Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2459 Bright Moonlight
As a general practitioner, it's really hard to refuse such patients face-to-face. So, with a heavy heart, Bian Mu pondered how to at least meet with the man.

"Have you recently experienced any layoffs at your company or other organizations?" Bian Mu asked calmly.

"That's right! He wasn't on the original list. We heard it from his wife. Later, it seems a female colleague got pregnant and was about to give birth. According to relevant regulations, she couldn't be dismissed or something, so HR just kept scrolling down the list. He just happened to be at the top. He was really unlucky. They gave him some compensation and sent him home."

"Were there no symptoms detected at the time?"

"No! I was fine, just a bit quiet. About half a year passed, and I still couldn't find a suitable job. I had no choice, being a college graduate, I had to maintain my dignity and couldn't just stay home and do nothing. So I gritted my teeth and worked as a food delivery driver for a few days, but I even lost my electric scooter halfway through. Later, because I was always late and occasionally refused orders, the station manager fined me a lot of money. In the end, it wasn't worth it, so I had no choice but to go home and keep sending out resumes..."

"It must have been quite difficult. What industry did he work in before?"

"He's good at art planning and knows a bit about computers, but you'll have to ask his wife for details."

"Don't you have any special skills?"

"A scholar, the kind who can't lift a load or kill a chicken. Luckily, his wife is virtuous and has never shown any disdain. She's always coaxing him like a child. Sigh! Life was tough..."

"Did you have any arguments with anyone before or after the onset of your illness?" Bian Mu asked.

"It's inevitable! Security guards on duty, HR interviewers, dogs walking without leashes in the park, and so on. I only know of one case where someone got into an argument with a bus driver and got pushed off the bus by him, which made him cry..."

"Are you sure the couple is still getting along well?"

"Yes! His wife is very virtuous; all the neighbors praise her." Director Cheng sincerely praised her.

"Alright then! Shall we go straight to your house for a look?" Bian Mu said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Director Cheng immediately beamed with joy, both surprised and delighted.

"Really? You've agreed to treat him?"

"It's more like a free clinic during holidays! We don't usually take these kinds of patients."

"Okay, okay! Free medical consultation counts too! This way, please!" With that, Director Cheng from the community led the way, chatting and laughing all the way as the two walked towards the east gate of the community.

……

The man's surname was Bai. He lived on the first floor of a building with six households per floor and two elevators. It was a resettlement building with a total of 33 floors. He didn't grow any flowers or plants in front of or behind his house. He just laid out a simple paving stone. Near the corner of the wall, he piled up some miscellaneous items, which looked like useless old goods that would have to be thrown away sooner or later.

When the two entered the house, the man was sitting on the south-facing balcony fiddling with a large, old-fashioned radio.

The person accompanying him was his brother-in-law, who was working a half-day shift today. He came over specifically to take care of his brother-in-law in place of his sister, so that he wouldn't have any more misunderstandings with people outside.

"No trouble today, right?" Director Cheng asked the man's brother-in-law in a low voice.

"Not bad! He ate a steamed bun and drank a glass of water, but absolutely refused to drink milk, saying it has additives and is bad for his health!" his brother-in-law replied quietly.

Bian Mu ignored their idle chatter and looked around along the corner of the wall for a long time, like a real estate agent.

Judging from his back, the man was already a bit hunched over. His knitted vest was ripped, and no one had bothered to mend it. He sat on the ground, seemingly unconcerned about the cold and the possibility of getting an upset stomach and needing to use the toilet. Quietly walking up behind him, Bian Mu carefully observed him. He was not yet fifty years old, but the ends of his hair already showed a few strands of gray, giving him the dejected look typical of the unemployed. His shoulders were quite broad, and his back looked rather sturdy. His complexion had improved somewhat, though it still appeared somewhat pale, and his overall appearance was indeed not very good.

Turning back to the man's brother-in-law, Bian Mu whispered, "What hobbies does your brother-in-law have? Something he's been dedicated to for 10 years or more?"

"I'm not quite sure. I don't usually come here unless he suddenly falls ill. You two know, everyone's busy! I know very little about their family..." It was clear that the lean and thin brother-in-law wasn't very close to his brother-in-law.

"Will your sister be back to cook lunch?"

"I can't come back. Their company has strict controls; they only give us 20 minutes for meals at most, and the pay isn't much..."

"Don't you have to work half a day this afternoon? And your sister can't come back, what will he do?"

“My sister has a classmate who wants to chat with me,” the man’s brother-in-law replied impatiently. It was clear that he didn’t think highly of Bian Mu at all.

"Male or female?" Bian Mu pressed.

"It's a man, no woman can hold him back at all. He's incredibly strong. When he gets angry, he can even break a lock. He used to be such a well-behaved person, but now that he's having an episode, his strength has increased a lot."

"When did you become classmates?" Bian Mu continued to ask.

"Why are you asking so many questions?! Are you checking my household registration? If you can see it, just do it. Why ask so many questions?!" The man's brother-in-law was getting annoyed with Bian Mu.

"Don't rush! In traditional Chinese medicine, we need to understand the patient's living environment before treating them. You know, this kind of illness..."

"Stop nagging and get on with your work! Honestly! You're so annoying every day!" the man's brother-in-law urged him several times.

With a smile, Bian Mu decided not to argue with him and turned to walk towards the man.

"Mr. Bai, right? Hello, my surname is Bian. I'm a friend of Director Cheng from the community. I've come to see you. How's your job search going?" Bian Mu squatted down next to the man and greeted him in a kind tone.

"Director Chen?! I don't remember him. He couldn't find a job, and he thought I was too old. He wouldn't even let me watch the bike shed. It's so embarrassing!"

"Have you noticed these past few days? The moonlight at night is exceptionally bright, something rarely seen in previous years," Bian Mu suddenly remarked.

Upon hearing this, the man immediately put the radio he was holding on the ground, and his eyes became unusually bright.

"You noticed it too! My wife, Qin, insists I'm possessed, talking nonsense all the time. The sudden improvement in atmospheric visibility means the recent industrial emission cycle has slowed down, right? Maybe, like our company, we've had fewer orders! Also, the Earth-Moon magnetic declination is significantly different from before, and the solar flare cycle has become less stable. I feel like this summer won't be too hot; we might not even need air conditioning. But the radio keeps saying this summer will be unbearably hot, without any scientific basis whatsoever." The man was alright; he spoke quite eloquently. He seemed like a science or engineering graduate, or even a humanities major, someone who usually liked to use his brain.

"Really? I think so too, but... the Earth-Moon magnetic declination doesn't actually change much, you know? I usually collect similar information online and compare it when I have free time, so I might be more accurate than you are. By the way, do you usually turn on the air conditioner when it's hot at home? I mean, for long periods of time?"

"It's intermittent. My wife thinks it wastes electricity. It's okay when she's at home, but she has to go to work, so I try not to turn it on to avoid any unpleasantness..."

"A friend came over to keep you company this afternoon. What did you talk about?"

Upon hearing this, the man suddenly fell silent.