The carefree life of Yang Shuisheng, the village miracle doctor

Zhao Youcai's angry curses exploded in the kitchen, and his spittle almost splashed into the bowl.

He rushed over and reached out to snatch the rice bowl and chopsticks from Yang Shuisheng's hands.

"You idiot! Who let you in?"

"Get out! Do you think my food is for you?"

Yang Shuisheng immediately became foolish, hugging the bowl tightly and shrinking back, his face showing a mixture of anxiety and naivety, mumbling, "Meat...my meat...it's delicious...don't give it to me..."

As he spoke, he deliberately hid the bowl in his arms.

He looks like a complete food-hoarding idiot.

"Clang! Crash!"

As the two men struggled, one grabbing and the other dodging, Zhao Youcai slapped the rice onto the ground.

The coarse porcelain bowl, which was half-filled with rice and braised pork, was smashed on the ground and shattered into pieces. The food was spilled all over the floor, and the oily pieces of meat rolled to the corner of the wall, covered in dust.

"Oh dear!" Zhou Caifeng exclaimed, looking at the meat and rice on the ground with heartache.

"My meat! My rice!" Yang Shuisheng panicked and squatted down to pick it up, but Zhou Caifeng grabbed him.

"Zhao Youcai! What's wrong with you!" Zhou Caifeng also lost her temper and shouted at Zhao Youcai, "It's just a bowl of rice!"

"He's an orphan, an idiot, starving. What's wrong with giving him some food? Are you making a big deal out of this?"

"What's wrong?" Zhao Youcai glared with his triangular eyes, pointing at the rice and meat on the ground, then at Yang Shuisheng, "Even if we scattered the food on the ground to feed the dogs, we wouldn't give it to this idiot."

"He's perfectly capable; can't he earn his own living? Why does he have to come to other people's houses to beg for food?"

"I've told you so many times, don't give him any food, don't give him any food!"

"And you, not only did you give it to them, you even brought them home! What are you trying to do?"

He grew angrier as he spoke, feeling that Zhou Caifeng was challenging his authority as the head of the family, especially since it was for a fool.

Zhou Caifeng's face flushed red and then turned pale as she was scolded, but she was quick-witted and immediately put on a wronged yet reasonable expression: "I... I had no choice. The plot of land behind our house has been abandoned for half a year. I was thinking of turning it over and planting some radishes or eggplants."

"How can I do that by myself?"

"I happened to see Shuisheng. He's strong, so I thought I'd ask him to help with some chores. I'd provide him with a meal or two; wouldn't that be better than hiring someone else? It'd also save on wages!"

These words struck a chord with Zhao Youcai.

He was indeed too lazy to work on that piece of land, and it wouldn't be easy for Zhou Caifeng, a woman, to do it.

Although Yang Shuisheng is a simpleton, he is incredibly strong and a master at farm work.

Paying for a few meals and getting a strong laborer for free is a good deal.

The anger on his face subsided slightly.

But the look in his eyes as he looked at Yang Shuisheng was still full of disdain and impatience.

"Let him do the work? Okay."

He kicked at the broken pieces of bowl at his feet and sneered, "But if you're going to provide meals, you should at least do it properly. Give him some plain noodles and steamed buns to fill his stomach, that's enough. Why give him meat?"

"Look what you've given him to eat!"

"Braised pork! Even I wouldn't eat it every day."

"Feeding meat to an idiot is a waste of food."

"You have to work hard, so you can't do without some oily food..." Zhou Caifeng argued softly.

"Oil and water?" Zhao Youcai's eyes widened as he pointed to the basin where he had just washed the meat. "Isn't there meat-washing water in there?"

"There's plenty of oil in there. Once it boils, we can make him a soup and soak steamed buns in it. That way, he'll have some oil and flavor."

"Want to eat meat again? Dream on."

These words were so harsh and petty that even Zhou Caifeng couldn't stand them.

"Okay, okay, I got it."

Knowing Zhao Youcai's temper, she dared not argue further and could only nod in agreement: "I won't give him meat next time."

That's what I said, but I'd already made up my mind.

The more Zhao Youcai said this, the more she secretly wanted to give Yang Shuisheng the best food.

She not only wanted to eat meat, but she also wanted to eat the best, and she insisted on doing the opposite!

"Hmph, have you no sense of propriety? Get lost! Are you looking for a beating?"

Seeing Zhou Caifeng give in, Zhao Youcai glared fiercely at Yang Shuisheng, who was still heartbroken over the food he was serving.

"I'm going in for a cup of tea. If you're still here when I come back, I'll give you a good beating!"

Seeing Zhao Youcai cursing, he turned and left into the front yard.

Zhou Caifeng quickly took another white steamed bun from the steamer, stuffed it into Yang Shuisheng's hand, and said in a low voice, "Quick, take this, have some to tide you over."

"Ignore him, he's a real tightwad, black-hearted and foul-mouthed jerk!"

She pushed Yang Shuisheng toward the back door. When they reached the door, she looked around to make sure Zhao Youcai hadn't returned yet, then leaned close to Yang Shuisheng's ear and spoke almost into it.

The warm breath, carrying the scent of face cream, sprayed onto Yang Shuisheng's earlobes.

"Shuisheng, I'm so sorry. It was my fault for not thinking things through. I shouldn't have let you eat inside. He saw us."

"Tonight... when Auntie comes to get you a massage tonight, I'll make it up to you properly, okay?"

"Auntie will bring you some delicious food later, I promise you'll eat your fill~"

Her voice was soft and sticky, and her fingers gently scratched the back of Yang Shuisheng's hand.

Yang Shuisheng took the steamed bun, and the silly expression on his face slowly disappeared, his eyes regaining their usual calm.

He glanced at Zhou Caifeng and nodded.

"Yeah, it's okay, he won't be able to keep this up for long."

Zhou Caifeng's heart skipped a beat.

"What...what do you want to do?"

"Shuisheng, don't you dare do anything reckless!"

Zhou Caifeng hurriedly grabbed Yang Shuisheng, who was about to leave, and said urgently in a low voice, "Zhao Youcai is a ruthless and vicious man. He has been the village chief for so many years and has connections in higher places. You... you must not do anything foolish."

"If you go head-to-head with him, you'll be the one who suffers!"

Yang Shuisheng turned around, looked at Zhou Caifeng's anxious and worried face, and suddenly tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a faint smile that was hard to decipher.

He didn't say anything more, but gently pulled his hand away from hers, took a bite of the steamed bun, turned around, pushed open the back door, and walked out, quickly disappearing into the dirt road behind the house.

Zhou Caifeng stood by the door, looking at the empty back alley, her heart pounding with anxiety and confusion.

Yang Shuisheng's words, "He won't be able to keep going for long," sent a chill down her spine.

What exactly is this silly boy trying to do?

……

Yang Shuisheng ate a steamed bun as he returned to his dilapidated old house and closed the door behind him.

The room was dimly lit, but his eyes were bright.

He carefully took out all of his day's harvest.

Those few precious wild ginseng roots, the several-year-old Solomon's seal and wolfberry dug up yesterday, along with several other auxiliary medicines, and that set of silver needles.

Condition your body and solidify your foundation, starting today.

He rummaged through a pile of junk in the corner and found an old wooden barrel with chipped edges.

He boiled a large pot of water, poured it into a wooden bucket, added cold water, and adjusted it to the right temperature.

Then, following the proportions and order of the ancient recipe passed down from memory, all the medicinal herbs were placed into warm water one by one.

When the medicinal herbs come into contact with hot water, they quickly release their color, and the clear water gradually turns dark brown. A rich, bitter, yet strangely fragrant medicinal aroma permeates the small, dilapidated house.

With the medicinal soup prepared, Yang Shuisheng took off his tattered clothes, revealing his strong and muscular body.

He didn't immediately enter the wooden tub, but instead picked up the set of silver needles first.

He took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), and focused his mind.

In my mind, the acupuncture technique that combines medicinal bath with initial acupuncture to stimulate the potential of the meridians clearly emerged.

He picked up a medium-sized silver needle, identified the Tanzhong acupoint on his chest, and inserted the needle without hesitation.

A slight stinging sensation followed, then a feeling of soreness and distension.

Without pausing, his fingers moved swiftly and steadily, like butterflies flitting among flowers, inserting silver needles one after another into several major acupoints on his body: Guanyuan, Qihai, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao...

With each needle inserted, he would mobilize the two faint wisps of Qi in his dantian, guiding them along the silver needle into the acupoint, and gently twisting and stimulating them.

After being pricked more than a dozen times, a fine layer of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

But the effect was remarkable. He felt that the blood and qi in his body, which were originally somewhat stagnant, began to be stimulated by the silver needles and flowed slowly faster. All the meridians in his body felt faintly hot and swollen, like a dry riverbed waiting for the nourishment of rain.

Feeling that it was about time, he quickly removed the needle.

Then he stood up and stepped into the bucket of dark brown medicinal soup.

The warm medicinal soup enveloped my body, and my skin felt slightly hot.

But an even more wonderful sensation comes from within the body.

The blood and meridians, which had been stimulated and were restless before by the silver needles, began to absorb the essence contained in the medicinal soup as quickly as rain after a long drought the moment they came into contact with the medicinal power.

Streams of warm heat, accompanied by a slight tingling sensation, rushed into his body through his pores and specific acupoints, washing over his meridians, nourishing his depleted blood and energy, and replenishing his body's depleted essence.

"hiss--"

Yang Shuisheng took a long, comfortable breath, closed his eyes, relaxed his whole body, leaned against the edge of the wooden basin, and silently began to practice the most basic breathing technique in the "Hehuan Nourishing Qi Technique," guiding the incoming medicinal power to slowly flow along the technique's pathway and eventually converge into his dantian.

He could clearly feel that he had been freed from a heavy shackle, and his body felt lighter than ever before, even a little lightheaded.

Some deficiencies that were originally hidden deep within the body are being gently repaired and filled.

Meanwhile, the two faint wisps of energy in the dantian, as if receiving the most fertile nourishment, began to grow and strengthen at a visible speed!

A wisp...and another wisp...the sensation of energy grew stronger and stronger, becoming more and more pronounced.

The color of the medicinal soup in the wooden basin gradually faded over time.

On Yang Shuisheng's skin surface, a layer of grayish-black, fishy-smelling, fine impurities seeped out.

Yang Shuisheng soaked in the tub for a full hour, until the water in the basin turned only a light brown color and the medicinal effects were almost completely absorbed, before he opened his eyes and stood up from the tub.

He dried himself off, feeling the surging vitality within him and a refreshed sense of lightness.

What excited him most was that the two strands of Qi he originally felt in his dantian had now become five clear and stable strands.

Although it is still not powerful, it is much more solid and robust than before.

With a slight thought, these five strands of energy flowed through the body as easily as an arm or fingers, bringing a warm and abundant sense of power.

"call……"

Yang Shuisheng exhaled a long breath of stale air, his eyes gleaming.

This ancient prescription passed down through generations is truly miraculous!

Such remarkable results were achieved in just the first time the herbal bath was combined with acupuncture.

He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking slightly, and felt a surge of power throughout his body, at least 20-30% stronger than before.

This is only an improvement in the basic physical condition.

Thinking of the "Hehuan Nourishing Qi Secrets" and the wonderful experience and initial sensation of Qi that Liu Yulan brought that night, Yang Shuisheng couldn't help but feel a strong sense of anticipation.

Previously, my physical condition was too weak, which greatly reduced the effectiveness of my cultivation.

Now that this conditioning has solidified his foundation, how fast will his progress be when he cultivates with Liu Yulan or others again?

A smile played at the corners of his lips.

Zhou Caifeng is coming tonight, so why not have her help me test how much the improvement really is!