Chapter 117 — The Titan of Chinese Medicine [Begging for Monthly Tickets—They're Catching Up Behind Us, Everyone! Old Fish Summons the Monthly Tickets Once More; Only With Tickets Is There the Momentum for a Sustained Outburst]
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
Guan Xuewen's residence was in the school's staff quarters, within a standalone villa district where the school leadership and the school's most eminent professors lived. Though Yang Huaijun was driving a police car, when he entered the villa district he was still stopped, carefully registered, and only then allowed through.
After all, in a place like this there were quite a few national-level academicians like Guan Xuewen—some even holding international titles...
Parking the car beneath the Guan villa, Yang Huaijun got out and was about to ring the doorbell when the villa's door happened to open, and a pretty young woman stepped out. Seeing Yang Huaijun, she started slightly, then smiled: "Brother Yang, you've come to see Grandfather..."
"Xinxin, off to work?" Seeing Guan Xin's attire—pretty yet crisp and neat—Yang Huaijun guessed she must be heading to work.
"Mm," Guan Xin nodded. "I have to leave early, or I won't catch the commuter bus."
"You don't have a car of your own?" Hearing this, Yang Huaijun was rather taken aback. Guan Xin actually took the commuter bus?
"I just started working—how would I have money to buy a car?" Guan Xin smiled. "Brother Yang, Grandfather has a guest. After you go up, you'll have to wait a while."
"All right. Then hurry along, don't be late." Yang Huaijun nodded at Guan Xin. He could tell that Guan Xin wasn't relying on her family. Such a rich girl was a rare sight—even Qiu Lingshan had a private car of her own...
Guan Xin hadn't locked the door earlier; she knew Yang Huaijun well and knew he wasn't a bad man, so she trusted him completely. Thus Yang Huaijun didn't ring the doorbell again, but went straight into the villa and up the stairs.
Up in the second-floor sitting room, they found Guan Xuewen taking an old man's pulse, with a middle-aged man and woman standing at the old man's side.
"Elder Guan, how is my father's condition?" the man asked, watching Guan Xuewen cautiously.
"Not too good... it's already quite serious." Guan Xuewen did not mince words, speaking frankly in front of the old man himself. "His myocardial function is deteriorating by the day. A cure is all but impossible. With regular acupuncture, however, we can just barely hold it in check."
The old man clearly understood his own illness well and showed little reaction to Guan Xuewen's bluntness. It was the middle-aged man who, hearing that the condition could be held in check, grew eager. "You can keep it stable? That's good enough—so long as it doesn't get any worse, so long as he doesn't have an attack, that will do."
They had sought treatment in many places, all to no avail. This time they had come to Guan Xuewen on the strength of his reputation, never expecting to find a solution.
"That's no problem," Guan Xuewen said with a nod. "One acupuncture session a week will keep the illness controlled for that week. With proper care, another ten years of life is quite possible..."
"Another ten years?" Hearing this, the old man was rather pleased. "Ten years is time enough to get a great deal done."
"Then we'll have to trouble you, Elder Guan. We live in Yanjing, so as for the weekly sessions... you see... besides paying the consultation fee, we will also cover your full travel expenses both ways..." the middle-aged man said.
"I don't have the time. The acupuncture must be done here." Guan Xuewen refused without the slightest courtesy. He had his rules for treating patients, and house calls were not among them.
"This..." The middle-aged man was somewhat put out. His father was advanced in years—dragging him back and forth every week would be the death of him.