Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 58: Chapter 31: The Medical Hall Opens for Business_2

Uncle Song and Xiao Cui brought the person in as if they had seen their savior.

Gu Changsheng sat in his chair, propping up his chin, staring intently at her legs.

The old lady sat in the chair, her face hesitant as she looked around and started nervously, “This old woman heard from the little Xiao Shuanzi next door, that there’s no charge for treatment here, is that true?”

Uncle Song and Xiao Cui both nodded.

Gu Changsheng glanced at her and nodded too, his tone warm, “That’s right, the Medical Hall is offering free consultations for seven days to celebrate its opening.”

The old woman finally relaxed and patted her chest, a smile creasing her wrinkled face, “That’s good, that’s good. This old woman has no silver for treatment, how lucky I am to have found your good hearts. Where’s the doctor? Please trouble the doctor to take a look at this old woman.”

Gu Changsheng felt uncomfortable in his heart. There he was, a live person right in front of her eyes, and yet he was completely ignored? But this was a patient, and patients needed to be treated gently, besides, there really wasn’t any woman doctor present, so he forgave her temporarily.

Feeling better inside, Gu Changsheng finally spoke, “Grandmother, I am the doctor here, please stretch out your hand.”

The old lady was shocked, staring with wide eyes at the woman in front of her dressed in bright red clothing, incredulous, “You? You’re the doctor here? This old woman has lived for more than sixty years and has never seen a female doctor.”

What a rare sight! In the future, female doctors will be all over the hospitals.

Although Gu Changsheng was cursing inside, he still put on a smile and continued, “Don’t be surprised, grandmother. The Gu Family Medical Hall has been passed down for several generations, and it’s just me, a woman, left in this generation. I really had no choice.”

“The Gu Family Medical Hall? Oh, I remember now, this old woman does remember. There was a Doctor Gu Chengyi, very skilled in medical arts, who often dispensed medicine to help people.” The old woman nodded and continued, “This old woman also remembers that Doctor Gu passed away six years ago.”

Gu Changsheng sighed that the old lady had a good memory and had no choice but to continue using his grandfather’s name, “The Doctor Gu Chengyi that grandmother mentioned is indeed my grandfather. If you trust me, please extend your hand.”

The old lady, still dubious, finally stretched out her hand, continuously questioning as she did so, “Are you really a doctor?”

It seemed like if Gu Changsheng showed any hesitation, she was ready to withdraw her hand immediately.

Gu Changsheng placed his hand directly on her pulse and nodded, starting to take her pulse carefully.

After a while, Gu Changsheng withdrew his hand and looked at the old woman in front of him, her hands covered in calluses from long years of hard work. At such an old age, she still toiled so hard, yet had no silver to pay for treatment, she indeed was pitiable.

“Those who are dressed in fine silks are not the ones who raise the silkworms.” This saying is quite accurate!

“Grandmother, open your mouth and let me take a look.”

The old lady complied and opened her mouth.

After carefully checking, Gu Changsheng withdrew her hand and said lightly, “Grandma’s pulse is deep and fine, with a red coating and a dark red tongue body, indicating a condition of cold stagnation and blood stasis. Grandma, do you feel that your hands and feet are ice cold every winter, and even in the summer, during rainy weather, you experience pain in your limbs and joints?”

The old grandma looked at Gu Changsheng with a surprised and delighted face, exclaiming excitedly, “Yes, yes, madam, everything you said is correct. It’s exactly the illness I have, and I didn’t mention a word of it, but you described it exactly.”

Gu Changsheng, seeing the grandma’s change of demeanor from just moments before, didn’t know what to say at the time.

“Grandma, this condition isn’t something that developed overnight, and the cure won’t be achieved in a day either,” Gu Changsheng could only speak truthfully. It was a typical case of chronic cold in the legs, flared up recently due to rain a couple days ago.

“Oh dear, madam, what can be done? The old woman still has to care for a great-grandson…” the grandma mentioned this and began to weep softly.

Turns out her son and grandson were short-lived, passing away early. The daughter-in-law, however, was a good woman who, after toiling alongside her all her life, managed to bring up the grandson, who finally married and had a great-grandson. After the daughter-in-law passed away, the grandson went to the mountains to cut firewood and encountered a wolf, succumbing to severe injuries. His widow remarried, leaving behind the elderly grandma, who struggled to raise the great-grandson alone.

As Gu Changsheng listened to her go on, she too sighed, then stood up and said, “Grandma, if you trust me, come with me.”

The old grandma quickly wiped her tears and followed Gu Changsheng behind the curtain.

“Sit up, take off your outer clothing, and lie down.” Gu Changsheng pointed to a small bed behind the curtain and instructed.

Though puzzled, the old grandma did as she was told and lay down. At her advanced age, and with no strangers behind the curtain, she naturally had fewer reservations.

Gu Changsheng placed a cloth prepared earlier over her face, and spoke gently, “Grandma, close your eyes, and no matter what you feel, don’t move, alright?”

The Yhan’s acupuncture was a unique skill. Even if it were placed in modern times, it would be regarded as the epitome of traditional Chinese acupuncture, with quite a few special techniques. She dared not teach it carelessly nor allow others to steal it.

Taking the needle pouch from her waist, Gu Changsheng heated a needle over the fire and applied needles with swift precision. For her, finding the acupoints was something she could do blindfolded, and her needling was without hesitation.

Yanglingquan acupoint, Dingchuan acupoint, Weizhong acupoint… these were all clearly understood by Gu Changsheng.

In fact, the best treatment for chronic cold in the legs was moxibustion, but as the medical hall didn’t have Asian mugwort at the moment, she had to settle for fire moxibustion as an alternative.

“Xiao Cui, come in and watch over grandma. Make sure she doesn’t move, and call me after a while,” Gu Changsheng said, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

During acupuncture, one must be fully concentrated and calm to ensure absolute precision. Gu Changsheng was a qualified doctor. No matter who the patient was, she would do her utmost to achieve the best outcome. This was not just a personal habit, but also a commitment as a doctor.

Gu Changsheng returned to her desk and sat down, and Han Qiu quickly brought over a cup of tea. Gu Changsheng took a sip, took a brief rest, and began to write out a prescription.

The characters written by Gu Changsheng were strong and powerful, just like her: resilient and clearly defined. She had gone through a lot of effort to practice them back in the day.

Having finished a prescription, Gu Changsheng squinted out the door, then with a cunning smile, she lowered her head and wrote another one…