Rock Sugar
Due to work, Shen Xifan spent her days holed up in the hotel. Her office was perpetually filled with the scent of Chinese herbal medicine, prompting Lin Yishen to exclaim every time he passed by, "Great Immortal Shen, refining elixirs again?"
Xu Xiangya, on the other hand, was curious. "Xifan, why are you taking Chinese medicine every day? Menopausal syndrome?"
Shen Xifan frowned. "If I were menopausal, you'd be halfway to the grave. I'm taking medicine for an external cold!"
Xu Xiangya feigned amazement. "Wow, an external cold—so professional!"
"The professional one isn't me, it's that handsome doctor," she muttered to herself, her mind conjuring the image of He Suye, who had a dimple on his right cheek when he smiled.
Who knew Xu Xiangya had such sharp ears? She immediately latched onto the gossip. "Handsome? A doctor? Who? Could it be that Xifan has found springtime? Wow, a uniform fetish—doctor, white coat, so professional!"
Shen Xifan rolled her eyes. "Your level of infatuation is pretty professional too!" She lifted a bag of medicine and shook it in front of her. "The price of seeing a handsome doctor is steep—fleeting joy followed by prolonged suffering!"
Xu Xiangya pouted. "No big deal. I'll pretend to be sick, get checked out, and leave. If he prescribes medicine, I'll just toss it. After all, the patient's heart isn't in the medicine—it's in the handsome doctor!"
Housekeeping Manager Zhang Jie called out, "Manager Shen, Mr. Ling is back. Should we go now?"
She shook her head. "He’s probably busy bathing or eating right now. Come find me at seven. By then, he’ll have finished dinner but not started work yet, so we won’t be disturbing him."
Xu Xiangya suddenly leaned in. "Xifan, that Calamity Ling is actually quite handsome, but he doesn’t seem like the decent type—not as proper as Yan Heng. I swear he shows up in entertainment magazines more often than in tech journals!"
Shen Xifan asked curiously, "Has that guy given you any trouble?"
"Nope!" Xu Xiangya sniffed the medicine cup and grimaced. "Ugh, smells awful. Calamity Ling isn’t as picky as Yan Heng, though. He’s always flirting with the younger girls in our department—it’s equal parts infuriating and amusing!"
Annoyed, Shen Xifan took a big gulp of the medicine, leaving Xu Xiangya wide-eyed in admiration. "Talent! Absolute talent! Shen the Talented!"
That afternoon, while resting, Shen Xifan suddenly received a call from her father. She was surprised—the moment she answered, her dad’s pitiful voice came through. "Fanfan, has your mom hit some kind of phase? Her temper’s awful and unyielding."
"Menopausal syndrome?"
Her dad nodded furiously on the other end. "Yes, yes, that’s the thing! I’ve become a downtrodden peasant at home, bullied by her every day. If I say one thing, she snaps back with ten. Does she even let me speak? And yet, she’s the one who talks the most!"
Shen Xifan could only console him. "Dad, you know how she is. Her temper was never great, and now with her hormones out of whack, she’s even more volatile. Just give her the cold shoulder—passive resistance. The eight-year War of Resistance and three-year Civil War taught us one thing: perseverance leads to victory!"
"Will that work?" her dad asked hesitantly.
She swore confidently, "If it doesn’t, I’ll step in. Aren’t I the only one in this family who can match her decibel level? I’ll go home and talk to her when I get the chance. Work’s been crazy lately—I’ve been staying at the hotel. Just hang in there for now."Shen's father gave a few more reminders before hanging up. She sighed, wishing she could curb her mom's bad temper and put an end to the constant matchmaking schemes.
Shortly after seven, she went to find Ling Yufan. This time, she wore an extra layer, thinking to herself, Catching another cold for you just isn’t worth it. If I’m going to fall sick, it should at least be for that handsome doctor.
She knocked for a long time before someone answered. Ling Yufan appeared wearing glasses and a thick sweater, his tone impatient. "Manager Shen, what is it this time? Or are you here to 'personally' compensate me again?"
His face was pale but tinged with a feverish flush, and the gold-rimmed glasses dulled his usual charm, making him look less like a heartthrob and more like a regular person.
Ignoring his provocation, she mechanically explained her reason for coming. Before she could finish, Ling Yufan suddenly grabbed her hand. Startled, she pulled away and took a step back. "Mr. Ling, please behave yourself. I’ll take my leave now!"
Ling Yufan smirked. "Just teasing. You’re not nearly tempting enough to make me lose control."
She glared at him. "Goodnight, Mr. Ling!" Without looking back, she strode off, his uncontrollable laughter ringing behind her.
Once she left Zone C, Shen Xifan fumed, rubbing her hands together. Then she paused in surprise—his palm had been burning hot when he grabbed her. Come to think of it, his complexion hadn’t looked normal either. He must have caught a chill too.
She secretly rejoiced. Those who play with fire get burned. Karma’s fair after all, Calamity Ling. Now you get to suffer the same fate as me, Shen Xifan. She consoled her wicked thoughts— This is divine punishment for your frivolous behavior toward women. You should be grateful, Calamity Ling.
She slept soundly that night, ready to tackle work with renewed vigor—only for disaster to strike. Her mom had somehow dug up another "White Horse" and demanded she go "appraise" him that evening.
During the morning meeting, Shen Xifan barely paid attention, jotting down only a few notes before filling the rest of the page with the words "Talent Scout." Back in her office, she groaned, "Why can’t I ever get a prince to appraise? It’s always either a dark horse or a white horse. If I don’t play talent scout, who will?"
She resolved to sabotage her mom’s plans again. This latest candidate was unbearably pretentious—eyes like Bai Yansong’s but a face like Wu Mengda’s. Her mom whispered, "His selling point is that he’s a certified accountant. Great with numbers!"
Shen Xifan thought, Oh, so he’s your spy, here to monitor your daughter’s finances. Don’t think I don’t know, you traitorous old woman!
Appearance-wise, she didn’t judge him. But this "successful man" oozed overconfidence, boasting endlessly about how he’d uncovered financial fraud. She played along, exclaiming, "Wow, you’re amazing! I’m so impressed!"
The accountant puffed up even more. Finally, he delivered his heartfelt truth: "Actually, I just want someone who’ll treat my mom well. I’m too busy to take care of her myself."
This time, Shen Xifan put on an even more awed expression. "Wow! You’re so clever! How did you know I’m strapped for cash and looking for a nanny job? What’s the monthly pay?..."
And just like that, another matchmaking attempt went up in flames.Scolded back to the hotel by her mom, Shen Xifan felt inwardly relieved but had to maintain a pained and regretful expression on the surface. Shen's mother berated her all the way from the restaurant to the hotel, and even after she went upstairs, the scolding continued over the phone until the battery died. Only then did Shen Xifan truly grasp how tough her father's situation was. So the next afternoon, she arrived at the hospital with a fervent desire to rescue menopausal women.
But her motives weren’t entirely pure. Picking up medicine didn’t guarantee she’d see He Suye—only by registering and queuing for a consultation could she catch a glimpse of him, see the dimples when he smiled, and hear his gentle voice. She felt silly, but she wasn’t entirely to blame—at least fifty percent of the reason lay with that handsome doctor.
By now, He Suye was no longer surprised by Shen Xifan. From insomnia to fever, he could calmly accept it if this girl came up with stomachaches, bloating, edema, or exhaustion. There was no need to hide his dimples around her, though it was still best to maintain some professional decorum.
But Shen Xifan hemmed and hawed for a long time without getting to the point. He Suye was puzzled—what kind of illness was so hard to talk about?
Finally, she blushed and asked, “How do you treat menopausal syndrome?”
He Suye’s eyes widened as he flipped back to the cover of her medical record. “25 years old? Premature menopause?”
She quickly waved her hands. “Not me—my mom.”
He Suye let out an “Oh,” then asked, “Why not have your mom come in herself?”
“How could I dare!” Shen Xifan felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. She rambled on, completely forgetting she was talking to He Suye. “My dad’s so oppressed he can’t even squeak. I’m harassed with noise pollution every day. Who in my family would dare bring this up with her? It’s practically a slave society! Imagine a woman chattering nonstop in your ear for hours, calling until her phone dies, constantly coming up with new ways to torment you, all while being two-faced… Um… Doctor He, am I talking too much?”
He Suye laughed, his eyes brimming with amusement. “No, no. I just feel bad for you—so pitiful you have nowhere to vent except at the hospital.”
She gave an awkward smile. “So what should I do? Can you prescribe something?”
He Suye shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure about medication, but I can give you a few dietary remedies to try at home. Cook lotus seeds, longan, and rock sugar in boiling water into a congee, then add the sugar. Or simmer black fungus with rice into porridge, mix in diced dates, and add rock sugar. Both recipes help replenish blood, lower blood pressure, nourish yin and the stomach, and strengthen the spleen and qi.”
Then he took out a blank sheet of paper. “Let me write it down for you, so you don’t forget.”
After handing her the note, Shen Xifan thought for a moment and asked, “Doctor He, what if someone has a cold but hates injections and medicine?”
He pondered briefly. “They could drink cold medicine tea. Want me to write down some recipes for that too?”
She pushed her luck, nodding eagerly like a wolf with a big tail. He Suye found it amusing but suppressed his laughter, lowering his head to write the prescriptions for her.
As she watched He Suye, Shen Xifan drifted into a daze. She mused to herself—all the men she’d been set up with were “exceptional” in the worst way. Why wasn’t there someone as outstanding as He Suye? He seemed so kind and gentle. Suddenly, she felt intensely annoyed by the whole blind date ordeal.As a result, she blurted out, “Doctor He, is there any medicine that can make my mom stop trying to set me up on blind dates?”
He Suye, who had been writing diligently, suddenly made a mistake with his pen, leaving a faint mark on the paper.
Shen Xifan quickly explained, “I was just joking, don’t take it seriously!”
After thinking for a moment, He Suye replied with a serious expression, “Miss Shen, you should go to a matchmaking agency. This hospital doesn’t provide such services. My job is to cure patients, not to treat healthy people.”
Shen Xifan went out to pay the bill, feeling secretly pleased. The handsome doctor’s service today was beyond worth it. If not for her own unplanned outburst at the end, it would have been perfect.
As she walked, she recited, “Five Spirits Tea: 6 grams of tea leaves, 10 grams each of Schizonepeta, Su Ye, and ginger. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, then add 30 grams of brown sugar. Drink twice daily, as needed. Helps disperse wind-cold, relieves pain, and is suitable for colds with chills, body aches, and no sweating…”
Still grinning foolishly, she muttered, “Five Spirits Tea… it has Su Ye in it…” Not paying attention, she bumped into someone ahead. Looking up, she saw another doctor—not very tall but with a strikingly memorable face.
Both embarrassed, they exchanged smiles before going their separate ways.
After retrieving the medicine and instructing Xu Xiangya to take care of Calamity Ling, Shen Xifan waited until the end of her shift before heading home with a big bag of remedies for her menopausal mother.
Shen’s father was surprised to see his daughter back home. Shen Xifan explained, “Dad, I’m here to rescue you from dire straits!”
Her father put a finger to his lips. “Your mom’s still sleeping in the room. Last night, she said she felt restless and had night sweats, so she didn’t sleep well. She woke up early this morning and only fell asleep after I got back from school in the afternoon.”
She nodded. “Dad, go work in your study for now. I’ll make some congee for Mom. I asked the doctor today, and he gave me a few dietary remedies that might help.”
Lotus seeds nourish the heart and kidneys, strengthen the spleen, moisten the lungs, clear heat, calm the mind, and stabilize blood pressure. Longan, warm and sweet in nature, benefits the heart and spleen, replenishes qi and blood, and is used for insomnia, forgetfulness, palpitations, and dizziness caused by deficiencies of the heart and spleen or insufficient qi and blood. Rock sugar tonifies the middle burner, boosts qi, harmonizes the stomach, and moistens the lungs.
The kitchen was filled with the aroma of rice congee, mingled with the subtle medicinal scent of lotus seeds and longan. When the rock sugar was added last, a sweet fragrance instantly rose, carried by the warm steam, spreading through the house.
At the dinner table, Shen’s father handed over his bowl. “Fanfan, give me another bowl of congee. It’s really good.”
Shen Xifan looked at him in disbelief. “Dad, this is for Mom—to treat her menopausal syndrome!”
Her father chuckled. “It’s fine. Your dad’s almost there too. Better to prepare early and take precautions!”
Shen’s mother glared at him, prompting him to quickly change his tune. “Serve me rice instead! Congee isn’t filling enough!”
She had to return to the hotel that night but promised to come home for a while once her current project ended. Only then did her father let her leave.
Winter was indeed bitterly cold, the wind chilling her to the bone. She decided to start drinking Dryopteris and Isatis Root Tea the next day to prevent the flu.
Her clothes carried a lingering sweetness—not the cool freshness of licorice but the mellow, comforting warmth of rock sugar, seeping into her heart and lungs. Just like her mood: sweet and carefree.She suddenly thought of the deep dimple on He Suye's right cheek. When he smiled, it was like crystal sugar—cooling in summer and warming in winter.
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