Du Heng looked at Wang Shuqiu's father. When he saw the confusion and blankness in his eyes, he knew he had been taking things for granted.
And this was also a habit, one cultivated from the recent check-ups by those from the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital.
However, with this initial assessnt, he had a clear judgnt of Wang Shuqiu's mother's condition.
The Stomach pertains to Earth and thrives on the generation of Fire. However, while Fire can generate Earth, it can also damage Earth. If Fire fails to generate Earth, Earth will lack life Qi; if Fire over-generates Earth, Earth will possess death Qi. Fire damages Earth, leading to the formation of Phlegm. Once Phlegm is ford, it further injures the Stomach Earth. Consequently, Fire bewilders the Heart, and Phlegm obstructs the Heart Mind. So, it seems Wang Shuqiu's mother has a phlegm-obstructed mind. While the primary approach should be to save the Heart, the actual treatnt should focus on eliminating Phlegm and rescuing the Stomach. When Stomach Qi ascends, Qi and Blood circulate freely, the ridians function optimally, and Heart Qi becos naturally vigorous. Moreover, the Stomach is considered the child of the Heart. When Stomach Qi ascends, Heart Qi becos clear, and the Phlegm obstruction can resolve on its own.
So, what dicine should be used now?
Du Heng's brow furrowed tightly.
Other supplentary dicine Ingredients were easy to combine: Poria, white mustard seed, calamus, dicated leaven, and so on. These could resolve Phlegm, open the orifices, refresh the mind, and benefit intelligence, complented by nourishing the Stomach and using a Spleen Tonic. However, Du Heng couldn't decide on the main dicine.
Ultimately, Du Heng chose one of his commonly used dicine Ingredients—aconite.
Utilizing aconite's ability to enhance cardiac contractility, dilate blood vessels, and increase blood flow, he could directly penetrate the blockage and use Fire to assist Fire, imdiately achieving the effects of resolving Phlegm, opening the orifices, refreshing the mind, and benefiting intelligence.
"Uncle, I have a way to deal with Auntie's problem. However, I'll have to wait until tomorrow. I need to go to the county town to get so dicine for her treatnt." With a definite plan in mind, Du Heng relaxed considerably; his heart disease could finally be alleviated a little.
When Wang Shuqiu's father heard Du Heng's words, his expression imdiately beca a mixture of tears and laughter. After a long mont, he said, "Our village Pharmacy has Chinese herbal dicine; can't we get it from there?"
"So dicines are available, but others aren't stocked at the village Pharmacy."
"If it's not available, it's alright! I'll go look in the pharmacies in the other villages." Wang Shuqiu's father beca very anxious; from his tone, he wished he could cure his Wife imdiately.
Du Heng understood Wang Shuqiu's father's feelings very well, but this wasn't sothing that could be rushed. "Uncle, the dicine I need can only be obtained from a Pharmacy in the county town; the village pharmacies don't carry it."
"Oh." His disappointnt was palpable.
「There was no conversation that night.」
In the living room, Du Heng saw a listless Liao Yuzhu. "What's wrong? Didn't sleep well?"
Liao Yuzhu nodded wearily. "The bed had a strong sll, and there were all sorts of little bugs crawling on the wall. They kept crawling and crawling, and I was terrified they'd fall on my face."
Du Heng chuckled. "I told you to stay in the county town, but you refused, insisting on making things hard for yourself. You might have to stay another night. Should I find a hotel for you in the county town?"
Liao Yuzhu bit her lip and shook her head. "No need. Let's stay here. Let the Child spend more ti with the elders; it'll make the elders a bit happier."
Du Heng also shook his head. He supported Liao Yuzhu's sentint but found her reasoning a little perplexing.
"I'm going to the county town now. Are you coming?"
"I'm not going. I need to find a place to take a nap."
Du Heng smiled and said no more, then went out and drove the Car to the county town.
"Wang Laosan, has your son-in-law left? I see the Car in front of your house is gone."
Just as Du Heng departed, the Old Lady from next door walked in, holding two blackened bananas. "The kids brought these bananas; I only saw them today. Take two for your Wife."
Wang Shuqiu's father looked at the two blackened bananas, feeling utterly disgusted.
Such incidents had occurred many tis in the past half a year.
"No need, Auntie. You should keep them for yourself. The kids bought us a lot yesterday; we can't even finish what we have."
"They bought you things? Why didn't I see them?" The Old Lady, still holding the two black bananas, headed straight into the room. "Don't refuse. The kids gave a lot, and I only just noticed them today."
But as soon as the Old Lady finished speaking, an 'AH!' of surprise escaped her. "Wang Laosan, did your son-in-law buy all this for you? It's so much!"
Imdiately, more exclamations followed. "These boxes are all so exquisitely packaged; they must be expensive, right?"
Wang Shuqiu's father watched the Old Lady rummaging through their things without uttering a word.
Only when the Old Lady asked did he reply, "The kid bought it all; I didn't ask the price."
The Old Lady reluctantly stopped her inspection, then said with a disdainful expression, "Ah, your son-in-law is also quite good at keeping up appearances. It would have been better if he'd given you money, or steak and noodles instead. These things look nice but aren't practical."
It was unclear what the Old Lady was thinking, constantly referring to Du Heng as "son-in-law" to Wang Shuqiu's father.
Didn't she know that Wang Shuqiu and Du Heng had already broken up?
Wang Shuqiu's father's expression turned grim. "Du Heng and Xiao Qiu are no longer together, so he's not my son-in-law. Auntie, please don't say that. It wouldn't be good if he heard it."
"If he's not your son-in-law, then why did he co?"
"The kid has a kind heart; he ca to see the two of us."
The Old Lady's mood shifted seamlessly. "Such a kind child, coming to see you. Why doesn't he stay a few more days?"
Just as she finished speaking, the cry of a Baby ca from the inner room. The Old Lady's expression changed. "Whose little Baby is this? Why haven't they left?"
"She's Xiao Fang's Child, left here to keep us company."
"Xiao Fang's Child? Are you sure?" The Old Lady looked like a flustered hen.
Wang Shuqiu's father's face turned cold. "Auntie, the Child's mother is still here. You need to watch your words."
"Oh, oh, oh, I got too excited and misspoke," the Old Lady apologized perfunctorily. "Xiao Fang's Child is good. The Zhao Family still has an heir."
These words from the Old Lady were quite malicious, practically stating outright that even if there was a Child, she belonged to the Zhao Family and had nothing to do with Wang Laosan's family.
But this ti, Wang Shuqiu's father didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled and said, "My daughter-in-law is sensible. She nad the Child Wang Fangyu, fulfilling Xiao Fang's wish."
"Wang..." The Old Lady was so shocked she almost couldn't catch her breath.
For so reason, while she sympathized with the Wang family's current miserable state and would sotis even join Wang Laosan in cursing the heavens, she felt deeply uncomfortable seeing any sign of improvent in their situation.
Just as she was about to say more, Liao Yuzhu erged from the inner room, holding the Child.
She had clearly heard the Old Lady's hypocritical words from the inner room, and they made her feel nauseated.
A distant relative isn't as helpful as a near neighbor, and a near neighbor isn't as crucial as the one living right across from you. Why wasn't that evident in this Old Lady?
The Old Lady's reaction yesterday had already annoyed Liao Yuzhu; she hadn't expected her to co to their door today just to make sarcastic remarks.
"Uncle, please hold the Child for a mont. I'll wash so fruit for Grandma to eat." Liao Yuzhu smiled and placed the Child into Wang Shuqiu's father's arms, completely ignoring his chapped hands and stiff limbs.
Walking over to the gifts, Liao Yuzhu rummaged for a bit and took out a box of blueberries. "Grandma, please try these blueberries. I specially ordered them for my uncle. They're over 300 yuan a box and very hard to get."
The Old Lady's hand, which had been reaching for the blueberries, froze. Looking at the thumb-sized blue pellets in the box, she never imagined they would cost over 300 yuan.
Wouldn't eating one cost five or six yuan?
The Old Lady's hand recoiled slightly, then shot out again.
Eating one would be five or six yuan! Since she'd already brought them over, why not eat one? After all, to eat it was to gain it.
However, just as the Old Lady's fingers touched the box, Liao Yuzhu abruptly pulled it back. "Grandma, I'm so sorry, I forgot to wash them. I'll go wash them now so you can try them."
The Old Lady, her hand still outstretched, gave an awkward laugh. "It's fine, it's fine. As you city folk say, 'wash them for better health.'"
Liao Yuzhu also smiled, then walked out with the box of blueberries.
The Old Lady looked at the Child in Wang Laosan's arms, then at Wang Shuqiu's mother, who was sitting on the sofa in a daze. She spoke again, "Look what a good daughter-in-law you have; she even brought you back a grandson. Alas, it's a pity your Wife has such poor fortune; how wonderful it would be if she were lucid enough to see this."
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