Li Dayu and Zhao Chunyang watched Wang Jian and Cai Qiong leave, unable to calm down for a long ti. Zhao Chunyang let out a sigh, his back already covered in a layer of sweat. The beads ca from both the lingering fear and the heat generated during the detoxification. His gaze never left the clinic door. Even though Wang Jian was long gone, it was unclear what he was looking at. He just whispered, "Lao Li, this young man from your village is really sothing else."
Normally, if Li Dayu heard Zhao Chunyang praise Wang Jian like that, he would have dismissed it with a comnt like, "You’re exaggerating." But after everything that had happened, Li Dayu had personally witnessed the entire dical process from the sidelines. Though it wasn’t an instant cure, the shock was imnse. It wouldn’t be an overstatent to say he had just watched a scene from a martial arts drama. So, Li Dayu was in no mood for sarcasm; he simply nodded, unable to form a response.
Zhao Chunyang didn’t notice this, simply muttering to himself, "No wonder even the expert from Beijing recomnded him so highly. I thought I’d misread the situation, but maybe that expert’s expression truly was one of admiration..."
As he spoke, Zhao Chunyang’s imagination began to run wild. He had heard that Wang Jian was also from Beijing, just like the expert from Cai Group. It was possible that Wang Jian had already made a na for himself there. For such a person to open a village clinic was truly a blessing for Paigou Village.
Zhao Chunyang sighed again, turning to Li Dayu with a mix of envy and wistfulness. "Your village has really hit the jackpot. To have such a capable person co back specifically to be your village doctor... He’s a good man, a truly good man!" As he spoke, he gave a heartfelt thumbs-up.
Li Dayu snapped back to reality and chid in, "Now that you ntion it, that’s right. Xiao Jian is so remarkable; having him in our village seems like a waste of his talent."
"Pah!" Zhao Chunyang shot him a disdainful look. "Can’t you be more confident? Drop the ’seems.’ If you ask ... with his abilities, he’d be one of the best even at Cai Group."
Zhao Chunyang didn’t understand dicine, but his thinking was simple now. When he went to Cai’s Hospital, they hadn’t been able to diagnose his condition. If that doctor hadn’t happened to know Wang Jian and made the recomndation, he might have died from the poison within days. He was now utterly convinced of Wang Jian’s prowess. If soone told him Wang Jian was no good, he wouldn’t believe it for a second. In his heart, even Cai’s Hospital, once the most prestigious dical institution in the city, couldn’t compare to Wang Jian.
After his close brush with death, Zhao Chunyang’s faith in Wang Jian was absolute.
"Lao Li, your luck is just too good," he said.
Li Dayu chuckled. "Of course. And I don’t mind telling you, Wang Jian is a contracted doctor with Cai Group. A few days ago, our village held a free clinic event. Chairman Cai himself ca, along with a couple of specialists, just to oversee it."
As he said this, Li Dayu’s face was beaming with pride, as if he were sohow responsible. In their city, any connection to Cai Group was like being on a plane cleared for takeoff.
Zhao Chunyang’s eyes widened. He knew the free clinic was connected to Cai Group, but he had no idea Wang Jian had a direct relationship with Chairman Cai. This, however, explained why a doctor from Cai’s Hospital would recomnd him. Colleagues within the sa system referring patients to each other made perfect sense.
Watching Zhao Chunyang’s expression, Li Dayu suddenly exclaid in surprise, "Xiao Jian’s dical skills are miraculous! Your complexion has already improved; you’re looking rosy and healthy. It’s incredible."
"Is that so?" Zhao Chunyang was startled, then broke into an ecstatic laugh. "It seems Doctor Wang was right. I really have to thank him properly."
"When I get back, I’ll be sure to spread the word for him."
***
Leaving Paigou Village, it was a short walk to the mountains.
It was now one or two in the afternoon, the hottest part of a sumr day. Not long after leaving the clinic, Wang Jian and Cai Qiong were already sweating profusely. They had picked up a full set of herb-collecting gear and said goodbye to his sister-in-law.
As they stepped out again, Cai Qiong walked with a cara in one hand, using the other to shield her forehead from the sun. If not for the impracticality of climbing with it, she would have gone back for a parasol. Fortunately, she had rembered to apply sunscreen, otherwise the hike would have been torture.
Wang Jian was faring much better. Despite the sweat dripping down his face under the blazing sun, his pace was unaffected.
However, after they entered the mountains, he was once again captivated by Cai Qiong’s figure. The first ti he saw her was in the psychiatric departnt of Cai’s Hospital. Back then, she was completely hidden under a white lab coat. While her professional attire had its own unique charm, it was nothing compared to seeing her today. Now, drenched in sweat, a large damp patch had ford on her chest and back, clearly outlining the shape of the garnt she wore underneath.
When they rested on a mid-mountain platform, Wang Jian got a clear look. It was a T-back, and the full, round shape it barely concealed was unmistakable. He had a weakness for that sort of thing, so his eyes were drawn to her, and he found himself staring for a while.
If not for the need to maintain a professional distance, he might have continued staring unabashedly. It was only due to these reservations that he limited himself to occasional glances.
But she caught his glances, which her cara even recorded.
I was starting to think you weren’t a normal man.
Having been astounded by Wang Jian’s dical skills, Cai Qiong already held him in high regard. So, when she caught him staring, instead of being offended, she found it reassuringly normal. From a psychological perspective, it was perfectly natural. A man showing no reaction at all would be the real abnormality.
Besides, if Wang Jian weren’t right there, she might have stripped off so layers herself. The heat was just... unbearable.
There was just one thing making her a bit embarrassed. As she began to sweat, her T-back thong grew uncomfortably tight. It was wedged in deep, making every step a form of tornt—an agonizing mixture of stimulation and discomfort. Cai Qiong desperately wanted to reach in and adjust it, but with Wang Jian’s eyes on her, she never got the chance.
Fortunately, they didn’t rest for long before continuing on their way.
The route was nearly the sa one Wang Jian had taken on his first trip ho, just in reverse. After they rested at the halfway point, however, the path changed.
Wang Jian led Cai Qiong deeper into the mountains. The sunlight imdiately grew scarce, a stark contrast to the well-trodden mountain trails. Here, large trees ford a dense canopy, blocking out the sun. And he knew this was just the beginning. Further in, where the sun never reached, it would only get eerier.
They had just entered the forest, but the temperature had already dropped considerably.
Cai Qiong felt the cool air, and holding the cara no longer felt like a chore. Wang Jian wasn’t surprised. Her fit figure was a clear sign that she exercised regularly. Plus, having studied abroad, she had probably done her fair share of hiking and other outdoor activities. A mountain climb like this wouldn’t be too much for her.
"Ah, this is so refreshing!" Cai Qiong exclaid. A mont ago, her clothes had been soaked with sweat; now, they clung coolly to her skin in the mountain shade, a welco relief.
Seizing the mont while Wang Jian was leading the way, Cai Qiong discreetly reached under her waistband to make an adjustnt. That was much better. Being damp and wedged like that had been unbearable.
Wang Jian, of course, was oblivious to this. He simply responded, "It’s cool now, but we need to move faster. If we don’t get the herbs and head back before dark, it won’t just be a question of coolness. It’ll get legitimately cold."
Cai Qiong was skeptical. "Really?"
"Of course," Wang Jian said, shooting her an exasperated look as he continued to clear the path. He used the machete he’d brought to chop at the tangled branches ahead. "It’s not just the cold. When I was a kid, I saw wolves and wild boars in these deep mountains. It isn’t safe."
"Ah!" Cai Qiong gasped. "No wonder you brought a machete. It wasn’t just for clearing the path."
Indeed. Wang Jian had brought a full set of herb-collecting gear, and not just for collecting herbs.
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