Interlude: The Father’s Tale Part II

~~~

“Doctor, I truly can’t thank you enough!”

“Did I not tell you? Did I not say it? My friend is an amazing doctor!”

Old Man Gao’s laughter filled Liu Jianguo’s small clinic. The man’s prominent stomach strained against his clothes as he threw his head back and slapped Liu Jianguo’s shoulder.

“I am merely doing my job. There is no need to thank me,” Liu Jianguo replied to his patient. To his friend, he said, “Please, friend, you praise me too much.”

“Too much, he says.” Old Man Gao’s boisterous laughter filled the clinic once more. For a moment, Liu Jianguo worried it would wake up Liu Jin and make him cry, but his son was clearly made of sterner stuff than that. “As if there is any doctor in the outer districts that can equal him.”

It was amazing how things had changed in just a few months.

When Liu Jianguo had given Old Man Gao those pills, he had not thought much of it. He was merely trying to do some good for someone who had shown kindness to him. It wasn’t even that big a gesture. The pills had been cheap and easy to make. Compared to what he had been capable of before, those pills were nothing but garbage.

Had Liu Jianguo ever presented something like those pills to his master, he’d have been thrown out for such shoddy work.

However, that didn’t mean the pills were bad. On the contrary, the pills worked precisely as intended.

Liu Jianguo did not know when exactly had Old Man Gao taken the pills, nor did he know what had prompted him to trust the medicine prepared by a cripple. All he knew was that two weeks after he had given him those pills, the old man had shown up at his clinic and thanked him profusely.

“Truly our meeting was one blessed by the Heavens,” Old Man Gao had said. “That cough had been bothering me for months, and it had only gotten worse recently. Now, it’s all gone thanks to you!”

Liu Jianguo had refrained from mentioning Old Man Gao’s coughs would have gotten much worse if he hadn’t taken the pills. Lung diseases were a pain to treat, especially if allowed to grow.

All things considered, it was a good thing he’d met Old Man Gao when he did.

Liu Jianguo had tried to tell the old man there was no need to make a big deal out of it. Truth be told, he didn’t want to attract too much attention, and being thanked for preparing such a simple medicine was embarrassing for him.

However, Old Man Gao had no intention of just letting things end there. Before, he had been helping Liu Jianguo out of the goodness of his heart. Once he knew Liu Jianguo was not lacking in skills, he became a regular at the clinic and even brought his family to him.

People scoffed at Old Man Gao for relying on a cripple’s aid, but he did not let that bother him. Indeed, the old man’s decision proved right. Liu Jianguo was always able to solve every medical situation brought before him.

Then Old Man Gao started recommending him to whoever was willing to listen to him.

As it turned out, Old Man Gao had a wide net of friends. The same qualities that led him to befriend Liu Jianguo had also made him befriend dozens and dozens of people all throughout Eastern Port City. Old Man Gao would talk with anyone who cared to listen and was always willing to help out someone in need. It seemed as if there wasn’t a single person who disliked him.

Needless to say, the number of Liu Jianguo’s patients started growing. His little clinic, which barely saw a handful of patients per week, suddenly started receiving new clients every day.

Sometimes they would come in the morning. Sometimes they would come under cover of night, afraid of being seen consulting a cripple. Sometimes, their ailments were common, and sometimes they required some thought.

Regardless, no problem was beyond Liu Jianguo’s medical skill, a fact which became increasingly apparent as he dealt with more and more patients. Word of mouth spread even more as his successes continued, and now Liu Jianguo had a healthy practice. It wasn’t much compared to the top doctors of the city, but it was more than enough for him and Liu Jin to sustain themselves.

Now, no one would have to wonder how he was getting all his money.

“I must agree with Old Man Gao, honored doctor. If not for you, then I’d surely have been in trouble tomorrow.”

The client Old Man Gao had brought this time was a disciple of the Xiao Sect that frequented his shop. He had suffered an injury during a spar that he hadn’t wanted to disclose to his peers. Completely natural as far as Liu Jianguo was concerned. No matter the city or the country, it was always the same. Disciples fought and competed against each other to reach the top.

From Outer to Inner to Core. The names sometimes changed, but it was all for the sake of gaining a position of privilege and power within the Sect.

“I won a spar against another Inner Disciple the other day, but I was wounded during the bout,” the disciple said, rubbing his now healed arm with wonder. His face was rather plain and easy to forget, except for his nose, which was quite large. “I couldn’t possibly let myself look weak, but my wound wasn’t healing quickly enough. If I had gone to the doctors that work for the Sect, the others would have known right away. Without your help, I’d surely have been in trouble.”

To not be able to trust his fellow disciples. Some would consider it sad, but to Liu Jianguo, it was proof of his potential. If he feared being targeted by other disciples, it was because he was strong enough to be considered a threat.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

Unfortunately, that he had to resort to seeing someone like him meant he did not have many allies within the Xiao Sect just yet. A pity. Someone like him wouldn’t survive long unless he made the right friends. That was usually the way things went.

Unaware of Liu Jianguo’s thoughts, the disciple laughed. “I was worried since I had an important match coming up, but now I know I have nothing to fear. You might just have helped someone who will one day be a Core Disciple of the Xiao Sect, Doctor Liu!”

Liu Jianguo rather doubted that would be the case. Old Man Gao laughed.

“Be sure to thank Brother Jianguo then, won’t you? Make sure you tell everyone there is a doctor in the outer districts that’s just as good as the ones in the inner ones.”

“Please never say anything like that. I am rather fond of my head being attached to my neck.”

That was the sort of boast that would just get him in trouble. Liu Jianguo knew that sort of thing ended up needlessly escalating due to the foolish pride of people. He didn’t even have Qi, so that was not a risk he could take.

Perhaps thinking he was making a joke, Old Man Gao and the young man from the Xiao Sect laughed.

“Okay, Doctor Liu, I won’t make trouble for you, but I’ll be sure to visit you when I’m hurt. Look forward to it.”

“I am afraid I cannot look forward to such a thing. I am a doctor. If you come to see me again, it can only be because you’re not well. It might be good for my pockets, but bad for your health. If at all possible, I’d rather wish to never see you again.”

“Hahaha!” Old Man Gao slapped his knees and wiped a tear from his eyes. “Oh, Brother Jianguo! You really are the best!”