Chapter 5 First Encounter
Lin Xili slept soundly from dawn until dusk.
The room was completely silent, save for the occasional bird calls coming from outside the window.
I slept for too long and my head was a little groggy, but the fatigue that had been building up over the past few days seemed to have dissipated quite a bit.
She got up, drew back the curtains, and saw a sky bathed in the glow of the sunset and the scattered rooftops of the town, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.
She finally understood the Peach Blossom Spring mentioned in the ancient poem.
Feeling very hungry, she remembered that the guesthouse did not include dinner, so she decided to go out for a walk to find something to eat and buy some daily necessities.
The town was a bit more lively in the evening than during the day, but it still seemed deserted compared to the bustling traffic of big cities.
It wasn't a weekend or holiday, so there were few pedestrians on the street, and many shops closed early.
She found a small supermarket that was still open and bought necessities such as toothpaste, toothbrush, shower gel, and shampoo.
Then I randomly walked into a small restaurant that looked fairly clean and ordered a simple fried rice.
Eating alone is normal for her, but this feeling is especially strong in such a completely unfamiliar environment.
She was surrounded by laughter and conversation in heavy local accents, and felt like an outsider who had wandered in, completely out of place.
After finishing her meal, she slowly walked back to her guesthouse carrying her shopping bags.
The courtyard was lit up with warm yellow lights, making the flowers appear even more delicate.
The old lady was sitting in a wicker chair in the yard. When she saw her, she smiled and waved.
"Girl, you're back? Have you had dinner yet? I made some sweet soup, would you like some?"
Lin Xili paused slightly, then replied politely but distantly, "Thank you, but I've already eaten. No need to trouble yourself."
The old lady's enthusiasm made her feel a little overwhelmed today.
She understands that providing services and building good relationships with guests are the norms for running a bed and breakfast.
But this sudden, unfamiliar kindness made her feel uncomfortable, and even somewhat resistant.
She didn't want to accept others being too kind to her, as if she owed them something, and she was also afraid that there might be other motives behind this kindness.
"Alright then, just let me know if you need anything." The old lady seemed to sense her unease, but didn't press her, still smiling.
Lin Xili nodded and quickly went upstairs.
Back in her room, she arranged her newly purchased items and looked at this small space that was temporarily hers, finally feeling a little more at ease.
The next morning, Lin Xili got up early.
Remembering that blood tests usually require fasting, she didn't dare eat breakfast.
After washing up, she took out her phone to call a ride-hailing service to the health center, but found that the app showed there were no available vehicles nearby.
She then realized that she had indeed seen shops renting electric bikes while shopping last night, which is a more common mode of transportation in smaller towns.
However, she can't drive an electric car.
The navigation system shows that the health center is about six kilometers away, which is too far to walk.
She hesitated for a moment by the roadside, then had no choice but to follow the example of the locals and flag down a motorcycle taxi.
The motorcycle taxi driver was a middle-aged man with tanned skin.
After Lin Xili mentioned the location "Lixiang Health Center", he gestured for her to get in the car.
The car started, and the wind whistled past my ears.
During the ride, Lin Xili keenly noticed that the motorcycle taxi driver in front of her kept glancing at her through the rearview mirror with a somewhat lewd look in his eyes.
Men are always prone to lust.
She sneered inwardly.
When the motorcycle taxi driver stopped at a red light, he finally couldn't help but strike up a conversation: "Young lady, you're not a local, are you? Are you here for tourism?"
Lin Xili replied calmly, "Yes, I work as a forensic doctor in the city's judicial bureau. I often dissect corpses."
"The atmosphere is too gloomy when you're surrounded by corpses. Come here to bask in the sun and change your mood."
The motorcycle taxi driver felt a chill run down his spine. He gripped the handlebars tighter, and the lewd thoughts and lewd smiles in his mind vanished instantly.
I could only say "Oh, oh" twice, and then I didn't dare to look around or strike up a conversation any further.
I couldn't wait to get her out of the car until I dropped her off at the entrance of the health center.
Lin Xili paid the fare and got out of the car expressionlessly.
Watching the motorcycle taxi leave, this trick proved to be consistently effective.
The main building of the health center is a complex that looks to have been recently built.
Unlike hospitals in Hong Kong, where even community hospitals are overcrowded, this place was unusually quiet, with only a few patients or their families coming and going at the entrance.
Lin Xili walked in and habitually took out her phone to register, since she couldn't register online here.
There wasn't even a self-service registration machine in the lobby.
There was only one open payment window, where a nurse was sitting and playing on her phone.
She walked over and asked softly, "Hello, I'm looking to see a doctor for hyperthyroidism. Where do I register?"
The nurse looked up at her, then pointed outside and said, "Go out and turn right. You'll see a small, old two-story building. Go up to the second floor."
Following the directions, Lin Xili indeed saw a relatively old two-story building on the right side of the main building, with the words "For thyroid treatment, please go to the second floor" printed on the wall.
There's a room on each side of the stairs on the second floor. The door to the room on the left is locked, so it seems the room on the right is the one on the right.
She went inside, which resembled a large classroom. Along one side of the wall near the door, there was a row of benches where family members were sitting, presumably waiting.
On the opposite side, a two-meter-long desk was placed against the wall, with two male doctors sitting at opposite ends.
The two doctors each had a computer in front of them, but unlike doctors in the city who record patients' conditions on computers, they still used handwriting.
There were more than a dozen people in front of me, mostly women, both young and old, and the line moved slowly.
Lin Xili silently walked to the end of the line and waited patiently.
While waiting, she noticed that one or two young girls ahead of her in line would occasionally sneakily raise their phones to quickly snap a picture of the doctor on the right, and then huddle together excitedly whispering something.
She couldn't help but follow their gaze.
The doctor was wearing a clean white coat and a light blue medical mask that covered most of his face.
However, the exposed part shows a smooth and full forehead, and beautiful straight eyebrows that are thick, dark, and neat.
He was looking down at the medical records on the table, his eyelashes were long, and when he occasionally looked up at the patient, his eyes were dark and deep, focused and calm.
Even without seeing the whole picture, it's easy to tell that this is an exceptionally good-looking young doctor, a rare sight in this rural area.
No wonder he attracts young girls to secretly take photos; no wonder Wen Qing's mother wants her to marry him.
A hint of doubt arose in Lin Xili's heart at this moment.
So young, looking to be about the same age as her, and yet she's been relegated to such a small rural health center...
Is his medical skill really that good? Can he cure her hyperthyroidism?
Since we're already here, and it seems like this is a place where people come specifically to see him for hyperthyroidism, with quite a few people in line, perhaps he really does have some special skills?
She suppressed her doubts and continued to wait in line quietly.
After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally her turn.
She sat down on the stool opposite the doctor.
Upon closer inspection, I could smell a faint scent of ambergris perfume.
Are doctors in rural towns really paid so much? Do they take bribes from patients?
After all, in an international metropolis like Hong Kong, even a forensic doctor like her has relatives of the deceased trying to give her bribes.
When I asked her to dissect the corpse, to be gentle, not to make the wound too big, and to stitch it up neatly, she refused all of my requests.
He can actually afford this perfume, but the fact that patients would voluntarily give him a red envelope also shows that his medical skills are indeed effective.
But she scoffed at his behavior.
At that moment, those dark eyes looked at her, and his voice came through the mask, low and muffled: "When were you diagnosed with this disease?"
“Four days ago,” Lin Xili replied.
"Have you taken any medication? Was it methimazole?"
He asked questions while making notes in the medical record.
"Yes, currently three pills a day, one in the morning, one at noon, and one in the evening."
"Stretch out your hands and raise them flat."
Lin Xili stretched out her hands as instructed, and sure enough, there was a noticeable tremor in the tips of her fingers.
"Tilt your head back a little."
Lin Xili did as instructed.
A pair of slightly warm, dry hands, with fingertips applying just the right amount of pressure, gently touched the thyroid gland area on both sides of her neck.
His movements were professional and swift, with the rigor of a doctor, without a single unnecessary touch.
The warmth of her fingertips contrasted with the coolness of her skin, causing her to subconsciously tense up slightly.
"Swallow your saliva," he instructed.
Lin Xili cooperated by swallowing, feeling his fingers gently pressing and feeling as her throat moved.
After finishing the inspection, he casually asked while writing down his notes, "From out of town?"
"From Hong Kong," Lin Xili replied.
She noticed the name on his name tag—Huo Nanchen.
Huo Nanchen nodded, didn't ask any more questions, and quickly wrote out a few test reports and handed them to her.
"Go and get these tests done first. The reports will be out around 2 p.m., then bring them to me."
He paused, then reminded him, "The medical insurance system here is not connected to Hong Kong, so your medical insurance cannot be used, and you will have to pay for it yourself."
"OK, thanks."
Lin Xili took the order and nodded.
She got up and left the consultation room.
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