The entire journey was silent. Li Se felt a bit uncomfortable, sensing a strange atmosphere. For some reason, he felt a pang of guilt facing the aunt and niece duo.
Finally, they arrived at the birthday banquet location, a hotel. It was naturally opulent, even described as resplendent. Outside the hotel entrance, luxury cars were parked like a rain shower, indicating the status of the person celebrating their birthday.
Li Se was curious. He actually didn't know about Xia Bingyun and Xia Shuyu's family background, only that they were wealthy. He wondered if the Xia family was a prominent clan. However, to his disappointment, the elder being celebrated wasn't a direct elder of Xia Bingyun or Xia Shuyu. After entering the hotel, Xia Bingyun explained that the birthday celebrant was an old friend of her father.
As Xia Bingyun's family wasn't in Qingyun City, and her father's health was not good, they couldn't attend the banquet, so she and her niece were sent in their stead.
The hotel was already crowded. However, the appearance of Xia Bingyun and Xia Shuyu immediately drew everyone's attention. They were too beautiful, and both were dressed elegantly and appropriately, instantly making many men want to strike up a conversation.
"Grandpa Jiang, wishing you boundless luck and longevity…" Xia Bingyun presented the gift.
Elder Jiang was now eighty years old. He held a cane, with a young girl supporting him. Seeing Xia Bingyun and Xia Shuyu, his aged face broke into a smile. "You've all grown up and become more beautiful. Excellent. It's been a long time since I've seen my old friend; I wonder if there will be another chance."
"Grandpa Jiang, there definitely will be. You're in great health," Xia Shuyu said with a smile.
"Haha!" Elder Jiang chuckled and patted Xia Shuyu's head as if she were his own granddaughter.
"And who is this?" Elder Jiang noticed Li Se, unsure if he was Xia Bingyun's boyfriend or Xia Shuyu's.
"Grandpa Jiang, this is my friend. His medical skills are quite good, so I brought him along to have a look at you," Xia Bingyun explained.
"That's thoughtful," Elder Jiang nodded slightly. Although he didn't particularly trust Li Se's medical skills, it was Xia Bingyun's kind gesture, so he didn't refuse directly.
"Elder Jiang, I'll take your pulse." Li Se knew that this Elder Jiang was named Jiang Yuantan, a very famous literary giant. It was said that a piece of his calligraphy could sell for hundreds of thousands, showing how high his status was in the literary world. He had heard of Jiang Yuantan since he was young and was surprised to have the opportunity to attend his birthday banquet today.
"Are you studying traditional Chinese medicine?" Jiang Yuantan asked, somewhat surprised, but he extended his hand nonetheless.
"Yes, I'm familiar with it," Li Se replied, placing his hand on Jiang Yuantan's pulse. At first, he didn't feel anything significant, as Jiang Yuantan's complexion appeared robust, with no major issues. However, after taking his pulse, he discovered a problem.
"Little divine doctor, is there a problem?" Seeing Li Se's solemn expression, Jiang Yuantan couldn't help but ask.
"Elder Jiang, do you occasionally suffer from headaches, blurred vision, accompanied by tinnitus and hearing loss, and have difficulty sleeping at night?" Li Se inquired.
"It seems so," Jiang Yuantan nodded.
Li Se's expression became even more serious. "Elder Jiang, your condition is quite serious. If you trust me, I can…"
Before he could finish, a middle-aged man stepped forward, reprimanding, "My father is in perfect health. What nonsense are you spouting?"
Li Se frowned. "If you don't believe me, that's fine, but I still suggest Elder Jiang get a physical examination."
"You shut your mouth!" The middle-aged man was furious. He was Jiang Jiyie, Jiang Yuantan's son. It was his father's eightieth birthday, and anyone speaking ill of his father's health would be displeased, especially since Li Se was so young and a practitioner of TCM, claiming to detect issues with just a pulse. He was naturally very annoyed.
Even Jiang Yuantan himself didn't take it too seriously. The ailments Li Se mentioned were common among many elderly people, so he didn't pay much attention. Moreover, it was his birthday, and being told his health was serious made him a bit unhappy.
"If you don't believe me, then forget it," Li Se said, his temper flaring. He had genuinely wanted to treat Jiang Yuantan, but since they didn't believe him, he naturally wouldn't bother anymore.
"So young, yet speaking such nonsense, and you call yourself a TCM practitioner?" Jiang Jiyie scoffed.
"Elder Jiang, Mr. Jiang, if you are concerned, I can take a look," a man in his fifties, with a considerable amount of white hair, stepped forward.
"Who are you?" Jiang Jiyie didn't know the man.
"I am Sun Yangqiu, also a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, currently working at a major hospital," the man introduced himself.
"Alright, then you take a look." Jiang Jiyie immediately nodded. Compared to Li Se, Sun Yangqiu was more trustworthy, given his age, which easily inspired confidence.
As Sun Yangqiu approached, he glanced dismissively at Li Se. Pausing beside Li Se, he said, "Young man, traditional Chinese medicine is vast and profound. You need to study and observe more. The path of TCM is still very long."
"Elder Sun speaks wisely," Li Se replied with a faint smile.
Sun Yangqiu went before Jiang Yuantan and, just like Li Se had done, placed his hand on Jiang Yuantan's pulse. After several minutes, he smiled and said, "Elder Jiang, your health is excellent. Living another twenty to thirty years is certainly not a problem."
"Haha, I appreciate your good wishes," Elder Jiang said with a laugh.
"I knew it. Elder Jiang looks very good; how could there be serious health problems?"
"Young people nowadays will stoop to any means to get ahead or for money."
"Indeed, they are all people who seek quick success and instant benefits."
"..."
Many people began to point and whisper about Li Se.
Li Se frowned slightly. Before he could speak, Jiang Jiyie coldly remarked, "For the sake of Bingyun and Shuyu, I won't hold this against you. Next time, find a better reason and excuse. I've seen too many of your tricks!"
Li Se felt somewhat indignant. Jiang Jiyie's words implied that he was trying to curry favor with the Jiang family or gain some benefits from them. These wealthy people were too self-important. Since they didn't believe him, Li Se wouldn't say anything more. When Jiang Yuantan eventually had issues, they would regret their disbelief.