Chapter 110: This Is Not Old Man Cold's Arthritis

Meanwhile, on the other side, Zhang Shenzheng sat by the bedside, kindly inquiring about the condition of Mr. Wang, who lay resting on the bed.

“Uncle, I noticed Auntie was just massaging your knee joint. Is there some discomfort there?”

However, Mr. Wang did not register Zhang’s question fully. His mind was crowded with other, more pressing uncertainties—chief among them being how his daughter and Zhang Shenzheng had come to be together again.

Yet to broach the subject directly felt awkward, so his thoughts sought a subtle way to break the ice.

“Divine physician, thank you so much!”

Zhang Shenzheng had expected Mr. Wang to reveal more of what he wished to know, but the sudden gratitude left him utterly perplexed.

“Uncle, Wang Ying and I are classmates; there’s no need to be so formal.”

Zhang Shenzheng assumed Mr. Wang’s thanks were simply for his treatment of the old cold legs. Though he and Wang Ying had an agreement to keep certain matters quiet, Zhang felt it improper to mention anything about the exam papers to Mr. Wang.

“Divine physician, you’ve misunderstood. That’s not what I meant.”

From Zhang’s response, Mr. Wang realized the healer had yet to grasp the true point of his words.

“What I meant is, ever since you helped me out last time, our dumpling shop has been busier than ever. And that green-haired fellow kept coming by to support us. At first, I really thought they were here to cause trouble again…”

Before Mr. Wang finished, Zhang Shenzheng couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, thinking that the saying “villain meets his match” must hold some truth.

“Well, isn’t that good? It just means you and Auntie are a bit busier than usual.”

“We’re already up in years; a little extra work doesn’t bother us. But our greatest concern now is little Ying. She’s young and inexperienced—if she’s done anything wrong, please don’t take it amiss, Divine Physician.”

Hearing this, Zhang Shenzheng quickly realized that Mr. Wang’s earlier words were merely setting the stage for today’s matter. Suddenly, he felt a bit embarrassed.

He had come solely to treat the ailment but had not expected such an unexpected turn.

Hastily, Zhang explained, “Uncle, you’ve got it wrong. Wang Ying and I have settled that matter peacefully. If things were still as before, I doubt she would have brought me here to treat you.”

Mr. Wang felt considerably relieved upon hearing this.

At that moment, Wang Ying returned from outside and approached Zhang Shenzheng. “How’s my father doing?”

Zhang hesitated; after all, Mr. Wang had not answered his earlier question at all.

“Still under observation.”

Wang Ying looked somewhat dissatisfied. “It’s been so long, and he’s still not better? Has your practical skill declined?”

Zhang understood her concern as a daughter and chose not to argue. But as he rolled up Mr. Wang’s trouser leg, he noticed redness and swelling around the knee joint. When he reached out to touch it, Mr. Wang let out a sharp cry of pain.

Wang Ying quickly pushed Zhang away and scolded him, “What are you doing? You’ve hurt my father!”

Outside, Mrs. Wang heard the commotion and hurried inside.

“What’s wrong with you, old man?”

“Mom, Zhang Shenzheng hurt dad!”

Mrs. Wang turned to look at Zhang Shenzheng. “Divine Physician, what happened just now?”

Her tone was calm, for she trusted Zhang wouldn’t act recklessly; yet her husband’s expression was truly alarming.

“I just touched the red, swollen spot on Uncle’s knee. I didn’t expect it to cause such a reaction.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Wang did not press further but said, “If that’s so, then we can’t blame the Divine Physician. We should blame myself for not explaining clearly earlier.”

“What exactly happened?” Wang Ying asked, puzzled by her mother’s words.

“At first, I didn’t pay much attention to his condition, but later learned it was old cold legs. In the past two months, his knee has grown increasingly painful. That night when I was closing the shop, I tried to massage it for him but didn’t expect something like this to happen.”

Wang Ying immediately reproached her mother, “Mom, why are you only telling us now? If he’s sick, he should be taken to the hospital. What are you fumbling at home for?”

Mrs. Wang knew they ought to have sought hospital care, but with the dumpling shop as the sole source of income and Wang Ying soon to leave for work, the elderly couple hoped to save more money for a proper dowry.

If at their first meeting Mr. Wang had appeared in decent health, after Zhang Shenzheng’s examination, his face was now ashen and pale.

“Auntie, Wang Ying, please don’t be upset. From what I observe, this doesn’t seem like the usual symptoms of old cold legs.”

Hearing this, both women were understandably skeptical. If Zhang’s diagnosis was correct, then years of treatment had been misguided.

“How do you know?”

Wang Ying was doubtful but concerned for her father’s wellbeing, prompting her to press for answers.

“Well, what we call old cold legs is medically known as knee osteoarthritis—a non-inflammatory, degenerative bone disease. Most patients experience recurring, stubborn soreness, numbness, and pain in the legs, especially around the knees. While Uncle’s knee is swollen and red, the sharp cry he let out just now is not typical of osteoarthritis pain.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

Zhang’s explanation seemed reasonable to Wang Ying. She had studied medicine but never paid much attention to this detail. Her father had always complained about old cold legs in cold weather, and though treated at hospitals, the diagnosis was repeatedly osteoarthritis flare-ups. Since then, she had never thought to question it.

But Zhang’s words were like a clearing fog. If it wasn’t osteoarthritis, what ailment was her father truly suffering from?

“Yes! Divine Physician, what exactly is wrong with my father?” Mrs. Wang’s face was fraught with worry.

“Please remain calm. I will first insert a silver needle into this spot before making a definitive judgment.”