Song Sisi spent the morning either busy or scrolling through videos.
She had completely forgotten about her cramps.
Hearing Li Xu's question,
she froze for a moment. She touched her stomach, glanced at the wall clock, and an expression of disbelief spread across her face.
"What's wrong?" Li Xu asked as he hung his white lab coat on the coat rack.
"Doctor Li..." Song Sisi looked as if she'd seen a ghost. "My cramps... they're gone."
The corners of Li Xu's mouth curved up. "Since when?"
Song Sisi thought back carefully. "After I ate the buns this morning, my stomach felt really comfortable, and the pain mostly went away. Then I started watching videos and forgot all about it... What's going on?"
Suddenly,
her eyes widened. She pointed at the incense burner, where the stick of incense had burned to ash. The pale white ash still held its perfect shape, like a series of small bamboo segments.
"Is it because of the incense?"
"That's right. It's called Rosewood Calming Incense," Li Xu explained. "It's made from the heartwood of an eight-hundred-year-old rosewood tree, blended with seven medicinal herbs."
He pointed at the incense burner. "Just for that one stick of incense, the cost of the medicinal ingredients alone is over a thousand."
"No wonder..."
Although Song Sisi didn't quite understand, an eight-hundred-year growth period, the heartwood...
'It all sounds very expensive.'
"Using something so precious on me..."
Song Sisi thought for a moment, then said, "I know. I'll forgo my salary this month to pay for it."
Li Xu chuckled. "I never said I was going to charge you. I wanted to test its effects myself, so just consider it a free treatment."
"Thank you, Doctor Li."
Song Sisi's eyes crinkled with a smile, clearly in a good mood. "My treat for lunch today. Let's go to Songjiang Noodle House."
Songjiang Noodle House was one of the few high-end noodle restaurants in Feng City. The decor was elegant, with wooden tables and chairs that exuded a rustic charm. A few ink wash landscape paintings hung on the walls, and even the bowls for the noodles were custom-made blue and white porcelain.
Of course, the prices were also quite "beautiful."
A bowl of their signature Songjiang Beef Noodle Soup was 68 yuan.
Song Sisi normally wouldn't dream of spending money at a place like this, but she was in a good mood today. Plus, Li Xu's Sandalwood Fragrance had cured her menstrual cramps, so she decided to splurge for once.
"Server, I'll have one signature beef noodle soup, extra spicy!" Song Sisi ordered with flair.
The waitress was about to enter the order when Li Xu stopped her just in time.
"No spice for her. Just plain noodles."
After speaking, he shot Song Sisi a glare. "Have you forgotten your condition? You're barely feeling better and you already want to eat something spicy?"
"Huh?"
It dawned on her, and she sheepishly stuck out her tongue. "Plain noodles."
Li Xu also ordered a bowl of beef noodle soup with clear broth, and then added two classic side dishes.
The two had just settled in, and their noodles hadn't arrived yet, when a middle-aged man at the next table suddenly turned his head. His nose twitched slightly, as if he were sniffing something.
He was dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit and wore a discreet Patek Philippe on his wrist. With his calm and steady demeanor, it was clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.
"Excuse me, young man," the middle-aged man said with a slight nod, his gaze landing on Li Xu. "The fragrance on you... is it sandalwood?"
Li Xu was startled for a second, then he realized—he and Song Sisi had been in the clinic all morning with the Sandalwood Fragrance burning, so the scent must have clung to their clothes.
"Yes," Li Xu nodded. "Are you knowledgeable about sandalwood?"
The middle-aged man's eyes lit up. He looked at the empty seat next to Li Xu. "May I join your table?"
Li Xu and Song Sisi were at a four-person table, with an empty seat next to each of them.
"Of course," Li Xu agreed.
The middle-aged man carried his noodle bowl over and sat next to Li Xu. "My name is Ding Aiguo. And you are, young man?"
"Li Xu."
Li Xu then pointed to Song Sisi. "My employee, Song Sisi."
After some simple pleasantries,
Ding Aiguo eagerly asked, "Mr. Li, the quality of your sandalwood... it's extraordinary."
"May I ask where you acquired it? Do you have any more in stock? I'm willing to purchase it at a high price."
Li Xu didn't answer immediately, instead asking, "Mr. Ding, you seem very interested in sandalwood?"
Ding Aiguo sighed, a weary look on his face. "To be honest, my wife has suffered from chronic insomnia and heart palpitations for years. We've seen many doctors, but nothing has helped. Later, we discovered by chance that the scent of rosewood can calm her down a bit, so I've been collecting high-grade sandalwood all these years."
"But true rosewood is incredibly rare on the market. Most of what you find is fake, or the wood isn't old enough, so the effect is limited."
"I was able to acquire some at first, but in recent years, I've barely been able to find any genuine treasures."
"My supply at home is about to run out. I hope you'll be willing to part with some, Mr. Li..."
Li Xu listened, lost in thought.
'Rosewood can treat not only menstrual cramps but also insomnia.'
'Then he recalled the information he'd received today.'
'Combine rosewood and Five-Floral Dragon Bone to treat insomnia and heart palpitations.'
'I thought it was just an ordinary piece of information.'
'Turns out, this is what it was leading to.'
"Mr. Ding, I'm a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine," Li Xu said. "Since your wife has been using sandalwood for many years with only temporary relief, it might not be addressing the root cause. Even with the best rosewood, you'd only be treating the symptoms, not the illness itself. If it's convenient, you could bring her to my clinic for a consultation. My clinic is on Construction Road, Li's Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic."
Ding Aiguo's brow furrowed slightly. He was clearly hesitant.
'He was the chairman of a corporate group; he certainly wasn't short on money. Over the years, he'd taken his wife to see countless famous doctors—practitioners of both Chinese and Western medicine—but the results had always been disappointing. Could this young TCM doctor in front of him really make a difference? But if I don't agree, it'll be awkward to ask about buying the sandalwood...'
After a moment of deliberation, Ding Aiguo finally nodded. "Alright. I'll bring her over tomorrow morning."
'I'll just go through the motions tomorrow,' he thought. 'Then I'll make my offer to buy the rosewood. He probably won't refuse.'
Li Xu smiled. "I'll be waiting for you then."
Just then, the server brought over the steaming hot noodles.
Ding Aiguo stood up and took his leave.
Song Sisi lowered her voice. "Boss, that name sounds a little familiar. He must be someone important."
Li Xu picked up a bite of noodles with his chopsticks and said calmly, "His background doesn't matter. At the clinic, he's a patient's family member. We need to stay professional."
...
When Ding Aiguo returned to their villa and pushed open the bedroom door, his wife, Xue Mei, was propped up against the headboard, her eyes half-closed and her face as pale as a sheet of paper.
On the nightstand sat a cup of calming tea that had gone completely cold, and next to it were several half-empty bottles of Western medicine—sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication, nerve regulators...
"Dear, you're back?" Xue Mei's voice was so weak it was barely a whisper.
Ding Aiguo walked over and gently took her hand. It was cold to the touch.
"Yes. Something interesting happened today." He tried to keep his tone light. "I met a TCM doctor who had the scent of the most exquisite Sandalwood Fragrance on him. That fragrance... I've smelled sandalwood my whole life, and I've never encountered quality like that."
Xue Mei managed a faint smile. "Sandalwood again... For my sake, you've practically become a sandalwood expert over the years."
"This time is different," Ding Aiguo said in a low voice. "His sandalwood is absolutely top-grade; its effects must be incredible. And..." He paused. "He said that for your illness, relying on sandalwood alone isn't enough. It has to be treated at the root."
A flicker of light appeared in Xue Mei's eyes, but it quickly faded. "Just forget it. We've seen so many doctors, and none of them have helped, right?"
Ding Aiguo squeezed her hand. "Meimei, just try one more time, please? I'll take you tomorrow. The main thing is... to buy that rosewood."
Xue Mei was silent for a long time before finally giving a small nod. "Alright."
'In truth, she had already lost all hope.'
'Over the years, she'd tried so many things—Western medicine diagnosed her with neurasthenia, TCM said it was a disharmony between her heart and kidneys, and some even claimed she was 'possessed by an evil spirit' and hired a Daoist to perform rituals...'
'Nothing had worked.'
'Every night, she would lie in bed, utterly exhausted. But the moment she closed her eyes, it felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing her heart, jolting her awake with a start.'
'Only the tranquil scent of burning sandalwood could bring her a small measure of peace.'
'But even that small comfort was becoming more and more fleeting...'