Chapter 113 Leek and Pig Tail Soup
The next day, around noon, the sun was high in the sky.
Huo Nanchen returned from the health center and pushed open the door of the two-story building. The first floor was quiet, with a strong smell of chives.
He changed his shoes and walked towards the kitchen, where Lin Xili was standing in front of the gas stove, staring at a clay pot.
She was wearing light gray loungewear, her hair loosely tied back. Hearing footsteps, she turned around and said, "You're back."
"Hmm." Huo Nanchen walked to her side, glanced at the casserole pot, and asked, "Where are Grandma and the children?"
"Grandma took them to the stage at the west end of town. She said that an old opera troupe was coming to perform 'Lijiang Moon' today, and she wanted to let the children experience the cultural heritage. They won't be back until the afternoon."
Huo Nanchen's gaze fell on the casserole. The soup was milky white, and inside were chopped pig tails and yellowed chives.
"Chive and pig's tail soup?"
Lin Xili put the lid on the pot. "Yes, Grandma taught me this morning. She said to let you drink it when you come back at noon."
Huo Nanchen didn't say anything. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and went to the sink to wash his hands.
After washing his hands, he dried them with a towel, turned around, and leaned against the edge of the kitchen counter.
“You know this soup is…” he began with difficulty.
Lin Xili picked up the ginger and started slicing it. Hearing this, she looked up and asked, "What's wrong with this soup? Grandma said it's very nourishing for men."
Huo Nanchen coughed lightly, remained silent for a moment, and then explained, "This is a local custom, given to the groom to drink. It's an aphrodisiac. Drinking it at noon will have the best effect by evening, so that he can have a son soon."
Lin Xili stopped slicing ginger, the knife hovering in mid-air, her cheeks turning red at a visible speed.
"..."
Huo Nanchen walked to her side and took the knife from her hand. "I'll do it."
Lin Xili let go of his hand and took a step back. Huo Nanchen chopped some ginger and scallions and put them into a small dish.
“Um…” Lin Xili finally found her voice, “I didn’t know that was what it meant. Grandma just said it’s good for your health. If you don’t want to drink it, then you don’t have to.”
Huo Nanchen put the knife away, washed his hands, turned to look at her, and said, "It's okay, you cooked it, I'll drink it."
Lin Xili's face turned even redder.
“By the way,” Lin Xili said with her back to him, “Do you have anything to do at the health center tomorrow? If not, let’s take the kids on a boat trip and go hiking. Xining and Xiyu have been saying they want to go on a boat trip and also want to hike to see the whole town.”
"No," he said. "I'll go to the health center again this afternoon to look at the CT reports of those special patients. After that, everything will be fine."
"Several patients with hyperthyroidism had complex conditions, and Dr. Zhang was not very confident about the dosage."
"Okay, then you can go ahead and get busy this afternoon. The soup will be ready soon, let's eat first."
When the casserole was served, the aroma of chives was even stronger, the soup was milky white, the pig's tail was stewed until tender, and the dried chives had turned purple and floated on the surface of the soup.
Huo Nanchen ladled out a bowl and took a sip of soup first.
Lin Xili looked at him: "How is it?"
"Not bad," Huo Nanchen said, taking another sip. "Perfectly cooked."
Xi Li also picked up the bowl and sipped the soup. The soup was indeed delicious. Although it was of no use to women, after learning the meaning behind the soup, she felt her cheeks burning with every sip.
Huo Nanchen drank three bowls of soup and finished his meal. When Lin Xili was clearing away the dishes, he stood up and said, "I'm going to the clinic."
"Okay." Lin Xili stacked the bowls together. "Come back soon."
Huo Nanchen walked to the door, paused while changing his shoes, and looked back at her: "The soup is very good."
Lin Xili's hand slipped, and the bowl almost fell to the ground, but she managed to steady it in time. "I understand."
The door opened, then closed again, and the footsteps faded into the distance.
Lin Xili stood in front of the sink, looking at the empty leek and pig tail soup, her face turning red again.
She shook her head, turned on the tap, and the rushing water washed away her wild thoughts.
Second floor of the health center.
Huo Nanchen was wearing a white coat, and Dr. Zhang Jie was holding a medical record.
"This case involves nodular goiter complicated by hyperthyroidism."
Dr. Zhang pointed to the first CT scan and said, "Look, this nodule in the left lobe is 3.2 centimeters in diameter and has calcifications. There are also scattered small nodules in the right lobe."
Huo Nanchen took it and looked at it. There was a distinct circular shadow on the left leaf, with clear edges and a high density of white dots inside.
What is the iodine intake rate?
"62 percent in 24 hours." Dr. Zhang flipped through the medical record. "It's a bit high, but the patient is 65 years old and has mild renal insufficiency."
Huo Nanchen remained silent, calculating in his mind.
Iodine-131 is mainly excreted through the kidneys. Kidney insufficiency can affect the excretion rate, causing the drug to remain in the body for a longer period of time and increasing the risk of side effects.
The dosage needs to be reduced, but how much to reduce it requires precise calculation. Huo Nanchen picked up a pen and paper from the table and quickly wrote down a few formulas and numbers.
The second case was a 40-year-old male with hyperthyroidism and heart disease.
CT scan showed severe thyroid enlargement, which was compressing the trachea. Electrocardiogram revealed frequent premature atrial contractions.
“This is the most troublesome,” Xiao Chen sighed. “If the dosage is too small, it won’t be controllable; if it’s too large, it may induce heart failure.”
Huo Nanchen stared at the CT scan for a moment, then explained while making calculations on paper.
Finally, he handed the paper to Dr. Zhang, saying, "Follow this dosage, and remember to monitor closely."
Dr. Zhang took the paper. "Okay, you're still the most accurate."
Xiao Chen couldn't help but exclaim, "Dr. Huo is truly amazing!"
Huo Nanchen added, "Nothing much tomorrow, I'll take my family on a boat trip and hiking. Call me if anything comes up."
"Alright, alright, we've been too kind to keep you from getting married," Dr. Zhang smiled and asked, "You should spend more time with your wife during your honeymoon. By the way, did you drink the soup?"
Xiao Chen asked, puzzled, "What kind of soup?"
Dr. Zhang nudged his arm. "You'll find out when you get married."
Lin Xili was preparing for her trip tomorrow when Grandma Huo returned with two children, followed by Huo Nanchen.
As soon as Huo Xining entered the room, he grabbed Lin Xili and said, "Auntie, the play was so good! That lady's flowing sleeves were so beautiful."
Huo Xiyu's eyes also sparkled: "The lyrics are very good, and the melody is also very pleasant to listen to."
Grandma Huo sat down with a smile. "The children watched so intently. Xining even asked if he could learn to sing opera."
Lin Xili poured the old woman a cup of tea. "Grandma, are you tired?"
"Not tired at all." Grandma Huo took the tea, took a sip, and looked at Huo Nanchen, "Did you drink the soup?"
Huo Nanchen nodded: "I drank it."
Grandma Huo smiled with satisfaction, then looked at Lin Xili and said, "Xili's cooking skills are excellent; the soup is delicious."
Lin Xili poured Xining Xijue a glass of warm water and quickly changed the subject: "We're going boating and hiking tomorrow, everything is ready."
Huo Xining immediately clapped his hands: "Great, let's go on a boat!"
Huo Xiyu then asked, "Can you see the whole town?"
"Yes," Huo Nanchen said. "The view from the top of the mountain is excellent."
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