CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161: IS THIS MY LAST RALLY BEFORE DEATH?

Officer Xu returned and reported to Ren Zhong, saying that the family was willing to meet with Meng Yao.

"I’ll accompany you," Ren Zhong said.

"I’ll go by myself," Meng Yao replied.

Ren Zhong was the County Magistrate, so any move he made attracted attention. Considering their familial connection, it was best to avoid suspicion.

Officer Xu took Meng Yao to the temporary residence of the family.

A couple, along with their severely injured son.

The couple looked wary.

But their eyes couldn’t hide their exhaustion and concern.

From this, it was apparent that the three were indeed family.

"May I take a look at your son?" Meng Yao asked gently.

Perhaps believing Meng Yao posed no threat and spoke gently, the couple didn’t hesitate much and nodded in agreement.

The place they temporarily stayed was a small courtyard’s side room. There was a partition dividing it into two rooms. Outside, there was a makeshift wooden bed, and inside, on an existing kang, lay a young man with a gray complexion.

Without even feeling the pulse, just by his complexion, Meng Yao knew that the young man’s health was very poor.

However, it was not due to a new injury, but an old ailment.

"Officer Xu, could you run an errand? You must have other matters to attend to. Go ahead and be busy! I’ll leave by myself later," Meng Yao turned and said to Officer Xu standing outside.

Officer Xu understood, knowing Meng Yao wanted to send him away to talk with the couple.

Since Ren Zhong hadn’t instructed him to stay by Meng Yao’s side, Officer Xu nodded and left.

"Sir and madam, your son’s injury is due to an old injury compounded by illness." As she spoke, Meng Yao took the young man’s pulse.

Her tone was so certain that it left no room for doubt.

The couple exchanged looks, each seeing disbelief in the other’s eyes.

Considering what they had been told, the woman first denied, "That’s not true. My son was injured by Qian Yuanxing. Qian Yuanxing is a farmworker, very strong. Just one blow, and my son ended up like this."

"Your son is indeed severely injured, but it’s not the kind of injury that would lead to an immediate death. He will remain in such pain until the actual moment of death," Meng Yao did not argue with the woman, simply stating the facts calmly.

Even though unconscious, from the involuntary twitching and tightly furrowed brow, it was clear the young man was in great pain even while unconscious.

The injury was quite severe, but with proper treatment, it could be healed.

Without treatment, it indeed meant waiting in agony for death.

"Who are you, to speak such nonsense? Several doctors have seen him; they said there’s no cure for my son. Are you saying this on purpose to exonerate Qian Yuanxing?" The woman became agitated, "You’re just a woman; even if you know some medicine, can you be better than male doctors?"

Meng Yao could understand the woman’s emotions; she remained calm and unperturbed, "Has your son been unconscious ever since he was injured?"

The woman, not knowing what Meng Yao meant, still nodded in acknowledgment.

"What if I can wake him up now? And ease some of his pain once he’s awake," Meng Yao spoke lightly.

"Can you really wake my son up?" The woman was immediately excited.

"Yes," Meng Yao affirmed.

"Then, wake my son up first," the woman’s hesitation flashed across her face, but she then spoke resolutely.

"Alright."

Meng Yao took out the silver needle bag and unfolded it; the needles varied in length and thickness and gleamed coldly.

"Please, sister-in-law, I need you to unbutton the clothes on your son’s chest," Meng Yao said, as the injury involved the internal organs, and the main needling would naturally be on the chest.

Of course, awakening required needling on the head.

As she needled the chest, the couple, though nervous, remained silent.

When Meng Yao was ready to needle the young man’s head, the woman couldn’t help but speak up, "The needle is so long; it will damage him, won’t it? Don’t do it."

He was still alive lying there.

That’s the head; if it’s damaged, wouldn’t that be the end?

"Don’t worry, sister-in-law, it won’t harm him," Meng Yao slowly said, "Don’t you want to see him wake up? Don’t you want to hear him call you mother? It only takes a quarter of an hour for him to wake up. If there’s an issue, I won’t escape. The Government Office is not far; you can turn me in directly."

The man nodded heavily, with a hoarse voice, "Why not let her try, maybe?"

What if there’s no harm, what if he can wake up?

The woman eventually relented, and Meng Yao gently rotated the needle into the acupuncture point on the young man’s head.

In fact, she could needle with speed and precision.

But for the woman’s peace of mind, to give her a sense that great caution and care were used.

Meng Yao released the hold on the needle, the needle tail trembled lightly.

"All done, wait for a quarter of an hour," Meng Yao said.

The woman watched Meng Yao closely, fearing that she might escape.

Meng Yao remained calm, "Sister-in-law, how was your son injured before? The internal injuries never fully recovered."

The woman remained silent.

Instead, it was the man who spoke, "The previous doctors didn’t notice it."

"Perhaps it wasn’t that they didn’t notice," Meng Yao said meaningfully.

This couple insisted their son was beaten by Qian Yuanxing, so they had only diagnosed the injury.

"If you can save my son, I’ll tell you the truth," the man said heavily, as if he had suddenly made up his mind.

Telling the truth wouldn’t do the Qian Family’s situation any good right now.

They were determined to frame the Qian Family, so even if they spoke the truth, it would be of no avail.

Nevertheless, Meng Yao agreed, "Alright."

A quarter of an hour indeed wasn’t long, but for the couple, it felt interminable.

They stared intently at their son, afraid to miss a moment of him waking up.

The young man’s eyelids fluttered.

Meng Yao stood up to remove the needles from his chest, followed by the ones on his head. With the last needle removed, the young man’s eyes slowly opened.

The woman and the man leaned over the kang, choking with emotion, unable to speak.

"Father, mother," the young man’s voice was raspy.

"Sister-in-law, you can give him a little water to moisten his throat, but not too much," Meng Yao advised.

"Yes, yes, son, you must be thirsty, let me get you some water," the woman moved clumsily.

"Take your time, sister-in-law; I assure you, he won’t fall unconscious for no reason again," Meng Yao reassured.

The woman’s movements slowed, becoming orderly.

She gave her son some water to drink and wet a cloth to wipe his face.

"Son, how do you feel?" the woman asked.

"Much more relaxed, not as painful as before," the young man, though weak, managed to speak clearly, "Mother, is this my final resurgence?"

The words made the couple tense all over again.

They both looked at Meng Yao in unison.

"If you cooperate well, this is not your final resurgence," Meng Yao said.