Not long after the two left, a balding young man appeared at the open office door.
He knocked on the door a few times and then walked in.
"I’m telling you, Ma Ti’er, you’re the Dean, and your office is so fancy. Can’t you at least turn on the air conditioning? It’s scorching in here!"
Du Heng glanced at Jin Zan as he entered, stood up, and casually waved his hand. "Find a place to sit." Then he went to pour Jin Zan some water.
"I haven’t changed anything in this office. It was all left by the previous Dean." Du Heng placed the tea in front of Jin Zan and sat down beside him. "It’s only May. I’d have to be really sick to turn on the AC. Besides, our Health Clinic isn’t as rich as your third class A hospitals."
Jin Zan leaned back on the sofa. "Don’t give me that sob story. I’m not your superior. Out with it, why’d you call me here in such a hurry?"
Since they were like brothers, Du Heng didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, "I heard you and your wife had an argument?"
Jin Zan was taken aback for a moment. "Where’d you hear that? Your ears are certainly long."
"Never mind where I heard it. Just tell me, is it true or not?"
Jin Zan crossed his legs and said with an air of indifference, "What couple doesn’t bicker now and then? Hurry up and tell me what you need. I only took three hours off from work."
"It’s precisely because of your situation that I called you. So, tell me, what exactly is going on?"
"You’re so annoying. If there’s nothing, I’m heading back."
As he spoke, Jin Zan made a move as if to get up and leave.
Du Heng reached out and stopped him. "I heard from Playa that you two argued because of the issue of having a child?"
"I knew it was that scoundrel." Jin Zan grumbled, then sat back down again.
"Well, since you know, I’ll be direct. My mom wants us to have a child. But you know the situation; we can’t conceive, and there’s nothing I can do."
Du Heng pushed the teacup slightly towards Jin Zan, signaling him to drink. "That’s no reason to argue. If there’s a problem, go see a doctor and get it treated. You’re a doctor yourself; you don’t need me to tell you this."
Having said that, Du Heng glanced down towards Jin Zan’s lower body. "Playa said your wife wanted you to get a check-up, but you refused. Don’t tell me you’re actually the one with the problem?"
"Bullshit! How can that scoundrel spread such rumors about me? We’ve both been checked, and we’re both perfectly healthy."
Du Heng frowned slightly. "That doesn’t add up. If you’re both fine, how can you not conceive?"
Now that they were speaking openly, Jin Zan relaxed and slumped back on the sofa. "What else could it be? It’s fate! We’ve been to several places, seen both Western medicine doctors and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Western medicine says we’re both normal, and we’re still taking the medicine prescribed by the traditional Chinese medicine doctors. It’s been over two years, and still no results."
"Then why are you two still arguing? That’s not right."
"It’s all my mom." Jin Zan said, slumping onto the sofa with a troubled expression. "You know what she’s like—incredibly naggy. She knows we’re worried about having a child, but she calls my wife every single day. One day it’s some folk remedy she found, the next it’s a talisman she got from some Temple. She’s always stirring up trouble."
He couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. "The implication, in everything she says and does, is that my wife is the problem. And my wife, well, she’s no pushover—her temper is like a firecracker. A couple of times, she let it slide for my sake. But it happened so often that she started taking it out on me. Ever since Chinese New Year, she hasn’t been pleasant with me at all.
My mom too, she’s been calling daily lately, nagging relentlessly. Now, my wife can’t stand my mom anymore and wants to divorce me."
Once Jin Zan started talking, it all came pouring out. But after saying it all, he felt much better.
Du Heng thought for a moment and asked, "So, what are your thoughts on this?"
"On your relationship with your wife, of course."
"Let it be. If we really can’t have a child, then we’ll get divorced. She’s still young; I can’t hold her back. While she’s still young, she can find another good man, and maybe they’ll have a child."
When he said this, Jin Zan was remarkably calm, as if he had thoroughly considered it.
"Surely you two haven’t reached that point?"
"My wife and I could manage. If we don’t have a child, so be it. Maybe we’ll have one in a few years. If not, we could adopt when we’re older. That’s not out of the question. But my mom... she can’t accept it. She nags every day. Even I can’t stand it, let alone my wife."
Jin Zan sat up from the sofa and said seriously, "Living , I’m miserable, my wife is even more miserable, and our family definitely won’t be able to stay together. My Dad died young, and I’m my mom’s only son. I can’t just abandon my mom, can I? So, divorce is probably for the best. It’s better for everyone and will save my mom from her constant nagging."
It’s difficult for even an honest official to settle family disputes, let alone a rough man like Du Heng.
Sitting on the sofa, Du Heng thought for a long while. Suddenly, it hit him: the root of this whole mess was just wanting a child.
If he could solve that one problem for them, then all the other issues would vanish.
Besides, the reason he’d called Jin Zan over today was because Wei Kaida had mentioned it might be Jin Zan’s issue.
"Here, sit properly. Give me your hand; let me take a look."
"Are you any good? I’ve seen many senior doctors, and none of them could help."
Du Heng looked at Jin Zan with contempt. "It seems you’re still not clear on my track record. I’m the guy who pulls patients back from the Gates of Hell. Helping you two have a child? That’s a piece of cake for me."
"You’ve gotten this arrogant now?" Jin Zan shot Du Heng a skeptical look but obediently placed his hand on the armrest of the sofa.
Jokes aside, despite his current path in orthopedics, he truly admired Du Heng’s skills in internal medicine.
Wei Kaida had told him the full story about Li Qiuhua, which Wei Kaida himself had heard from Li Nating. So, Du Heng saying he could pull people back from the Gates of Hell wasn’t just boasting.
To do that, boldness is one thing, but accurate syndrome differentiation and medication are even more critical. That’s what truly shows the skill of a traditional Chinese medicine internist.
After checking the pulses in both of Jin Zan’s wrists, Du Heng sat back down on the sofa. "Your body doesn’t have any major issues. Just a bit of liver depression, spleen deficiency, and insufficient qi and blood."
Jin Zan sighed. "See? I told you I don’t have any problems. Sigh... those of us desperate for children are about to tear our families apart. Yet, those who do get pregnant don’t cherish it. You should have seen it when my wife and I went to the Provincial Women and Children’s Hospital. That Green Channel was packed, full of young girls. It’s such a waste, a real sin."
Du Heng didn’t comment on that.
Whether those girls used the Green Channel was their own business. Even if people like Jin Zan felt uncomfortable about it, they couldn’t just judge them.
"If you trust me, bring your wife here tomorrow. I’ll take a look at her too. Or, if you’re too busy, pick a time, and I can make a house call."
Jin Zan stood up and clapped his hands. "I’ll go back and discuss it with her. This woman has been so worked up about the divorce lately, she’s a bit hard to deal with."
"Then you’d better hurry. Don’t let a perfectly good family fall apart just like that."
"Alright, alright, stop worrying. I heard your application for Deputy Director was approved. You should focus on writing your special report. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head off."
"Okay, you go. Just make sure to hurry up with what I told you."