Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Nyoi-Bo Studio

  “How about going with me to buy some things first?” After lunch, Wang Yao and Chen Ying were leaving the house.

  “Okay, what are we getting?”


  “We’ll decide when we get to the supermarket. I haven’t thought about it.”


  Chen Ying and Wang Yao got into the car and drove to the nearest supermarket.

  Wang Yao bought some things from the supermarket, spending a few thousand yuan. Following which, he found out the details of his aunt’s residence through his mother, which he passed to Chen Ying. He spent the rest of the time in the car admiring Beijing’s city streets.

  His second aunt’s residence was rather remote, in Beijing’s 5th Ring Road. Along the way, Wang Yao saw a never-ending stream of cars. There were really a lot of cars in Beijing!

  After roughly two hours, the car arrived in a small area of town.

  “We’re here, Doctor Wang,” Chen Ying said as she stopped the car.

  “Okay, I’m going to trouble you to wait here for me.” Wang Yao got out the car with some gifts in his hand and proceeded up to his aunt’s residence. After knocking for a while, however, there was no reply.

  “There’s no one home; they’ve all gone out to work,” at that moment, the neighbor next door told Wang Yao.

  “Oh, thank you,” Wang Yao replied. He realized his blunder; at this time, most people would be at work.

  After confirming with the lady that this was indeed his second aunt’s residence, he left with the gifts still in his hands.

  “What’s wrong?” Chen Ying saw him coming back and asked.

  “No one’s home.”


  “You didn’t call to check beforehand?”


  “I didn’t. I wanted to give them a surprise,” Wang Yao replied. “My apologies, I’ve made you come all the way here for nothing.”


  “No problem, I’d be happy to bring you around. We didn’t go far last night,” Chen Ying said.

  “Shall we come again at night?”


  “Sure, but you should probably call to check first.”


  “Yeah,” Wang Yao agreed and took out his phone to send a message to his aunt.

  In a particular departmental store in Beijing, in the elevator, a yellow-faced middle-aged lady looked down at her phone. Suddenly, she beamed in delight. She immediately made a phone call.

  At the other end of the line, Wang Yao picked up the phone, hung up, and then called back.

  “Second Aunt, this is Yao.”


  “Yes, I’m currently in Beijing. I’m planning to come over tonight to visit you, Uncle, and Cousin. Will you be home?

  “Nope, I won’t be eating, thanks.”


  After hanging up, Wang Yao felt his heart warming up. His second aunt was always very concerned about him. She asked him what he was doing in Beijing and whether he needed any help. She even insisted on making dinner for him.

  Isn’t it fortunate to meet familiar faces in a foreign land? Furthermore, they were family members too.

  By the time he got back to the small yard, He Qisheng was already waiting outside. He had brought another batch of herbs for Regather soup, as well as a dinner invitation from the master of the Guo Family.

  “My apologies, I’ve already made arrangements for tonight,” Wang Yao declined politely. “Help me convey my thanks to Master Guo.”


  “Then, how about another day?”


  “Sure.”


  After Chen Ying returned, she informed Wang Yao about her plans and left the house. Then, she headed over to the Su household to meet Su Xiaoxue’s father.

  “Elder, he also has relatives in Beijing.”


  “Okay, where is it?”


  “Ansheng district, in the 5th Ring Road. It’s his second aunt,” Chen Ying answered.

  “The whole family is in Beijing?”


  “Yes. He’s even going over to her house for dinner today.”


  “Okay, I’ve got it. Good job,” the man replied.

  “Then I’ll head back first.”


  “Go ahead.”


  At about 5 pm that evening, Chen Ying drove the car out with Wang Yao. This just happened to be the hour in which Beijing’s traffic was at its peak. The speed at which they were traveling at was very slow, and one could literally describe it as “moving like a turtle.” By the time he reached his aunt’s place, it was already close to 8pm. Yet, even at this time, his uncle still hadn’t returned.

  “Second Aunt,” Wang Yao had not seen his second aunt in close to two years. She was of middle built and was slightly on the fat side. Her complexion was yellowing, and she looked to be getting more and more tired.

  “Why did you still buy things?” His second aunt scolded him, as she saw the gifts he brought.

  “I bought these for you and Uncle; it’s good for your health. You don’t look too good recently, is there anywhere on your body that’s in pain?” Wang Yao asked, concerned. An aunt was just like a half-mother, and this second aunt used to treat him very well during his childhood.

  “Quick, come in.”


  “What about Uncle and Li Na?”


  “Your uncle is still on the way home; your cousin is at night school.”


  After entering the house, Wang Yao looked around his aunt’s Beijing house. It wasn’t too big, around seventy square meters, and was furnished simply. After all, his aunt’s family was considered working class, and it was pretty considerable that they already managed to afford a house.

  “Drink some water first. I’ll go get the rice.”


  Wang Yao sat down for a while and then the door opened. His second uncle had returned.

  At around forty years of age his body was rather thin and his eyes big. His hands were carrying some items as well as some cooked foods. Wang Yao immediately went up to help him.

  “Uncle.”


  “Oh, Yao, you’re here.”


  His uncle brought the food items into the kitchen and then returned to the living room to talk with him. Soon, dinner was ready.

  “Time to eat,” Wang Yao’s second aunt called.

  “What about Li Na?”


  “She’ll only be back around 9 pm. We won’t wait for her.”


  In order to welcome Wang Yao, his aunt had busied herself for a while to prepare a large feast.

  “Wow, what a spread!”


  “Eat more.”


  “Okay.”


  The three of them sat down, talking as they ate.

  “Yao, what did you come to Beijing for?”


  “To help somebody,” Wang Yao replied.

  “I heard from your mother that you bought over Nanshan Hill, and you’re planting medicinal herbs now?”


  “Yup.”


  “Is it tiring?”


  This was the difference between family and other people. Family would ask if you were tired, others would ask you how well it paid.

  “It’s not tiring; I quite enjoy it,” Wang Yao replied, smiling.

  Wang Yao didn’t drink, and his uncle neither drank nor smoked. Therefore, the meal was over quickly. After dinner, they cleared up together and then went to the living room to talk.

  “Second Aunt, are you not feeling well anywhere?”


  “I’m fine.”


  “Let me take a look.”


  “You know medicine?” His aunt was stunned at hearing that.

  “Just a little.”


  “Didn’t you study biology in college?”


  “I was lucky.”


  “Okay, then help me take a look,” his second aunt said with a smile on her face.

  Wang Yao stretched out his hand to take her pulse, and soon, he knew her condition.

  “Second Aunt, there’s a tumor growing in your belly, in the uterus. You should quickly go get it treated!” Wang Yao exclaimed.

  His words gave his aunt and uncle a shock.

  “You really know medicine?!” his aunt exclaimed. She really was sick, and her condition was exactly as Wang Yao described. It’s just that she was not willing to stay in the hospital, so she had always delayed treatment. The more she delayed, the worse it got, and a few days ago, the doctor had recommended for her to undergo surgery.

  “I do, you didn’t go to the doctor when you weren’t feeling well?”


  “I did. The doctor recommended surgery, but I delayed it because your sister is taking her examinations soon.”


  “How about this, let me brew some medicines for you.”


  “Brew medicine?”


  “Yeah, I’ll get it delivered tomorrow.”


  “Okay,” his second aunt replied happily.

  Wang Yao stayed at his aunt’s house until around 9 pm, after which he decided to leave. His aunt and uncle went down to see him off.

  Chen Ying hurriedly started the car and went to pick him up. As Wang Yao got into the car, he waved to his relatives before the car slowly drove off.

  “When did Yao learn medicine?”


  “How should I know?” his aunt replied.

  “That car just now didn’t look cheap. Is it his friend from Beijing?”


  “Probably a classmate. Let’s go back; Nana is probably returning home soon.”


  “Okay.”


  In the car, Wang Yao was constantly thinking about his aunt’s illness.

  From the perspective of Chinese medicine, the formation of a tumor was because of the stagnation of Qi, resulting in the accumulation of toxins. The method of treatment would be to stimulate blood flow, to cleanse out the toxins and let it heal itself.

  Although he could not access the system for the modern treatment formula, he had a great deal of knowledge, and there were traditional methods that he could check.

  Chen Ying saw, through the rear-view mirror, that Wang Yao was deep in thought and didn’t say much either. The journey passed in silence. Even though it was already 9 pm, the number of cars outside had not lessened. But compared to when they came, it wasn’t much. The journey took around two hours, and during this time, Wang Yao had come up with a rough answer—one medicinal formula.

  Back in the small courtyard, Wang Yao began preparing the herbs—astragalus, Codonopsis pilosula, Speranskia, Typhonium, glossy ganoderma, etc.

  The herbs were relatively common, and if he were on Nanshan Hill, he could prepare them all in one night. Here, however, he had to wait till the next day.

  After preparing the required medical herbs, he meditated for a while before turning off the lights and going to bed……

  “How did it go, Li?”


  “Yeah, it’s much better. The medicine from that young man?”


  “That’s right. I took a sample, but there were a few components of the formula that I could not decipher.”


  Su Xiaoxue was in the room, and two elderly men were treating her.

  “Isn’t his ingredient list with Boyuan?”


  “With just these few herbs, it’s impossible to achieve this effect.”


  “Then it’s his own trade secret. We’re already so old, no need to be so inquisitive about everything. As long as it’s helping Xiaoxue, then it’s fine.”


  “That’s true.”
……

  The next day at the first sign of light, Wang Yao was up. He discovered that Chen Ying was also in the courtyard practicing martial arts. He could not tell which art this was.

  “Mr. Wang, you’re up early,” Chen Ying said, as she saw him.

  “You’re up even earlier. I’ve got some things I need your help getting.”


  “No problem,” Chen Ying said as she received the list. “Are these all medicinal herbs?”


  “Yep.”


  “I can’t really help with this; I’ll contact Uncle Chen.”


  In just a while, Chen Boyuan drove over and took the list from Chen Ying.

  “I’ll deliver these herbs before 9 am.”


  “Okay. Remember to get wild varieties. It’s not for Ms. Su’s illness; it’s for some other personal matters,” Wang Yao said.

  “Okay,” Chen Boyuan said before driving off.

  Meanwhile, the sun was rising, shining its light over the land. The weather was great.