Chapter 163: Prolonged Illness Spells Death. No Desire or Demand
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“I’ll leave you alone. I’ll wait for you over there, okay?” He could tell that this Miss Guo had matters to discuss with w.a.n.g Yao alone; hence he took the initiative to take another seat. He ordered a cup of coffee and gazed out at the seascape, pondering.
“Who is this person? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”
“Such a coincidence, I didn’t expect to see you in Haiqu,” Guo Sirou smiled and said.
“Yes, I have matters to attend to with a friend.”
“I shall get to the point then. I’ll like to invite Doctor w.a.n.g to Jing City to see a special patient,” said Guo Sirou.
“I told Mr. He yesterday, I don’t want to go to Jing City,” w.a.n.g Yao declined again.
“I can guarantee, this won’t cause you any trouble,” said Guo Sirou.
w.a.n.g Yao smiled and did not reply.
Mission: Treat ten cases of difficult-to-treat illnesses within half a year.
Reward for success: A medical book, a formula.
Punishment for failure: Inability to use the system for three months.
w.a.n.g Yao heard the system alert at that moment.
Ten difficult-to-treat illnesses? Three months? This mission is so odd. Why is it that when I met Secretary Yang’s mother, this mission did not appear? Similarly, for the young son of Mr. Sun and also Wei Hai. Why appear now?!
Although ten cases weren’t much, and half a year sounded long enough, in reality, however, the mission was quite difficult to complete. It was the toughest mission that w.a.n.g Yao had come across.
First off, what was the definition of a difficult-to-treat illness?
A simple understanding would be those illnesses that were difficult to diagnose or difficult to treat—all of these were generally categorized as difficult-to-treat. However, for something like rheumatoid arthritis that was considered to be difficult-to-treat in modern medicine would likely be struck off from the system’s definition of difficult-to-treat illnesses.
Difficult to diagnose and treat—it was a prolonged illness would spell certain death. According to the system’s definition, such illnesses were considered difficult-to-treat and were supposed to be slightly stronger than terminal illnesses.
There were two aspects to the difficulty of this mission. First, it was rare to meet with such illnesses. Of course, terminal illnesses such as cancer did not fall under such a category. w.a.n.g Yao’s luck was not bad, and he had already met with a few cases of difficult-to-treat illness in succession. Second, such illnesses were particularly difficult to treat and could not be treated within a short period of time. This was mainly because the illness had already penetrated into the internal organs. Even if w.a.n.g Yao prescribed licorice roots, it would take time to take effect. This was evident from his observation of Secretary Yang’s mother’s treatment. Furthermore, and most importantly, even if he met someone with such illness, why would anyone trust that he could treat it? He was so young and still did not have a medical qualification certificate!
This was a sudden mission that felt like it had made a mockery out of him.
“What’s the matter, Doctor w.a.n.g?” Guo Sirou asked softly, seeing w.a.n.g Yao not speaking for some time.
“Nothing, I’m thinking of some things,” w.a.n.g Yao recovered and replied.
“Can you think about what I said earlier?”
…
“I remember now!” Tian Yuantu who was sitting not far away felt a slight tremor in his body. There was shock registered on his face.
“Isn’t this the Guo family’s eldest daughter?” Although he had not seen Guo Sirou before, he had seen He Qisheng. From his sources, he had a vague understanding that w.a.n.g Yao’s single decoction had saved the old man on the brink of death from dying. As a result of this, w.a.n.g Yao had formed favorable ties with the Guo family. It was unexpected that on this day, the eldest daughter from the Guo family had personally come to look for him. It seemed they were discussing something very important?
…
“How about this, can you show me the patient’s medical records and relevant diagnostic information?”
“This will need to wait. I did not bring it. Also, I’ll need to ask for the patient’s permission as her illness is very peculiar.”
“Okay, when you have her permission, you can come to look for me anytime. If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave now.”
“Sorry to bother you.”
“Goodbye.”
…
Tian Yuantu drove w.a.n.g Yao and left.
“Do you know Miss Guo’s ident.i.ty? I’m referring to her family background,” Tian Yuantu suddenly asked while driving.
“I don’t know. Why do I need to know?” w.a.n.g Yao smiled and asked.
He knew that Guo Sirou’s background was definitely not ordinary; however, he did not exactly know what her ident.i.ty was and did not see a need to ask.
“You certainly have no desire or demand!” Tian Yuantu smiled and commented. “However there are some things that are better for you to know. The surname of the governor of Qi Province is Guo.”
“Ah?!” Even though w.a.n.g Yao was not concerned with politics, he knew that a governor of a province was considered to be a feudal official and was such a high position that most officials yearned but were unable to obtain.
“This Miss Guo Sirou should be that Governor Guo’s daughter.”
Such a background! w.a.n.g Yao was astonished by this. It was similar to when he met Secretary Yang.
“Her home is in Jing City?”
“Yes, her grandfather’s status is extraordinary. He is from one of Jing City’s top rich and powerful families!” Tian Yuantu exclaimed.
Even his city secretary friend thirsted for a connection with such a family but had no opportunity, let alone himself. Yet, the young man before him had such a chance but was unwilling to grasp it.
Men have different wants, and hence their mentalities were different!
For instance, with regards to the young man beside him, after all his years and experience of extensive travel and after the time he had spent with him, Tian Yuantu still could not tell what the young man wanted.
Was it really to live a worry-free life like those people described in novels that possess an ultimate ideal?
“Ah! A rich and powerful family!” After a while, w.a.n.g Yao uttered these words with emotion. It was as if he was swimming in a sea of many thoughts earlier or that his nerves had jammed up, resulting in a delayed response.
“I got to hand it to you.” Tian Yuantu saw his expression, smiled and shook his head. “Numerous people have tried ways and means and even resorted to underhand means to climb the ladder on the back of influential powers. Such an influential connection has come to you and yet you have no desire or demand and wanted to even let go of this excellent opportunity. If others came to know of it, they will envy you and may even scold you.”
“I think my current life is good,” said w.a.n.g Yao.
The rich and powerful with their wealth and influence was not something he wanted now. To him, these things could not be compared to a formula or half a medical book.
Tian Yuantu did not ask any further. He had said what he needed to say.
Wealthy family, Jing City? w.a.n.g Yao’s tumultuous thoughts were not as calm as his outward appearance. For someone to be able to persuade such a powerful person to make this request of me, that person must be very influential as well. It happened that the system had also a.s.signed me this mission. Don’t tell me I really can’t avoid this?
For the rest of the journey, w.a.n.g Yao did not speak, and neither did Tian Yuantu.
When he got home, only his sister was at home. She was munching on a big pack of chips and watching a plotless romantic soap opera.
“Where’s Mom and Dad?”
“They went out to visit friends. They won’t be back for dinner. So you’ll be in charge of preparing dinner.”
“Why is it me?” w.a.n.g Yao was stunned.
“Because I am your Sis,” said w.a.n.g Ru.
“What kind of sh*t reason is that?”
“Why don’t we use scissors, paper, stone to resolve this?”
At around 5 pm, w.a.n.g Yao and his sister were sitting in the town’s most famous mutton restaurant, drinking mutton soup in big gulps.
“Hey Sis, you love mutton soup so much that drinking it five times in two days is still not enough?”
“A restaurant’s mutton soup tastes different from Mom’s.”
After he lost in the game of scissors, paper, stone, w.a.n.g Yao was asked to treat her, and the location was at this restaurant.
“Besides, mutton soup is very nouris.h.i.+ng!” w.a.n.g Ru said.
“Yes, don’t over nourish and get a nose-bleed.”
…
More than ten miles away in Haiqu City, in a hotel room.
“Uncle Gu, please ask them if they are okay with what I mentioned earlier.”
“Okay, can I see that doctor?” the middle-aged man asked.
“No,” Guo Sirou firmly rejected.
“I will contact the governor immediately and ask him for his opinion,” the man named Gu said at once.
“Okay.”
…
The night breeze was slightly cold. It was already April, by right, the weather should not be like that; it was a little unusual.
“It’s going to rain,” w.a.n.g Yao said softly while raising his head to look at the sky.
The rain started falling in the early morning of the next day. It was a light drizzle and felt melancholic. With the falling of the rain, the hill spring’s flow became livelier, and the shallow pool filled up more quickly.
It was very clear and shallow; its bottom could be seen. In the pool was a rock within the circ.u.mference. The water slowly filled up and rose past the rock.
At that moment, the hill suddenly trembled and gave off a rumbling sound. The wind and rain seemed to have stopped.
The dog leaped out from its den, and the eagle soared into the sky from the trees.
“What’s going on?” w.a.n.g Yao came out from the cottage and looked up the hill.
It was a scene of glistening green gra.s.s and trees, and gentle wind and light rain.
He had felt the tremor and heard the rumbling sound earlier; they were palpable.
He stood outside the cottage momentarily. The dog was happily gamboling in the rain while the eager circled the sky a few times before returning to the trees. Apart from this scene, there were no other occurrences, and everything was normal.
However, w.a.n.g Yao could vaguely detect a change in the hill.
Gazing at Nanshan hill from afar, it was shrouded in a fog that was thicker than the surrounding areas.
It rained for the whole day.
w.a.n.g Yao practiced his breathing exercises and recited the scriptures in the cottage.
On that day, the outside seemed extraordinarily peaceful.
On this part of Nanshan hill, apart from the sound of the wind and rain, the sound of scripture recital in the cottage could be heard. Even though it was very soft, it was not overpowered by the sound of the wind and rain. It rang out but did not spread past the trees.
“Strange, what was the sound just now…Sounds like an earthquake?”
In the rain, a smattering of people was close to Nanshan hill and could therefore faintly detect the earlier sound and tremor.
“Hey, let’s quickly leave. What’s going on with Nanshan hill?”
“Rain and fog. What else is there?”
“It feels a bit strange. Looking up, it looks nice. Why didn’t I notice it before?”