Chapter Sixty-Four Coming to the Door

By the time Li Yancheng finished treating all the patients who had arrived together in the morning, the clock had already ticked past ten-thirty.

There were seventeen patients in total, four of whom suffered from rheumatoid arthritis while the rest had chronic aching legs. Most of them were in their fifties and sixties.

Working through the entire morning had completely exhausted him. Just as he sent away the last patient, sat down, and took a sip of water, three more people walked in.

They were three women. The oldest was around sixty, the second was in her thirties, and the youngest looked to be about twenty.

The older and the younger one clearly looked like mother and daughter; they shared a striking resemblance and possessed an extraordinary aura.

The older woman also gave Li Yancheng a familiar, kind feeling, though he could not place where he might have seen her.

"Which of you three is here to see the doctor?"

"It's me."

The older woman took the initiative to step forward and sat down on the stool beside the desk.

"Doctor, my blood pressure has been running high frequently lately. I was wondering if you could prescribe some medication to help control it."

*High blood pressure? Coming to our tiny clinic just to get a prescription?* Li Yancheng curled his lip inwardly.

*You're wearing a woolen coat and you ran to our obscure, nameless little clinic to see a doctor—is that really appropriate?*

It wasn't that he wanted to categorize people based on their attire, but that was simply the reality of the situation.

Their clinic had a rather grandiose-sounding name—First Hospital—which might sound impressive to outsiders, but in truth, it had only been established for six years.

The medical resources in the hospital were extremely limited. With only internal medicine, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology departments, a dozen or so hospital beds, and not a single diagnostic machine, they couldn't even compare to the major hospitals in the city, let alone many factory clinics.

For someone to be dressed in such exquisite clothing in the current environment, one could easily guess their status. If there weren't some special reason, how could such a person possibly end up seeking medical treatment at their humble clinic?

Thoughts aside, regardless of the reason, anyone who came through the door was a patient.

"Could you please roll up your left sleeve? I'll check your blood pressure."

Li Yancheng picked up his stethoscope, hung it around his neck, and pulled over the sphygmomanometer.

"There's no need, Doctor. Putting clothes on and taking them off easily leads to a cold. I already checked my mom's blood pressure at home before we left. Her systolic pressure was over one hundred sixty, and her diastolic pressure was ninety-five."

The person speaking was the young girl who looked to be around twenty. Her voice was exceptionally pleasant to the ear, albeit somewhat cold and detached, making Li Yancheng feel as though a gust of chilly wind had just swept past.

*Such a pretty girl, why does she speak with such frost?* He couldn't help but complain inwardly.

The young girl was indeed quite striking. With an oval face, slender and curved eyebrows, and a pair of deep, obsidian-like eyes that shone with brilliance, her upturned nose and naturally rosy lips complemented each other perfectly, exuding an effortless sense of beauty. Her skin was tender and fair, and her bobbed hair was tucked neatly behind her ears, revealing delicate lobes that added even more charm.

The only pity was that there wasn't a trace of a smile on her face—or rather, not a single expression at all, remaining cold and indifferent.

Taking advantage of the moment she was speaking, Li Yancheng swept his gaze over her in a flash and quickly withdrew it.

A systolic reading of one hundred sixty and a diastolic reading of ninety-five indeed indicated high blood pressure, though it could also be caused by special circumstances, such as nervousness or excessive agitation.

Since the family member had already said there was no need to measure the blood pressure, he didn't press the matter. He placed the sphygmomanometer box back into the corner on the other side of the desk and took off the stethoscope he had just put on.

"Then please place your hand here." He pushed the pulse pillow forward slightly.

If she refused even to let him feel her pulse, he would have been ready to show them the door.

This time, the young woman said nothing more, and the older woman cooperatively placed her right hand on the pulse pillow.

Hypertension is a Western medical term, but it is by no means a modern disease. Records of such dizziness and vertigo can be found as early as the *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon*: "All wind-induced dizziness and vertigo pertain to the liver."

The pulse of the older woman before him was straight and long, firm under the fingers like the strings of a guqin—this was known as a taut pulse, which typically points to disorders of the liver and gallbladder.

Upon questioning, she also frequently suffered from dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia, and vivid dreams. After observing the coating of her tongue, he could basically conclude that she was suffering from an ascent of liver yang.

Originally, Li Yancheng had intended to use acupuncture to lower her blood pressure first before prescribing medication, but the suggestion of acupuncture was once again vetoed by the young girl. With no other choice, he had no option but to write out a herbal prescription.

After handing over the prescription, he hesitated for a moment, unable to hold back any longer, and said, "If there is anything you wish to ask, please go ahead and ask."

As soon as these words left his mouth, all three women—old, middle-aged, and young—were momentarily stunned. It took two or three seconds for the older woman to collect herself, and she asked with some confusion, "Doctor, what do you mean by those words... What do you mean by 'anything I wish to ask'?"

"Hehe, didn't you come here specifically to observe me? Rather than observing me in such a covert and indirect way, you might as well just ask directly. I'll answer whatever I can."

Through a morning of careful observation, Li Yancheng had finally remembered why the older woman had given him such a familiar feeling.

Wasn't this Luo Yang's mother? Since the young woman called her Mom, she must undoubtedly be Luo Yang's younger sister.

Once he figured out who they were, he also understood why they had come. Therefore, it was better to lay everything out in the open rather than being subjected to surreptitious glances that felt rather unsettling.

"Young man, do you know who I am?" A smile broke out across the older woman's face. Compared to her previously placid expression, this smile made her look exceptionally approachable.

"Yes. If I'm not mistaken, you must be Luo Yang's mother."

"Hehe." The old lady chuckled, turned her head to look at her younger daughter standing behind her, and said, "Xiaomin, everyone always says your second brother looks like your father and not like me. Look, they were all wrong."

The young woman gave Li Yancheng a deep look and gently stroked her mother's shoulder with her hand.

"Mm, Second Brother looks like you."

Li Yancheng cast another slightly surprised glance at the young girl. He had assumed she was only cold when speaking to strangers, but apparently not; she spoke to her mother in the exact same manner, save for the slightest hint of variation in her tone.

After replying to her daughter, Madam Luo turned her head back to face him once more.

"Doctor Li, please don't misunderstand. I didn't come here with any other intentions. I simply knew that you cured my son's illness, and I wanted to come and take a look at you, as well as express my gratitude. Thank you."

"You're too polite." Li Yancheng shook his head indifferently. "I am a doctor, and Luo Yang was my patient. That is all."

"Doctor Li, may I ask how my son managed to find you?"

"Well... I met him when I was providing medical support in Mulin Town, Yishun County. At that time, he had gone there to take an evaluation for town cadres."

"And just like that, he asked you to treat him?"

After waiting for a long time without hearing him continue, the old lady asked with a face full of disbelief.

Li Yancheng failed to notice that a flash of astonishment had also crossed the young woman's eyes.