"Hold his head still, exposing the back of his neck." Ignoring the skeptical gazes around him, Mu Lin coolly gave instructions, "Remember, be careful, and above all, don't let his head move when I'm inserting the needle, not even a tiny bit."
One misplaced twitch during the needle insertion could have a significant miss, potentially lethal.
"Alright." The woman nodded, feeling out of options; if she had known beforehand, she wouldn't have brought her child out alone. It was too late for regrets now.
All she could hope for at this point was that nothing would happen to her dear child.
The silver needle, sterilized by flame, was slowly brought closer.
Watching Mu Lin, the spectators' hearts were entirely taken up in anticipation.
Just one needle went into the child, and already, the few people touched by those tiny, trembling hands noticeably felt the child had stopped convulsing.
How miraculous!
Everyone gasped in amazement.
After the third needle, the child gradually regained consciousness but looked somewhat tired.
Standing up, Mu Lin put away her equipment, took out a piece of paper and pen and wrote down a prescription for the woman. "Get the medicine as prescribed, take it three times a day after each meal and after three days, the blood clot in the brain will dissolve. If you're worried about it, or if you find traditional Chinese medicine hard to swallow, you can have him re-examined at the hospital." Western medicine treats the symptoms, Chinese medicine treats the root causes. It simply takes longer. To her, however, time was never a conundrum. It merely depended on trust, to believe or not to believe.
If someone doesn't trust her, that's their business. If it weren't for the sympathy she felt for the suffering child, she wouldn't have stepped in.
Against anyone, Mu Lin could remain indifferent, except for children. When she was brought home by her master, she was only a child herself. Without her master, there would be no Mu Lin today.
As the echo of her (Mu Lin) words died away, she turned and left. By the time the woman and the crowd returned to their senses, she was long gone.
...
"Miss, please wait." As she hailed a cab, Mu Lin opened the door. Before she could get in, a somewhat panicked shout came from behind her. Hesitating, she turned around just in time to see a figure running towards her, panting heavily.
It was him!
Closing the car door, Mu Lin looked impassively at the bent-over, panting old man in front of her. The cab behind her had been claimed by others. She shifted slightly, watching the old man.
Gazing at Mu Lin, the old man's stern face broke into a smile, brimming with warmth and affability. "Girl, you sure can run."
At his call, and seeing the good-natured smile on his face, Mu Lin felt a jolt run through her body, her usual faint smile momentarily forgotten. She quickly composed herself, and asked, "Can I help you?" Although polite, her tone was distant.
The old man shook his head, then nodding he said, "Actually, it's not a big thing. I just wanted to ask, who did you learn your medical skills from? It's really impressive."
Chinese medicine does exist today, and he knows a particular peer, who is well-respected in the field. Yet, after witnessing Mu Lin's acupuncture technique, he can't shake the feeling that this young woman's medical skill might just rival his esteemed colleague's. Especially in acupuncture, Mu Lin might even surpass him.
Acupuncture is the most intricate part of Chinese medicine, with innumerable and complex points across the human body. A fraction too much or too little can make all the difference, so not everyone can master it, let alone a young girl like Mu Lin. Therefore, her master must be an expert.
He thought, if his old friend met this girl, he would surely treat her like a treasure. Alas, she was already someone else's disciple.
Upon hearing the old man's words, Mu Lin's lips curled into a smile, "My master." Mu Lin didn't care for compliments regarding her skills, but she did like hearing praise for her master.
She didn't dislike the old man before her.
"I wonder where your master might be at this moment. If there's an opportunity, I'd like to meet him." The man referred to himself as an old man, it seemed he truly adored Mu Lin.
However, when the old man mentioned her master, Mu Lin's smile slowly faded, but quickly reappeared, "My master, he's gone to a place where I can't currently reach." Her voice laced with a hint of melancholy.
Yes, she couldn't reach him for now, but someday, they'll meet again, if there truly exists heaven and hell, past life and present life.
"That's a pity. However, I believe that you'll surely meet him again in the future." The old man misinterpreted, thinking that Mu Lin's master had gone abroad or somewhere far. He tried to comfort her.
He couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. If there was a chance to meet in the future, he would genuinely let his old friend meet her. He was certain it would make him exceedingly happy.
With a faint nod, Mu Lin chose not to continue the conversation.
"Oh, right, I almost forget to introduce myself. Look at my forgetful head." After a moment of silence, the old man suddenly slapped his forehead and hurriedly introduced himself: "Darling, my surname is Zhou; if it's alright with you, you can call me Grandpa Zhou." That would bring him great joy.
At this point, the old man was just enjoying a slight advantage through his words. After all, he hadn't come across such a likeable child in a long time.
"Master Zhou." Regrettably, Mu Lin didn't accept the title, but calling him Master Zhou wouldn't be inappropriate either. After a slight pause, she continued, "You may call me Mu Lin."
Seeing that Mu Lin wasn't playing along, Zhou Yiwen laughed it off, "Miss Mu."
The girl in front of him appeared gentle and harmless on the surface, but there was an unmistakable aloofness about her. She probably wouldn't reveal her whole self unless someone truly intrigued her or won her trust.
While thinking about this, Zhou Jiansheng seemed to remember something and turned to Mu Lin, his eyes taking on a serious light.
"Miss Mu, would you be interested in working at our hospital? Part-time is also fine."