Chapter 55: Boss Ma’s Responsibility

Soon, the gas stove was ignited, and the medicine pot was placed on top of it.

Zhang Jing first used a high flame to bring the decoction to a boil, then adjusted it to the lowest simmer.

Scarcely five minutes into the gentle simmering, the sound of a car door closing drifted in from outside.

Without needing to guess, it was likely Ma Hui, the owner of Mingdetang, returning.

Huang Biao immediately grew tense, hesitating over whether he should go out to greet her.

Reading his thoughts, Zhang Jing said, "Director Huang, why don't you go and explain the current situation to the boss first? Xiao Cui might not be able to explain it very clearly. I'll keep an eye on the decoction here, so you can rest assured."

Hearing such considerate words, Huang Biao's eyes nearly grew moist once again.

He hurriedly nodded to mask his emotion while politely saying, "Alright, I'll step outside for a moment. Thank you for your hard work with the decoction, Dr. Zhang."

Huang Biao hurried out of the dispensary and, lifting his gaze, saw that Ma Hui had already entered the clinic's doorway.

Gui Cui had rushed to greet her beforehand, wearing a bitter, distressed expression. "Boss, you're finally back!"

Ma Hui handed the two silver-gray signboards she was holding to her.

Then, she looked at Huang Biao and asked, "Old Huang, what on earth is going on?"

Gui Cui glanced at the signboards in her hand, which were printed with "Internal Medicine Clinic (1)" and "Internal Medicine Clinic (2)" respectively.

Fearing that the patients might rush out at this moment and disrupt the carefully negotiated administration plan, Huang Biao hurriedly waved his hand in a gesture to halt. "Boss Ma, let's go outside and talk."

With those words, he began walking toward the exit.

Ma Hui had no choice but to follow behind him.

Huang Biao walked all the way to the corner where he had sought refuge earlier in the morning before coming to a halt.

Turning around, he said, "Let's talk here. They shouldn't be able to track us down this far."

Ma Hui knitted her delicate brows, her face full of astonishment. "Old Huang, what is going on? Where are the patient and her family members? Didn't you urgently call me back to handle this? Why are you blocking me and keeping me from seeing them?"

"Sigh!" Huang Biao sighed deeply before slowly explaining, "Boss Ma, don't panic. The problem has already been pretty much resolved. However, it's best if you don't meet with the patient's family for the time being, just to avoid any unexpected complications."

"Oh, as long as it's nothing major, that's fine." Ma Hui let out a sigh of relief.

When she had first received Xiao Cui's phone call, the situation sounded so severe that her heart had instantly caught in her throat.

For over two years since the Mingdetang Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic opened, this was the first time they had ever encountered a medical dispute.

She had long understood that such medical disputes could range from minor to severe. Paying a small amount of compensation was a trivial matter; her real fear was that the other party might maliciously ruin the clinic's reputation.

By then, Mingdetang would likely have no choice but to shut its doors!

As ill luck would have it, she had gone to an acquaintance's factory store in the east of the city today, hoping to immediately pick up the two department signboards.

Because the distance was somewhat far, and she happened to encounter a traffic jam halfway, despite rushing anxiously, it had taken her over half an hour of driving just to return to the clinic.

However, hearing the party involved, Old Huang, say that the dispute was basically resolved, she finally set her mind somewhat at ease.

Just as she was about to ask for details, Huang Biao spoke again.

"This time, we owe it all to Dr. Zhang. Otherwise, there's no telling how chaotic things would have gotten," Huang Biao said, still lingering in fear.

"Dr. Zhang?" Ma Hui was startled, then asked, "You don't mean little Jing, do you?"

"Of course it's him. Who else in our clinic has the surname Zhang?" Huang Biao immediately replied.

"Hn... Wait, that can't be right. Old Huang, during the meeting last night, didn't you mock Wang Sen, saying he had been brainwashed by little Jing? How come you've changed your tune now and are calling him Dr. Zhang? Could it be that you've been brainwashed too?" Ma Hui asked with a smile.

Huang Biao's aged face suddenly found it hard to maintain its composure, and he awkwardly explained, "Hey! Boss Ma, please don't make fun of an old man like me. I admit that I really underestimated Dr. Zhang before; his medical skills are truly profound."

"Listen to how exaggerated you're being. How profound could he possibly be? No matter how skilled he is, can he be more skilled than an veteran director like you?" Ma Hui said dismissively.

"How would I ever dare to compare myself to Dr. Zhang? I understand everything now; I'm not even qualified to be his apprentice," Huang Biao said with a wry smile.

A thought flickered through Ma Hui's mind, and her expression suddenly turned serious. "Old Huang, I think your mind is truly muddled, and your words are getting more and more absurd! I know you've always had reservations about my special care for little Jing, but you shouldn't keep holding a grudge against him like this!"

These words left Huang Biao utterly bewildered. Puzzled, he asked, "Boss Ma, what do you mean by that? When have I ever held a grudge against him? I am being completely sincere in my gratitude to him for taking the initiative to help me resolve this medical dispute."

"Are you certain you're not speaking in sarcasm?" Ma Hui looked dumbfounded.

"Sigh! How am I supposed to talk to you so that you'll believe me? To be honest, my whole brain feels like mush right now."

"Then let's not talk about it for now. We should go and take a look together; hiding like this isn't a solution. Don't worry, I'll play it by ear."

"Alright, seeing them is probably best, otherwise they might start harboring suspicions." Huang Biao felt that what Ma Hui said made sense, so he nodded in agreement.

Thus, the two of them returned to Mingdetang together.

By this time, Zhang Jing had just finished decocting the Chinese medicine and was letting it cool slightly.

Seeing Ma Hui, he greeted her, "Boss, you're back."

"Yes, little Jing, what is this?" Ma Hui asked curiously.

"Oh, Boss, this is the Chinese medicine Dr. Zhang just prescribed for the patient," Gui Cui eagerly piped up to answer.

Ma Hui nodded, having figured most of it out.

It must have been that Huang Biao made a diagnostic error and caused a dispute, prompting Zhang Jing to step in and clean up his mess.

No wonder when they were outside just now, Huang Biao's attitude toward Zhang Jing had undergone a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree reversal. So that was the reason!

Realizing this, Ma Hui quickly stepped forward. "Little Jing, where is the patient? Let me carry this medicine over to them."

Zhang Jing was momentarily startled, then comprehension dawned. He nodded and said, "That works too."

With those words, he handed the disposable cup filled with the traditional medicine over to Ma Hui.

Ma Hui carefully cupped it with both hands.

Zhang Jing then led the way in front. "Boss, the patient is in the internal medicine clinic room. I'll open the door for you."

Huang Biao and Gui Cui followed closely behind. The four of them walked in a single file line into the consultation room, bearing a subtle resemblance to a scene of serving tea in an ancient imperial court.

"Elder brother and sister, this is the owner of our Mingdetang, Ms. Ma Hui," Zhang Jing introduced first.

Upon seeing the boss personally carry the medicine in, the woman with the headscarf immediately made a move to get up and receive it.

However, she was held firmly back by the man wearing the duckbill cap.

"Wife, don't move. Let me take it."

Ma Hui hurried forward a few steps and transferred the cup of medicine into his hands.

As she stepped closer and caught sight of the patient, Ma Hui couldn't help being startled into a fright. "Goodness! Her complexion is so pale, without a trace of color. How could it be this severe?"

The man in the duckbill cap sneered, "You'll have to ask that veteran expert standing behind you!"

Huang Biao's old face flushed red, and he desperately wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

However, he knew that evasion was by no means the solution right now; facing the situation bravely was the only way to snatch a glimmer of hope.

With that thought, he immediately stepped forward.

He bowed to the couple once more, his face full of apology. "It was my lapse in judgment. I failed to pay enough attention to your wife's deficiency of primordial yang, and neglected to specifically instruct that cold and raw foods must not be consumed during menstruation."

Seeing this, the man in the duckbill cap found himself temporarily unable to argue further.

He merely said indifferently, "Let's wait until she finishes drinking the medicine first. My wife said the bleeding started again down below, and it's getting heavier. The effect of the intravenous infusion this morning must be wearing off. If drinking this Chinese medicine still doesn't stop it, all of you will have to accompany us to the hospital. Is that an unreasonable request?"

As soon as his voice fell, Ma Hui responded with immediate firmness. "Not unreasonable at all. Since the issue occurred at our clinic, I will certainly take full responsibility to the end."