Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Professor Wu was capable and held a high social status. Everything about him made people admire and envy him. Professor Wu was no longer young, but he was dedicated and focused on this work. He impressed every other doctor.
It was no surprise for a person like Professor Wu to be successful. He didnât become a professor overnight. He had always worked hard. A person required both gift and hard work to be a high achiever.
On the other hand, these doctors had a stable job with a good salary. Slowly, they lost the motivation to achieve more.
It was not good for people to stay in their comfortable zone for too long. An easy and comfortable life would make people lose their motivation and ambition.
It was a bit cold at night. Wang Yao looked up at the sky on Nanshan Hill.
I wonder how Professor Wu is doing with the test?
Meanwhile, in Lianshan Peopleâs hospital, Professor Wu continued his test.
âTeacher, please take a break. We can do these things for you,â a young assistant said.
âYeah, you are already tired after the trip. Itâs 10 p.m.. You should go rest,â another assistant said.
âIâm fine,â Professor Wu said as he shook his hand.
The second bottle of decoction was in use. The effect was obvious.
What exactly is inside?
Professor Wu was not the only person who had questions. Every doctor in the hospital had the same query. However, they thought the decoction was brought by Professor Wu from Beijing.
The doctors thought, Specialists from Beijing are really different! Their contempt and resistance to Professor Wu disappeared. This world was ruled by facts and capability.
Professor Wu didnât leave until it was nearly midnight.
âGive the decoction to the patient four hours later, and make sure you document every detail,â Professor Wu said.
âSure,â an assistant said.
He breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. However, he stumbled and almost fell since his legs were a bit numb.
âProfessor!â His assistant held his arm. âAre you alright?â
âIâm fine. My legs are a bit numb,â Professor Wu said.
âLet me give you a massage.â His assistant squatted down.
âIâm fine. I just need to walk a bit.â He walked back and forth twice in the corridor of the hospital and felt better afterward. He then went to rest in the place arranged by Lianshan Peopleâs Hospital.
He was truly tired. After all, he was nearly 60 years old. It was a long trip for him from Beijing to Lianshan. He didnât take any breaks after he had arrived at the hospital. He started to observe and treat the patients right away. Finally, the patients started to get better. Once he stopped working, he felt exhausted.
Iâm really getting old! Professor Wu sighed.
He didnât fall to sleep immediately while lying on the bed. He was thinking about Wang Yao and his decoctions.
How did he make it? Or, does the disease have something to do with him? The latter made Professor Wu frown. If that is the case, what could I do? That young man would be a really horrible person.
He gradually fell asleep as he was thinking.
Meanwhile, his assistants were still in the observation room.
âWhere do you think the decoctions are from?â one of the assistants asked.
âHow am I supposed to know?â the other assistant said.
The two were talking in low voice. They had been following Professor Wu for years.
âThe decoctions worked. Do you think the professor is hiding something from us?â one of the assistants asked.
âSo what? Does he have to tell us everything?â the other assistant replied.
âThat is not what I mean,â the first assistant said.
The sun rose early the next morning. It was March. The trees started to turn green, and the flowers started to turn red.
Professor Wu got up early and arrived at the observation room before 6 a.m.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
His two assistants had been observing the patient. One fell asleep at the table. He looked exhausted.
âHey, the professor is here!â The other assistant pushed the one who was sleeping.
âJust leave him there,â Professor Wu said.
âProfessor!â The asleep young man suddenly woke up.
âHow is the patient?â Professor Wu asked.
âHe is stable. We gave him the second bottle of decoction,â one of the assistants said.
Professor Wu checked the notes made by his assistants while he was away. He read through the notes over and over again to make sure everything was fine. He then entered the isolated room.
Lianshan Peopleâs Hospital was small. The so-called isolated room was not strictly isolated.
The patient, a middle-aged man, was lying on the bed. He had vomited occasionally the whole night, so he felt very weak and uncomfortable.
âHow are you feeling? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?â Professor Wu asked.
âI feel uncomfortable everywhere,â the patient said.
âCan you go into details? Try to describe your feelings,â Professor Wu said.
âI feel weak and nauseous, and I have a headache. Actually, every part of my body aches,â the patient said.
His face was wax yellow.
âHe needs nutrition,â Professor Wu said.
âOK,â his assistant said.
After Professor Wu and his assistant left the isolated room, the other doctors from the hospital gradually came to work. They were all very happy. The patientâs condition made them hopeful.
âHey, where is Professor Wu?â a doctor asked.
âHeâs gone out,â one of Professor Wuâs assistants said.
âHas he had breakfast?â the doctor asked.
âHe said heâd grab something to eat on his way,â the assistant said.
None of the doctors said anything.
Professor Wu was on his way to the village. He was having a cup of warm soy milk and a bun in the car. He looked through the window while thinking. The trees alongside the road had started to sprout.
It was only 7:30 a.m. when he arrived at the village.
âWhy is the old man here again?â The guard was surprised to see Professor Wu.
âI want to go inside,â Professor Wu said.
âOK,â the guard said.
After completing the paperwork, Professor Wu entered the village with one of his assistants.
The door of Wang Yaoâs clinic was still locked. Wang Yao was still on Nanshan Hill.
âHeâs not here yet.â Professor Wu waited for about 20 minutes.
âProfessor?â His assistant was a bit impatient. To him, the professorâs time was too precious to be wasted on waiting. This was a critical moment. The patient had just started to get better.
âBe patient,â Professor Wu said.
The two of them continued to wait. A moment later, they saw Chen Ying and Chen Zhou, who had come out to do morning exercises.
âGood morning, Professor Wu,â Chen Ying said.
âGood morning,â Professor Wu said.
âHow long have you been waiting here?â Chen Ying asked.
âTo be honest, weâve been waiting here for nearly an hour,â Professor Wuâs assistant grumpily said.
âShut up!â Professor Wu scolded him.
âDid you come here to see Dr. Wang?â Chen Ying asked.
âYes, to ask for more decoctions,â Professor Wu said.
âI see, give me a moment.â Chen Ying walked aside to call Wang Yao.
âI see. Can you ask him to wait for a bit longer?â Wang Yao asked.
Two bottles are not enough? Wang Yao grabbed some herbs to brew another decoction.
It was not a very fast process to brew a decoction. At least, it took longer than making a bowl of noodle soup.
âWhatâs wrong with him?â Professor Wuâs assistant was becoming increasingly impatient.
They waited for another hour. Finally, they saw Wang Yao walking down from Nanshan Hill.
âHeâs been on the hill?â Professor Wuâs assistant wondered.
âIâm sorry to keep you waiting,â Wang Yao said.
âThatâs fine,â Professor Wu said with a smile.
âPlease come inside.â Wang Yao unlocked the door and invited everyone into the clinic.
âIâll make you guys a cup of tea,â Wang Yao said.
âThank you,â Professor Wu said.
He felt much more relaxed inside Wang Yaoâs clinic, unlike in the hospital.
âHow is the patient?â Wang Yao asked.
âHeâs getting better. Your decoctions worked,â Professor Wu said.
âThatâs good,â Wang Yao said.
âI brewed some more decoctions on the hill. Thatâs why I was so late.â He took out three bottles and placed them on the table. âPlease take the three bottles back to the hospital and give them to the patient to take.â
âSure. May I ask what the decoctions contain?â Professor Wu asked.
âWell, Iâll discuss that with you on a different day,â Wang Yao said.
âOK,â Professor Wu said.
Chen Ying and Chen Zhou talked with Wang Yao for a while after Professor Wu left.
âDr. Wang, is this decoction very valuable?â Chen Ying asked.
âNot really. Itâs different to the decoctions for Chen Zhou. This one was not hard to make,â Wang Yao said.
The decoctions Wang Yao gave Professor Wu only contained common herbs. Only the dandelion and bristle grass were special because they had a limited supply. However, all the herbs were from Wang Yaoâs herbal field, which were impacted by the Spirit Gathering Battle Array. Those herbs grew extremely fast.
âIs everything gonna be fine with the help of your decoction?â Chen Ying asked.
âI hope so,â Wang Yao said. However, he didnât think it would be that easy.
Professor Wu rushed back to the hospital with the decoctions.
âProfessor, the decoctions weâve been using are from that young doctor?â Professor Wuâs assistant still found it hard to believe.
âYes, donât tell anyone about it for now,â Professor Wu said.
âI see!â The young manâs eyes flashed with surprise.