The Apprentice Arrives

Chapter 33. The fat man was An Hui's husband, Sun Zhonghao, who ran a small commodity business in Harbor City. Last time, when he followed his wife to chase after that bastard Xu Faqiang, he was luckier—just a mild concussion that healed quickly.

But now he felt it would have been better if he had been injured instead of his wife. Seeing his wife so restless even with her injuries, he was worried to the point of exhaustion.

Yet, he had originally fallen for An Hui's energetic nature. Helpless, he asked, 'Then what do you plan to do?' An Hui replied with confidence, 'I've already sent Barbie to ask Li Liang for information.

To find out exactly how He Li communicated with that master. Then I'll use the same approach to get a fortune reading from them and see if the master is accurate.' Barbie was the nickname of their daughter, Sun Xiaofeng.

After a while, a girl in a baseball cap ran over, 'Mommy, Mommy, I found out!' She looked sneaky, as if she were stealing. Afraid of alerting the target, An Hui whispered, 'What did you find out?' Seeing the mother-daughter duo, Sun Zhonghao rubbed his broad forehead.

Sun Xiaofeng whispered, 'I told Li Liang I was worried about you, that you've been having bad luck lately, and wanted to find a master to calculate it.' An Hui immediately gave a thumbs up, 'Smart!' Sun Xiaofeng smiled, 'Of course, we've been classmates since childhood, and he's soft-hearted.

As soon as I said it, he told me. But he said the master has already retired, and his mother no longer believes in the master.

Now his mother trusts a Doctor Su more. He also said if I'm really worried about you, I should go to Doctor Su for a health check-up.

He and his mother, and Auntie Xiang, come for a check-up every day.' An Hui was stunned, 'A check-up? He really said that?' 'Yes, that's what he said.' Sun Xiaofeng nodded emphatically.

'He also said Doctor Su is much better than that so-called Master Zhao. Master Zhao is just a fraud.' An Hui looked confused, 'So, He Li actually knew all along that the car accident was just a coincidence that a con man happened to get right?' 'Anyway, Li Liang said Master Zhao is a fraud.

He also warned me not to look for Master Zhao, not to be scammed. But Master Zhao has already quit and is now an apprentice to Doctor Su.' An Hui was speechless.

Sun Zhonghao sighed in relief and advised, 'An Hui, since that's the case, let's forget it. Didn't Officer Wang say before that the accident wasn't actually predicted by the master?

It was just a con man who happened to be right.' An Hui had come with great ambition, only to punch a pillow. She felt a bit defeated.

Then she thought again, 'What does a check-up have to do with calculating bad luck? He Li isn't calculating bad luck, so why is she going for a check-up?

Is she sick?' Sun Xiaofeng said, 'Oh, Li Liang said this Doctor Su is very skilled in medicine. She can tell a person's health for the day from their complexion... something like whether they might accidentally get injured.' An Hui was bewildered, 'This is a check-up?' Sun Zhonghao continued to persuade, 'This sounds like a scam, An Hui.

Let's go home.' The word 'scam' reignited An Hui's fighting spirit, 'Exactly, He Li and Auntie Xiang have run into another con artist. And this time they trust her deeply.

If I expose this fraud, will He Li still dare to speak loudly in front of me?' Since the car accident was confirmed to be just a random guess by that con man Master Zhao, it was time to move on. This time, An Hui decided to take the initiative.

She always had to be in control, to dominate the scene. If He Li dared to mock her about the car accident, she would mock He Li about this Doctor Su.

Sun Zhonghao covered his face, how could he forget, An Hui was always so competitive! He said, 'Why bother? He Li probably won't tease you about the car accident.' 'Who says she won't?

She called the hospital in the middle of the night, you know that.' An Hui got angry just talking about it. Lying in the hospital bed, unable to sleep from the pain, she received a call from He Li scolding her, saying she didn't listen to advice and even dragged the master into it, and that she would never play cards with her again.

An Hui was so angry she couldn't sleep all night. That's why, as soon as she could get out of bed, she couldn't wait to come here.

She wanted to save face! To save face, of course, she needed a crowd, witnesses. After planning their strategy, the family of three put away their binoculars and headed across the street.

But when they arrived, they were told they had to queue. An Hui signaled to Sun Xiaofeng, who immediately understood. How could they queue?

That was not something Ms. An Hui would accept. She took out fifty Hong Kong dollars and said, 'Who has the next number?

We'll buy it.' As soon as she said this, everyone present was stunned. Su Fuping was also surprised. Was she really that famous now?

A queue number worth fifty dollars? She knew that the daily wage of an ordinary worker here was about that much, some even less.

Zhao Facai was heartbroken; if the master allowed cutting in line, he would definitely manipulate the system to pocket that fifty dollars. After three seconds of shock, the next old man in line reacted and immediately raised his hand, 'Me, me!' One hand gave the money, the other exchanged names.

Zhao Facai asked Su Fuping for instructions, 'Master, is this okay?' Su Fuping had never encountered this before, but seeing the old man's happy expression, she couldn't stop it. 'Leave it for now.' After finishing the previous consultation, An Hui was helped to sit in front of Su Fuping.

She took the opportunity to examine her. Although she had already observed her through binoculars for a long time, up close she felt even more that she looked like a fraud.

How could there be such a young doctor? And He Li actually believed her! Was she that gullible? An Hui began to feel a bit sorry for He Li, thinking that her rival was actually quite pitiful.

First deceived by that bastard Xu Faqiang, then by Master Zhao... although the outcome was good... now being deceived by a doctor again. How tragic.

Su Fuping looked at An Hui and actually felt quite fond of her. She was willing to spend money to see a doctor, and she came with injuries.

That showed sincerity. For such trusting patients, she naturally became more enthusiastic. 'Madam, what aspect are you mainly here for?

I can treat fractures and abrasions. Follow-up treatment is also convenient. I can prepare medicine, decoctions, custom pills, ointments, and Medicinal Plaster to ensure convenient treatment.' An Hui thought to herself, what is this?

Who wants treatment? 'I want a check-up. I heard your check-up can tell a person's physical fortune for the day...' Su Fuping was speechless.

So she came because of reputation. What a disappointment! She explained, 'Madam, I'm sorry, but this is a Medical Clinic.

We can only check health, not fortune.' An Hui said, 'I heard it can tell whether you'll have an accident.' The people waiting in line heard this for the first time. Someone asked, 'Really?

Can it tell?' Su Fuping patiently explained, 'It's just an inference based on the patient's mental state and complexion for the day. It's not accurate.

Think about it, if you're dizzy, aren't you more likely to make mistakes, cut yourself while chopping vegetables, or fall while walking? That's the principle.' Everyone suddenly understood.

So that's it. Then this check-up is not very interesting. Everyone lost interest. An Hui was also stunned. If it couldn't guarantee anything, why would He Li do it?

Was He Li crazy? Sun Zhonghao beside her advised, 'An Hui, forget it.' 'Of course not, I must do the check-up!' She wanted to see how that crazy woman He Li was crazy.

'Doctor, give me the check-up.' Su Fuping poured cold water on her, 'Madam, I'm sorry, but this service is temporarily unavailable for you.' An Hui was surprised, 'Why? Are you looking down on me?' Su Fuping said, 'This service is recommended for people without obvious injuries or illnesses.

Even if you have injuries, you must first receive treatment at our clinic before we can do the check-up. Because only after we treat the condition can we ensure the subsequent development.

Only then can we give a qualified check-up result.' Zhao Facai added, 'You already have injuries. If my master gives you a check-up, the only conclusion will be that you are sick.

That's the same as not doing it. Why waste the check-up fee?' An Hui said, 'Is there such a rule? Can't it show my physical condition beyond these injuries?' Su Fuping said, 'It can, but it cannot guarantee that no other pathological changes will occur in the body that day.' Although she could just brush her off, to avoid future disputes, Su Fuping insisted on doing it thoroughly.

Otherwise, people who had the check-up might compare results and find that they got less information, and then come to make a scene. As a doctor, she had to avoid doctor-patient conflicts.

'An Hui, let's go to the hospital...' Sun Zhonghao whispered. He had never heard of a check-up that required treatment first.

It looked like a bundled sale, a classic marketing tactic in business, purely for profit. As a businessman, Sun Zhonghao had seen too much of this.

An Hui said, 'No, I want to do it. Give me the check-up. Do it as accurately as you can.' Hearing this, Su Fuping became energized again.

Because this lady had more than one injury. She wondered if the Merit Points would be calculated separately. 'Madam, the plaster on your leg is very well done, so I won't redo it.

I'll first take your pulse and then prescribe medicine based on the situation. Are you willing to take Chinese medicine?' She had to ask clearly, otherwise if she prescribed medicine and the patient refused, she couldn't do the check-up.

An Hui was surprised, 'I have to take medicine? Is this medicine safe?' Su Fuping smiled politely, 'We are in business. I wouldn't prescribe problematic medicine.' An Hui replied perfunctorily, 'Alright, I'll listen to you.' Su Fuping began to take her pulse and ask about her physical sensations.

After the consultation, Su Fuping felt that this lady was truly energetic. Her hand was injured, her foot was injured, and there was gauze on her forehead.

Her pulse was a bit weak, but her mental state showed no signs of it. She not only seemed energetic but also had bright eyes.

After the diagnosis, Su Fuping confirmed that her problems were only these injuries, with no internal injuries or hidden diseases. So she started thinking about prescribing medicine.

Since the leg was already in a cast, Su Fuping didn't plan to remove it just to earn more Merit Points, as that would affect recovery. So she chose to provide auxiliary treatment.

She had a lot of experience with this. Back in her hometown, external injuries were the most common. She remembered one year when the village was building a dam, several people broke bones.

The medicine was prepared under her grandfather's guidance. 'Madam, your most serious injury is the fracture. For minor injuries, I'll only prescribe some ointment.

We'll focus on the fracture. In Chinese medicine, fractures are treated in three stages. The early stage mainly promotes blood circulation and removes blood stasis, the middle stage focuses on bone knitting and tendon connection, and the later stage strengthens the kidneys and bones.

You are in the early stage. For the first two weeks, I'll prescribe medicine to promote blood circulation and remove stasis.' An Hui urged, 'Then hurry up and prescribe, and then give me the check-up.' Sun Zhonghao had given up persuading.

For his competitive wife, the harder something was to get, the more she wanted it. Now the check-up was what she needed to obtain.

Su Fuping patiently wrote the prescription and handed it to her, instructing her to take it as directed. It was best to buy the medicine from the pharmacy she recommended, where the quality was guaranteed.

Sun Zhonghao thought to himself, this is a cooperative channel, she gets a commission. Sure enough, this clinic was not a legitimate one.

But he knew his wife well; An Hui probably wouldn't take the medicine. An Hui put away the prescription and said, 'Now can I have the check-up?' Su Fuping didn't receive any disapproval points, so she knew the other party was lying.

She frowned, 'Madam, you shouldn't treat your own health so lightly. You don't intend to take the medicine.' An Hui was taken aback, 'Who said that?

I'll definitely take it when I get home.' Su Fuping said firmly, 'You don't plan to take it. You just want to deceive me into giving you a check-up.' Su Fuping really disliked such behavior of deceiving a doctor.

'I advise you, madam, not to waste time on this. It's a waste of both our time.' Hearing that she was being fooled, Chen Shasha, who was hungry, couldn't hold back anymore.

'You don't even trust Doctor Su, so why waste everyone's time? Auntie, we're very busy!' Zhao Facai remained silent, just watching a person without fortune miss out on his master's guidance.

An Hui, embarrassed at being exposed, said angrily, 'I'm not lying. I will take the medicine.' 'I can tell whether it's true or false,' Su Fuping said.

Sun Zhonghao rubbed his broad forehead. He took out his wallet and pulled out a stack of money, not wasting words. 'Please, Doctor, do the check-up for my wife.' Su Fuping looked at the money, 'I'm sorry, but this can't be solved with money.

If I solve it with money, the answer I give you won't be accurate.' She did have a way—using the only detection slot. But Su Fuping felt that since the other party wasn't sincere about treatment, using the slot on her would be a waste, as she wouldn't listen to advice.

'You... you doctor, why are you so inflexible? You're turning away money.' 'Hey, Auntie, just because you have money doesn't mean you're special.

You lied and tried to bribe the doctor. You're the one in the wrong,' Chen Shasha said indignantly. Zhao Facai thought bitterly, why had such good fortune never come to him?

The people behind them also started murmuring. Sun Xiaofeng whispered, 'Mommy, let's go.' An Hui's face slowly turned red.

It was the first time she felt so humiliated. She really wanted to leave, but she didn't want to go away so pathetically.

Today, she would not give up! 'Fine, I promise this time, I will take the medicine as prescribed. But let me be clear: when I get home, I'll have a Chinese medicine practitioner I know look at the prescription.

If the prescription is fine, then I'll take it.' Even though she was competitive, she valued her life. She wouldn't risk her health just to be stubborn.

As soon as she said this, Su Fuping received Merit Points, and in two batches. 'Merit Points +1' and 'Merit Points +7'.