Chapter 7

In the evening, Zhou Yun returned with some herbs he had collected. During dinner, they were enveloped in the herbal aroma that filled the kitchen.

The herbs had a sweet fragrance, and after dinner, Zhou Yun poured the thick herbal liquid out to cool. He then mixed in some honey and handed it to him.

He took a sip and found that it was a blend of sour and sweet with a slight astringent taste. He looked at Zhou Yun suspiciously: “Is this medicine or a placebo?”

Zhou Yun was taken aback and then laughed: “Of course it’s medicine. Why would you think it’s a placebo?”

Guan Yuanfeng replied: “It doesn’t taste like bitter medicine, and…”

He paused and then calmly said: “The doctor said I have psychological pain. My leg is gone, and they recommended psychological treatment. They also prescribed some painkillers and antidepressants.”

But he hadn’t taken them. Even though he was now a cripple, he instinctively resisted medicines that dulled his senses.

At first, he had wanted to reject the well-meaning doctor’s help, but seeing how tactfully the doctor approached him, he decided not to refuse so bluntly. After all, it was just some herbal soup.

Indeed, he noticed that the doctor didn’t inquire much about his specific condition, just took his pulse and prescribed the herbs. This made him feel at ease.

He didn’t want to go into detail about his injuries, as if exposing the painful scars that tormented him every night. Moreover, the doctor had said the wound had healed, and the pain was a psychological issue.

He wasn’t willing to admit that he had been defeated by phantom pain. Phantom pain referred to pain that didn’t exist, yet every night, he was tortured by real, excruciating pain. His will, as strong as steel, couldn’t convince his subconscious—the leg was gone, and the pain was not real.

Zhou Yun showed him the prescription: “From my pulse reading, your meridians are blocked, stagnant, and the liver and gallbladder energies aren’t flowing properly. Your vital energy is weak, and your blood is deficient, which is likely causing restless nights and frequent pain. Additionally, the pain worsens in damp, cold, or rainy weather.”

“You’ve probably been taking the Western medicine prescribed by the hospital, so I’ve focused on using traditional Chinese herbs to tonify your energy. I specifically chose herbs like Angelica to warm and nourish the energy, along with a few others like Sichuan lovage, scorpion, and centipede, which help with circulation and pain relief, particularly for nerve pain.”

“But this is the first time you’re trying it, and these herbs contain insects, so I’m worried you might not adjust well.”

“Therefore, I’ve started you on mulberry fruit, which is effective for nerve pain. I’ve also combined it with longan, goji berries, ginseng, and rose, all of which are gentle, nourishing, and calm the mind.”

“I added some honey to improve the taste, as honey itself has pain-relieving effects. This is to help you sleep better and also improve your digestion.”

“Once this proves effective, and you become more comfortable with it, I can adjust the prescription for further treatment.”

Zhou Yun didn’t explain further but looked at Guan Yuanfeng with sincere eyes: “If you’re dealing with phantom pain from an amputation, the nerve endings at the stump can cause pain or develop nerve tumors or adhesions. Traditional acupuncture has many proven methods to treat this.”

“We only need to use needles on a few points on your head, neck, and wrists. There’s no need to undress, and it will only take about fifteen minutes. It’s very convenient. Would you like to try?”

Guan Yuanfeng initially wanted to refuse. The military doctors had also suggested acupuncture, but he had rejected it, unwilling to let anyone see his ugly stump.

However, hearing Zhou Yun explain that acupuncture would only be applied to the head and wrists, and seeing the earnestness in his dark eyes, he reconsidered. After all, he had just borrowed 200,000 yuan from him, and Zhou Yun seemed eager to repay the favor.

It couldn’t hurt to try, and if it didn’t work, he could always tell him tomorrow that the pain had lessened. That way, he would ease Zhou Yun’s feeling of needing to do something for him.

He said: “Alright, let’s give it a try.”

Zhou Yun smiled: “Great, let’s take a walk on the rooftop first. It’s not good to do acupuncture right after eating. You can go upstairs with the dog while I disinfect the needles.”

Guan Yuanfeng raised an eyebrow. He appreciated how Zhou Yun treated him as if he were no different from anyone else.

The electric wheelchair could manage the stairs, though it was a bit troublesome. He hated the feeling of always needing help when going anywhere—this was the reason he had hastily decided to retire from the army.

He couldn’t stand seeing his former subordinates, the soldiers he had trained, constantly treating him with such careful sympathy, their eyes full of pity.

—-

On the rooftop, the air was filled with the distinctive smell of sun-dried plants. Despite the many birds and animals around, there was no unpleasant odor, as the owner had clearly taken care to keep things tidy. The pens were well-designed, preventing odors from spreading.

The vegetables, grapes, and flowers grew in an orderly and flourishing way, showing signs of meticulous care. The leaves were clean, and the fruits abundant. Several dragonflies fluttered gracefully among the plants.

The dog, Comet, was happily chasing the dragonflies, curiously inspecting the long, snake-like electric eels in the fish pond.

Guan Yuanfeng also glanced at the scene. He couldn’t help but feel that the pets didn’t quite match Zhou Yun’s temperament. The fish tank seemed to be part of some research.

He passed through the door to his own balcony, looking at the herbs he had planted. Each plant had a label indicating the planting time, species, and precautions. Several control groups of the same species had been planted.

Next to the balcony, there was a drying rack with some dried vegetables. Guan Yuanfeng didn’t recognize all of them but could make out some radish, mustard, and Ginseng leaves.

Over the past few days, Zhou Yun had made dishes using these half-dried vegetables, sometimes with bone soup, sometimes stir-fried with pork fat, sometimes steamed with pork belly and sausages. His dishes were varied and genuinely thoughtful.

He hadn’t just lent money to someone he’d met only a few days ago. Zhou Yun, in every way, was a serious and sincere person, living a real and earnest life.

He grew medicinal herbs, clearly focused on gathering research data, yet in his daily life, he exhibited an extraordinary love for life with attention to detail—hardworking, efficient, few words, but a sense of comfort and ease.

Such a person indeed makes one trust them unconsciously, especially since the other party is genuinely trying to help.

It was dusk, and the building stood atop a mountain peak. The mountain breeze swept across the rooftop, with the magnificent evening glow coloring the surrounding mountains, waters, and plants. In the distance, the mountains silently faded into the afterglow, and the surface of the reservoir shimmered, reflecting the sunlight.

On this rooftop, dragonflies perched on flowers, their delicate wings reflecting the twilight. The scent of surrounding plants, vegetables, and honeysuckle wafted in the evening breeze, creating a serene and peaceful atmosphere, as if time itself had frozen, and only he remained in the world.

Though he lived on the top floor, he had never noticed how intoxicating the view from the rooftop could be.

Zhou Yun had prepared the needles and called Guan Yuanfeng to come down, instructing him to sit in the wheelchair. He skillfully inserted needles into points on his head, including Fengchi, Fengfu, Sishencong, Shenting, as well as the Shenmen on his ears and Neiguan on his wrists.

Guan Yuanfeng noticed how familiar Zhou Yun was with handling the needles and how confident and steady his demeanor was. He figured that Zhou Yun must have considerable skill in medicine.

The needles were thin, and once inserted, there was no noticeable sensation. However, Guan Yuanfeng could smell a faint herbal aroma in the room, somewhat resembling mugwort, with a hint of citronella. The entire room was tidy and quiet, and he began to feel drowsy.

Zhou Yun then brought out a box of press needles, saying, “I’ll place a few press needles in your ears. This can help relieve nerve pain and improve sleep.”

He tested a few spots on Guan Yuanfeng’s ear, focusing on his face and expressions as he did so.

At first, Guan Yuanfeng didn’t think much of it, but when Zhou Yun inserted a needle in a certain spot, a sharp, tingling pain suddenly shot through his amputated limb.

He furrowed his brow and opened his eyes wide, seeing Zhou Yun’s face very close to his, his dark eyes calm and steady.

Seeing the change in Guan Yuanfeng’s expression, Zhou Yun quickly inserted press needles in the spot where the pain had occurred and lightly placed additional ones in corresponding spots on the other ear.

Guan Yuanfeng asked, “What is this?”

Zhou Yun showed him the box of needles, which looked like small tacks: “These are press needles, a type of subcutaneous needle. They are fine and short, painless, and can stay in the acupoints to continuously stimulate them, offering stable and reliable therapeutic effects. They work quickly and also enhance the therapeutic benefits of the acupoints.”

He explained, “Just avoid submerging them in water when you bathe.”

He continued, “The ears correspond to other reflex areas in the body. In traditional medicine, ear acupuncture is quite effective for pain relief.”

“In traditional terms, it can stimulate the meridian energy, regulate the flow of Qi, and balance the blood. It’s commonly used for treating dysmenorrhea, neuralgia, headaches, and stomach pains.”

“I’ve placed the needles in both ears. You can try it and see if it works. Don’t worry, the needles are shallow and safe.”

Guan Yuanfeng listened to his detailed explanation and felt a little guilty: “It’s fine. Follow your method.”

Zhou Yun carefully adjusted the needles. Guan Yuanfeng furrowed his brow again, feeling a slight, dull ache in the area where he usually felt pain. Was this really a reaction to acupuncture? The acupoints on his head seemed to be affecting the nerves in his amputated leg.

Guan Yuanfeng remained silent, but inside, he couldn’t help but gain a bit more confidence in Zhou Yun’s medical skills.

Half an hour later, Zhou Yun removed the needles and gave him a simple reminder: “Wait half an hour before bathing. You can wipe your ears, just don’t soak them in water. It’s best not to wash your hair yet.”

When Zhou Yun sent Guan Yuanfeng back to his apartment, he handed him a box of neatly arranged mung bean ice cakes stored in a glass container: “I made these today. Keep them in the fridge, and you can snack on them if you’re hungry.”

Guan Yuanfeng didn’t refuse and took them back to his room. Though he usually didn’t eat snacks, he opened the box and tried a couple of pieces before putting them in the fridge.

Earlier that day, he had seen Zhou Yun making mung bean cakes. They didn’t look difficult, but their taste was completely different from the ones sold outside.

The ice cakes were cool and smooth, the delicate and light mung bean flour perfectly blended with the smooth, fragrant sweetness of butter, not at all overly sweet.

Comet, his dog, eagerly watched him. Guan Yuanfeng gave him some freeze-dried dog food, but Comet only took a small bite and stopped eating, clearly not hungry after Zhou Yun had already fed him.

Back in his room, Guan Yuanfeng suddenly felt how empty and quiet it was. His luggage from retirement was still placed there, with a few simple clothes folded inside, and his wardrobe remained untouched.

The entire floor, which was a five-room duplex, was shared with his parents and younger brother. The other rooms contained old furniture from their previous home, items they couldn’t bear to throw away but were also unsuitable for the new house.

Although he lived in the villa, his parents often came up to sort through things and frequently warned him not to touch or throw away their possessions.

Compared to Zhou Yun’s place, which was filled with traces of daily life, his room felt like a guest room, as though he was a visitor in his own home.

He was indeed a guest. This was his parents’ repurchase house. He had sent money for his younger brother to help buy a villa in the neighborhood, planning for the family to live together.

But he hadn’t expected to retire early, and certainly hadn’t expected to retire because of his disability. The villa was ready, but he had become an unwelcome guest, a burden for the rest of his life.

On the other hand, his good neighbor had provided him with hot meals, fresh fruits, and snacks, even better than his own blood relatives.

And this neighbor had the rare, quiet demeanor that didn’t probe into his disability or past. They were few words but thoughtful in their actions, making for a very good neighbor. Because of this neighbor, even this repurchased house, which he had never liked, had some redeeming qualities.

After washing up and reading a bit, Guan Yuanfeng went to bed.

That night, he surprisingly slept soundly until morning.