It was a nice day, a nice day for brewing decoctions . w.a.n.g Yao picked up firewood, started a fire, and started to brew the first decoction . w.a.n.g Yao had a rush-leaf fan in his hand which he used to drive off the smoke . He was very familiar with the process of brewing this particular decoction . He had had wild herbs, licorice roots, good timing, and all the elements he required for brewing this decoction .

The liquid in the pot was changing slowly .

Chen Boyuan dropped in to bring w.a.n.g Yao the herbs he required . Chen Boyuan didn't stay as he saw w.a.n.g Yao was concentrating on brewing the decoction . He just said hi to w.a.n.g Yao and left .

The decoction was ready when it was close to noon . w.a.n.g Yao didn't rest . He started to brew another decoction .

He cleaned up the clay pot thoroughly before pouring clear ancient spring water into it .

The fire was still on . w.a.n.g Yao just added more firewood . He added astragalus, codonopsis pilosula, glossy ganoderma one-by-one . w.a.n.g Yao was in no hurry . He was as calming as an old monk .

"Dr . w.a.n.g, it's time for dinner," Chen Ying reminded w.a.n.g Yao gently .

"You go and eat first; don't wait for me," said w.a.n.g Yao .

As he was talking, he added another herb into the clay pot . It was pear gra.s.s, which could heal ulcers .

Ulcers and malignant boils were basically the same things . Both were caused by blocked blood and Qi and acc.u.mulated toxins . The toxins could turn into ulcers in the skin or tumors inside the body .

He had added two licorice roots into this decoction . The other licorice root he put in was Shanjing . w.a.n.g Yao noticed that his aunt was quite weak, which should be related to her lifestyle and work . His aunt didn't earn a lot, so she was reluctant to spend money on expensive and nutritious food . His mother was the same .

I'm not sure what auntie does for a living . She didn't seem to want to talk about it, thought w.a.n.g Yao .

The last herb added into the decoction was Guiyuan . w.a.n.g Yao left the decoction to boil for a while before he put out the fire .

w.a.n.g Yao didn't close the door of the cottage when he was brewing the decoction . He was too concentrated on what he was doing to notice two elders standing at the door of the cottage . They had been standing there for a while and watching w.a.n.g Yao brewing the decoction .

"What do you think?" asked one of the elders .

"I'm impressed by his patience!" said the other elder .

"How about his method of brewing the decoction?" asked one of the elders .

"He has adopted the ancient method," said the other elder .

"The sequence of putting herbs in the pot was based on the nature of each herb . No one cares about it nowadays," said one of the elders .

"Why do you pay so much attention to him?" asked the other elder .

"Honestly, I want to see his mentor," said one of the elders .

The two elders had been standing outside the door and watching w.a.n.g Yao brewing the decoction for more than an hour . w.a.n.g Yao would be really impressed by their patience .

"Why do you want to see his mentor?" asked the other elder .

"I wanted to learn from him or her," said one of the elders .

"Don't you think we already have plenty on our plate now? We are getting old . It's time for us to retire," said the elder whose surname is Li .

The two of them eventually left after standing there for a while .

"Do you know who were the two elders standing outside the door just now?" asked w.a.n.g Yao after he had poured the decoction into the porcelain bottle . Although he was concentrating on the decoction, he was aware of the two elders at the door due to his sharp hearing . w.a.n.g Yao could vaguely hear the contents of their conversation, although they were almost whispering .

"They are Mr . Chen and Mr . Li . Both of them are doctors, very good doctors," replied Chen Ying .

"I see . " w.a.n.g Yao didn't say much .

He called his aunt after he had finished brewing the decoction . He was going to bring the decoction to her .

"Bring it to me now? I'm working!"

"I can bring it to your workplace," said w.a.n.g Yao .

"Don't worry about it . I'm very busy now," said his aunt .

"How about in the afternoon?" asked w.a.n.g Yao .

Eventually, his aunt told him that she worked in a big shopping mall .

"Let's go . " After checking up the location, he set off immediately . Of course, he needed Chen Ying to take him there .

It took them about an hour to get to the shopping mall . There were a lot of people in the shopping mall . It was very noisy inside .

"What does your aunt do here?" asked Chen Ying .

"I don't know, let's go and have a look . " w.a.n.g Yao didn't call his aunt immediately . Instead, he entered the shopping mall and walked around . He suddenly stopped .

w.a.n.g Yao saw his aunt when the door of the elevator opened . His aunt was sitting inside the elevator . She looked tired . w.a.n.g Yao immediately knew what his aunt did for a living .

w.a.n.g Yao noticed that his aunt's blood pressure was a bit higher than normal when checking her pulse . It seemed that operating elevator was not a suitable job for her to do and it would have a negative impact on her health .

When he saw his aunt, Chen Ying also saw her .

"Wait here," said Chen Ying .

w.a.n.g Yao stood outside the elevator and waited for Chen Ying quietly . The elevator took a long while to arrive . Ding! The door of the elevator opened .

"h.e.l.lo, which floor are you going to?" said a tired and hoa.r.s.e voice .

"Hi, Auntie . " w.a.n.g Yao felt sad for his aunt .

"Yao, how come you are here?" His aunt was surprised to see him .

"I'm here to bring the decoction to you," said w.a.n.g Yao with a bitter smile .

"Excuse me," said someone behind w.a.n.g Yao .

"Sorry . " w.a.n.g Yao walked into the elevator .

Several people came into the elevator . The elevator started to move .

"What time do you finish work?" asked w.a.n.g Yao .

"Four o'clock," said w.a.n.g Yao's aunt .

"Okay, I'll wait for you here," said w.a.n.g Yao .

"You can wait for me outside . It's not appropriate for you to be here," said w.a.n.g Yao's aunt .

"Okay," said w.a.n.g Yao .

w.a.n.g Yao sat quietly in the lobby of the shopping mall . He watched people come and go and thought about his aunt .

Operating an elevator was not a physically demanding job, but it could be tiresome . In addition, most people would feel uncomfortable when the elevator started to move and when it stopped . w.a.n.g Yao felt sad to see one of his family members look so tired when working .

It was not easy to make a living in Beijing .

It was a long wait for w.a.n.g Yao .

Chen Ying sat next to w.a.n.g Yao . She didn't speak because she knew w.a.n.g Yao was probably not in a good mood .

It was 4 pm .

Some workers had arrived for their afternoon s.h.i.+ft . w.a.n.g Yao's aunt had finished work . It was time for her to go home to rest . She had to change buses to get home from her workplace . It could take her nearly an hour to get home .

"We can give you a lift," said w.a.n.g Yao .

Chen Ying drove w.a.n.g Yao's aunt home .

"This is the decoction I brewed for you . Let me know if it works well," said w.a.n.g Yao .

He gave the decoction to his aunt .

"Okay . " She took over the decoction and felt that it was still warm . She drank some straight away .

After drinking the decoction, she felt nice and warm in her belly . Then, the warmth started to spread all over her body . Soon she felt much better . The tiredness following a whole day work in the elevator had almost gone away .

"What a wonderful decoction!" said his aunt with a smile .

"It will make you feel even better after a while," said w.a.n.g Yao .

He was sitting in the living room and chatting with his aunt . He asked about his aunt's husband's work and his cousin's study, just bits and pieces about his family .

Time pa.s.sed quickly .

"It worked," said w.a.n.g Yao after checking his aunt's pulse .

"Stay here for dinner tonight," said w.a.n.g Yao's aunt .

"Don't worry about cooking . Take a day off . Let's go out to eat," suggested w.a.n.g Yao . He had noticed quite a few restaurants nearby, and one of them looked pretty decent .

"Cooking is nothing . There is still quite a lot of food in the fridge," said w.a.n.g Yao's aunt .

"You've been working all day . Don't cook . Let's eat out . My treat," said w.a.n.g Yao .

Eventually, Zhang Xiufang agreed to dine out with w.a.n.g Yao . She called her husband to notify him of the meeting time and location of the restaurant .

Chen Ying found an excuse to leave Zhang Xiufang's home and made a reservation at the best restaurant nearby . She also called Chen Boyuan .

"Uncle Chen, I need to tell you something . . . " said Chen Ying on the phone .

Zhang Xiufang's husband didn't arrive until 7 pm .

"Are we going to eat here?" He was surprised as he walked into the restaurant . "It's not cheap here . "

"I've booked a table for us," said w.a.n.g Yao .

After they sat down, the waitress came to them immediately . The dishes were served promptly after w.a.n.g Yao had made orders .

"Auntie, have you booked the bus tickets?" asked w.a.n.g Yao .

"No, we are going to make the reservation tomorrow," said Zhang Xiufang .

"Let me know the time . I'll book the tickets for you . I need to go back, too," said w.a.n.g Yao .

"Well, okay," said Zhang Xiufang after some hesitation .

w.a.n.g Yao ordered a bottle of red wine . Both he and Zhang Xiufang's husband drank some wine while having dinner .

"Yao, have you finished your business in Beijing?" asked Zhang Xiufang .

"Not yet, but I will go back with you . It will take some time to sort things out here anyway," said w.a.n.g Yao .

What w.a.n.g Yao meant was that he wouldn't be able to cure Su Xiaoxue in a short period of time . It would take him a long time to treat Su Xiaoxue, and he wouldn't stay in Beijing for too long .

"Will you come to Beijing again after the Labor Day holiday?" asked Zhang Xiufang .

"Yes, I must come back here, but I'm not sure when exactly," replied w.a.n.g Yao .

. . . . It was a nice day, a nice day for brewing decoctions . w.a.n.g Yao picked up firewood, started a fire, and started to brew the first decoction . w.a.n.g Yao had a rush-leaf fan in his hand which he used to drive off the smoke . He was very familiar with the process of brewing this particular decoction . He had had wild herbs, licorice roots, good timing, and all the elements he required for brewing this decoction . The liquid in the pot was changing slowly . Chen Boyuan dropped in to bring w.a.n.g Yao the herbs he required . Chen Boyuan didnt stay as he saw w.a.n.g Yao was concentrating on brewing the decoction . He just said hi to w.a.n.g Yao and left . The decoction was ready when it was close to noon . w.a.n.g Yao didnt rest . He started to brew another decoction . He cleaned up the clay pot thoroughly before pouring clear ancient spring water into it . The fire was still on . w.a.n.g Yao just added more firewood . He added astragalus, codonopsis pilosula, glossy ganoderma one-by-one . w.a.n.g Yao was in no hurry . He was as calming as an old monk . Dr . w.a.n.g, its time for dinner, Chen Ying reminded w.a.n.g Yao gently . You go and eat first; dont wait for me, said w.a.n.g Yao . As he was talking, he added another herb into the clay pot . It was pear gra.s.s, which could heal ulcers . Ulcers and malignant boils were basically the same things . Both were caused by blocked blood and Qi and acc.u.mulated toxins . The toxins could turn into ulcers in the skin or tumors inside the body . He had added two licorice roots into this decoction . The other licorice root he put in was Shanjing . w.a.n.g Yao noticed that his aunt was quite weak, which should be related to her lifestyle and work . His aunt didnt earn a lot, so she was reluctant to spend money on expensive and nutritious food . His mother was the same . Im not sure what auntie does for a living . She didnt seem to want to talk about it, thought w.a.n.g Yao . The last herb added into the decoction was Guiyuan . w.a.n.g Yao left the decoction to boil for a while before he put out the fire . w.a.n.g Yao didnt close the door of the cottage when he was brewing the decoction . He was too concentrated on what he was doing to notice two elders standing at the door of the cottage . They had been standing there for a while and watching w.a.n.g Yao brewing the decoction . What do you think? asked one of the elders . Im impressed by his patience! said the other elder . How about his method of brewing the decoction? asked one of the elders . He has adopted the ancient method, said the other elder . The sequence of putting herbs in the pot was based on the nature of each herb . No one cares about it nowadays, said one of the elders . . . Why do you pay so much attention to him? asked the other elder . Honestly, I want to see his mentor, said one of the elders . The two elders had been standing outside the door and watching w.a.n.g Yao brewing the decoction for more than an hour . w.a.n.g Yao would be really impressed by their patience Why do you want to see his mentor? asked the other elder . I wanted to learn from him or her, said one of the elders . Dont you think we already have plenty on our plate now? We are getting old . Its time for us to retire, said the elder whose surname is Li . The two of them eventually left after standing there for a while . Do you know who were the two elders standing outside the door just now? asked w.a.n.g Yao after he had poured the decoction into the porcelain bottle . Although he was concentrating on the decoction, he was aware of the two elders at the door due to his sharp hearing . w.a.n.g Yao could vaguely hear the contents of their conversation, although they were almost whispering . They are Mr . Chen and Mr . Li . Both of them are doctors, very good doctors, replied Chen Ying . I see . w.a.n.g Yao didnt say much . He called his aunt after he had finished brewing the decoction . He was going to bring the decoction to her . Bring it to me now? Im working! I can bring it to your workplace, said w.a.n.g Yao . Dont worry about it . Im very busy now, said his aunt . How about in the afternoon? asked w.a.n.g Yao . Eventually, his aunt told him that she worked in a big shopping mall . Lets go . After checking up the location, he set off immediately . Of course, he needed Chen Ying to take him there . It took them about an hour to get to the shopping mall . There were a lot of people in the shopping mall . It was very noisy inside . . . What does your aunt do here? asked Chen Ying . I dont know, lets go and have a look . w.a.n.g Yao didnt call his aunt immediately . Instead, he entered the shopping mall and walked around . He suddenly stopped . w.a.n.g Yao saw his aunt when the door of the elevator opened . His aunt was sitting inside the elevator . She looked tired . w.a.n.g Yao immediately knew what his aunt did for a living . w.a.n.g Yao noticed that his aunts blood pressure was a bit higher than normal when checking her pulse . It seemed that operating elevator was not a suitable job for her to do and it would have a negative impact on her health . When he saw his aunt, Chen Ying also saw her . Wait here, said Chen Ying . w.a.n.g Yao stood outside the elevator and waited for Chen Ying quietly . The elevator took a long while to arrive . Ding! The door of the elevator opened . h.e.l.lo, which floor are you going to? said a tired and hoa.r.s.e voice . Hi, Auntie . w.a.n.g Yao felt sad for his aunt . Yao, how come you are here? His aunt was surprised to see him . Im here to bring the decoction to you, said w.a.n.g Yao with a bitter smile . Excuse me, said someone behind w.a.n.g Yao . Sorry . w.a.n.g Yao walked into the elevator . Several people came into the elevator . The elevator started to move . What time do you finish work? asked w.a.n.g Yao . Four oclock, said w.a.n.g Yaos aunt . Okay, Ill wait for you here, said w.a.n.g Yao . You can wait for me outside . Its not appropriate for you to be here, said w.a.n.g Yaos aunt . Okay, said w.a.n.g Yao . w.a.n.g Yao sat quietly in the lobby of the shopping mall . He watched people come and go and thought about his aunt . Operating an elevator was not a physically demanding job, but it could be tiresome . In addition, most people would feel uncomfortable when the elevator started to move and when it stopped . w.a.n.g Yao felt sad to see one of his family members look so tired when working . It was not easy to make a living in Beijing . It was a long wait for w.a.n.g Yao . Chen Ying sat next to w.a.n.g Yao . She didnt speak because she knew w.a.n.g Yao was probably not in a good mood . It was 4 pm . Some workers had arrived for their afternoon s.h.i.+ft . w.a.n.g Yaos aunt had finished work . It was time for her to go home to rest . She had to change buses to get home from her workplace . It could take her nearly an hour to get home . We can give you a lift, said w.a.n.g Yao . Chen Ying drove w.a.n.g Yaos aunt home . This is the decoction I brewed for you . Let me know if it works well, said w.a.n.g Yao . He gave the decoction to his aunt . Okay . She took over the decoction and felt that it was still warm . She drank some straight away . After drinking the decoction, she felt nice and warm in her belly . Then, the warmth started to spread all over her body . Soon she felt much better . The tiredness following a whole day work in the elevator had almost gone away . What a wonderful decoction! said his aunt with a smile . It will make you feel even better after a while, said w.a.n.g Yao . He was sitting in the living room and chatting with his aunt . He asked about his aunts husbands work and his cousins study, just bits and pieces about his family . Time pa.s.sed quickly . It worked, said w.a.n.g Yao after checking his aunts pulse . Stay here for dinner tonight, said w.a.n.g Yaos aunt . Dont worry about cooking . Take a day off . Lets go out to eat, suggested w.a.n.g Yao . He had noticed quite a few restaurants nearby, and one of them looked pretty decent . Cooking is nothing . There is still quite a lot of food in the fridge, said w.a.n.g Yaos aunt . Youve been working all day . Dont cook . Lets eat out . My treat, said w.a.n.g Yao . Eventually, Zhang Xiufang agreed to dine out with w.a.n.g Yao . She called her husband to notify him of the meeting time and location of the restaurant . Chen Ying found an excuse to leave Zhang Xiufangs home and made a reservation at the best restaurant nearby . She also called Chen Boyuan . Uncle Chen, I need to tell you something . said Chen Ying on the phone . Zhang Xiufangs husband didnt arrive until 7 pm . Are we going to eat here? He was surprised as he walked into the restaurant . Its not cheap here . Ive booked a table for us, said w.a.n.g Yao . After they sat down, the waitress came to them immediately . The dishes were served promptly after w.a.n.g Yao had made orders . Auntie, have you booked the bus tickets? asked w.a.n.g Yao . No, we are going to make the reservation tomorrow, said Zhang Xiufang . Let me know the time . Ill book the tickets for you . I need to go back, too, said w.a.n.g Yao . Well, okay, said Zhang Xiufang after some hesitation . w.a.n.g Yao ordered a bottle of red wine . Both he and Zhang Xiufangs husband drank some wine while having dinner . Yao, have you finished your business in Beijing? asked Zhang Xiufang . Not yet, but I will go back with you . It will take some time to sort things out here anyway, said w.a.n.g Yao . What w.a.n.g Yao meant was that he wouldnt be able to cure Su Xiaoxue in a short period of time . It would take him a long time to treat Su Xiaoxue, and he wouldnt stay in Beijing for too long . Will you come to Beijing again after the Labor Day holiday? asked Zhang Xiufang . Yes, I must come back here, but Im not sure when exactly, replied w.a.n.g Yao .