Rural doctor Ye Jingshi has served the countryside for 50 years without ever leaving

Ye Jingshi, a rural doctor in Xiuyan County, Liaoning Province, has been rooted in the countryside for 50 years, practicing medicine and treating the villagers. He has poured all the dedication and passion of his life into this black soil that gave him life and raised him, writing one touching story after another with the compassion of a healer.

On a bright, sunny morning, Li Yusheng, a taxi driver from Xiuyan County, Liaoning Province, arrived at the home of Ye Jingshi, a rural doctor in Shuita Village, Yaoshan Town, Xiuyan County, carrying bags large and small, to thank Doctor Ye for saving his life. It turned out that some time earlier, while driving and operating his taxi, Li Yusheng had encountered an armed robbery. He fought back with all his might and was stabbed multiple times, covered in blood, and left by the roadside barely breathing, while his taxi was also stolen. Just when he was in despair, Ye Jingshi and his son Ye Fuxin happened to pass by. They quickly helped stop his bleeding, not only saving his life but also promptly calling the police, which ultimately led to the capture of the knife-wielding car robber. Recalling that scene, Li Yusheng was full of gratitude:

Li Yusheng: At that time I had been stabbed 12 times, and I was about to bleed out. I felt desperate. Then I ran into the two of them, father and son. They took me to the hospital, got me emergency treatment in time, contacted my family, and even helped me pay. Otherwise I would not be alive. Those two are truly good people.

Ye Jingshi, 69 years old, has been practicing medicine in Shuita Village, Yaoshan Town, for 50 years already. That day, on his way home after making a house call to treat a patient, he happened to save Li Yusheng. Some people said he was bold and not afraid of being blackmailed:

Ye Jingshi: We are in the business of saving lives and healing the injured. Anyone whose life is in danger, we must rescue them. By conscience, we are not afraid of being blackmailed.

In 1968, after completing his medical training, Ye Jingshi gave up the opportunity to stay and work at the county hospital and returned to his village to become a rural doctor. He did this for a full half century. By day he carried his medicine box, hurried along mountain roads, and went door to door to "check up on" the villagers, walking on his own two feet to every one of the village's more than 3,000 households. Late at night he lit candles, pored over medical books, and looked up prescriptions. In 50 years, Ye Jingshi never once misdiagnosed a case and saved the lives of countless villagers.

Over the past 50 years, the medical fees Ye Jingshi waived or reduced for disabled people and villagers in difficulty are too many to count:

Ye Jingshi: Guan Dehong owes about 30 yuan; Li Lianshun's mother, this is about 200 yuan; the poor ones, some old debts, these are from many years ago. I say, if you have it, give it; if not, forget it. After some people were rescued, they brought me this and that, and I said absolutely not. As long as you are well, I am happier than you are.

With such a good doctor nearby, villager Qi Xiuwei feels very reassured:

Qi Xiuwei: If you need to buy medicine or it is inconvenient, Doctor Ye does not take money. He is like family to us patients. One phone call and he comes right away.

With noble medical ethics and superb medical skills, over the years many hospitals in Dalian and Haicheng tried more than once to hire Ye Jingshi at a high salary, but he refused them all. For most of his life, Ye Jingshi has grown accustomed to mountain paths and dirt roads, to the crowing of chickens and barking of dogs, and he worries about his neighbors and fellow villagers. He is attached to this land of warm village ties and simply cannot bring himself to move his "nest." Ye Jingshi's son Ye Fuxin understands his father very well:

Ye Fuxin: Because my father has such deep feelings for the local people, he says we cannot leave. If we leave, what will happen to these old patients?

Last year, Xiuyan County implemented the "integrated rural health organization" management model, and Ye Jingshi's clinic also acquired several pieces of advanced medical and physical examination equipment. Ye Jingshi wants to train his son to take over and pass on this true devotion rooted in the countryside for 50 years:

Ye Jingshi: I plan to teach my medical skills to my son and let him continue to do as I have done.