Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 550: Chapter 550: Hunchback

Li Xu’s explanation was profound yet easy to understand, weaving together high-level theory and real-life examples. It completely won Sister Wang over.

"Doctor Li, you explained that so well. Even though there are still parts I don’t quite get, I feel like what you said makes perfect sense."

"Oh, right, Doctor Li."

Sister Wang suddenly remembered something and said, "I heard a story once. I didn’t believe it at first, but now that I think about it, it must have been true."

"Oh?" Li Xu asked. "What was it? I’d like to hear it."

Sister Wang began her story.

"I have a junior high school classmate whose family is from a rural village in the south. At a class reunion once, she told me a really bizarre story about healing with the Zuyou Skill."

"She said she has a distant cousin who was a hunchback as a child. Her back had a large, protruding hump. They saw many doctors, and they all said it was a deformity that required surgery, but the surgery was very risky. Eventually, the family ran out of options and invited a Master of Zuyou from a neighboring village."

"My classmate happened to be visiting that relative’s home at the time and said she saw the whole thing with her own eyes."

"When the Master of Zuyou arrived, he didn’t even examine the patient. First, he set up an altar in the main hall, drew talismans, and chanted incantations. Then, he placed a ’pig-kidney basin’ in the center of the hall—you know, one of those oval, galvanized iron tubs people used to use to bathe their kids."

"The Master put a live, hopping frog in the basin, then had the family pour in an inch of water. Next, he placed a small, low stool beside the basin—the kind they weave from bamboo in the south."

"Once all that was set up, he burned a yellow talisman in the basin. A layer of paper ash immediately floated on the surface of the water. Then, he had the little hunchbacked girl brought out and told her to stand on the low stool."

"He gave the family a special instruction: ’While I chant and burn talismans, you all need to stand by and encourage the child to jump into the basin on her own. Remember, she must jump by herself. You absolutely cannot push her. If you push her, the spell won’t work!’"

Li Xu nodded repeatedly as he listened. This type of Zuyou Skill, with its strong folkloric elements, perfectly matched the characteristics of ancient "psychological suggestion" combined with "a sense of ritual."

Sister Wang continued, "My classmate was watching from the side, feeling pretty skeptical. The Master of Zuyou was holding a thick stack of talisman papers, probably several dozen sheets. She was thinking, ’It’s just a little jump. It’ll be over in a second. What does he need all those talismans for?’"

"But who would’ve guessed? This is where things got weird."

"As soon as the little girl stood on the low stool and looked down into the basin, it was as if she saw something terrifying. Her face went deathly pale, and she absolutely refused to jump."

"I mean, think about it, how high was that stool? Less than a foot. The basin was right at her feet. For a seven or eight-year-old kid, they’d jump much higher than that just playing around. There was nothing to be scared of."

"The whole family grew anxious and gathered around, desperately encouraging her. ’Just jump! You’ll be fine once you jump!’ ’Don’t be afraid, Daddy’s here to catch you!’"

"But no matter what anyone said, the girl wouldn’t jump. Her legs seemed to be filled with lead, rooted to the stool, and she was trembling all over."

"They watched as the Master of Zuyou burned one talisman after another. The stack was more than half gone, but the girl still hadn’t moved. Everyone’s hearts were in their throats, and they were sweating with anxiety."

"The Master of Zuyou had his eyes half-closed, chanting faster and faster, his forehead covered in beads of sweat. It was like he was wrestling with some invisible force."

"Just when only the last few talismans were left in the stack, the Master’s eyes flew open and he roared, ’JUMP!!!’"

"The shout was like a clap of thunder."

"The hunchbacked girl’s face went deathly white. She let out a scream and, as if she’d been pushed by something, fell with a SPLASH into the basin."

"The terrified frog started hopping about wildly, splashing water everywhere."

"Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, overjoyed. The Master burned the last few talismans in the basin, chanted continuously for a good while, and when he was finished, instructed the family to bathe the girl with the talisman-infused water from the basin."

"Before leaving, the Master gave a specific warning: ’The child is cured, but her karmic affinity was not strong enough. Therefore, she must abstain from eating frog for the rest of her life. If she doesn’t, the hunchback will surely return, and not even an Immortal could save her.’"

Li Xu nodded. "This is also a common type of taboo in the Zuyou Skill, called a ’lock.’ It uses a prohibition to maintain the therapeutic effect, which is actually a form of continuous psychological suggestion."

Sister Wang sighed. "It’s strange, but after that jump, the girl’s spine really did seem to straighten out over time, and her hump disappeared. The family was naturally overjoyed and started worshipping that Master like he was an Immortal."

"But the good times didn’t last."

"Her family was well-off, considered wealthy in their area. And you know southerners, especially around the Panyu region, they love ’fresh-boiled frog congee.’ Back then, farmers didn’t use pesticides, so the frogs were especially plump and tender."

"They had a lot of kids, and none of them knew anything about taboos. Every time they ate frog, they’d slurp it down with relish, their mouths glistening with oil. The girl could only watch from the side, drooling with envy."

"But she was just a child and didn’t know any better. She constantly pestered her mother, begging to just try a taste of the frog. At first, her mother remembered the Master’s words and flatly refused."

"This went on for two years. Then, when frog season came around again, the family cooked another pot of fragrant frog congee. The girl cried and threw a fit, demanding to eat some. Her mother, after all, had a soft heart. She thought, ’It’s been two years, it should be fine now, right? And it’s just a tiny taste. It can’t be that serious, can it?’"

"So, she tore a tiny, fingernail-sized piece of meat from a frog leg and put it in the girl’s mouth, just to let her have a taste and satisfy her craving."

"Who could have known that this one bite would lead to disaster."

"From that day on, the girl’s spine began to ache dully. Before long, her back began to bend at an incredible rate, growing more and more hunched. After a year, her hunchback was even worse than before. She looked as if she was about to fold in half."

"The family was terrified and rushed to find that Master of Zuyou again."

"But when the Master heard what had happened, he didn’t even step inside their home. He refused to treat her again, saying, ’The spell has been broken. Not even an Immortal can save her.’"

After listening, Li Xu was lost in thought.

’This really is a classic case study for the Zuyou Skill.’

’Once a psychological suggestion is broken, the backlash is often more severe than the original ailment.’

They chatted for a little while longer. Seeing it was getting late, Sister Wang thanked him profusely and left with Little Niuniu.

Li Xu saw them out and closed the clinic door.

"It’s been a long day. You should head home and get some rest, too."

Li Xu said to Song Sisi, who was packing up her things.

Song Sisi nodded, picked up her bag, and got ready to leave.

As she reached the door, Li Xu suddenly called out to her. "Oh, by the way, Sisi."

"Hm?"

Song Sisi turned back.

"In a couple of days, let’s go take a look around the West District together."

Li Xu said with a smile, "There’s a new development that opened up over there. The area is nice. Want to go check it out together?"

Song Sisi froze for a second, and then a blush bloomed on her cheeks.

’Look at houses?’

’Li Xu’s current clinic was livable, but it was still a place of business.’

’He wanted to buy a new house, and he specifically invited her to come with him...’

’The implication was obvious.’

’It would be their future home. Their marital home.’

"Okay,"

Song Sisi replied, her eyes curving as she beamed.

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