Super Doctor - Chapter 183

After driving down a long street, Li Yue, with Xu Ze in the car, turned into a narrow alley. This lane wasn’t very wide but was heavily guarded; a row of armed police officers stood watch at the entrance.

Li Yue seemed quite familiar with the officers on duty, yet he still took out his credentials for their inspection.

After glancing casually at Li Yue’s documents and hearing his brief explanation, the officer looked up at Xu Ze, then nodded and allowed the car to pass.

Once inside the alley, Xu Ze observed the traditional courtyard homes and the armed guards posted at each entrance. He began to grasp the kind of place he had been brought to.

Li Yue parked the car in front of one of the smaller courtyards. He waved for Xu Ze to follow as he walked toward the entrance.

The guard here was clearly much more familiar and relaxed with Li Yue. After exchanging a brief greeting, he allowed Xu Ze to enter the courtyard with Li Yue.

As they stepped inside, Xu Ze realized the courtyard was quite spacious, covering several hundred square meters. It was adorned with various plants and flowers, and even featured a small, clear pond of about a hundred square meters. The water was shallow and exceptionally clear, with several elegant lotus flowers blooming on the surface. Beneath the lily pads, small groups of red crucian carp swam leisurely.

Li Yue glanced around the courtyard when suddenly, a soft cough came from behind a nearby tree.

A smile appeared on his face. He gestured for Xu Ze to follow as he walked toward the sound.

They approached and saw an old man dressed in a black short jacket, slowly trimming the branches of a small podocarpus tree. As he worked, he let out a few gentle coughs.

Seeing the old man, Li Yue’s face lit up with a warm smile. He walked over and greeted him respectfully, “Grandfather.”

Hearing Li Yue’s voice, the old man turned with a kind smile and said mildly, “So you still remember to visit this old man.”

Li Yue chuckled. “Grandfather, I came specifically to see you today. I even brought a friend to share a drink with you.”

“Brought someone to drink with me?” The old man smiled and looked up at Xu Ze standing behind Li Yue. After studying him for a moment, he nodded slightly. “A fine young man. Xiao Yue, you’ve made a good friend here.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t bring just anyone to share a drink with you,” Li Yue replied happily, pleased by his grandfather’s approval. He then introduced, “Grandfather, this is Xu Ze. Grandpa Tang’s newly adopted grandson.”

“Oh? Old Tang’s adopted grandson?” The old man looked genuinely surprised and took a closer look at Xu Ze.

Realizing who the old man must be, Xu Ze quickly smiled and said, “Hello, Grandpa Li.”

“Good, very good indeed.” The old man observed Xu Ze’s calm demeanor and handsome features, then nodded with a smile. “I’d heard Old Tang took in a fine grandson. I didn’t expect to meet you today. That old man’s judgment is as sharp as ever.”

“You flatter me, Grandpa Li,” Xu Ze replied humbly, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

The old man set down his pruning shears, chuckled softly, and waved for them to join him. He said to Li Yue, “Come now. We can’t have guests watching this old man trim trees all day… cough…”

Li Yue smiled at Xu Ze and signaled for him to follow.

They followed the old man to a small pavilion in the corner of the courtyard. Soon, someone respectfully brought three cups of tea and quickly departed.

The old man covered his mouth and cleared his throat a couple of times. He then pointed to the teacups and said to Xu Ze with a smile, “Xiao Ze, come, try this tea. Your grandfather fought hard to snatch a few ounces of this from me once and treasured it like a hidden gem. I doubt you’ve had much chance to taste it.”

“Thank you, Grandpa Li.” Xu Ze noticed there were only two or three tea leaves in the cup, yet they emitted a unique fragrance. He gently inhaled the subtle aroma, a thought crossing his mind, and nodded with a smile. “My grandfather values this Da Hong Pao highly. I’ve only had the chance to taste it twice.”

“Twice is quite something already.” The old man chuckled lightly. “It seems Old Tang truly thinks highly of you. I doubt Tang Guorui has had even an ounce of it.” He continued, “This tea yields less than two pounds a year. After everyone gets their share, there’s not much left. Only because the others know I have a fondness for it do they let me have a larger portion each year.”

The old man lifted his cup to his lips, gently inhaled its fragrance, and then took a satisfied sip.

Seeing this, Xu Ze also picked up his cup. He savored the aroma before taking a small sip, allowing the warm tea to swirl in his mouth before slowly swallowing.

Although it wasn’t his first time tasting this tea, the lingering fragrance still left him with a sense of deep satisfaction.

Watching the old and the young both enjoying the tea with such relish, Li Yue, sitting to the side, took a sip of his own tea and sighed. He had never been particularly sensitive to the nuances of tea. While he could tell this tea had a unique flavor compared to others, it didn’t hold any special significance for him.

The old man looked at his beloved grandson with a wry smile. Giving such premium tea to Li Yue was truly like casting pearls before swine.

Cough, cough… “How is Old Tang’s health these days?” the old man asked Xu Ze with a smile.

“His health is much better than before,” Xu Ze replied calmly.

“Much better?” The old man raised an eyebrow, covered his mouth as he coughed dryly a couple of times, and then looked at Xu Ze with a smile. “His angina doesn’t act up anymore?”

Xu Ze nodded honestly. “It hasn’t recurred.”

“Really? It’s stopped?” The old man looked genuinely astonished. Seeing that Xu Ze didn’t seem to be lying, he asked in surprise, “Where did he find such a skilled doctor? I thought he had been to all the major hospitals abroad?”

When asked about this, Xu Ze hesitated slightly but still replied with a calm smile, “Grandpa Tang’s angina truly hasn’t returned… He’s almost completely recovered.”

“Recovered?” The old man raised an eyebrow, about to say something, when he covered his mouth and coughed dryly several more times. Then, he stared at Xu Ze and said, “Weren’t the doctors saying his condition was incurable? That he could only hope to hold on for a few more years?”

Hearing the old man’s lingering doubt, Xu Ze could only smile wryly in resignation. “Well… according to modern medicine, that… is indeed quite difficult to treat. However, our ancient medical practices still hold some special treatment methods that can be very effective.”

“Hmm? Ancient medicine?” The old man studied Xu Ze’s calm and composed smile and began to truly believe that Old Tang’s illness might have been cured. He was confident that this young man wouldn’t dare lie to him. Curious, he smiled and said, “Xiao Ze, stop keeping me in suspense. Old Tang and I have been good friends for many years…”

“Of course…” Xu Ze nodded respectfully and then explained with a smile, “In ancient medicine, there is a form of acupuncture. When combined with certain internal cultivation techniques, it can cure some of the most stubborn illnesses.”

“Acupuncture? Internal cultivation techniques?” The old man was taken aback. As a veteran general who had seen many battles, he was aware of such things. After a moment of reflection, he nodded with a wry smile and looked at Xu Ze. “Acupuncture combined with internal techniques can achieve such effects?”

“Yes… Of course, these are secret acupuncture methods passed down through lineages, supported by specific internal techniques,” Xu Ze replied with a calm smile. “The commonly known acupuncture techniques today naturally don’t have such effects.”

Hearing this, Li Yue, who had been listening with a smile without interrupting, suddenly cut in excitedly, “Xu Ze… So… Grandpa Tang is really cured?”

Puzzled by Li Yue’s tone, Xu Ze nodded in confirmation. “Of course he is… Li Yue, don’t you trust me?”

“I do… Of course, I do…” After getting a definite answer from Xu Ze, Li Yue couldn’t contain his excitement and pressed on eagerly, “Then… where is the doctor… the one who treated Grandpa Tang?”

Hearing his grandson’s question, Old Man Li’s eyes also lit up. He immediately understood why his usually composed grandson was so excited, and a trace of comfort flickered in his eyes.

“The doctor?” Xu Ze was taken aback, looking at Li Yue in confusion.

“Yes… the doctor…” Li Yue stared intently at Xu Ze, speaking seriously, “Xu Ze, where is the doctor who treated Grandpa Tang? Can you find him?”

Seeing Li Yue’s eager expression, Xu Ze was momentarily stunned. Then, he glanced at Old Man Li and noticed the hint of expectation and solace in his eyes. Suddenly, he understood what Li Yue was getting at.

He hesitated. It was true that he had been the one to cure Grandpa Tang’s illness. However, Grandpa Tang believed that Xu Ze needed more experience and, to protect him and allow him to grow undisturbed, had not publicized the matter.

Now that Li Yue was asking, Xu Ze felt he couldn’t avoid answering. But if he did, he needed them to believe him. Li Yue knew he was still a student. Given his youth and limited experience, it would be quite challenging to convince Li Yue that he himself had cured Grandpa Tang.

Seeing Xu Ze’s hesitation, Old Man Li smiled and said, “Xiao Ze… if it’s difficult to talk about, you don’t have to say.”

Hearing Old Man Li’s understanding and kind tone, Xu Ze made a decision. He lifted his head, looked at the old man, and said with a smile, “Grandpa Li, if I tell you, please don’t find it hard to believe.”