On-Site Assessment

Shu Lanzhou had already made up her mind to change her major, and acupuncture was the only field she felt confident about, the only one where she could graduate smoothly. She couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

She gritted her teeth and said, "I haven't made a mistake. Everything I've said is true. I really came here to learn acupuncture."

"Then come in." Professor Mu glanced at her face, and the mask hid her expression. Shu Lanzhou couldn't tell if she believed her words or not.

Feeling nervous, Shu Lanzhou stepped into the treatment room.

She thought that although she was changing majors, the fundamentals of medicine were interconnected. She had done well in pharmacology and human anatomy in the past few years, so it shouldn't be too difficult to follow along.

But when Professor Mu began the real teaching, Shu Lanzhou realized how naïve she had been!

What was the "Ashi point"?

Where exactly was the Yinlingquan point?

Why did they have to burn incense before acupuncture?

When inserting the needles, they had to be careful and push them slowly, not rushing it, and so on!

There were so many things to remember, so many things to pay attention to. Although the lesson was only one hour, it felt like she had been sitting through an entire day of theory lectures.

And, of course, this wasn't just a theory class; there was no taking notes, and an assessment awaited her after class.

By the time Professor Mu finished her explanation, Shu Lanzhou had broken out in a fine layer of sweat, terrified that she wouldn't be able to pass the assessment and thus ruin her chance to change her major.

"How was it?" After leaving the treatment room, Professor Mu turned to look at her. "How much did you remember?"

He Sixin, worried that Shu Lanzhou might be under pressure, spoke up:

"It's okay, just tell her how much you remember. Professor Mu won't scold you; after all, it's not easy to remember so much in such a short time."

Shu Lanzhou felt a wave of gratitude. She knew that if it weren't for her, Professor Mu wouldn't have gone into such detail during the practical teaching.

He Sixin and Mu Side, both majoring in this field, had long since memorized these basic theories, meridian points, and pharmacology.

The memory of her past life was truly accurate—Professor Mu was indeed a good teacher. Compared to Professor Han Weicheng's frequent scolding, Professor Mu showed far more patience during practical teaching.

A warm feeling spread through her heart, and she didn't want to disappoint them:

"Just now, I applied two sets of acupuncture points. The first set included Ashi, Hegu, Shenting, Fenglong, Shenmen, Quchi, Neiting, Taichong, Zusanli, Yinlingquan, and Baihui."

"The second set used Taixi, Shenmen, Fuliu, Quchi, Guanyuan, Hegu, Qihai, and Shuidao!"

"The calming incense before the acupuncture contained herbs like huoxiang, guizhi, mugwort, lavender, and wood fragrance. These are the ones I could identify."

When she finished speaking, she nervously glanced at Professor Mu. "Professor Mu, did I get that right?"

"You can tell the herbs in the calming incense just from the smell?" Professor Mu raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Are you sure?"

Shu Lanzhou nodded confidently.

"I took a pharmacology course on Chinese herbs during my second year. At the time, I was preparing for the school's pharmacology knowledge competition and studied really hard to win the prize."

"Oh! No wonder your name sounds so familiar," He Sixin said, suddenly realizing. "It was you who won the championship and took the fifty thousand prize from me, right?"

Shu Lanzhou looked apologetic. "Sorry, Senior, I really needed the money at that time."

"Apologize for what? You earned it on your own merits. Not like I could just take it away from you." He Sixin patted her shoulder, signaling she didn't mind the past at all.

Mu Side, who had been silent, took off his mask and gave He Sixin a cold glance. "How embarrassing."

"Heh... You..." He Sixin was about to retort when Professor Mu interrupted.

"Alright, you two go ahead and eat. I need to have a word with this student, Shu."

Shu Lanzhou stiffened; it seemed Professor Mu had already heard her conversation and knew she wasn't one of the official interns from the school.

"Don't worry. If you really want to learn, just tell the professor honestly. If it doesn't work, just act a little cute. You're cute enough—she'll surely agree," He Sixin winked at her before Mu Side dragged her away.

With only the two of them left in the room, Shu Lanzhou began to feel even more nervous.

"Professor Mu, I'm sorry, I lied earlier. I'm not an intern sent by the school. Before this, I had never even attended one of your classes."

"You didn't take pharmacology?" Professor Mu gestured for her to sit. "That's not really true, though. You've still heard of my lectures."

"Don't be nervous," she added. "My program has few students, and as long as the intention is genuine, I'm happy to teach. But the pharmacology competition you mentioned was two years ago."

"You said you were in your second year back then, so by now you must be in your fourth year, almost at the end of this semester. Does that mean you've already started your internship?"

Shu Lanzhou didn't hesitate to speak the truth.

"I didn't pass the exam for Professor Han's research team, so I need to find a new internship. That goes against the original purpose of my studies."

"Rather than forcing myself to settle, I would rather switch to a major I can excel in!"

Professor Mu nodded slightly.

"Professor Han is indeed at the top of his field. If you can't join his team, it's tough to achieve anything in this profession."

"But my field isn't just something anyone can pick up. Why do you think you can excel in my major?"

At the end of her sentence, Professor Mu's expression hardened.

Shu Lanzhou knew that if she didn't answer well, not only would she fail to learn acupuncture, but she would also offend Professor Mu.

She took a deep breath and spoke sincerely.

"I don't think I'll necessarily excel in this new major right away. But based on the elective courses I've taken over the years, acupuncture seems to be the best choice for me if I want to switch majors."

"Moreover, I've researched the development prospects of traditional Chinese medicine in China over the years. As long as I dive deep into this field, I believe the results I achieve won't be any worse than the students under Professor Han's guidance."

Professor Mu chuckled lightly, her stern expression fading for a moment. "You're quite a smooth talker. Are you saying that I'm better than Professor Han?"

"But you should know that the major I teach is the least popular on campus. Very few students pursue it to the doctoral level. On the other hand, Professor Han's students have to fight for a spot in his class every year. The students who join his research team are guaranteed a position in national-level research centers after graduation."

"If you didn't pass his exam, you can always try again. But if you switch majors, there's no going back. You should think carefully."

Shu Lanzhou looked resolute. "I've thought it through. Acupuncture may be unpopular, but precisely because it's less crowded, it's easier to make an impact."

"Professor Mu is as famous as Professor Han, and I believe my choice won't be wrong."

Professor Mu studied her for a moment longer. "You want to stay? Fine, but you'll have to pass the final exam this semester. Only then will I sign the internship acceptance form."

Shu Lanzhou exhaled, relieved. But before she could fully relax, Professor Mu added:

"You correctly listed the acupuncture points for both sets you mentioned earlier. Your memory and comprehension are impressive, so the final exam shouldn't just be a pass. It needs to be excellent."

Shu Lanzhou gritted her teeth. "Alright, from now on, can I stay with you and learn?"