Me! A high-ranking official!

The man who arrived was none other than Yang Zhenhai, the young doctor he had been persuading in Qianzhao Village yesterday. Carrying a medical kit, Yang Zhenhai immediately greeted Zhao Jianguo with a smile: "Brother Jianguo, about that matter you told me yesterday, I discussed it with my dad half the night ago. The old man finally agreed, saying it's better for me to go out and try my luck than to stay at home and drift through life. So I came today to take a look in person. If there are no problems, we'll do as you said!"

"That's wonderful! Welcome, welcome!" Zhao Jianguo patted him on the shoulder happily, then turned to the elderly people in the courtyard and loudly introduced, "Grandpas and grandmas, didn't I just mention the village clinic to you this morning? Look, this is Dr. Yang Zhenhai, whom I invited! Dr. Yang is the son of the famous doctor Lao Yang from Qianzhao Village. He inherited his skills from his family and graduated from a proper medical university. His skills are even better than his master's! From now on, if you have a headache or fever, you won't need to go out anymore. Just find Dr. Yang, and you'll be satisfied!"

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so villagers who had been chatting just moments before burst into cheers.

Especially the old man who complained of back pain this morning, he moved faster than anyone else, grabbing his cane to stand up and leaning over: "Oh my, Secretary, you're really quick! Dr. Yang, my back has been killing me these past few days, could you take a look at it first?"

Zhao Jianguo glanced at Yang Zhenhai. Yang Zhenhai had never seen anything like this before. At his family clinic, nine out of ten patients came specifically to see his father; he didn't trust any of the younger patients to treat him. But seeing the villagers' enthusiasm and trust, Yang Zhenhai's heart warmed, and he readily agreed, "Sure, sir, I'll give you a hand and take a look!"

He stepped forward and helped the old man sit down. He pressed and felt around the old man's lumbar spine with both hands for a few moments, asked a few questions, and nodded, saying, "Grandpa, it's not a serious problem. It's probably because you strained your muscles while doing farm work or heavy lifting. It's easy to treat. I'll massage it for you and give you a couple of acupuncture treatments. You'll see results quickly. However..." He looked around and said, "This clinic isn't officially open yet. There's not a comfortable bed here."

"Hey, it's no big deal, I have a bed in my room!" Zhao Jianguo waved his hand. "Just tell me what you need, and I'll go find it for you!"

"No need, I always carry the acupuncture needles with me. I just need to disinfect them with some alcohol or iodine."

"I have alcohol at home! I'll go get it right now!" An old man who had been watching the commotion nearby cheerfully turned and ran towards his own house.

Within minutes, the alcohol arrived. Yang Zhenhai helped the old man lie face down on the bed in Zhao Jianguo's room. He first massaged the old man to improve blood circulation, and then skillfully took out several long acupuncture needles and inserted them into the old man's acupoints on his waist without hesitation.

Just after the acupuncture was finished, the old man who had run errands to get the alcohol tugged at Yang Zhenhai's sleeve and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Young Yang, my head keeps throbbing in waves, it hurts so badly I can't get out of bed. Could you take my pulse while you're at it?"

Yang Zhenhai, young and fearless, accepted all comers. Zhao Jianguo simply moved a table to the shady spot by the door to serve as a reception desk.

Yang Zhenhai sat there and began to examine patients with great seriousness. Zhao Jianguo watched from the side and nodded secretly. This kid was indeed a product of his family's traditional skills. His observation, auscultation, inquiry and palpation were all done in a proper and orderly manner. Apart from his young appearance, his medical skills and attitude were impeccable.

Twenty minutes later, Yang Zhenhai entered the room and removed the needles from the old man who had initially been suffering from back pain. The old man slowly got out of bed, twisted his body from side to side, and suddenly slapped his thigh, exclaiming with delight, "Wow! Young Yang, you truly live up to your family's traditional skills! My old back feels so much better right now, these needles are amazing!"

As Yang Zhenhai finished removing the needles, he smiled and said, "Sir, this is just a case of overuse injury. Three days of acupuncture followed by two days of bed rest will basically cure you."

The old man nodded repeatedly and walked out happily, saying, "Thank you, Xiao Yang! Today is your first day here, and you didn't charge me. I can't just take advantage of you for nothing. I have an old hen at home; I'll go back and have your aunt kill it. You and the Party Secretary can have chicken here for lunch!"

Yang Zhenhai wanted to continue refusing, but the old man was already long gone, his legs nimble.

Leaving his father's protection for the first time, Yang Zhenhai was overjoyed to receive such sincere gratitude and affirmation from his patients using his medical skills. He couldn't even bother to mention looking at the clinic's location anymore. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves, sat outside in the sun, and continued to take the pulses of the elderly men and women who came to see him and have their blood pressure checked.

After a renowned doctor arrived in the village who could treat patients without leaving the village and whose treatments were extremely effective, the news spread like wildfire throughout Luojia Village. Before long, long queues formed in the village committee courtyard.

At noon, the old man indeed brought over a large pot of fragrant stewed hen and steaming hot cornbread. The other villagers who had been prescribed medicine or treated also brought their own things, some with homegrown cucumbers, others with several bottles of drinks. Their simple and honest hospitality filled the large table to the brim.

During the meal, several elderly people who had been chatting and sewing shoe soles nearby surrounded Zhao Jianguo, giving him a thumbs-up and praising him highly: "Secretary Zhao, our village has finally received a capable person this time! You are truly competent. In less than half a month since you arrived, you have not only installed streetlights and replaced the garbage, but you have also solved the major problem of difficulty in accessing medical care!"

Zhao Jianguo took a big bite of the pancake soaked in chicken soup, exchanged a smile with Yang Zhenhai whose mouth was full of oil, and suddenly felt an indescribable sense of peace welling up in his heart.

Once Yang Zhenhai sat down, he didn't move for almost the entire day.

The news spread like wildfire, and several households with elderly, weak, sick, or disabled members rushed to the scene. Dozens of people crowded the village committee compound, keeping Yang Zhenhai busy all day. It wasn't until after 7 p.m., as dusk fell, that the queue was finally cleared out.

Although he was exhausted and parched by the end of the day, Yang Zhenhai was as excited as if he had been injected with adrenaline. For the first time in his life, he truly experienced the immense sense of accomplishment and professional pride that medical skills brought him. Being looked at by these simple and honest villagers with such expectant and grateful eyes gave him a sense of fulfillment that he could never have felt in his entire life working odd jobs at his father's small clinic.

In the evening, Zhao Jianguo prepared two side dishes and invited Yang Zhenhai to stay in the house for dinner.

After eating and drinking his fill, Yang Zhenhai wiped his mouth, not even mentioning the previous discussion about inspecting the clinic's location. He stood up and made a decision: "Brother Jianguo, it's settled! No other place is as spacious as your village committee office. I'll set up my outpatient clinic here from now on! You can clear out a room for me in the courtyard and help me with the procedures for establishing a village-based clinic with the health bureau. I'll go home for a couple of days to stock up on some commonly used Chinese and Western medicines and medical equipment. In a few days, I'll officially get our clinic up and running!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jianguo was overjoyed. Not only was the weight on his heart lifted, but he had also stumbled upon a treasure with immense potential, and he readily agreed.

The two drank another glass of wine, and Zhao Jianguo happily accompanied him to the village entrance, watching him ride his bicycle and disappear into the night before turning back.

By the time Liu Zhijun returned to the village committee, it was completely dark. He had already tidied up the tables and chairs outside and gone home after get off work.

Zhao Jianguo washed his face and leaned against the headboard to rest. Instead of going to sleep, he continued to browse various materials on breaking through the impoverished rural collective economy on his phone, hoping to find inspiration for getting rich that could be replicated in Luojia Village from the successful cases of other impoverished villages. He read on until after 11 p.m.