A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Back at the hospital, Zhou Hongmei dug out the medical books left by her grandfather, stayed up all night searching for similar cases, filled her notebook with acupoint diagrams, and repeatedly pondered and adjusted the acupuncture treatment plan.

The next day at noon, Zhou Hongmei appeared at Rehemaiti's door on time.

The young man saw her and said in an unfriendly tone, "Why are you here again? I told you I wouldn't let you treat me anymore, can't you understand human language?"

"Sir, please give me another chance."

Zhou Hongmei didn't leave. She looked sincerely at Rehemaiti in the room and said, "I'll treat you one more time. If it still doesn't work, I'll leave immediately and never bother you again. I'll also apologize to you."

Rehemaiti clutched his knee, hesitated for a long time, and then said to his grandson, "Let her try. I feel that although it hurt after the acupuncture yesterday, my leg seems to bend a little more and I'm more agile than before."

The young man reluctantly stepped aside, muttering, "He's really getting senile. If it hurts again, I won't be so polite. Don't blame me for turning my back on him then."

Zhou Hongmei ignored his complaints and quickly took out her acupuncture kit to treat the elderly man according to the adjusted treatment plan, being extremely careful with every movement.

Aygul has been secretly observing Zhou Hongmei lately.

Every day at noon, she would see Zhou Hongmei carrying her acupuncture kit, heading to Rehemaiti's house early in the morning. When there were no patients, Zhou Hongmei would stay in her office researching until late at night.

As noon approached, Zhou Hongmei prepared to go to the cafeteria for lunch. She had just picked up her lunchbox when she heard a soft knock at the door, followed by a hesitant female voice asking, "Doctor, is it still possible to see a doctor?"

Zhou Hongmei looked up and saw a woman in her thirties standing at the door. Her left cheek was noticeably crooked, her eyes couldn't close completely, and the corners of her mouth drooped down, making her look extremely uncomfortable. The woman was carrying a cloth bag, and sweat was beading on her forehead, clearly indicating that she had come despite her discomfort.

"Yes, you can see! Come in and have a seat!"

Zhou Hongmei quickly put down the lunchbox, pulled over a chair for her to sit down, and asked with unusual enthusiasm, "You have facial paralysis, right? How long have you had it?"

The woman nodded, her voice tinged with grievance: "Doctor, my name is Wang Xiulan. I work at a nearby textile factory. I woke up like this yesterday morning. I can't close my eyes, and I'm even leaking soup while eating. I've asked around and many people say that traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture is effective for this, so I came here specifically to ask for help."

She glanced at the clock on the wall and said somewhat apologetically, "I didn't realize it was already lunchtime. Shouldn't you be closing up for the day? How about I come back at 1 p.m.?"

Seeing her distress, Zhou Hongmei waved her hand and said, "No need to wait, I'll treat you first. The earlier you treat facial paralysis, the better."

As she spoke, she took out her medical record book. "Tell me first, besides your face being crooked, are there any other discomforts? Does your head hurt? Are there any unusual sounds in your ears?"

Wang Xiulan quickly replied, "My head doesn't hurt, but my face is very numb, and my left arm is a little sore. Doctor, I heard that acupuncture needs to be done many times, and it's not easy for me to take time off from work. Could... could I come for treatment at noon? That way, it won't interfere with my work or my doctor's visit."

Zhou Hongmei was stunned for a moment. Noon was supposed to be her rest time, and she also had to take time to go to Grandpa Rehemaiti's house for acupuncture recently.

Looking at Wang Xiulan's expectant eyes, and remembering that her mission to Xinjiang was to help more people believe in traditional Chinese medicine, she hesitated for a few seconds before nodding: "Okay, no problem! Come over every day at noon, and I'll make time for you. One course of treatment is ten sessions. If you stick to it, you'll definitely get better."

Wang Xiulan breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face, though it was somewhat awkward due to her facial paralysis: "Thank you so much, Dr. Zhou! I didn't expect traditional Chinese medicine to be open at noon; it's so convenient for us working people!"

Zhou Hongmei smiled and took out acupuncture needles. After disinfecting them, she selected acupoints for her while explaining, "Acupuncture treatment for facial paralysis mainly involves unblocking the meridians and regulating qi and blood. Don't worry, my technique is gentle, it won't hurt too much."

As the silver needles were inserted, Wang Xiulan felt a tingling and swelling sensation on her face. It didn't hurt much at all, and her worries were completely dispelled.

It was almost one o'clock when we finished treating Wang Xiulan.

After Zhou Hongmei's treatment, Rehemaiti felt his legs were a little lighter. Every day after lunch, he would sit in the yard waiting for Zhou Hongmei to come to his door.

For three days in a row, Zhou Hongmei was nowhere to be seen, and Rehemaiti began to have doubts.

He wondered if his grandson's words from a few days ago had offended Dr. Zhou. The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became: "Oh no, oh no, it must be that kid Enivar talking nonsense that made Dr. Zhou angry, and he won't dare to come again!"

The old man became increasingly anxious. His leg had just started to heal, and he couldn't let it break again and require further treatment.

Rehemaiti asked his grandson to take him to the hospital for treatment and apologize to Dr. Zhou in person.

Unable to resist Rehemaiti's persistent pleading, Ai Niwar had no choice but to drive him to the hospital.

At that moment, Zhou Hongmei was organizing acupuncture point charts in her office when she inadvertently looked up at the window and saw Grandpa Rehemaiti being helped by his grandson, walking step by step toward the hospital.

She panicked instantly: "Oh no, why is the old man here? Did something go wrong with the acupuncture?"

She remembered the old man and grandson's previous questioning, and her heart pounded with anxiety: "Could it be that Grandpa's leg is hurting again? Or is there something else bothering him?"

She was working alone in Xinjiang, and when she encountered this situation with no one to discuss it with, her mind went blank for a moment.

Suddenly, she remembered Zhou Yi. They were both here to provide aid to Xinjiang, and Zhou Yi was a reliable person. Maybe he could help her explain things.

She quickly took out her phone and called Zhou Yi: "Dr. Zhou, are you free right now? I saw Grandpa Rehemaiti, who I treated for leg pain, with his grandson. It seems like something happened, and I'm a little panicked. Could you please come over and help me talk to him?"

Zhou Hongmei took a deep breath, straightened her white coat, and quickly walked to the door to greet them. She had just reached the corridor when she saw Grandpa Rehemaiti and his grandson already at the door, the old man looking anxious.

Zhou Hongmei quickly went to greet him: "Grandpa, what brings you here? Is your leg bothering you again?"

Grandpa Rehemaiti grabbed her hand, his voice urgent: "Dr. Zhou, I'm so glad to see you! Why haven't you come these past few days? Did my grandson, Ainiwar, talk nonsense and make you angry?"

He turned and glared at his grandson. "Apologize to Dr. Zhou right now!"

"Dr. Zhou, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you before. Please don't take it to heart."

Zhou Hongmei then realized that the old man had misunderstood. She quickly explained, "Grandpa, please don't misunderstand. I'm not angry. It's just that a patient with facial paralysis came in these past few days and needed treatment at noon. I was busy preparing the treatment plan and didn't have time to come over."