Chapter 108: A Bargain Found

Chapter 108: A Bargain Found

"I’m going to the movies on Sunday. Anyone interested in coming along? I’ll treat you."

Wang Jiao asked in the dormitory.

Xia Li: "Didn’t you already accept Fang Kexiong’s invitation? Why are you inviting us now?"

Wang Jiao: "We don’t have to sit together. I just noticed how bored you all seem every day, so I thought I’d take you out for some fun."

Xia Li felt relieved: "I’m in! You guys should come too. Let’s go as a dorm!"

He Jing wasn’t aware of Wang Jiao’s previous remarks in the dormitory and assumed it was just a casual movie outing.

With Xia Li being so proactive, she agreed as well.

Li Meiru and Tang Xiuxiu both shook their heads, indicating they had other plans.

Wang Jiao looked at Ye Xiaoxiao.

"I have something else on Sunday."

Wang Jiao: "You’re not meeting your boyfriend, are you?"

"No, I have other things to do."

Ye Xiaoxiao wouldn’t reveal that she was going to treat someone; no one in the dormitory knew about Song Guangjing.

Wang Jiao: "Never mind then. You’ve missed out on an opportunity for me to treat you."

Tang Xiuxiu shook her head, wanting to warn them not to get as drunk as last time.

But with He Jing along this time, that kind of thing was unlikely to happen.

...

Ye Xiaoxiao came back to the courtyard house on Sunday.

Song Guangjing had been waiting for her all along. Without prior notice, Ye Xiaoxiao would never miss it.

"Master, a classmate of mine is going to Rende Pharmacy today for a consultation," Ye Xiaoxiao said as she walked in.

Song Guangjing looked up, "Did you invite them? Then this makes them your patient."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "My classmate has congenital heart disease, and I’m not sure what to do."

Song Guangjing shook his head, "You really know how to give your master a hard time."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Well, you’re the master, after all. You’re the best!"

Song Guangjing sighed, "Alright, let’s go take a look."

What else could he do? He had to indulge his own student.

So, after eating lunch at the courtyard house, Ye Xiaoxiao and Song Guangjing headed to Rende Pharmacy together.

Ye Xiaoxiao had no idea when Jiang Ling would arrive.

Luckily, Jiang Ling didn’t let Ye Xiaoxiao’s efforts go to waste. At 2 PM, just as the doctors at Rende Pharmacy were starting their afternoon shift, Jiang Ling showed up.

He planned to grab a ticket first.

But Ye Xiaoxiao called him over right away.

“Jiang Ling, over here.”

Ye Xiaoxiao waved.

Jiang Ling stared at her in surprise. “You’re interning here?”

Ye Xiaoxiao: “I’m just a freshman—it’s too early for internships.”

Jiang Ling scratched his head. “Oh, so why are you here?”

Ye Xiaoxiao: “I came here just for you. I found my master—he’s a top-notch traditional Chinese medicine expert.”

Jiang Ling trailed after Ye Xiaoxiao, feeling dazed.

It wasn’t until they entered Song Guangjing’s private consultation room that Jiang Ling snapped out of his daze.

Song Guangjing: “Sit down.”

Song Guangjing examined Jiang Ling thoroughly, then fell silent, looking serious.

Jiang Ling grew uneasy.

Ye Xiaoxiao asked: “Master, what’s the verdict?”

Song Guangjing: “This is a congenital problem. Acupuncture and medication can help stabilize your condition. But don’t worry—as long as you’re under my care and nothing unexpected happens, you’ll be fine for the next twenty years.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ling’s head snapped up.

Is this for real? He could live another twenty years?

Ye Xiaoxiao let out a sigh of relief. Forget twenty years—in just ten, China’s medical field will have advanced significantly. By then, even if local options fall short, Jiang Ling can get top-notch treatment overseas.

Song Guangjing and Ye Xiaoxiao teamed up to draft a detailed treatment plan for Jiang Ling.

Jiang Ling didn’t grasp the specifics, but he caught every word Mr. Song had said.

Twenty years. It was more than he’d ever dared to hope for.

“Go strip and lie down over there.”

Song Guangjing’s voice brought Jiang Ling back to reality.

“What?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’? Today, you’ll get a taste of it, then decide if you want to continue treatment here. And no discounts.”

Following Song Guangjing’s orders, Jiang Ling stripped to his tank top and lay down in the inner room.

Song Guangjing: “What’s there to be shy about? We’ve seen it all. Take off everything—top and bottom. How else am I supposed to do the acupuncture?”

Jiang Ling had no choice but to go along with it.

But as soon as he finished undressing, Ye Xiaoxiao walked in holding something.

"You... what are you..."

Ye Xiaoxiao, wearing a mask, said, "My master isn’t available, so I’ll be handling the acupuncture."

Jiang Ling was speechless.

Ye Xiaoxiao first located the acupoints—Gongsun, Neiguan, Tiantu, Juque—and then inserted the needles one by one.

She deftly manipulated the long needles, inserting them deep and shallow, sometimes piercing, sometimes lifting, placing over a dozen needles in quick succession. Her technique was swift, precise, and confident—nothing like a first-year student.

By the time the needles were in, Jiang Ling’s initial shyness had vanished.

He felt a warm surge in his chest and back, as though something inside him was igniting.

"I... uh..."

"Is it painful?"

"No."

"That’s to be expected."

Ye Xiaoxiao employed the 'Burning Mountain Fire' technique, designed to warm the meridians and unblock energy pathways. It’s normal to feel heat circulating inside the body after the needles are in place.

Jiang Ling fell silent, enveloped in a newfound sense of relaxation he’d never felt before.

Wasn’t traditional Chinese medicine supposed to work slowly? How could he feel such immediate effects after just one session?

Twenty minutes later, Jiang Ling sat up, feeling rejuvenated.

"How are you feeling?"

Jiang Ling: "Great."

Song Guangjing approached with the finalized treatment plan. "Take a look at our pricing."

Jiang Ling took it and scanned the numbers. Honestly, the price was reasonable—far cheaper than his usual hospital bills.

But two decades of treatments had already buried his family in debt.

Noticing Jiang Ling’s distress, Song Guangjing held his tongue.

Free treatment wasn’t impossible, but Rende Pharmacy was a business, not a charity. They couldn’t simply waive fees because someone was struggling.

Jiang Ling looked up, "Could I use something else as collateral for now? Just give me time—I’ll find a way to pay."

Ye Xiaoxiao’s curiosity piqued. "What kind of collateral?"

Jiang Ling hesitated, embarrassed. He knew this was like offering a blank check.

But he was desperate to survive.

Jiang Ling mustered his courage and said, "I’m working on a computer-related patent. If it sells, I’ll split the profits with you fifty-fifty."

This only deepened Ye Xiaoxiao’s curiosity.

A patent related to computers.

Twenty years later, she’d have agreed in a heartbeat. But computers were still niche back then, with limited applications.

So Ye Xiaoxiao asked him about the specifics of that technology.

Jiang Ling simplified it: "Basically, it’s about optimizing how computers handle Chinese characters..."