Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 184 - 179 Regret not having done so earlier

"It’s been such a long time!"

Upon seeing this person, Wang Jian initially thought he was mistaken. It wasn’t until the man spoke that he realized he hadn’t misremembered. It was perfectly normal for him to be hesitant, though; they had only met once, and many years had passed. While traveling the country with his master, he had met so many people and experienced so many things that it was impossible to remember them all clearly. Now that he was reminded, the memories came flooding back.

"Yes, it has been a long time."

"How many years has it been?"

"At least five years, I’d say."

"Doctor Liu, when did you come to Capital City?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"It’s quite a coincidence. I came at the beginning of summer, right when Ping An’s condition worsened. They started seeking out more doctors from various fields, and eventually, it fell to us practitioners of Chinese medicine. That’s what brought me here."

The two exchanged hurried greetings, the atmosphere quickly warming as if they had returned to the past. It was strange; though they had never been particularly close, there was no awkwardness in their reunion after such a long time.

Zhang Hong was clearly surprised. "Liu Yihua," he said, looking between the two men, "you know Doctor Wang? Why haven’t I heard you mention this before?"

Liu Yihua was a well-known expert in Chinese medicine who had gained widespread recognition. His primary sphere of influence, however, was Demon City, not Capital City. In that, he was similar to Niu Deyuan, but he enjoyed slightly more fame.

"Well, at first I didn’t realize this Wang Jian was the same one I knew from before." Liu Yihua had met Wang Jian’s master, Xu Changqing. Because of this, he was vaguely aware of Xu Changqing’s mysterious nature. After all, even the leadership of Demon City treated the man as a distinguished figure. Since Wang Jian was his disciple, it was hard for Liu Yihua to forget him.

Unlike Wang Jian, Liu Yihua remembered him quite vividly. Back then, Wang Jian’s Qi was just beginning to take shape. Though his medical skills weren’t as formidable as they are now, they still made Liu Yihua take notice. He wanted nothing more than to take the university student as his own disciple right then and there. But with Xu Changqing around, he wouldn’t have dared.

When he learned that the person who cured Peng Pingan was also named Wang Jian, he had been skeptical. He found it hard to believe that in just five years, a young man, no matter how talented, could have progressed to a point that would leave global experts at a loss. That was precisely why he didn’t think this Wang Jian was the one he knew. He only confirmed it upon seeing him in person, and now, hearing Zhang Hong’s question, he offered his explanation.

"We met once in Demon City five years ago," Liu Yihua explained. "Even then, I could tell his medical skills were extraordinary and that he was incredibly talented. If he hadn’t already had a master at the time, I would have insisted he stay and study with me."

"Wow."

This was the first Wang Jian was hearing of this. He now understood why Liu Yihua had seemed so unusually kind during their first meeting—this was the reason.

Even Zhang Hong couldn’t help but look at the two with astonishment, along with the others nearby. "I had no idea you two shared such a connection."

Zhang Hong and the others didn’t give it much more thought, assuming the master Liu Yihua mentioned was Song Yijin.

"It seems our discussion can proceed even more pleasantly now."

Zhang Hong, acting like a host, invited everyone to sit down. There, in the small conference room, they finally got to the real reason they had summoned Wang Jian.

"I know why you’ve called me here..."

Wang Jian didn’t beat around the bush. What happened next was almost identical to the events at the Song Family’s home. After they personally experienced the so-called new style of acupuncture and Qi, they finally understood everything Peng Qing had told them. Qi truly existed.

When they looked at Wang Jian again, their expressions had completely changed. It was as if they were looking at a treasure or gazing upon a being from another world. More than anything, however, their looks were filled with hope for the future of Chinese medicine. With medical skills like these, how could Chinese medicine not flourish? This was an absolute game-changer, something that could even lower mortality rates.

But Wang Jian also told them that this technique could not be widely taught. Even if he tried to teach them, they wouldn’t be able to learn it.

With Wang Jian’s help, the men even performed an on-the-spot test. Guided by his Qi, they could vaguely sense the changes within their own bodies. However, as soon as Wang Jian withdrew his Qi, they were plunged into darkness, unable to feel a thing. The warmth, the sensation of Qi—it all felt like an illusion.

Zhang Hong and the three others were no fools; they knew that everything they had just experienced was real. The most direct evidence was Peng Pingan himself. Therefore, the four men could only express their immense admiration and profound regret to Wang Jian.

Wang Jian stayed in the room for an hour before the group finally let him go. Watching his retreating figure, these four heavyweights couldn’t calm themselves for a long time.

"I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes," one of them murmured.

"Tell me about it," another agreed.

Hearing them, Liu Yihua added, "And to think it’s only been a few years. He’s already reached such a level."

"And yet, it’s a medical skill that not everyone can learn."

"It’s truly..." someone trailed off.

"Hey," Zhang Hong’s eyes suddenly lit up. "We old-timers are getting on in years, so it’s fine if there’s no hope for us. But our children are still young! If they study under Wang Jian, surely they can learn something, right?"

At his words, the others, who had just been feeling regretful, were stirred. Their minds began to race. Zhang Hong had a point. Wang Jian did say the technique depended on talent. But then again, what discipline didn’t rely on talent? Even Mr. Peng’s son had become Wang Jian’s disciple, so what reason did they, as doctors, have to hesitate?

Those among them with children began to seriously consider the idea. This was especially true for Liu Yihua, who knew that behind Wang Jian stood a mysterious master. Whether it was to build a connection or to get a chance at this miraculous skill that could turn the rotten into the magical, he felt it was worth a shot. They all knew Wang Jian’s circumstances. They had just asked and learned he was a village doctor, so they weren’t worried about finding him.

Wang Jian would never have imagined that in such a short time, several giants of the medical world were already planning to send people to his humble village. He had just been wondering how to expand his village doctor practice. Now, it looked like he wouldn’t be short on people for long.

「...」

After Wang Jian left, Zhang Hong and the others came out together. Most of the doctors outside had gone, especially the foreign ones, who had left quite early. This didn’t surprise them in the least. It was better that those barbarians had left; the medical technique Wang Jian had demonstrated should not be known to them. Zhang Hong and his colleagues firmly believed this, so they had already prepared a cover story. They had no intention of revealing the truth to anyone on good terms with the foreign doctors or who planned to go abroad.

Just as Zhang Hong was about to leave, Zhang Anjia approached him. Judging by her sour expression, she had clearly run into Wang Jian on his way out.

Zhang Anjia walked up to the group of doctors and spoke directly to Zhang Hong. "Professor Zhang, you’re finally out. I’ve been waiting outside for two hours and still haven’t seen the great doctor. Is he not coming today?"

"Oh?" Zhang Hong recognized Zhang Anjia. He had a good impression of the student; she was talented and hardworking, so he didn’t hide the truth. "He already came. We were just talking with him, which is why we’re coming out so late."

Paying no mind to the change in Zhang Anjia’s expression, he added with a sigh, "Not only did we talk with Doctor Wang, it was a real eye-opener."

It wasn’t just him; Liu Yihua also stepped forward. "A real eye-opener, indeed. With a doctor like him, the Chinese medical community is sure to astonish the world in the future."

"Doctor Wang?"

Hearing several of these titans of medicine praise him in succession, Zhang Anjia grew flustered. She had heard a familiar name. She thought of Wang Jian, who had also been inside for a long time. Her face paled as she considered an impossible conclusion. Worse, she recalled how she had mocked him right after he left, and any sense of peace vanished. The difference between her expression and the enthusiastic looks of the senior doctors was like night and day.

"Is it... Wang Jian?"

"Eh?" This time it was Zhang Hong’s turn to be surprised. Noticing the change in her expression, he exchanged a glance with his colleagues and asked, "You know him?"

"..."

Zhang Anjia fell silent instinctively. But when she saw the senior doctors looking at her with concern, she finally nodded. "He’s my ex-boyfriend."

Hearing this, the senior doctors exchanged another round of glances. They had thought they’d found a potential connection, but it turned out to be this awkward. Seeing no point in pursuing it, they all made their excuses and departed, leaving only Zhang Hong, who was Zhang Anjia’s advisor.

Zhang Hong was sighing internally. After Liu Yihua and the others had gone, he said quietly to Zhang Anjia, "You... Do you have any idea what you’ve missed?"

With that, Zhang Hong turned and left as well. The reason for his remark was that he remembered what Zhang Anjia had said when she applied for his doctoral program. To make a good impression on him, Zhang Anjia had naturally spoken of lofty dreams—about wanting to change the face of Chinese medicine and strengthen the country’s medical power.

But now... Zhang Hong had indeed seen that hope, only it rested on the shoulders of her ex-boyfriend.

With his status, he had naturally heard rumors about Zhang Anjia’s somewhat chaotic love life. He hadn’t paid them much mind, however, since she was his student and genuinely talented in her field. Now, though, he couldn’t help but wonder about the real reason she and Wang Jian had broken up. After all, while a doctor’s skills are vital, their moral character is just as important.

Zhang Anjia likely never dreamed that her attempt to curry favor would not only gain her nothing but would also plant seeds of doubt in her own advisor’s mind.

Wang Jian, of course, knew nothing of this. Even if he did, he wouldn’t care. After all, these things belonged to the past. They were just memories now, and there was no reason to let them disturb his present life.