Chapter 24: A Multitude of Doubts

Gui Cui turned her head and said coldly, "Dr. Zhang, how could you do this? Even if you have to hire a shill, couldn't you wait a few days or pick someone else? The last one just left, and now another one follows immediately. Don't you think it’s a bit too easy to get caught?"

"A shill? Who told you she’s a shill?" Zhang Jing frowned deeply.

"Does anyone need to tell me? You’ve been at our clinic for nearly half a year; doesn't everyone know exactly what you’re capable of? I know you’re desperate to prove yourself, but you shouldn't resort to such crooked methods!" Gui Cui wore an expression of disappointment, as if she had expected better from him.

So, it was all just based on speculation. Zhang Jing couldn't help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

In truth, if one thought about it, Gui Cui’s reasoning wasn't entirely groundless. After all, he had been nothing more than a "TCM apprentice" in the acupuncture and massage room, assisting Wang Sen just yesterday. To go from that to an "expert physician" in internal medicine overnight would make anyone suspicious.

Telling the truth was impossible; even if he did, no one would believe him. Yet, how could he explain it to her in a way that sounded reasonable? Zhang Jing fell into deep thought.

Seeing Zhang Jing remain silent for so long, Gui Cui assumed he was feeling regretful now that his ruse had been exposed. Seeing him like this, she felt a twinge of pity.

She thought for a moment and said comfortingly, "Dr. Zhang, don't be too hard on yourself. To err is human; there is no greater virtue than correcting one's mistakes. Just work diligently from now on. With your intelligence and talent, I firmly believe you will have your day."

Zhang Jing gave a wry smile: Where is all this coming from?

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke vaguely: "Believe it or not, I have never hired a shill. I think you'll understand soon enough."

With that, Zhang Jing turned and headed back to the clinic. A new patient was arriving shortly, and he needed to be ready to receive her.

Seeing him so certain, Gui Cui felt bewildered. She muttered to herself, "Could I have really wronged him? But Huang Biao, the 'Five-Clawed Dragon,' analyzed the situation so logically yesterday; it shouldn't have been wrong!"

However, she quickly changed her mind. How could she believe anything "Five-Clawed Dragon" said? If he were a person of good character, he wouldn't be secretly adding expert consultation fees to his prescriptions.

She had chosen to trust the nonsense of a charlatan over the person she actually favored. Great! Her brain must have been kicked by a donkey!

...

Zhang Jing naturally remained unaware that his last remark had left Gui Cui feeling so frustrated that she could have died of embarrassment.

Actually, even if he had known, he wouldn't have paid it much mind. His only goal now was to focus on his consultations and improve his medical skills, with the ultimate ambition of becoming a national-level master of traditional Chinese medicine, just like his teacher, Li Yu.

Shortly after returning to the clinic, a young mother walked in, breathlessly carrying a toddler who looked to be two or three years old.

The middle-aged woman from earlier hurried to greet them. "Huanhuan’s mom, you’re here."

"Yes, sister. Where... where is this Dr. Zhang you mentioned?" the young mother panted.

"I am Zhang Jing, Dr. Zhang," Zhang Jing introduced himself.

The young mother glanced at Zhang Jing and was slightly taken aback. Although the woman who referred her had mentioned that the doctor was young, he looked far too young in person! She even began to wonder if he was merely an intern.

The middle-aged woman clearly sensed her hesitation and quickly explained, "Huanhuan’s mom, I know you must think Dr. Zhang is too young and doubt his skills. Honestly, I was just like you yesterday—I didn't believe he had any real talent either."

"But you know how my little treasure had been running a high fever for days? He only took one dose of the medicine Dr. Zhang prescribed. And you saw him last night, didn't you? He was running around like crazy in the neighborhood square! I even sent him to kindergarten today."

Hearing this, the young mother felt somewhat reassured. She said softly, "Alright then, I’ll go register. Could you tell me where your office is, Dr. Zhang?"

"It’s on the second floor; you'll see it as soon as you reach the top of the stairs. I'll head up and wait for you there."

Zhang Jing left for the floor above. He hadn't expected to have a repeat visitor so soon, so he hadn't prepared the office. The preparations were simple—a pulse pillow, a stethoscope, a small medical flashlight, and a pack of tongue depressors.

These items were already kept in the acupuncture and massage room, but since they were never used, they had been tucked away in a metal cabinet. Seeing Zhang Jing pull them out, Wang Sen asked curiously, "Dr. Zhang, what are you doing?"

"Oh, I have a pediatric patient coming for internal medicine, so I'm getting things ready."

"Internal medicine? You mean the kind where you write prescriptions and dispense herbs?"

"That's right," Zhang Jing nodded.

"I don't understand. Your warm-needle acupuncture technique is so impressive, why not stick with that? Why mimic old Huang and start peddling Chinese herbs? Drinking herbal medicine is just a psychological comfort; how could it possibly have any real effect?"

"In TCM, treatment consists of acupuncture, moxibustion, and medication, with medication being the most common. How could it be a scam?" Zhang Jing frowned, speaking with gravity.

He had known that Wang Sen and Huang Biao looked down on each other, but he hadn't realized that Wang Sen held a bias against all TCM practitioners who wrote prescriptions.

"Uh..." Wang Sen realized he had been blunt and quickly corrected himself. "My apologies, I didn't mean to doubt you. It’s just that I’ve encountered so many quacks before that I spoke without thinking. A slip of the tongue, definitely a slip of the tongue!"

Actually, it wasn't just him; the young mother downstairs was also full of doubt. After registering, she had seen the expert profile posted outside the internal medicine office:

*Huang Biao, male, Associate Chief Physician of TCM, formerly worked at a Grade-A tertiary TCM hospital. Nearly forty years of clinical experience, rich in knowledge and practice. Specializes in internal medicine, gynecology, and andrology...*

If the profile hadn't omitted pediatrics, the young mother would certainly have switched her registration to Huang Biao’s expert slot. She spent a lot of time online and knew that all sorts of scammers were lurking everywhere. Even though the woman who referred her lived in the same neighborhood, who could guarantee she wasn't in on a scheme with this Dr. Zhang?

"Huanhuan’s mom, the registration is done. I have to go, or I won't make it in time to pick up my little treasure from kindergarten. Don't worry, Dr. Zhang is very skilled. If he says he can cure it, he can. And the medicine is very cheap; yesterday, including the registration fee, I only spent twelve yuan."

"Alright, alright, you go ahead. Thank you, sister."

"Don't mention it, we're neighbors. I'll be at the neighborhood square around seven tonight after dinner—you should come too, okay?"

"Sure, sure, see you there."

The young mother sent off the enthusiastic woman and carried her child to the second floor. She looked up, and indeed, the office was right there. But to her surprise, the sign on the door clearly read: *Acupuncture and Massage Room*.

Seeing this, the young mother’s suspicions deepened. She thought: *I brought my child here for TCM herbal medicine, not for pediatric massage or acupuncture! Is this woman actually reliable at all?*

However, since she had already paid the registration fee, she decided to go in and see for herself. Even though the fee was only two yuan, there was no point in letting it go to waste.