Chapter 22.1 - Job's tears 薏苡仁
He Suye hung up the phone and couldn’t help but smile. He stood there dazed for a while until a little child tugged at his sleeve. “Big brother, I have something to ask you.”
He was startled, almost dropping his phone, and the elderly woman beside him laughed, saying, “Young man, you were calling your wife, right?”
Just as he was about to explain, another middle-aged person interrupted, “Young man, you’re not used to this place, are you? You have a wife and children at home, right? You must miss them! We really owe you a lot!”
Immediately, someone shouted, “Dr. He is married! When he came here two years ago, he was still single, and now he’s been here for a few days and hasn’t shared the news with us. We should be the ones treating you.”
People around him who knew him started teasing him, a few familiar doctors quietly laughing. He stood there, foolishly, trying to speak several times but swallowing his words each time.
Never mind, let the misunderstanding be, he was actually quite enjoying it.
The mountains are very poor, and traditional Chinese medicine is very popular here. The centuries-old tradition is still deeply rooted: it’s cheap and cures all ailments.
Poverty has also brought many difficulties and suffering. The little boy’s mother had been bedridden for months, suffering from frequent dizziness, declining vision, forgetfulness, and insomnia. She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud but privately pleaded with He Suye, “Doctor, we don’t have money. Could you prescribe cheaper medicine? My child still needs to go to school.”
He felt uncomfortable hearing this. Just as he was about to scratch out “deer antler cream,” “turtle shell paste,” and “donkey-hide gelatin,” he stopped, carefully drawing a circle around them and making a note to tell the pharmacist that he would cover the cost of those medicines.
Outside, the little boy was holding the prescription, studying it carefully, and persistently asking He Suye about the effects of each medicine, his innocent, eager eyes wide open. “Big brother, I want to go to medical school when I grow up, study traditional Chinese medicine, and become a doctor.”
He smiled and continued explaining to the little boy, “Coix seed promotes water circulation and reduces swelling, strengthens the spleen, clears heat, and detoxifies. Your mother has edema and bloating due to a weak spleen and damp stagnation, so coix seed is used together with Atractylodes and Astragalus. Besides that, your mother also has moderate anemia.”
The little boy’s eyes turned red. He didn’t say anything but just stared blankly at the high threshold. He Suye forced a smile. “You’re still very lucky. No matter what, I’ll help your mother recover.”
When He Suye returned to his residence, a familiar colleague told him that the villagers had sent a few fish, a pot of chicken soup, and several jars of rice wine, saying that since Dr. He got married and didn’t have anything extravagant to offer, they could only ask him to make do with these. He was both amused and helpless. His colleague also took the opportunity to tease him, saying that several young nurses at the hospital had been secretly in love with him for a long time.
He smiled without giving a definite answer, while Fang Kexin teased beside him, "Big Brother was really popular back in school. During internships, several departments were vying to have him, saying they wanted to take photos for promotional purposes."
He Suye remained indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him. "I'll go check if the medicine over there has been packed, and I'll deliver it to them later."
Fang Kexin explained, "I've already sent over the prescriptions we got earlier. They said their family members would come to pick them up later. Also, we need to vaccinate the children tomorrow. All the vaccines are with the team leader, and I've already counted them."
At this moment, He Suye noticed a piece of gauze wrapped around Fang Kexin's hand, with a faint red stain showing through. He quickly asked, "What happened to your hand? Did you fall?"
Fang Kexin hesitated for a while before answering, "I accidentally brushed against a nail while moving the medicine box, and it scratched me."
"Make sure to get a tetanus shot. No matter what, we need to prevent infection," he sighed, carefully examining the wound. "Girls shouldn't be doing such strenuous work. I'll handle the vaccinations tomorrow."
A colleague who was recording nearby overheard and chimed in, "Dr. Fang, you've been working so hard these past few days, doing just as much as us men, and even managing meals. Take a break, don't wear yourself out."
He Suye laughed, "Fang Kexin, so it's true what Qiu Tian said about you working yourself to the bone! No wonder your academic performance was so outstanding. Take care of that hand injury first, and then we'll talk."
She nodded lightly, pondering for a moment, "I'll go over there to hurry up the medicine and check on dinner." She stood up and left, lowering her head so no one would notice her somewhat unusual demeanor.
A small wound from a nail had earned her the same concern he showed to any ordinary patient, but not the tender care he reserved for Shen Xifan. Perhaps it was time for her to give up.
She knew who had made that phone call. There was only one person who could make him show that expression, a look of focus and warmth that even Zhang Yiling had never seen.
It turned out that even such a gentle man could foolishly fall head over heels in love, unable to extricate himself.
And she, too, had foolishly fallen under the spell of love. She had always believed that He Suye's heartbreak was just a temporary pain, and that she, always by his side, was the closest to him. She could forgive him for not loving her, because he wouldn't love anyone else either. But now, how could he have fallen for someone else?
Fate—what she had with him was a cruel twist of fate.
The signal in the mountainous area was indeed poor. He sent a message to Shen Xifan, but after a long time without a reply, he reluctantly put his phone aside and went to sit in the yard.
Outside, the air was oppressively hot and sticky, clinging to the skin like melted syrup, sweet yet nauseating. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind slammed the wooden door open, sending dust flying, followed by a dense, fine rain. A neighbor immediately called out, "Doctor, it's going to pour soon. You'd better bring in those herbs from your yard."
He Suye thought to himself that this was bad. This rain was a sign of a coming storm, and it would likely continue non-stop tomorrow, making their work much more arduous.
He suddenly remembered his promise to Shen Xifan—to get her a peace charm before he left.
