Miao Tianchuan didn't say anything. He picked up the wine cup on the table and drank its contents in one gulp. The liquor had quite a kick. It burned as it slid down his throat.
After keeping silent for a long time, Miao Tianchuan said, "I'm afraid we won't be able to go back ever again."
"Yes, I am aware of that." Miao Qingshan nodded.
There were some things one knew couldn't be done. There were some places one could never go. That didn't prevent one from thinking about it. Thinking about such things often led to nothing good.
"Come on, let's drink."
The two drank quite a lot of wine. Each man harbored his own thoughts.
When they left, snowflakes were drifting in the sky. It was pretty rare for snow to fall in that area.
"It's snowing." Miao Tianchuan lifted his head and gazed up at the sky. The thin snowflakes leisurely floated down from the sky. He just stood there as he gazed at the snowflakes. He was entranced. It was as if those snowflakes had a unique magical power.
Thousands of miles away in Qi Province, it was also snowing. The snow was quite heavy there, flurrying all about. Before long, there was a vast expanse of white between the sky and earth.
The mountains danced like silver snakes, and the highlands charged like wax-hued elephants.
"It's snowing again. It seems that there's a lot more snow in recent years!" Jia Zizai stood in the yard, looking at the sky. It was gloomy watching the snow slowly fall. There was no wind blowing.
"Ah, what a day. I don't think the snow will stop for quite a while."
The sky was gloomy and windless. After starting, it seemed the snow wouldn't stop anytime soon.
"On such a day, it's suitable to have a small glass of wine. Wifey, can you fry up a few dishes at noon?"
"Sure," Hu Mei said with a smile.
In the clinic, Wang Yao treated Pan Jiayou's mother for the second time. The effect was even more obvious this time. The old woman's legs had an obvious response to Wang Yao tapping on them.
"Oh, Dr. Wang, your treatments are miraculous!" the old woman exclaimed.
As a patient, she had the most right to speak up. She knew best what state her body had been in. Her legs had no other feelings except cold and pain. Her entire body had felt awful and cold all over. She could neither sit nor lie down comfortably. She had no appetite, and she could not sleep. Those torturous days had repeated day after day. Her spirit had gotten worse. Now, after only two days of treatment, she could clearly feel that her body was getting better. At least, her legs were not cold and painful anymore. Her body also felt warm, so she appeared more spirited.
"You flatter me," Wang Yao said with a smile.
The old woman's condition was not particularly serious, so it was not difficult to treat.
"All done. You can come back tomorrow."
"Thank you, thank you so much!" Looking at his mother's rosy face and happy smile, Pan Jiayou felt happiness gush out from the bottom of his heart. He was even happier than if he had made a countless amount of money.
"It's snowing, so drive slowly and have a safe journey."
"Oh, noted, thank you."
After expressing their gratitude a million times, the mother and son left the clinic. They got into the car and went back to the county's town center.
After getting on the car, the old woman exclaimed her heartfelt emotions. "We made the right choice in traveling thousands of miles here!"
"Yes," Pan Jiayou said.
"To be honest, when I first met Dr. Wang, I was still quite skeptical," the old woman said. "Tell me, what kind of abilities could such a young man have? Indeed, we can't judge a human by their appearance!"
"I thought the same way when I first met him," Pan Jiayou said. "If not for Zheng Weijun's introduction, I would not have come here. Who would have thought that his medical skills would be so powerful and that there existed such a young skilled master in such a small mountain village?"
"When he has cured me, we have to thank him well!"
"Don't worry, I will make sure to thank him well," Pan Jiayou said.
Although the price Wang Yao had charged for the medicine was not cheap, it was merely peanuts to him. As long as his mother was healthy and could stand up, he would pay any amount necessary.
The snow showed no signs of stopping. It went on for the whole day and into the evening.
That night, the sun was setting behind Nanshan Hill.
Wang Yao stood on the hill and looked up at the sky.
"It seems that it will keep snowing until tomorrow morning."
The dog standing beside him looked up at the sky and wagged its tail from time to time.
"Alright, go to bed." He rubbed the dog's head. He pushed the door open and went inside the hut.
A moment later, chanting could be heard coming from inside the hut.
The hill's three guards, which were outside the hut, listened quietly until the chanting stopped. Afterward, they returned to their own places to rest.
The next morning, just before dawn, the snow stopped.
Upon opening the door, the scene of snow blanketing the mountain greeted Wang Yao.
In the early morning, Zhong Liuchuan, Jia Zizai, and Hu Mei walked through the snow and went up Dongshan Mountain.
On the mountain, the wind was chilly, and the world was snow white. There were three people and several rows of footprints.
The three people sat on the mountain. They soon entered a state of meditation, which lasted for nearly two hours.
Huu… The first one to wake up was Jia Zizai.
"Sure enough, it's the best way to practice in this weather."
Following that, Hu Mei woke up. Zhong Liuchuan was the last to awake. In a way, this reflected the three people's level of cultivation.
"Senior, if you have nothing to do at noon, how about having a drink?"
"No thanks."
While the three of them were coming down the mountain, they bumped into Pan Jiayou, who was just coming in from outside the village.
"Did he come to find Sir for treatment?"
"Yes, he's been here for three days," Jia Zizai said. "The patient is an old woman with some trouble walking. Her son is very filial." He was well-informed about the happenings in the village.
"Is he from out of town?"
"They're from Jiangsu."
The three people chatted idly before going to their respective homes.
In the clinic, Wang Yao began to treat an elderly patient. In addition to the Tuina massage, he was also using acupuncture. The first two treatments had garnered better results than he had expected, so he had accelerated the treatment.
The main parts of the acupuncture treatment were the old woman's back and legs.
Stab, rub, twist, lift...
In regards to acupuncture, not only should the acupoints be precise, but other skills also had to be mastered. It was a very deep treatment. Just that part of what Wang Yao had mastered had been lost many years ago.
The treatment lasted longer this time. It exceeded two hours. After it ended, it was almost time for their meals.
"Dr. Wang, do you have some free time in the afternoon?" Pan Jiayou asked.
"Yes. Why?"
"Oh, I'd like to invite you to a meal and express my gratitude."
"There's no need for that, I'll be going to Jing tomorrow. I have to go home and prepare for it." Wang Yao refused his kindness with a smile.
"Next time."
"We'll see."
After paying the medical fees, they took the three doses of medicines prescribed by Wang Yao and left the clinic. They got into the car and went directly back to Jiangsu Province.
Wang Yao closed the clinic and returned home. As he had said\\, he had to pack his things and prepare to set off for Jing.
The things he was taking along were very special. They were seasonal fruits and some local specialties. Moreover, the way of carrying and preservation was very special. They were stored in the system's lattice.
"Setting off tomorrow?"
"Yes, I have a flight tomorrow morning," Wang Yao said. "I'll be flying from Dao and will reach Jing on the same day. I have already told Xiaoxue."
"You don't have to rush back this time."
"OK."
He had also brought something else to give to his second aunt's family. His mother had been very thoughtful.
The next day, he left the mountain village with only a small suitcase and went straight to Dao. He boarded his flight for Jing.