As the New Year approached, the clinic also became more lively.

There weren’t many patients, but there were plenty of guests.

Wang the Third from Wangjia Gou came, and so did Zhou Xiaolin from Zhouzhuang.

Even Dean Sun from the Guanghe District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine personally visited with gifts, afraid that Li Xu wouldn’t continue as a consultant next year.

Many other patients who lived too far away to visit conveniently still called to express their gratitude.

For instance, Village Chief Ma from Jiangyou, Wang Baimu from Shangwang Village...

Li Xu also paid New Year’s visits to others.

Gao Guanghui from the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wang Tao from Jinmen University, Elder Li...

Soon, Ding’s Pharmaceutical’s annual gala grandly kicked off at the most luxurious hotel in Feng City.

Li Xu was invited to attend. When he stepped into the banquet hall, he immediately felt the enthusiastic atmosphere.

Ding Kaifang personally came forward to greet him, a wide smile on his face as he led him to the guest of honor’s table.

"Honored guests, dear colleagues..."

Ding Kaifang took the stage and said with passionate enthusiasm, "Today, we gather here to celebrate the rebirth and glory of Ding’s Pharmaceutical! And none of this would have been possible without one person—he is the very soul of our company, Li Xu, Doctor Li!"

The moment he finished speaking, the entire hall erupted in thundering applause that seemed to go on forever.

All the employees looked at Li Xu with grateful eyes.

Over the past six months,

they had personally witnessed the transformation of Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory.

From a pharmaceutical company on the brink of bankruptcy, it had leaped to become a nationally recognized and well-known enterprise.

All of this was thanks to Li Xu.

Li Xu stood up and gave a slight nod to the crowd.

Recalling the past, looking toward the future...

Afterward, the brilliant artistic performances began.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire audience, the popular star Ji Youyou, dressed in a magnificent gown, gracefully walked onto the stage.

Her appearance pushed the atmosphere of the annual gala to its climax.

Ji Youyou’s sweet singing voice echoed throughout the banquet hall.

After her song, she spoke emotionally into the microphone, "It is a great honor to be able to stand here and sing for everyone today. But there is one person I must thank even more... Dr. Li."

Ji Youyou’s gaze turned to Li Xu, her eyes filled with sincere gratitude. "If it weren’t for Dr. Li, my anorexia would have continued to torment me. It’s even possible... that I wouldn’t be standing here right now. He not only cured my body but also saved my life and my career. Here, I want to once again express my most sincere thanks to Doctor Li."

After she finished speaking, Ji Youyou took another deep bow.

The entire hall once again erupted in thunderous applause.

The celebration ended on a high note.

At the banquet, Ji Youyou came to toast Li Xu.

"Is it okay for you to drink?"

Li Xu asked.

Ji Youyou smiled. "I’m completely recovered. I can drink."

"Try not to drink too much," Li Xu reminded her.

"Okay."

A few days later, Li Xu accompanied Song Sisi on a trip back to her hometown.

The lively New Year festivities passed.

The weather began to warm up.

The clinic began to see all sorts of patients. As his fame spread, more and more of them were people with difficult and complicated cases.

This morning, a young man with a worried expression entered, pushing a wheelchair.

In the wheelchair sat an elderly man in his fifties, his complexion sallow and his legs hanging limply.

"Doctor Li, my father’s legs aren’t doing well. Could you please take a look?"

The young man said, "My father has suffered from leg atrophy for many years. If he wants to walk, he has to hold something heavy just to take a few slow steps. We’ve been to all the major hospitals and tried all sorts of Chinese and Western medicine, but there’s been no improvement..."

Li Xu gestured for the father and son to sit down.

He asked about the situation.

The young man’s name was He Wenwang, and his father was He Zhiming.

Li Xu reached out and took He Zhiming’s pulse.

He Zhiming’s pulse was steady and balanced, showing no obvious abnormalities.

Li Xu then asked in detail about He Zhiming’s medical history.

For years, the patient had tried all kinds of medications and had undergone comprehensive examinations at several major hospitals, but the results always came back as "no abnormalities found."

This had driven the patient to despair, making him feel his legs were incurable.

He had only come this time because his son had persuaded him.

Li Xu withdrew his hand. He already had a preliminary diagnosis in mind. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

He didn’t voice it, however. Instead, he called He Wenwang aside alone.

"Your father’s illness cannot be cured by medicine alone."

He Wenwang was immediately crestfallen.

’Even the renowned ’Divine Physician’ is saying this. Is he really incurable?’

"Doctor Li, are you saying my father’s illness is hopeless?"

He Wenwang asked for confirmation.

Li Xu waved his hand. "No. What I mean is, your father’s illness isn’t purely a physical ailment; it’s more of a ’sickness of the heart.’ The root of the problem isn’t in his legs, but in his mind. Long-term psychological stress, fear of the disease, and a lack of confidence in his ability to walk have caused his body to produce this illusion of ’leg atrophy.’ For this kind of illness, medicinal treatment is naturally ineffective."

"Doctor Li, then how should it be treated?"

He Wenwang asked.

Li Xu recalled a similar case cured by the famous Qing dynasty physician Cheng Zhongling. That patient also suffered from leg atrophy and had found no relief despite visiting numerous famous doctors.

Cheng Zhongling had used Psychological Therapy, creating a clever ploy that made the patient forget his pain in a moment of crisis, thereby restoring his ability to walk. Li Xu decided to follow the same plan.

He looked at He Wenwang. "I have a treatment plan, but I need your full cooperation. And most importantly, your father absolutely cannot know about it."

Although He Wenwang didn’t understand, Li Xu’s reputation preceded him, so his advice couldn’t possibly be wrong.

He agreed. "Doctor Li, just give me your instructions. As long as it can cure my father’s illness, I’ll do anything."

Li Xu nodded with satisfaction. "Good. For now, please take the patient back home. Then, come back to the clinic alone. I have more specific instructions for you."

He Wenwang did as he was told and pushed his father out of the clinic.

Li Xu, taking advantage of the lull in patients at the clinic, went to the back courtyard.

Behind the front clinic, there were several other rooms.

One was for living, one was a warehouse for storing medicinal herbs.

Another was used for preparing and decocting medicines.

The last one was a guest room.

Li Xu tidied up the guest room, called over Song Sisi, and set up several shelves.

About an hour later, He Wenwang returned.

"Doctor Li, what are your instructions?"

Li Xu explained in detail, "Today, I want you to go to the antique market in the city and buy some antique porcelain. Remember, buy cheap ones, but they must look realistic. The more they look like the real thing, the better. As for the quantity... buy about thirty to fifty pieces for now."

He Wenwang was utterly confused. "Buy... buy antique porcelain? Doctor Li, why... why would I do that?"

Li Xu gave a mysterious smile. "I can’t tell you the reason right now. You just need to remember that you absolutely cannot tell your father. This is a critical step in his treatment. Otherwise, all our efforts will be for nothing."

Although He Wenwang was filled with doubt, his trust in Li Xu made him agree in his confusion. "Alright, Doctor Li. I’ll go take care of it right away."

He Wenwang went to the largest antique market in Feng City.

Following Li Xu’s instructions, he specifically sought out porcelain pieces that looked simple and elegant with fine craftsmanship, but were relatively inexpensive.