Li Qingfeng nodded with satisfaction, seeing how much his new client trusted him.
“I’ll examine you carefully now!”
He said to the woman, taking her hand. To his surprise, he found that while her injuries appeared serious, they were all superficial. Her bones and internal organs were unharmed, perhaps due to her strong constitution. Or perhaps Wang Weicai had merely bruised her. In any case, this was a good thing.
Looking at the woman, Li Qingfeng slowly asked, “Can you tell me your story? It might help me treat your injuries!”
Hearing his question, the woman became even more guarded. Generally, such questions were not asked with good intentions. But seeing Li Qingfeng’s earnest examination, she didn’t directly refuse. Instead, she replied evasively, “No, doctor, I don’t have a story!”
“Ah, alright then!” Hearing her answer, he realized he might have been too hasty and proceeded with the diagnosis.
After carefully examining her superficial wounds, Li Qingfeng asked, “Um, would you mind if I used massage therapy to treat your injuries?”
“No, I wouldn’t!” Although a flicker of aversion crossed the woman’s eyes, she shook her head. Seeing Li Qingfeng’s sudden question, she briefly suspected he might be a fraud. But then she reconsidered. If he were truly a doctor and had been allowed into their home, Wang Weicai must have tacitly agreed, perhaps even struck a deal. If she refused, her daughter might suffer. A mother’s love is indeed a powerful force. Thinking of her daughter, she nodded.
“Xiaoping’er, the doctor is treating me. Please go out for a while!” she said softly to her daughter.
“Okay, Mama!” The innocent girl didn’t grasp her mother’s unspoken meaning. She nodded earnestly and left.
Jiang Xing was momentarily bewildered, unsure of what was happening. However, he didn't dwell on it, as getting the woman to reveal information was his priority. To his surprise, as soon as Xiaoping’er closed the door and left, the woman began to undress. Despite her battered appearance, which marred her looks, she was clearly a beauty with a naturally strong foundation. Her figure was perfect, and her current state lent her a fragile, alluring beauty that evoked a desire to comfort her.
Li Qingfeng was startled by the scene and quickly asked, “What are you doing?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing?” the woman replied. “Didn’t you and Wang Weicai make an agreement? As long as you don’t hurt Ping’er, you can do whatever you want. Come on, don’t waste time!” With that, she lay down on the bed, her clothes disheveled, and closed her eyes, appearing resigned.
Li Qingfeng was utterly confused. “What? What did I say?” He was completely bewildered. The situation was nothing like he had imagined. After a long moment, he finally understood that he had been misunderstood.
“Wait, wait!” he said. “Let me ask you something. What’s your name?” He decided to try a different approach to get information.
“Yue Miao!” she said curtly, spitting at him.
“Ahem, wait, don’t get agitated. Listen to me,” Li Qingfeng said, soothing her. He then began to explain her condition. “Yue Miao, is it? I’ve examined you. Your condition is as follows: if I’m not mistaken, most of your injuries are superficial, but they’ve been left untreated for too long, leading to your current state. But don’t worry too much! I’ve been practicing medicine for a long time, and you can trust my skills 100%. I can treat all these superficial wounds. As for the consultation fee, don’t worry about it. I don’t know Wang Weicai well; I just came because the young girl told me her mother was very ill.”
After explaining, he took Yue Miao’s wrist to examine her injuries and began to massage her. During the massage, he intentionally used his unique therapeutic techniques, which yielded remarkable results. After only a short while, Yue Miao let out a soft cry. Her voice was as delicate as a kitten’s. She was probably surprised by her own reaction to a simple massage, and her face flushed red.
“Ahem!” Li Qingfeng felt awkward and coughed. His cough only made Yue Miao more embarrassed.
“You…” She wanted to say something but decided against it and remained silent.
For about ten minutes, they stayed in the quiet room, performing the massage. Yue Miao felt her body relax significantly, and the pain began to fade. “Is it really this effective?” she wondered, questioning her past experiences. She had met skilled doctors in her hometown, but they were all Western medicine practitioners. She had never seen treatment like this. “Are you… a traditional Chinese medicine doctor?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yes, I am! Western medicine doesn't involve massage, does it?” Li Qingfeng answered sincerely.
“Oh, oh!” Hearing his reply, Yue Miao nodded thoughtfully, finally believing him. By this point, aside from some lingering redness that needed time to fade, the muscle damage had been largely resolved by Li Qingfeng. Standing up, he helped Yue Miao to her feet and asked, “How do you feel? Much better, right?”
Yue Miao nodded shyly, embarrassed by her earlier misunderstanding of the doctor. She had simply encountered too many untrustworthy people in Fengchen Village, making her hesitant.