Chapter 558: The Plight of Women
Chapter 558: The Plight of Women
Lu Jiaxin had become very familiar with He Laodaifu and his family after a year of seeking medical treatment from him. Thus, she was informed of his return as soon as he came back.
The next day, Lu Jiaxin brought Zong Shimeng to see He Laodaifu. They arrived at eight in the morning, and Zong Shimeng thought she was already early, only to find five people ahead of her.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "He Laodaifu is getting on in years now. He only sees patients on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and only in the mornings."
After all, he was a septuagenarian, and his family couldn't expect him to see patients all day long. It would be too taxing on his body. Also, because he only saw patients for half a day, he usually only attended to the first twenty patients.
It took about an hour for Zong Shimeng to be called in.
After taking her pulse, He Laodaifu said, "You didn't take proper care of your body after the miscarriage, and you've been bottling up your emotions. My prescription will only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. You need to relax and be in a good state of mind for your body to truly heal."
Lu Jiaxin gave Zong Shimeng an unexpected glance. She had already given birth to three children and had also experienced a miscarriage. Moreover, from what He Laodaifu said, it seemed that the miscarriage had occurred after the birth of her triplets.
Zong Shimeng trusted Lu Jiaxin, which was why she had traveled such a long distance to see this doctor. However, she was surprised that the old doctor didn't ask her any questions and could tell that she had a miscarriage and was troubled just by feeling her pulse. He was truly skilled.
After prescribing the medicine, He Laodaifu still reminded her to maintain a cheerful mood. If she remained in low spirits all the time, no medicine would be effective.
Zong Shimeng nodded slowly. She had decided to give birth to her fourth child in a hospital and had undergone a full-body examination, which revealed only a mild case of anemia; there were no other issues.
Lu Jiaxin extended her hand and said with a smile, "Grandpa He, please take a look at me as well."
He Laodaifu didn't take her pulse but smiled and said, "Your complexion is ruddy, your voice is strong, and you walk with vigor. You're as robust as a young calf; there's no need for an examination."
Thinking back to how Lu Jiaxin looked when she first came here compared to now, strangers would hardly believe they were the same person. However, this was also the reason why he hadn't retired yet.
"Grandpa He, can you prescribe a dietary supplement for us?" Lu Jiaxin asked.
He Laodaifu prescribed a dietary regimen for Zong Shimeng but not for Lu Jiaxin. "Your body is in excellent condition, and you don't need any supplements. Just avoid eating too many cold and cooling foods during the summer."
In the summer, chilled foods and drinks were the most refreshing. However, some people with poor self-control might overindulge, leading to diarrhea.
"I only eat chilled foods occasionally," Lu Jiaxin smiled. "Those things aren't good for the body, so I limit my intake."
Since Zong Shimeng had to return to Hong Kong, Lu Jiaxin asked for two courses of treatment, which amounted to fourteen doses of medicine. Including the consultation fee, the total cost was over two thousand three hundred yuan.
Only after they left He Laodaifu's residence did Zong Shimeng comment, "I thought prices were supposed to be cheaper in the mainland. Many workers here only earn a little over a hundred yuan a month, so how come each dose of medicine costs over a hundred and fifty yuan?"
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "Grandpa He adjusts his prescriptions according to the patient's situation. In your case, he could tell at a glance that you're well-off, so he used high-quality and expensive herbs. If someone dressed simply and humbly, he would use cheaper medicinal herbs as a substitute. However, the cheaper herbs may not be as effective, so the patient would need to take the medicine for a longer period."
"Sister Shimeng, rest assured that the medicine is of the best quality. If you don't believe me, you can ask someone else to take a look or bring it to a Hong Kong Chinese medicine practitioner when you get back."
"It's not that I don't trust you," Zong Shimeng said. "I just found it surprising, but now I understand after your explanation. Grandpa He truly has the skills. He knew about my miscarriage just by feeling my pulse for two minutes."
Traditional Chinese medicine was indeed amazing, but it had declined due to various reasons, which was truly a pity.
"He's one of the top experts in Beijing," Lu Jiaxin said. "When I first came to see him, it was through a connection that my father found."
After such a long time, Zong Shimeng realized that Lu Jiaxin had never mentioned her family. "Jiaxin, your father is in Beijing. Should I pay him a visit tomorrow?"
Lu Jiaxin waved her hand. "He's not in Beijing. An old comrade of his invited him to Chengde Mountain Villa."
Lu Hongjun didn't qualify to stay at the Chengde sanatorium, but an old comrade of his had invited him there. It was also a good opportunity for him to get away from Tang Sufin, with whom he had been arguing a lot recently.
"Won't people talk if you don't visit him while you're here?" Zong Shimeng asked.
With her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law in the picture, she had to be extra careful about such things. Otherwise, one wrong move could lead to accusations of being unfilial.
Lu Jiaxin didn't think it was a problem at all. "My cousins all have their own agendas, except for the eldest one. But my uncle and aunt are still around, so the eldest cousin won't be taking care of them in their old age. To ensure a comfortable retirement, he won't do anything to tarnish my reputation."
As long as Lu Hongjun didn't accuse her of being unfilial, no one else would dare to say anything. If they did, she would make sure they regretted it.
"That's good," Zong Shimeng said.
Lu Jiaxin understood her situation well. It wasn't just the difficulty of dealing with her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law, but also the fact that her own family was going downhill. Now that they had become so close, Lu Jiaxin didn't beat around the bush. "Sister Shimeng, the real estate market is doing very well now. If your father continues to let your brothers fight like this, they'll miss out on many opportunities."
This was a relatively polite way of putting it. The business world could be cruel, and if someone like Nie Zhan adopted a moderate attitude, their competitiveness would suffer. Wansheng Real Estate had a strong foundation, and under Zong Shimeng's encouragement, Nie Zhan was working hard to catch up, now ranking as the fifth-largest real estate company in Hong Kong. However, if Zongjia Construction continued on its current path, bankruptcy was not far off.
Zong Shimeng bitterly smiled. "My father can't control them anymore, and I've talked to my brothers, but they won't listen. Forget it, let them be."
"What if..." Lu Jiaxin said, "what if their situation worsens? They'll definitely come to you for help. If you don't help, that's fine, but if you do, your mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law won't make things easy for you. Things will only get harder for you."
Her rich friend's cousin was a perfect example. Stuck between her husband's family and her own, she was struggling and depressed. Lu Jiaxin's rich friend had scolded her cousin several times, telling her not to meddle in her family's affairs, but her cousin had a soft heart. In the end, stuck between both families, she had developed depression. Being a woman was truly difficult. No matter how hard it was to let go of familial ties, getting involved might only make one's own life a mess.
Zong Shimeng shook her head. "If it really comes to that, I'll ensure that my father and mother's lives are taken care of, but I won't help anyone else."
If her brothers refused to listen and let the company go bankrupt, she wouldn't help them either.
"Sister Shimeng, don't blame me for being nosy," Lu Jiaxin said.
Zong Shimeng smiled and held her hand. "The fact that you're telling me this shows that you're worried I'll be dragged down by my family and face more difficulties with my in-laws. I'm happy that you care so much about me. How could I possibly blame you?"
When they had first met, Lu Jiaxin had seemed like a young child due to her age. But after getting to know each other better, they realized they had a lot in common and shared similar thoughts. Alas, children who lost their mothers always seemed to mature and understand things earlier than their peers.
(End of Chapter)
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