22. Touch

Time slipped by unnoticed, and three weeks passed just like that.

Although Xu Bin had never formally studied acupuncture points, he grew up in a traditional medicine clinic, absorbing knowledge from his surroundings. His skill at identifying points surpassed even Tang Yiyi’s, with greater precision.

Tang Yiyi was frustrated, feeling that her ninety points on the acupuncture exam were for nothing.

Xu Bin comforted her, saying, “I’ve been kneaded by Fourth Uncle since I was a child. Whenever he reached out, he hit the acupuncture points. Of course I know where they are.”

However, Tang Yiyi’s acupuncture technique, under Wu Siping’s careful guidance, matured steadily—her angle and depth of needle insertion became ever more refined.

Tang Yiyi asked Xu Bin, “How’s your arm palpation coming along? You’ve practiced on everyone in the clinic several times. Do you feel anything yet?”

“I do.”

“What do you feel?”

“Women’s arms are soft, men’s arms are firm.” With that, a notebook sailed across the room and hit him on the head.

Xu Bin’s rehearsal went smoothly. Although Xiaoxiao always thought they had many issues, Tang Yiyi already heard perfection in their performance.

One day she recorded a video and sent it to her 518518 group. The aspiring doctors in the group exploded with excitement, demanding Tang Yiyi inquire about the ages of the four band members, whether they were married, and if they had girlfriends.

The people themselves had not appeared, yet their voices had already sparked romance in the listeners’ hearts. This made Xu Bin’s band all the more confident, determined to pass the preliminary round.

Tang Yiyi, however, was conflicted. Xu Bin’s dedication to learning bone-setting delighted Xu Mingtang, giving him full confidence in Tang Yiyi’s ability to inspire progress. She could sense her master’s happiness, but with a week left before June 30th, Xu Bin and the others were in such good form that they might really pass the preliminaries. If they entered the weekly competition, Xu Bin would need to take leave—how could she explain this to her master?

Nearly every night she claimed to be with Xu Bin, using the excuse of watching movies five times, eating out eight times, shopping six times, and playing games three times.

In reality, Xu Bin arranged for her to stay nearby at the Lu Yu Teahouse, where she would spend the evening with a ten-yuan pot of tea, surrounded by prescription comparisons, notebooks, and her laptop, occupying the entire table.

Luckily, the teahouse was never too busy, and there were always seats available. Later, the proprietress noticed this diligent, hardworking young physician, was deeply moved, and brought her own son to the shop to observe and learn, hoping he’d see how other children strive.

Eventually, despite only paying ten yuan for tea, Tang Yiyi was served rose tea instead. The proprietress told her, “Young women should take care of their appearance—find yourself a good husband.”

She couldn’t let her master discover Xu Bin’s singing. There were exactly five months until the qualification exam; after the preliminary, she would need to help Xu Bin refocus and prepare. As for participating in the weekly competition, how could she keep it secret from her master? She’d have to discuss this carefully with Xu Bin.

In the mornings, Xu Bin opened Shengshitang on time. With the band’s rehearsals nearly complete, their cooperation grew increasingly seamless. Last night, Tang Yiyi attended a session; even as an outsider, she could tell their performance had improved tremendously, and Xiaoxiao no longer clapped her hands to stop and restart.

They decided to practice an hour daily before the competition, conserve their energy, and maintain early nights and mornings. As a result, Xu Bin was vibrant and refreshed all day.

Zuo Chengjiang nudged him, “Is this the nourishment of love?”

Xu Bin chuckled twice. “Uncle Zuo, you’re being narrow-minded! For men, love is just the icing on the cake—the real importance lies in one’s career. Look at me, learning bone-setting from Fourth Uncle, isn’t that a new step in my profession? Come on, let me palpate your arm again.”

Zuo Chengjiang watched him, clicking his tongue in admiration several times, then sat down and let Xu Bin feel his arm. “When someone matures, it happens all at once.”

“I’m an adult—I’ve matured long ago. But, Uncle Zuo, your arm muscles aren’t quite in line with your age; they’re a bit slack. You should strengthen them daily. The hump at the back of your neck is getting bigger; don’t spend all day looking down at your phone, your cervical vertebrae are starting to deform.”

“Really?” Zuo Chengjiang stepped out from behind the counter and approached Wu Siping. “Fourth Uncle, check me, Xu Bin says my cervical vertebrae are deformed.”

Wu Siping raised his hand and kneaded the back of Zuo’s neck for a few moments. “Yes, there’s a bit of an issue. Haven’t you felt dizzy?”

“Actually, lately I have felt a bit dizzy.”

“Every night, after lying in bed, let your head hang over the edge for ten minutes. And stop looking down at your phone all day.” Wu Siping continued massaging the cervical area for about ten minutes. “Alright.”

Zuo Chengjiang shook his head, “That’s comfortable.”

Wu Siping looked at Xu Bin, “How did you notice his cervical vertebrae had an issue?”

“Oh, it felt different from my father’s.”

“Very good, keep practicing; tactile sense is accumulated like this.”

“Fourth Uncle, did you learn by palpating like this back in the day?”

“Yes, generation after generation in our Wu family learned bone-setting this way. You haven’t been slacking, very good.”

Xu Mingtang, quietly checking someone’s pulse nearby, was all smiles, both in his eyes and at the corners of his mouth.

“Yiyi’s acupuncture has improved greatly this month, too. Who would have thought, in retirement, I’d take on two such clever disciples? Keep up the good work.” Wu Siping was quite satisfied with his own judgment in accepting apprentices.

Just before noon, Qin Baike entered the clinic, carrying an elderly woman on his back.