Chapter 40 – Primordial Qi Can Treat Illnesses
“YangYang, you should also give Eldest Grandpa a foot ma.s.sage, just like Grandpa, he has a bit of rheumatism.” The rheumatism in my Grandpa’s body had been completely treated, the villagers were all really baffled. Grandpa also didn’t tell others. Eldest Grandpa was his own blood brother. When Eldest Grandpa’s rheumatism flares up, it becomes really painful to walk. Grandpa couldn’t help but speak out the truth.
Grandpa led Eldest Grandpa to our house, and after entering from the main gate, called out for me while I was doing my school a.s.signments.
I could only put down my school a.s.signment book, and glance at Teacher Lin.
“Go. You can complete it after you come back.” Teacher Lin, who was marking school a.s.signments at one side, stopped and said while turning towards me.
I went out from the room, Eldest Grandpa and Grandpa were sitting in the main room. Seeing me come out, Eldest Grandpa immediately stood up, but his legs and feet were inconvenient, as he stood trembling.
“YangYang, Eldest Grandpa has brought some candy for you. They’re on the table.” Eldest Grandpa said, pointing at some candies packed in red plastic wrappers placed on the square table for eight. Only, these candies didn’t hold that much of attraction to me. I am Huang Jingyang, when it came to eating candy, I must first see which brand it was. My Thirteenth Uncle gave me White Rabbit candy[1], which was still pa.s.sably good.
Grandpa immediately came to the point: “Your Grandpa’s rheumatism has flared up, it is totally inconvenient walking with this foot. You check him. See if you are able to treat Eldest Grandpa’s legs.”
Grandpa actually didn’t know exactly how I cured his legs. However, he knew that it definitely must be related to those leg ma.s.sages of mine. Now, not only is his rheumatism fine, but the chronic illnesses of his entire body seem to have become completely fine overnight. How could he still possibly remain unaware that it was related to those ma.s.sages that I gave him frequently.
From childhood, I have been viewed as a carrier of diseases. Everyone evaded me, treating me indifferently. Towards these villagers, I absolutely didn’t have any favourable impressions. What business is it of mine whatever matters they have? However, Grandpa often told me to be nice to others, Teacher Lin has told me to return good for evil. These two people were the ones I cared about the most in this life of mine. Compared to my parents, even more still. I want to follow their words. That time when the villagers had met with mishap after picking up the relics, it was also because of Grandpa’s directives, that I helped deal with other people’s issues.
I congealed Primordial Qi in my hand, and moved it on Eldest Grandpa’s leg slowly. The Primordial Qi permeated slowly into Eldest Grandpa’s body. The average person would be unable to see the faint traces of black qi coming elegantly out of Eldest Grandpa’s leg. Dispersing out in the air, merging into nothingness.
As my hand moved, Eldest Grandpa’s tightly furrowed eyebrows slowly relaxed, that awful ache was already slowly being eliminated.
I withdrew the Primordial Qi, stood up, and went to wash my hands. When I returned to the room, I heard Eldest Grandpa joyfully talking with Grandpa in the mainroom: “Ming Gui, my leg seems to no longer be aching. I have taken so many injections, taken so many medications, but they were not the least bit effective. YangYang merely pressed down, and all of a sudden it became better.”
Grandpa was seemingly not at all surprised: “Good. Later, when you are free come again a few times.”
“En.” Eldest Grandpa said.
“Elder Brother. These candies that you brought, YangYang doesn’t like eating these candies.
“What can I do? Should I go and bring back something else? Won’t do, this illness was cured, cannot be considered gratuitous treatment. Later, I will give YangYang a thank-you gift.”
“Elder Brother, we are all family. No need.”
“No need? This is treating illnesses. Curing an illness but not even receiving a thank-you gift, do you want me to relapse?”
Teacher Lin was also baffled: “Huang Jingyang, did you really cure the illness?”
Earlier, Teacher Lin had been listening secretly all along.
“Yes. My Grandpa’s rheumatism was also cured by me.” I said.
“Cured how? You only ma.s.saged?” Teacher Lin naturally also couldn’t understand.
“Right.” I spoke vaguely as well.
“Then you have to also ma.s.sage Teacher Lin. Marking so many a.s.signments, my neck has gone sore.” Teacher Lin rubbed her neck.
“No problem.” I congealed Primordial Qi into my hand, and discharged it continuously into Teacher Lin’s neck.
Teacher Lin immediately said joyously: “Hey, it’s really effective. My neck has become quite relaxed all of a sudden. Huang Jingyang, I really couldn’t discover that you had so many small secrets. Right, I earlier used to frequently catch colds. After coming to Ba Jiao Elementary School, I haven’t ever caught cold. Did you take advantage of Teacher Lin while sleeping, secretly ma.s.saging Teacher, eh?”
Teacher Lin’s complexion became slightly red after she spoke, as she looked at me full of profound intent.[2]
“Teacher Lin, I fall asleep at night, I don’t know anything.” I was young, and didn’t understand Teacher Lin’s words.
Grandpa didn’t want to tell others the matter of me being able to cure rheumatism, he was most afraid of other people seeing me in a bad light. However, after Eldest Grandpa’s leg was cured, there were no means left to guard this secret.
Eldest Grandpa was the village’s famous loudmouth. Whatever matter happened to him here, would immediately be broadcasted into the knowledge of the entire village. Because of the matter of the red packet, I had a very good impression of Eldest Grandpa. Eldest Grandpa, after going back, sent me a red packet. Inside it were 200 yuan. Grandpa this time didn’t take away the money, and instead made me accept them myself. Earlier, Teacher Lin had given me an iron chocolate box. I placed the money in that iron box. This was the most money I had obtained since birth.
The people in the village would frequently walk barefooted on the ground. Moreover, Grandpa’s generation had once walked barefooted on frozen ground. Over time, one would naturally end with incompletely cured illnesses. Like Grandpa, those elderly of same age, would more or less have all kinds of chronic illnesses.
Earlier, whenever rheumatism flared up, the pain would be intolerable, then they would go to the barefoot doctor[3] in the village, who would use needles to relieve pain. The effects were not that good, moreover it would only remain effective for a short period of time. Hearing that Eldest Grandpa had gotten his rheumatism cured here, they all came running to our house. This time, each and everyone recalled how good I was, spoke so nicely as if the celestial constellations had descended to the earth. However, before this, amongst the village populace, I was seen as an evil portent. Whoever came into contact, would experience bad luck. Amongst the village children, n.o.body dared to speak even a few words to me. This time, I had become a lucky star. Truly, times change, things change.
“They are all people of the village, they had their reasons for avoiding. Although they used to not like us, they are of our own village, they all came seeking appointment, how could Grandpa be able to drive them away?” Grandpa seeing me unhappy, was somewhat worried.
Teacher Lin came to the village more than half a year ago, and was exceptionally clear regarding these circ.u.mstances: “Huang Jingyang, regarding this matter, Teacher won’t say anything, you yourself decide. Regardless of whether you decide to treat the villagers or not Teacher will always support you.”
I glanced at Teacher Lin, with my red eyes. Teacher Lin stroked my head gently, she also knew about the sadness in my heart. The villagers perhaps due to superst.i.tion sought advantages and avoided disadvantages, whether intentionally or unintentionally, they hurt me. Now they, owing to wanting to avoid disadvantages and seek advantage, gave to me another kind of injury. They never considered the feelings of this eight year old child.
“I shall take money.”
I thought for a long time, and the answer I gave made Teacher Lin laugh gently, and heavily hit my b.u.t.t.
“You just rigidly ask for money.”
Grandpa told villagers about my demand. The villagers were either silent, felt indignated, or approved. Althouh, earlier it was an ancient tradition that people of the village must help each other, in actuality, in the 90s, this kind of tradition was already starting to erode. All the young people in the village go to Guandong to take up jobs, leaving behind only the weak, sick and disabled. Earlier the people in the village at the time of threshing, would ask for other’s help as favour. So long as they were received with meals, it was ok. However, now they would demand wages even before beginning the work. Grandpa and I were growing a several mu field. At harvest time, asked for helpers, even willing to pay wages. However, our family was busy, many people were not willing to help. Now, on the contrary, some people want to profit out of gratuity from my work.
Actually, even if I were to not put it out explicitly, many people would just like Eldest Grandpa, give me gift of money. Considering as equal to the cost of treatment. However, explicitly asking for money has led to somewhat offending some people. Because this showed that there was no feeling of comradeship between villagers having the same home-town. Only, these arguments were completely non-applicable on me. Moreover, I was a first grader.
The fees for treating one was set at 200, the amount given by Eldest Grandpa became the norm. In the village of several hundred people, the old people numbered more than a hundred. After only a dozen or so people, I had earned more than 2000. As ten yuan made up one zhang, the chocolate box given by Teacher Lin was quickly filled up.
“Rotten brat, you are earning much more than me.” Teacher Lin looking at me counting, and couldn’t help but complain. She made about a thousand per month. I, not having completed even one month, have earned more than two thousand. How could she endure a brat earning money much quicker than her?
I let out a laugh, I was a person of cultivation, money was a mere worldly possession, how could I get attached to it? At least ten thousand would be needed to make me take it seriously. About ten or so people led to more than two thousand yuan, again came more tens of people, having more than ten thousand. At that time, I became the youngest ‘WanYuanHu’[4]. In the year 2000, ten thousand yuan were not a lot of money, ‘WanYuanHu’ was also no longer a well-off family. However, the term ‘WanYuanHu’ still resounded loudly in the rural areas.
Some say that information gets blocked in the villages, but they don’t understand the actual situation of the villages. Never underestimate the power of gossip. Whichever marriage, funeral, wedding reception or birthday celebration takes place in one’s village, they all become the most optimum point for communication and information dissemination. This flow of information was much more unimpeded compared to cities where the upstairs and downstairs people remain unacquainted for tens of years. In case there were spirits and demons involved, then the information travels even faster.
My treating of the rheumatism in the village could naturally not be covered. Starting from the time when I was born, all matters were added a bit of spice and vividness, and finally even a bit of supernatural elements were added. Momentarily, there was no stopping my popularity, much surpa.s.sing the momentum of a sorceress in the nearby village.
In the neighbouring village, there was a sorceress, who was reportedly capable of going to the afterlife and back. In the past, when that matter had happened to me, my parents had also run over to ask the ancestor. Later I heard that sorceress speak, my great-grandpa had also gone to meeting. My great-grandma had said angrily, that you all had wastefully burnt paper-offerings during new year’s time. My parents went into introspection for a long time, anyways lacking lot of money to give the ancestor, the result was not at all useful.
After the news spread, families from ten li of the village would come every day for treatment of rheumatism. Every day there was a lot of income, Teacher Lin would take me to town every weekend to deposit money. In a short while, the number of my pa.s.sbook really exceeded ten thousand yuan.