Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 251 - 245 Tragic Temptation (Additional Update)
"Whether he’s a charlatan or not, we’ll know once we test him," Lu You whispered in response to Hu Ziyuan.
Sitting across from them, Heizi sneered at their reaction. As someone who experienced it firsthand, I refuse to believe Wang Jian is a charlatan. If they’re looking down on him just because he’s young and a village doctor, they must be blind. Never mind that this village doctor, Wang Jian, diagnosed my hidden illness with a single glance and boosted my vitality with just a few needles. Those Medicine Pills he gave me, which I haven’t even taken yet, are bound to be effective. His skills are far superior to any of those doctors in the big hospitals in Capital City or Demon City. On top of that, the man exudes an aura that feels like a spring breeze. I always thought that was just a phrase from novels, but I experienced it firsthand with Wang Jian. Plus, he was so dismissive of the Ginseng King, handing it back without a second thought. I can’t think of a single flaw. A charlatan? Isn’t that the most ridiculous joke in the world? It’s one thing not to see a doctor when you’re sick, but to sit here and relentlessly question a truly miraculous physician is another. Anyone else who knew they were ill would have already used their medical insurance to see a doctor. They wouldn’t be sitting here playing out palace intrigues like they’ve read too many novels. Oh, right. I forgot they’re foreigners. No medical insurance here. My mistake!
The more Heizi thought about it, the more he felt that the father-son duo in front of him wasn’t playing with a full deck. Rolling his eyes, he snatched his Medicine Pills back from their hands and was the first to take his leave.
Only after Heizi left did Hu Ziyuan finally unleash the emotions he had been suppressing. "Uncle Jiu... look at him! That Heizi, how dare he act that way toward you? Has he forgotten that you’re the reason he has any businesses at all?"
Hearing this, Uncle Jiu Lu You’s expression was just as grim. They had both seen the peculiar look on Heizi’s face as he departed. However, Lu You was old, sick, and nearing death’s door. When the anger surged, he ultimately chose to suppress it. He waved a dismissive hand. "Forget it. Our main purpose here was the Ginseng King. Now that we have it, let’s not create any more trouble. If they look down on us, we simply won’t associate with them in the future." His expression remained unchanged as he continued, "Ziyuan, when you go out later, investigate that village doctor, Wang Jian, a bit more. If you can, test him again. See if you can find out where Li Long and Zhao Hu are."
Hu Ziyuan agreed and pushed Lu You back to the bedroom.
Following Lu You’s instructions, a rootlet was pinched from the Ginseng King to be steeped for tea. Now that Lu You had the Ginseng King, he was certainly going to use it. As for the message Heizi had relayed—that all medicine is part poison—Lu You didn’t believe a word of it.
In my experience, Ginseng has only ever been known to save lives, never to kill. Besides, from what I’ve gathered, Wang Jian just used the Ginseng King to save Zhao Hu’s life. Isn’t telling me not to use it a clear case of burying his head in the sand? He’s probably trying to trick me into not using the Ginseng King so he can find a way to get it back later.
Lu You’s mind raced. When Hu Ziyuan brought the Ginseng tea, he didn’t overthink it, simply taking small, slow sips. With each sip, he could feel the energy from the warm tea coursing down his throat, through his stomach, and seeping into his body. The sensation was like a deflated balloon being reinflated. He even felt his breathing become much smoother, as if he could say a few more words without his respirator. Spurred on by this feeling, Lu You hurriedly took several more gulps, and in no time, he had drained the entire bowl of Ginseng tea.
Hu Ziyuan had been watching his father intently, his own worry and concern as great as Lu You’s. The moment Lu You finished, he blurted out, "Dad, how do you feel?"
At the word "Dad," Lu You’s expression soured. He glared at Hu Ziyuan and snapped, "Have you forgotten what I said? Do not call me Dad."
Hu Ziyuan’s face stiffened. Before he could explain, he saw his father’s expression change again. Lu You’s once-pale face turned a ruddy color, but before Hu Ziyuan could feel a flicker of joy, his father’s face contorted as if he were constipated, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
"Dad!" Seeing this, Hu Ziyuan forgot all about the scolding. He repeated the word again and again as he knelt before Lu You, desperately examining his condition. The closer he looked, the more horrified he became. If drinking the Ginseng tea had been like inflating a limp balloon, this was the aftermath: a leaking balloon, now even flatter than before. Lu You was like a completely wilted vegetable, unable to even hear his son’s frantic cries. Hu Ziyuan immediately pulled out his phone and dialed 911... only to find it was an invalid number. He then remembered he was in Hua Country and frantically dialed 120 instead.
In the agonizing wait for the ambulance, Hu Ziyuan was like a man who had lost his soul, utterly at a loss. Even when the paramedics arrived, he behaved like a madman, barking at them to be careful not to hurt Lu You one moment and begging them to save his father the next. But this wasn’t his home country, and the paramedics had no patience for his histrionics. Even when he produced his Beautiful Country (Mold Country) passport, it only earned him a brief second glance. Realizing his actions had no effect, he fell into a stunned silence on the ambulance ride, helpless. Back in Mold Country, he could have thrown money at the problem, but here, he was powerless. He followed them all the way to the emergency room, where a doctor finally gave him the news.
"The patient’s condition is dire. His lungs are severely damaged, which is why he’s coughing up blood. Furthermore, his bodily functions are severely compromised. I’m afraid... he doesn’t have much time left."
Hearing those words, Hu Ziyuan’s world went dark. He managed to muster just enough strength to ask the doctor to take good care of his father before he staggered out of the hospital in a daze. He walked alone down the street, oblivious to the world around him. His mind was trapped in a loop, endlessly replaying the image of Lu You spitting blood and the sound of the doctor’s grim prognosis. He was so lost that he didn’t even react when he bumped into someone and was cursed at. He kept walking until his eyes fell upon a traditional medicine shop with a sign that read: "Cai’s Paigou Village Medicine Shop."
Only then did Hu Ziyuan remember the words of that doctor, Wang Jian.
"For a critically ill person, that Ginseng King won’t save his life—it’ll take it."
