Xu You stayed in her office for a while before heading to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department after six.
Most of the doctors in the TCM department were easygoing. Each of them wore a warm smile and greeted Xu You enthusiastically when they saw her.
As soon as they heard that Xu You had come to see a doctor, they all became excited.
“Xiao Xu, don’t tell us where you’re feeling uncomfortable. Let us take your pulse ourselves and see who gets it right.”
Three elderly doctors gathered around her, taking turns checking Xu You’s pulse.
“Your qi is disordered, and your sleep is shallow with frequent dreams.”
“Your liver is failing to regulate properly, and your mind isn’t being adequately nourished.”
“Liver stagnation with blood deficiency, and excessive worry and contemplation.”
Xu You silently nodded before tentatively asking, “My pulse tells you all that?”
She was afraid the three old men might even be able to figure out what she had been dreaming about.
The three old men said, “We’ve been taking pulses for decades. Of course we can tell all this. Let the three of us discuss it and write you a prescription.”
Xu You obediently waited beside them as the three old men added and removed ingredients until they finally came up with a prescription.
“Here. Boil three bowls of water down to one bowl. Take it twice a day, preferably once before bed.”
“Thank you.”
Xu You accepted the prescription, only to hear the three old men add, “The medicine is bitter. If you don’t want to take it, that’s fine too. We heard you and your boyfriend are getting married soon. After marriage, the harmony of yin and yang should resolve most of your emotional problems.”
“I’ll take my medicine properly,” Xu You replied expressionlessly.
The moment Xu You turned around, the three old men began whispering among themselves.
“Should we tell Xiao Xu that a young girl shouldn’t worry so much? She’s still just a child herself.”
Xu You’s knees nearly buckled.
If she had known that taking her pulse could reveal so much, she would rather have indulged in those wild dreams until she died.
She had completely lost face.
She was never coming back to the TCM department again.
Just after Xu You came out, she encountered an older woman asking for directions.
“Miss, where is the inpatient department?”
Xu You pointed the way.
“That three-story building at the very back is the inpatient department.”
“Thank you, young lady. It’s my first time here, so I didn’t know the hospital had a separate inpatient building. The hospitals in our town all have everything in one place.”
Looking at the older woman whose features bore some resemblance to Chen Qingsong’s, Xu You asked, “Auntie, do you know Chen Qingsong?”
“Chen Qingsong is my youngest son.”
Mother Chen carefully looked Xu You up and down before tentatively asking, “Qingsong called me and told me he was dating a doctor from the military district. He said she was beautiful and capable. Is that you?”
Xu You smiled.
“I’m not as good as Comrade Chen makes me sound.”
“Oh my, it really is you! The two of us mother and daughter-in-law are truly fated to meet.”
Mother Chen took Xu You’s hand, looking more and more pleased with her.
Xu You was a little overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, so she could only lead Mother Chen to the inpatient department first.
The internal medicine department was on the second floor. Mother Chen seemed to have some difficulty walking, so Xu You thoughtfully supported her up the stairs.
“The first room is Comrade Chu Ying’s ward.”
The moment Xu You finished speaking, Mother Chen rushed inside, grabbed Chu Ying, and slapped her twice.
“You disgraceful thing! You’ve brought shame all the way to the military district! Get up! I’m taking you back to the countryside today! Since you’re so desperate to get married, I’ll find someone to introduce to you as soon as we get home.”
Xu You was stunned.
She hadn’t expected Mother Chen to be so fierce. She actually charged forward and started hitting her.
Mother Chen was accustomed to doing farm work in the countryside. She dragged Chu Ying around as easily as if she were dragging a little chick.
“You’ve completely disgraced our Chen family, and you still have the nerve to stay in the hospital and spend money? And you even made me come here to take care of you!”
Chu Ying clung to the bed rail and refused to leave.
“Mom, listen to me—cough, cough, cough—”
Xu You simply stood at the doorway, with absolutely no intention of joining the battle.
Whenever she encountered matters involving her boyfriend’s family, she had learned to think carefully before acting.
She didn’t know whether Mother Chen was simply this impulsive by nature or whether she was trying to intimidate her future daughter-in-law and give her a warning.
After the medical staff separated the two, Chu Ying spat secretions all over the floor from coughing. Mother Chen didn’t even spare her a glance.
Instead, she turned around, took Xu You’s hand, and smiled warmly.
“Good girl, Mom has gotten your revenge for you. As long as I’m here, I won’t let anyone bully you.”
Xu You pulled her hand back, pretending not to hear Mother Chen calling herself “Mom” over and over.
“Auntie, I should get back to work. I’ll have someone tell Comrade Chen Qingsong that you’ve arrived.”
Mother Chen quickly waved her hand.
“No need to bother Qingsong. His training is important. Besides, you’re here at the hospital. If I need anything, I can just tell you.”
“All right. If you need anything, you can come find me.”
Xu You continued smiling.
“Comrade Chen Qingsong already told me yesterday that you were on your way. If I don’t tell him you’ve arrived, he’ll probably be so anxious that he’ll go to the train station and demand they hand you over.”
“That’s true. My Qingsong has always been the most filial.”
When Xu You returned to the emergency department, it was exactly seven o’clock—the time for the shift change.
Doctor Pan hurriedly began handing over the shift.
“Only two patients came in for dressing changes last night. This morning, we had a pregnant woman with abdominal pain. She’s already been sent to the obstetrics and gynecology department.”
Xu You remained completely unhurried and even made small talk.
“Sounds like you slept pretty well last night, Doctor Pan. How about you let me take a night shift sometime? You get to sleep and make an extra fifty cents.”
Doctor Pan laughed awkwardly.
“How can sleeping outside be as comfortable as sleeping at home? You young people couldn’t handle that kind of hardship. Let us older folks suffer instead.”
After seeing Doctor Pan off, Xu You happened to encounter a young soldier who had come to pick up some medicine. She asked him to pass a message to Chen Qingsong.
The emergency department was extremely busy during the day. When Mother Chen came over around noon, Xu You was having a young nurse take the temperature of a child with a fever.
The child thought that taking his temperature meant getting an injection and refused to have his rectal temperature taken no matter what.
Xu You pulled two pieces of fruit candy from her pocket and held them in front of the child.
The child immediately stopped crying and stared at Xu You eagerly.
Holding the candy, Xu You efficiently confirmed the medical history with the parent.
“Your child has had recurrent fevers for three days. You gave him fever medicine at home, but the fever came back again this morning?”
The parent nodded frantically, their voice filled with tears.
“Yes. They said repeated fevers could make him stupid. They also said the fever medicine wasn’t working and that he must have some serious illness.”
“Don’t panic. The child is listening too. There are many reasons why children develop fevers. Some children even develop a fever when their permanent teeth are coming in. Since we’ve already come to the hospital, let’s stay calm and cooperate with the examinations and treatment.”
Xu You glanced at the time. Once the three minutes were up, she removed the thermometer.
“39.3 degrees. The temperature is indeed a little high. Let’s give the child an injection to bring down the fever and make him more comfortable. Then I’ll ask the head of pediatrics to come over and examine him.”
The parent said, “I just went to pediatrics, but the department head wasn’t there.”
“It’ll take me no more than the time it takes to give the injection to get the department head here.”
Xu You gently rubbed the child’s head and slipped the two candies into his pocket.
“Don’t worry. I asked around before coming to work. The head of pediatrics is at home resting today.”
“Thank you, Doctor Xu. If you weren’t here, we wouldn’t even know what to do…”
Mother Chen witnessed the entire scene. Apart from feeling a little heartbroken over the two pieces of candy, she had only one thought in her mind.
Her son might not be able to handle such a formidable wife.
She had managed to soothe both the child and the parent with just a few words.
Her son would probably be handled just as easily by such a capable wife.