The Miracle Doctor

"Hua Tuo's successor?"

Jiang Tian rubbed his chin, his curiosity piqued.

Intrigued, he walked over.

By the roadside stood a makeshift stall assembled from a plank and two stools.

An old man in coarse hemp robes sat behind it, his hair tied in a bun, looking rather like an immortal sage. Behind him hung a banner bearing four bold words: Miraculous Hands Restore Health!

As he called out, people who enjoyed a bit of excitement soon gathered around.

"Miraculous hands? Hua Tuo's successor? Is that for real?"

"Who knows? Could be a scammer."

"Exactly. What real miracle doctor would set up a roadside stall?"

Some nosy elderly men and women began whispering among themselves.

Quite a few young people also gathered to see what was going on.

"Friends and neighbors, I've just arrived here and would like to earn some travel money."

"I am Hua Tuo's thirty-seventh-generation successor, trained in miraculous medical arts. Anyone who doubts me is welcome to step forward. If I can't cure you, I won't charge a cent. How does that sound?"

Once a sizable crowd had gathered, the miracle doctor lowered his folding fan and spoke with a faint, enigmatic smile.

"No charge if you can't cure us?"

"Whoa, there's actually a deal like that?"

"Doctor, I have a friend who's not very good... in that department. Can you cure him?"

A bold young man stepped forward with a grin.

The crowd burst out laughing. "That friend wouldn't happen to be you, would it? Young man, you need to show some restraint!"

Unembarrassed, the young man continued, "Doctor, if you can do something about it, I'll believe you. If you can't, I'll report you to the police for fraud!"

The others perked up too. That sounded good. If the old man really was a miracle doctor, they had stumbled across a true expert.

But if he was a fraud, they could march him straight to the police station.

Either way, they had nothing to lose.

"That's right. Speak up! Can you cure it or not?"

Everyone around him chimed in.

The old doctor smiled calmly, not the least bit flustered. "Come here, young man. Hold out your hand."

The young man promptly rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm.

The old doctor placed one hand on his pulse and nodded slightly. "Deficient qi, a weakened spleen, depleted kidney energy-all signs of excessive indulgence. Young man, you need to exercise restraint!"

The crowd laughed again. This fellow really did have weak kidneys!

The young man scratched his head. "So can you cure me or not?"

The old doctor made a show of stroking his beard. "A trifling matter."

He took out a cloth pouch, produced a black pill, and said, "Dissolve this pill in water and drink it. Your ailment will vanish immediately, and you'll stay hard as steel! Indulge as much as you like without a care!"

"Really?"

Skeptical, the young man reached out to take it.

"Hey, medical treatment costs money. Were you hoping for a freebie?"

Just as the young man reached out, the old doctor withdrew the pill.

The young man froze, then frowned. "I haven't even tried it yet. How do I know you're not scamming me?"

"Exactly! You might take the money and run!"

The others chimed in, as though they had seen through his scheme.

The old doctor remained perfectly composed. "My medicine is absolutely genuine. If you want one, it's ten thousand per pill. That's certainly a bargain. You won't easily find another opportunity like this!"

"Ten thousand? Why don't you just rob someone?"

Hearing the price, the young man immediately began swearing.

The others shook their heads too, calling the old man a fraud.

Jiang Tian, however, disagreed. Standing among the crowd, he couldn't tell whether the old man was a miracle doctor, but the pill in his hand was rather interesting.

A simplified Minor Restoration Pill? It doesn't even qualify as a graded pill, but it does have some effect. It's more than enough to treat weak kidneys and impotence.

Jiang Tian considered it, privately concluding that the old man probably did have some skill.

As the complaints continued around him, the old doctor couldn't help frowning. Finally, he sighed. "This is a miraculous medicine. It can cure a hundred ailments, and even a fortune couldn't buy it!"

"Fine. To build my reputation, I'll let you try it first!"

Feigning reluctance, he handed the pill to the young man.

The young man accepted it in surprise. "You're sure it isn't poisonous?"

The old doctor snorted. "You can try it right here. If it doesn't work, I'll be standing here, at your mercy!"

With that assurance, and so many people watching, the young man no longer hesitated. He swallowed it in one gulp.

"Well, young man? Do you feel anything? If it works, I'll get one too. My wife keeps saying I can't perform. She's even threatening to divorce me!"

A bald man hurriedly asked.

The young man stood there in silence for a moment, unsure how to explain it.

He felt warm inside, as though a current of heat were flowing through his body.

"Hold on a second!"

After a moment's thought, he took out his phone and pulled up a few pictures of beautiful women.

Whoosh!

Before he had looked at even two pictures, he suddenly felt his entire body grow hot!

Then his face began to flush.

"What's wrong, young man?"

The bald man asked again.

"Miracle medicine! It's miracle medicine!"

This time, the young man shouted excitedly. He picked up the QR code on the table, scanned it, and transferred ten thousand to the old man.

"You're a miracle doctor! A real miracle doctor!"

Keeping his legs pressed together, the young man hurriedly squeezed through the crowd and left.

Even after he had gone quite a distance, they could still hear him on the phone. "Hey, honey, where are you? To hell with work! Get home now. I have something important to discuss with you! Yes, yes, remember to stop at the pharmacy and buy a box of..."

The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances.

What had gotten into him?

The bald man, however, immediately caught on. "Doctor, I want one too!"

The old doctor smiled faintly. "What's your ailment?"

"I... I have the same problem as that young fellow..."

Clearly not as thick-skinned as the young man, the bald man spoke with his face flushed red.

The old doctor smiled faintly. "Scan the code."

Then he took out another pill and handed it to the bald man.

Overflowing with gratitude, the bald man took the pill and hurried home.

The others were confused again. Could those two be shills?

"Doctor, I have migraines. Could you..."

An elderly woman stepped forward.

"Certainly. Scan and pay, and I'll give you a pill. Take it here. If it doesn't work, you'll get an immediate refund!"

As he spoke, he tossed her a pill.

"Doctor, I suffer from internal cold..."

"I can treat that!"

"Doctor, I have stomach trouble."

"I have hemorrhoids."

"Yes, yes, I can treat all of those. Line up over there, scan to pay, and collect your medicine!"

Before long, the people who had initially been skeptical formed a long line.

Those who still had doubts questioned the people who had bought and taken the pills, only to discover that their symptoms really had disappeared!

The crowd erupted into excited chatter.

Watching the stall bring in hundreds of thousands in no time, Jiang Tian couldn't help frowning. Wasn't this money far too easy to earn?

If those lousy pills could sell for ten thousand each, surely charging a hundred thousand for his own wouldn't be unreasonable?

While he pondered this, a Cullinan was parked a short distance away on the other side of the road.

Inside, a woman whose features were obscured by sunglasses was also watching the scene before her.

"Hua Tuo's successor, miraculous medicine? I wonder if he can treat Grandpa's injury."