“Who are you?”
Lin Fan turned around and almost bumped into the stunned, beautiful woman.
He knew at a glance that this beautiful woman was not from the countryside.
Such elegance could not be nurtured in the countryside.
“Hello.”
The beautiful woman came to her senses and greeted him kindly.
“Hello.”
Lin Fan almost lost himself in her smile and quickly averted his gaze.
“Son, thank Dr. Lin quickly.”
After crying, the mother and son knelt before Lin Fan.
“Thank you, Dr. Lin, for saving me.”
“Thank you for your mercy.”
Lin Fan put on a stern face and gestured for them to rise. “Get up.”
The old woman fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a bulging cloth bag.
She opened the bag, and it was full of money, from neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills to odd ones of five and ten.
“Dr. Lin, this is all the money we have.”
“Take it back,”
Lin Fan refused. “I don’t need it.”
“Dr. Lin…”
“Let’s go.”
Lin Fan turned his back. “Don’t let me find out he’s done wrong again, or else…”
His tone was cold, filled with a strong threat.
“Never again!”
“Dr. Lin, please rest assured.”
The mother and son thanked him repeatedly, then got up and left.
The beautiful woman looked on, mystified. Was there some hidden story?
Lin Fan returned to the armchair behind the counter and sat down, looking up at her. “Please sit.”
“Oh.”
After the beautiful woman sat down, Lin Fan asked, “Are you here for treatment?”
“Mmm.”
A playful glint flashed in the beautiful woman’s eyes. She gently rolled up her sleeves and placed her fair, slender wrist on the pulse pillow.
“Where do you feel unwell?”
Lin Fan placed three fingers on her wrist and asked.
The patient was beautiful, but clearly married and significantly older than him. He suppressed any improper thoughts while examining her.
“I… I don’t feel well in my heart.”
The beautiful woman’s intention was playful.
She wanted to see what kind of a person this young man was, who had captured her precious daughter’s heart.
That’s right, she was Tian Mengyao’s mother, Chen Wan’er.
“You don’t feel well in your heart?”
Lin Fan frowned, finding her gaze strange, and tilted his head, not daring to look too much.
Ever since he witnessed the long-term affair between Tian Yu and Hu Jian in Changxi Village, he knew how bold married women could sometimes be.
He was now walking on a tightrope every day, carefully maintaining relationships with several women, fearing exposure. He dared not get involved with any other women.
After a moment of thoughtful diagnosis, Lin Fan spoke. “Is it because of your work that you often stand or walk for long periods, leading to poor circulation in your lower limbs, blocked meridians, and blood stasis? I forgot to mention, in Western medicine, it’s called varicose veins.”
“Oh~”
Chen Wan’er’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“Also, you don’t pay much attention to keeping warm, and you often get cold in cold weather. You’ve already developed an organic lesion of rheumatic joint disease, which must be treated quickly, otherwise, in a few more years, it will become chronic and untreatable, and you’ll suffer.”
Lin Fan withdrew his hand, his tone serious, and cautioned, “You must pay attention in the future and not wear overly thin clothing just for the sake of looking good.”
Chen Wan’er’s face immediately turned red.
She was Tian Mengyao’s mother, a senior to Lin Fan. Being spoken to so frankly by Lin Fan made her feel both shy and embarrassed, and a little awkward.
Lin Fan picked up a pen and paper and quickly wrote out a prescription.
“Varicose veins require acupuncture, and your knees need heat therapy. Any problems?”
“Ah?”
Chen Wan’er’s mind became flustered. She paused before reacting, “No problem.”
As soon as she nodded, she inwardly cursed herself.
Damn, she had forgotten her original purpose for coming here!
But Lin Fan had already gotten up to prepare the medicine, so she couldn’t say anything.
A moment later.
Lin Fan turned back, carefully tying up the medicine packets he held.
Seeing Lin Fan’s meticulous and conscientious work, Chen Wan’er’s impression of him improved.
However, thinking of her husband’s instructions, she couldn’t help but sigh.
“Why are you sighing? These are minor ailments. After a period of treatment and maintaining good lifestyle habits, I guarantee you’ll be as spry as ever at eighty.”
“Pfft!”
Chen Wan’er burst out laughing. “You’re quite the talker. Spritely at eighty, wouldn’t that make you an old monster?”
“Our village’s eighty-year-old grandmothers can still go up the mountain to work… Forget it, forget it.”
Lin Fan slapped his forehead. “Sit here for a moment, I’ll heat some water for your heat therapy.”
He stepped out from behind the counter and nimbly chopped wood to start a fire.
Chen Wan’er turned to look at Lin Fan’s retreating back.
His shoulders were broad, his waist was slender, and he was not short, possessing a good physique.
He was also good-looking.
His features were simple and pleasant, his eyebrows thick and bold, exuding confidence.
Chen Wan’er nodded to herself. Her daughter had good taste!
Soon, with a puff of smoke, the brazier was lit.
Lin Fan filled the kettle with water and placed it on the brazier.
“The weather is still a bit cool. Sit over here, I’ll do acupuncture by the brazier.”
“Ah? Okay.”
Chen Wan’er’s mind was in a whirl.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to reveal her identity.
It was just that Lin Fan had diagnosed her condition with perfect accuracy right from the start.
She was also a doctor and wanted to witness Lin Fan’s medical skills.
“Take off your shoes and roll up your trouser legs.”
Lin Fan got up to fetch the silver needles and said casually.
“I have to take off my shoes too?”
Chen Wan’er hesitated.
This was their first meeting, and Lin Fan’s status was rather special, so she naturally felt embarrassed.
“Nonsense, how can I do acupuncture if you don’t take off your shoes?”
Lin Fan returned and sat down, taking out the silver needles.
Chen Wan’er had no choice but to bend down and take off her two round-toed leather shoes.
“Socks.”
Lin Fan said, torn between laughter and tears.
The woman was at least in her thirties, not a young maiden. Why the fuss?
Chen Wan’er’s face turned red as she took off her white socks, revealing two small, fair, and cute feet.
Lin Fan’s gaze lingered for a few more seconds.
He hadn’t expected this woman to be so well-maintained. Just looking at the skin on the top of her foot, as white and smooth as condensed fat, he could imagine how tender and supple it was.
“Are we done?”
Chen Wan’er’s pretty face was as red as an apple.
“Your trouser legs.”
Lin Fan pointed.
He even suspected he might have guessed wrong, that the person before him was still an unmarried young woman, not a married lady.
Chen Wan’er gritted her teeth. What else could she do now that it had come to this?
Two slender, uniform, fair calves were revealed. Chen Wan’er breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, that’s all, right?
Just as she relaxed, Lin Fan reached out his left hand, grasped her ankle, and gently lifted it onto his thigh.
Chen Wan’er almost screamed. Her eyes widened, and she looked at Lin Fan with surprise and fear. “You want to…”
“Don’t move.”
Lin Fan stared at the sole of her foot, holding a silver needle in his hand, and instructed, “Later, no matter if you feel sore, numb, or pained, don’t move around.”