Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1303 Director Liao Moves House, Old Ma Admits Defeat (Two Chapters Combined)
The dialect keenly captured the awkward tension that permeated the air.

Old Ma would never normally put up with this kind of treatment in Macau, but ultimately, he brought this upon himself, so he's suppressing his anger.

The two faced off, and the air seemed tense.

Fang Yan knew that if he didn't intervene, this rare respite would collapse again.

I'm just a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and now I have to deal with emotional regulation?

He mentally scoffed, but still got to work.

"Ahem," Fang Yan coughed lightly, naturally taking a small step forward to stand between the father and daughter who were about to have another argument, and tried to smooth things over: "Mr. Ma, Ms. Ma, please let me say a few words first."

He turned to Ma Wenying, his voice softening considerably: "Wenying, I know you're worried about your third brother and still remember those unpleasant arrangements from the past, which makes you unhappy. But the worst thing you can do with your 'liver qi stagnation' is to get angry and hold back your resentment all the time. You can't keep churning your emotions like this."

“Your condition has just stabilized, like a sapling that has been battered by a storm. We’ve just straightened it out and secured it with a framework. If it shakes again, the new roots that have finally taken hold might loosen... Then all the suffering we endured before would have been for nothing.”

He glanced meaningfully at Ma Wanqi, then turned back to stare at Ma Wenying: "What your father just said, whether it was about letting you stay here for treatment or not forcing you to do things you don't want to do, was said in front of me and Director Liao. He wasn't just making things up for you. If you get upset about this, it will only harm your liver and hinder your recovery. Why not wait and see, and trust him this time? Maybe the outcome will be different?"

Fang Yan's words effectively shifted Ma Wenying's anger to her "illness," claiming it was a flare-up of "liver qi stagnation," giving her a way out. At the same time, he pointed out that he and Director Liao were witnesses, and Ma Wanqi's promise was valid.

Ma Wenying's visibly tense body gradually relaxed, and much of her tense demeanor dissipated.

She pursed her lips, her eyes still somewhat cold, but the sharp edge she had been trying to pierce had finally disappeared. She gave a soft "hmm," as if she had taken it to heart.

Ma Wanqi heard everything clearly from the side. His expression changed from unpleasant to a mixture of emotions. He glanced at Fang Yan one last time and realized that this young man was indeed quite capable.

He glanced at Fang Yan gratefully. This young man was not only a reliable doctor, but also had such a remarkable ability to see through people's hearts and help resolve conflicts.

Back then, his son Ma Youxin was determined to find the dialect, and now it seems he wasn't just making a fuss about it.

Of course, Director Liao must have played a role in making the connections.

As the atmosphere eased slightly, Ma Wanqi quickly seized the opportunity to speak, his tone much gentler than before: "Wen Yin, Dad... wants to see where you live now, to see the environment where you usually eat, drink and live, so that Dad can feel more at ease."

Ma Wenying was silent for two seconds, then quickly glanced at Fang Yan and Director Liao, as if seeking some kind of confirmation.

Fang Yan gave her a look, indicating that things had come to this point, and they should hurry up and fulfill Old Ma's wish and send the person away, otherwise things would never end.

Ma Wenying probably understood Fang Yan's expression, then nodded and uttered a single word:

"it is good."

This simple agreement truly put a huge weight off Ma Wanqi's mind.

Now he wants to go and see how Ma Wenying is doing.

When she was in Macau, she lived and used very luxurious accommodations. Now that she's in the mainland, I wonder if she'll be able to adjust.

"Mr. Ma, why don't you and your daughter go and see it?" Director Liao said with a smile, wanting to give the father and daughter some time alone.

Upon hearing this, Ma Wanqi immediately nodded and prepared to set off.

I was a little dissatisfied with Director Liao before, but that's gone now.

“Wait,” Ma Wenying suddenly spoke up, addressing Fang Yan and Director Liao, “Director Liao, Dr. Fang, why don’t you come over too?” Her voice was soft, but carried a certain insistence.

Ma Wanqi's facial muscles stiffened for a moment, then he revealed an awkward expression that was both helpless and bitter.

He looked at his daughter, whose eyes were calm but contained a hint of wariness, and felt a mix of emotions.

Is this girl afraid that she'll change her mind when we're alone, or that I'll put more pressure on her?
She can no longer trust her father and needs Fang Yan and Director Liao as "supervisors" and "safety guarantors" before she can feel at ease traveling together.

This realization was like a small thorn, pricking him and leaving him speechless for a moment.

"Hehe, alright, Dr. Fang, Director Liao, I'd like to trouble you both to come again." Ma Wanqi could only force a smile and agree, feeling that his authority as a father and his close trust in his daughter had been completely destroyed in this incident.

The awkward situation continued on the way to the Yanjing Hotel.

As Fang Yan and Director Liao got into the cars assigned to them by their superiors, Ma Wanqi gestured to her daughter in the direction of her own car: "Wen Yin, come ride with me? We can talk on the way."

Ma Wenying seemed not to hear, walked straight to her car, opened the door, sat down, and quietly closed the door.

Ma Wanqi was left standing there alone, his hand frozen in mid-air. Looking at his daughter's indifferent back view through the car window, he could only shake his head self-deprecatingly and return to Director Liao's Hongqi car alone.

Upon witnessing this scene, Fang Yan felt that the estrangement between the father and daughter was truly extraordinary.

It's probably not that easy to explain.

Then the three cars drove one after the other toward the hotel, and silence ensued until they arrived at the foot of the Yanjing Hotel.

After the group got out of the car, Ma Wanqi looked up at the top hotel in Beijing, which was grand and elegant with tight security.

Ma Wenying walked towards the entrance first, and Fang Yan and Director Liao also prepared to go upstairs together.

“Director Liao, Dr. Fang, Wen Yin,” Ma Wanqi spoke again, waving her hand with a complicated expression, “Never mind, I won’t go up.”

Seeing the somewhat surprised looks on everyone's faces, he explained:

“I think this place is very nice; it's quiet and safe. I'm already relieved to know that Wenying can stay here. I also know she doesn't really want me to go upstairs, so let's just leave it at that.” He paused, his gaze softening as he looked at his daughter.

"Wen Yin, I just want to talk to you alone for a couple of minutes. I'll leave right away and won't disturb your rest, okay?"

Ma Wenying's gaze lingered on her father's face for a few seconds, as if trying to confirm the truth of his words.

Finally, she nodded: "Okay."

His tone remained aloof, but the previous refusal was gone.

Director Liao immediately understood, and said with a warm smile, "Alright, you two have a good talk. Dr. Fang, let's go over there and rest for a while, so as not to disturb you."

As he spoke, he called out to Fang Yan and walked towards the scenic corridor at the entrance of the restaurant not far away.

Leave the scene to the father and daughter.

Fang Yan watched as Ma Wanqi and Ma Wenying, father and daughter, walked to a slightly secluded flower bed and talked in hushed tones. Although the content was unclear, their demeanor had softened considerably.

Fang Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that the tension she had been feeling all the way could finally be relaxed for a moment.

Director Liao took out a handful of raisins from his pocket and shared half with Fang Yan.

"My son brought these back. He said they were a gift from someone he met in XJ when he went there to check out their products. And let me tell you, they're quite delicious!"

Fang Yan picked up a raisin and started eating it. It must have been selected; it did taste quite good.

The two of them eating raisins together looked strangely comical.

Director Liao finished his meal in a few bites, took a deep breath, and looked at Ma Wanqi's slightly forlorn figure. Suddenly, he chuckled, but quickly suppressed his laughter, shook his head, and muttered, "Oh dear, that old Ma..."

"Hmm?" Fang Yan looked at Director Liao, waiting for him to continue.

Director Liao took out another mint, gave Fang Yan one, and said in a tone that was both teasing and somewhat sympathetic, "Look at him, back in Haojiang, he's a man of absolute power, the whole area trembles when he stomps his foot. His businesses are so vast, his connections are intricate, he has influence in both the legal and illegal worlds, he employs so many people, manages such a huge enterprise, and is usually so commanding and powerful. But... but in front of his own daughter, he's like a helpless schoolboy! Look at how he was just now... tsk, he has to carefully apply for a permit just to talk to his daughter, and he's worried that she won't let him in the door or ride in the same car with him... Oh dear, what a mess!"

As Director Liao spoke, he couldn't help but chuckle softly twice, then sighed:

"In the end, no matter how powerful a person is, they have to step down when it comes to their own flesh and blood. The quarrels between father and daughter are a hundred times more difficult for him to deal with his enemies outside! He is probably more troubled now than when he was 'negotiating' with me about Ma Wenying's stay or leave."

Fang Yan laughed upon hearing this and echoed:
“You’re right. No matter how arrogant a person is outside, when they come home and meet their children who genuinely care about them, all their status and position become meaningless.”

"Mr. Ma's feelings of being a father are now very unsettling and he has nowhere to put them."

Director Liao nodded, his smile fading, and he looked into the distance with a meaningful gaze:
"That's right... Being a father is tough. Especially being a father in a wealthy family, it's even more difficult."

The two stood by the corridor, "supervising" the somewhat stiff communication between the father and daughter while enjoying this moment of relaxation.

Then Director Liao said to Fang Yan:

"Hey, by the way, are you really going to give me a physical exam every day?"

"Absolutely!" Fang Yan said.

Director Liao said:
"Ugh, that's too much trouble. It would take more than fifty minutes to drive there and back."

Fang Yan heard this and asked:

"How about you find a place closer to home? Something I can get to in a few minutes if something happens?"

After speaking in dialect, he pointed to the Yanjing Hotel in front of him:

"Like here?"

Anyway, Director Liao has been a long-term partner here, and all the reception duties are handled here.

As a result, Director Liao said with a smile:

"I think this place is too far."

Fang Yan laughed and said, "Haha... Do you live in the Xiehe Villa District?"

"If you think it's okay, I'll give Dean Cui a word later, and she can arrange it for you right away."

Upon hearing the dialect, Director Liao rubbed his shoulder and said:

"Hey, you know what, as people get older, all sorts of health problems do start to appear..."

Fang Yan listened to his ambiguous answer and asked:

"You agreed?"

Director Liao said:
"I agree! I agree! Mainly so you don't have to drive so far every morning!"

Fang Yan cupped his hands in greeting:

"Haha... then thank you!"

If we live in the villa area, Fang Yan can indeed arrive in the shortest time. And even if Fang Yan isn't around, there are plenty of doctors and professors nearby, and even Master Hai Deng is nearby. I'll have Lao Tao live there too, so he can be Director Liao's neighbor.

Fang Yan felt more at ease knowing he was over there.

At this point, Director Liao changed the subject and said to Fang Yan:

How are you finding it to be a graduate student lately?

He said in dialect:

"It was alright! I learned a lot, mainly from exchanging ideas with my classmates, and I gained a lot of new insights."

"Our institute has also gathered quite a few people to do research, and everyone is very enthusiastic..."

It had been a long time since I had spoken with Director Liao, so Fang Yan took this opportunity to give him a brief report.

This explains the work and study situation during this period.

Even if he didn't say anything, Director Liao could find out about the movements of some companies and research institutes from other sources.

But we still had to speak in the dialect; this was to show Director Liao our attitude.

After Fang Yan finished his brief report, Ma Wenying and Lao Ma had finished their conversation.

The hushed conversations by the flowerbed gradually subsided.

Although Ma Wenying's tense body was not completely relaxed, at least the cold sense of rejection between her brows had faded somewhat.

Ma Wanqi looked as if he had just finished an invisible, tough battle, revealing his unconcealed exhaustion. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if he wanted to expel all the pent-up emotions in his chest.

He turned around and walked towards Director Liao and Fang Yan, who were standing in the corridor.

The forced smile on his face looked somewhat stiff.

“Director Liao, Dr. Fang,” Ma Wanqi stopped in front of the two, first solemnly extending both hands to Director Liao, “Thank you! If it weren’t for you giving me this opportunity, and also helping to mediate, I really don’t know how I would have ended things today.” He squeezed Director Liao’s hand tightly, the force revealing the relief of regaining some kind of “approval”.

Then, his gaze shifted to Fang Yan, his expression becoming even more complex. He patted Fang Yan's shoulder heavily, the force carrying the straightforwardness characteristic of a wealthy businessman from Macau: "Dr. Fang! I must thank you even more! Not only did you cure Wen Yin's illness, but today's situation... sigh, if it weren't for you standing between us just now, I'm afraid we wouldn't even have had the chance to say these two words!" He sighed, bowing slightly to Fang Yan:

"I, Ma Wanqi, will remember your kindness!"

He waved his hand politely in dialect:

"Mr. Ma, you flatter me. It is my duty, and the patient's emotional stability is also crucial for recovery."

At this moment, Ma Wenying also came over and stopped half a step behind her father. Without looking at anyone, she simply said, "If there's nothing else, I'll go upstairs."

"Okay, go ahead, go ahead, get some rest," Ma Wanqi quickly said to her daughter, her tone gentle to the point of being almost cautious.

It's clear that Lao Ma has completely compromised now.

Ma Wenying didn't leave. She paused slightly, her gaze falling on Ma Wanqi's face, and said:
"Don't forget what you promised. Make sure Third Brother comes to see me within a month."

After saying that, without waiting for a reply, he turned around and strode towards the hotel entrance.

His back view makes him look exactly like a tomboy.

"Ugh……"

As Ma Wanqi watched her daughter's figure disappear behind the revolving door, the smile on her lips completely vanished, turning into a long sigh filled with helplessness and disappointment.

Now this girl has really broken up with him, and she's wary of him in every way.

But he immediately turned around, nodded vigorously to Director Liao and Fang Yan, and assured them, "Don't worry, I'll definitely keep my promise to her! I'll arrange for Lao San to come over right away!"

Once Ma Wenying's figure had completely disappeared, Ma Wanqi seemed to be relieved from the pressure exerted by his daughter, and the expression on his face returned to his previous calm.

He rubbed his hands together, then turned to Fang Yan, a hint of barely perceptible expectation in his eyes:

"Dr. Fang," he leaned closer, lowering his voice to sound more candid, "you see... Wen Yin, she still...sigh. She listens to you, she trusts you completely. There's a hurdle between father and daughter. I genuinely care about her and want to be good to her. Could you...when you're treating her, and in your casual conversations, could you also put in a good word for me? Tell her how I, as her father, feel, and mention the good things about our family?"

He looked at Fang Yan, his eyes clearly conveying the meaning of "human relationships":
"This girl won't even let me into the house now... Please put in a good word for me! Of course, I'll appreciate your hard work and will definitely reward you..."

Fang Yan was taken aback.

What does Lao Ma mean by this?

Director Liao watched from the side, his brow twitching slightly, almost imperceptibly.

He understood all too well what it meant for a business tycoon like Ma Wanqi to be "well-informed."

Fang Yan realized what was happening and understood immediately. He tried to sound gentle as he said:

“Mr. Ma, you’re exaggerating. As Wen Yin’s attending physician, my primary responsibility is to ensure her physical recovery and emotional stability. I will be truthful with her; if she’s recovering well, I will inform her honestly to put her at ease. Similarly, I will convey your concern as a father and your hopes for her well-being. However, deliberately praising her or conveying biased information might disturb her peaceful state of mind during her recovery, which is neither ethical nor appropriate for her condition. Please understand, Mr. Ma, that for her, stability is paramount.”

The dialect statement not only clarified the principles and stance, but also emphasized the objective reality, and brought up the key word for recovery, "stability," which Ma Wanqi also agreed with, making the argument well-reasoned and watertight.

Ma Wenying isn't stupid; she knows what I'm saying.

It would be troublesome if Ma Wenying didn't even trust herself by then.

Ma Wanqi was taken aback by these words, which were neither humble nor arrogant. A hint of embarrassment flashed across her face, but she quickly felt relieved.

He knew he had acted rashly in his desperation, and that his request was somewhat inappropriate.

Although Fang Yan did not agree to his request for "kind words," she did indicate that she would convey her feelings, which was already the best possible outcome.

He chuckled sheepishly and patted his forehead:
“Oh, Dr. Fang is right! I shouldn’t have made that foolish request! Yes, yes, being safe is the most important thing! Just do as the doctor says, do as the doctor says…”

He quickly changed the subject, looking at Director Liao, his voice a few decibels louder, trying to salvage the situation: "Director Liao! Um...didn't we say we were going to talk about investing..."

“Hey, Mr. Ma,” Director Liao clapped his hands as if he had just remembered, and continued with concern, “Look at my memory! Didn’t you just say that you haven’t been feeling well lately, with headaches, fatigue, and not sleeping well at night?”

“Investment due diligence is all just formalities; there’s no rush. Now that you’ve met your daughter, shouldn’t you feel a little relieved? Luckily, Dr. Fang is here,” Director Liao said with a smile, pointing to Fang Yan. “He’s one of the top doctors in the country! Didn’t you praise his miraculous medical skills? Investment is business, but health is the foundation of everything! I think we should take this opportunity to have Dr. Fang give you a thorough check-up first. Once you’re in good health, we can discuss those plans, saving you the trouble of traveling back and forth.”

Director Liao asked Fang Yan to treat Lao Ma.

This not only gave Ma Wanqi a way out, but also cleverly put Fang Yan in a key position, forcing this Macau tycoon to owe Fang Yan a favor once again.

Upon hearing this, Ma Wanqi immediately said:
"Oh dear! Yes, yes, yes! Director Liao, you're absolutely right! This whole journey, and... all that running around with my daughter, has really left me feeling a bit stuffy in my chest and my head is a little tight. Thank you so much, Dr. Fang!"

He switched to the dialect, his face beaming with a smile, even a hint of ingratiation:
"Dr. Fang, then I'd really like to trouble you to take my pulse again? Shall we find a place to sit down? Don't worry, the consultation fee is negotiable, I won't let you go to all this trouble for nothing!"

There's nothing you can do about it; rich people are just that down-to-earth, and they can't stop talking about money.

Seeing Ma Wanqi's earnest attitude and with Director Liao intervening, Fang Yan naturally wouldn't refuse and nodded with a smile:

"Mr. Ma, you're too kind. It was nothing. There's a lounge area in the hotel lobby; let's go sit there."

"Great!" Ma Wanqi had long heard of Fang Yan's medical skills, and now it was a good time to give it a try.

The three of them quickly moved to a quiet booth in the lobby of the Yanjing Hotel, where a waiter promptly served them tea.

After sitting down, Ma Wanqi couldn't wait to roll up his left sleeve and extend his arm to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan placed two magazines under his hand as a pulse pillow, then placed her fingertips on his wrist pulse points (cun, guan, chi) and began to take his pulse. At the same time, she asked him to stick out his tongue so she could observe his tongue coating.

Then, in a dialect, he asked, "Mr. Ma, have you been staying up late a lot lately? And you always feel tightness in your chest, especially when you're anxious, you sometimes feel a little short of breath?"

Ma Wanqi's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! Dr. Fang, you are amazing! Before Wen Yin's matter was resolved, I couldn't sleep at night every night, staring at the ceiling thinking of solutions. Sometimes when I was talking to people, I felt like there was a stone stuck in my chest."

It's actually quite simple; this is a typical case of deficiency of both the heart and spleen, with stagnation of liver qi.

However, Fang Yan still asked several questions and even took the pulse on the right hand before speaking:
"You've been working hard all year round, worrying about business matters, which has taken a toll on your mental energy; in addition, you've been anxious and stressed about Wen Yin's illness recently, which has caused your liver qi to stagnate, leading to these problems. It's not a big issue."

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated.

(End of this chapter)