It's been almost a month since Huichun Hall moved to its new location, yet the gold-lettered signboard has still not been hung. Some of the old patients have found their way through various means, and Xu Changshan did not turn them away. Because there was no deliberate promotion, the number of patients has decreased compared to before. The old man clearly has lost the enthusiasm he once had, probably because now that his grandson's job is settled, he's lost the motivation to strive.
Xu Chunliang quickly adapted to the life of a working professional. His job is easy, and aside from work, he rarely goes out. When he has time, he reads or surfs the internet, striving to understand this era comprehensively and quickly.
Xu Changshan had hoped his grandson would proactively ask to learn medicine from him, but Xu Chunliang showed no such interest. While he did not resist copying the secret recipes, he did write beautifully with a brush.
Xu Changshan restrained himself from asking about his work because Gao Xinhua had specifically discussed it with him, and Xu Changshan knew his grandson was currently in the electrician class.
According to Gao Xinhua, people often gain courage by knowing their shame and seeing the gap, which gives them the motivation. Xu Changshan originally hoped his grandson would realize this, but as he's been working for nearly half a month, it seems he's already adapted to this lifestyle. At least for now, there is no sign of ambition in him.
Xu Changshan began to accept reality. Actually, most people in this world are ordinary. His grandson is not someone who will accomplish great things; a simple life is true happiness. A stable job, a wise and understanding wife, and a couple of adorable children—such a life is complete.
Xu Chunliang returned home on time every day, seeing his grandfather gazing at the large tree outside the door.
The old man had discovered a new wasp nest built on the tree again, with dozens of wasps busy building it. Just from the appearance, Xu Changshan couldn't tell if these were the same wasps from their old place, especially since the fire department had already removed the big hive from under Huichun Hall's eaves.
Xu Chunliang called out to his grandfather and handed him half of a freshly chopped Lu Ji's Oil-Boiled Duck, which the old man loved.
Xu Changshan took the Oil-Boiled Duck and said, "Chunliang, do you think this is our old wasp colony?"
"Yes!"
"How can you be so sure?"
In his heart, Xu Chunliang thought, of course, I'm sure, I brought this wasp colony here. Though my martial arts have waned, my skill in attracting bees and butterflies hasn't diminished. He smiled and said, "Mr. Xu's medical skills are excellent, and his medical ethics are noble. Wasps are living creatures that understand the principle of choosing neighbors."
Xu Changshan laughed heartily: "When did you learn to speak so well? This evening, I'll open a good bottle of wine, and we grandfathers and grandsons will drink a few glasses."
Xu Chunliang told his grandfather that it wouldn't work tonight because he had agreed with Yu Li. Yu Li had asked him to dinner three days ago to thank him for saving her life. Besides him, she also invited Lu Qi and Li Zhong, who were on duty that day.
Xu Changshan was pleased that his grandson was going out and socializing more. Staying at home all day is not good, and from the looks of it, deciding to let him work at Changxing Hospital was absolutely correct.
Yu Li's dinner was held at First-class Residence on Zhuangyuan Street. Zhuangyuan Street is an old street in the center of Dongzhou City, not wide, with many ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. One household is said to have produced a champion scholar, which is why the ancient street got its name. The city originally planned to develop it into a landmark tourist attraction, but due to poor design, it ended up looking inappropriate, and subsequent investments were not ideal.
Now, the street mostly houses shops selling jade and jewelry, mixed with a few tea houses and restaurants. Dongzhou is not a tourist city to begin with and doesn't have many out-of-town visitors.
First-class Residence is diagonally opposite the Champion Scholar's Mansion, an elegantly decorated private kitchen restaurant. Yu Li put a lot of thought into choosing this place.
Lu Qi and Li Zhong are policemen, and deep down, they reject dining invitations. However, Yu Li had found out that Li Zhong's sister, Li Lingyun, is the head nurse of the orthopedic department at Changxing Hospital, and her sister, Yu Mo, is the deputy director of the gynecology department. With Yu Mo setting things up and Li Lingyun making contact, the arrangements went smoothly.
They chose First-class Residence for its quiet environment to avoid prying eyes, considering the nature of Lu Qi and Li Zhong's jobs doesn't permit them to accept dinner invitations openly.
Xu Chunliang was the last to arrive. The meeting was set for 6:30, and he arrived on time. Inside the private room, several people were playing a card game, and Yu Li was watching from the side. When she saw Xu Chunliang coming in, she smiled and greeted him: "Xiaoxu, we were just waiting for you."
Xu Chunliang said, "I walked here; sorry to keep you waiting."
Xu Chunliang had met both policemen before, but it was his first time meeting Yu Mo and Li Lingyun, and he greeted them with a smile.
The group had quite the card-playing habit, only coming over to greet Xu Chunliang after finishing the round.
Yu Mo and Yu Li looked very similar. Yu Mo was also very well-known at Changxing Hospital as the deputy director of the gynecology department and a leading figure in the field. She extended her hand to Xu Chunliang and said, "You're from our hospital? I haven't seen you before."
Xu Chunliang smiled and said, "I just joined the hospital this month."
Li Lingyun also came over, "Xiaoxu, you look quite handsome; do you have a girlfriend? We have lots of pretty nurses in our department." She was known for her fondness for matchmaking.
Xu Chunliang expressed that he plans to establish his career before starting a family, politely declining her offer.
Li Lingyun giggled, "Ambitious, aren't you? Which department are you in?"
"Currently in the electrician class."
Upon hearing that he was a worker, Li Lingyun's enthusiasm waned. It wasn't that she was snobbish, but how many nurses at a hospital want to date a worker? The young man was handsome and refined, but it was a pity.
Earlier, she thought he was ambitious; now she felt he was all talk with no substance. What career is there to establish as an ordinary electrician?
Lu Qi came over and patted Xu Chunliang on the shoulder, and Xu Chunliang called him Brother Lu.
Lu Qi reintroduced Xu Chunliang, mainly to inform everyone about Xu Chunliang's role as the young master of Huichun Hall.
Yu Mo and Li Lingyun, being employees of Changxing Hospital, of course, knew Huichun Hall, and it finally clicked with them that Huichun Hall belonged to the Xu family.
The walls have ears; the news about the relocation of Huichun Hall had spread throughout Changxing Hospital these past few days. Everyone knew the hospital had compensated Elder Xu with six million yuan for the relocation.
Not many people knew about arranging a job for Xu Chunliang. For the locals of Jiang City, six million was a significant sum. Besides, Xu Changshan had been practicing medicine for many years, and Huichun Hall had always been bustling with activity. The old man had a personal wealth of at least tens of millions.
No matter a person's education or profession, once he has a decent family background, he's seen by many as having a halo. In Li Lingyun's eyes, Xu Chunliang transformed into a tall, handsome, and rich man: "Mr. Xu is your grandfather, huh? I should have seen you before. You weren't that tall back then, just a child."
Li Lingyun wasn't exaggerating; that's exactly how Xu Chunliang was in her memory.
Xu Chunliang also searched through his memory. He indeed had seen her; he remembered her coming to Huichun Hall for a consultation.
"Do you still remember me?"
Xu Chunliang nodded and said, "I remember, Nurse Li. You came to Huichun Hall for acupuncture for menstrual pain last month."
One sentence made Li Lingyun blush fiercely. How could this kid speak so freely? Even though everyone was in the medical field, you couldn't just blurt things out without restraint.
Lu Qi heard this and couldn't hold it in, "puh!" He spewed out water, but fortunately turned in time, not spraying it in anyone's face.
Li Zhong thought to himself about how this kid talks, exposing my sister's privacy in public.
Yu Li, with a knack for handling situations, laughed and said, "Xiaoxu, you're really cheeky. Mind how you speak at work, don't talk shop during meals; I can't stand it." One sentence dissolved the awkwardness.
Yu Mo asked the shop to start the meal immediately, giving Li Lingyun a glance and feeling a bit displeased in her heart. I'm your best friend and the gynecology expert in this hospital. You didn't come to me when you had menstrual pain. Instead, you went to see an old man. Do you distrust my medical skills? In treatment, how could traditional Chinese medicine compare to Western medicine?
Once the food and drink were served, everyone had three drinks first. Then Yu Li thanked her three benefactors one by one. That day, she was terribly frightened, fainting twice along the way. She couldn't clearly remember the situation, only that the three of them saved her.
Lu Qi expressed that Xu Chunliang was the one who truly deserved thanks. If it wasn't for him at that time, he and Li Zhong wouldn't have been able to handle those two big snakes.
All eyes turned to Xu Chunliang. Xu had actually told Lu Qi not to mention his rescue, but Lu Qi couldn't bear to claim credit for it, so he finally revealed the truth in front of everyone.
Rescuing citizens was originally the police's duty, so the bureau just gave Lu Qi and Li Zhong verbal commendation. Although it was reported in the newspaper that day, it quickly lost attention.
Li Zhong said, "Xiaoxu, why were those two snakes so obedient to you? They didn't dare resist? Do you have some snake training secret at Huichun Hall?"
Xu Chunliang laughed, "There are no such secrets. Our Xu family ancestors practiced traditional Chinese medicine. In the past, TCM practitioners often went up the mountain to gather herbs, frequently encountering snakes and insects. For their own safety, they developed a method to repel them."
Yu Li said, "I'm most afraid of snakes. Can you share with me?"
"It's a family secret recipe; you can't just casually tell others." Yu Mo's tone carried a hint of disdain; she never had a fondness for TCM.
Xu Chunliang said, "It's not really a secret. The main ingredient is sulfur powder. Snakes and insects generally fear the smell. Realgar wine also works. I've lived in Huichun Hall since childhood, carrying a medicinal scent, so snakes and insects usually won't come near me." This explanation seemed reasonable.
Lu Qi recollected that when chasing the snakes that day, he didn't seem to smell any pungent odor.
Li Lingyun asked, "Xiaoxu, why did you come to Changxing? Following your grandfather to learn TCM and inheriting Huichun Hall would be great."
"I'm not interested in studying medicine." Xu Chunliang didn't tell the truth. Although his grandfather was a leading national medical expert in Dongzhou, his medical cultivation couldn't compare to his own.
Xu Chunliang had a strong tolerance for alcohol. He drank cup after cup with each person, yet showed no sign of drunkenness.
After a few drinks, Li Lingyun's matchmaking penchant resurfaced. She pulled out photos of her department's nurses from her phone to show Xu Chunliang. If he felt a connection, she could arrange for them to meet, or they could start by chatting on WeChat.
Xu Chunliang politely declined, not because he wasn't interested in women, but because he was now retraining himself in the "All-heaven Codex." When he first obtained the "All-heaven Codex" in the past, he was already not a virgin, so he stopped progressing at the third realm. This ordeal, although it reset his inner strength to zero, gave him a pure body, establishing a foundation of pure yang, making it possible to break through to the ninth realm, shatter the void, and achieve ultimate mastery.
The dinner was joyful. Initially, Xu Chunliang thought Yu Li simply wanted to express her thanks. During the meal, he learned that a theft had occurred that day. Lu Qi was in charge of this case now. Yu Li organized the dinner partly to express gratitude and partly to urge Lu Qi to solve the case quickly.
After the dinner, Lu Qi called a quick ride to take Xu Chunliang back on the way.
After getting in the car, Xu Chunliang handed him three hundred yuan. Grandfather knew he was dining with Lu Qi and specially instructed him to return the money to Lu Qi.
Lu Qi couldn't refuse, so he accepted it. They chatted about catching the snakes that day, and Lu Qi told Xu Chunliang that they were so focused on catching the snakes that, afterward, they discovered fifteen high-end phones missing from the store's warehouse, worth over a hundred thousand.
The police believed the appearance of the two snakes in the store wasn't a coincidence and was meant to divert attention for a theft.
But after checking all the inside and outside surveillance, they didn't find any suspicious persons. Lu Qi couldn't figure out how the thief managed to make off with the fifteen phones so quietly.
After Xu Chunliang heard him out, he suggested, "Could it be that those phones were stolen by the two snakes? Such large snakes can easily swallow a watermelon, let alone phones."
"That's impossible, right? Phones aren't something delicious. Why would the snakes swallow them?" Xu Chunliang's guess was beyond Lu Qi's imagination.
"What if these two snakes were domesticated, specially trained to steal?"
Lu Qi looked at Xu Chunliang in surprise.
"Don't look at me; I have nothing to do with this."