Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âDr Wang, you are such an extraordinary doctor. Even senior government officers in Beijing come all the way here to see you,â Sang Jimin said.
âI just happen to know them,â Wang Yao said.
He drove Sang Jimin and Sang Guzi to the village in the neighborhood at lunch time.
âHello, Dr Wang, please come in.â The owner of the restaurant was very glad to see him. He hadnât had many customers lately.
âBusiness is still not good?â Wang Yao asked.
âNot good. There are about two to three groups of customers coming here every day. I donât expect the business will pick up any time soon,â the owner said.
âDonât worry too much. It will get better.â Wang Yao tried to comfort the owner.
âI hope so,â the owner said.
âSame dishes as usual,â Wang Yao said.
âOK. Iâll make you a pot of tea. Try our spring tea leaves.â The owner was very nice to Wang Yao, who was an old friend and customer. Wang Yao had also helped him before.
There were not many people in the restaurant. so the dishes were soon served.
âCome on, letâs eat,â Wang Yao said.
âOK,â Sang Jimin said.
Wang Yao had ordered river fish and wild fungi. The food was very fresh.
âHmm, delicious,â Sang Jimin said.
âIâm glad you like the food here. You can always come back,â Wang Yao said. âDr. Sang, allow me to propose a toast to you.â
âHaha, thank you,â Sang Guzi said with a smile. He was very impressed by Wang Yao, who was a young and extraordinary doctor. Wang Yao was even a better doctor than him. Plus, his attitude was good. Unlike most capable young men, he was not arrogant at all.
Sang Guzi didnât come across a lot of capable people with a good temper. âBy the way, I have to apologize to you.â
âWhy?â Wang Yao asked with surprise.
âDo you remember the patient in Dali I asked you to see?â Sang Guzi asked.
âYes,â Wang Yao said. He remembered Han Xingâs youngest brother well. He had suffered from heat poison. His condition was similar to Su Xiaoxueâs. Wang Yao had made three decoctions and left them for him. Han Xing said he would be in contact, but Wang Yao never heard from him ever again.
âHow is that patient?â Wang Yao asked.
âHe should be fine. Otherwise, they would have contacted me already.â Sang Guzi sounded a bit upset.
âIs there anything else?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes,â Sang Guzi said. âThey went to see the King Pharmacist of Miao area.
âReally?â Wang Yao asked.
He had heard about the King Pharmacist. Whoever was called King proved to be an expert in his area. The King Pharmacist had been well-known in Yunnan for years.
âIâve seen the King Pharmacist before and know a bit of his rules. He is truly an extraordinary doctor but ill-tempered. He wonât see anyone when he is not in a good mood. Even the president of China went to see him,â Sang Guzi said.
âWell, I heard of that, too,â Wang Yao said. The Han brothers told him about the King Pharmacist while he was in Dali.
âHe lives in a village in Southern Yunnan. A lot of people go to that village to see him. Since he is a weird man, some people have to wait for more than a month to see him,â Sang Guzi said.
âA month! The treatment would be delayed,â Wang Yao said with surprise.
âYes, but everyone is happy to wait. They donât have a choice. All his patients have conditions that are difficult to treat. They go to see him because they canât be cured in a hospital. They must have been to a number of hospitals before going to see him. And, he has a unique rule,â San Guzi said as he took a sip of the tea.
Wang Yao was quietly listening to Sang Guzi.
âIf a person can offer him a special or unique herb meeting his criteria, he will do that person a favor,â Sang Guzi said.
âThat is a weird rule,â Wang Yao said.
âVery weird,â Sang Guzi said. âNormally, people have to wait in a cue to see him. His assistant will give each patient a wooden number card. The King Pharmacist rarely leaves his village. However, if someone offers him a herb or decoction satisfying him, the person can see him right away. And, he will be happy to visit the person.â
Wang Yao sort of guessed what was going to be said next.
âThe King Pharmacist gained his fame many years ago. He is truly a fantastic doctor. He has seen all sorts of herbs and formulas over the years, so not many herbs could raise his attention,â San Guzi said. âAs far as I know, he was only impressed once by a formula in the last five years. This time, he went to the Han brotherâs house to treat their youngest brother. I saw him in Dali. I think the Han brothers probably gave your decoctions to the King Pharmacist.â
Sang Guzi had witnessed and experienced the amazing effect of Wang Yaoâs decoctions. Zhou Wuyi and Zhou Wukang were both cured by Wang Yaoâs decoctions. Zhou Wuyi almost died, and Zhou Wukang had experienced a weird condition for years. To Sang Guzi, both of them were beyond cure. However, Wang Yao saved them with his magical decoctions.
âI see,â Wang Yao said.
His decoctions would surely impress the King Pharmacist. The three decoctions Wang Yao left for the Han brothers contained licorice roots, which were rare in the world. The pot and water he used to brew the decoctions were also unusual. It was no wonder the King Pharmacist was impressed by the decoctions.
âI didnât expect they would do that. It was my fault,â Sang Guzi said.
âItâs nothing. Please stop blaming yourself,â Wang Yao said. He respected Sang Guzi very much since was a decent person, as well as a good doctor. âYou said you didnât expect them to do that.â
âI was just worried about their youngest brother. Their father used to help me a lot and saved my life once. He asked me to look after his sons before he died. I really didnât see this happening,â Sang Guzi said with a sigh.
One might know a personâs face but not oneâs mind.
âNever mind. Letâs stop talking about this. Cheers,â Wang Yao said.
âRight, cheers,â Sang Jimin said.
âWhat brings you to Qi Province by the way?â Wang Yao asked.
âI came here for some personal matters,â Sang Guzi said.
âLet me know if there is anything I can assist with,â Wang Yao said.
âSure,â Sang Guzi said.
He came to Qi Province to meet an old friend. He would stay in the province for several days. Both him and his friend were in their 70s, so they might not have many chances left to meet.
...
Meanwhile, Pan Jun was seeing a patient in Pan Meiâs clinic.
âWell done, Dr. Pan, who did you learn massage from?â the elderly patient asked.
âA master,â Pan Jun said with a smile.
He had been practicing massage techniques in his sisterâs clinic lately. The effect was quite impressive. Soon, people started to ask to see him in the clinic.
âI know you learned it from a master. Which master?â the elderly patient asked.
âDr Wang. He used to come here,â Pan Jun said.
âThat young man? I think heâs younger than you,â the patient said. He was a regular visitor to the clinic. He visited the clinic for any minor issues like a cold or headache. He vaguely remembered Wang Yao, a good-looking young doctor who was good at treating headaches.
âHe is younger than me but a much better doctor,â Pan Jun said.
âYou are right. Age is not an issue. We should only care about his skills,â the patient said.
âIndeed,â Pan Jun said.
âI feel much better after the massage. Thank you,â the patient said.
âYou are welcome,â Pan Jun said.
The patient paid and left the clinic in a good mood.
âHave you seen your teacher lately?â Pan Mei asked.
âYes, several days ago. Iâll visit him tomorrow,â Pan Jun said.
âBy the way, I heard the traditional Chinese medicine hospital in the city hired a Chinese medical practitioner who goes there once a week. The fee he charges is quite high,â Pan Mei said.
Pan Jun didnât comment. He just smiled.
...
Sang Guzi and his son stayed in Wang Yaoâs clinic for a while after lunch.
âDad, is Dr. Wang better than that old guy Wu San?â Sang Jimin asked in private.
âStop calling him Wu San,â Sang Guzi seriously said. âHe is much older than you after all. You shouldnât be rude.â
âWhy? He is such an ill-tempered person who doesnât deserve my respect,â Sang Jimin said.
âYou canât be rude just because of his temper. You are right, he is ill-tempered, but he is not a bad person.â Although Sang Guzi didnât see eye to eye with the King Pharmacist, he was a person of integrity.