A song from Chengdu revived a closed-down pub.

After learning that Xuanxuan was alright, the atmosphere of their conversation became much more relaxed.

Su Fan called the hospital again and told Aunt Liu about Xuanxuan's situation in detail.

Aunt Liu checked several times before she was finally relieved.

After hanging up the phone, Xiang Hongfa messaged him, saying that Aunt Liu had finally agreed to eat.

That evening, Su Fan found a restaurant near the hospital and booked a private room.

Fang Cheng, Yuan Shanshan, and Yuan Shanshan's boyfriend Xiao Ran sat around a table.

Su Fan had originally invited Xu Meng and Ye Yao as well, but both of them politely declined.

Xu Meng said, "I won't join your family dinner."

Ye Yao was even more direct: "You can treat me to a private dinner another day."

Su Fan didn't insist, but said, "Then I'll treat you another day to thank you properly."

At the dinner table, Su Fan called him "brother-in-law" smoothly, which pleased Xiao Ran. If it weren't for the fact that the occasion wasn't suitable for drinking, he would have insisted on having a few drinks with Su Fan.

At that moment, Su Fan casually asked, "Brother-in-law, what are your plans for the future?"

Xiao Ran put down his chopsticks: "Are you referring to work, or to my relationship with Shanshan?"

Let's chat.

Xiao Ran glanced at Yuan Shanshan with a smile on his lips: "Shanshan and I are planning to get married next year. As for work, to be honest, my family is trying to pull some strings for me to get into the military hospital through social recruitment."

Su Fan nodded, picked up his teacup and raised it to Xiao Ran instead of wine: "Settling down and starting a career, as our ancestors said, is absolutely right. I wish you and Sister Shan a long and happy marriage, and I also wish you all your wishes come true."

Xiao Ran quickly raised his glass and clinked it with his, and the two of them each took a big gulp.

After dinner, we saw Yuan Shanshan and Xiao Ran off.

Su Fan said, "Brother Cheng, I'll stay with Xuanxuan today. You go back to the hotel and rest first."

Fang Cheng shook his head: "Let me do it. You've been running around all day, go to the hotel and rest."

Su Fan didn't back down: "One night per person. I'll go first today, and I'll also ask about Xuanxuan's surgery."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng agreed.

Su Fan returned to the hospital and went to Xuanxuan's ward first.

The child was asleep in the hospital bed, his small body curled up in the blanket, breathing evenly, and his complexion was better than during the day.

He stood there for a while, then gently closed the door and turned to look for Jing Chen.

Jing Chen was still in his office when he saw Su Fan enter. He stood up and was about to bow.

Su Fan quickly stopped him, "We don't need to say that between us. Be casual. I came to ask you when the surgery can be done."

"The day after tomorrow, I think. Her condition is currently stable, all indicators meet the criteria for surgery, and it was discovered in time without any serious complications."

Su Fan then asked some specific questions about postoperative recovery and hospitalization duration.

Jing Chen answered each question one by one.

After finishing his business, Su Fan leaned back in his chair and changed the subject: "I'm quite curious, under what circumstances did you become an apprentice?"

Jing Chen began to recount his experience of becoming an apprentice.

"I initially pursued a path combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine, but deep down I lean towards Western medicine. To put it bluntly, I looked down on traditional Chinese medicine back then. I felt that the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine—observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation—were too subjective. For the same patient, ten different traditional Chinese medicine practitioners could prescribe ten different prescriptions, unlike Western medicine, where the indicators are right there, and CT scans and MRIs provide clear and concise results. Back in college, I even debated with my traditional Chinese medicine professor in class, saying, 'What can you really diagnose by taking a pulse? It's just psychological comfort.'"

Su Fan didn't interrupt, but listened quietly.

"During my sophomore year, I went to Longhu Mountain for a trip. A friend of mine who went with me suddenly fainted. His face turned blue and he was breathing rapidly. As a medical student and my friend, I was the first to rush over. I checked his vital signs. His heart rate was fast, his blood pressure was low, and he had mild convulsions. I gave him some basic first aid, but the effect was very limited. He was still convulsing and remained unconscious."

Su Fan knew that this was usually when the important figures would appear.

Jing Chen continued, "At that time, my master, or rather, he wasn't my master yet, was passing by. He squatted down, didn't ask about the patient's medical history, didn't look up his eyes, but just put his hand on the patient's pulse. He took the pulse for a while, then took out a few silver needles from the cloth bag he carried with him and stuck a few needles in the patient's hand and neck. In less than two minutes, the convulsions stopped, and after a while, my friend opened his eyes."

Su Fan's lips curled up slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Jing Chen continued, "After my friend woke up, my master said that after returning home, he should go to a big hospital for a CT scan to check his lungs. At the time, I didn't believe it. How could a pulse diagnosis expert determine that someone had a problem in their lungs? But I didn't question it on the spot because he did manage to wake the patient up. Later, my friend and I went down the mountain to the hospital. I accompanied him for the examination. The CT scan results showed a small nodule in the lower lobe of his left lung with irregular edges. The pathological biopsy indicated early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, a benign stage, with no metastasis."

Su Fan sighed, "It seems my second senior brother is still too authoritative!"

Jing Chen said, "Later, I went to Longhu Mountain and became an apprentice. In my spare time, I would learn traditional Chinese medicine from my master. To be honest, if I didn't have this skill in traditional Chinese medicine, I probably wouldn't have been able to get into the military hospital."

"It's all about timing and fate!"

After recounting the process of becoming a disciple, Jing Chen changed the subject and said, "By the way, when I went back home for the New Year, my senior brother kept talking about you."

Su Fan was taken aback: "Senior Brother? Which Senior Brother?"

Jing Chen replied matter-of-factly, "It's Senior Brother Huixin."

"Wait, how did that little brat become your senior brother?"

Jing Chen explained in a serious tone: "Senior Brother Huixin belongs to the Mountain lineage. Master said that the mountain is the head of all laws. Regardless of the order of entry or age, disciples of the Mountain lineage are senior brothers. This is the rule of the Taoist sect."

Su Fan then remembered that his master, Zhang Lingyuan, seemed to have mentioned something like that before.

He couldn't quite remember the exact words, but the gist was that the Tao is the foundation, and techniques are the application. The five lineages of mountain, medicine, destiny, physiognomy, and divination are cultivated together, with mountain being the most revered. The mountain lineage carries the foundation and inheritance of the Taoist school. No matter how the four lineages develop in the future, the position of senior disciple will always belong to the mountain lineage.

Su Fan didn't take it to heart at the time, but now he's realizing its significance.

Huixin, that little Taoist priest who's always thinking about chicken legs, is actually of higher seniority than the nearly forty-year-old chief physician in front of us.

He thought of Qu Feiming. If one day Elder Qu came up the mountain, he would have to respectfully call Huixin "Senior Brother." Just thinking about that scene felt incongruous.

Su Fan shook his head, clearing these chaotic thoughts from his mind: "I need to go up the mountain later. I happen to have a Ganoderma lucidum that I want to give to my second senior brother."

……

The two chatted for a while longer before Su Fan got up and went to the ward.