Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The decoction would be extremely effective. It would also be extremely expensive.
The second decoction was from a new formula, which Wang Yao had never used before. Therefore, it took him a long time to brew it. He had to be very careful when brewing the second decoction. Fortunately, he was an experienced practitioner.
Wang Yao paid attention to the smell of the decoction and the change of its color. Without the assistance of a multifunctional pot for herbs, he had to be more careful when brewing the decoction. Any discrepancy in timing and location would make a big difference in the effect of the decoction.
When he finished brewing the decoction, it was 2 a.m. Wang Yao went to bed after he finished working.
The next morning, someone had prepared breakfast for him. It was a pretty girl with fine eyebrows and big eyes. She was quite slim and looked like she was from Southeast China.
âGood morning, Dr. Wang,â the girl said.
âGood morning. You are?â Wang Yao asked.
âMy name is Gu Yuanyuan. Mr. Wu asked me to take care of your daily life.â Her voice was soft and sweet, like rice wine.
âOh, hello,â Wang Yao said.
He smiled and thought Wu Tongxing must have learned this from Song Ruiping.
âIâve prepared a toothbrush and breakfast for you,â Gu Yuanyuan said.
âOK, thanks,â Wang Yao said.
Breakfast was delicious. Gu Yuanyuan made Shandong Cuisine, including meat and vegetables.
âI hope you enjoy the breakfast,â she said.
âItâs delicious food. Thank you. Why donât you join me for breakfast?â Wang Yao asked.
âNo, thank you. Let me know if you need me,â Gu Yuanyuan replied.
Wang Yao was about to go to Wu Tongxingâs house after breakfast. He told Gu Yuanyuan that he was about to leave. A car came to pick him up three minutes later.
It didnât take long for Wang Yao to arrive at Wu Tongxingâs house. All his family members were in the house.
âDid your father have a good sleep last night?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes, Dad had a good sleep,â Wu Tongxing said.
Wang Yao checked the old manâs pulse, which was slightly worse than when he left yesterday. That was normal. The old manâs condition was like a car running downhill. What Wang Yao did yesterday only stopped the car from going further temporarily. It was like he put a stone in front of the car, so it wouldnât last for long.
âHelp him sit up,â Wang Yao said.
âSure,â Wu Tongxing said.
He helped his father sit up. Wang Yao took out the two decoctions he had brewed earlier.
âThis one is called Regather soup. Itâs the same as the one I gave you last time. The way of taking it is also the same. Give it to him.â Wang Yao gave the bottle of decoction to the person standing next to him.
âOK,â the person said.
The old man drank up a small bowl of Regather soup.
Wang Yao didnât have the old man take the other decoction. He sat next to the bed and checked the old manâs pulse every 30 minutes. The Regather soup quickly took effect. The old man looked better. His pulse was also better.
âDr. Wang?â one of the old manâs children asked.
Shush! Wu Tongxing put his finger onto his mouth.
âGood, Iâll give him the second decoction to take.â Wang Yao took out another bottle. He didnât give the bottle to Wu Tongxing this time. He poured some into a small bowl. âTake this please.â
The old man took the second decoction.
Wang Yao continued to check the old manâs pulse every 30 minutes. The effect of the second decoction was not as obvious as the first one.
The old man had a nice and warm feeling in his belly after taking the Regather soup. The warm feeling went all the way through his limbs. He felt very comfortable. The warm feeling continued after he had taken the second decoction. He felt particularly comfortable in his chest. A moment later, he had a bit of chest pain. His body started to shake.
âChest pain?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes,â the old man said.
âTry to bear with the pain for a while,â Wang Yao said.
Wang Yao knew the chest pain was caused by licorice roots. Among all the herbs he had put into the decoction, pear grass had the strongest effect. The nature of pear grass was not as gentle as the other herbs. Although Guiyuan had offset some strong effect from pear grass, it was still too strong for the old man. Pear grass was able to cure ulcers. It worked together with Cizhan to treat cancer. The two licorice roots caused the old manâs chest pain.
âSir,â one of the family members said.
The old man tried his best to tolerate the pain. His body was shaking badly. Sweat was streaming down his forehead.
âIs he alright?â the family doctor anxiously asked. As the old manâs family doctor, he would be responsible for any problems related to the old manâs health. âIs it OK for him to take the decoction?â
Wu Tongxingâs face changed. He looked at Wang Yao anxiously.
The family doctor seemed to question Wang Yaoâs expertise. Although he was also worried, he wouldnât say something like that. It was too abrupt.
âThe decoction has no problem,â Wang Yao said as he looked up at the family doctor, a man in his 40s. âCalm down.â
âAre you OK?â Wang Yao asked the old man.
âYes,â the old man said with a smile. âWhen I was fighting at the border years ago, they took the bullet out of me without anesthesia. This pain is nothing.â
At this moment, he was not an ordinary old man anymore. He was a tough and fearless person who had experienced war.
Wang Yao was impressed by the old man. Todayâs peace and prosperity was possible because of people like this old man.
âNow I feel better,â the old man said after a while.
The pain had come too suddenly, like mighty waves beating the shore. It gave the old man a shock. Fortunately, the pain didnât last for long. It went away like a mighty river flowing eastward.
âPlease lay down and take your clothes off,â Wang Yao said.
âWhat?â one of the family members asked.
âJust follow Dr. Wangâs instruction,â the old man said.
âDad?â the family member asked in doubt.
âIâm fine. I have nothing to hide,â the old man said.
The old man took off his clothes and showed his skinny body. His chest and back were full of scars. Some were caused by guns. Some were caused by blades. They were like medals honoring his glorious time.
âTell me if you feel uncomfortable,â Wang Yao said.
Wang Yao started to massage the old man. He focused on the main meridians at the old manâs chest and abdominal area. He pushed, rubbed, and pressed those meridians.
Huh! The old man only felt very comfortable.
At the same time, the two decoctions he took earlier started to take effect inside his body. They had started to fix the damaged organs and clear malignant tissues. The powerless feeling and tiredness, like being drowned in water, started to fade away.
The massage therapy lasted for over one hour.
âHow do you feel?â Wang Yao asked.
âI feel very comfortable,â the old man said. âI havenât had such a feeling for at least six months. No, over a year!â
This really surprised and comforted his family members. The family doctor felt embarrassed. âDo you mean I havenât been doing my job properly?â
âDr. Wu, you are thinking too much. I didnât mean that,â the old man said.
âI see,â Dr. Wu said with a smile.
âLetâs call it a day. Lay down and have a good rest. Iâll come back in the afternoon,â Wang Yao said.
âOK, thank you very much,â the old man said.
Wu Tongxing walked Wang Yao out of the room. âDr. Wang, what do you think of my fatherâs condition?â
âIâll try my best,â Wang Yao said. Since he had started to treat the old man, he would try his best. That was his principle.
âThank you. Itâs almost noon, please stay for lunch,â Wu Tongxing said.
âNo, thank you. Iâve got some errands to run,â Wang Yao said.
âOK, another day,â Wu Tongxing said.
âThatâs fine. By the way, I need to talk about the treatment,â Wang Yao said.
âPlease, go ahead,â Wu Tongxing said.
âThe second decoction is extremely precious and expensive,â Wang Yao said.
âThatâs not a problem,â Wu Tongxing said. He didnât ask about the price. âI donât care about the money as long as it will benefit my father.â
Wang Yao thought, Good!
âDonât worry about me, Iâll go by myself,â Wang Yao said to the driver, who Wu Tongxing allocated to him.
âDr. Wang, Chief Wu asked me to take anywhere you want to go,â the driver said.
âI want to take a walk,â Wang Yao said.
âWell...â The driver felt a bit unsure.
âWhat? Chief Wu will blame you?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes,â the driver said.
âFine, letâs go back to the cottage first,â Wang Yao said.
After they had returned to the cottage, he put the local food he brought from home into the car.
âDrive me to the nearest shopping center,â Wang Yao said.
The driver drove Wang Yao to the nearest shop so he could buy some presents for his aunt. The driver insisted on paying the bill.
âWhat are you doing?â Wang Yao asked in shock.
âChief Wu said he would pay for all your bills in Beijing,â the driver said.
âYou donât need to pay for these. They are for my aunt,â Wang Yao said.
âWell, you see, Iâve paid,â the driver said.
âFine,â Wang Yao said with a smile.
Wu Tongxing was very thoughtful.
The driver took Wang Yao to his auntâs apartment. Wang Yao had called his aunt before he went, so she had taken the day off.
âHi, Yao, how come you are here this time of the year?â his aunt asked.