Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1301 "I want to take my daughter away!" "You can't!" (Bonus chapter for monthly votes)

Upon hearing the dialect, Ma Wanqi said:

"Didn't you say you were a very skilled doctor? From what you're saying... it's been so long and you still haven't cured him?"

Fang Yan was speechless. Old Ma was quite good at finding weaknesses. The banner that the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office had put forward for him was a 100% cure rate, and he was now focusing on that. His words even carried a hint of threat.

If we don't hand Ma Wenying over to him, some negative news about the dialect might spread.

Of course, Fang Yan believed that Ma Wanqi would never do such a thing.

At most, I'll just use this to scare Director Liao and myself for now.

Clearly, Director Liao's expression remained unchanged; he was not intimidated by Ma Wanqi's words at all, and simply stated calmly:
“Mr. Ma, Comrade Fang Yan’s medical skills have been tested in many major national medical missions, and there is no doubt about that.”

Director Liao set the tone first: if Ma Wanqi doesn't understand the situation, then what follows might not be pleasant to hear.

Ma Wanqi realized that he had gone a bit too far in his reprimand of Fang Yan and Director Liao, and he immediately said:

“From the time Wen Yin was brought to the capital for treatment until now, I have actually trusted Dr. Fang’s medical skills, but the question is why Wen Yin still can’t leave?”

Seeing that Ma Wanqi's attitude had softened, Director Liao looked at Fang Yan and said, "Fang Yan, you should explain to Mr. Ma in detail the current situation and risks of Ms. Ma's condition. Mr. Ma cares about his daughter and would probably like to know more about the professional situation."

Fang Yan immediately understood, took a deep breath, and adopted a professional attitude:
“Mr. Ma, your daughter’s illness is no small matter. As I just mentioned, she has a typical case of phlegm-fire stagnation type mania. The root cause is that she suffered too much mental stimulation, which caused her liver qi to be suppressed too much, eventually turning into fire and condensing into phlegm. After the first stage of treatment, although her manic, blank, and numb symptoms have been controlled, this has only extinguished the surface fire at most, and has not cured the root cause.”

"The key issue is that the anger she's been holding in hasn't completely subsided, the phlegm that's been bothering her hasn't been cleared, and the balance of yin and yang in her heart and kidneys hasn't been restored. All of these need to be addressed gradually."

"Now is the crucial time to strengthen her constitution and regulate her yin and yang. If the environment changes or she experiences any further emotional stress, especially if she encounters the things that caused her to fall ill, the suppressed illness will definitely rebound. Not only will her condition relapse, but it may even become more serious, making it difficult to control."

“I’ve already spoken to Brother Youxin about the situation. He told her to stay in Beijing, a quiet place where no one will bother her, and continue her treatment according to my plan. This is the only way to make her completely recover. Although it will take a lot of time, it’s necessary for your daughter’s lifelong health. It’s not about the cure rate; it’s about preventing her condition from recurring and ensuring a complete cure!”

Ma Wanqi frowned. Fang Yan's professional and resolute explanation made it difficult for him to refute it from a medical perspective, but he was clearly unwilling to give up.

“Dr. Fang, I understand what you mean, and I believe you mean well for Wen Yin.” He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Fang Yan’s face. “But I am her father, the closest person to her in this world. She was born and raised in Haojiang. Even if she is sick, the place she should be at home, with me and her family by her side, with familiar people taking care of her, isn’t that more reassuring than being in the unfamiliar capital?”

Fang Yan twitched the corner of his mouth. The group of people who had confined Ma Wenying to her room before must have meant the companionship and care he was referring to, right?

Ma Wanqi continued:
“You said the change of environment would cause a relapse, but I can guarantee that after we go back, as long as she is not well, I will never mention the word of marriage again, and I will go along with her in all matters at home, so that she will not suffer any grievances. You said you want peace and quiet, so I will vacate the old house in Haojiang so that she can recuperate in peace and quiet. Isn’t that more comfortable than being here?”

Fang Yan thought to himself, "So, even if they seem good together, they still want to arrange a marriage?"

Well, all that talk was for nothing...

At this point, Ma Wanqi's voice deepened, carrying an undeniable insistence: "I know you understand medicine and know what's good for her illness. But as a father, there's no reason for me to watch my daughter suffer alone outside, unable to even return home. I'm here today not to argue with you about who has the better medical skills, but to bring my daughter home. This is my duty as a father, and it's also my right."

After saying that, he looked at Director Liao and then at Fang Yan, and said:

"Dr. Fang, Director Liao, I entrust Wen Yin's illness to your care, but I cannot compromise on the matter of bringing her back. Even if we have to continue treatment according to your prescriptions when she returns, even if we have to ask you to send an apprentice with her to Macau, I will agree to all of that, but she must come with me."

Fang Yan had said what he needed to say. He certainly had no reason to force Ma Wenying to stay. Ma Wenying was just one of his patients. If the family wanted to take her away, Fang Yan could only do his best.

To put it bluntly, even if Director Liao came, he wouldn't have much reason to stop the "father and daughter from reuniting."

“Comrade Ma,” Director Liao’s address became slightly more intimate, but his tone remained firm, “you, I, and even Wen Yin herself, know very well the root of Wen Yin’s illness. The key isn’t whether the dialect can be cured, but whether that ‘root’ can truly be uprooted, or whether it will be reignited. Uprooting it now is for the child’s good, and even more so… for the well-being of you, the parents.” Director Liao paused, lowering his voice further, and pointed upwards with a very subtle gesture:

"The higher-ups also hope that we can handle this carefully and ensure the child's smooth recovery. They don't want the child to be forced back into an... uh... unsuitable environment at this critical juncture. Forcing things won't benefit the child or anyone else, don't you think?"

Ma Wanqi was taken aback and looked up at the ceiling.

Then the next second he realized that the higher-ups were not satisfied with their marriage!

These words struck Ma Wanqi like a thunderclap.

Director Liao spoke in an extremely tactful and subtle manner, only hinting at the point without explicitly stating who the other party was or mentioning the name of the "marriage" partner. However, the combination of keywords such as "unsuitable environment," "the intentions of those above," and "long-term stability," along with Ma Youxin's previous plans and the delicate political landscape of Macau, made Ma Wanqi instantly understand! It turned out that it wasn't just about his daughter's illness, but also involved a higher-level "political will" for overall consideration!
This is the true core of the "never release them" policy!

In other words, even if the person is taken away, he cannot send Ma Wenying to a marriage alliance; this is the attitude of the higher-ups.

Suddenly, he understood some things that had been puzzling him.

He had actually been given hints from above several times, but he just hadn't understood them. Now that they were out in the open, he immediately understood.

Ma Wanqi's expression immediately became extremely complicated. His carefully cultivated aura crumbled instantly, and his domineering "uncrowned king of Macau" vanished in an instant.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word, and the room fell into a brief silence.

"Actually, having someone in Beijing is a good thing for you. You can easily use her medical treatment as an excuse to avoid offending anyone. We're doing this for your own good," Director Liao said.

“Director Liao, you should have said so earlier…” Ma Wanqi shook his head, his voice carrying a hint of compromise: “It’s not that I’m being unreasonable, it’s just that I’ve always doted on Wen Yin since she was little. Seeing her here getting treatment, I always feel uneasy not being there to take care of her.”

“We understand Mr. Ma’s feelings.” Director Liao’s tone softened as he handed over a cup of hot tea.
“But think about it, if Wen Yin stays in the capital, firstly, she can get her illness cured peacefully, and secondly, you can just tell the outside world that ‘my daughter needs to receive special treatment in the capital and is not convenient to deal with personal matters for the time being.’ This way, you don’t have to directly reject the marriage proposal from them, and you won’t hurt the harmony. This is much more considerate than if you stubbornly refuse or force your daughter to compromise.”

Ma Wanqi opened his mouth, and finally said:
"Okay...okay...since...since it's for Wen Yin's complete good, then...we'll listen to you."

He paused, seemingly unwilling to let his daughter be completely "idle," and also wanting to retain some sense of involvement as a father:
"But! We can't let her just sit here in the capital like this, doing nothing! She needs to find something to do, something to learn. A better mood will be good for her recovery, right? I can't let my daughter be like a useless person here!"

Director Liao smiled gently and immediately accepted the step-back offer from Ma Wanqi:

“That’s easy! Comrade Ma’s idea is spot on!” Director Liao’s tone became relaxed and positive again. “Miss Ma is young and talented. She can continue her studies in Beijing! We can arrange for her to study at a prestigious university. She can choose from Chinese, English, art, or even management. Cultivating her interests and making new friends will definitely help her regain her social skills! In addition, if the Ma family wants to make some prudent investments in Beijing, such as some health industry or cultural projects, to enrich their life in Beijing, the policies here welcome and support that! These are all feasible, beneficial to her physical and mental health, and will also be beneficial to the Ma family in expanding their connections in the Beijing area.”

Upon hearing this, Ma Wanqi's expression finally softened considerably. Director Liao's proposed solution offered both face and substance, making it the best option under the current circumstances.

“Then let’s do it all!” Ma Wanqi decided. “Find a good school, and I’ll send someone over to discuss the details of the investment later. Now…” He turned his gaze into the room, “I need to see Wen Yin; I haven’t seen my daughter in so long.”

“Of course,” Director Liao nodded with a smile. “Fang Yan, would it be convenient for you to arrange for Mr. Ma to meet his daughter?”

Fang Yan also breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in agreement:

"No problem. Ms. Ma is in stable condition and conscious now. It would be good for her to see her family."

P.S.: I still owe you 15000 words after finishing this chapter.

There will be more this afternoon.

(End of this chapter)