After a popsicle, Wang Xiaoqiang felt a little vitality return and hurried home, where his sister-in-Law, Liu Juyi, had just served dinner.
It was still four dishes and a soup, different from the same setup at lunch, which hinted at Liu Juyi's culinary skills.
"Little Qiang, why are you only just getting back?" Mother Wang asked reproachfully, "Your sister-in-law was about to go out to the fields to look for you!"
"Uh, I..." Wang Xiaoqiang obviously couldn't say he had been "irrigating", and scratched his head in embarrassment, "The fields aren't really dry; I just wandered off..."
Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang's embarrassment, Liu Juyi called out, "Little Qiang, come sit down and eat!"
Wang Xiaoqiang responded, first ran to the kitchen to gulp down a bowl of water, quenching his thirst, then sat down at the dining table and started wolfing down his food. He realized it wasn't that his appetite had increased but that he was unusually hungry. He didn't know if this had anything to do with the "Five Elements Spirit Spring" inside him, but today's activities of massaging his father and "irrigating" the fields made him realize the "Five Earth Spirit Springs" inside him moved with his willpower.
Take "irrigating", for instance. The black qi didn't stray into Huang Chunsheng's fields because he hadn't thought of irrigating the Huang family's fields.
"Five Elements Spirit Spring" was influenced by his willpower but also restrained by it.
"What's up with Little Qiang?"
Seeing her son gobbling up his food, Mother Wang was relieved but also couldn't help being astonished.
"Little Qiang, slow down, don't choke..."
Sister-in-law Liu Juyi reminded him with a smile.
Just then, Little Xu Xiaoya entered the Wang family's gate, running all the way, the delicate city girl gasping for breath.
Breathlessly, Little Xu Xiaoya greeted, "Uncle, Aunt, Sister Liu Juyi, are you eating so early?"
Wang Xiaoqiang, absorbed in his meal, didn't expect Little Xu Xiaoya to follow him home and hadn't noticed her. On hearing her voice all of sudden, he choked on the rice he had just put in his mouth and started coughing violently.
"Oh...Grandmaster Xu, why are you here..."
As the Two Elders of the Wang Family were not very mobile, Liu Juyi, being the Wang family daughter-in-law, got up to greet the guest.
"Grandmaster Xu, please come sit... Have you eaten yet?" The Two Elders of the Wang Family also called out warmly.
City girl Wang Xiaoya, educated and knowledgeable in medicine, and also beautiful, was a sought-after visitor in Sanmiao Village. Usually, she rarely visited the village, so her sudden appearance was both surprising and delightful to the Two Elders of the Wang Family. The charming and poised Little Xu Xiaoya brought a shining presence into their home.
"Cough... Cough..."
While everyone was greeting Little Xu Xiaoya, Wang Xiaoqiang's coughing got worse. His severe coughing was quite at odds with the current warm atmosphere. However, seeing Wang Xiaoqiang, red-faced from coughing, Little Xu Xiaoya didn't feel awkward but instead looked even more concerned and walked over to ask, "Little Qiang, are you okay?"
Coughing severely, Wang Xiaoqiang still shook his head, "I'm fine, I'm fine... just choked on my food..."
Little Xu Xiaoya didn't believe that Wang Xiaoqiang had merely choked on his food; instead, she was even more convinced there was something inside Wang Xiaoqiang. She thought the reason he was coughing was that something inside was causing it.
Furrowing her brows, Little Xu Xiaoya looked worried and said with a mix of awe and guilt, "Little Qiang, this morning, when you came to see me for a consultation, I think I was somewhat careless and negligent. Besides, my medical knowledge is too limited to detect the root cause of your condition..."
Father Wang, Mother Wang, and Liu Juyi saw that Doctor Xu Xiaoya personally came over because of Wang Xiaoqiang's situation and felt grateful but also took the matter seriously.
Liu Juyi cautiously asked, "Xiaoya, you're a doctor and you know a lot. What do you think we should do?"
Doctor Xu Xiaoya solemnly replied, "I think we should let Grandpa Qingshan take a look. He's highly skilled in medicine and very experienced..."
Wang Xiaoqiang had been feeling guilty all day about the embarrassment at the village health clinic. He thought Doctor Xu Xiaoya had come to complain about him and was surprised to find that she was actually concerned about his illness and giving him medical advice.
This touched Wang Xiaoqiang, making him feel that Xu Xiaoya was a responsible and good girl. However, he now wished she had come to complain rather than to tell him to seek medical attention.
Because he wasn't sick at all; he just had a superpower. Thus, the last thing he wanted was people discussing his health, especially since Grandpa Qingshan was an expert in traditional Chinese medicine with a remarkable skill in diagnostic observation. It would be terrifying if, under the guise of "medical consultation," he discovered Wang Xiaoqiang's superpower.
So, before Doctor Xu Xiaoya could finish speaking, Wang Xiaoqiang already waved his hand and said, "Doctor Xu, thank you for your kindness, but I really am not sick. You've examined me today, so you know very clearly... I... I've just been sleeping poorly lately, under a lot of stress, which caused me some discomfort. I might be overthinking things..."
Not only did Doctor Xu Xiaoya not believe Wang Xiaoqiang's words, but even his parents and sister-in-law Liu Juyi were skeptical. Before Wang Xiaoqiang could finish, his father decisively interrupted him, "Enough, Xiaoqiang, stop talking. Doctor Xu makes a lot of sense. You must go to Grandpa Qingshan's house for him to check your pulse. If that doesn't resolve the issue, we go to the county hospital tomorrow..."
Before Wang Kuishan had finished speaking, Doctor Xu Xiaoya quickly agreed, "Yes, yes, going to the county hospital for a check-up is best. Health is the most important thing!"
After saying her piece, Doctor Xu Xiaoya took her leave. The Wang family members wanted to invite her for dinner, but she refused no matter what.
"Tsk tsk... Such a nice girl! So sensible!" Mother Wang stared at Xu Xiaoya's retreating figure and said admiringly.
In Sanmiao Village, Xu Xiaoya was extremely popular, the dream of many young men, and naturally, the elders wanted to have her as a daughter-in-law. Although Mother Wang admired Xu Xiaoya, she never entertained the thought of having her as a daughter-in-law because it was too impractical. Xu Xiaoya was a city girl, knowledgeable and skilled in medicine, and beautiful. Unless all men in the city were gone, she would never agree to marry into a rural family.
That evening, Wang Xiaoqiang ate three full bowls of rice, which was twice his usual portion. After eating his fill, he felt the tiredness fade away, and his energy returned, feeling strength coursing through his body.
It was getting dark. Wang Xiaoqiang walked with his sister-in-law to Lin Qingshan's house.
Throughout the journey, Wang Xiaoqiang kept his head down and did not speak, nor did he glance at Liu Juyi.
In Wang Xiaoqiang's eyes, even though Liu Juyi had married his brother, she was like any unmarried girl - with a beautiful face and a graceful figure. He could not understand how his brother was so fortunate to have married such a beautiful and virtuous wife.
Somehow, whenever he was alone with this beautiful sister-in-law, he felt restrained and unnatural.
Noticing Wang Xiaoqiang's discomfort, Liu Juyi did not speak either but silently followed closely behind him, looking like a shy deer.
The two arrived at Lin Qingshan's home. Lin Qingshan had spent his life curing others but still could not avoid falling ill himself. He had recently suffered from food poisoning, which led to diarrhea and weakened his already frail body. He had been resting at home for several days, and on this evening, he had gone to bed early. Lin Qingshan's daughter-in-law, Xia Huizhi, greeted them.
Liu Juyi explained their purpose for visiting, and Xia Huizhi readily agreed on behalf of her father-in-law. She then let Wang Xiaoqiang directly into the old man's bedroom.
Upon entering Lin Qingshan's bedroom, Wang Xiaoqiang saw the light was on, and the elder Qingshan was reclining on the bed with his eyes closed, appearing to be asleep. On a desk were piled various medical books: "Traditional Chinese Medicine and Health Care," "Difficult Diseases and Folk Remedies," "Eating for Health," "Yin-Yang and Five Elements of the Human Body," and others.
Seeing the words "Five Elements," Wang Xiaoqiang felt a stir of emotion and was about to pick up the book when he heard the old man, with eyes still closed, ask, "Who is it?"
Wang Xiaoqiang quickly put down the book and replied, "Grandpa, it's me, Xiaoqiang."
Then, Wang Xiaoqiang explained his purpose for coming. However, when mentioning his own "illness," he merely said he had a stomachache.