“I never expected that engorgement could actually be a medical condition. I really don’t know what to say about that.”
Liu Yan instinctively glanced down at herself.
If I have a child someday, will I run into this problem too?
Qin Jiang took a sip of tea and said casually, “Her situation is actually pretty rare.”
“Most people don’t produce enough milk to begin with. And even when engorgement does happen, the husband usually helps out—it’s seldom that anyone refuses.”
“I guess her husband just couldn’t get past his own mental block.”
Liu Yan understood exactly what Qin Jiang was hinting at, and a flush of pink crept across her cheeks.
After all, she had never been married, so she wasn’t very familiar with these kinds of matters.
Just as the two of them were chatting, two men and two women walked in from outside.
The group struck Qin Jiang as a bit odd.
They were all quite young, and one of the couples was carrying a baby. Were they all one family?
“Who’s here to see the doctor?”
At Qin Jiang’s question, the woman in red smiled and said, “Let’s start with the baby—the little one comes first.”
The other couple smiled gratefully, then turned to Qin Jiang. “Doctor, please take a look at our son first.”
Qin Jiang had them swipe their IDs, then asked, “So, what’s your relationship to each other?”
The woman holding the baby said, “The four of us were college classmates. We’ve always been close.”
“We saw your livestream online and thought your medical skills were incredible, so we decided to come see you.”
At that, Qin Jiang gave an “oh” of understanding.
Four college classmates who stayed in touch after graduation, each starting their own families—that kind of bond was something most people would never experience in a lifetime.
The viewers in the livestream chat were equally envious.
“What kind of fairy-tale friendship is this? This is way too enviable.”
“I had a few really close buddies in high school too—like brothers—but somehow, we just stopped contacting each other out of nowhere.”
“There’s a song that goes something like: ‘Many old friends don’t end up being friends for life, not because of any grudge, but because they just slowly drift apart.'”
“Their relationship is so solid—they must still reminisce about college days whenever they get together for meals. That’s amazing!”
Qin Jiang also found their bond quite rare.
If their friendship weren’t genuine, they wouldn’t have made plans to see a doctor together.
After all, seeking medical help is a rather private matter.
The fact that they came together showed just how deep their friendship ran.
The couple with the child: the husband was Huang Shao, who worked at a distillery. The wife was Ding Fang, a cosmetics saleswoman.
Their jobs weren’t exactly glamorous, but combined, their income was pretty decent. That’s why they’d married early and had a child—a boy named Huang Xing.
The other couple: the husband was Meng Fan, and the wife was Gao Man.
Both were highly educated professionals. They’d married later and were still newlyweds.
Qin Jiang asked Ding Fang to remove the blanket wrapped around the baby. One look, and he immediately put on gloves and a mask.
Seeing this, the four of them looked confused.
“Doctor, what are you—”
Qin Jiang said calmly, “Didn’t you notice all those red blisters on the baby’s skin?”
“Those are shingles. They’re contagious.”
Huang Shao and his wife exchanged awkward glances upon hearing that.
“Should we be wearing masks too, then?”
Qin Jiang explained, “You didn’t know before, but now that you do—yes, you should.”
“Come on, have the baby open his mouth. Let me check his oral cavity.”
With Ding Fang’s help, Qin Jiang examined the child from head to toe.
“Preliminary diagnosis is hand, foot, and mouth disease. There are clear signs of blisters on the hands, in the mouth, and on the feet.”
“This disease is highly contagious, but it generally only spreads to children or adults with weaker immune systems.”
“I need to run some further tests. You all will need to wait outside for a bit.”
Huang Shao and Ding Fang nodded repeatedly.
“Of course, Dr. Qin. We’re happy to wait—just as long as you can cure our son.”
Qin Jiang gestured for Ding Fang to hand him the baby, then carried the child into the pharmacy for further examination.
As soon as Qin Jiang left with the baby, Huang Shao and his wife started bickering.
Huang Shao grumbled, “I knew we shouldn’t have signed up for that baby swimming class. Think about it—how can the water at a public pool be as clean as the water at home?”
“And there are so many other kids there—who knows what illnesses they might have? Our son probably caught it from one of them.”
Ding Fang immediately shot back, “What’s wrong with a swimming class? It’s helping him get familiar with the water early, building his water confidence, and teaching him a survival skill.”
“That way, when he grows up, he’ll learn to swim faster and more smoothly.”
Huang Shao still didn’t get it.
“Honey, if we lived in a coastal city, I’d understand sending him to swimming class. But we live inland.”
“There’s no ocean around here. What’s the point of learning to swim?”
“Short-sighted.”
Ding Fang rolled her eyes at him.
“Even if there’s no sea nearby, aren’t there lakes? Rivers?”
“Do you know how many people drown in our district every year? I don’t want my son to be another statistic. He has to learn this life-saving skill.”
Seeing the couple argue over such a small thing, the livestream viewers were baffled.
“I thought they had a great relationship—why does it seem like they don’t?”
“You’ve got it wrong. Couples bickering over little things is totally normal. It doesn’t mean their relationship is bad.”
“That’s true. I argue with my wife over trivial stuff all the time. We’ve even forgotten how to talk to each other properly now.”
“But honestly, the guy has a point. The kid is so young—he can’t even talk yet. Isn’t it way too early to start swimming lessons? What’s he even going to learn?”
“A lot of parents these days have this kind of ‘education anxiety.’ It’s pretty common. They just need to be more understanding of each other—after all, they both want what’s best for the kid.”
Soon, Qin Jiang came back out of the pharmacy carrying the baby, with a test report in hand.
“It’s confirmed—hand, foot, and mouth disease. It’s relatively easy to treat. I’ll prescribe some medication.”
“During the treatment, make sure you disinfect your home thoroughly. Also, feed him some immunity-boosting foods to speed up his recovery.”
