NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
Chapter 2: I Won’t Rest Until She’s Cured!:
Bai Su’s voice was as clear and pleasant as an oriole’s, but her words were anything but polite.
As soon as she spoke, everyone’s eyes turned to Tang Zhong.
It was a shock to see him up close!
He wore dirty jeans and shoes covered with mud. In his hand was a bag of unknown herbs, emitting a pungent odor.
The smell was so offensive that no one sat near him.
An elderly man, noticing this, kindly said to Tang Zhong, “Son, you may be poor, but you should still take care of your appearance. It’s the least you can do out of courtesy.”
The old man then pulled out two hundred yuan from his pocket and said gently, “Take this money, buy yourself some new clothes.”
Proud and self-reliant, Tang Zhong wouldn’t accept charity. He waved his hand and said, “No need, sir. I have money.”
To prove his point, he pulled out a black plastic bag filled with tens of thousands of yuan. The old man looked at him with a complex expression and said, “So, you dressed like this on purpose to disgust people?”
Tang Zhong froze mid-motion. Surrounded by looks of extreme disdain, he didn’t know how to respond because what the old man said was true!
He never imagined that his often successful method of showing humility would fail so miserably today.
In his travels with his master, his master often advised him, “My disciple, when you practice medicine, wearing a white coat and wearing ragged clothes have different effects.”
“If you save someone while wearing a white coat, it’s expected. If you fail, it’s due to lack of skill—a clown in the hall!”
“If you save someone while wearing ragged clothes, you’re a miracle doctor, a master wandering the streets. If you fail, it’s understandable.”
“Thus, you must skillfully use psychological contrast to build your reputation and fame!”
Tang Zhong couldn’t understand. His master had used this technique to fool many self-proclaimed perceptive and wealthy people. So why was it failing when he tried it?
No, he must reverse his image! And the best way was to heal miraculously.
He said solemnly, “Miss, a true healer is compassionate! From your pale complexion and weak limbs, I can tell you have a severe cold condition. If not treated immediately, you will faint within five minutes!”
“Nonsense…” Bai Su began, but before she could finish, she felt dizzy and started to fall forward. Jiang Bai quickly caught her in his arms.
Seeing this, the crowd started chattering. “Well, it seems this young man was telling the truth!”
“In traditional Chinese medicine, ‘inspection’ is about diagnosing illness through observation of the face, tongue, and expressions.”
“This young man’s skills surpass many so-called unknown masters!”
“Indeed, a master in the streets, a clown in the hall!”
Amid the noisy discussions, a hint of pride appeared on Tang Zhong’s face. He stepped forward and addressed Jiang Bai, “Jiang Bai, we’ve both trained under the same master for years, yet we haven’t determined who is better.”
“Today, let’s see who can cure this lady faster, shall we?”
Seeing the script twist and turn back on track, Jiang Bai realized it was his turn to perform. He snorted coldly, looking proud, and said, “A competition it is! Don’t think for a second that I fear you!”
“This time, I’ll show you the power of my ‘Taiyi Divine Needle’!”
“I won’t rest until this lady is cured!”
…
Baltimore Oriole: