Huang-Mao the Doctor
By: Stephen Chou
Huang-Mao, a well-known Chinese doctor/ acupuncturist strolled through the busy market place. Grocers ran around with their wooden carts shouting "Fresh duck, fresh cabbage!" Huang-Mao stopped to look at the carts that sold needles. The needles were very elegant and had dragons on them. He didn't know that he would FIND more rare and valuable needles later. His set was very old and was bent. His master had given him his needles when he had graduated from medical school. "I wish I had a better pair of needles," he thought to himself. He also stopped at a cart where a fat stocky man was selling Ginseng. Huang-Mao then went to check out the building of a bridge, an act of communism. A few men were working on the middle of the massive structure. Suddenly, a man fell off of the unfinished bridge, into the muddy ditch screaming in pain. In an instant, Huang-Mao flung himself down into the mud, getting himself muddy. Working like a cheetah, he took out his needles, and began working. The man had obviously broken his arm. Blood was pouring onto his hand before sinking beneath the mud. Huang-Mao moved the man's forearm. It moved around as he moved it. Huang-Mao wasted no time asking him where it hurt and stuck his first needle in the arm to stop the bleeding. Then he stuck a needle in the broken bones and they held fast. He bent the needle to keep it from falling out and told the man not to take it out until he felt no pain in his arm. The man was very grateful, and since Huang-Mao didn't have a place to stay the night in, the man invited Huang-Mao to stay in his house. Huang-Mao accepted gratefully. That night, Huang-Mao gave the man some Ginseng, checked his arm and played Chinese Chess with his daughter Chin-Mai. Then he said goodnight, prayed, and went to bed. "Guest, wake up!" the voice sounded urgent. Huang-Mao opened his eyes. There before him was a fire! The fire's heat covered him with warmth, and his eyes were in pain from the blazing color. Quickly, he got dressed and ran out the door, not remembering about all his equipment. When he got outside, he suddenly remembered. "I must go back and get my needles!" he sobbed and started running toward the blazing fire. Arms wrapped around him like rope to keep him back. The next morning, Huang-Mao set out for the city of Peking. All the way up the border mountain, he thought of what he would now do for a living, since he didn't have anything but the clothes on his back. Suddenly, his head jerked up. There before him was a very old beat up shack. Long planks of rotted wood were the main structure. Dark brown logs supported the wood. A strange bird was perched up on the branches above the shed was chirping as to say "Come in, Huang-Mao!" He opened the creaking door. A startling sight made him gasp. Inside were needles of all sizes and shapes. Some were long, some hade sharp points, some had fat ends. What surprised him was that all the handles of the needles were plain gold! He even bit one just to be sure that his eyes weren't playing games with his mind. Since he was low on supplies, he took some, just so he had enough, not too much. This would be his supply store. A couple of days
later, he reached the city of Peking. In the forum, he found a platform. The governor of that city was making an important speech. The bed on the corner of the platform smelled like rotting fish. Huang-Mao caught some words of this speech. "If anyone can heal my daughter, I will give them 1000 gold pieces (equivalent to 5,000 dollars.)" Huang-Mao, low in cash, said that he would help. The girl had a dirty face. Huang-Mao held out his hand. "Give me your wrist, let me see what is wrong." He felt the wrist and noticed that the girl had no problems. "Soldier, fetch me a tonsil with a hot piece of hot coal in it please." Huang-Mao ordered calmly. "Why do you need a piece of coal?" the girl asked quietly. "To make you sweat! You have a symptom of lack of sweat. The coal will burn, but you will feel better after one minute of holding it!" "Noooo!" the girl screamed. Huang-Mao took the tonsil and pulled the girl's hand out. The girl struggled and finally got free. "Father, I am not sick! I was only faking it because you didn't seem to love me! You were too busy with your work that you didn't pay attention to me!" she sobbed. "Huang-Mao! You have made my daughter well again! As I promised, I will give you 1000 pieces of gold." Huang-Mao accepted gratefully, his pockets bulging with cash. As he stepped off the platform, beggars came and begged him for money to buy food. Huang-Mao judged them by their clothes that they were really poor. He gave them 20 gold pieces.
Next he went to the needle cart. He sold about half of his stock and got a very good price for it. The 10000 gold pieces he got would be saved for later uses. He went back to the shed that night in secret to retrieve another set of needles. What to his eyes may appear? There were still plentiful needles! All the walls were once again filled with shimmering gold in the bright silver moonlight. As he looked again, they were made of silver! This time he took just as much as before, not taking a needle more. He returned back to town silently. Huang-Mao opened his eyes just as the rising sun hit his eyes. He got up and paid the hotel owner his payment and set out for the needle shop. This time, he got a better bargain! 100000 gold coins for the needles! Huang- Mao stared at the elegant needles. They were even more detailed than the first bunch. They were perfectly formed, and when he tried to bend the needles, they would not bend! Huang-Mao set out for Nan-King. There, he met another governor. The governor was pacing himself, looking worried. He didn't notice Huang-Mao coming toward him until he crashed into him. "Oof!" Both of the men collapsed onto the ground. Huang-Mao stood up and helped the governor up. "I'm sorry! I just got caught up with the problems of the city. It seems that all the people are getting sick! Can you heal them? You look like a doctor," the governor said. Huang-Mao looked the governor over. "Okay,' he replied. The governor took him to his house. There, he set up a table and Huang-Mao sat down. After taking care of all the sick people, Huang- Mao said a goodbye to the people. He had gained 199098 gold pieces. Huang-Mao continued to the capital, Shanghai. There, he met the emperor. The emperor was very old and had a dragon robe on. The emperor asked him what business he had to do. Huang-Mao told him that he wanted to buy part of China. The emperor asked him how much money and what part of China. Huang-Mao said it he would pay 542345 gold pieces and wanted to buy the city of Fuzhou, the city where the man he saved lived. The emperor agreed. He started his journey back to the mountain to refill his stock. After returning to the city, he built himself a grand shop near the mountain for people to see him for medical assistance. He lived very happily. Huang- Mao's shed still is on the side of the mountain, now with a bright finish of white paint and with golden needles. He was very happy and lived a great life.
By: Stephen Chou
Huang-Mao, a well-known Chinese doctor/ acupuncturist strolled through the busy market place. Grocers ran around with their wooden carts shouting "Fresh duck, fresh cabbage!" Huang-Mao stopped to look at the carts that sold needles. The needles were very elegant and had dragons on them. He didn't know that he would FIND more rare and valuable needles later. His set was very old and was bent. His master had given him his needles when he had graduated from medical school. "I wish I had a better pair of needles," he thought to himself. He also stopped at a cart where a fat stocky man was selling Ginseng. Huang-Mao then went to check out the building of a bridge, an act of communism. A few men were working on the middle of the massive structure. Suddenly, a man fell off of the unfinished bridge, into the muddy ditch screaming in pain. In an instant, Huang-Mao flung himself down into the mud, getting himself muddy. Working like a cheetah, he took out his needles, and began working. The man had obviously broken his arm. Blood was pouring onto his hand before sinking beneath the mud. Huang-Mao moved the man's forearm. It moved around as he moved it. Huang-Mao wasted no time asking him where it hurt and stuck his first needle in the arm to stop the bleeding. Then he stuck a needle in the broken bones and they held fast. He bent the needle to keep it from falling out and told the man not to take it out until he felt no pain in his arm. The man was very grateful, and since Huang-Mao didn't have a place to stay the night in, the man invited Huang-Mao to stay in his house. Huang-Mao accepted gratefully. That night, Huang-Mao gave the man some Ginseng, checked his arm and played Chinese Chess with his daughter Chin-Mai. Then he said goodnight, prayed, and went to bed. "Guest, wake up!" the voice sounded urgent. Huang-Mao opened his eyes. There before him was a fire! The fire's heat covered him with warmth, and his eyes were in pain from the blazing color. Quickly, he got dressed and ran out the door, not remembering about all his equipment. When he got outside, he suddenly remembered. "I must go back and get my needles!" he sobbed and started running toward the blazing fire. Arms wrapped around him like rope to keep him back. The next morning, Huang-Mao set out for the city of Peking. All the way up the border mountain, he thought of what he would now do for a living, since he didn't have anything but the clothes on his back. Suddenly, his head jerked up. There before him was a very old beat up shack. Long planks of rotted wood were the main structure. Dark brown logs supported the wood. A strange bird was perched up on the branches above the shed was chirping as to say "Come in, Huang-Mao!" He opened the creaking door. A startling sight made him gasp. Inside were needles of all sizes and shapes. Some were long, some hade sharp points, some had fat ends. What surprised him was that all the handles of the needles were plain gold! He even bit one just to be sure that his eyes weren't playing games with his mind. Since he was low on supplies, he took some, just so he had enough, not too much. This would be his supply store. A couple of days
later, he reached the city of Peking. In the forum, he found a platform. The governor of that city was making an important speech. The bed on the corner of the platform smelled like rotting fish. Huang-Mao caught some words of this speech. "If anyone can heal my daughter, I will give them 1000 gold pieces (equivalent to 5,000 dollars.)" Huang-Mao, low in cash, said that he would help. The girl had a dirty face. Huang-Mao held out his hand. "Give me your wrist, let me see what is wrong." He felt the wrist and noticed that the girl had no problems. "Soldier, fetch me a tonsil with a hot piece of hot coal in it please." Huang-Mao ordered calmly. "Why do you need a piece of coal?" the girl asked quietly. "To make you sweat! You have a symptom of lack of sweat. The coal will burn, but you will feel better after one minute of holding it!" "Noooo!" the girl screamed. Huang-Mao took the tonsil and pulled the girl's hand out. The girl struggled and finally got free. "Father, I am not sick! I was only faking it because you didn't seem to love me! You were too busy with your work that you didn't pay attention to me!" she sobbed. "Huang-Mao! You have made my daughter well again! As I promised, I will give you 1000 pieces of gold." Huang-Mao accepted gratefully, his pockets bulging with cash. As he stepped off the platform, beggars came and begged him for money to buy food. Huang-Mao judged them by their clothes that they were really poor. He gave them 20 gold pieces.
Next he went to the needle cart. He sold about half of his stock and got a very good price for it. The 10000 gold pieces he got would be saved for later uses. He went back to the shed that night in secret to retrieve another set of needles. What to his eyes may appear? There were still plentiful needles! All the walls were once again filled with shimmering gold in the bright silver moonlight. As he looked again, they were made of silver! This time he took just as much as before, not taking a needle more. He returned back to town silently. Huang-Mao opened his eyes just as the rising sun hit his eyes. He got up and paid the hotel owner his payment and set out for the needle shop. This time, he got a better bargain! 100000 gold coins for the needles! Huang- Mao stared at the elegant needles. They were even more detailed than the first bunch. They were perfectly formed, and when he tried to bend the needles, they would not bend! Huang-Mao set out for Nan-King. There, he met another governor. The governor was pacing himself, looking worried. He didn't notice Huang-Mao coming toward him until he crashed into him. "Oof!" Both of the men collapsed onto the ground. Huang-Mao stood up and helped the governor up. "I'm sorry! I just got caught up with the problems of the city. It seems that all the people are getting sick! Can you heal them? You look like a doctor," the governor said. Huang-Mao looked the governor over. "Okay,' he replied. The governor took him to his house. There, he set up a table and Huang-Mao sat down. After taking care of all the sick people, Huang- Mao said a goodbye to the people. He had gained 199098 gold pieces. Huang-Mao continued to the capital, Shanghai. There, he met the emperor. The emperor was very old and had a dragon robe on. The emperor asked him what business he had to do. Huang-Mao told him that he wanted to buy part of China. The emperor asked him how much money and what part of China. Huang-Mao said it he would pay 542345 gold pieces and wanted to buy the city of Fuzhou, the city where the man he saved lived. The emperor agreed. He started his journey back to the mountain to refill his stock. After returning to the city, he built himself a grand shop near the mountain for people to see him for medical assistance. He lived very happily. Huang- Mao's shed still is on the side of the mountain, now with a bright finish of white paint and with golden needles. He was very happy and lived a great life.