Uncle Fu glanced at the wall clock; the hour hand was pointing to 6:30. "I reckon it's about time."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sound of a car engine came from outside the courtyard gate.
Lin Li walked to the entrance hall and straightened the collar of her moon-white cheongsam in front of the dressing mirror. The pearl brooch pinned to the collar was a New Year's gift she bought last year at the Gangcheng Department Store.
"Mrs. Lin is in high spirits."
Mr. Yu walked in first, followed by Mr. Yu, who was wearing a Xiangyun silk jacket, Mrs. Yu, who was dressed in a Western-style dress, and their youngest daughter.
Mr. Yu leaned on a dragon-headed cane, his silver beard gleaming white under the lamplight, but his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.
"Mr. Yu, please come in."
Lin Li stepped aside, her jade bracelet sliding down to her sleeve. "I've been wanting to invite everyone to my home for a while now, and I've finally found the time."
The living room immediately became lively.
Mrs. Yu held Lin Li's hand and praised the fine fabric of her cheongsam. Her youngest daughter stared curiously at the blue and white porcelain vase on the display shelf, while Mr. Yu sat on the sofa with his father and chatted about the recent stock market.
Lin Laosan came out of the study with two gold-embossed hotel design brochures in his hand. He had just sat down next to Mr. Yu when the old man gently tapped his knee with his cane.
"It's good that young people are energetic, but we need to be more cautious."
"Grandpa is right."
Lin Laosan smiled and poured the old man more tea. "I had the engineer revise the fire safety drawings for this hotel five times to ensure there are no mistakes."
Lin Li was carrying a fruit platter when she heard these words, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes curved slightly.
She handed the sliced mango pieces to Mrs. Yu: "Try this, it's fresh and very sweet."
Mrs. Yu hurriedly picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.
Her eyes instantly narrowed with sweetness.
"Is it delicious? There's still some at home. Take some back with you later."
Mrs. Yu readily agreed with a smile.
Lin Hu and Lin Yao also came downstairs, dressed in suits.
He stood in front of a group of adults and greeted them.
Mrs. Yu also called her youngest daughter over and introduced them to each other.
Her eldest son went back to Australia to study and didn't come this time.
After a moment of slight disappointment, the two little ones put it down.
He immediately started playing happily with his younger sister.
The group sat in the living room, chatting and laughing.
until.
Uncle Fu came and told them to sit down and eat.
Lin Li helped Old Master Yu to his seat in the main seat.
He couldn't refuse any longer, so he smiled and left.
The first course of the dinner was Ah Zhen's specialty, roast suckling pig. The glossy skin was sprinkled with sesame seeds, and when it was served on a blue and white porcelain plate, the aroma immediately filled the room.
Mr. Yu picked up a piece, dipped it in plum sauce, put it in his mouth, squinted his eyes, and nodded.
"Is Mrs. Lin's chef from Guangdong more authentic than at the Peninsula Hotel?"
“It’s Ah Zhen from Shunde,” Lin Li said as she distributed shark fin soup to everyone. “Her cooking skills are excellent, and she’s also very diligent and eager to learn.”
She tapped the silver spoon she used to serve the soup lightly on the rim of the bowl, skimming off all the foam.
After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation gradually turned to business in Southeast Asia.
After the three children finished eating, they left the table and went to play in the garden.
Uncle Fu immediately arranged for a servant to follow.
At the dinner table, Mr. Yu was talking about the Chamber of Commerce he attended in Singapore last year when he was interrupted by Mr. Yu's father before he could finish speaking.
"You have to be trustworthy in business. Just like when I was selling medicinal herbs in Penang, no matter how many people owed me money, I still had to reserve the best herbs for my old customers."
The old man put down his wine glass and tapped his cane lightly on the floor. "It would be good if there were more people like Dr. Lin. Saving a life is a great blessing."
Lin Li raised an eyebrow after hearing what Mr. Yu said.
"He only knows some basic medical principles."
She smiled slightly and raised her glass, "Mr. Yu, you flatter me."
Just then, the servant brought out a steamed grouper.
The fish's eyes were wide open, its body covered with emerald green scallion shreds, and the soy sauce drizzled on it shimmered with an amber light.
Lin Laosan placed a piece of fish belly on Mr. Yu's plate: "This fish was just caught, it's very fresh."
Mr. Yu didn't touch his chopsticks, but stared at Lin Li, his eyes suddenly becoming serious.
"If Dr. Lin doesn't mind, I have a private matter I'd like to ask you for a favor."
He paused, then said softly, "I have a friend in Southeast Asia, surnamed Huang, who runs a rubber business in Penang and is considered a prominent figure there. Recently, he contracted a strange illness, and despite consulting numerous Western doctors, nothing has worked. I've heard of your medical skills..."
Lin Li's spoon, used to scoop fish soup, stopped in mid-air.
"Surname Huang?"
"Yes, it was even featured in Sin Chew Daily last year."
Mr. Yu hurriedly explained.
"oh!"
Lin Li had a vague impression of it.
His photo was published in Sin Chew Daily last year, showing him with a slicked-back hairstyle and standing next to the Sultan of Malaysia.
A player of this caliber, what national champion couldn't we invite? We wouldn't need to invite her, would we?
“Mr. Yu is too kind,” she said, putting down her spoon and wiping her mouth with a napkin. “My skills are only good for dealing with minor ailments like headaches and fevers. If it’s a serious illness, I’m afraid it might cause problems.”
“Don’t worry, Dr. Lin,” Mr. Yu quickly replied, “Mr. Huang said that as long as you are willing to come and see him, the consultation fee is not a problem. He has five private doctors at his estate in Penang, and the equipment is more advanced than that of the University of Hong Kong Hospital. If you need any medicine, he can also get it for you.”
Mr. Yu took out a brown paper envelope from his pocket and pushed it in front of Lin Li: "Inside is Mr. Huang's medical record. Western medicine cannot find the cause of the disease. They only say that his internal organs are fine, but he is weak all over and always talks nonsense at night."
His silver beard trembled. "Dr. Lin, could you please make a trip to Penang? Whether it works out or not, I won't let you make a wasted trip."
Lin Li picked up the envelope, her fingertips touching the cardboard inside, which looked like an X-ray film.
"Alright then, I'll go take a look."
Lin Li smiled and took the envelope, her face radiating confidence.
Mr. Huang's illness sounded strange, which reminded her of a medical book that recorded "miasma entering the body." She had never treated this disease before, so this was a rare opportunity to put it into practice.
Lin Laosan immediately chimed in, "Mom, if you're going next month, please take me with you. I'm going to Singapore to inspect hotel supplies, and I can accompany you to Penang."
"Alright! If we go next month, I'll take you with me."
Then, she raised her glass and gently clinked it against Mr. Yu's.
"After I review the medical records, I'll set a date to go to Penang."
Mr. Yu breathed a long sigh of relief, smiled, and downed his wine in one gulp.
"Good! Good! Dr. Lin is such a straightforward person!"
He picked up a large piece of suckling pig and put it in his mouth, eating with relish. "Speaking of which, Mr. Huang also has several bottles of 60-year-old Moutai, saying that he wants to take them out and drink with his savior after he recovers from his illness."
The atmosphere at the dinner party immediately became lively.
Mr. Yu and Lin Laosan chatted about the hotel's decor, while Mrs. Yu pulled Lin Li to look at her newly bought jade bracelet. The children were chasing and playing in the living room...
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