"Don't misunderstand me," Su Hang chuckled dryly, "One of my ancestors was a traveling doctor, and we have a few family-secret ointments passed down, specifically for treating these kinds of stubborn ailments. Although the formula has been lost, a few of the ointments are still around. So I thought I'd take a look at Grandpa Qin's leg; maybe my ointment could help."
"You mean your family used to practice medicine? Why haven't I heard you mention this before?" Shuai Yu asked, puzzled.
"There are many things you haven't heard about," Su Hang smiled. "Grandpa Qin, let me take a look at your leg."
Regarding the family's medical background, Su Hang wasn't lying. However, they were just barefoot doctors who roamed the countryside, and the tradition only lasted until his grandfather's generation. Due to policy changes, his grandfather couldn't practice without a medical license and had to stop. After his grandfather passed away, the skills were lost, breaking the lineage.
When Su Hang was a child and had minor illnesses, he would always go to his grandfather. However, the family-secret ointment he mentioned was completely fabricated.
"Alright, take a look, take a look." Although Qin Yongjian didn't have much hope, he didn't want to refuse Su Hang's good intentions. He rolled up his pant leg without hesitation.
The pant leg was loose and easily rolled up above the knee. Su Hang took one look and felt goosebumps all over his body. The two girls couldn't bear to look.
The skin was blackened, and some areas had already necrotized and ulcerated. The wounds seemed to have been treated, but there was a pungent medicinal smell. The veins bulged like worms, especially around the knee, forming a large lump. Both legs were deformed below the thighs.
"Can you move it?"
Su Hang just took a look. He hadn't studied medicine, but the condition seemed quite serious. There was insufficient blood flow to the lower limbs, and if it continued to deteriorate, the legs would definitely be lost.
"A few days ago, I could still move it a bit, but not anymore. Now I can only rely on a wheelchair. This leg can't even bend, and the pain at night is unbearable. I can't sleep for days on end," Qin Yongjian said casually, even with a smile on his face, but his condition was far from light.
"Su Hang, can you treat it?" Qin Shiyu straightened up, looking at Su Hang with hope.
Su Hang pondered for a moment, "I can't say for sure, but I think it should be fine. We'll know once we try!"
"Really? Where's the ointment? Do you need to go home to get it?" Qin Shiyu, in her desperation, clung to Su Hang as a lifeline, believing his confident words.
"No, I have it with me." Su Hang shook his head, reached into his pocket, and pretended to rummage around before taking out the dog-skin ointment from his storage ring.
A yellow paper bag, with no words, no label, and no production date. Su Hang tore open the seal, and a pungent smell immediately spread.
The medicinal smell, mixed with other odors, was foul and overwhelming. Su Hang, who was the first to be hit by the smell, almost shed tears. The others also quickly covered their noses.
This was the ointment the system had gifted him when he extracted the Foshan Shadowless Kick. The system had boasted about its miraculous effects, claiming it could cure any injury, internal or external, as long as it wasn't a terminal illness.
Su Hang didn't have much use for it himself, but now that Grandpa Qin was ill, it was a good opportunity to try it out. After all, he was a close friend's grandfather, and there was no question of hesitation.
This was the first time Su Hang had taken out the dog-skin ointment. The smell was indeed quite strong. He endured the nauseating odor, held his breath, and took the ointment out of the bag. He counted five pieces.
Each piece was a square, about the size of a palm, with a black, sticky substance in the center, sealed with a small piece of paper. The pungent smell came from this.
"Wow, dog-skin ointment? That's rare these days." Qin Yongjian didn't mind the smell; he found the ointment intriguing.
Su Hang chuckled, "Grandpa Qin has a keen eye."
"Dog-skin ointment?" Zhao Dami leaned in. "Isn't that a term for fake goods? Su Hang, are you trying to fool us?"
In modern society, "dog-skin ointment" is indeed a derogatory term. It's no wonder Zhao Dami reacted that way.
Before Su Hang could respond, Qin Yongjian waved his hand, "You don't understand. In ancient times, dog skin was often used to make ointments because it has no sweat glands, making the medicine more effective. Later, with more fakes, the term became derogatory. Su Hang's ointment is made from high-quality white dog skin, so it should have some merit."
"Grandpa Qin is truly knowledgeable," Su Hang flattered.
Qin Yongjian smiled, "I'm just a jack-of-all-trades, knowing a little about everything but not an expert in anything."
Su Hang smiled as well.
"Grandpa," Shuai Yu hesitated, "I think we shouldn't try this medicine. You just applied some medicine, and if this causes any harm, what will we do? You've used ointments before..."
Qin Yongjian raised his hand to stop Shuai Yu, "It's fine, it's fine. Do you not trust Su Hang?"
Shuai Yu looked up at Su Hang, who smiled bitterly, knowing that he was worried about the ointment being fake. The old man's legs couldn't afford any more trouble.
"Um, should we try it?" Su Hang asked.
"Try it. Don't mind them. Treat a dead horse as if it were alive." Qin Yongjian gestured to Su Hang. He didn't want to refuse Su Hang's good intentions, and he had no hope for his legs anyway. He could feel them worsening, so it was fine to use Su Hang as a test.
Since Qin Yongjian agreed, the others, though worried, didn't dare to object. Su Hang asked Qin Shiyu to find some hot water, cleaned and warmed Qin Yongjian's leg, and then applied two pieces of the dog-skin ointment to his feet.
"By the way, there's a story behind the dog-skin ointment. Would you like to hear it?" As everyone watched Su Hang apply the ointment, Qin Yongjian tried to ease the tense atmosphere.
"Story? I love hearing stories from Grandpa Qin." Zhao Dami was the first to respond, her eyes lighting up at the mention of a story.
Qin Yongjian cleared his throat, "Legend has it that in ancient times, in what is now Nanhesheng, there was a place called Zhangde Prefecture. In Zhangde Prefecture, there was a medicine shop owner named Wang, who was very kind. He treated anyone with sores, regardless of their wealth, and had a good reputation.