My 1995 Small Farm.

The news spread, and the villagers whispered excitedly among themselves, but no one publicized it.

Because in this small mountain village, there have always been rumors about buried treasures underground.

Some elderly people confidently asserted that, according to their ancestors, the area of ​​Chenwangzhuang had excellent feng shui in earlier years, and that it might have been the burial place of kings and generals.

The mountain behind the village is described as "a green dragon coiling around," and the river in front of the village is described as "a jade belt around the waist," indicating a place destined to produce great figures.

However, due to the passage of time, no one knows who exactly was buried or where they were buried; it's just something to talk about over tea.

Some of the bolder young men even secretly claimed to have seen golden light shimmering in the mountain valley on stormy nights, suspecting it was the manifestation of spirits from an ancient tomb.

Some say there's a tomb of Liu Xiu on Donggang.

However, rumors about Liu Xiu exist in various places, and rumors are the most common.

But no one dared to actually investigate.

These ethereal legends once seemed incredibly real a few years ago.

At that time, a stranger named Li Hongqi moved into Qin Dongmei's house across the street from Chen Ling.

This man was about forty years old, lean and wiry, with dark skin. When he looked at people, his eyes always held a scrutinizing and greedy look, as if he were not looking at people, but weighing the value of an object.

When night fell and all was quiet, they would slip out of the village.

It turned out they were indeed tomb raiders, and the police busted them in one fell swoop.

"I knew it! This place is something else!"

"Could it be that Li Hongqi just didn't find the right place, and the real thing is buried here?"

"Judging by that head, it might be a tomb guardian beast, right?"

"Incredible! Incredible! Our Chenwangzhuang is about to become famous again!"

Chen Ling had his men carefully cover the pit with tarpaulin and set up a cordon.

The phone call was made, and the report was relayed to higher authorities.

The higher-ups paid more and more attention to it, feeling that Chenwangzhuang was a place of outstanding people and good things, and replied that they would send people to explore it.

That day, Chen Ling's family, during their leisure time, not only talked about these matters, but also about Chen Ling's use of leeches to treat illnesses.

Due to the severe flooding this year.

Not only in Fenglei Town, but also in Chenwangzhuang, many leeches have begun to appear.

Then, taking the opportunity, I asked about Wang Qingwen's father-in-law.

After learning that his father, Wang Cunye, had also used leeches for treatment and that it was very effective, Wang Qingwen discovered that his old leg injury had now mostly recovered.

He discussed it with Su Ligai and wanted Chen Ling to give it a try for his father-in-law as well.

So that very day, Chen Ling drove the tractor and took Wang Qingwen back to Fenglei Town.

Wang Qingwen's father-in-law is named Su Youtian.

Despite applying the medicinal wine left by Chen Ling, the condition did not improve due to the continuous rain.

Because the injury is internal.

Chen Ling's medicinal wine was good, but it could only provide temporary relief.

His injuries could not be cured.

We arrived at the small courtyard halfway up the mountain.

Chen Ling carefully lifted the old man's shirt, revealing his waist.

The sight before him made his heart sink.

The skin on my waist is an abnormal dark purple color, with obvious local swelling. When I press it gently, I can feel that the skin is hard underneath, as if a thick scab has formed.

Even more seriously, several areas of skin have developed bruises, which are dark in color, indicating that deep blood stasis has persisted for a long time and has now surfaced.

"Does it hurt?" Chen Ling gently touched the edge of the swelling with his finger.

Su Youtian gasped, "It hurts...like being pricked with needles..."

Chen Ling then gently pressed several acupoints along the spine.

When the pressure was applied to the Mingmen acupoint, the old man's body trembled violently, and he almost cried out.

"Does it hurt the most here?" Chen Ling asked.

"Hmm..." Su Youtian nodded through gritted teeth.

Chen Ling withdrew his hand, his expression solemn.

The injury worsened faster than he had imagined.

It's not just an external injury; the blood stasis has penetrated deep into the muscles, blocking the meridians and affecting the flow of qi and blood.

If it weren't for the medicinal wine he left behind last time...

If blood stasis persists in this area for a long time and the local tissues do not receive nourishment, signs of necrosis will definitely appear.

If this is delayed any longer, it may not just be a problem of pain; it could lead to local tissue necrosis and even affect lower limb function.

"Lingzi, how is it?" Wang Qingwen asked anxiously.

Chen Ling did not answer immediately, but instead covered the old man with the blanket again and said softly, "Uncle Su, you rest first. I want to say a few words to my brother."

The two walked out of the main room and came to the stone mill in the courtyard.

“Lingzi, my father’s injury…” Wang Qingwen asked anxiously.

Chen Ling pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Brother, Uncle Su's injury has been delayed for too long. I'm afraid he didn't apply the medicinal wine as I instructed, nor did he drink the medicinal wine to promote blood circulation. With the continuous rainy weather and the heavy cold and dampness, over time, the blood stasis has accumulated inside, blocking the meridians and hindering the flow of qi and blood, which is why it has become more and more serious."

"Then... what should we do? Is leech therapy still effective?" Wang Qingwen's voice was dry.

“It works. Although Uncle Su’s back injury is more serious, the principle is the same. We can start with a small dose and see the effect.”

Wang Qingwen had already heard about the miraculous effects of leech therapy on his father, and now he no longer hesitated: "Lingzi, I believe you. You tell us how to treat him, and we'll cooperate with you."

“Okay.” Chen Ling nodded. “Some preparations need to be made before the treatment. First, we need to bring Uncle Su to the village. The old house is too damp, which is not conducive to recovery after the treatment. Second, we need to prepare a clean and quiet room so that he can’t be disturbed during the treatment. Finally, I need time to prepare leeches and make sure they are clean and safe.”

“No problem at all,” Wang Qingwen said. “I’ll go and bring Dad over right away. We’ll use the west wing of our house; it’s the cleanest and quietest room.”

"Then I'll prepare the leeches and medicinal herbs first," Chen Ling said. "We'll begin the treatment in an hour."

An hour later, Wang Qingwen and several villagers carried Su Youtian from the old house to the village on a stretcher.

The west wing has been cleaned, with clean bedding on the bed and a pot of mugwort on the windowsill.

Although Su Youtian was in physical pain, he was in good spirits.

He knew his son-in-law had brought people to treat his back injury. Although he wasn't sure if it could be cured, Su Su's husband was a capable man.

He felt warm inside when others valued him so much, and his eyes were filled with hope.

Chen Ling then stayed in Wang Cunye's courtyard and began to carefully prepare leeches for treatment.

He selected twenty of the finest leeches from the cave. These leeches, nourished by the spiritual water, were plump, full of vitality, and absolutely clean, so they would not cause infection.

At the same time, he also prepared some auxiliary medicinal materials: Panax notoginseng powder, borneol, and musk, which were used to apply to the skin before and after treatment to enhance the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis; and Artemisia argyi and Atractylodes lancea, which were used to fumigate the room, purify the air, and prevent infection.

Everything was ready. In the west wing, wisps of smoke from mugwort rose, filling the air with a faint herbal fragrance.

Su Youtian lay face down on the bed, his waist exposed.

Wang Qingwen, along with several of his uncles and cousins, were all in the room, watching Chen Ling nervously.

Chen Ling remained calm and carried out the preparations methodically.

He washed Su Youtian's waist with warm water, then used a cotton swab to apply a thin layer of ointment made of Panax notoginseng powder and borneol to the swollen area.

"Uncle Su, there may be some itching or stinging during the treatment, but it won't hurt too much. Please try to relax and don't be nervous," Chen Ling said softly.

Su Youtian nodded: "Lingzi, go ahead and treat her, I trust you."

Chen Ling took a deep breath and used bamboo tweezers to pick up the first leech.

This is a high-quality leech purified by spiritual water. It is about two inches long, completely black and shiny, and full of vitality.

Chen Ling carefully placed it on the most painful spot on Su Youtian's lower back, near the Mingmen acupoint.

When a leech comes into contact with skin, it quickly stretches out its body, and the suckers at its mouthparts firmly adhere to the skin.

It has started sucking blood.

The room was so quiet you could hear someone breathing.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the leech.

The leech's body rhythmically contracts and expands, and the color of the swollen skin begins to change at a visible rate.

The dark red color gradually faded, and the tight skin began to relax.

Su Youtian's body was a little stiff at first, but soon he felt a strange sense of ease coming from his waist.

The stinging pain, which was like being pricked with needles, lessened and was replaced by a warm, soothing sensation.

"That feels so much better..." he couldn't help but whisper.

Wang Qingwen and the others exchanged glances, all seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

The first leech sucked for about eight minutes, its body swelled to nearly double its size, and its color turned dark red.

Chen Ling gently touched it with bamboo tweezers, and the leech automatically released its mouthparts and curled up into a ball.

Chen Ling placed it in the prepared bowl of water, then picked up the second leech and placed it nearby.

The treatment is proceeding smoothly.

Twenty leeches were used in three batches, with the adsorption time for each batch gradually reduced from eight minutes to five minutes.

As the leeches sucked his blood, the swelling in Su Youtian's waist subsided significantly, his skin color changed from dark red to light red, and the local lumps softened considerably.

The entire treatment lasted an hour and a half.

At the end, Chen Ling washed Su Youtian's waist with warm water, then applied a layer of Panax notoginseng ointment and bandaged it with clean gauze.

"Uncle Su, how are you feeling?" Chen Ling asked.

Su Youtian slowly turned his head, tears welling in his eyes: "Relaxation...so much relief...Lingzi, my back hasn't felt this comfortable in half a year..."

He tried to move his waist gently. Although it was still a little stiff, he was able to rotate it slightly, and the excruciating pain he had experienced before was gone.

"It works! It really works!"

Su Youtian's family, who were taking care of his youngest daughter, were so moved by this that they burst into tears, grabbing Chen Ling's hand, "Brother Ling, thank you, thank you..."

Wang Qingwen's eyes also reddened, and he patted Chen Ling's shoulder hard: "Good brother-in-law, I owe you a huge favor!"

Chen Ling smiled and said, "We're all family, don't mention it. Uncle Su's injury isn't fully healed yet; this is just the first treatment. He'll need several more sessions to consolidate the treatment, along with oral and topical medication, to completely cure him."

"We will definitely cooperate!" Wang Qingwen's sister-in-law nodded repeatedly. "Lingzi, whatever you say about treatment, we will do it!"

Over the next few days, Chen Ling traveled back and forth between the two places.

One reason was to take Tiger and Baldy on patrol along the road.

Secondly, Su Youtian underwent two more leech treatments, and the prescriptions for internal and external application were adjusted.

The effects became more and more obvious each day.

After the third treatment, Su Youtian was able to sit up on his own and walk slowly with assistance.

The swelling in my lower back has completely subsided, my skin color has returned to normal, and the local lumps have also mostly disappeared.

Even more miraculously, his originally sallow and ashen complexion began to regain its rosy glow.

This indicates that the flow of Qi and blood has become smooth again.

"Father, you look much better!" Su Ligai was also there that day, and both she and her sister were pleasantly surprised to see this.

Su Youtian touched his waist, which he could now move freely, tears streaming down his face: "Half a year... a whole half a year... I thought I would never be able to get up again... Lingzi, you are my savior..."

Chen Ling helped him up: "Uncle Su, don't say that. Your injury healed because you have a good constitution and the treatment was appropriate. After another half month of rest, you will be able to resume your normal life."

Back in Chenwangzhuang, Sister-in-law Xiufen was very curious after hearing about this.

The old lady was already interested in this kind of thing.

Now that Chen Ling has cured two people in a row, she has taken it to heart.

Come to the farm to find Chen Ling and ask about the details.

"Sister-in-law, there are actually quite a lot of leeches here. You can try raising them yourself. The key to raising them is that the environment should be cool and humid, the water should be clean, and you can feed them with animal blood or humus."

"However, it is important to remember that it should not be used on humans indiscriminately. We should first test it on livestock and animals, and only use it on humans if it is effective."

Chen Lin shared his experience without reservation.

Back then, Sister-in-law Xiufen also taught Wang Susu some methods for treating difficult and complicated diseases without reservation.

Sister-in-law Xiufen was very happy to hear this and solemnly wrote it down: "Fugui, don't worry, I definitely won't let you use it recklessly."

Chen Guoping, who came with Sister Xiufen, also smiled and said, "Fugui, your Bull Demon King is really strong! My old ox has been lying down for a long time. I have to borrow your Bull Demon King again this time. Everyone in the village says that your ox is very strong and wants to plow that piece of land in the gully."

“Sure, my ‘Bull Demon King’ is free today, you can take him and use him for a day.”

Chen Ling chuckled and replied that many people in the village borrowed his Bull Demon King motorcycle. Ever since he started helping to pull carts on the dam, that's how it's been.

A short while later, Chen Ling led over a large water buffalo that was exceptionally robust, with glossy black fur and crescent-shaped horns.

With bulging muscles, it stood much taller than an ordinary ox, its eyes revealing a wild and untamed fierceness beneath its gentle demeanor.

Looking at this behemoth, Chen Guoping felt a little apprehensive: "Fugui, can I... can I even handle this thing?"

He had only heard that other people in the village had used Chen Ling's cows, and he had even seen it with his own eyes, but doing it himself was a completely different experience.

"Don't worry, Brother Guoping, 'Bull Demon King' is very intelligent. You can treat it like a normal ox; it'll obey you perfectly." Chen Ling handed the reins to Chen Guoping and patted "Bull Demon King's" neck. "Old buddy, do a good job for Brother Guoping, you hear me?"

The "Bull Demon King" snorted and rubbed his big head against Chen Ling in response.

Chen Guoping cautiously led the Bull Demon King to the plot of land in the ravine, harnessed the plow, and pondered how to give the order.

But no sooner had he steadied the plow handle than "Bull Demon King" seemed to know what he was about to do, and he strode forward with steady steps. (End of Chapter)