Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âDid you just bump into Guo Zhenghe?â Su Zhixing asked.
âYes, I happened to bump into him just after I got out of the elevator and chatted a little with him,â Su Xiaoxue said.
âIs he a very annoying person?â Su Zhixing asked as he moved his arms around.
Su Xiaoxue was stunned. She wasnât expecting her older brother to say such a thing. She laughed and said, âHeâs indeed quite annoying.â
âWhy do I find that guy to be annoying and scheming?â Su Zhixing seriously asked. âIf you had chosen him, you would probably be deceived by him in the future. You would never know what he was doing outside.â
âBrother, am I so silly?â Su Xiaoxue replied. âBesides, the person I like is Dr. Wang!â
âFortunately, you chose Wang Yao,â Su Zhixing said. âAlthough he is a deep-minded man, at least he is very sincere to his close ones. I can see that he is sincere toward you.â
Su Xiaoxue smiled sweetly.
âWell, you still have to guard against Guo Zhenghe,â Su Zhixing said. âDonât hang out with him alone. He might use some insidious means on you.â
âOh, he invited me to dinner alone just now, but I refused him,â she replied.
âThereâs no way he was planning a simple harmless dinner,â Su Zhixing said. âYou canât go. Thereâs no eating alone with him during the day, let alone at night!â
After making himself clear about Guo Zhenghe, he asked, âDid my future brother-in-law go home?â
âYes, heâll probably be very busy these next few days,â Su Xiaoxue said. âI have seen his Weibo lately. The click-through rate has been very high. Many people want to be treated by him, but he stayed in Jing for over a week.â
Meanwhile, in the mountain village, Wang Yao was indeed busy. He had treated more than 20 people. More than half of them were children.
âDr. Wang, is this disease contagious?â a woman in her 30s asked. âOur whole family is coughing.â
The woman had come to see a doctor with her eldest daughter, who was no more than 7 years old. She woman also was constantly coughing.
âYes, and infectivity is strongest when symptoms are just emerging in the early stages of the disease,â Wang Yao said.
âCan you do a checkup for me too?â the woman asked.
âSure,â Wang Yao replied.
Everyone in the family was coughing. It was a typical infectious disease. The womanâs illness was even worse than her daughterâs. Wang Yao prescribed another medicine for her. It was extremely bitter, but the effect was better.
He told her the preparation method and said, âGo back and prepare it yourself. Itâll take effect within three days. Itâll be the same for the child.â
âAlright, thank you,â Wang Yao said.
âDonât take your children to crowded places at times like this,â Wang Yao instructed.
A child that age was fond of going to amusement parks and playgrounds to play. In those crowded places, it was very easy to spread the disease.
âIâll remember it,â the woman said.
Wang Yao took a sip from his teacup. The tea had gone cold. He called out, âNext!â
His day went like that until 5 p.m. Even then, there were still six people in the room.
Wang Yao made another call to his family and said, âWhew, Iâve got to work overtime.â
It was after 7 p.m. when he finished seeing all the patients. The sky had already gone dark, and the street lights in the village were on.
âWhy are you back only now? You must be tired.â Zhang Xiuyingâs heart ached for her son. He had been busy from dawn until dusk and didnât even have time to eat.
âYes, Iâm a little tired,â Wang Yao replied.
âHurry up and eat.â Zhang Xiuying served out all the food, which was plentiful.
âHavenât you and Dad eaten yet?â Wang Yao asked.
âWe were waiting for you,â his mother said. âI went out two times and saw that there were only a few cars outside the clinic. I guessed that youâd be back soon.â
âYou donât have to wait for me next time,â Wang Yao said. âYou guys can eat first.â
âEat,â his mother said. âShall we drink too?â
âYes, Iâll get the wine,â Wang Yao said.
He got up and fetched a bottle of good wine. He filled up his fatherâs glass with it before pouring himself a glass. He didnât normally drink alcohol. He would only have a couple of drinks with his father or a good friend.
âThere were quite a lot of people today,â his father said.
âYes, more than 40 people,â Wang Yao replied.
From consultations to prescribing medicines, he was a one-man show. He was having a hard time keeping up.
âHave you thought about finding someone to help you?â his father asked.
âYes, but itâs a bit difficult.â Wang Yao thought for a moment and said, âThe person has to have a foundation in traditional Chinese medicine and be able to identify most of the herbs and ingredients. The person also has to be honest and simple.â
After all, Wang Yao had many secrets. Even if he was very attentive, there could always be something minor detailed revealed. Since the person was going to be close to him, it was important.
âWell, anyway, you have to think about it,â his father said. âYou donât want to wear yourself out doing everything alone.â
âAlright, I know,â Wang Yao replied.
After dinner, he chatted with his parents before giving them a massage to relax their muscles. Once he was done, he left for Nanshan Hill.
When he was on the road, he saw Zhong Liuchuan from afar. Zhong Liuchuan saw him and ran in his direction.
âOh, going out so late?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes,â Zhong Liuchuan replied. âShould we practice together this evening?â
âSure,â Wang Yao said. âLetâs walk together.â
On their way to the hill, Wang Yao realized that Zhong Liuchuan was breathing more naturally while walking. Sitting, lying, and walking were all part of the practices. âYouâre progressing pretty fast recently!â
âItâs all thanks to your marvelous skills,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
He felt that the seemingly normal method of self-renewing Wang Yao had taught him was marvelous. It helped his body produce a qualitative leap in strength, reaction, and perception. As for skills, they depended on his body. One had to be strong to have good skills.
âAre you still reading the Taoist scriptures?â Wang Yao asked.
âYes, every day,â Zhong Liuchuan said. âI spend at least six hours a day reading the Taoist scriptures. I can recite one now.â
He was seriously reading it, not just flipping it through. No one supervised him, and no one urged him to do it. He had to rely on himself for these things. He could not be like the monks in a monastery, chanting blindly and fooling people.
âEvery time I recite the Taoist Sutra, I feel that my heart is very calm, and the speed of the weak internal flow in my body has accelerated a lot,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âPractice is also spiritual cultivation, not just for bravery and progress,â Wang Yao said.
âYou are right,â Zhong Liuchuan said. âI read in Jin Yongâs swordsman fiction that there is such a master in Shaolin Temple. He has the honorable title of the first person in decades to gain several skills out of the 72 ultimate skills. As a result, he went too far and lost all his martial arts because his Buddhist practice was not high enough to suppress the evil spirits in his heart.â
âBut he gained fortune because of his misfortune and became a monk in the end,â Wang Yao said.
The two men walked to the foot of Nanshan Hill.
âYou havenât been up the hill yet, right?â Wang Yao pointed to the top of the hill.
âNever.â Zhong Liuchuan replied.
He had only been to the top of the eastern mountain near Nanshan Hill and had never crossed the fence, even though he could easily jump over it.
âLetâs go and have a look,â Wang Yao said.
âNow?â Zhong Liuchuan was surprised.
âYes, now,â Wang Yao said.
Hearing the voices below, the dog came down the hill. Seeing the dog at night, it looked like a lion.
âWhat an imposing dog!â Zhong Liuchuan exclaimed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
He had seen the dog several times from afar and was shocked by its size. Now that he was in close contact with it, he realized that he had belittled it. The aura from it would not normally on a dog. It was clearly a wild animal. Still, it was wagging its tail in front of its master. Once a stranger was to trespass onto the hill, it would immediately cause the stranger to regret his decision.
âHow do you feel?â Wang Yao asked.
âItâs amazing,â Zhong Liuchuan said without hesitation.
He was sincere about that. The moment he was at the foot of the hill, he felt that the atmosphere around him was changing. It was very strange. He breathed more smoothly and unconsciously relaxed. He felt as if his body was bathing in the spring breeze. There was an unspeakable sense of comfort.
âThis hill has spiritual energy,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âIndeed, it has,â Wang Yao said. âNanshan Hill is a forbidden place. Only a few people have come up.â
âThank you, Sir, for your trust,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âThereâs no need to say those polite words with our relationship,â Wang Yao said. âIâll probably be away a lot in the future. At that time, the village will depend on you.â
âDonât worry, Sir, Iâm here. No problem,â Zhong Liuchuan said
âAlright.â Wang Yao nodded. He trusted Zhong Liuchuan, but he was only one person and would be too busy to deal with too many special situations. âYou have to find another helper.â