Chapter 441 - 383: Insights
Chapter 441: Chapter 383: Insights
Sun Yiming looked at Xiao Man and nodded. "All the men in the Sun Family learn Sun-style Tai Chi. I think I recall my great-granduncle and my father mentioning that Sun-style Tai Chi is somewhat beneficial for performing acupuncture."
"Learning it is one thing, but whether one can practice it diligently and master it to the point of using it freely is another matter entirely. This set of Sun-style Tai Chi is the life’s work of the Sun Family’s ancestor. It wasn’t just for strengthening the bodies of his descendants, but more importantly, for cultivating a breath of pure ’qi.’ Why is it that with Chinese acupuncture, some can only treat the symptoms, while others can treat both the symptoms and the root cause? The key lies in the person performing the acupuncture—a point I’m sure you understand. When I met Mr. Sun, he was sick and weak, lying on a bamboo couch. At the time, I begged him to use acupuncture to treat my Grandma’s eyes, but he told me he hadn’t used his needles in twenty or thirty years. It wasn’t because he couldn’t hold the needles, but because he had no ’qi’ left! Without that ’qi,’ the results wouldn’t be ideal, and that was something a renowned doctor like him could not tolerate. The old gentleman also told me not to pin my hopes on the other Sun Family members living in Wancheng, saying bluntly that no one there truly ’knew’ the Sun’s Acupuncture Technique. I asked him if that meant Sun’s Acupuncture would disappear forever. Mr. Sun said, ’The ones who truly know it are overseas.’"
"Our great-grandfather had such high hopes for us, but in the end, we younger generations have failed him!"
After listening to Xiao Man, Sun Yiming’s expression dimmed and he lowered his head. "The Sun’s Acupuncture Technique is different from others. I’ve known the methods since I was a child, but compared to my great-granduncle and my father, my results could never reach their level. It’s not commonly used abroad; only people from Huaxia occasionally request acupuncture, as foreigners are generally unwilling. So, I never pushed myself to improve in Chinese medicine, and Yining isn’t even qualified to perform it..."
Xiao Man said, "Mr. Sun’s hopes were naturally pinned on your direct lineage. Besides your father, are there any other Sun family members overseas who know Sun’s Acupuncture?"
Sun Yiming sighed. "My great-granduncle was said to be on par with my great-grandfather, but he has also passed away. In my grandfather’s generation, no one practices acupuncture anymore. My father’s two paternal cousins are not as skilled as him, and in our generation, there’s only me. As for our relatives here in the country, I’m not too familiar with their situation."
Xiao Man thought for a moment, then said, "The Sun family’s ancestral medical books have been in my possession for several years. Mr. Sun once said he was lending them to me but didn’t have the strength to personally explain or teach me. Whether I could learn from them, whether I could cure my Grandma’s eyes—it all depended on my own aptitude and luck. Fortunately, I didn’t waste those years. I tinkered with every secret recipe for eye diseases in those books. My Grandma’s eyes... you could say I managed to cure them through sheer trial and error. To this day, I can’t be sure if that particular recipe would work for every patient with an eye condition. In any case, I must repay Mr. Sun’s kindness. To return the favor, I’m willing to share my insights from practicing Sun-style Tai Chi with you, a Sun family descendant. We can also spar and exchange notes on the acupuncture techniques."
Sun Yiming froze. He was mortified that Xiao Man had seen right through him and called him out so directly. His fair, gentle face slowly turned beet red, and he started to stammer, "Um, Xiao Man... I was indeed curious about you, that’s why... But, really, I didn’t have any ill intentions..."
It was rare to see him so flustered, and Xiao Man couldn’t help but be amused. "I have eyes; I can tell you’re not a bad person. I’m only doing this to thank Mr. Sun. You’re not convinced, are you? You must be thinking, ’The Sun family themselves haven’t fully mastered their own medical arts, so how could some little girl do it in just two or three years?’ Heh, well, you’d better believe it: I’m just that talented!"
"Of course! You’re brilliant, Xiao Man. I shouldn’t have been so suspicious. It’s just that your progress is so fast, it goes against... it’s a bit illogical."
"You mean it’s unscientific, right?" Xiao Man said with a teasing smile. "My Grandpa started out as an apprentice in an herb shop. He sold herbs his whole life and knows over a thousand different kinds. I’ve been deeply interested in Chinese medicine since I was little, and I knew a fair bit about it even before I met Mr. Sun, so studying a few medical books was no problem. The Tang family’s ancestors were Ancient Martial Artists, and I’ve inherited that legacy. I was born with greater than average strength and have a strong aptitude for Martial Arts. For me, the Sun-style Tai Chi Thirty-Six Forms were very simple. I even made a few modifications to some of the moves based on my own understanding. Of course, that’s just for my own family to practice. The original manual is untouched. Whether to make any official changes is for the Sun family to decide."
Sun Yiming grew even more embarrassed. "Xiao Man, I sincerely apologize."
"Mm, apology accepted. Let’s hurry up and eat. I have to go back and organize my notes. I missed two classes last Friday for something, and the notes I borrowed to copy are a mess."
"If there’s anything you don’t understand in your modern medicine courses, remember to come find me."
"Okay, I’ll take you up on that."
Sun Yiming drove Xiao Man to the school gate. He wanted to walk her to her dorm, but she wouldn’t let him. She insisted on watching him drive away before turning and walking into the school.
But to her surprise, someone was lying in wait for her at the school gate, and she was caught.
Xiao Man glanced at the students coming and going through the school gate, then at the incessantly chattering Lin Aizhen and Wu Xiaowen surrounding her. Her head began to throb, and she desperately wanted to run and call Tang Haocheng: ’Come get your mom and your grandma!’
It had only been half a month since the semester started, and this mother-daughter duo had already come to harass Xiao Man three times. She had managed to avoid them before, but she couldn’t hide forever. She felt nothing but anger. If they thought coming to find her multiple times would soften her heart, the two of them were sorely mistaken.
When Tang Haocheng returned from the south, he had brought Wu Xiaowen a bag of local specialty foods. Seeing some large pears still in the fridge, he took four for her. No matter what, Wu Xiaowen was still his mother, and he wanted her to have a taste of the good food. Who would have thought that the very next day, Wu Xiaowen would bring Lin Aizhen and Wu Yu Xuan to the Tang family’s house. Besides wanting more of the large pears, she also demanded that Xiao Man check her maternal grandparents’ pulses and write them a prescription, claiming the old couple’s ailments had flared up again after being angered by their youngest daughter.
Grandma Tang flew into a rage on the spot. She told them to go to a hospital if they were sick and to stop bringing their bad luck to her door, then directly threw the three members of the Wu Family out. Wu Xiaowen was scolded so badly she burst into tears. Xiao Man was secretly glad that Tang Haocheng had been in a hurry to get back to school; otherwise, he would have felt terrible seeing that scene.
There was no telling how long they had been waiting at the school gate, but they had finally succeeded in catching Xiao Man.
Wu Xiaowen’s gaze was cold as she looked at Xiao Man; she had probably long since started seeing Xiao Man as an enemy. Even though she needed a favor, her expression didn’t soften in the slightest. Lin Aizhen, on the other hand, looked utterly pitiful and on the verge of tears. She grabbed Xiao Man’s arm tightly and said in a trembling voice, "Manman, you have to save your grandpa! You’re grown up now, you should know right from wrong. You can’t just listen to others trying to stir up trouble. That’s your own grandpa—without him, you wouldn’t even be here! You have to show some filial piety!"