Chapter 12
“I’m still young, so I need to borrow the authority of a respected figure to present the prescription to my mother,” Xie Yubo explained. “Doctor Qian, would you be willing to help?”
“Willing, very willing!” Called an authority figure by Xie Yubo, Qian Kaikang’s old face flushed with heat. “I have merely lived a few more years; I cannot compare to the young master’s youthful brilliance.”
He is only fifty years older, not particularly advanced in age, so he can still take you as a disciple.
Qian Kaikang had held back for a long time, but ultimately dared not waste a high school student’s precious time.
Xie Yubo had no money, so he pulled out a talisman, waved it, and said, “Hmm, let’s use this as payment instead.”
What kind of talisman was it? To put it simply, on the way to Lingming Temple, bundles of ten could be bought from street vendors for just ten yuan. Qian Kaikang examined it carefully but truly couldn’t discern anything special about it. Even with his vast knowledge, he couldn’t conjure up any flattering words.
He accepted it with a relaxed smile, saying, “It was merely a small favor; I shouldn’t have accepted payment. But since it’s a gift from the young master, I will certainly keep it with me at all times.”
This old man really knows his stuff; delighted, Xie Yubo handed him another one.
Qian Kaikang wondered if Xie Yubo was blind, mistaking talisman papers for banknotes.
“Is this a talisman?”
“Yes, well… in your terms, it’s been consecrated.”
Qian Kaikang accepted it with delight.
After coordinating their story with Xie Yubo, he was about to leave when a car pulled up outside and a lady dressed like a noblewoman arrived.
Qian Kaikang was tempted to ask Xie Yubo to demonstrate his skills once more but feared it might delay his classes.
“Uncle Qian, do you offer consultations behind a curtain here?” Xie Yubo suddenly asked.
“Yes!” Qian Kaikang nodded eagerly. Even if conditions didn’t exist, he would create them. He swiftly drew aside a curtain, cut a hole the width of a wrist, and performed these tasks with such agility it was as though he had returned to his thirties.
Xie Yubo sat behind the curtain while Qian Kaikang pretended to be an assistant dispensing herbs outside.
Zheng Bin glanced at Qian Kaikang with confusion. Wasn’t this old man supposed to be the doctor? She had cast her net widely, which was why she had come to this folk Chinese medicine clinic in the first place.
Qian Kaikang said, “Today, my master is holding consultations.”
Master… wouldn’t that make him ninety years old?
Zheng Bin reached her hand in and clearly felt the fingertips resting on her wrist were remarkably smooth, unlike those of an elderly person. Perhaps this master possessed some secret art of preserving youth?
Zheng Bin was Xue Jing’s close friend and had visited the Xie family several times, so Xie Yubo had met her before. Xie Chenbo was a cautious man; if Qian Kaikang lacked impressive achievements to his name, he would not easily allow Xue Jing to take the medicine based solely on Wang Fuyang’s recommendation.
If he managed to cure Zheng Bin, Qian Kaikang’s credibility would be entirely different.
Xie Yubo lowered his voice and said, “Judging by your pulse, Ms. Zheng, you suffer from poor gastrointestinal health, caused by years of hardship, constant travel, and irregular eating habits.”
Previously distracted, Zheng Bin straightened up upon hearing this: “What you say is true, old master. In our early years, my husband and I worked in transportation together and neglected our health.”
She had consulted both traditional Chinese and Western doctors. Since stomach ailments require careful nurturing, Zheng Bin had consumed countless medicines with little effect. Western medicine practitioners warned that her condition was serious and might even require a gastrectomy.
Terrified of surgery, Zheng Bin would rather endure bitter herbal decoctions and has recently been desperately seeking medical help.
Xie Yubo: “Not only do you have irregular eating habits, but you also frequently consumed a certain type of food in your earlier years. Your body has repeatedly warned you, yet you paid no heed.”
The doctor behind the curtain suddenly spoke with sharp severity, and Zheng Bin, like a schoolchild being reprimanded, confessed: “I was just trying to save money.”
Back when they had no money, they stretched every cent as far as it could go. She and her husband spent seven or eight years in the northwest, where a certain local staple food was common. Every time Zheng Bin ate it, her stomach would bloat, but it was so cheap—only a few mao per jin—making it ideal for provisions on long journeys. Moreover, her husband liked it, so they relied on it as their main food during transport trips.
Nowadays, their logistics network spans the entire country; their family enterprise has grown immense. To express his gratitude, her husband even named the company after her. Yet, no amount of wealth can buy back lost health.
“People’s hearts change easily; there’s no need to compromise yourself for others.” Xie Yubo stopped there, picked up his brush, and prepared to write out a prescription.
In no time, Xie Yubo filled an entire sheet of paper and passed it through the small opening. “Take this after breakfast and dinner for one two-hour period. Go ahead and get the herbs prepared.”
Qian Kaikang accepted the prescription with both hands. “I’ll go get the—”
Wait, what does this even say?
Qian Kaikang had always thought his own handwriting was sufficiently “wild and flourishing,” yet at least it followed the medical community’s conventions for abbreviated scribbles. He never expected that there would always be someone more formidable; he couldn’t recognize a single character in Xie Yubo’s writing.
It’s not an abbreviation; it’s completely irregular.
The prescription for Xue Jing was carefully deliberated by Xie Yubo, with dosages meticulously adjusted and solemnly written down, making it still legible. This one for Zheng Bin, however, was written a bit too hastily, thus revealing his true nature.
Qian Kaikang thought that for a young master who is blind, writing like this was already no small feat.
“Young Master, your handwriting is wildly unconventional, but my old eyes are dim; I fear I might misread the crucial dosages. Could you please read it aloud once?”
Xie Yubo followed the instructions as told.
The more Qian Kaikang listened, the more astonished he became. To devise such a miraculous prescription in just a few minutes of consultation—could this person truly be an immortal descended from heaven?
Zheng Bin was thoroughly convinced by Xie Yubo. After receiving the medicinal herbs, he said expectantly, “Sir, you show no signs of age at all; anyone would believe you’re eighteen. I wonder if you have anything for anti-aging…”
The eighteen-year-old Grand Imperial Astrologer scratched his cheek. “Sorry, that’s not my area of expertise.”
Zheng Bin felt particularly regretful; her intuition told her that if she could acquire the patent for the anti-aging formula from the old gentleman, she could establish a world-class cosmetics company with annual revenues starting at ten billion yuan.
However, every profession has its specialty, and mastering one area leads to even greater heights. Zheng Bin now felt even more confident about the stomach-nourishing prescription she held.
When it came time to pay, Zheng Bin took out a card, and Qian Kaikang asked Xie Yubo how much should be charged.
Xie Yubo whispered softly, “I’m the one collecting money?”
“The prescription you provided, so naturally you should collect the fee.”
Xie Yubo never expected that aside from that one hundred yuan, his first income would come from treating patients; his feelings were complicated. “I don’t know how much to charge either. Uncle Qian, please help set the price.”
Qian Kaikang was well-versed in the art of making money; at a time like this, the higher you set the price, the more reliable Zheng Bin would find you.
“My master rarely leaves his seclusion…”
Zheng Bin: “Any amount is worth it.”
Qian Kaikang: “Five thousand.”
Zheng Bin: “As expected of a healer with a benevolent heart. Your medical skills are superb, sir; you should charge even more. Where can I swipe my card?”
Xie Yubo interjected: “Cash only.”
The Grand Imperial Astrologer disliked digital currency; it lacked the tangible sensation of earning. He still preferred the two hundred thousand taels of gold stored in his cellar from his past life—gleaming, heavy, visible, and touchable.
Zheng Bin finally recognized where the old gentleman showed his age. Elderly people, after all, struggle to adapt to electronic payments. Suddenly feeling a sense of reality, she instructed her driver to withdraw cash from the bank, taking out an extra ten thousand yuan.
Xie Yubo, eyes curved into joyful crescents, held a thick stack of Renminbi bills and also gave Zheng Bin a talisman.
Ms. Zheng felt emotionally moved. She realized that her earlier suspicion that the old gentleman was only eighteen had indeed been mistaken.
As soon as Zheng Bin’s car appeared, Wang Ping went into hiding. Having served in the military in his youth and recently refreshed his knowledge of counter-surveillance tactics, he felt that since his young master was so capable, he too needed to improve; otherwise, he might easily get fired.
On the way back to school, Xie Yubo gave Wang Ping ten thousand yuan for buying books.
Uncle Wang, astonished by Xie Yubo’s earning ability, still said, “It’s not easy for you to earn money, Young Master. Actually, this expense could be reimbursed by the family.”
Xie Yubo replied, “I’m an adult now; how can I still spend the family’s money?”
His phone also had a payment app linked to his older brother’s card.
After school that evening, Xie Yubo planned to stroll around the overpass to find a suitable spot for fortune-telling. He and Wang Fuyang had agreed that from now on, right after school, he would go to the massage parlor, enter through the front door, exit through the back, and leave his phone there.
He used those five thousand yuan to buy a dual-SIM phone and installed the SIM card his brother had given him. This way, the location records would remain at the massage parlor, yet he could still answer whenever his brother called to check up on him.
Wang Ping silently helped the young master carry out all of this, feeling a faint headache born of a child’s rebellion.
“Uncle Wang, someone is following us.”
“What?” Wang Ping’s heart pounded with fear, his hands gripping the steering wheel trembling slightly. Could it be that group? What if they rammed straight into us?
“Follow my lead.” Xie Yubo pulled out a talisman, pretended to stick it behind the driver’s seat, then deftly directed Wang Ping to swerve left and weave right, completely unfazed.
Wang Ping was utterly confused. Why did it feel like the young master wasn’t trying to evade danger, but instead deliberately exposing them to it?
“Young Master, this…”
“Done.”
Wang Ping glanced into the rearview mirror and saw two understated black sedans blocking each other. As their doors swung open, two groups of menacing men in black emerged. Standing at least six feet two, rolling up their sleeves, they looked ready to engage in a street brawl right then and there.
Only now did Wang Ping realize that two separate groups had been tailing them, completely unaware of each other’s presence.
With a few skillful drifts, Xie Yubo exposed both groups to each other’s sight; provoking conflict was his greatest specialty.
Uncle Wang accelerated away from the scene, guessing that one of the parties involved was an ally.
When Xie Yubo arrived home, Xue Jing was watering flowers in the courtyard. He walked over, slipped his arm through hers, and said with a straight face, “Mom, I learned massage techniques at Boss Wang’s place this noon.”
Xue Jing tenderly lifted her son’s hands in hers. “Are your hands sore?”
“Not at all. Mom, Boss Wang mentioned he knows an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor who can cure any illness with the right remedy. Apparently, Boss Wang once had a swelling on his neck this big—” Xie Yubo exaggeratedly shaped his hands into a heart, “—and the old doctor fixed it with just two acupuncture needles. Could we invite him to take a look at you too?”
Xue Jing naturally agreed; her son’s concern was more effective than any seasoned traditional Chinese doctor.
Xie Yubo said happily, “How about this Saturday?”
In two days, on Saturday, once Zheng Bin’s condition improved, Xue Jing would give it a try.
“I’ve learned massage; let me give it a try for you,” Xie Yubo said, half sincerely and half jokingly.
On one hand, to gain Xue Jing’s trust and prove he was genuinely learning massage. On the other, Xie Yubo had studied medicine in his past life and knew the human meridians and acupoints like the back of his hand; apart from therapeutic tuina, who couldn’t give a simple shoulder rub?
Xue Jing was his mother, the woman who had cared for him through eighteen years of his mental impairment.
In his previous life, Xie Yubo’s family had been nothing but a source of heartache; after running away from home at fourteen, he never saw them again. In this life, he constantly worried that he wasn’t doing enough for them.
“Then thank you, Xiao Bo.”
At dinner, Xue Jing spent five minutes praising Xie Yubo from head to toe, calling him “sensible,” “so well-behaved,” and “promising”… Xie Yubo felt utterly embarrassed by the compliments.
“Boss Wang praised my rapid progress, saying I’m a natural for this work,” Xie Yubo boasted, subtly hinting at his determination to establish himself at the massage parlor.
The Xie father and son looked on with envy, deeply admiring Xue Jing.
Xie Jianming spoke up: “Then you must study hard. Daddy will open chain stores for you in the future.”
Xie Yubo, ever considerate, said, “Dad, let me give you a massage too.”
Xie Jianming gritted his teeth and refused. Men have hard bones and stiff muscles; massaging them takes considerable effort. Besides, he wanted his wife to enjoy unique privileges at home, such as receiving massages from their youngest son.
Xie Chenbo glanced alternately at his parents, now completely won over by Xie Yubo, and then at Xie Yubo himself. For once, he did not join the chorus of praise.
He was pondering something.
At the same time, President Shang was also pondering, as he needed to explain to Xie Chenbo why he had sent people to tail his younger brother.
His men had even ended up in the hospital after clashing with the Xie family’s bodyguards.