Chapter 193 - The Sorrow Past Prime

Translator: Thyaeria

At this moment, neither Mao Yongsheng nor Kan Bo had the right to speak, since they couldn’t make any progress in the treatment despite such a commotion. Thus, they could only keep their mouths shut with their brows furrowed while facing Jin Guoxiang. In the past, Jin Guoxiang was restraining his temper out of respect for these doctors and hoped that they could treat the old man. But now, not only were they useless, they’re even wasting his time. Thus, he couldn’t hold his temper back and flared up.

Seeing Jin Guoxiang flare-up, even Sire Shui’s daughter, Shui Laifeng didn’t dare to utter a word. The former could bear the responsibility, and he had also obtained Sire Shui’s trust by working by the old man’s side for so many years. Not to mention that he had also saved Sire Shui’s life numerous times, so the old man had regarded him as a family.

Walking over towards Su Tao, Jin Guoxiang sincerely said, “Physician Su, please take a look at Sire Shui.”

Su Tao smiled. “I’ve previously told you. I’m powerless to treat the old man.”

Hearing his words, Jin Guoxiang instantly grew anxious. “Please don’t shrink from it, or I’ll cry for you right now.”

Su Tao helplessly nodded his head. “The one that can save Sire Shui isn’t me, but someone else, and he needs to follow my instructions.”

Surprise flashed on Jin Guoxiang’s face before he said, “Who is it? I’ll get him over even if I have to search the ends of the world!”

Stretching out his finger, Su Tao jabbed towards Jin Guoxiang with a smile. “No need for such troubles, because that person is you!”

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“Me?” Jin Guoxiang was taken aback. He wondered if Su Tao was messing with him.

“Yeah, Sire Shui is psychologically ill, and he’s stubborn with a fiery temper. Aside from you, I don’t think he will trust others.” Su Tao briefly paused before he continued, “But you will have to follow my instructions and bluff Sire Shui.”

“Bluff him?” Jin Guoxiang instantly started to hesitate. After all, lying was something that went against his principles.

“You can consider this as a white lie, and it’s all for the recovery of Sire Shui.” Su Tao persuaded.

“Alright!” Jin Guoxiang straightforwardly agreed. As long as Sire Shui could be treated, he would even dare to ascend a mountain of daggers or a sea of flames, not to mention lying. He believed that if Sire Shui knew about it, the latter would understand his reason for doing this.

Seeing Su Tao pulling Jin Guoxiang to a small room and started instructing the latter on how to treat Sire Shui, Kan Bo suddenly grew curious. “Who’s that young man?”

Mao Yongsheng unhappily responded, “A young physician brought over by Major General Jin. Although I have no idea about his medical skills, the pellet that stabilised Sire Shui’s condition came from him.”

Kan Bo knitted his brows and felt humiliated that he came all the way to lose to a brat and sighed, “As the saying goes, turn to any doctor you can find when one is critically ill. But I’ll not take responsibility if he makes things worse.”

Mao Yongsheng immediately smiled. “That’s for sure, and you’ve also done your best. You even resorted to a video conference with other specialists.”

Nodding his head in satisfaction, Kan Bo sighed, “But Sire Shui’s illness isn’t an easy one. Send him to Qiongjin’s Medical Headquarters later, don’t hesitate anymore.”

“I’m afraid that that’s our only option.” Mao Yongsheng bitterly smiled as he sighed.

When Jin Guoxiang came out from the room, he looked at Mao Yongsheng before asking, “Do you have peanuts and white spirit here?”

Mao Yongsheng was briefly stunned. He had no idea why Jin Guoxiang needed them. Is he giving up by asking for those? He nodded his head. “There should be some in the canteen!”

“Prepare two bottles of white spirit, a plate of deep-fried peanuts and two porcelain jars.”

Mao Yongsheng had no idea why Jin Guoxiang needed those, but he wasn’t in a position to ask either. Thus, he could only issue orders.

Guan Yang swiftly came with the stuff that Jin Guoxiang had asked for, which the latter took and entered Sire Shui’s ward.

This action left everyone dumbfounded, until they finally realised the reason why Jin Guoxiang wanted white spirit and peanuts. It turns out that he wanted to drink with Sire Shui!

Sire Shui was still sick, so how could he drink? Wasn’t that ridiculous?

When Jin Guoxiang entered the room, Mao Yongsheng walked towards Su Tao and started to question, “Physician Su, if you can’t treat Sire Shui, then there’s no need to put on an act. You want Sire Shui to drink? His condition has just stabilised, and drinking alcohol harms both the liver and the body. If anything happens to him, are you going to take responsibility?”

Su Tao could understand where that came from, and as the saying goes, one who doesn’t know is not guilty. However, trying to converse his intention to someone that didn’t know about TCM was equivalent to playing the lute to a cow. Thus, he shook his head and sat down in a corner. Shui Junzhuo sighed and sat beside Su Tao, then tightly held her hands. Beads of sweat could be seen from the tip of her nose. She would occasionally sweep a glance at Su Tao. Seeing Su Tao being so calm and even seemed confident, Shui Junzhuo tried her best to calm herself and wait for a miracle.

“Don’t worry, Sire Shui’s illness is with his lungs, so alcohol won’t worsen his condition.” Su Tao comforted.

“Can Uncle Jin really cure grandfather?” Shui Junzhuo asked nervously.

“That depends on whether his acting is real enough.” Su Tao smiled.

“Acting?” Shui Junzhuo felt uneasy as she glanced at Su Tao. But for some reason, she felt assured after seeing his calm expression.

Su Tao closed his eyes. He had already done what it could, so the rest depended on whether Jin Guoxiang could successfully give Sire Shui the medicine for his psychological illness.

Since Sire Shui had just experienced an outbreak of his illness, his condition was extremely terrible. At the same time, his temper was also fiery. When he saw Jin Guoxiang entering, he turned his head away. Jin Guoxiang smiled upon seeing his reaction. “Old man, I brought alcohol over. Let’s have a drink.”

When Jin Guoxiang opened the bottle and placed it on the table, Sire Shui sighed then turned around and propped his body up and coldly looked at Jin Guoxiang.

Sire Shui seemed angry, and knowing that he had something to say, Jin Guoxiang handed a pen and paper over, which the former started to write on it, “You know that I’m ill, and you want me to drink. Do you want me to die quicker?”

Jin Guoxiang laughed as he responded, “You still remember the young man I brought over to treat your illness? He gave the pellet that stabilised your situation earlier, and he has correctly predicted that your situation would worsen within seven days. As for the alcohol and peanuts, it is the medicine that he has prescribed for you. As long as you finish drinking and eating them, you will be cured of your illness.”

Sire Shui gave a doubtful look at Jin Guoxiang and pondered for a long time. He could smell the fragrance of alcohol assaulting his nose, and someone in his generation was used to alcohol and cigarettes. Thus, his throat instantly started to itch when he saw alcohol. Half a year ago, the healthcare team assigned to him had told him not to drink anymore. Otherwise, his health would be affected, so it had been a long time since he drank.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the bottle and gulped it down in big mouthfuls. Feeling a burning sensation down his throat, the tightness in his chest felt more comfortable. He even started to suspect whether this alcohol can treat his illness.

Seeing that Sire Shui drank, Jin Guoxiang felt his mood instantly lighten up and accompanied him to drink. After Sire Shui ate a few peanuts, he gently breathed out and even looked much better.

Jin Guoxiang started to reminisce with Sire Shui. “I miss the times when I worked by your side the most. In my heart, not only are you my leader, but you’re also my teacher. You taught me how to become an upright and honest man. After all these years, I tried to imitate you only to realise the gap between us.”

Waving his hand, Sire Shui wrote on the paper, “Guoxiang, don’t undervalue yourself. The reason why I trust you so much is because your character and potential caught my eye. In the future, you will surely become the backbone of the nation.”

Jin Guoxiang laughed and poured more spirit for the old man. When Sire Shui was young, he had a high liquor capability. Before he quit drinking, he would drink at least three bottles a day, and one bottle for each meal wasn’t uncommon.

However, liquor capacity was something that had to be trained. After all, Sire Shui hadn’t touched alcohol for a long time, so his face turned red after drinking half a bottle and even looked a little tipsy.

Seeing that the time was about right, Jin Guoxiang let out a long breath. “Old man, there’s actually a reason why I’m drinking with you today. I actually wish to tell you something, and I hope that you won’t be too sad after hearing it.”

Sire Shui’s hand was trembling a little as he held onto the bottle with puzzlement and looked at Jin Guoxiang. He knew that this brat had something to say, which was why he wanted him to drink so that he could be numb from the news.

With a gentle snort, Sire Shui closed his eyes and quietly waited for Jin Guoxiang’s news

Actually, he had already suspected that he had contracted an incurable disease. After all, no one told him anything and hid it away from him. Now that it looks about time for him to go, Jin Guoxiang must have come to tell him the truth.

“Just yesterday, Sire Qiao has passed away from a heart attack.” Jin Guoxiang’s eyes suddenly turned wet with beads of tears rolling down his cheeks.

Sire Shui’s eyes suddenly opened wide with shock as he looked at Jin Guoxiang. His throat was trembling. This news was even more sudden than him having an incurable disease. He had been in the hospital for such a long time, and so many doctors had taken a look at him, but there wasn’t any improvement, so he wouldn’t be shocked to know that he had an incurable disease.

Jin Guoxiang did not speak much but lowered his head to constantly wipe his tears.

Since Jin Guoxiang looked so grieved, then the news must be real. Thinking of those old folks leaving one by one, Sire Shui raised his head and roared with sorrow. Heroes have passed their prime; not only were they not able to die on the battlefield, they even had to be taken away by time and illnesses. How sad was that?

“Wuuu... wuuu...” A weird noise came from Sire Shui’s throat and he felt a surge of heat rising from his chest. He finally couldn’t hold it down anymore and blood shot out from his mouth like an arrow. Jin Guoxiang was instantly shocked by this scene. He immediately stood up and ran towards the door in a panic. “Where’s Su Tao?! Sire Shui has fainted!”