Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 19: Cai’s conciliatory gesture, clinic equipment in place
It had been an ordeal for Xu Qian. Ten minutes had passed by the time she finally left Wang Jian’s room.
Wang Jian slept blissfully, but Xu Qian was still tidying up until almost midnight.
The next morning, Wang Jian was woken by a phone call. The ringing pierced his ears—an irritating but familiar side effect of his hangovers, along with a sensitivity to light.
"Ugh, my head hurts!" Wang Jian groaned, involuntarily massaging his temples. He picked up his phone, squinting against the bright light streaming in from the window.
"Hello, Xiao Jian?"
As soon as the call connected, Wang Jian froze. It was not because of what the caller was saying, but because of a startling discovery. He felt a chill on his body; he was half-naked, and even his underwear had been replaced with a clean pair.
He sucked in a sharp breath.
When Wang Jian remained silent, Cai Xing asked again, "Xiao Jian, are you listening?"
"Hello? Wang Jian?"
"Ah, yes! I’m here. Sorry, Chairman Cai," Wang Jian said quickly. "I drank a bit too much last night. I’ve just woken up and my mind is still a bit foggy. What can I do for you, Chairman Cai?"
"Well, you should wash up and head over to your village committee. I’ve sent you a little gift. It’s already arrived and is waiting to be received," Cai Xing laughed. "There’s quite a lot, so don’t be too surprised, hahaha."
Cai Xing was in high spirits, which lifted Wang Jian’s mood as well. Forgetting about his state of undress, he scrambled out of bed and rushed to the bathroom for a shower.
After showering, Wang Jian saw Xu Qian in the living room. Before he could speak, she brought him a cup of hot tea.
"Here, drink this. It’ll help you sober up."
The warm steam wafted into his face, and even before taking a sip, Wang Jian felt himself relax. He took a sniff and recognized a few medicinal herbs in the tea, which surprised him. "Sis-in-law," he asked after a mouthful, "have you studied Chinese medicine before?"
Wang Jian had not forgotten how she had used herbal medicine to treat his snakebite when he first returned. Once could be explained by local folk remedies, but the fact that she even knew a hangover cure was worth thinking about.
Xu Qian nodded. "There was an old Chinese medicine practitioner in my family, so I picked up a thing or two."
"Sis-in-law, you’re amazing," Wang Jian exclaimed. This was the first he had heard of it. "I doubt anyone else in the village knows these things."
While some villagers sold and gathered herbs, it was purely a commercial enterprise driven by outside buyers.
"You’re just teasing me," Xu Qian said, shyly tapping his arm. "You’re the one who studied medicine, and you’re calling me amazing. You can’t fool me, even if you’re just trying to make me happy."
"No, no, no. Sis-in-law, I’m serious," Wang Jian explained earnestly. "For a layperson to have correct medical knowledge is truly impressive. This kind of skill is incredibly useful; it’s a great thing."
"Alright, alright, whatever you say," Xu Qian laughed. "Finish your tea. I’ll go get breakfast."
"Oh, right," Wang Jian said after another sip, letting out a long breath. He already felt much more clear-headed. "Sis-in-law, about last night... was it you who changed my clothes?"
Xu Qian quickly turned away, her cheeks flushing. She did not want Wang Jian to see her embarrassment and said defensively, "Yes, it was me. Don’t tell me you’re getting shy. I’m a grown woman; there’s nothing I haven’t seen. You were completely drunk last night. I couldn’t just leave you like that, could I? Are you going to blame me for taking care of you, too?"
Her torrent of words left Wang Jian stunned. He had only been asking, never expecting such a strong reaction. He already had a guilty conscience around her, so he did not dare press the issue. He quickly changed the subject. "It’s fine, Sis-in-law. And I’ll eat breakfast later. Chairman Cai just called and asked me to go to the village committee. He said he sent a gift that needs to be picked up. I should go check it out. It’s not right to keep people waiting."
"Oh! Okay!"
After finishing his tea, Wang Jian headed straight for the village entrance.
From a distance, he could see a truck, two smaller cars, and a group of people moving things into the village committee building. As he got closer, a strong medicinal scent hit him.
"What is all this?"
Wang Jian stared at the so-called gift, dumbfounded. Cai Xing had truly gone all out. Just from the aroma, he could identify no fewer than fifty types of medicinal herbs, not to mention some of them were quite rare. This was like turning his small clinic into a branch of the Cai Family Pharmacy. It was incredible, absolutely incredible.
And that was not all. He also saw several pieces of medical examination equipment being carried inside.
Good heavens, he’s setting me up with a combined Chinese and Western medicine facility.
When Wang Jian arrived at the village committee entrance, he was greeted by Li Dayu, the village chief, who was just as enthusiastic as the day before.
"Ah, Xiao Jian! It looks like your clinic can open for business today! The Cai Family is truly something else!"
Li Dayu clicked his tongue in amazement. Wang Jian’s importance to the Cai Family seems even greater than I imagined, he mused. But what’s so special about him? Could he be Chairman Cai’s illegitimate son? He immediately shook his head, dismissing the thought. He had been there when Wang Jian was born.
But that only made the situation more puzzling. No matter how he wracked his brain, he could never guess that Wang Jian had saved Cai Xing’s life. After all, in Li Dayu’s eyes, the Cai family was full of doctors. There was no reason they would ever need to rely on Wang Jian.
The whole affair became a mystery, and Wang Jian gained another layer of mystique in Li Dayu’s mind.
He couldn’t offer a real explanation and just laughed it off. Maybe they treat all their contract doctors this way? Even he did not believe the flimsy excuse, but he knew Li Dayu was a smart man and would not press the matter.
The two of them stood and watched as the team sent by the Cai Family transformed the building in a remarkably short time. The former ’entertainment room’ was now a fully equipped small clinic, complete with medical devices, herbs, computers, desks, waiting chairs, and even a small partitioned-off area for examinations.
Wang Jian was in awe. In just half a day, he was ready to start work.
"Which one of you is Mr. Wang?" a man asked, stepping forward. "Please sign the delivery receipt!"
The man in charge of the transport, furnishing, and assembly handed a clipboard to Wang Jian. After getting the signature, he led Wang Jian inside to explain the basic operation of the equipment.
The Cai Family had sent some fundamental diagnostic tools, like an ECG and a blood pressure monitor. The bulk of the supplies, however, was for Chinese medicine: silver needles, herb grinders, decoction pots, and special cabinets to preserve the herbs’ potency.
For a village-level clinic, it was nothing short of luxurious.
Wang Jian slipped away from Li Dayu and the other village committee members, finding a shady spot under a tree near the village entrance. Seeing no one was around, he called Cai Xing.
The call connected almost instantly. "So," Cai Xing’s voice came through, "do you like your gift?"
"I love it, but it’s really too much..." Wang Jian replied hurriedly.
"Don’t worry about it. If you weren’t in such a small village with such a small building, I would have set you up with a small hospital," Cai Xing’s voice over the phone oozed extravagance.
Wang Jian naturally started to thank him again, but Cai Xing cut him off. "You saved my life. Are these things really more valuable than that?"
Since Cai Xing had put it that way, Wang Jian swallowed his words of gratitude. But another idea had formed in his mind. After some small talk, just as Cai Xing was about to hang up, Wang Jian said quickly, "Chairman Cai, there’s something more I’d like to discuss with you about your illness."
"Go ahead and speak your mind," Cai Xing laughed. "And you don’t have to be so formal from now on. Just call me Uncle Cai. ’Chairman Cai’ makes you sound like one of my business partners."
Wang Jian gave a wry smile. He was not used to such sudden familiarity.
"About your condition," he began, "while it can’t be completely cured, I have a method that can significantly improve your health."
"When I was studying medicine in Capital City, I apprenticed under an extraordinary master. The reason I was able to help you is because of his excellent teachings. The method I’m talking about was passed down by him. If you trust me, you can come and see me whenever you’re ready!"
Wang Jian’s words sounded like a tall tale. Cai Xing had consulted National Masters of Chinese medicine before, but not a single one had dared to promise such a significant recovery. He’s young, Cai Xing thought, understanding the desire to prove oneself after receiving a generous gift.
However, Wang Jian’s next words struck him like a heavy blow, leaving him stunned.
"To be honest with you, after examining you at my home yesterday and cross-referencing my master’s medical texts, I came to a conclusion. For all these years, you’ve relied on that prescription to maintain a semblance of stability, but your body is actually on the brink of collapse. It was only after verifying this that I felt confident enough to tell you what I did."
Cai Xing paused, walking to a private spot away from his family before speaking again. "Xiao Jian, just tell me straight. You don’t have to hold anything back."
"Alright," Wang Jian agreed, his voice steady. "Given your current physical state, your heart could become overloaded within a few months. If that happens and you don’t pull through, not even an Immortal could save you. I’m not exaggerating. I’m sure that lately, even with the medicine, you’ve experienced occasional heart palpitations and difficulty sleeping at night. These are the warning signs."
Silence hung on the other end of the line. It would have been strange if Cai Xing could remain calm after hearing that. Despite his age and experience, he needed time to process the information.
