Chapter 148 - 128: Snake

Xu Chunliang asked Xiaosinan if she had ever experienced headaches and vomiting in the past.He Tiantian told him that everything was normal. When she went to the provincial neurology hospital, the experts also asked, and they did an MRI and a CT scan of the head, which showed everything was normal.

Xu Chunliang believed that Xiaosinan’s aphasia might be caused by a parasitic infection. If He Tiantian trusted him, he would come over tomorrow to help treat the little girl.

He Tiantian said she didn’t want to trouble him, but her eyes looked towards Mei Ru Xue.

Mei Ru Xue saw that He Tiantian was asking her for help. She probably didn’t trust Xu Chunliang but felt embarrassed to refuse, clearly wanting her to help out.

Mei Ru Xue said, "Sister He, go see your daughter. I’ll get in touch with an expert in the Capital City for you later."

After He Tiantian left, Xu Chunliang said to Mei Ru Xue, "Mayor Mei, you were undermining me just now. I was sincerely trying to help them."

"Have you heard of good intentions leading to bad results? They already said they’ve been to several major hospitals in the province. If provincial experts can’t treat it, do you really think Changxing can?" Mei Ru Xue wasn’t familiar with his medical skills.

Xu Chunliang said, "You don’t know me at all. What do those so-called experts know? I don’t represent Changxing. My family has been practicing traditional Chinese medicine for generations. Have you heard of Huichun Hall?"

Mei Ru Xue wasn’t someone knowledgeable in medicine and had never heard of Huichun Hall, so she shook her head.

"Ignorance isn’t bliss. Huichun Hall is a medical clinic that’s been passed down in the Xu Family for generations. The signboard was bestowed by Emperor Yong Zheng. My ancestor served as an Imperial Physician in the Imperial Palace. My grandfather is the current shopkeeper of Huichun Hall, the most prestigious traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Dongzhou."

"Family heritage, huh? I didn’t expect you to know traditional Chinese medicine."

"What kind of satisfaction would I get from lying to you?"

Mei Ru Xue poured him a drink: "My apologies, I must get to know you better."

"No need to stand on ceremony. If you ever have headaches, fevers, fractures, or dislocations, just call me."

Mei Ru Xue gave him a sideways glance: "Why can’t you wish something good for me?"

Xu Chunliang used the communal chopsticks to give her a piece of fish: "We all eat food and grains; who can avoid getting sick? Moreover, the world’s environment is harsh now, pollution is severe, and strange illnesses keep emerging. No one can guarantee a lifetime free of illness."

"I agree with that. That’s why I believe that Weishan Island’s development should adhere to a green and healthy philosophy." Mei Ru Xue is an environmentalist.

The two of them had their meal for an hour and a half, and the night was already falling outside.

Xu Chunliang originally wanted to call Zhang Haitao to come and pick them up, but Mei Ru Xue said she ate too much and suggested they walk back to town since it wasn’t far.

Xu Chunliang naturally agreed, so he told Zhang Haitao not to come.

When paying the bill, He Tiantian told him that Zhang Haitao had already paid in advance, and Xu Chunliang realized that Zhang Haitao wasn’t so clueless.

As they left, they saw Xiaosinan with her little yellow dog standing at the stern. In the darkness, Xu Chunliang noticed a faint green light flickering in the little girl’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but worry for the child.

Based on the symptoms shown by Xiaosinan, she might have a cerebral infection from Sparganum. If delayed further, it could lead to more severe consequences.

The concept of Sparganum no longer exists in modern medicine. Xu Chunliang had researched related information. In medicine, it’s now referred to as Spirometra mansoni larvae or simply sparganum.

Spirometra mansoni usually parasitizes in the small intestines of cats, dogs, and other animals. The eggs are expelled through feces and develop in water. The coracidium hatches and develops into sparganum in the musculature and lung tissues of the first intermediate host, such as cyclops, as well as second intermediate hosts such as tadpoles, snakes, birds, mice, and pigs.

Humans are usually infected by consuming raw or undercooked tadpoles, frog meat, snake meat, or chicken meat containing sparganum.

Drinking or coming into contact with water containing infected cyclops can lead to infection as the sparganum invades the human body through the digestive tract, skin, or wounds.

Cerebral sparganosis is very common. Patients may exhibit symptoms and signs such as headaches, vomiting, seizures, aphasia, etc., related to the nervous system.

Xiaosinan’s symptoms are very peculiar, showing only aphasia with no other symptoms, and her head scan appears normal.

Xu Chunliang seldom had the thought of actively saving people in the past, but he realized that he had been somewhat changed by the world.

There was no motive, nor did he expect any return, he simply wanted to help this poor little girl. As the current saying goes, his heart had grown softer. He used to focus on cultivation and gaining influence, rarely paying attention to the hardships of the world.

Although Mei Ru Xue had been working in Hu Shan Town for several months, tonight was her first time leisurely strolling by the lakeside like this.

Even though she was quite brave and had learned some self-defense techniques, she wouldn’t choose to walk alone in such an environment. It must have been because of Xu Chunliang’s presence.

Speaking of it, they hadn’t known each other for many days, yet she felt trust for him, probably because Xu Chunliang had protected her in a dangerous moment. Having him by her side gave her a strong sense of security.

Mei Ru Xue could vividly remember the scene when the explosion happened yesterday. If it weren’t for Xu Chunliang pulling her down to the ground in time and using his body to shield her from the flying shards of glass, her face would most likely have been cut. To a woman, the importance of appearance is almost equivalent to life.

The moonlight was just right, and the two of them walked step by step on the moonlit path, with a serene atmosphere exuding a faint warmth.

Mei Ru Xue said, "Thank you for yesterday."

Xu Chunliang replied, "If you really want to thank me, help Changxing solve the property transfer issue."

"You’re so practical."

"I’m entrusted with this task and must fulfill it. I can’t let down our dean’s expectations of me."

Mei Ru Xue asked what job he held in Changxing.

Xu Chunliang’s employment history wasn’t much to talk about, as it was so short it could be explained in under a minute.

Before coming to Weishan Island, he didn’t expect there would be so many issues awaiting his resolution. Zhao Feiyang really treated him as one of his own, assigning him such a tricky task.

On the way, his grandfather made a video call. Every day, the elder would video call to see his grandson in person. This time, he asked if he was coming back on Sunday. Xu Chunliang called it high-tech surveillance; the old man had become quite adept at video calling.

Xu Chunliang smiled and told his grandfather that work was quite busy, and he’d only return after all the quality control checks were finished.

Because the surroundings were rather dark, Xu Changshan couldn’t see him clearly, so Xu Chunliang asked Mei Ru Xue to use her phone as a light for him.

Xu Changshan then realized there was someone else with him and curiously asked who he was with.

Xu Chunliang turned the camera towards Mei Ru Xue, letting her greet the old man.

Mei Ru Xue was forced into the shot, waved her hand at the camera with a smile, and said, "Hello, Mr. Xu."

Xu Changshan nodded with delight. Although he couldn’t see clearly, he could still tell it was a young, pretty girl, thinking that no wonder the kid doesn’t want to come back, having met such a lovely girl.

The grandfather happily said, "Good, good! Girl, do come to Dongzhou with Chunliang for a visit if you have the time!"

Mei Ru Xue guessed that Elder Xu had surely misunderstood and it was all Xu Chunliang’s fault for forcing her in front of the camera. Since things had come to this, she had no choice but to play along and agreed readily.

Xu Changshan also requested Mei Ru Xue to help take care of Xu Chunliang, as the boy had hardly ever left home and was not very self-sufficient.

Now it was Xu Chunliang’s turn to feel embarrassed. To his grandfather, he was always just a kid who never grew up.

Xu Changshan didn’t linger much longer. The old man had enough sense not to ruin his grandson’s good fortune.

Xu Chunliang ended the call and said to Mei Ru Xue, "Thank you! I’ll invite you to my home some other time. My grandfather is really nice, and you’ll definitely like him."

Mei Ru Xue replied with a gentle smile, "Even from the call, I can tell he’s a very kind and amiable old man. So you grew up with your grandfather?"

Xu Chunliang nodded and said, "When I was very young, my parents divorced, and neither of them wanted to take me, so my grandfather raised me. That’s why I’m closest to him."

Mei Ru Xue looked at him with some sympathy, thinking that she initially thought he was carefree, but he actually had such a sad story. However, she quickly reminded herself not to misuse her sympathy. Some men are good at pretending to be pitiful to garner sympathy, and once your compassion is stirred, it’s easy to fall into their trap.

A light mist began to rise around them. The moonlight was swallowed by the mist, and with every step, the fog at their feet danced, as if they were walking on clouds, making the surroundings appear dreamlike. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of mysterious unknown.

Xu Chunliang suddenly stopped walking and reached out to stop Mei Ru Xue. Surprised, she asked, "What are you doing?"

"Close your eyes."

Mei Ru Xue looked at him cautiously. If she closed her eyes, what would he do next? Just like in movies, she imagined, unable to picture anything decent.

Xu Chunliang asked, "What do you fear the most?"

Without hesitation, Mei Ru Xue said, "Snakes!"

Xu Chunliang’s gaze was fixed two meters ahead where a green snake was slowly slithering towards them.

As the season nearly approached the White Dew period, usually snakes would start retreating into their holes. However, given the recent heat, it’s possible they might come out to hunt before going into hiding.

But Xu Chunliang could already smell a fishy odor on the night wind—a scent unique to snakes. The strong smell indicated that there were more than just one snake, probably dozens, encroaching on them.

Mei Ru Xue curiously peeked forward over Xu Chunliang’s shoulder, and when she saw the gradually advancing green snake, she froze, instinctively grabbing Xu Chunliang’s arm and letting out a terrified scream.

Xu Chunliang sighed, having asked her to close her eyes, but she wouldn’t listen. Curiosity killed the cat; now she knew what fear was?

Trembling, Mei Ru Xue stammered, "Snake... snake..."

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