The little boy suddenly swayed and fell flat onto the sidewalk.
That was close!
Jiang Chen hurried over.
The boy lay on the ground, convulsing, foam bubbling from his mouth.
A man rushed over, scooped him up, and cried out anxiously, "Xiaoyong! Xiaoyong… oh God, it's happening again!"
Jiang Chen's instinct as a doctor kicked in. He wanted to help.
"Mister, need a hand?"
The man looked up, not in the mood. "A hand? If only someone really could help."
"Does the child have seizures often?"
"Epilepsy! He gets like this every three days—scares us to death every time."
"Haven't gone to a big hospital?"
The man gave Jiang Chen a skeptical once-over. "Why are you asking so much?"
"Because I can tell—this child doesn't have epilepsy."
"Then what is it?"
"It's a Yin illness."
At this moment, Jiang Chen could already see a faint wisp of dark aura rising from the boy's forehead. Within it, a hideous skull face flickered in and out, and blood slowly dripped from its empty eye sockets…
This was one of the "Three Pressing Syndromes" recorded in the Medical Compendium of the Mysterious Way — ghost pressing on the chest, the head, or the feet.
The boy was suffering from the most dangerous one: ghost pressing on the head. An evil spirit was residing in his brain.
If not exorcised in time, he wouldn't survive more than two years.
"Yin illness?" the man echoed, half-believing.
"Yes. He doesn't need medicine—just to dispel the evil qi in his body, and he'll recover immediately."
Jiang Chen didn't mention the ghost directly, using the vaguer term "evil qi," but even that provoked the man's suspicion. He clearly saw Jiang Chen as some shady street charlatan.
The man rolled his eyes. "I'm a government official and a college graduate. Save that mumbo-jumbo for people who haven't been to school."
Jiang Chen realized he was wasting his breath. He shrugged. "I just thought the child looked so young, so pitiful…"
But the man raised his voice: "I've got enough problems! Get lost! Or I'll make you regret it!"
Jiang Juan ran over and dragged Jiang Chen away. "Bro, you think you're doing good like Lei Feng, but to them, you're just trash. Let it go. Stop meddling in other people's business."
Jiang Chen kept glancing back at the boy, heart heavy. Poor kid…
Jiang Juan forced him into the car. Jiang Chen sat in silence, his mind still on the boy. As a doctor, seeing someone in need and being unable to help—it was painful.
He loaded the last shopping bag into the trunk and turned to see Wen-xian pale-faced, while Jiang Juan covered her mouth, retreating. The sparks from the truck's tires when it braked still flickered in his mind. That boy had staggered like he was walking on cotton, his head tilted oddly—exactly like the kids with cerebral palsy he'd seen growing up.
"Come on, let's head home." Jiang Chen patted Wen-xian's back. Even as he started the engine, his chest still felt heavy. Rural kids couldn't get proper treatment, and even city kids with money struggled if they got strange illnesses. If he hadn't been nearby just now…
Wen-xian seemed to sense his thoughts and squeezed his arm. "Don't dwell on it. That boy did look off. We'll ask around later. If it really is something serious, maybe you can help."
Jiang Juan chimed in from the back seat, "She's right. Let's go home. Mom's waiting to make dumplings."
As they hit the provincial road, Jiang Chen's phone buzzed—it was Zhao Liang, who was working on a construction site out of province.
"Jiang Chen! Where are you?" Zhao Liang's booming voice blasted from the speaker. "Listen, I've got something. The Party A rep from the housing project I'm managing suddenly said he needs to return home for a month. Can you take his place for a while?"
"Me? As the Party A rep?" Jiang Chen was stunned. "I don't know the first thing about construction!"
"That's exactly why you're perfect!" Zhao Liang chuckled. "Party A reps are basically site supervisors. You just show up at the site, check the progress, sign a few forms. The project manager handles everything else. We just need someone on-site to keep things moving. I'll pay you two thousand yuan a day, full room and board!"
Jiang Chen did the math. A month would be sixty thousand yuan—enough to buy new equipment for the village clinic. And help build his new house!
"Alright, when do I go?"
"As soon as possible! There's a train to D City in D Province tomorrow. Can you make it?"
After hanging up, Wen-xian asked, "You're leaving for a month?" Her eyes were red. "I don't want to be apart."
Jiang Chen's heart clenched too—since their wedding, they hadn't been separated.
"How about… you come with me?"
"What would I do there?"
"Just be with me. I'll be at the site during the day, and we'll stay in a hotel nearby. At night, you keep me company." The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "Besides, I can't sleep without you now."
Wen-xian giggled and gave him a playful punch. "You and that silver tongue! Alright, I'll go with you. Might as well see something new."
Jiang Juan yelled from the back, "You guys better bring me photos! I wanna show off to my classmates!"
The next morning, Jiang Chen said a few words to his parents, then boarded the train with Wen-xian.
The green train rattled for over ten hours, and by the time they arrived in D City, it was already dark.
A coal-smoke smell hung in the air. Wen-xian rubbed her eyes. "This place smells like our old county town—so much smog."
Zhao Liang's project manager, Old Wang, was already at the station with a beat-up van to take them to the site.
On the way, Old Wang kept chattering:
"Jiang bro, thank God you're here! They've been hounding me. Tomorrow morning we've got to meet with the contractor. The housing site's near a scenic area—great views, but noisy as hell."
The site sat at the base of a mountain. From afar, cranes swayed in the air.
The contractor's project manager was a skinny man named Li. He shook as he offered Jiang Chen a cigarette.
"Engineer Jiang, welcome! We'll have someone show you around tomorrow. If you need anything, just let us know."
Jiang Chen had no idea what to say about construction, so he nodded seriously. "Alright. Stick to the schedule, and don't delay the project."
Old Wang took them to a small inn near the site. The room was tiny but clean. Wen-xian sank onto the bed, sighing.
"This day was more exhausting than working in the fields."
Jiang Chen went to pour her some water, but she stopped him, poured him a drink instead, and wiped his face with a damp towel. Then she sat beside him, peeling lychees.
As she peeled, she said, "Remember, from now on, no doing women's chores. At home, I serve you. You're not allowed to do housework."
Jiang Chen felt a rush of warmth. What a good woman.
"Sister Wen, if I don't do chores, what should I do?"
"You know what you're supposed to do! At night—you've got plenty of work!" Her face flushed, and she ducked her head.
A moment later, she stood and opened the window. The two of them looked outside together.
In the distance, the mountains were hazy. Occasionally, cars passed with their headlights glowing. Laughter came from inside—tourists enjoying themselves.
"Look at them, driving around wherever they please." Wen-xian leaned on the windowsill. "When can we have our own car? Just go wherever we want."
Jiang Chen put his arm around her shoulders. "Soon. After this job, we'll buy a used car. Later, we'll upgrade."
"Even a used one's fine!" Her eyes lit up. Then she turned to him with a mischievous smile. "Hey, I heard if a man really pleases his wife at night, he'll get lucky the next day. I'm ovulating now, and I really want a baby. If you take good care of me tonight and I get pregnant, maybe we'll get that car tomorrow!"
"What goes on in that little head of yours?" Jiang Chen burst out laughing and pinched her cheek.
Her skin glowed pink in the lamplight. Her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. He felt heat rising from his chest. With a loud bang, he shut the window, spun around, and pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his chin on her hair.
"Alright, tonight I'll 'take care' of you properly. Let's see if we're driving off in a new car tomorrow!"
Wen-xian yelped and tried to push him away, but he just held her tighter.
The blankets smelled of sunshine, and the hum of cars passing by drifted in through the walls. In the distance, neon lights blinked around the scenic area.
Jiang Chen kissed her forehead and silently vowed—once he had money, he'd take Wen-xian on a proper trip. No more letting her suffer by his side.
Wen-xian buried her face in his chest and murmured, "The car doesn't matter. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy."
"Silly girl," Jiang Chen held her even tighter. "I'll make sure you live a good life—not just a car, but a big house too. You and Mom will never need to work the fields again."
Outside, the night deepened. The sounds of construction faded. Jiang Chen sat with Wen-xian on the bed, already planning tomorrow's tasks… and wondering if, just maybe, her little superstition would come true—and they'd really drive off in their own car soon.