Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âSometimes I feel annoyed and donât want to work,â Pan Jun said with slight anger.
âDo you feel restless or inexplicably angry?â Wang Yao asked.
âCorrect,â Pan Jun replied.
âThis is a problem with your body,â Wang Yao said. âYour viscera is not harmonized, and the virtual fire is strong. But, your problem is not big.â
Pan Jun still liked being a doctor very much and still hoped to achieve more in his career. Otherwise, he would not be willing to learn from and consult with Wang Yao even though his medical skills were extraordinary.
âAh?â Pan Jun was shocked. It never occurred to him that he would be diagnosed with a disease. âIs it serious?â
âItâs not serious. You donât have to take medicine, but you need more rest,â Wang Yao said. âWorking is for your life but should not be all of your life.â
âMaster, you work easily,â Pan Jun said.
âWell, you can take some time to help here,â Wang Yao hesitantly replied.
Pan Jun was stunned.
Wang Yao thought about his sisterâs suggestion. He was really busy in the clinic. He had to find someone to help who was a good person. It would also be better if the person understood medicine. Pan Jun seemed to meet both requirements.
âOK,â Pan Jun said. He wanted to come, mainly to learn the skills of massage from Wang Yao. âWhen could we start?â
âIt depends on your schedule,â Wang Yao said. âYou can come at any time. There is no fixed time.â
After chatting for a while, Pan Jun left.
âDid you get an apprentice?â Wang Ru was a little surprised, especially since this apprentice seemed to be an official county hospital doctor.
âWell, I guess,â Wang Yao replied.
âIs he a deputy director in the county hospital emergency department?â Du Mingyang asked.
âYes, you know him,â Wang Yao said.
âI have seen him several times. I know him, but he doesnât know me.â Du Mingyang smiled. He remembered having had some dealings with Pan Jun. Though it was not deep, he still remembered him. Pan Jun could be seen in the emergency department every day. There were many people who had dealings with him, and he had seen quite a few of them several times, but he didnât always remember them.
âYou must be so good,â Wang Ru said. âA deputy director of a department in a regular hospital is an apprentice of a folk doctor. You must be the first one in reality apart from in novels and films.â
Before Wang Yao replied, Du Mingyang cut him off. âWhat do you mean, a folk doctor? It is Wang Yaoâs engagement!â
âOK, donât quarrel. Letâs play cards,â Wang Yao said. âFour twos!â
âAh!â
That evening, Du Mingyang did not leave. The family enjoyed another a hearty dinner.
âIf I always ate like this, Iâd put on weight quickly.â Du Mingyang sighed.
âYou could eat less,â Wang Ru said.
âWhy do you say it like that?â Du Mingyang asked.
After the meal, the family was chatting by the heated stone bed. When it was around 8:30, Wang Yao left the house and went to Nanshan Hill.
The mountain village was quiet. It was cold, so very few people came out to wander around.
Wang Yao walked slowly on the road to the mountains. After passing the south of the village, the road became dark. There was no light or people. The mountain stood quietly and silently.
After a while, a light was could be seen on Nanshan Hill. He prepared a dose of medicine for Du Feng.
The next morning, the sun was lazy. The weather was still cold. Wang Yao left the hill early but didnât go home. Instead, he went to the clinic.
At 9 a.m., there was a guest in the mountain village from Jing. Wang Yao had not seen him for long. It was He Qisheng. He drove a car full of gifts. After setting them out, he went to the clinic.
âHello, Dr. Wang,â He Qisheng said.
âI havenât seen you in a long time,â Wang Yao said. âCome in and have a seat.â
Wang Yao looked He Qisheng over. He looked thin and seemed to be very tired and upset. âHave you been busy?â
âFortunately, it is not bad.â He Qisheng drank a cup of tea.
Since he had last seen Wang Yao, He Qishen had been mentally stressed. According to Guoâs arrangement, he now focused on serving Guoâs son, who was superior in talent. He did quite good in his 20s in the officialdom. He was more sophisticated than many experienced men in some matters. In some peopleâs view, such people may be born to be officials, but he also knew the other unknown side of the son. Everyone had a different face, just like a coin had two sides. He had a sunny side and a sinister side. In some business, such as some unspeakable business, he needed someone to help satisfy both his inner and outer sides. Such things were done by He Qisheng.
His words were insincere, and he kept too much in his mind. But, Wang Yao did not speak about it even though he knew it.
âAfter the New Year, it is time to take a break,â Wang Yao said.
âCorrect.â He Qisheng stayed here for a while, but the two people did not talk a lot.
âIt is not healthy if you keep too much in your mind,â Wang Yao said before He Qisheng left.
âI know, thank you.â He Qishen said. At the moment, he felt he could not act like he wanted to.
In the morning, apart from He Qishen, Lin Sitao and Hao went to Wang Yaoâs home to express their gratitude, but he was not at home. They went to the clinic. Lin Sitao was better, basically free to move, but Hao was a little worse. It was still laborious for him to move.
âYou donât have to come out since your situation is like that,â Wang Yao said.
âWe are going to go back today. We came to say goodbye to you,â Lin Satao said. âThese days, we troubled you so much. I am so sorry.â
âAh, you must go. This year is a lunar year,â Wang Yao said.
âThe child will stay here for two more days,â Lin Satao aid. âWe will go back in the afternoon.â
Looking back on the past year, especially the past two months, Lin Sitao felt that it was full of ups and downs. He alone had cheated death two times. If he had not meet the young man in front of him, the number in his family might be one less in this yearâs Spring Festival. He felt quite good as he thought about his wife, children, and well-behaved grandson.
Wang Yao felt embarrassed. After all, he was from a younger generation. It was improper for a 60-year-old man to bring gifts to his home.
âWe have so many gifts!â Zhang Xiuying told Wang Yao after he got home. âI asked your third aunt, my youngest brother, your fatherâs youngest and third brother to come to take some back.â
âSounds good to me,â Wang Yao said.
He did not care. He picked out some tobacco and alcohol and put them outside.
In the afternoon, his motherâs youngest brother and the husband of Wang Yaoâs third aunt arrived.
âSister, where are they from?â her brother asked.
The liquor was Wuliangye, and the cigarettes were Yellow Crane Tower. They were very expensive.
âSomeone sent them as gifts,â Zhang Xiuying said.
âGifts?â Her brother was shocked. No one in the family was an official. No one was in charge. Who would send them? âXiaoyao?â
âYes, people gave them to him,â Zhang Xiuying replied.
âGave him?â Her brother was quite surprised.
They hadnât visited for a while, so they didnât know there were so many people who had come to see Wang Yao. They also didnât know that many of the people were from other provinces. In order to see the doctor, they would wait the whole morning. There were even people coming from Jing many times within three or four days.
Nevertheless, it was a good thing to get things for free. In fact, generally speaking, Wang Yaoâs parents were the eldest in their family, so these uncles should come to see his parents. In the end, it was Wang Yaoâs parents who cared about them more.
They took things and didnât stay long before they left.
The next day, Wang Yao took some things and drove to the his grandparentsâ house. When he left from there, he also left some money.
The second place he went was Pan Junâs uncleâs home. He was going to check on the his uncle and bring a gift.
When he came to the yard, the old man was packing up the cabbage. After seeing Wang Yao, he hurriedly invited him into the house.
It was a bit cold in the room.
âWhere is auntie?â Wang Yao asked.
âShe went out. She will be back a little later,â the old man said.
âHow do you feel?â Wang Yao asked.
âI feel good,â the old man happily said. He had recently felt like his body was more agile when he moved. He also walked more quickly.