Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1318 300SL Gullwing Back on the Road, Fishing Newbie Gift Pack

After swallowing the last spoonful of herbal medicine, Old Wang subconsciously pursed his lips.

At first, I didn't feel anything strong, just a lingering bitter taste of Chinese medicine in my throat.

Soon after, I felt a slight aftertaste.

He addressed the crowd:
"Hey, this medicine is interesting! It's a bit bitter at first, but then it has a sweet aftertaste!"

Everyone standing nearby was stunned, and Old Chen couldn't help but complain:
"What nonsense are you spouting? You're actually appreciating this? Do you think this is tea?"

The other old men also started criticizing Old Wang, this unreliable fellow. Everyone was concerned about his health, but he was complaining about the taste of Chinese medicine.

Old Wang chuckled after being rebuked and quickly begged for mercy.

That's when.

"Hiccup!"

Old Wang let out a long burp.

Everyone quickly moved aside, almost getting choked by the stench.

Old Wang patted his stomach and then let out several burps.

"Dr. Fang, what's going on?" Old Wang asked Fang Yan.

"Feeling like throwing up?" Fang Yan asked him.

Old Wang shook his head.

Fang Yan said to him, "Don't worry, as long as you don't feel like throwing up, it's a good thing. Hiccups aren't a bad thing either."

"The turbid gas in your stomach has been released. The previous cerebral infarction blocked the flow of qi and blood, and also disrupted the qi mechanism of your spleen and stomach. The turbid gas was stuck in your stomach and couldn't be expelled, which is why you were vomiting and feeling bloated. The sandalwood and cardamom in this herbal decoction are good for regulating qi and harmonizing the stomach, and they can push the turbid gas down. The acupuncture at Zusanli and Neiguan points just now also helped to regulate the qi mechanism. Now that the turbid gas is being expelled with the burp, the stuffiness in your stomach should be relieved."

Old Wang checked himself and indeed felt that the tightness in his chest had lessened considerably, and his stomach no longer felt as heavy as before; instead, it felt empty and comfortable.
"Huh? It really is! I feel so much better after burping, and my stomach isn't bloated anymore!"

Old Chen leaned over and said, "You old codger, even your burp is such a commotion, it almost drove us away!"

At this moment, an old man said to Old Chen:
"But... after that burp, his face seems to look a bit better?"

Upon closer inspection, everyone saw that Old Wang's left cheek, which had been drooping, seemed less stiff. His left eye, which had been half-open and half-closed, could now move slightly at the corner, and even the dragging motion at the left corner of his mouth when he spoke had lessened.

Fang Yan reached out and pressed on Old Wang's wrist, feeling the pulse.

"Yes, judging from the pulse, it is indeed smoother; there's been an improvement!"

"This is because the Qi and blood follow the Qi mechanism. The turbid Qi has been dispersed, and the blood circulation is smooth. Try moving your left hand and see how it is compared to before?"

Upon hearing this, Old Wang quickly raised his left hand. This time, his arm didn't wobble anymore and he steadily raised it to chest height. His fingers could even gently curl to grasp his clothes, and the strength was noticeably greater than before: "It can really move now! Just now I could only raise it halfway, but now I can grab my clothes!"

"That's right." Fang Yan withdrew his hand and instructed the nurse next to him, "Give her another dose at noon, the dosage remains the same."

The nurse nodded in agreement and then went to greet the pharmacy staff.

Old Wang's eldest son asked him:
"Dad, how are you feeling right now?"

Old Wang said:
"My face isn't so tense anymore, and I can use my left hand to exert some strength."

After hearing what Old Wang had said, his eldest son asked Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, when will my father's condition be completely normal?"

He said in dialect:

"The old man suffered an ischemic stroke. It was discovered early and he was taken to the hospital in time, so he didn't miss the golden period for rescue. The herbal medicine and acupuncture have already regulated his Qi. Once the follow-up medication is given to clear the blocked blood vessels, his condition will stabilize."

“You can see that he can raise his left hand now and his cheeks are not so stiff, which means that the blood and qi have started to flow to the blocked areas. But to be completely normal, it has to be done in stages: first, stabilize the condition, and focus on the reaction in the next few days. If there are no complications, he can try to get out of bed and move around next week; then there is rehabilitation training, combined with traditional Chinese medicine to regulate and nourish, and in about a month, the strength in his left hand can be restored to 70-80%, and the stiffness in his face will gradually disappear; as for being completely the same as before, judging from his current age, it should take about half a year, after all, he is of age, and his spleen, stomach and blood and qi need to be nourished slowly.”

Old Wang's eldest son quickly wrote it down after hearing it.

At this moment, his second son asked:
"What should we pay attention to during the subsequent recovery? We need to prepare in advance and take turns to stay with you at the hospital."

Fang Yan thought for a moment and said:
"Diet is the most important thing."

"For the next week, let's eat liquid or semi-liquid foods, such as millet porridge and vegetable puree. Once his stomach is completely calm, we can add eggs and lean meat. He absolutely cannot touch greasy, spicy, or raw and cold foods, as his spleen and stomach have just been adjusted and cannot withstand stimulation."

He then looked at Old Wang and said, “You also need to cooperate. Don’t just think about fishing. In the early stages, you need to proceed gradually. Start by practicing gripping and leg raising on the bed. Later, I will teach you a few simple acupressure points. Press Hegu and Zusanli every day to help unblock the meridians. Also, you need to keep your emotions stable. Don’t be anxious or angry. Stagnant liver qi will affect the circulation of qi and blood the most.”

Old Wang waved his hand with a smile: "I know, I know, I'll definitely cooperate! Once I'm better, I'll first learn massage from Dr. Fang, and then we'll think about fishing."

After Fang Yan explained a few more things to them, the treatment here came to an end.

I glanced at my watch; it had been going on from a little after eight until ten.

I was supposed to go fishing this weekend, but I couldn't escape work.

But since we saved someone, it's not bad.

The car with the dialect is being cleaned right now; I wonder where it's been driven off to.

I spoke with the people here and asked them to tell Andong that if he returned early, he should go to Shichahai, and if he returned late, he should go home.

The nurse on duty agreed.

Then Fang Yan went to the garage in the logistics department of Xiehe Hospital and drove out his Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, which he had parked there. He hadn't driven this sports car in a long time, and it was still in very good condition.

It runs flawlessly, and its performance remains strong in all aspects.

This thing is way more flamboyant than the Mercedes W116 450SE.

The most iconic feature is the pair of upward-opening "gull-wing doors".

When he retrieved his car from the garage earlier, he gently pulled the door handle, and the car door rose in an elegant arc, attracting the attention of passing maintenance workers.

Sitting inside the car now, looking out through the large windshield, the view is so expansive it doesn't feel like a sports car, while the side windows offer just the right amount of envelopment, ensuring focus while driving without feeling cramped.

The car's silver-gray paint was in near-perfect condition, and sunlight filtering through the shadows at the garage exit cast a delicate metallic sheen on the vehicle.

From the upright front grille to the short rear end, every line is simple and powerful, revealing both the racing genes of yesteryear and understated luxury.

This thing is actually the same age as me...

It doesn't look like an old car at all.

As they drove away from the Concord parking garage, Fang Yan deliberately slowed down.

This sports car still boasts impressive power reserves; a light touch on the accelerator delivers a noticeable surge of acceleration. However, what he enjoys even more is the harmonious interplay between the mechanics and the road.

Unlike the W116 450SE's "moving sofa"-like smoothness, the 300SL Gullwing clearly transmits the undulations of the road surface. People who like it will love it, while those who don't will feel that the comfort level of this motorcycle is far inferior.

This time, Director Chen sat in the passenger seat, as the sports car could only seat two people. Fang Yan drove towards Shichahai.

"Luckily, the fishing gear was in Lao Hu's car, otherwise that kid Anton would have driven it away, and we wouldn't have had any fishing gear to go fishing." Director Chen complained to Fang Yan while looking around in the car.

Then he continued speaking into dialect:

"This car looks much better than the four-seater one. Although it's over twenty years old, it feels like a product of the future. Look at the design. They're from the same brand, but the styles are completely different."

He said in dialect:

"This is the 'Legendary Bird Wing,' which was more eye-catching than many airplanes when it first came out. Look at these gull-wing doors; they're not just for looks. They were designed to fit the high-strength tubular frame, which made it impossible to make regular doors. Unexpectedly, they've become a classic."

He paused, then stepped on the gas to smoothly increase the speed, the engine emitting a deep roar: "The W116 is for business and family use, it's all about comfort, the suspension is soft, and it can filter out most of the bumps on the road. This 300SL is different, it's a race car at heart, it won the championship at Le Mans back in the day, the suspension is stiff, the road feel is clear, even the feedback from the steering wheel has a competitive feel, you have to concentrate to drive it, you can't drive it as loosely as you would the W116."

Director Chen reached out and touched the metal trim on the inside of the car door. The cool touch had a delicate brushed texture. "No wonder it feels so special. Even the interior is different from other old cars. There are no unnecessary decorations. It's all solid mechanical. But the seats are quite comfortable. They're not as hard as I imagined in a race car."

"The original car had a sports seat with good support, so it's not tiring to drive on long distances." Fang Yan said, turning the steering wheel and the sports car nimbly dodged the bicycles at the intersection. "Back then, people who could afford this car were either true car enthusiasts or people who didn't care about money. I only got to drive this thing because of Lao Hu. I originally thought I would keep it as a collection, but I didn't expect it to come in handy today."

Director Chen gazed at the street scene flashing past the window, then turned to look at the three-pointed star emblem standing upright on the front of the car: "To be honest, look at these lines, there isn't a single superfluous curve, it's straight and neat from beginning to end, yet it's particularly pleasing to the eye when put together."

After saying that, he sighed:

"I wonder when our country will be able to produce a car like this?"

He said in dialect:

"That day will definitely come! It's not like it's high-tech."

As they were talking, the car arrived at Shichahai. After finding a place to park, Fang Yan and his companions stepped into Shichahai Park again.

A considerable number of people have already gathered in the park.

On the open ground along the lake, vendors selling sugar candy and sugar figurines set up their stalls.

The most bustling area was the fishing area in the northeast corner of the lake, where many anglers had already secured good spots. Their stools were neatly arranged, their fishing rods resting on the rocks, and their lines dangling in the water. They were all squinting at their floats, with pipes dangling from their mouths, occasionally chatting in hushed tones about the fishing situation, exuding a leisurely and carefree atmosphere.

Fang Yan and his group walked toward that place.

"That's it, all the good spots are taken!" Old Hu raised his chin, gesturing for them to look at the crowd by the lake. Sure enough, every flat spot where one could get off the pole was occupied, and there weren't even many shady spots left under the trees.

"It's alright, we'll just find a quiet spot." Fang Yan waved his hand with a smile, his gaze sweeping across the lake before finally settling on a relatively open area with an old locust tree on the shore, providing some shade. The group carried their fishing gear over, and just as they set up their stools, an old man with a pipe nearby spoke up:
"New here? Two carp weighing over two pounds each came from this spot yesterday. I came early today specifically to claim it. You'll have to move to the west."

Old Hu had just squatted down to arrange his fishing rod when he heard this, so he straightened up and patted his fishing gear:

"Grandpa, this fishing gear of ours isn't just for show. We won't steal your spot; we'll try it out here." He said, pulling a fishing rod from his bag, weighing it in his hand, and began to share his experience with Fang Yan and Director Chen:
"I've done sea fishing in Malaysia and Hong Kong before. You have to look at the current to choose a spot. Even though there are no waves in this lake, you still have to find a place where the water is deep and shallow, where the fish like to congregate. Also, you have to be steady when casting, use your wrist to generate power, and don't let the line get tangled..."

He spoke with great conviction, his spittle practically flying everywhere, and the old man next to him couldn't help but chuckle, exhaling a smoke ring.

"Comrade, are you talking about beachcombing? This is Shichahai, a small lake. What kind of rules do you have for sea fishing? The fish here are very clever. You have to use thin rods and soft lines, and the bait has to be fresh. It's not the same as the big fish in the sea."

Old Hu paused for a moment, glancing at the fish bucket beside the old man's feet. Sure enough, it contained only a tiny crucian carp, no bigger than a palm, its tail still swaying gently. He couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Grandpa, your fish is too small! The smallest fish I've ever caught is bigger than this!"

"Hey, you young man!" The old man tapped his pipe indignantly. "Fishing is about having fun, not about the size of the catch! I've been fishing here for ten years, I know exactly what kind of fish are in each body of water. Your sea fishing methods won't work here!"

The two bantered back and forth, making several old men fishing nearby laugh. Fang Yan and Director Chen joined in the laughter, their hands busy adjusting the floats and baiting the hooks. The older brother-in-law remained silent, following Lao Hu's example as he fiddled with the fishing rods, while Lao Cui sat quietly to the side, helping to pass things to him.

"Alright, alright, let's all start fishing and see who catches a fish first." Fang Yan smiled and smoothed things over, casting his line first. The float landed with a "plop" in the water, standing upright. Old Hu and the old man also got into a competition, each staring at their own float, not daring to breathe. The lakeside instantly became quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the sound of fishing rods swaying gently in the wind.

Fifteen minutes passed, and the float remained motionless. Old Hu frowned and adjusted the bait again:
"That's strange, why isn't the fish biting the hook?"

The old man clicked his tongue and said, "The fish aren't biting well today. Usually, they'd be moving around by now."

Director Chen and his brother-in-law didn't even see a single fish, and they were so anxious that they kept lifting their rods to check the bait.

Fang Yan stared at the float for a while, then stood up and said:

"Let's go somewhere else; there definitely won't be any fish nests here."

"Hey, don't be in such a hurry!" Old Hu quickly stopped him. "How can you be so impatient when fishing? Wait a little longer, maybe the fish will come."

The old man chimed in, "That's right, you have to be patient when fishing, you can't just switch gears like that."

My brother-in-law was the same; when he was working in the countryside in Guangzhou, he also went fishing. He told me in dialect:

You need to be patient!

Fang Yan waved his hand without explaining further, picked up his fishing rod and walked a few steps to the west, about ten meters away from Lao Hu and the others, right between two willow trees.

The bank here is a bit steep, and a few willow leaves are floating on the water. He didn't even bother to make a fishing spot; he just cast the hook out.

He had a feeling that if he was still sitting there today, he would most likely be going to the market to buy fish.

His life lesson is to avoid associating with unlucky people.

That old man hadn't caught many fish, but he was still being stubborn.

I glanced at my watch; I need to leave at least half an hour to go back for lunch, and there's not much time left.

Seeing that Fang Yan had moved to a different spot, her brother-in-law also came over with a pole.

He grew up on the grasslands and had never fished before.

I came here today just to try something new.

Just after her brother-in-law cast his line, Fang Yan noticed that her float suddenly sank and was then pulled into the water.

"Hey!" Upon seeing this, the brother-in-law immediately reminded him in dialect.

"Got it!" Fang Yan flicked his wrist, and the fishing rod instantly bent into a beautiful arc, with a clear pull coming from the water.

Old Hu and the old man both stood up abruptly, watching as Fang Yan retracted the line.

The fish in the water must be quite large and strong. The fishing line was cutting loudly in the water. The fisherman was using the same intensity as when he was wielding a heavy gun to fight the fish.

"Wow, that power?!" The old man watching from the side put down his fishing rod, stood up, and looked towards Fang Yan.

Then the surrounding anglers judged:
"Did they catch a big fish?"

"This fish can't be small, it must weigh at least three pounds!"

The old man next to Fang Yan, who was smoking a pipe, put the pipe on his stool and simply stood up and stood on tiptoe to look:

"Good heavens, this line is making a 'whooshing' sound; it's probably hit an old man in the lake!"

He had been fishing in Shichahai for ten years and had rarely seen such a fierce bite.

Several elderly fishermen nearby gathered around at the sound, and the once quiet lakeside instantly erupted into a commotion. "This young man is incredibly lucky! He caught a big fish as soon as he moved his fishing spot!" "Look how bent that fishing rod is, he'd better hold on tight, or the fish will get away!" The chatter and footsteps mingled, and even the candy vendor temporarily stopped his business to peer into the crowd.

The fish in the water was clearly unwilling to be captured easily, and suddenly darted towards the center of the lake, the force of which even made Fang Yan's arm sway. "Don't pull it too hard! Lead it to the shore!" The old man stamped his feet anxiously, even more nervous than Fang Yan, "Go with its pace, exhaust its energy!"

Fang Yan slightly lowered his wrist, pulling the fish to the side with its pull, maximizing the elasticity of the fishing rod, and the rod tip made tiny splashes on the water's surface.

"This fish is cunning; it knows to dart into deeper water!" Several anglers had gathered around Fang Yan without him noticing.

However, Fang Yan's hands didn't stop moving. Sometimes he would gently lift the rod tip, and sometimes he would slowly let out the line, using the rod's resilience to maneuver with the fish.

Although I haven't fished much myself, I remember a lot of fishing strategies from watching short videos in my past life. Even though the fishing pros aren't good at fishing, they really teach a lot.

The buzzing of the fishing line was particularly clear in the wind, and each pull caused onlookers to hiss and gasp.

Director Chen and Lao Hu each took a landing net and stood guard on the shore like two guardian generals, waiting for Fang Yan to sneak into the shallow water and catch the fish.

An old man, forgetting he had just cast his line, huddled close to Fang Yan, his eyes wide, muttering to himself:

"Hold on, hold on, don't let it get away!"

The old man who was just arguing with Lao Hu was analyzing the fish splattering on the water's surface:

"Look at those splashes, they look like carp! Carp are at their fattest and strongest this season!" he said, then suddenly slapped his thigh. "If only I had moved here too, why did I have to fight with those little crucian carp!"

After struggling for a full two minutes, the fish in the water clearly weakened, its movements becoming smaller and smaller. Fang Yan seized the opportunity, flicked his wrist sharply, and used the elasticity of the fishing rod to pull it upwards. The fish's figure finally flashed across the water's surface, its silvery-gray scales gleaming, and its tail could splash water half a foot high with a flick. It was indeed a large carp of considerable weight!
"I saw it! I saw it! It must weigh at least four or five pounds!" someone shouted from the crowd, and exclamations of surprise rose and fell.

An old man stroked his beard and smiled:
"I told you there was something hidden under this willow tree, but nobody believed me before. Today I've really seen it for myself!"

Hindsight is 20/20, and now they're starting to shine.

Fang Yan slowly reeled in the line, guiding the fish toward the shore.

Director Chen quickly grabbed the net and moved closer, aiming at the direction the fish was swimming. With a "splash," he sank the net into the water. When the fish swam to the opening of the net, he scooped it up sharply. The big carp struggled in the net, splashing water all over the people nearby, but no one cared. Instead, they cheered.

"It's done!" Old Hu was the first to applaud.

Then everyone else started clapping!

"This young man is quite capable!" someone praised Fang Yan, who smiled and replied:

"First time fishing, please excuse my poor skills!"

"Oh, no wonder!" everyone exclaimed in realization.

Then someone said:

"That's how it is for beginners. I caught a big fish the first time I went fishing!"

Then someone chimed in:

"It's hard to explain, it's a bit mysterious, and beginners are prone to catching fish!"

"That's right, beginners always have incredible luck!" an old man in a blue cloth jacket chimed in from the crowd, still clutching his fishing rod. "The first time I went fishing, I caught a three-pound grass carp in the moat!"

Another old man quickly chimed in, "That's right! The first time I held a rod, I could catch crucian carp even by casting randomly. Now I've been sitting here for ages and there's been no bite. That's the luck of a newbie!" Everyone chimed in, sharing their own "newbie adventures."

The brother-in-law, watching from the side, was itching to try his luck and couldn't help but lift his fishing rod: "Why hasn't mine made a move yet? Do I have to wait for some 'newbie luck' too?" As soon as he finished speaking, the fishing rod in his hand suddenly dropped, and the float sank to the bottom with a "whoosh".

"You have some too!" Fang Yan, with her sharp eyes, quickly reminded her.

The brother-in-law panicked and frantically tried to lift the fishing rod, which bent as much as it had before. The fish in the water was very strong and dragged the rod to the side.

"Hey! Hey! Where is it running to?!"

People gathered around again, making it even more lively than before.

"These newbies are catching fish in droves!" "Look at that strength, it might be a big one!" Director Chen held up another landing net, nervously moving back and forth on the shore, waiting for the fish to be lured closer.

After struggling for more than a minute, the brother-in-law finally mastered the technique. He was very skilled with a big gun and brought the fish over faster than Fang Yan. A grass carp weighing more than three pounds was scooped ashore by Director Chen with a "splash" and jumped happily in the net.

"It's done!" The brother-in-law grinned from ear to ear, wiping the sweat from his brow. It was his first time fishing, and his first time catching a fish. He couldn't hide his excitement as he said:
"What a lucky starter!"

Old Hu looked at the two fish that had floated to the surface, then at his empty fish bucket, and couldn't help but sigh:

"So you two newbies got all the good luck today? Where do I, a seasoned sea angler, put my face?!"

The old man with the pipe patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly:

"Young people are lucky, what's the point of comparing yourself to them? Besides, fishing is all about having fun! If you want to eat fish, just go to the market and buy it, it's the same thing, isn't it?"

Old Hu looked at the old man and nodded:

"Yes, you're right!"

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

(End of this chapter)