Chapter 8: See a Chinese Medicine Practitioner
The setting sun stretched her shadow very long, like a road leading to the distance.
Su Nian took a few steps, then turned back and said, "I wish you a bright future! I also wish you and He Qian the best! We don't have to see each other again."
Two parallel lines, each with its own direction, are good.
Li Yuan stood there, watching Su Nian's back disappear around the corner of the dormitory building, the flyer in his hand rustling in the wind.
The sycamore leaves fell behind her, as if bringing an end to this relationship.
Back in the dormitory, Zhang Qiuyan was trying on the skirt she had made in front of the mirror. Although the stitching was still a little crooked, the smile on her face was brighter than the sun. "Niannian, you're back. Are you okay?"
Su Nian shrugged, "Don't worry, I'm fine!"
"Look at my skirt. Isn't it much better than last time?" Zhang Qiuyan raised the skirt in her hand.
Su Nian walked over and helped her adjust the elastic band around her waist: "You've made great progress. You see, as long as you are willing to put your heart into it, there is no skill that you can't learn."
The cicadas outside the window had grown louder and louder, like a grand symphony. The drawings on the table were rustling in the wind, as if responding to something.
She picked up the paintbrush and ran the tip of the brush across the paper, leaving smooth lines.
Some farewells are not the end, but the beginning, just like a seed must leave its mother plant before it can take root and grow.
There is never a standard answer in the long design of life. What is important is to find your own pattern, use sincerity as needle and thread, and sew your days into the shape you want.
After a full week of exams, the school was on summer vacation and Jiangcheng entered the high-temperature scorching mode.
Following her mother's instructions, Su Nian brought Zhang Qiuyan to Hongjie's clothing customization store.
The three shops were neatly organized, with colorful fabrics hanging on the walls. Sunlight streamed in through the glass windows, casting mottled shadows on the floor.
Su Hong was busy at the sewing machine. When she heard the noise, she looked up and smiled, "Are you here? Qiuyan, come and sit down. Auntie left some iced mung bean soup for you."
Qiuyan put down her bag and went to the kitchen to find a cup, as if she knew her way around. Su Nian walked over to her mother and watched the fabric in her hands transform into smooth lines under the sewing machine. "Mom, let me do it." She reached out to take it, but Su Hong held her hand.
"You, sort out your own affairs first." Su Hong's gaze paused on her face for a moment, then she picked up a pair of scissors and snipped the thread. "Qiuyan is very skillful, so she's just the right person to help me."
The sewing machine began to hum again. Su Nian sat on a chair beside it, watching her mother and Qiuyan busy at work. Qiuyan was sorting the newly arrived fabrics, humming a song and telling Su Hong a few jokes from time to time.
The sunlight shines through the gaps in the fabric and falls on them, as if they are covered with a gentle halo.
The summer in Jiangcheng is really unbearable. The heat wave is like an airtight net, wrapping the entire city tightly.
Su Nian's stomach problems were not improved by the heat wave. Instead, it felt like holding a lump of ice, giving off a slight chill from time to time.
Early in the morning, Su Nian received a call from her best friend Lin Feier.
"Niannian! Are you free today? My internship at Jishiditang is in need of a medical guide. Would you like to help? The pay is very generous! By the way, let the old Chinese doctor here take your pulse and check on your anorexia."
Su Nian's heart was moved. "Jishitang...is it a traditional Chinese medicine clinic?"
"Of course! The doctor in charge today is Professor Zhang, who is very capable. There must be a lot of patients coming for consultation, so we are short of a guide." Lin Feier's voice was full of enthusiasm.
"Okay, send me the location."
After hanging up the phone, Su Nian reported to her mother.
Ms. Su Hong was hemming her cheongsam when she heard this. She looked up, and the hum of the sewing machine softened a bit. "That's great! I can have the doctor check your stomach. You've been so thin lately that you could fly like a kite in the wind."
"Yeah, I think so too." Su Nian said to her mother with a smile, "Don't worry, I just have a stomachache, it's nothing serious."
At nine o'clock in the morning, Su Nian stood in front of the quaint door of "Jishitang".
This is a traditional Chinese building. A plaque with gold characters on a black background hangs above the mahogany lintel. The characters "Ji Shi" (Ji Shi) are written with such forceful strokes that they seem to cure all ills. A few herbs grow in the flowerbed by the entrance, emitting a delicate fragrance.
As soon as I entered the clinic, the air was filled with the strong smell of Chinese medicine, which was bitter but also had a strange sense of security.
When Lin Feier saw her best friend coming, she took her to the changing room to change into a pink nurse uniform, arranged her at the triage desk, and explained her job content in detail.
"Remember, if you encounter any difficult or complicated cases, refer them to Professor Zhang."
Throughout the morning, Su Nian was very busy with patients coming to see the doctor. She didn't even see Professor Zhang, let alone have him take her pulse.
During the lunch break, Lin Fei'er carefully took her pulse and inquired about her symptoms. She said confidently, "It's just a common stomach cold. I'll prescribe you some Pinellia ternata soup. It's guaranteed to cure the problem. We'll go back for a follow-up consultation when Professor Zhang is free."
She quickly wrote down the prescription, her handwriting as sloppy as a ball of thread that had been scratched by a cat.
Su Nian breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Lin Feier writing the prescription.
Before he could fully breathe out, the door suddenly opened and blocked his throat.
Si Yan was wearing a simple white shirt and holding an antique medicine jar in his hand. He was obviously a regular customer here.
He glanced across the hall, and when he saw Su Nian, he paused slightly, and a barely perceptible ripple flashed in his deep eyes.
Su Nian was frozen in her chair, as if under a spell, not knowing where to put her hands and feet. She lowered her head, staring at the tips of her shoes, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Professor Si?" Lin Fei'er looked up in surprise. "You're here."
Si Yan came to the triage desk and nodded, but his eyes were always on Su Nian. His eyes were calm, but with a sense of oppression that seemed to see through everything.
"This is your friend from that day, right?" He spoke, his voice as clear as he remembered.
"Well, my best friend Su Nian came to the clinic to help today. She has a bit of a stomach cold," Lin Feier said with a smile, pointing to the prescription in her hand, "I just took her pulse, and this is the prescription."
Si Yan said nothing and walked straight to Su Nian. Before Su Nian could react, he had already reached out and held her wrist without letting her refuse.
His fingertips were slightly cool, carrying the bitter scent of years of contact with medicinal herbs, and gently placed on her pulse.
Su Nian tried to pull her hand back as if she had been electrocuted, but he held her firmly. His force was not strong, but it carried a kind of firmness that brooked no resistance.
Lin Fei'er was a little dazed watching from the side and wanted to say something, but was stopped by Si Yan's look.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment, the aroma of medicine lingered at the tip of his nose, and Su Nian could clearly hear his heartbeat like a drum.
She looked at Si Yan nervously, only to see his brows furrow slightly, his eyes gradually becoming deeper, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples across it. Hidden within those ripples were emotions she couldn't understand.
After a moment, he loosened his hand, and the moment his fingertips left her wrist, Su Nian almost fainted.
"This prescription is not suitable for the disease!" Si Yan spoke in a low voice with unquestionable authority.
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