Chapter 13: Chapter 0013: After-effects of Childhood Paralysis
Chen Fang mentioned the two incidents that Ye Qiu had just spoken of in the living room to Ye Weidong. In fact, even now, Ye Weidong remained skeptical about how Ye Qiu had managed to cure the Mayor's daughter, whom the doctors at Jinling Hospital had failed to heal.
If Ye Qiu could cure Ye Xue's illness, he would fully believe that Ye Qiu truly possessed medical skills.
"Let's see if he really knows medical skills," Ye Weidong said.
About a half-hour later, Ye Xue, having finished bathing, was about to return to her room to grab a hair dryer to dry her hair and get a good night's sleep, when she saw Chen Fang push open the door and walk in.
"Mom, is there something else?" Ye Xue asked.
"Your brother said he can cure your illness. He'll come over to treat you soon!" Chen Fang said.
"How is that possible?" Ye Xue asked.
Although Ye Qiu had changed her impression of him slightly by carrying her on his back on their way home, she was well aware of the condition of her right leg. How could it possibly be cured?
When Chen Fang mentioned how Ye Qiu had cured the Mayor's daughter at Jinling Hospital, Ye Xue seemed quite astonished as well.
While Ye Xue was still pondering, Ye Qiu had already walked over.
"Sister, I'll heal your right leg tonight, and then you can throw away your crutches. Tomorrow, you'll be able to walk like a normal person," Ye Qiu said.
"Really?" Ye Xue still couldn't quite believe it.
Ye Qiu then sat beside Ye Xue, asking her to lift her right leg. Ye Xue was wearing an old-fashioned nightgown, sitting on the bed.
Seeing that her brother was actually treating her, Ye Xue still couldn't comprehend it.
Moreover, in her view, what would Ye Qiu use to treat her illness?
When they were at Jinling Hospital, Chen Fang had seen Ye Qiu use Silver Needle, but now Ye Qiu didn't even have Silver Needle.
"Mom, please step outside; I'll have sister feeling better very soon." With that, Chen Fang stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Ye Weidong originally wanted to come in to see, but now that Chen Fang had been asked to leave, the two could only wait patiently outside.
Over the years, the two had given up hope about the condition of Ye Xue's right leg.
Now, they were somewhat hopeful instead.
Ye Qiu placed his sister's right leg on his knee, observing that Ye Xue's left leg looked normal, thus appeared very fair and had the same thickness.
However, Ye Xue's right leg was different. Her right calf and ankle were afflicted with severe muscle atrophy and joint deformity due to post-polio syndrome. Because of this, Ye Xue's right leg had no strength at all; it was almost as useless as a discarded limb, and she could only walk by maintaining balance with a crutch.
When Ye Xue looked over, she saw that Ye Qiu was merely observing her right leg.
Given that Ye Xue's daily workload was still quite substantial, paired with the fact that not many people pay that much attention, Ye Qiu noticed that her soles were calloused and emitted an unusual odor, resulting from wearing cloth shoes and socks twenty-four hours a day.
"Ye Qiu, do my feet smell bad?" Ye Xue asked.
"No," Ye Qiu said.
It was nothing really.
After carefully examining the post-polio effects on Ye Xue's right leg, Ye Qiu said, "Sister, close your eyes; your right leg will be fine soon."
Ye Xue, feeling both hopeful and nervous, closed her eyes.
At that moment, Ye Qiu gently placed his left hand on Ye Xue's right calf as if lightly brushing over it and her ankle as well.
With her eyes closed, Ye Xue didn't feel anything unusual, just hearing Ye Qiu say, "Sister, it's done."
When Ye Xue opened her eyes, she saw that her previously ugly right leg, the one with atrophied muscles and even deformities, had now completely recovered, looking no different from her normal left leg.
How was that possible?
Could she be dreaming?
Ye Xue couldn't believe it and bit her lip, feeling the pain, until she closed her eyes and then opened them again, finding her right leg truly the same as her left.
This was real!
This couldn't be a dream!
"Ye Qiu, is this real?" Ye Xue asked in astonishment.
"Sister, why don't you get up and try?" Ye Qiu said with a smile.
When Ye Xue got up and tried walking on the floor with her right leg, at first, she was not used to it, after all, she had not tried walking with her right leg for nearly twenty years, but now she found she really could, and it felt just like her left.
Ye Xue excitedly walked many rounds, unable to stop, and after feeling that her right leg had truly completely recovered, she finally stopped and said, "Ye Qiu, how did you treat it just now? Why didn't I feel anything? Could you be performing magic?"
"Sister, my treatment is quite special, not using any medications. But, it is definitely real, not magic," Ye Qiu said.
Listening from outside the door, Ye Weidong and Chen Fang came in once they confirmed that Ye Xue had really recovered and saw that her right leg looked just like her left, with no trace of the residual effects left by polio.
At that moment, Chen Fang felt very surprised again, just like when Ye Qiu had cured that deputy mayor's daughter at the hospital.
Ye Weidong also couldn't believe what he was seeing!
Could everything Chen Fang had told him be true?
"Ye Xue, walk for mom and dad to see?" Ye Weidong said.
No matter whether Ye Xue started with her left foot or her right foot, Ye Weidong and Chen Fang both found that their daughter really had no issues walking anymore.
This meant everything just now was real!
"Ye Qiu, how did you do it?" Ye Weidong asked.
"Dad, a master taught me these medical skills, knowing that should suffice," Ye Qiu said.
Since it was so, Ye Weidong didn't ask further. However, now both Ye Weidong and Chen Fang were incredibly excited— their daughter, who had been disabled for more than ten years, had completely recovered.
Such an event, if told, might not be believed by anyone.
"Since that's the case, let's all take a day off tomorrow and not go to the congee restaurant," Ye Weidong said.
With many years of worry suddenly gone, Ye Weidong felt much lighter.
Chen Fang took Ye Weidong back to their room, naturally to discuss the second matter Ye Qiu had just mentioned.
Now that their parents weren't here, Ye Xue looked up and down at her little brother, still extremely excited, and hugged Ye Qiu, saying, "Ye Qiu, thank you so much."
"You're my sister, why thank me?" Ye Qiu said with a smile.
Unable to contain herself, Ye Xue kissed Ye Qiu on the cheek, then let go and said, "Little brother, I'm going to sleep. I want to wake up tomorrow and find out this isn't a dream."