Chapter 625 - 538: A Cooling Dip
Chapter 625: Chapter 538: A Cooling Dip
The afternoon sun was scorching. More and more people gathered in the Mo Family Courtyard to cool off, partly because Xiao Man had just returned and everyone loved to join in on the excitement, and partly because the courtyard was exceptionally cool and comfortable while other places sweltered in the summer heat. Most people attributed this to its good location, slightly higher elevation, and the lush flowers and trees, especially the large, fruit-laden pear tree that provided dense shade. The real reason, however, was the Spirit Gathering Array Xiao Man had set up. Spiritual Energy from all directions gathered and swirled through the yard with the gentle breeze. The sunlight here seemed filtered; it was just as dazzlingly bright, but without the searing, oppressive heat.
The TV in the main hall was on, replaying last night’s drama series, and the children were crowded around watching it. Under the large pear tree, a group of young and middle-aged people sat chatting and laughing. Xiao Man had brought back some fashionable and stylish dresses and shirts for her friends. A group of girls had shut themselves in a room to put on a fashion show, laughing hysterically. Later, the Liang Family siblings arrived, along with some cousins from the clan and elementary school classmates. They couldn’t all crowd into the room, so Xinghua suggested going to the herb garden on the small hill out front. It was spacious enough there, and even shadier and more comfortable. Besides chatting, they could also go to the mixed forest on the back hill to see the domesticated pheasants and pick fruit. The guavas, late peaches, and wampee fruits weren’t fully ripe, but some were ready to eat.
Xiao Man hadn’t been to the small hill in the two days since she’d been back, so she happily went along with the high-spirited group.
They stayed in the herb plantation until sunset. Some of the kids had to go home to cook and do chores, so the group reluctantly came out, said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways.
On the morning of the third day, Xiao Man took Qiuyan to the village center. Mo Chengfu’s clinic had undergone a major transformation. He had requisitioned three adjoining rooms, and the amount of medical equipment inside had also increased significantly. He seemed quite busy. Gongdao Village was made up of five or six smaller hamlets, so its population was considerable. Every day, people came to the clinic for shots or to pick up medicine. Furthermore, Mo Chengfu had become quite skilled in acupuncture, having cured several chronic and stubborn cases. Patients from villages tens of miles around, and even from other towns, came seeking his help. Mo Chengfu could now be considered a "famous doctor" with a modest reputation.
There were quite a few people waiting in line, including some from their own village. They smiled and greeted Xiao Man when they saw her. Xiao Man replied to them, then washed her hands and helped with taking pulses and diagnosing patients. They were busy all morning, and things finally quieted down around noon. Mo Chengfu let out a long breath. "It’s probably the heat. So many people have been feeling unwell these past few days. If you hadn’t come, I’d have been stuck here all afternoon by myself."
Xiao Man smiled. "Didn’t you have your wife quit her job to study nursing? You’ll have a helper in two or three years."
In truth, many relatives and friends of the Mo family, and of Mo Chengfu’s own family, wanted to send their teenage sons or daughters to study medicine under him, but Mo Chengfu refused to take them. Xiao Man had discussed this with him before. Medical skill wasn’t like carpentry or masonry, something anyone could learn just by trying hard. Back then, Grandpa had only agreed to teach Mo Chengfu how to identify herbs because he saw that Mo Chengfu, cooped up in his room, would sooner or later be overcome with depression. Taking him up the mountain had been a desperate measure. As for Xiao Man teaching Mo Chengfu acupuncture, that was because he not only had a genuine talent for it but was also exceptionally interested, dedicated, and focused. Even if Mo Chengfu did want to take on apprentices, he wasn’t qualified yet. It would be at least another ten years. In the meantime, the more cases he encountered, the more he would surely want to pursue further studies to improve himself.
Sure enough, Mo Chengfu now confessed to Xiao Man, "My wife and I got our marriage certificate. We don’t plan on having a wedding banquet or rushing to have kids for now. First, I’m having her go to the medical school in the provincial city for four years. Once I’ve worked things out with the old barefoot doctor from the village clinic and have him come back to watch over this place, I’m going to the medical school in the provincial city too. I need to study properly for a few years."
"You could go to Beijing, too," Xiao Man said. "You’re learning Sun’s medical skills. The hospitals run by the Sun Group integrate Chinese and Western medicine and are aligned with international standards. You could observe and learn there, combining theory with practice. You’d gain a lot more."
Mo Chengfu shook his head without hesitation. "I’m not leaving my hometown."
"I’m not telling you to leave your hometown for good. You can just come back after you graduate, can’t you?"
"Beijing is too far. I’ll stick to the provincial city. I have to watch over my wife—what if someone runs off with her?"
Xiao Man was speechless. ’I’d forgotten this guy had suffered severe emotional trauma. I thought his reluctance to go far away was due to his attachment to his homeland, but it turned out he was just once bitten, twice shy. He was worried that the wife he’d had such a hard time marrying would disappear on him again.’
After leaving Mo Chengfu’s clinic, the sun was blazing directly overhead. Xiao Man and Qiuyan walked home in the shade of the trees along the road. When they reached a fishpond, Qiuyan giggled and pointed at a fish that had surfaced to blow bubbles, telling Xiao Man to look. Xiao Man smiled and nodded, but her attention was on what was behind them. The road had recently been paved with a thick layer of gravel, which made a crunching sound when people walked on it. A bicycle, however, was relatively quiet. If someone was talking loudly up ahead, you wouldn’t notice a bike coming up from behind at all.
This was exactly the situation Xiao Man and Qiuyan were in now. Qiuyan was being loud and boisterous, even clapping and stamping her feet to try and scare the fish in the water. Xiao Man put an arm around her, facing the fishpond. Meanwhile, a bicycle that had been following them from a distance suddenly sped up and charged toward them. The rider focused on pedaling, while the passenger on the back lifted a foot and aimed a vicious kick at Xiao Man!
In broad daylight, under a clear, bright sky, there was no one else on the road at that moment. In the fields on either side, a few farmers in bamboo-leaf hats were checking on the maturing rice paddies. The harvest was just a few days away, and they were busy draining the fields and making other preparations. They had no spare time to look around. Even if Xiao Man and Qiuyan were kicked into the fishpond, the most anyone would hear was a splash. Without a shout for help, no one would even know what had happened.
Of course, something like that could never happen to Xiao Man. Anyone who provoked her was just asking for trouble. Just as the foot was kicked out with full force, Xiao Man, still holding Qiuyan, leaped forward a few steps. As she jumped, she also kicked her right foot back, hitting the bicycle’s handlebars dead-on. A series of yelps and screams rang out, followed by a clean, crisp SPLASH. Both people, along with the bicycle, had gone into the water.
Still holding Qiuyan, Xiao Man backed up and pointed grinningly at the pond. "What’s so interesting about fish? Now *this* is actually fun to watch!"
Qiuyan stared at the pond full of bubbles and the flailing, kicking feet sticking out of the water, a look of shock on her face. "Oh my god, who is that? Do they even know how to ride a bike? How could they steer it into a pond on such a wide road?"
"Who knows? They didn’t want to stick to the wide road; they preferred following us along the edge. They even wanted to ride right over us. But their skills are terrible. They were probably just overheating. A dip in the water to cool off isn’t a bad idea!"
The people in the fishpond finally struggled to the surface. Qiuyan finally got a clear look at their faces and chuckled, clapping her hands and chanting, "Don’t take the road, you take the lane! Won’t get a wife, just an old dame!"
Xiao Man: "..."
’What in the world was that? Still, the rhyme sounded pretty interesting.’