The next day, Shen Xi woke up at six o'clock to the sound of an alarm.
She immediately sat up in bed, washed up, changed her clothes, and then went to the children's rooms to wake them one by one.
Today was the first day they were reporting to their new kindergarten, and they absolutely could not be late. She wanted to leave a good impression on the teachers.
The three children were very cooperative. They soon finished washing up, ate breakfast, put on their backpacks, and left the house with her.
On the way to the kindergarten, Shen Xi gave them a long list of instructions, telling them to listen carefully to the teachers, get along with their new classmates, and avoid any conflicts.
After dropping the children off at kindergarten and completing the handover, Shen Xi drove to Ankang Hospital, arriving precisely at 8:50.
As soon as she changed and sat down at her desk, her phone buzzed with a bank notification of a payment received.
One million yuan had been deposited.
Who could this be? It was her first day at work, and someone had transferred so much money to her so early in the morning. Was the sun rising from the west today?
A sense of unease and vigilance arose within her.
Just as she was about to open her banking app to check, a message popped up on WeChat. Shen Xi casually tapped it; it was from Qin Si Ye.
"Did you receive the treatment payment?"
What? Treatment payment? Was that money Qin Si Ye had transferred to her?
Shen Xi immediately replied, "I just received it. But you transferred too much. I only need twenty thousand yuan. Please send me a bank card for the rest, and I'll return it to you."
Qin Si Ye replied, "No need. The rest of the money is your payment for teaching my grandmother how to play chess."
Shen Xi frowned. "I told you, I don't charge for teaching Grandma chess."
That was her way of repaying his kindness from years ago; she would never accept this money.
There was a moment of silence from Qin Si Ye's end, and then he replied:
"Alright. Then the remaining money can be considered an advance payment for acupuncture."
"You said acupuncture would be very helpful for Grandma's condition, so let's renew the contract for a few more months."
Shen Xi's expression darkened. She wasn't sure what Qin Si Ye was plotting.
However, when she thought about how Xu Zhi Lan's condition had worsened due to her worry, her heart softened.
She quickly typed out her reply:
"Okay. But starting from the second month, seven days of acupuncture per week will be sufficient."
Qin Si Ye replied, "Done. We'll proceed as you said. Book it for ten months first, and the fees will be deducted from this amount."
Shen Xi thought for a moment, then typed out a single character after a long pause: "Okay."
She didn't know how long she would stay here, perhaps less than ten months, perhaps longer, but she was willing to use her own hands to prevent her grandmother's illness from progressing further.
After putting down her phone for a moment, Shen Xi's clinic welcomed its first guest.
An elderly lady, dressed in luxurious attire, entered with the support of a young man.
"Hello, Dr. Shen!" they greeted her politely as soon as they entered.
"Hello! Please have a seat," Shen Xi said, gesturing to the chairs beside her.
"Dr. Shen, it's finally good to meet you. We've been trying to make an appointment since Friday," the elderly lady said, resting her hands on her walking stick, her eyes crinkled in a smile as she looked at Shen Xi.
"Is that so?" Shen Xi smiled and asked, "What seems to be the problem? Where are you feeling unwell?"
"I have headaches and dizziness, and I haven't been able to sleep a wink," the elderly lady replied.
Shen Xi typed on her computer while continuing to ask, "And how long has this been going on?"
"About half a month," the man standing behind her replied.
Shen Xi paused her typing. "Oh? May I take your pulse first?"
After taking her pulse, Shen Xi looked up at her. "Your pulse is a bit weak and irregular. Has there been any major event in your family recently?"
Upon hearing this, the elderly lady's eyes reddened slightly. "My husband passed away last month."
Shen Xi remained silent. She wrote out a referral form and handed it to the man behind her. "First, take her for an electroencephalogram. If everything is normal, then it's likely due to excessive grief.
Later, I will prescribe some Chinese medicine for her to regulate her condition. After brewing and drinking it for two weeks at home, she should recover."