Back to the Countryside

Chapter 27 :医馆 (clinic/medical center) 

The medical house was called Shengde Clinic, it was located in a busy part of the town. The doctor who practiced*(坐诊) there was quite good, and although he wasn't the best in town, he was still quite famous. 

[坐诊: lit sitting, providing medical services]

When they entered the clinic, the clerk standing behind the medicine counter was delighted to see them, quickly stepped out, making a bow before speaking, but for some reason he paused before saying, "I wonder who is the one that need to see the doctor?"

 "It's our Ger!" Qian spoke sharply, dragging He Zhen to the front. 

Qi Yue glanced at her and nodded to that clerk , "I wonder if the doctor is free at the moment?" 

"Coincidentally,he is available at the moment!" The clerk waved his hand, beckoned a fellow to lead these two to the side consulting room. 

After watching them walk away, Qi Yue reached out to wrapped his arm around He Ling's waist then said to the clerk, "This is my Fu Lang."

Making such intimate gestures in front of outsiders made He Ling a little uncomfortable, there was also some confusion in his heart, did Qi Yue know this clerk well? Why did he introduce himself to him?

        When the clerk heard these words, he put his hands together, bowed to He Ling, "Master's Fu Lang ( in other word, The husband of the Boss) !"

        He took a half step backwards, but Qi Yue swept him back and gave him two pats on the waist to soothe him, while saying to the clerk, "Please bring me some paper and pens!"

        The clerk turned and went away so Qi Yue took He Ling into a small room and sat down with him on a chair, saying, "This is the medical center I bought when I first arrived here!"

        He Ling felt dizzy, yesterday Qi Yue had stuffed him with a box of money which was scary enough, now he was telling himself that he had a clinic?

Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Qi Yue reached out his hand to pinched his face, "What? Are you frightened?

The touch on his face brought He Ling back to his senses, he shook his head and nodded again, "I don't know how to say it, I just can't believe it!"

        Qi Yue laughed softly, the hand that pinched his cheek loosened and caressing him there again, "Now you don't have to worry about me, your husband 'just sitting and eating, deplete a mountain of wealth'*(坐吃山空) and becoming poor wretch*(窮光蛋), our family clinic is still good, although this is not good for the others!"

[坐吃山空 (zuò chī shān kōng) : lit. just sitting and eating, one can deplete even a mountain of wealth (idiom) / fig. to spend one's money without generating any income ]

[窮光蛋 (qióng guāng dàn) : 

poor wretch / pauper / destitute man / poverty-stricken peasant / penniless good-for-nothing / impecunious vagabond]

        He Ling was amused by his comment, and the feeling of insecurity in his heart was removed a lot. 

        The clerk knocked on the door at that moment, followed by an assistant whose holding a tray with tea and snacks.

        While the man was putting things away, the clerk also laid out the pens, ink, paper and inkstones he was holding in front of Qi Yue.

        Qi Yue said to him, "Wait a moment", and started to write, after only he had filled a sheet of paper, he did stop writing and blow-dried the ink, he folded the paper and handed it to the clerk, "Give it to the old doctor!"

The clerk took it, nodded his head in response, then he led the servant man out the door.

        Once the people were out, Qi Yue said to He Ling, "I have written a prescription for the doctor."

        He Ling nodded, he knew nothing about medicinal matters so he did not ask more questions.

        Qi Yue picked up his cup of tea, took a sip, saying, "When I first arrived here, I had planned to settle down in the town, which is why I bought this medical center."

        Hearing him say this, He Ling stopped his hand from reaching for the pastry and looked over in confusion, "Then why, again, did you come to Gu shui Village?"

        "To say it, it's all coincidence!"

 Qi Yue picked up a piece of cakes from the plate and passed it to He Ling's lips, watching him open his mouth to eat it before continuing, "That day, the Wang family's son brought his mother here for medical treatment.I happened to be in the hall and heard them talking about a vacant courtyard in Gu shui Village, so I bought it with the idea in mind!"

He Ling finished chewing the snacks in his mouth and took a sip of tea, "That's quite a coincidence!"

        Qi Yue looked at him, his gaze was gentle, "If it wasn't like this, how could I have met you, this is our destiny!"

        He Ling was stunned, his brows softened, inside his eyes seem to be overflowing with tenderness.

        Qi Yue stretched out his hand, took him, rubbing his thumb lightly against the back of his hand, "There are still many lively places in town, shall we go for a stroll again?"

        "Yes!" He Ling nodded and took his hand in return.

        The doctor carefully examined the blisters and wounds on He Zhen's face, took his pulse, then looked down while pondering. His pulse was very peculiar, not a normal allergy, even though he had been practising medicine for many years, he could not see anything!

"Doctor, is it possible to cure my illness?" Seeing that the other person did not say anything for a long time, He Zhen felt only panic.

        "Before you had symptoms, did you eat anything you shouldn't have eaten, such as wild animals that picked from the mountains?" Thinking hard, the doctor tried to find the problem in the food.

        "No!" He Zhen shook his head, "I have always eaten home-made food, even if there are some wild vegetables, it was eaten all the time, there has never been any problem!"

        The doctor was at a loss as to what to do, as the symptoms were either illness or poisoning.He had never seen it before, nor had he ever eaten poisoned food. Was it possible that someone had deliberately poisoned this country ger to harm him? It was unlikely though, since he had been eating in his own home.

        Seeing the doctor's face in distress, He Zhen became anxious, "Doctor, can it be cured?"

"Yes, doctor, you should give us a precise word!" Qian was also a bit anxious.

        The doctor thought about it carefully, decided that he couldn't do anything about it, so he wanted to tell them to look somewhere else, that he wasn't the best doctor in town and that perhaps others had seen such a difficult illness.

        Before he could say anything, a man came in from the outside and handed him a piece of paper, saying that it was from the owner. 

        The doctor took it, opened the paper, later his expression changed from one of enlightenment to one of pondering, after a few moments, he put the paper down and said, "Your illness is not completely incurable, but ......"

        "What it is? Doctor, please tell me!" Hearing that he could still help, He Zhen was excited, as long as he could be cured.

"I have a prescription here that could be used to treat your illness, but...." The doctor hesitated for a moment before continuing: "Once you take this prescription, you will never be able to stop. If you do, you will have a double recurrence, moreover within an hour after taking the medicine, your body will burn like a fire and you will be in agony!"

 He Zhen froze, he didn't think it would be like this, so he wouldn't be able to get rid of this medicine from now on?

"What? Qian exclaimed, "Then it's like a medicine jar!"

 "Indeed, this medicine has to be taken every day and cannot be interrupted, and it's not cheap either. It costs 300 wen each set. The old man stroked his beard on his chin.

"Three hundred wens? That's six taels of silver for a month! Why don't you go robbing instead?! " Qian's voice was raised, six taels of silver was enough to cover the expenses of an ordinary family for nearly three years!

The doctor's medical skill was good, he was old and respected deeply by everyone, so when he heard her talk like that, he was annoyed. He snorted coldly and said "I am only telling you that there is a cure, but it is up to you whether you want to be cured or not. Of course, you could also look at another clinic,so then you might find a cheap and an effective remedy!" 

Qian opened her mouth to make a further comment, but He Zhen held her back. He smiled apologetically to the doctor, "I'm sorry, my mother is a bit agitated. Let's go out and discuss it!" 

Qian who was pulled outside the consultation room,still in full of displeasure, "I think he's just asking for a lot of money*(漫天要价)!" 

(漫天要价 : to ask for sky-high prices) 

"Mother! Don't you want to treat me at all?" He Zhen let go of her hand.

"How could it be? If I didn't want to heal you, will I come to the town with you?" Seeing that he was angry, Qian stopped complaining and patted his arm soothingly.

 "Then you, Mother, still can't spare the silver?" After he finished speaking, Qian's expression became a little bit awkward so He Zhen tugged his hand again, saying, "Mother, didn't we agree that after I cure my illness, I'll think of a way to snatch Qi Yue back, and then we'll have money!"

 "But what if this doesn't work?" Before, Qian also thought that her ger could get Qi Yue back, but now since she saw his attitude towards He Ling, it was a bit doubtful. Besides, a set of medicine is 300 wen. Even a month's daily expenses of a family didn't need that much!

 "Mother, you told me that He Ling might not even be able to have children so what man can tolerate not having children? Qi Yue will eventually have to have a young one (little wife, he mean) , my chances are good!" No matter what, his face had to be cured, He had a long life ahead of him,and he couldn't just turn ugly like this.

 Qian was still a bit hesitant to spend that much money, she had to discuss it with the head of the family at any rate.

"Let's just buy some and try it out, if it work then we'll talk, okay?" He Zhen had a hunch that the medicine would be effective for his illness, and as for the side effects the doctor mentioned, he couldn't care less!

        In the end, Qian nodded, no matter how much she deeply love the money, he was still a piece of flesh that had fallen off her body, could be cured and still had to be cured.

        They took 5 packages of medicine for a total of 1,500 yuan, a full tael of silver, and a 50 yuan consultation fee.

Qian was so distressed then looked around and said, "Hey, where are the people who came with us? I'm afraid I haven't brought enough money!"

        Qi Yue had already told the clerk not to let these two people know who he was also not to give them special treatment, so he said with a smile, "Those two left a long time ago!"

        Qian's plans was not successful, full of displeasure, she cursed Qi Yue for not knowing how to be polite, not even informed her when he left,He Ling was also an eyes white wolf (Tl: remember,it mean an thankless wretch) , he didn't even know to stay and care about his own cousin when he was ill!

        Reluctantly, he took out the money and handed it over. One by one, she counted out fifty coins. Qian felt as if she was plucking out her own flesh and blood. It was definitely true what they say about costing a lot of money to see a doctor in town.

        He Zhen took the wrapped medicine in his arms. At last, he felt relieved, when he regained his appearance, he would definitely get back what He Ling had taken away from him!