Changxi Village was not far from Luofeng Village, and in less than twenty minutes, the stone tablet erected at the village entrance was already visible in the distance.
"Pfft!"
Lin Fan burst into laughter.
To think that in such a short time, Hu Jian could still find time for romantic escapades and exhaust himself to the point of kidney deficiency was truly remarkable!
"Doctor Lin, we're almost at our village," Tian Yu said, pointing to the stone tablet ahead. But when she turned, she saw Lin Fan chuckling and felt quite curious.
"Oh, I just remembered I used to catch fish in the stream near your village when I was a child. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye," Lin Fan mused, concealing his true thoughts within his words.
"Perhaps I've seen you before then," Tian Yu replied with a friendly smile, leading him towards her home.
Undoubtedly, Tian Yu's family was in a dire situation. As Lin Fan stood before a dilapidated adobe house, he felt a pang of unease and worried for the entire family. Could this house still be inhabited? Weren't they afraid of it collapsing one day and burying them all?
"This is the house my elders built. The new house was built when I got married, but it's already been sold to pay for my husband's medical treatment," Tian Yu sighed, her heart heavy with sorrow. Who would choose to live in such a place if not for dire necessity?
"Didn't the village offer any solutions? This is too dangerous," Lin Fan complained.
"They did try. How could they not?" Tian Yu offered a wry smile. "The village is short on funds, but the Civil Affairs Bureau, after assessing our situation, offered to subsidize half the cost of building a new house. The village also promised to contribute some materials."
"But even so, our family still can't afford to build a house!" The sigh was laden with countless hardships. Lin Fan had also spent his childhood and youth in his family's century-old house. He could deeply empathize with how important and difficult it was for ordinary people to build a house.
"There will be a way. Don't be sad," Lin Fan said, deep in thought, as they walked on.
Crossing a muddy path, Tian Yu hurried ahead and opened the weathered, decaying wooden door. "Doctor Lin, mind the threshold," she warned.
"Mm," Lin Fan, being tall, bent slightly to avoid hitting his head as he entered.
"Mom, you're back!" A little girl, bouncing with excitement, emerged from the dark interior. "Did you bring me anything delicious? Ah~" Upon seeing a stranger with her mother, the girl instinctively became wary and flinched back.
"Don't be scared. This is Doctor Lin from Luofeng Village. He saved your teacher, Mr. Jiang Hu, when he collapsed at the school entrance one time," Tian Yu said, her eyes filled with affection for her daughter.
"Oh, I remember now." The little girl's eyes lit up, and she looked at Lin Fan with curiosity and reverence.
"Hello," Lin Fan smiled gently. He could see that the little girl before him had suffered from severe malnutrition. Although her condition had improved recently, the root of the problem remained. If it wasn't treated promptly, it would lead to significant trouble later on.
"Hello, Brother Lin. I'm Wan Ling from Class 5, Grade 2," the little girl greeted him obediently.
"Go back and do your homework," Tian Yu waved her hand. "Doctor Lin is here to see your father." Wan Ling nodded and skipped back into the dark, cave-like house. As she reached the doorway, she suddenly turned back. "Brother Lin, I heard from my classmates in Luofeng Village that you are a super amazing doctor. Can you cure my father?" Hope shone brightly in her clear, dark eyes.
"Yes!"
"Definitely!" Lin Fan couldn't refuse such earnest eyes, especially from an innocent and lovely little girl.
"Ling'er, go back and do your homework quickly," Tian Yu urged.
"Okay." Wan Ling didn't understand why her mother didn't seem entirely happy. She nodded silently and disappeared into the darkness. Tian Yu's thoughts were simple. She hadn't spent a single cent on the consultation, so how could she dare to demand that Lin Fan cure her husband? What if he couldn't be cured? Wouldn't it be ungrateful to trouble Lin Fan?
"I haven't had time to tidy up the house. Doctor Lin, please don't mind the mess," Tian Yu said apologetically, leading Lin Fan inside. A faint odor of decay wafted out, like rotting pork in summer, mixed with other indescribable smells. Seeing Lin Fan's expression remain unchanged, Tian Yu opened the door to the west-facing bedroom. An even stronger smell assaulted them. Even with his preparations, Lin Fan instinctively held his breath, his throat constricting. Tian Yu, long accustomed to this, pulled the light cord, and the darkness was instantly dispelled by light.
"Hiss~ Hooo~"
On the bed, a human figure lay covered by a quilt, emitting heavy and labored breaths.
"An Fu, I've brought a doctor for you. He's the best doctor in our area." Tian Yu called out twice before the person on the bed stirred. Wan An Fu slowly lifted his head, revealing a black and sallow, emaciated face like a skeleton. He was unresponsive, his eyes dull and vacant. Despair! Anyone seeing him in this state would think of this word.
"Go fetch a basin of clean water. Also, the room is too dark. Do you have a flashlight or any other lighting?" Lin Fan activated his Ziji Lingtong (Purple Pole Spirit Eye) and clearly saw the aura emanating from Wan An Fu, which was even more sinister than Liu Xiumin's.
"Yes, yes, yes." Tian Yu quickly ran out. Lin Fan placed the medical kit on the table and began taking out the necessary items. Soon after, Tian Yu returned, carrying a basin of water and holding a flashlight under her arm.
"Place the water on the table. Get ready and help me," Lin Fan instructed.
"Me? Okay." Tian Yu didn't know how she could help, but since Lin Fan had instructed her, she could only comply. Wan An Fu appeared utterly depleted, his mouth slightly ajar, breathing with difficulty, oblivious to everything happening around him. He had been tormented to the point of wishing for death and held no hope of recovery.
"Eat this," Lin Fan, wearing disposable gloves, picked up a thin slice of Scarlet Blood Lingzhi (Red Blood Ganoderma) and brought it to Wan An Fu's lips. Wan An Fu instinctively took the Lingzhi into his mouth and chewed it mechanically. A cool, sweet sensation immediately spread through his mouth. Gulp! As the Lingzhi slid down his esophagus and into his stomach, transforming into a warm energy that steamed within his stomach, Wan An Fu's eyes flickered. He turned his head to look at the stranger by his bedside. He had been bedridden for so long and had consumed countless traditional Chinese and Western medicines, but he had never tasted anything as miraculous as this. The effect was immediate!
"Trust me, it's more precious than you can imagine," Lin Fan smiled. "The treatment process later might be painful, but you must bear with it. Live on, and don't let my efforts be in vain." Tian Yu stood by, stunned. She hadn't seen her husband display such a vivid expression in a long time. She could tell her husband's condition had improved slightly. That medicine must be very expensive! Tian Yu's mind flashed with a string of zeroes, so long she couldn't count them.