting the data, immediately returned to the office to discuss.
"The patient has had unexplained fever for two years, with temperatures mostly below 39 degrees, accompanied by diarrhea and abdominal pain for two years, occasional chest pain and shortness of breath. Over two years, weight loss of twenty kilograms; physical examination reveals hepatosplenomegaly, sallow complexion, emaciation, poor mental state…"
As they each reviewed the consultation results, Zhu Daqiang added, "There is also a history of underwater work, though it's uncertain whether the water source was contaminated water."
The symptoms and history of exposure to contaminated water matched. Everyone unanimously felt, "The possibility of schistosomiasis infection is extremely high."
Schistosomiasis is highly hazardous with a considerable fatality rate. Once water sources are contaminated, the number of infections would be immeasurable. Simultaneously, this parasite also threatens agricultural safety and ecological security, causing crop reduction and death. Dragon Country, being a populous nation, relies on agriculture as its foundation—the harmfulness of this disease is self-evident.
Everyone immediately became highly vigilant, discussing what to do.
Some suggested reporting to a certain committee and letting them decide.
Others said those people were accustomed to making a big fuss without being professional enough. They might mobilize a large-scale effort in vain, fail to claim credit, and instead push those below them out as scapegoats.
After discussing for a long time, everyone unanimously decided: "Before an official diagnosis is confirmed, it's better not to report it yet."
"Now we not only need to isolate him, but also quickly test the water sources and environment around his living area. For this, the district will send personnel for testing and sampling, with Old Zhu's team leading…"
They quickly devised a division of labor. Considering Shu Jin Yue's weak constitution, the task of leading the team for rural sampling fell to Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu, while Jin Yue would remain at the station to handle simple disinfection work. The suspected case was taken to the district epidemic prevention station for observation and treatment.
Jin Yue wanted to say she would go too—she wasn't afraid of hardship—but Old Zhu gave her a meaningful look.
Once everyone had left, she couldn't help but complain, "Why didn't the director assign me to go? Although I'm a female comrade, women hold up half the sky now. I can do whatever you all can do."
Zhu Daqiang shook his head, "It has nothing to do with you being male or female."
"You're physically weak. If there really is contaminated water and you get infected, it's no joke. You wouldn't withstand it. Progress and I are rough guys—we're not afraid."
"Exactly, Jin Yue, just hold down the fort for us here. When it's done, you can help us write the reports—I dread dealing with those things most," Liu Jinbu added carelessly.
Jin Yue hadn't expected everyone to take such care of her, not because she was a girl, but because of her frail health.
Back when she was in the countryside, whatever tasks the production team had, not only did they not look out for her, they deliberately pushed her forward. At first, she had gritted her teeth and persevered, determined to prove she could do whatever others could. She had come to build the vast rural areas, aspiring to achieve great things. But over time, she realized it wasn't about capability—they were treating her like a fool.
When she became unwilling to comply but didn't know how to slyly avoid work, she would just stubbornly resist. The team leader's family would then find fault with her, make things difficult, and frequently send her to ideological study sessions…
It had been many years since she last experienced the feeling of being cared for within a collective.
After they left, Jin Yue first disinfected the work area. Since the patient hadn't left any stool behind, it was easier to handle—a simple cleanup and she could go home.
As for the two leading the team to the countryside, they likely wouldn't be able to return to Shu City even by tomorrow. The patient's location was a small mountain village at the southernmost edge of Shu City—no one knew how the father and son had managed to find their way to Xinqiao Sub-district.
However, this wasn't something Jin Yue needed to worry about. When she got home, she still reminded her family to pay attention to water safety: don't drink unboiled water, and especially ensure that water used for washing pots, bowls, and utensils is boiled.
Most neighbors in the compound didn't take her warnings seriously, thinking she was making a fuss over nothing. They'd all gotten along fine for so many years—why fear some unheard-of infectious disease?
At that time, information was only spread through radios and newspapers. Radios weren't affordable for ordinary families, and newspapers required literacy to understand. It was normal for Shilan people not to know about Schistosomiasis, but in provinces south of the Yangtze River, it was practically common knowledge. Signs were erected along riverbanks warning people: "This water contains schistosomes—humans and livestock prohibited from entering."
Zhao Wan Qiu, being a medical worker herself, understood the seriousness. She led by example and tried to persuade everyone in the compound, but with little success.
Mother and daughter exchanged bitter smiles. They could only hope this would turn out to be a false alarm.
The next day, Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu indeed didn't return. Instead, they called Jin Yue from the commune phone, telling her not to worry—preliminary tests showed no issues with the local water sources.
The heavy stone in Jin Yue's heart finally lifted. As long as it wasn't a widespread infectious disease, things were manageable.
Feeling relieved, she remembered her agreement with Second Brother to visit the Ghost Market tonight to find connections.
"Still going?" Shu Wen Ming asked in a hushed voice after returning from his post-meal stroll.
"Going, definitely going." Jin Yue borrowed a worn cotton jacket from him, tucked her hair into a hat, smeared some stove ash on her face, and after this disguise, headed straight for under the Construction Bridge under cover of darkness.
The place was dotted with flickering lights and bustling with activity. However, everyone kept their voices low while bargaining, unlike the usual shopping in stores. Jin Yue familiarly found the profiteer she had previously sold ancient books to.
"Oh, little girl, you're here?"
The most basic skill for a profiteer was sharp observation. Since Jin Yue had already informed him beforehand, she didn't think she could fool him now, so she responded openly, "I'm here, Uncle."
"How have you been lately? Got any good items?"
"What good items could I possibly have? Just some small trinkets. How about you?" The uncle carefully examined Shu Wen Ming and handed him a cigarette.
Surprisingly, Shu Wen Ming was quite the actor. He skillfully took it, struck a match, lit the cigarette, and took a deep drag. "Strong flavor. Is this 'Big Rooster'?"
The cheapest cigarettes on the market were "Economy," costing only eight cents a pack, but the taste was somewhat lacking. "Big Rooster" cost twelve cents a pack.
"Brother, you've got a refined palate."
Shu Jin Yue kept a straight face but found it amusing inside. Second Brother really knew how to put on an act. With his monthly salary of eighteen yuan and ninety cents, how could he afford "Big Rooster"? He didn't even know what "Big Rooster" tasted like. She guessed he had deduced it: most cigarettes circulating in the Shilan Province market came from the south. If it wasn't the usual "Economy," it had to be the slightly more expensive "Big Rooster." Since he and the profiteer weren't close, the man had no reason to offer him a better cigarette.
Honestly, Second Brother's intelligence was wasted just being a temporary worker.
After chatting for a bit, Shu Wen Ming tugged her sleeve. "Let's go check out the front. We'll talk later, Uncle."
Only after walking a few steps away did Jin Yue ask, "Any gains? This profiteer usually deals in grain coupons. I've been here several times and know his routine—he only comes on Wednesdays and Fridays. He also has some connections, making it easy to move goods."
Shu Wen Ming raised an eyebrow and looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.
Jin Yue wasn't afraid of his suspicion. It wouldn't matter anyway, since she was still the same person with the same memories—it wasn't like she had been possessed. Such a big change could easily be attributed to her experiences in the countryside.
Shu Wen Ming looked serious. "Shu Jin Yue, be honest. What were you doing here before?"
Jin Yue then told him about selling ancient books but didn't mention the specific prices—just in case her cunning Second Brother demanded she repay the money on the spot.
"Well, well, you've got some skills. How could someone as sharp as you be so timid in the countryside? You got bullied badly and didn't even fight back. What a waste of all those smarts."
"By the way, that profiteer just now said he has some grain coupons. If we want them, he can help us get them." Shu Wen Ming paused. "I remember Sister Li from our unit—she has many children and never has enough to eat. Every month she has to find someone to get grain coupons…"
Jin Yue's eyes lit up. "What does she use to exchange, or does she buy them?"
"Her husband works at the Mao Textile Factory in Xinjiekou."
The Xinkou Woolen Mill wasn't far either, located just one street over from Xinqiao Sub-district. This factory mainly produced daily necessities like towels and pillow towels. Almost every factory would distribute towels for washing faces and feet as welfare benefits—while not every household had an abundance, they were hardly in short supply.
But pillow towels were different, especially acrylic pillow towels—they were essential wedding gifts for every newlywed couple! If a bride's dowry included a pair of acrylic pillow towels embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in water or vibrant peonies, the daughter would hold her head high when marrying into her husband's family.
These were absolute necessities, highly sought after in the market. Coincidentally, Sister Li's husband worked on that very production line, and their monthly welfare distribution included acrylic pillow towels…
Shu Jin Yue understood, "That's perfect. Ask her sometime if she has extras—we can earn a little from the price difference."
If they needed to stockpile inventory, she had the capital.
Shu Wen Ming nodded, "No rush. Let me investigate this profiteer further."
The siblings wandered around a bit more. There were plenty of items—food, daily necessities, and entertainment—but unfortunately, with empty pockets, they could only feast their eyes wistfully.
On the third day, Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu finally returned. Having been idle for two days, Jin Yue had already drafted a report mimicking Zhu Daqiang's previous formats. After adding data and triple-checking for errors, she presented it for his review.
"Hmm, good, very well written." Zhu Daqiang yawned, indifferent to the prose. What mattered most to him were the data: sampling times, locations, quantities, labels, testing instruments, counts, and results—all meticulously verified.
"Even though it was a false alarm, the report still needs to be properly written."
Jin Yue's performance pleased him greatly. "After the sampling results came out yesterday, the station praised you. Though it turned out to be nothing, your handling was excellent and timely—one might think you were a seasoned epidemic prevention veteran."
Jin Yue couldn't help but flash a bright smile. Well, of course—hadn't she spent years as a wandering spirit?
The next morning, during a meeting break, Zhu Daqiang submitted the report. All that remained was to wait for further instructions.
Meanwhile, Shu Wen Ming acted swiftly—or more accurately, his colleague Xu Wenli did. She quickly located the shoe sizes Jin Yue requested and delivered two pairs of glossy black leather shoes for men and women into Jin Yue's hands.
Teacher Shu and Zhao Wan Qiu held the shoes, turning them over and over, admiring every inch inside and out. Teacher Shu even brought them close to his nose for a careful sniff. "Hmm, smells like genuine leather—it's the real deal."
Everyone laughed, asking if he could detect a beefy aroma.
"Of course! If you're hungry enough, you could boil a leather belt for soup—haven't you heard that?" Teacher Shu grinned, looking as if he might take a bite.
Shu Wen Ming urged, "Dad, Aunt Zhao, try them on quickly. If they don't fit, we can still exchange them."
"No need to try. Jin Yue couldn't possibly get our sizes wrong, right?" Zhao Wan Qiu's heart felt as sweet as honey. She was the world's most ordinary person—though Wen Ming and Wen Yun had bought her things before, gifts from her biological daughter seemed uniquely special.
Worried about the cost and fearing the seller might refuse exchanges if they tried too many times, Teacher Shu hurriedly urged Zhao Wan Qiu, "Find my new socks from New Year's—try them on with socks so we don't dirty them."
Another round of laughter ensued.
Only Shu Wen Yun felt a pang of loss. When had her second brother and Jin Yue grown so close?
Jin Yue couldn't be bothered to engage with her. She simply felt those four chocolate bars were worth every penny—Comrade Xu Wenli truly gave off the impression of being "gullible with more money than sense"!
The next morning, the weather was clear. Zhao Wan Qiu slipped on her new leather shoes and headed out to buy groceries. "Oh, Aunt Zhao, off to the market? Wait for me!"
Aunt Zhao turned around. "Why are you going so early today?"
Zhao Wan Qiu usually went later to snag cheaper vegetables. Though the price difference was only a few cents, she took pleasure in it.
"Ah, the weather's just too nice. Getting up early counts as exercise for these old legs. And these shoes—size 36 fits me perfectly."
"These shoes? They're new."
"Genuine leather—soft and warm. Doesn't hurt the soles when walking."
"If they get dirty, no need to wash them. Just wipe with a damp cloth and apply some shoe polish—good as new. Much more convenient than those bulky cotton shoes we used to wear."
"Right, Jin Yue bought them. That child—I kept refusing, but she insisted. Since they're already bought, returning them would be too troublesome."
Aunt Zhao fumed inwardly: "…Did I ask for all these details?"
But honestly, Xu Wenli had good taste. Though not the finest quality, the leather shoes' style suited older folks perfectly—so shiny they made the wearer stand taller. Aunt Zhao's eyes gleamed with envy.
"Wan Qiu, could you ask Jin Yue where she bought these shoes? When spring warms up, I'd like to get a pair for my husband and me."
The Zhao family was well-off—they'd worn out several pairs of leather shoes already, unlike the Shu family, for whom this was a first. Zhao Wan Qiu felt a pang of bitterness but later did ask Jin Yue.
Jin Yue promptly consulted her second brother. After confirming Aunt and Uncle Zhao's sizes, they ordered two pairs from Xu Wenli matching the Shu elders' style. This time, she didn't use chocolate as payment but paid in cash.
Similar quality shoes cost 24 yuan at the department store. With Xu Wenli's connections, they paid only 20. Jin Yue sold them to the Zhaos for 23 yuan, earning a profit of 6 yuan split equally with her brother. Wasn't this easier than any other work?
Aunt Zhao and her husband even thanked them—after all, store prices were fixed, while these shoes were better quality, stylish, exchangeable for size, and cost one yuan less!
Word soon spread that Shu Jin Yue had connections for buying leather shoes. Within days, Aunt Yang from the backyard, Aunt Qian from the central courtyard, Aunt Niu from next door… all came looking for Jin Yue to buy shoes.
At three yuan profit per pair, the siblings earned over twenty yuan in just a week!
When Shu Wen Ming returned from work, he pulled out a new pair of leather shoes and clicked his tongue. "I break my back for 18 yuan a month, but this? A few words exchanged nets over twenty! Should've skipped that damned job ages ago."
"Second Brother, that's not the right mindset. Without the job, how would you have met Xu Wenli? No connections mean no information or resource gaps. Resources are what hold real value—understand?" Jin Yue divided the money evenly. Though she found it lucrative too, she knew it couldn't last.
"Yesterday, Auntie Li asked me about the shoes in front of everyone. I denied it. We can sell to anyone but her." Shu Wen Ming disliked her too. He picked his teeth and declared, "This shoe business ends here. No more after this."
Jin Yue nodded. To be safe, it was enough to earn this kind of money from seven or eight people—they shouldn’t get greedy.
Once the siblings decided to stop, they stopped immediately. When others asked about it later, they firmly denied any knowledge of leather shoes—they didn’t recognize them, hadn’t seen them, didn’t know where to buy them, and had no connections. Since they were all neighbors, those who understood the situation would laugh and tease them a bit before letting it go. But for those who didn’t know when to quit, like Auntie Li, her face was thicker than a city wall.
What’s more, unlike others who asked discreetly in private, she either lacked common sense or did it on purpose, always choosing to ask when the courtyard was crowded.
Shu Wen Ming was not one to tolerate such behavior. After embarrassing her several times in front of everyone, making her the butt of jokes, she finally quieted down.
“Oh, look who it is—it’s Auntie Li, the most reasonable and selfless person in our No. 16 courtyard! Didn’t you split from Little Li? Why are you still living here?”
Auntie Li’s face flushed, then turned pale, then green. “You little brat, what nonsense are you talking? I only have one son—there’s no splitting up.”
“No splitting up, huh? Then next time you drink soapy water, take it easy. Last time it was winter, and the public toilets were frozen. But now it’s spring, and the boys in our courtyard are quick on their feet. You’d better be careful…”
The whole courtyard erupted in laughter.
Auntie Li stamped her feet in anger. Those Shu kids were so damn annoying!
The eldest was slick and slippery, yet he managed to marry a rich wife. The second was an old bachelor with a tongue sharper than pesticide. The third seemed quiet and unassuming, but she was way too pretty—just looking at her irritated Auntie Li. As for the fourth, he was the sneaky, sly type.
Still, she only dared to fume quietly and didn’t make a scene.
Everyone noticed that Auntie Li had been keeping a lower profile lately. The reason was that her daughter-in-law was pregnant, and the girl’s family had made it clear: if Auntie Li dared to cause trouble for their daughter again, they would immediately take her to the hospital for an abortion, and right after that, file for divorce.
Little Li had almost knelt and begged her, saying that if anything happened to his wife or the baby, not even the gods could stop the consequences.
Her older daughters had also come back to reason with her a few times. For now, Auntie Li had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure. “Just wait till she gives birth to a girl—then we’ll see how smug you are!”
“Auntie Li, what are you muttering about?”
Just as Auntie Li was fuming and about to head to the back courtyard, someone called out from the main gate, “Is Shu Jin Yue home?”
It was Liu Jinbu. “Jin Yue, hurry up! The district notified us to attend a meeting. Old Zhu sent me to get you.”
“Do you have a bicycle? It’s an urgent meeting—we’re in a rush.”
Jin Yue shook her head. She couldn’t keep borrowing from Aunt Zhao’s family. Every use caused wear and tear, and no matter how good the relationship, borrowing too often would eventually cause resentment.
“Then ride with me.” He patted the back seat of his bicycle. Jin Yue didn’t hesitate and climbed on, holding onto the steel bar under the seat.
Zhu Daqiang was already waiting at the street office entrance. “The station called us to a meeting. I thought since you were the first to interact with Sun Tieniu, you’d have more insight than the rest of us. It’s good for you to come and listen.”
Sun Tieniu was the young man from a few days ago suspected of having Schistosomiasis. Jin Yue asked curiously, “Did something happen?”
“Not exactly, but his condition is a bit complicated.”
Initially, everyone's attention was focused on his "Schistosomiasis." Later, after water source and environmental sampling, targeted examinations were conducted which completely ruled out Schistosomiasis. The matter then no longer fell under the jurisdiction of the epidemic prevention station. Shu Jin Yue had inquired once and learned he had been transferred to the hepatology department (internal medicine) of the district hospital, so she didn't ask further.
Because asking further would mean involving Shu Wen Yun, and she didn't want any connection with her, let alone seek her help.
"Everyone assumed that since he had hepatosplenomegaly, it made perfect sense for him to be seen in the hepatology department."
"Yes, before when it couldn't be cured, it was because they were in the countryside with limited conditions and less professional doctors. Everyone always thought coming to the district would surely make it manageable." Liu Jinbu rode his bike slowly but spoke rapidly. "Who would have known that after several days of treatment there, there was no improvement at all? The family members were very dissatisfied and insisted on leaving the hospital."
Losing forty pounds in just two years indicated extremely severe weight loss. Combined with his inability to even walk, the hospital didn't dare to actually send them home—what if something happened?
"Unfortunately, the family members were too adamant. The hospital tried every possible persuasion for two days but to no avail."
"They were discharged yesterday and went straight to our district epidemic prevention station last night, demanding we treat him, refusing to leave if we didn't."
"Old Man Sun is really stubborn. We've explained to him eight hundred times that our epidemic prevention station doesn't handle such difficult and complicated cases—we only deal with parasitic and chronic infectious diseases. His illness isn't under our jurisdiction." Zhu Daqiang also deliberately slowed down, waiting for them.
"The father and son are pitiful too. If they go back, they can only wait… The station's intention is to have us attend a meeting today to discuss solutions. Ideally, we should persuade them, arrange a vehicle to send them back, and provide some consolation gifts as humanitarian care."
Shu Jin Yue's mood instantly grew heavy.
This meant that since the illness couldn't be cured, they planned to persuade them to return and prepare for the end.
No wonder Old Man Sun refused to leave. He had trekked over mountains and rivers, pulling his son on a flatbed cart for a day and a night to reach a place called the "epidemic prevention station." The barefoot doctor had told him to come here for treatment, and he had arrived full of hope. Now everyone was telling him that even this place couldn't cure his son—how could he be willing to give up?
This was a father's persistence.
"Is there really no other way?"
Zhu Daqiang shook his head. "I don't know. Let's see what others say at the meeting."
The meeting was held in the conference room on the third floor of the district epidemic prevention station. Each sub-district sent one representative, while Xinqiao Sub-district mobilized all its staff. The meeting was chaired by several comrades over forty-five years old. Liu Jinbu quietly introduced them to Jin Yue: the tall one was someone in charge of parasitic disease prevention, another specialized in local diseases, the one on the left was from the inspection department… They sat at the back, speaking in hushed tones without disturbing others.
The meeting began quickly, first explaining the reason and purpose of convening it, then detailing Sun Tieniu's condition and treatment history. When it was mentioned that the father and son were currently sleeping in the corridor outside the inspection department, everyone felt deeply unsettled.
"Director Zhang from the district hospital is well-known for his expertise in digestive system diseases. But after running many tests on Sun Tieniu—aside from slightly enlarged liver and spleen, chronic abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which are digestive symptoms—and finding conventional clinical medications ineffective, he invited experts from the city hospital, who were also at a loss."
"What abnormalities were found in the liver function?" the older comrade in charge of local disease prevention suddenly asked.
"That's the strange part. Despite his sallow complexion and enlarged liver and spleen, the patient's liver function tests were normal." The deputy station head paused. "We tested three times, and the third time, the blood sample was sent to the city hospital's inspection department. The testing equipment and models at both hospitals were different."
This ruled out equipment issues and the possibility of false negatives.
"Imaging tests were also done, ruling out tumors."
Someone in the audience gasped—what kind of strange illness was this, then?
"As for his chronic abdominal pain and diarrhea, Director Zhang even performed a free colonoscopy for him, but his intestines showed no issues either."
The crowd fell silent. When treating an illness, they weren't afraid of finding problems—they were afraid of finding nothing at all, leaving them with no direction for treatment.
Jin Yue scribbled rapidly in her notebook while her mind raced, connecting Sun Tieniu's symptoms. No matter how she looked at it, they pointed to digestive system issues, yet examinations from top to bottom had revealed nothing wrong.
After over an hour of discussion, the district ultimately decided to stick with the original plan: provide some humanitarian care and send them home.
Of course, this hot potato was unquestionably handed to Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu, under the guise that they had been to their hometown before, making it "more convenient for them to go back and forth."
The two older men wore pained expressions as they prepared to go persuade them. Jin Yue simply decided to tag along and see.
"How is it, doctors?" Old Man Sun immediately jogged over eagerly upon seeing them, especially recognizing Shu Jin Yue.
Two neatly folded quilts lay on the floor. Unable to afford lodging, they had been given these old cotton padding by sympathetic station staff from the duty office. Father and son huddled together under them at night—had it not been for the heating in their area, they would have long since caught colds.
Sun Tieniu's previously dull eyes slowly turned toward them.
Zhu Daqiang's words urging them to go home caught in his throat.
Even Liu Jinbu, usually so talkative, remained silent.
Jin Yue glanced from one to the other before steeling herself and stepping forward. "How have you been lately, uncle?"
"Good, I feel Tieniu is much better. He says his belly has shrunk a bit, and I think so too. Have a look—has it gotten smaller?"
Zhu Daqiang and Liu Jinbu tried to stop him, wanting to say, "Don't fantasize," but Sun Tieniu had already eagerly lifted his shirt, insisting they see for themselves.
"If my belly's smaller, my illness can be cured, right? As long as I can be cured, I can go back. Yes, Yuhua is waiting for me. Yuhua said she'd be a Sun in life and a Sun ghost in death." Thinking of his fiancée, a faint blush spread across the young man's face.
In that instant, Shu Jin Yue thought of her past self—studying hard for a whole year only to be thwarted by documentation issues, missing university twice in a row… Each time, she had been full of hope, telling herself to persevere, to grit her teeth, because a new life was just around the corner.
Her heart aching, she swallowed her intended words and instead said, "We came to ask if you'd be willing to try Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment?"
Zhu Daqiang was shocked and quickly tried to backtrack, "Xiao Shu, don't talk nonsense. Even Western medicine can't cure this illness."
Old Man Sun had been hesitant at first, but hearing "Western medicine can't cure it" provoked him. "Yes, there's still Traditional Chinese Medicine! We're willing to try it. Young doctor, please take us to see an Old TCM practitioner."
Liu Jinbu blinked. Since when did Shu Jin Yue know any "Old TCM practitioner"? Could she mean herself?
Having been here this long, while Shu Jin Yue had been investigating their backgrounds, they had naturally learned about her situation too—she had accidentally cured Deputy Director Yang's elderly mother of a strange illness, and later, through some stroke of luck, landed this job.
In their eyes, Jin Yue was just a child—nothing more than diligent and polite.
"Uncle Sun, I studied Traditional Chinese Medicine in the countryside for several years and have some clinical experience. If you're willing, I can give it a try. If not, that's fine too. We can send you home today and have prepared two jin of eggs and half a jin of brown sugar for you…"
"No, I won't go home!" Sun Tieniu suddenly shouted, his entire body radiating an abnormal excitement, like a fish on the chopping board making its final struggles.
Old Man Sun wiped his tears with his rough hands.
Liu Jinbu couldn't bear to watch and turned to look out the window. Zhu Daqiang pulled Jin Yue aside and sternly criticized her: "Comrade Shu Jin Yue, do you realize what you're saying? This is not the time to show off. The great leader taught us to be realistic in our words and actions, to keep our feet firmly on the ground."
"You've given them hope—how are you going to explain yourself later?"
Zhu Daqiang was genuinely frustrated, wondering if he had been too lenient usually, making this young girl forget her limitations. "You must seriously reflect on this matter. Write me a self-criticism when we return and guarantee it won't happen again."
Jin Yue pursed her lips. "Director, please let me try just once. We're already at our wits' end, and they're willing to let me try. I'm really not joking with a patient's life."
She usually either smiled cheerfully or narrowed her eyes slyly, so her serious tone now gave Zhu Daqiang pause. "You… are you serious?"
Jin Yue nodded. "Can I explain my thoughts first? Please hear me out on whether it's feasible."
Zhu Daqiang glanced back at the unnatural gleam in the Sun father and son's eyes, gritted his teeth and said: "Go on."Everyone was initially 'misled' by his two-year illness and enlarged liver and spleen. Following Western medicine logic, they focused on liver disease and used many Western medicines without effect. But from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, treating illness requires addressing the root cause, and the fundamental issue isn't in the liver."
"Then where is it?"
"That depends on his symptoms."
"Aren't the symptoms those of liver disease?" Zhu Daqiang grew somewhat angry. This circular reasoning brought them back to whether to treat it as liver disease—useless talk, since if that approach worked, the district hospital's strong medications should have been effective long ago.
Liver disease isn't acquired overnight, and treatment requires slow, long-term meticulous care.
"Yes, we need to look at symptoms—but not the current symptoms after two years, rather the symptoms from two years ago when he first fell ill."
Two years ago, Sun Tieniu had just finished labor and went into the river to catch fish and shrimp while still sweaty. He didn't think much of it at the time, but after returning home, he developed fever and headaches.
"Wasn't that just a common cold? With his strong constitution, he should have recovered without medication."
"Exactly—that's the problem. He thought so too, that he could recover without medicine. But this time was different. He didn't get better, and pathogenic factors lurked in his body. Meanwhile, he had to continue laboring without proper rest. By the time he realized something was wrong, he hadn't identified the correct cause and took random medications, driving the pathogens deeper into the membrane source. This led to nausea, poor appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and eventually weight loss."
"When a person is sweating, their pores are open. Sudden exposure to cold water allows cold-dampness to enter the body. If it remains undispelled for a long time, the cold-dampness can transform into heat, becoming damp-heat. Fever caused by damp-heat should have one characteristic."
"What characteristic?"
"Fever occurring every afternoon, alternating chills and heat, recurring repeatedly, even to the point of shaking chills. It might even be misdiagnosed as malaria by unprofessional doctors. If you don't believe me, Director, you can ask Sun Tieniu whether his condition was like this during the first six months."
"Ordinary cold and fever wouldn't be like this, right? Jin Yue, are you sure?" Liu Jinbu listened for a while and grew curious too.
"We'll know if we ask." Zhu Daqiang quickly went over and directly questioned the Sun father and son.
"Yes, yes, that's exactly it. Around three or four in the afternoon, I often saw Tieniu having shaking chills. When I asked him where he felt uncomfortable, he would sometimes say he was hot and wanted to take off clothes, other times say he was cold and needed to put on more cotton-padded clothes."
Zhu Daqiang frowned deeply, pointing at Jin Yue as he asked: "When you first arrived a few days ago, did this young doctor ask about this matter?"
The father and son shook their heads. "No, if you hadn't brought it up now, we'd almost forgotten about it. We haven't told anyone."
Sun Tieniu thought for a moment and suddenly remembered something. "That's right, when we went to the Commune clinic back then, the doctor there said I had malaria and prescribed malaria medication, but it didn't work even after taking it for a long time."
Zhu Daqiang fell silent.
Everything had been accurately described!
He looked at Shu Jin Yue suspiciously. "How did you know?"
Jin Yue pointed to Sun Tieniu's wrist. During their first meeting, she had taken his pulse and found it to be a typical wiry pulse. But at that time, they insisted it was Schistosomiasis. Considering the possibility of contagion, she didn't say much more and, adhering to the principle of "better to mistakenly eliminate than to carelessly release," directly treated it as an infectious disease.
"What does wiry pulse mean?"
"This type of pulse usually appears in liver diseases and lesser yang disorders." The reason Jin Yue ruled out liver disease was based on his initial symptoms and the cause of illness – it was a typical manifestation of pathogenic factors lurking in the membrane source with impaired pivot mechanism.
"As for his hepatosplenomegaly, it's due to the prolonged lesser yang disorder. It's like a crossroads being blocked – nothing can pass through in any direction, and waste that can't be transported accumulates there."
"Are you saying that as long as we cure this so-called lesser yang disorder, his hepatosplenomegaly can also be reduced?" Liu Jinbu's eyebrows knitted together like twisted rope. For someone who had studied preventive medicine for five years, this sounded like complete gibberish.
Abstract, it was just too abstract.
Yet within the abstraction, there seemed to be some logic.
He clicked his tongue twice and looked at Zhu Daqiang. "How about letting her give it a try? Things are already like this anyway – they can't get much worse."
Zhu Daqiang remained silent, observing Shu Jin Yue's expression. He didn't dare look back at the two pairs of expectant eyes behind him.
Three minutes later, he called Jin Yue to the stairwell. "You're sure you have your certification now, right?"
"Certain." Yang Zhengkang had processed it for her, and she had obtained the certificate.
"Director, rest assured. Not only do I have certification, I also participated in the county-organized barefoot doctor examinations for three consecutive years in the countryside, receiving excellent ratings each year."
Zhu Daqiang nodded. "That's good then. Medical professionals are in short supply right now, and the enforcement of practice certificates isn't strict. Basically no one checks, unlike in the future where annual inspections and verifications are required regularly. If you're found without a certificate or not practicing clinically for a long time, you'd have to retake the exam."
"Alright, give it a try then," he said, pacing a couple of steps. "Remember not to be too aggressive."
Jin Yue nodded and immediately explained the situation to Old Sun and his son. They understood, willingly agreed to give it a try, and even offered to follow Jin Yue back to the Xinqiao Sub-district Epidemic Prevention Station.
Considering they had no place to stay, Zhu Daqiang took the initiative to apply for a small partitioned room in the communal courtyard through the sub-district office. No bed was fine—they could spread out some newspapers. He also gave them the two worn-out cotton quilts they had been using these past few days, saying they could make do with them.
Liu Jinbu brought over a shabby coal stove and, without his wife knowing, snatched a few coal briquettes from home for them to boil medicine and keep warm.
For Shaoyang disease, the timeless classic prescription Xiaochaihu was indispensable. Jin Yue adjusted the formula based on Sun Tieniu's symptoms, wrote the prescription, helped him get the medicine, and taught Old Sun how to decoct it. He watched as Sun Tieniu drank half a bowl before heading home.
The road ahead was uncertain, but everyone was so warm-hearted and proactive, doing their best to help this pitiful father and son.