Small Town Remedy (2026) Review

小城良方 | 2026 | 29 Episodes | iQIYI

Director: Zhang Xiaobo
Starring: Xiao Zhan (Sean Xiao), Jiang Yan, Shi Pengyuan, Ni Dahong, Wang Yanlin, Ding Jiali
Genre: Medical, Urban Drama, Slice of Life
Status: Currently Watching — Episodes 1–6
My Rating: Unrated / Pending Finale

❤️ Quick Answers / Romance Check

My First Impressions

He is such a good actor, this guy! ❤️

Yes, I'm talking about Xiao Zhan.

I've always appreciated actors who can deliver convincing emotional performances, and Xiao Zhan is already making an impression on me in Small Town Remedy.

I previously rated Legend of Zang Hai 4.5/5, and now here he is playing a doctor again.

But there's something else I need to discuss.

So many graphic surgeries! They actually blurred one! 😭

I'm serious!

I know this is a medical drama. Obviously, people are going to end up in the operating room. But did we really need THIS many graphic surgical scenes so early?

Episode 2 already had me looking away.

They opened a man's head during surgery, and I think I saw his brain. I can't confirm that part because I immediately looked away. 😂

Then Episode 5 delivered another graphic operation.

And at some point, the show actually blurred part of a surgical scene!

I came here to watch Xiao Zhan act, not to test whether I could survive watching an actual operation.

Apparently, this drama has other plans for me. 🤦‍♀️

What's the Story About?

Xiao Zhan plays Liu Zhengliang, a talented neurosurgeon whose promising career collapses after a failed operation.

The failure is connected to a traumatic childhood experience involving snow, which interferes with his concentration during surgery.

The consequences are devastating.

He loses his position, faces financial difficulties, and returns to his hometown after learning that his mother has disappeared under troubling circumstances.

Back home, things aren't exactly peaceful.

His younger brother, Liu Zhengguang, needs brain surgery, and their relationship is far from perfect.

Liu Zhengliang eventually performs the operation himself.

Unfortunately for him, the director of Xiaoximen Hospital recognizes his talent and sees an opportunity.

Long Dongdong wants Liu Zhengliang working at his hospital.

And he isn't particularly subtle about getting what he wants.

What begins as a temporary arrangement turns into a frustrating situation for a doctor who wants to leave but keeps finding reasons he cannot.

The story follows Liu as he deals with difficult patients, limited hospital resources, financial problems, complicated family relationships, and his own psychological struggles.

It's not just about saving patients.

It's about a doctor trying to rebuild his life when almost everything has fallen apart.

Xiao Zhan as Liu Zhengliang

Xiao Zhan has already played a doctor in The Oath of Love, where he portrayed Gu Wei.

But Liu Zhengliang is a different character.

He's professionally talented, socially awkward, emotionally guarded, and carrying a tremendous amount of baggage.

His medical abilities haven't disappeared, but his confidence has been badly damaged.

The series uses his traumatic association with snow to explain why his previous surgical failure continues to affect him.

His relationship with his younger brother also adds another layer to the story.

Liu Zhengguang doesn't automatically trust or admire his older brother.

There's resentment between them, along with complicated feelings about their family.

A man can be brilliant enough to operate on someone's brain and still have absolutely no idea how to communicate with his own brother.

Families really are complicated. 😂

What interests me about Liu's character is that his medical expertise doesn't magically solve his personal problems.

And Xiao Zhan's performance is one of the biggest reasons I'm continuing to watch.

Ai Chen — The Woman Who Makes the First Move

Jiang Yan plays Ai Chen, who operates a funeral-related business.

Yes, a funeral business.

While Liu Zhengliang is trying to keep people alive, Ai Chen earns her living helping families deal with death.

That's certainly an unusual combination for a potential romantic couple.

Ai Chen is also Liu Zhengguang's employer, which brings her into Liu Zhengliang's already complicated family situation.

She comes across as business-minded and direct, with her own family troubles and professional rivalries.

By Episode 5, she becomes impressed with Liu after seeing his determination and surgical abilities.

Then Episode 6 arrives.

She tells him she likes him.

And he rejects her.

Well, at least this woman knows how to communicate her feelings! 😂

We don't have to spend fifteen episodes wondering whether she has a crush on him.

Unfortunately, being honest about your feelings doesn't guarantee you'll receive the answer you want.

At this point, the romance is still developing, and Liu has not reciprocated with an established romantic commitment.

The Hospital Cases

One of the more serious themes in Small Town Remedy is the financial burden of medical treatment.

The series repeatedly shows that knowing how to save a patient is only part of the problem.

Episode 4 — Lao Duan's Medical Emergency

Lao Duan arrives at the hospital experiencing pain and difficulty urinating.

Liu suspects a serious ureteral stone complicated by infection.

But Lao Duan resists additional medical testing because she is concerned about the cost.

Her situation highlights a difficult problem.

A patient might desperately need treatment and still refuse it because the financial burden could hurt the rest of the family.

The conflict goes beyond a doctor dealing with someone who doesn't want to listen.

It's about people who feel they cannot afford to get sick.

Episodes 5–6 — Zhang Jiao's Surgery

A young patient named Zhang Jiao suffers serious injuries and requires emergency surgery.

Liu struggles with memories of his previous surgical failure but ultimately proceeds with the operation.

He manages to stabilize her condition.

However, the situation doesn't end when the surgery is completed.

By Episode 6, Zhang Jiao develops worrying postoperative symptoms, and Liu suspects an intracranial infection.

Her family cannot easily afford the necessary treatment.

Liu then approaches hospital director Long Dongdong to negotiate financial assistance.

These cases show why the drama is interested in more than surgical talent.

Medical decisions, financial circumstances, and family relationships are all connected.

Family Drama and Small-Town Chaos

Aside from the hospital, Liu Zhengliang has plenty of other problems.

His younger brother is working for Ai Chen's funeral-related business, something Liu initially struggles to accept.

Meanwhile, Long Dongdong, the hospital director, keeps finding creative ways to prevent him from leaving.

Liu even attempts to make himself look like an unproductive employee so the hospital will want to get rid of him.

Unfortunately, being a highly competent doctor makes that plan rather difficult.

There's also Chen Junnan, Liu's friend, who gets involved in his attempts to escape the hospital arrangement.

Ai Chen's funeral business comes with its own family issues and competitors, creating some rather ridiculous situations.

The combination of family conflict, hospital emergencies, and occasional comedy gives the series a different atmosphere from a straightforward hospital drama.

Does Small Town Remedy Have Good Romance?

It's too early for me to give a firm opinion about the romance.

So far, the relationship between Liu Zhengliang and Ai Chen is more of an emerging subplot than the main attraction.

Ai Chen develops feelings first and makes them clear by Episode 6.

Liu rejects her initial approach.

There is no verified romantic kiss, established couple status, or major romantic payoff within the episodes I've watched.

For viewers specifically looking for frequent kissing, intense romantic chemistry, and an established relationship early in the story, this isn't delivering those elements yet.

However, the medical and personal storylines are receiving substantial attention.

I'll judge the romantic development more fairly once the characters have had time to build a relationship.

Does Small Town Remedy Have a Happy Ending?

Unknown / Pending Finale.

The drama has 29 planned episodes, and this review covers only Episodes 1–6.

Liu Zhengliang's professional recovery, family relationships, and potential romance with Ai Chen are still developing.

There is no verified final relationship status.

I'm not declaring this a happy ending simply because the story appears to be moving toward healing and personal growth.

We need the actual finale for that.

❤️ Relationship Timeline — Liu Zhengliang and Ai Chen

💗 Shen Zhiyi's Drama Reality Check / Drama Meter

1. 💕 Romance: A developing secondary storyline. Ai Chen has shown interest, but the main relationship is not established.

2. 🔥 Chemistry: Too early to give a firm opinion about romantic chemistry.

3. 💋 Kissing: No romantic kiss verified through Episode 6.

4. 🤗 Skinship: Significant affectionate, non-kissing physical intimacy is not yet established.

5. 🌶️ Spiciness / Adult Intimacy: None verified within the covered episodes.

6. 🚩 ML Red Flag: Liu is emotionally guarded and dealing with personal struggles. Not enough romantic evidence to classify him as a red flag.

7. 👑 Female Lead Competence: Ai Chen operates her own business, handles difficult situations, and is direct about her feelings.

8. ⏱️ Romance Timing: Ai Chen expresses her feelings in Episode 6. Official relationship timing remains unknown.

9. ❤️‍🔥 Relationship Payoff: Pending. No established romantic payoff yet.

10. 💔 Breakup: No breakup because there is no established romantic relationship.

11. ⏳ Separation / Conflict: Early romantic rejection in Episode 6. No verified established-couple separation.

12. 💍 Final Relationship Status: Unknown / Pending Finale.

13. 📖 Plot: A talented neurosurgeon attempts to rebuild his career and personal life while confronting medical emergencies, family conflict, and financial hardship in a small-town hospital.

14. 🐾 Animal Harm: Unknown. No animal-harm scene has been confirmed in these review notes.

⚠️ Content Warnings

Important: This drama contains recurring graphic surgery scenes.

• Episode 2 — Graphic open-head surgery: An operation involving Liu Zhengliang's younger brother. The surgical imagery is graphic. Possible exposed brain tissue, although I looked away before confirming.
• Episode 3 — Substance abuse: Substance abuse content is present.
• Episode 5 — Graphic surgery: Another disturbing surgical procedure involving a seriously injured young patient.
• Additional graphic medical imagery: Multiple surgical scenes appear throughout the early episodes, and at least one image was visibly blurred.
• Medical emergencies and complications: Serious injuries, postoperative complications, and life-threatening medical conditions.
• Family trauma and grief: Liu's mother's disappearance and the family's distress.
• Possible suicide-related themes: Early events raise the possibility of self-inflicted death, but the exact circumstances are not yet confirmed.
• Physical violence: Interpersonal fighting and conflict.
• Financial hardship: Patients and families struggling to afford treatment.

Animal harm: Not verified; further confirmation needed.

These warnings cover the first six episodes only. Additional warnings may be necessary as the series continues.

Should You Watch Small Town Remedy?

My early impression:

Xiao Zhan's acting is one of the reasons I'm interested in this series.

The opening episodes combine career failure, emotional trauma, complicated family relationships, medical emergencies, and the financial struggles that patients face.

There is also a developing romance, although it is still very early.

If you're watching mainly for Xiao Zhan's performance and a story about a doctor rebuilding his life, the opening episodes offer plenty of material.

If you're expecting a romance-heavy drama with frequent kissing and an established couple, you should know that the romantic storyline is still developing.

And if you cannot handle graphic surgery?

Please be warned. 😭

I have already looked away from the screen during one operation, and there have been several graphic surgical scenes.

At least I can appreciate Xiao Zhan's acting without having to watch every second of someone being operated on. 😂

I'm caught up with the available episodes, but I'm leaving my rating pending until I've watched more.

Current Status: CURRENTLY WATCHING — Episodes 1–6
Rating: UNRATED / PENDING FINALE
Ending: UNKNOWN / PENDING FINALE
Final Recommendation: Pending