Chapter 115

Chapter 115

After seeing off the last batch of patients, Ye Qing could barely straighten her back, and her hands, which had been performing the acupuncture, were trembling involuntarily.

By the time she turned off the lights and locked up, it was nearly 8 p.m. Ye Qing was so exhausted that she didn’t even want to speak.

But today’s chaos had already put her on high alert. If this keeps up, I’ll drop dead in here.

So, Ye Qing knew she had to come up with a plan right away and stop this situation from getting worse.

After grabbing a quick dinner and regaining some energy, Ye Qing immediately went to discuss the matter with Wu Yongbing and the old party secretary.

By now, Wu Yongbing and the old party secretary had figured out why there was such a sudden influx of patients. When they told Ye Qing, even with her wild imagination, she never would have guessed that she had been mythologized as a goddess by the nearby villagers.

Ye Qing felt a headache coming on. Wasn’t this promoting feudal superstition? These people were too bold; their wild claims had gone too far and were only bringing trouble her way.

But Wu Yongbing and the old party secretary were smiling, thinking that thanks to this incident, the Kaoshan Village health station would become famous beyond Qingshan Town, maybe even gaining a foothold in the county in the future.

Ye Qing didn’t see it that way. She couldn’t afford to be careless; instead, she felt a strong sense of caution.

It was important to remember that even in this era, not to mention decades later, spreading superstitious and heretical ideas and deifying individuals to create cult worship was absolutely unacceptable. Ordinary people lacked judgment and could easily be incited. If bad elements took advantage of this, it could lead to trouble.

"Team leader, party secretary, this can’t be allowed to develop any further. Otherwise, a good thing might turn into a disaster. We need to clarify this as soon as possible, and it’s best to get the commune officials involved."

Ye Qing’s expression was serious.

"When I treat patients, I strictly follow TCM theory. Acupuncture is based on science. It has nothing to do with ghosts, gods, or heretical ideas. As for the so-called Mountain Goddess of Changbai Mountain, that’s ridiculous. I’m a native of Shen City, with no connection to Changbai Mountain. How could I be the daughter of the Changbai Mountain Goddess? That’s nonsense."

"So, the two of you need to go to the commune and ask Secretary Lai for help. We have to nip this ‘reincarnated goddess’ rumor in the bud before it spreads further."

"We also need to put up big character posters at the health station to clarify the truth about these rumors and warn everyone about the dangers of feudal superstition and cult worship. We need to make sure people don’t get deceived and exploited."

"As you both saw today, treating so many patients in one day is exhausting. Even a machine would break down. Look at my hands; they’re still shaking. We’re all flesh and blood. A doctor’s life matters too."

"From now on, we’ll limit the number of patients to eighty a day—forty in the morning, forty in the afternoon. Anyone who needs to see a doctor should come early to get a number. If the limit is exceeded, they’ll have to come back the next day."

The old party secretary and Wu Yongbing exchanged glances, both puzzled.

"Do we really need to bring in the commune just to clear up a rumor? Isn’t that overkill? And if we limit the number of patients to eighty a day, what if people get upset? What if someone causes trouble?"

Ye Qing sighed but stayed firm.

"Just us trying to clear things up won’t be enough; people might not take it seriously. Official intervention is needed to have a real impact."

"And don’t think I’m exaggerating. Right now, this might seem like a farce with no serious impact because it’s still under control."

"What worries me is that someone might try to take advantage of this, secretly inciting those who believe in this ‘reincarnated goddess’ nonsense. If they form a large group and someone pretends to represent our health station or even me personally, using the pretense of healing to spread heretical teachings and deceive people, it could lead to serious trouble."

"So, we can’t be careless. When I treat patients, I do it based on medical facts. There’s no need to boast about being a goddess. If I can cure someone, I will. If I can’t, I’ll admit my skills are lacking and tell them to seek help elsewhere. There’s no shame in that."

"As for the patient limit, it’s a necessary measure. Right now, there’s really only one doctor here who can effectively treat patients. The rest of my apprentices are still learning, and even the students sent by the county are mostly half-baked."

"Anyone can see that our station has limited capacity. Seeing eighty people a day is already a stretch. If anyone is dissatisfied, let them make a fuss. I’m not afraid if they report it to the town or county, or even the city. If they come at me, I’ll show them who’s boss!"

Ye Qing’s words immediately made the old party secretary and Wu Yongbing realize the gravity of the situation.

People around here have always believed in the Five Immortals. If a daughter of Changbai Mountain who could subdue them appeared, the whole area would go crazy. If someone exploited this, more and more people would fall for it, and the blame might end up on Kaoshan Village or even Ye Qing herself.

So, they immediately understood this matter couldn’t be taken lightly and both nodded gravely at Ye Qing.

"You're right. Your medical skills are evident, and we can succeed based on your expertise alone. Kaoshan Village health station can't engage in superficial or deceptive practices. We can only move forward by being practical and grounded in reality. We can't acknowledge those supernatural rumors circulating outside!"

"I'll go to the commune to find Secretary Lai right away and see how he handles this matter. If he can't deal with it, we'll report it directly to the county and get them to send people down for a publicity campaign and rectification!"

Although the old party secretary and Wu Yongbing both felt that superstitions were generally something people would believe in if they chose to and disbelieve otherwise, even if officials stepped in, they might not be able to eradicate them completely. At most, people would stop discussing them openly, but there was no controlling what they thought in their hearts. That was beyond the reach of official authority.

But regardless of whether it was effective or not, Kaoshan Village needed to demonstrate the right attitude. They had to firmly uphold the ideals of scientific materialism, establish the correct values and communist beliefs, and keep all ghosts and monsters at bay. This way, even if someone was deceived in the future, it would be their own delusion, and it would have nothing to do with Kaoshan Village.

Sure enough, the next morning, as Ye Qing had predicted, there was a commotion at the health station early in the morning, with a large crowd gathering.

Wu Yongbing and the old party secretary fully accepted Ye Qing's suggestions and responded promptly. They found several young intellectuals to quickly draft multiple large posters to clarify the rumors. These were posted at the health station, the entrance of Ye Qing's courtyard, several production team cadres' homes, and the entrance to the village.

That wasn't all. The old party secretary also personally stepped in to conduct oral publicity and education for the patients, warning everyone to stay alert to rumors and avoid being misled.

Wu Yongbing, on the other hand, immediately rushed to the commune to report the situation to Secretary Lai in detail, hoping he could resolve the issue and prevent future troubles.

As the commune secretary, Lai Guochang was more sensitive and vigilant about such matters than Wu Yongbing and the others. As soon as he heard the rumors about Ye Qing circulating below, his expression changed. Without needing Wu Yongbing to reiterate Ye Qing's analysis, he already understood the severity of the situation. The potential harm he foresaw from this incident was even more comprehensive than what Ye Qing had mentioned.

Without wasting time on idle talk and despite it still being the Lunar New Year, Lai Guochang took the large posters delivered by Wu Yongbing and rushed to the county.

Back at the health station, Ye Qing posted the notice about the limit on the number of patients, which indeed provoked a strong reaction from the large crowd of patients outside. Many protested and opposed the decision, but Ye Qing was unshakable, her attitude resolutely firm. She insisted on seeing only eighty people a day, with no room for negotiation, no matter the connections.

She also instructed her apprentices to classify the patients and distribute number plates based on the severity of their conditions, prioritizing emergency cases. Anyone who dared to make trouble or cut in line would have to contend with her medical tools!

There were those who, relying on their large and strong physique, refused to believe in her abilities. A particularly aggressive man tried to cut in line and even attempted to intimidate Ye Qing into seeing him first by using his intimidating presence.

But the next moment, the man was either clutching his arm or leg and screaming in agony or collapsing unconscious on the ground. Ye Qing, who had acted, remained calm and composed, sitting in her clinic seat as if nothing had happened.

Seeing that this young girl couldn't be easily fooled and possessed such astonishing combat prowess, the crowd outside fell silent. Even if they were dissatisfied, no one dared to challenge Ye Qing again, fearing that she might give them a silver needle at any moment.

The patients, one group after another, were visibly cowed and lined up to receive number plates and enter the health station for treatment. Even if they were dissatisfied, they could only silently endure it.

Meanwhile, the county also took action. The publicity department dispatched several people to carry out separate actions in various communes, striving to visit all production teams before the tenth day of the New Year.

There were then intensive mass meetings, repeatedly educating and publicizing the theme of "Eradicating Feudal Superstitions and Rejecting Cult Brainwashing," urging everyone to neither believe nor spread rumors, to remain clear-headed, and to seek medical treatment for illnesses. They were also warned against believing in so-called reincarnated deities and joining any cult organizations, lest they end up losing everything or even facing family ruin.