Chapter 118 — A Master Physician
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
When the middle-aged man saw his wife kick up such a fuss, his lungs nearly burst with rage. He had gone to such lengths to find a specialist who could treat his father's illness, and now her shouting had offended Guan Xuewen beyond repair. Was Guan Xuewen an ordinary doctor? And double the consultation fee—did the man lack money?
The middle-aged man hopped about in fury, drew back his arm, and slapped the woman across the face: "Huiru, shut your mouth!"
Huiru was stunned by the blow. She clutched her cheek and stared blankly at her husband, but he paid her no mind. He hurried forward to chase after Guan Xuewen: "Elder Guan, please don't stoop to a woman's level. Don't be angry—surely we can talk this over..."
This middle-aged couple was the same pair Wei Zhao had encountered in the commercial district. The man was Liu Tianyi, and the woman was Wu Huiru.
Guan Xuewen had only been somewhat annoyed. Hearing Liu Tianyi's words, he thought there was sense in them—there was no need for him to lower himself to a shrew's level. The patient came first. So he halted his steps and turned back.
"I'll stay here. Tianyi, you and the others go back to Yanjing," Elder Liu spoke up. He did not so much as glance at Huiru; clearly he was deeply disappointed in his daughter-in-law as well.
"Father, you by yourself..." Liu Tianyi looked at him with concern.
"It's nothing. You go back and attend to your work. An old man like me could use a bit of leisure—call it a vacation. In a little while, rent me a place nearby; I'll stay right here, close to Professor Guan, and the surroundings are pleasant too." Elder Liu smiled and waved his hand.
"This... very well." Liu Tianyi knew that once his father made up his mind, no one could change it—he could only carry it out. He took out his phone and dialed a number: "Principal Zhang? This is Liu Tianyi. My father has decided to stay at the university. Could you arrange a residence for me close to Elder Guan's home... Good, I'll wait for your word."
Yang Huaijun had been standing to one side, quietly speculating about the identities of the old man and the middle-aged couple. Now, hearing the call the middle-aged man made, he marveled inwardly. This Principal Zhang was surely the president of Songshan Medical and Pharmaceutical University, and a single phone call from Liu Tianyi could get him to arrange a house near Guan Xuewen's. That was no small matter.
After all, everyone who lived in this villa district was of dean-level status, and the area around Guan Xuewen's home was an upscale villa quarter in particular. Unless one had special standing, the principal would hardly go out of his way to find him a house.
Having settled Elder Liu's affairs, Guan Xuewen turned to Yang Huaijun: "Yang, you're here. Have a seat for now. Once things are wrapped up here, we'll talk. You can watch some TV or go online for a bit, whatever you like."
"All right, Grandpa Guan. Don't mind me—go ahead with your business." Yang Huaijun was already quite familiar with Guan Xuewen and stood on no ceremony. He sat down by the television, flipped to a random channel, and began watching.
Guan Xuewen, for his part, laid out the treatment plan for Elder Liu: the acupuncture would begin tomorrow. Liu Tianyi then made ready to take his father and leave.
"By the way, Elder Guan, do you happen to know a young doctor who is very skilled at massage and manipulation? He must be a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine as well, no?" Liu Tianyi suddenly thought of Wei Zhao. In his view, Wei Zhao's massage and manipulation techniques were superb; if combined with acupuncture, the results ought to be even more pronounced.
Wei Zhao's miraculous manipulation, which had brought him back from the brink, was still fresh in Liu Tianyi's memory. Truly, as the saying went, ambition does not depend on age.
"Very skilled at massage and manipulation?" Guan Xuewen was slightly taken aback. "You mean Chinese medical massage?"