QUEENS —
The middle-age man with a weather-beaten face crouches over a red book in a corner off the sidewalk and scribbles on a notepad, while a young woman sitting across from him wears a worried expression.
After an agonizing few minutes for the fidgeting woman, the man looks up from under his worn straw hat and speaks to her in soft, reassuring tones. She nods and reaches into her purse to pull out a $20 bill. The man accepts the money and bids her farewell.
Master Li has just seen his first patient of the day.
