The air in the banquet hall suddenly grew still. The middle-aged man’s thigh was so emaciated it resembled a bamboo pole—all skin and bones, with withered skin. Yet, five centimeters above his knee, the flesh bulged plumply. This formed a stark contrast to the emaciated leg below the knee. It looked as if all the flesh from his leg had migrated to just above the knee, a truly alarming sight. Or rather, it seemed as if the flesh above the knee had siphoned all the nutrients from the rest of the leg, allowing only that section to grow rampantly. Some female guests with weaker stomachs couldn’t handle the visual shock and nearly vomited on the spot after one glance.
"Is it a bone tumor?" someone blurted out amid the silence.
Three academicians from the Traditional Medicine Research Institute approached the middle-aged man. "Benign or malignant?" they asked.
The middle-aged man, named Xie Changyuan, had experienced intermittent pain in his knee three months prior. The pain, particularly at night, was often so severe that it kept him from sleeping. At the time, he had dismissed it as arthritis. By the time he noticed something was seriously wrong, the bone in his knee had already swollen and become deformed.
He went to the hospital for an examination, and the report bluntly stated: malignant primary bone tumor. Commonly known as osteosarcoma. In an age where cancer was such a dreaded word, Xie Changyuan knew his life was over. But all human beings have a will to survive. When Western medicine offered no solutions, people often clung to the last thread of hope, praying that traditional Chinese medicine could prolong their lives.
Xie Changyuan presented his diagnostic report to Si Mingjing.
After examining Xie Changyuan’s X-rays and the hospital’s diagnostic report, Si Mingjing frowned slightly. "A malignant primary bone tumor, and it’s in the late stage?"
Xie Changyuan smiled miserably. "Yes, late stage. Western doctors have already given up on treating me. Miss Si, your medical skills are said to be even better than Old Master Song’s. Could you possibly relieve my suffering and let me live another decade or so?"
Old Madam Ye, sitting beside Si Mingjing, frowned. "Isn’t that asking for the impossible? Cancer has been an issue for mankind for so many years and has yet to be conquered. Even if Mingjing is highly skilled, it’s impossible for her to extend your life by a decade, or even eight years."
However, Xie Changyuan responded, "Isn’t Miss Si the ’Divine Doctor’ of our times? Perhaps, for her, this is just a piece of cake."
Xie Changyuan felt resentful towards the unfairness of fate. He was only in his forties and had been stricken with cancer, developing a bitter resentment towards the world. He couldn’t stand hearing others proclaim themselves the ’Divine Doctor’ of the age.
That’s bragging gone too far, only to be met with a slap in the face, someone thought with inward amusement.
Even though it wasn’t Si Mingjing herself who had made the claim but Song Pianlan, they were family after all. What difference did it make who exactly said it?
Song Pianlan also smiled, eager to see cracks appear on Si Mingjing’s proud face and hear her humbly admit defeat. From then on, Si Mingjing would have to walk with her tail between her legs.
To everyone’s surprise, Si Mingjing remained calm and collected. She carefully reviewed the medical report, then knelt to examine Xie Changyuan’s thigh. Afterward, she placed two fingers on his wrist to take his pulse. After checking his pulse, she audaciously claimed, "I can cure your illness."
"I can cure your illness."
These words floated lightly from Si Mingjing’s mouth, leaving not only Xie Changyuan too stunned to speak but also everyone nearby staring at her in utter shock.
Those a bit farther away, unaware of what had transpired, gathered around to inquire. Someone informed them that Si Mingjing had audaciously told a patient with late-stage bone cancer—one whom Western medicine had declared untreatable—that she could cure him.
"Cure late-stage cancer? Is this ignorance or arrogance?"