Chapter 109: A Small Shop with a Lot of Heart
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The meal and the atmosphere were extremely good. Secretary Yang held power over a region of high ranking officials, yet he never showed any sign of being on a high horse. On the contrary, he was completely easygoing.
After eating and drinking to one’s content, Secretary Yang sent his a.s.sistant to go and take care of the bill. He continued to chat with w.a.n.g Yao and Tian Yuantu for a while, then he said his farewells and left.
Seeing him leave, the hotel owner, who was always off to one side paying close attention, rushed out to see him off.
“Director Tian, you scared the mess out of me. This honored guest’s background is too grand,” said the hotel owner laughing at Tian Yuantu, after he had waited for Secretary Yang to leave.
“Hahaha, even though this hotel of yours is small, it still has a lot of heart, don’t you think!?” Tian Yuantu said laughing. “Besides, he wasn’t the only honored guest here. Can’t you see! There is still one here!” He pointed at w.a.n.g Yao.
“Oh, can you introduce him to me?” The owner was a shrewd man. He considered the fact that this man had just shared a meal with one of the few rich and powerful people in Lianshan County, as well as with a man who just left that had control over an entire region of high ranking officials. The young man’s status could not have been a poor one.
Tian Yuantu didn’t say much. He just did a short introduction and then got in the vehicle with w.a.n.g Yao. There had been a chauffeur waiting by in the vehicle – no one knew when he had arrived. Tian Yuantu arranged things very meticulously.
“You have been drinking. You shouldn’t drive. I’ll let someone take you back,” said Tian Yuantu to w.a.n.g Yao while in the vehicle.
“Okay then.”
Soon thereafter, Tian Yuantu sent someone to drive w.a.n.g Yao’s vehicle and take him home. They stopped by the medicine shop on the way to pick up the medicine w.a.n.g Yao had previously ordered. While on the road back home, he unexpectedly received a call from manager Lee. Lee started out by saying something that totally shocked w.a.n.g Yao.
“w.a.n.g Yao, I have nothing else to say except thank you!” Lee suddenly thanking him out of nowhere left w.a.n.g Yao a little dumbfounded.
“What’s going on?”
Lee said a few more words and w.a.n.g Yao finally understood what was going on. After seeing him yesterday, Lee had thought deeply for a long time before finally taking his advice. Soon after arriving in Lianshan County Hospital, he first had a checkup. The result was that he had a serious stomach disease and the county hospital doctor said he would have to have surgery. It scared him so much that he rushed over to the People’s Hospital in Weicheng city to get examined again. He was still in Weicheng now.
“Wait for me to get back. I must properly show my thanks!” Lee was extremely courteous over the phone. His appreciation was wholehearted.
They chatted for a while before finis.h.i.+ng the phone call. With regards to this matter, w.a.n.g Yao thought it was still a bit sudden.
The chauffeur sent by Tian Yuantu drove him back to the village, then he left in another car. w.a.n.g Yao originally wanted to invite him to his home to sit for a while, rest and then drink some tea, but he didn’t agree. Yuantu just stood at the entrance of the village waiting for the taxi to come. He waited for a while though, and because of this, w.a.n.g Yao couldn’t help but laugh.
“Did you drink?” After getting home, Zhang Xiuying, even from a distance, could smell the alcohol on her son’s body.
“I drank a little.”
“You drove, but still had alcohol!” Zhang Xiuying was upset.
“I didn’t drive myself. I had someone drive for me.”
“Then why didn’t you invite him to come in and rest?”
“He had something to do, so he left.” w.a.n.g Yao could only reply in such a way. He couldn’t keep saying he invited him. Maybe it was just that he really didn’t want him to come in?
w.a.n.g Yao sat at home and drank some tea for a while before heading back up the hill. Maybe because his physical condition was better than the ordinary person, but the alcohol didn’t seem to affect him. It was just that his belly felt a little hot, but he wasn’t dizzy and he didn’t have any bad feelings at all.
The herbs needed to make the pain killing medicine were all gathered together, but w.a.n.g Yao was in no rush decoct up the medicine.
On the hill, he paced back and forth a few times, then he made himself a cup of tea and read aloud a scroll of scriptures.
He didn’t go back home that night. At the top of the hill, he made a pot of egg noodles. He ate some himself and then gave some to San Xian and Da Xia to eat. Soon after, he started thinking about Ju Lingzhen’s problem again, not resting until late that night.
The next day, he woke up early in the morning and started another day of life and religious practice. The sun had already risen outside. The sun was bright and s.h.i.+ning like a rising flame that could even make spring water boil a little.
Making the medicine was easier this time since there were not that many herbs involved; there were only four types. Three types of medicine had already been distributed in order of priority to be mixed together. There was only the licorice root left.
The Star anise tree had leaves like a lotus and the seeds were an emerald green in color, like jade.
The licorice root was the last to be added to the mix. Even though it didn’t seem like a type of detoxifying herb, it still dissolved quite quickly. The entire pot of medicine quickly acquired a dark green color. The fragrant smell of the medicine filled the small room.
The decoction process of the medicine was simple and short. As far as the curative effects went, those could only be known by seeing the actual results of it.
After the medicine was finished, w.a.n.g Yao put it in the container he had prepared beforehand. He was not in a rush to go to Lianshan, however.
Baaaa, Baaaa! Suddenly, from outside, the sound of a goat bleating could be heard.
Woof, Woof! The violent barks of his dog could also be heard.
w.a.n.g Yao went out to have a look. He only saw a goat that did not know how to get into the herbal field. He then saw it leap a few times only to be put down fiercely by his dog.
This scene surprised w.a.n.g Yao. The goat’s size was bigger than his dog’s, however, it was still easily brought down. San Xian had a lot of strength, but he was not allowed to bite! San Xian was actually going to bite the goat; he went straight for the goat’s neck. Such a strategic a.s.sault!
“Get up!” The dog let go of the goat after hearing w.a.n.g Yao. The goat was about to run off when w.a.n.g Yao caught it in his hands, lightly pressing down on it. It was held down where it was, unable to take a step.
“Yao, that is my goat,” a voice at that time had cried out. Going by the voice and gazing into the distance, it seemed to be a man at his fifties. w.a.n.g Yao recognized that the visitor was one of the elders from the village.
“How is it that your goat ran over here? It was almost bitten by my dog,” w.a.n.g Yao said laughing.
“I took my eyes off of it! I’m sorry,” said the man laughing.
The middle-aged man suddenly felt like the tree saplings in front of his eyes were flas.h.i.+ng back and forth. He then blinked his eyes as much as he could, but the tree saplings were still flas.h.i.+ng around.
“This is not good. It must be my dizziness problem flaring up again!” The frightened man slowly squatted down to the ground and looked for a spot to sit. He was lightly rubbing his head.
“What’s wrong?” After seeing this, w.a.n.g Yao carried the goat out of the herbal field himself.
“I’m ok. I just feel a little bit dizzy. I just need to rest a bit,” said the man, rubbing his forehead at the same time.
“Are you sure? You sit here for a moment and rest while I get you a cup of water.”
After saying this, w.a.n.g Yao turned around to go back and pour him some water. When he came back out, he saw the man looking at the tree saplings and rubbing his eyes.
How strange! How is it that I’m seeing so many!?” the man said.
Aha! w.a.n.g Yao suddenly realized something after hearing him say this. Looking at the tree saplings was supposed to create hallucinations. It was a hallucination spell.
“You are just tired, that’s all. Go down from the hill and get some rest. Wait until you feel better before you go out and deal with the goat.” w.a.n.g Yao could only explain this in such a way.
“Okay, thanks a lot!” The man cupped the gla.s.s of water with both hands and took a drink. He stood up and then suddenly he became dizzy again, almost falling over. Then, he just stood still for a bit before going on forward.
Upon seeing this, w.a.n.g Yao’s brow creased ever so slightly.
“Wait a moment,” w.a.n.g Yao said, calling out to the man.
“What is it, Yao?”
“I will check your pulse.”
w.a.n.g Yao put his finger on the man’s wrist. This type of behavior made the middle-aged man feel dumbfounded, but he didn’t say anything in response. Instead, he just crouched down and cooperated.
With complete concentration, w.a.n.g Yao checked his pulse.
“When you woke up this morning, did you feel any tingling on the left side of your head? And also your left leg not doing what you wanted it to do?” asked w.a.n.g Yao, taking away his hand.
“You said it. That’s how it was. What’s going on?” said the middle-aged man upon hearing this.
When he got up early this morning, his head really did tingle, and his body didn’t act the right way—especially the left side of his body. But he didn’t take it seriously. He just came up to the hill to tend to the goats as usual.
“Quickly, give your family a phone call and let them come take you to the hospital,” w.a.n.g Yao said urging him.
“Are you saying that I’m sick?” the old man asked hastily after hearing what was said.
“It’s very possible. You should go get checked out.”
w.a.n.g Yao was afraid this elder didn’t believe him, so he attached more importance to his words.
“I didn’t bring my cellphone!” said the middle-aged man.
“I have one. You can use mine.”
“Okay.” The old man, not feeling quite convinced, took the cellphone and made a phone call. His son, who became anxious after answering the phone, immediately got on his motorcycle and rode to the top of the hill. At this time, w.a.n.g Yao helped the father and son get down from the hill.
“Dad, where do you feel sick at?” the boy anxiously asked after seeing his father. w.a.n.g Yao wasn’t that much older than this boy.
“Just a while ago, your father came up to the hill to tend to the sheep. His body became weak and he almost fell over. His head also started tingling. You should take him to the hospital. I believe it’s a blood clot,” said w.a.n.g Yao.
“A blood clot!?” The young man raised his eyebrows and took a look at his father. Then he took another look at w.a.n.g Yao.
The young man said to himself, Is this not the man that tends to the medicinal herbs at the top of the hill? When did he learn to say someone should go see a doctor? Could it be he is just talking nonsense to scare us?
“I also hope that I am wrong about him, but this illness of his cannot be ignored any longer. You should still take him to the hospital to get checked out.”
Just looking at this young man’s expression on his face, w.a.n.g Yao could tell what he was thinking. But it didn’t matter what the boy thought, w.a.n.g Yao still urged him to go.
When w.a.n.g Yao checked the man’s pulse, he knew his body’s condition was not good. A blood clot had already started forming in his brain—he simply could not delay it any further. This type of illness—not even within an hour but within a minutes’ time; putting it off any longer could have scary consequences.
“Thanks a lot!” The young man didn’t say much more. He just took his father down the hill on his motorcycle.
“What about the goat?” said the old man sitting on the motorcycle.
“I must trouble you with looking after the goats for a while!” yelled the young man to w.a.n.g Yao.
Look after the goats? w.a.n.g Yao turned his head and saw three goats at his side.
Baaa, Baaa, Baaa!
The young man took his father down the hill and stopped by the gate of their house.