Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
âAs long as you listen to me,â Wang Yao said.
He was fairly confident of curing Zhou Wuyiâs disease. Although it involved several conditions, he had confronted and tackled all of them. What he had accumulated was not only experience but also confidence.
The poison inside his body was no stronger than Sun Yunshengâs toxins of Yang energy. His blocked and unbalanced meridians were no worse than the overall atrophy of Sun Xiaoxueâs channels and collaterals. He could cure both of them, so he was confident he could cure the old man. Though he was aged, the old man had practiced Kungfu. It had made his body even stronger than a boy before he was injured.
âGood, I trust you,â the old man said comfortably.
Zhou Xiong walked Wang Yao to the gate.
âHow long it will take before my uncleâs recovery?â he asked.
âMaybe a month,â Wang Yao replied.
âGood, thank you. What about the medical fees?â Zhou Xiong asked.
âWe can discuss that later,â Wang Yao said. He then drove home.
...
In the Peopleâs Hospital in Lianshan.
The old manâs breathing was becoming weaker.
âDad? Dad?â His children called out anxiously by the bed but did not dare raise their voices. âAh, no response.â
They were quite worried but did not have any way to help their father.
âWhat about calling Doctor Wang?â the daughter asked.
âWhy? He just left about an hour ago. He wouldnât have gone if he had any way to help,â the brother said.
âIt is all my fault.â His sister cried until her red eyes.
âAh, it is dadâs fate,â her brother said.
It was no use to blame anyone. Neither of them could save their father or relieve his pain. They could do nothing other than stay by the bed. They couldnât even transfer him to another hospital. He could die on his way there.
People often felt overwhelmingly anxious and tortured when waiting, especially during moments like these.
âAh!â The old man groaned in a whisper and opened his eyes.
âDad, your awake!â His children were excited.
âAh,â the old man responded to his children after hearing their yelling.
He opened his eyes, carefully looking at his children by the bed. He wanted to talk to them but had no strength. He was dying. He felt that he had almost arrived at the edge his life. He didnât want to go. He still wanted to see his grandchildren and talk with his children. He heard the sound of his late wife. He even saw her face smiling in front of him.
âIâm coming to be with you,â he said.
The old man closed his eyes.
âDad? Dad? Dad?â the siblings yelled in fright.
âWhereâs that drug?â the brother asked.
They hurried to take out the nine herbal pills Wang Yao had left. They melted them into water and fed it to their father.
âDad. Dad, please wake up,â they murmured.
Who was calling me? The sound in the old manâs ear was so familiar. His eyelids were too heavy to open.
Go! Dying was almost a relief. He would be spared the torment. But, the light. He saw the light and unclear shadow of people moving.
After hearing the yelling, doctors had started emergency treatment.
He closed his eye again.
There was one more pill. The sibling melted it into water and fed it to their father.
âWhatâs that you give him to drink?â one doctor asked.
âDrugs. Drugs to save his life,â they said.
Ah! Light appeared in front of the old manâs eyes again. This time, he clearly saw the blurry shadows, which were his children and doctors.
âGeez!â he said.
The doctor, Xu Yongan, took a deep breath.
âIt is too unbelievable,â he said.
People in his field, especially in his department, were familiar with death. There were many symptoms that indicated death, like what the patient had just experienced. This time, he was saved.
It was not scientific! Xu Yongan didnât know what to say. What happened? Was it due to that Doctor Wang again?
The old man was somehow dragged away from death. He might pass die at any time. Yet, his face was somehow brilliant, almost hallucinatory.
âIâll go,â he said without any strength.
âDad.â
âPlease donât cry. It is a kind of relief to me,â he said to his children.
The old man talked with his children weakly and called the names of his grandchildren.
âThey are on their way here,â his children said.
They called their families to tell them the old man was almost dying. They urged their father to hold on and wait a little longer. Before long, the ward was filled with people.
The old man looked at the younger generations one by one, mumbling their names. He was so awake in this short time, even more than he had been in the past few years.
The old man then closed his eye. There was peace on his face. He was gone.
âDad!ââGrandpa!â They all cried and bemoaned the death of the old man.
The old man lying on the next bed seemed to be affected by the situation. His breathing became quick.
âDad!â His son standing by the bed was scared and asked for the doctor hastily.
The doctor carefully checked him out. âNo big problem for the time being.â
He looked at the crying families of that patient and wanted to say something. The words began to come out of his mouth, but he swallowed them back. They needed time to cry.
...
âWhat, gone?â Wang Yao was shocked.
âYes, heâs gone. I saw him pass away with a peaceful face. Thank you, and the fees...â Li Maoshuangâs elder cousin said.
âWe can talked about it later. You are busy now,â Wang Yao said.
âMission: Facing the ills. The pharmacist dared to face any stubborn disease. Though you were not able to tackle all completely, you still tried your best to treat the malignant tumor, reduce the patientâs pain, and prolong the life of the patient. Reward: a bag of herb seeds.â
I made it? It was rather a surprise. In reality, death was kind of a relief for that old patient.
Seeds, there was a bag of seeds. Whatâs it this time?
Narcissus. The medical efficacy was for all over the body instead of just for some parts. It could be used to stop bleeding, reduce pain, remove the obstruction in the collaterals, and dispel blood stasis.
Now that the herb seeds were available, he planted them in an appropriate medical fields.
One more licorice roots. Good!
Though the old man had died, the treatment process was meaningful. It made Wang Yao realize how marvelous his ability was. Even a malignant tumor was not completely untreatable. This difficulty could be overcome.
What if the old had not died and the treatment had been continued? There might have been more unbelievable possibilities. But, they were just possibilities.
âLet it go!â Wang Yao told himself.
He locked the door of the clinic and returned home. The wonderful smell of food floated through the air into the alley. He soon heard laughter.
Wang Yao turned around. He looked at the car parked not far from the alley entrance.
Ah, heâs come again?
The door opened.
âXiao Yao came back,â Du Mingyang smiled.
âHow are you?â Wang Yao asked.
âCome on, have a drink. It is Lapsang Souchong. I asked one of my friends to bring some from the south,â Du Mingyang said.
Wang Yao smiled and took the cup. It was good tea full of fragrance but no better than any he had.
âUncle, have a drink,â Du Mingyang said.
Wang Yaoâs father agreed.
âIâll give my aunt a hand,â Du Mingyang said.
âNo need to do that. You can just have a seat here,â Wang Yaoâs father said.
Ah! Itâs too difficult to be a potential son-in-law, Wang Yao sighed to himself.
âAh, didnât you call my sister?â he asked.
âNo, sheâs working,â Du Mingyang said.
âWhy didnât you work today?â Wang Yao asked.
âI took the day off,â Du Mingyang replied.
In the dusk, Wang Ru rushed home. She was not happy.
âDo you want to die?â she asked Du Mingyang.
âGentle, be gentle,â Wang Yao quietly reminded her.
âTell me, why are you here?â she asked.
âI asked one of my friends to bring some tea from the south, so I brought some to uncle,â Du Mingyang said.
âWhat kind of tea, Da Hong Pao from Wuyi Mountains?â she asked.
âNo, Lapsang Souchong, its famous,â he replied.
âOut at once!â she yelled.
âOK, Iâll tell uncle and aunt.â Du Mingyang said.
âNo need to do that,â she said.
âXiao Du?â Wang Yaoâs mother called out.
âYes, aunt, Iâm here,â Du Mingyang said.
âCome on in and have meal with us,â she said.
He agreed and rushed into the room as swiftly as a monkey.
After the meal, Du Mingyang returned to town. Wang Ru stayed at home.
âI feel he really takes care of you, and he is not a bad person. Take him,â Wang Yao said.
âHey! Who are you to say that?â she asked.
âLook, youâve experienced many blind dates. Ninety-nine percent of those took a fancy to you, but you didnât fancy them. Sister, shouldnât you still think about your first love?â