Chapter 9: Accepting the Interview—Is Belated Justice Still Justice?
Shen Jiang had just relaxed from the idle chat, but now her lips tightened, and her expression immediately turned serious.
Her face was unusually stern, and she looked straight at the girl in front of her, meeting her gaze. She said, word by word, “Can you guarantee that you won’t maliciously edit this for clicks?”
Zi Ning was startled by the sudden surge in her presence and nodded subconsciously. “Of course.”
But she felt that wasn’t enough. She took out her student ID from her bag and said with a serious face, “This is my student ID. You can take a picture. I can also write you a letter of commitment, promising to edit the interview truthfully according to what happened today. How about this, I can show you the video before I post it. I’ll only post it after you’ve approved it.”
Behind the phone, Chen Quan’s expression was one of disapproval, but seeing his companion’s earnest look, he opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.
Shen Jiang suddenly smiled, a heartfelt laugh that left Zi Ning stunned. It was the first time she had seen this young woman smile since they had arrived. She looked so cute when she smiled.
I want to pinch her cheeks.
Shen Jiang had been feeling down because of the morning’s dream, but now she was healed by Zi Ning’s warmth. Although this girl looked quite mature, only a naive and simple university student would do something like putting herself in a vulnerable position just to reassure someone else.
Shen Jiang didn’t make her write a letter of commitment, but she did take a picture of her student ID. Once bitten by a snake, twice shy of a rope. Her ending in the dream was so tragic that she wouldn’t feel at ease without taking some precautions.
Now, she could give these two kids a big gift.
“The person who injured my grandmother is named Shan Guosheng. His father did indeed come here for treatment. The police have already caught him, and I can tell you everything I know.”
Zi Ning was surprised. She hadn’t expected her to bring up this issue so directly and openly. But when did the police catch him? Netizens had been speculating that the troublemaker hadn’t been caught after so long and might have even fled the country.
Shen Jiang continued to drop bombs: “Every patient I see here has their consultation for the day recorded. Take a look.”
Zi Ning watched as she brought over a thick notebook from the table. The cover was wrapped in cloth, giving it a rather ancient charm.
Zi Ning was completely bewildered. She didn’t understand this young woman’s methods at all. Letting them film the medical records directly was like letting all the netizens watching the video be the judge. That was far too bold.
She knew that the internet could infinitely amplify certain things. You might feel wronged and go online to complain about something, but when netizens saw it, not only would they not empathize with you, they would turn around and scold you for being weird. This was a classic case of shooting yourself in the foot.
Chen Quan also didn’t understand why Shen Jiang was doing this, but he knew this would definitely be the biggest highlight of their interview today. Those influencers who went to hospitals to cause trouble and film videos could all go viral. Their video this time might even make it to the front page.
Without another word, he held up his phone and moved closer to the text in the medical record. He even did a tracking shot, passing by Zi Ning and holding the phone right in front of the record book.
Chen Quan didn’t understand the pile of professional terms on it, but he saw the note. His eyes lit up, and he immediately zoomed in for a close-up of that line.
Zi Ning saw it too. She exclaimed in surprise, “The patient’s medicine wasn’t filled here! So if the patient’s health worsened, maybe he went to see another doctor and got a different prescription.”
I knew it, she thought. With so many commendation banners here, this doctor couldn’t possibly be a quack.
Chen Quan threw cold water on her excitement: “But you can’t tell when this was written. It can’t be used as evidence.”
Shen Jiang said, “I have a habit of saving the medical records on the same day. This is just for your convenience. I also have the file from that day on my computer.”
Zi Ning and Chen Quan exchanged a surprised glance: Oh boy, we really came to the right place today!
Zi Ning guided the conversation: “So it seems that this patient’s incident may not be related to your grandmother.”
Shen Jiang neither nodded nor shook her head. “The patient and his family insist that it was because of the prescription my grandmother gave him, so for now, we won’t consider the possibility that he went to see someone else. Come on, can you understand this medical record?”
Zi Ning was very honest: “Sister, I’m just a TCM enthusiast. I really can’t understand such a complex medical record. Just tell me straight.”
Shen Jiang began to explain to them what “false cold, true heat syndrome” was.
Zi Ning’s head ached from listening. The theoretical knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine was too complex for her. The classical Chinese-like terms were one more obscure and difficult to understand than the next. Things like “pulse submerged below,” even someone like her who was interested in TCM couldn’t understand it, let alone the netizens.
It was clearly symptoms of body cold, so how did it become a heat syndrome? She couldn’t figure it out.
Zi Ning said, “Can we explain it in a more easy-to-understand way? Many netizens may not have been exposed to traditional Chinese medicine before and won’t be able to understand such complex theoretical knowledge.”
Chen Quan burst out laughing, clearly understanding Zi Ning’s underlying meaning: she didn’t understand.
Zi Ning turned and glared at him: As if you understand, kid?
Realizing he was filming with his phone, she quickly retracted her fierce gaze and seamlessly switched back to a dignified smile.
Chen Quan scratched his head with his other hand. In truth, he didn’t understand either.
Shen Jiang was amused by their interaction and laughed along. “It’s normal not to understand. But if a TCM practitioner sees your video, they can learn a lot from it, which is why I was a bit long-winded.”
Zi Ning, only half-understanding, decided to keep this explanation of the esoteric theory. At this moment, she had no idea of the value of Shen Jiang’s sharing in the future.
Shen Jiang smiled slyly. “Now, let’s talk about something you can understand. There should be two signs of heat in the body. One is the patient’s urine, which must be very yellow. The other is that the patient doesn’t like to drink hot water.”
Zi Ning took the medical record book from before, and matching it with the text on it, she cried out, “This patient has exactly these symptoms! It’s a heat syndrome! Your grandmother’s diagnosis was correct!”
Oh my god, if what this young woman is saying is true, then the doctor at this clinic is too amazing! Zi Ning’s heart pounded with excitement. After the interview was over, she had to ask this young woman to take her pulse.
But Zi Ning felt that something was not right. “Wait, your grandmother’s prescription was fine, and the patient filled the medicine elsewhere. Then it must be a problem with the medicine! Why are they coming to settle accounts with your grandmother?”
This was too shameless. Zi Ning resisted the urge to curse in front of the camera and clenched her fists.
Speaking of which, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for the old doctor who had been in the accident. The old lady was too unlucky to have met such a family. The patient was willful, and the patient’s family was even more indiscriminate.
Shen Jiang thought to herself, he’s the one who sells the medicine, so how could he possibly look for the cause in his own medicinal herbs?
If she directly said that the medicine Shan Guosheng gave his father was problematic, the netizens would never believe it.
She knew from the dream that just knowing the prescription Shan Gui took was written by her grandmother had caused an uproar. If they knew the medicinal herbs came from the Shan family’s medicine shop, the reaction would be even more intense than in the dream.
The dream had already given her the answer. Insisting on proving her innocence on her own was useless.
She had to bide her time and find the most suitable opportunity to clear her grandmother’s name.
*
The interview was almost over.
Zi Ning wanted to tell the young woman that even though justice might be delayed, it would always come.
But in the end, she didn’t say it.
Is belated justice really still justice?
A conflicted expression appeared on Zi Ning’s face. It seemed difficult for her to give a positive answer to this question.
So she simply ordered her little brother Chen Quan, “Go, take pictures of those glass cabinets that have been smashed beyond recognition, and the commendation banners on the floor and walls. Edit them all in later.”
Chen Quan loved it when she ordered him around like this. He went without another word.
Zi Ning looked at Shen Jiang’s soft and sweet appearance, and then thought about how the grandmother and granddaughter depended on each other to run this clinic. Her heart couldn’t help but feel a little sour. This older sister looked so easy to bully. She couldn’t help but want to stand up for her and seek “justice” for her.
Right, she wanted to ask Sister Shen Jiang to take her pulse.
Zi Ning thought for a moment, didn’t call Chen Quan over, and asked Shen Jiang alone, “Doctor Sister, can you take my pulse for me? I’ve been feeling really uncomfortable lately.”
She spoke in a hushed tone, as if afraid of being overheard, furtive and quite at odds with her own cool older sister aura.
Shen Jiang didn’t refuse. She had her sit down on the other side of the table, opened a drawer, took out a pulse pillow, and gestured for Zi Ning to place her hand on it. She told her not to say what she wanted to be treated for; she would take her pulse first.
Zi Ning thought: Wow, Sister Shen Jiang is making things difficult for herself.
“What are you two doing?” Chen Quan popped his head out from behind. He had finished filming those shots and was about to come over when he turned his head and saw the two of them up to something behind his back.
Seeing that Shen Jiang was taking Zi Ning’s pulse, he pointed the camera directly at the two of them.
Zi Ning was a little unhappy. Why was this Chen Quan so bad at reading people?
Filming them so directly like this, how nervous must little Dr. Shen be?
Zi Ning’s original plan was to let Shen Jiang take her pulse first. If it wasn’t effective, then forget it. If it was, she would have Chen Quan re-shoot it.
As long as Dr. Shen was genuinely skilled, it didn’t matter if she had to re-enact the scene specifically for the camera. After all, she wasn’t lying.
Zi Ning’s intentions were entirely good. Shen Jiang’s appearance was simply too young, especially with her cute baby face, which made it difficult for people to believe she was a highly skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor at first impression.
Old TCM doctor, old TCM doctor, the older the better, right?
Zi Ning wanted to help Mingxin Hall. The scales in her heart had completely tipped in favor of Shen Jiang and her grandmother. Especially after hearing that Shen Jiang’s grandmother was still in a coma in the ICU, and looking at the mess in the clinic, Zi Ning truly sympathized with their plight.
She would post what Shen Jiang said online truthfully. Although one part was too obscure and difficult to understand, professional TCM practitioners would understand it. And what Shen Jiang said later was very easy to understand, even a child could understand it.
If Shen Jiang could cure the illness that had been troubling her for a long time, wouldn’t that be perfect proof of the high medical skills of the doctors at Mingxin Hall?
How could Chen Quan know about these little schemes in her mind? He still had more to say.
Chen Quan held up the exquisitely designed invitation in his hand, which he had just picked up from a corner, and said with great interest, “Dr. Shen, the city’s Dragon Boat Festival free TCM clinic event also invited you? You’ll be going, right? You should keep this invitation safe.”
The Dragon Boat Festival was at the beginning of next month. It was already mid-May, so there was still half a month to go.
Shen Jiang’s gaze swept over the thin, moon-colored invitation, as calm as still water. “Don’t disturb me.”
When taking a pulse, a doctor needs a quiet environment to concentrate. Chen Quan’s repeated interruptions were affecting her diagnosis of Zi Ning.
Zi Ning thought to herself, she’s nervous after all.
She made a decision in her heart: no matter what Shen Jiang said later, as long as it wasn’t too outrageous, she would say that Shen Jiang’s pulse diagnosis was ridiculously accurate.
Anyway, modern people all have the same few common problems: spleen deficiency, kidney deficiency, hair loss, insomnia… she could probably guess a few of them right.
Three minutes passed. Shen Jiang asked Zi Ning to stick out her tongue for a look. Zi Ning complied. She remembered that in the past, when the doctor saw this, the diagnosis step was pretty much over.
But then Shen Jiang placed three fingers on her other wrist and continued to take her pulse with her eyes lowered.
Now Zi Ning was starting to regret asking Shen Jiang to treat her. It was clear that although Shen Jiang didn’t look flustered on the surface, this repeated pulse-taking was a sign of a lack of skill, wasn’t it? In an exam, you could give up on the last big question, but with Chen Quan’s camera pointed at her, Dr. Shen couldn’t say she couldn’t do it.
Another three minutes passed. Seeing that Shen Jiang still had no intention of finishing the pulse-taking, Zi Ning couldn’t help but feel anxious for her. If she didn’t help her now, was she just going to wait and watch the young woman make a fool of herself?
What’s more, the problem Zi Ning wanted to be treated for today was not easy to cure in the first place.
Just as Zi Ning was about to speak and list all the problems she usually mentioned when seeing a TCM doctor,
Shen Jiang interrupted her without any courtesy, “Why did your heartbeat suddenly speed up? Relax.”
Zi Ning: “…”
Wow, shouldn’t those be my words to comfort Shen Jiang? How did it turn around and become her comforting me? She thought for a moment and still chose to respect Shen Jiang’s wishes and said nothing.
Chen Quan had been holding his phone and filming the two of them, but since they were both sitting quietly and not speaking, it was too silly for him to just stand there and stare blankly at them. So he brought the tripod over, set it to film them slowly, and went off to the side to rest.
The incredibly long few minutes finally passed.
Shen Jiang withdrew her hand and began the consultation.
Zi Ning secretly let out a long sigh of relief. It’s finally over.
But with each of Shen Jiang’s questions, Zi Ning’s expression gradually turned into a dazed, repetitive nod. What’s going on? Shen Jiang took her pulse for so long just now, wasn’t it because she couldn’t feel the pulse?
Someone tell me, why can Shen Jiang accurately state my symptoms?
To be precise, Shen Jiang didn’t actually directly diagnose her with any symptoms.
Instead, she asked her, “Do you usually have constipation?” “Do you often get acne?” “Do you have menstrual cramps? Is your flow heavy?…” Shen Jiang’s questions were very detailed, some even about small problems that Zi Ning herself had overlooked.
Zi Ning wanted to kneel down for her. She had them, she had them all! How did Dr. Shen do it? Did she figure all this out just by taking her pulse just now?!
When Shen Jiang started the consultation, Chen Quan was sitting by the tripod watching. Seeing Zi Ning’s expression become more and more dazed, more and more foolish, just nodding her head, Chen Quan was so amused that he wanted to laugh but didn’t dare to.
Not bad, the effect is pretty good.
This girl had been a content creator for so long, she had finally gotten the hang of it. She knew what kind of reaction would create an effect. Just based on her acting skills, anyone who saw this would have to say that this doctor had some real skills.
Chen Quan didn’t take Shen Jiang’s words seriously. He felt that traditional Chinese medicine was all just a few repetitive phrases, just like horoscopes. They seemed mysterious, but each one could apply to most people. It was just a case of a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse. And she was so young, how could she possibly know how to treat illnesses?
But as for Zi Ning, the way she looked at Shen Jiang now was completely different.
Shen Jiang had recounted, almost in minute detail, all the symptoms that she usually told her TCM doctors! Some of the small details were even more complete than what she herself had said.
Finally, Shen Jiang casually threw out a sentence, “That’s right, you must have symptoms of rhinitis, right?”
It was hard for Zi Ning to describe her shock at this moment. She just wanted to kneel down for Shen Jiang.
The problem that had been troubling her was rhinitis!
“Dr. Shen, you’re so amazing, you can definitely treat rhinitis, right!” Zi Ning’s eyes were sparkling as she stared at Shen Jiang.
She had seen many TCM doctors before, all in an attempt to cure the rhinitis that had been tormenting her for a long time. Unfortunately, the prescriptions those doctors gave were long and complicated, bitter but useless, not even as effective as Western medicine. But the effect of Western medicine was also limited. It could only make her feel better in the early stages; later on, she still had to endure it on her own.
Because of her rhinitis, Zi Ning was now an expert on various nasal sprays, like Budesonide nasal spray and Azelastine hydrochloride nasal spray, which were her regular medicines. She had even written a post on Xiaohongshu sharing her experience with rhinitis medications, which had received a lot of likes.
Shen Jiang said, “Your lung qi deficiency is actually just a superficial symptom. The root cause is insufficient vital qi and a weak spleen and stomach. As long as you regulate your spleen and stomach, your rhinitis will gradually get better.”
Zi Ning nodded like a pecking chicken. This was the first time she had met such a skilled TCM doctor since the one who had cured her acne. Now, she was willing to listen to whatever Shen Jiang said.
When she first saw Shen Jiang, she had thought she was just an ordinary soft girl. But now, looking at her again, she had the air of a transcendent master.
You really can’t judge a book by its cover.
Zi Ning suddenly became curious about which university this older sister had attended.
Shen Jiang turned her head and said to Chen Quan, who was watching the show from behind the phone, “Young man, come over here. Let me take a look at you too.”